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Five NMI netters top pools
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Posted on Jun 18 2008
Five CNMI junior players went undefeated in round-robin play en route to topping their pools as the 2008 North Pacific Qualifier enters its playoffs today at the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in Tamuning, Guam.
Tinian’s Benjie Decena and Mayuko Arriola headlined the Commonwealth’s superb performance in the first three days of the qualifier at the U.S. territory, as the two topped their respective pools in the boys and girls 18-and-under division.
Arriola topped Pool A with a 4-0 win-loss slate after being tested yesterday by Federated States of Micronesia’s Alyssa Hawkins, 6-3, 6-1.
Meanwhile, the CNMI’s other bet in the age group, Dina Jones, absorbed her first loss of the competition when she bowed to Pool B topnotcher Alea Dugan of Guam, 1-6, 1-6.
Theecel Minor, for her part, gave herself a chance to qualify to the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships after winning her match against Abigail Gbewonyo of Palau, 6-0, 6-1. The win gave her a 2-3 record and a ticket to the second round.
In the boys 18-and-under, Decena beat Russell Buenaventura, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, to top Pool B with a 5-0 record. Buenaventura also advanced to the second round after coming away with a 3-2 slate.
Nathan Nutting bowed out of the competition with a 0-6, 0-6 loss to Alex Kalau of FSM. He finished with a 1-4 record, his only win came against Guam’s Alex Park (6-2, 6-4).
In Pool A, James Camacho finished second behind Guam’s Michael Tan after beating teammate Woo Suk Chang, 6-1, 6-2. He was 4-1 in round-robin play. Despite the loss, Chang advanced to playoffs with a 3-2 record.
Thea Minor continued her dominance in the girls’ 13-and-under after recording her fifth win in as many games in Pool A following a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Amanda Hawkins of FSM.
Jeane Bracken ended her first off-island competition winless after losing to Alina Bonto of Guam, 3-6, 3-6.
In Pool B, Amy Arenovski dropped her second match of the tourney after succumbing to undefeated Shawn Adams of FSM, 3-6, 6-7 (6), 1-6.
Last Tuesday, Rafael Jones and Jake Lee secured pole position in their respective pools in the boys’ 13-and-under after both went 3-0 in round-robin play, even as Dan Camacho finished second in Jones’ Pool A with a 2-1 record.
