Seven NMI netters going to Fiji

Seven CNMI junior netters have assured themselves slots in the North Pacific Team to the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships after finishing in the Top 3 of their respective divisions in the North Pacific Qualifier which singles competition concluded yesterday in Guam.

James Camacho, Mayuko Arriola, Dina Jones, Christian Miller, Rafael Jones, Jake Lee, and Thea Minor will join automatic qualifier Ji Hoon Heo to Lautoka, Fiji next month for the competition at the Dr. Robin Mitchell Tennis Centre.

Camacho will join Heo in the boys’ 18-and-under division despite losing to Guam’s Michael Tan in the finals, 0-6, 3-6, yesterday at the Rick Ninete Tennis Center in Tamuning, Guam.

Camacho earlier advanced to the championship round following a 7-6, 6-4 upset win over Tinian’s Benjie Decena, who was unbeaten in Pool B. The result of Decena’s third place match against Guam’s William Koo was still not available as of press time.

Russell Buenaventura and Woo Suk Chang, the other CNMI players in the age group, came in fifth and sixth, respectively. Buenaventura beat Stanley Rice of Guam (6-1, 6-1) and Chang (1-6, 6-2, 6-4), while Chang took out Alex Kalau of FSM (6-2, 6-1).

In the girls’ 18-and-under, Arriola took the championship after beating Alea Dugan of Guam, 6-2, 6-1, in a match between pool topnotchers.

Arriola, who topped Pool A, advanced to the final round after getting the better of teammate Jones, 6-0, 6-2. Jones later booked a trip to Fiji after taking third place following a 6-0, 6-4 win over Alyssa Hawkins of Federated States of Micronesia.

Theecel Minor wound up fifth following wins over Marica Otto of FSM (6-1, 6-0) and Theresa Rice of Guam (6-0, 6-0).

Miller, for his part, took the top spot in the boys’ 13-and-under after nipping Pool A winner teammate Rafael Jones in the finals, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.

Miller, who topped Pool D with a 3-0 record in the eliminations, got going with a 6-2, 6-1 win over compatriot Dan Camacho. He then took out Pool C topnotcher and teammate Lucas Nutting in the second round, 6-2, 6-3, before winning the finale against Jones.

He will be joined in Fiji by Jones and Pool B winner Jake Lee, who took third place following a 6-2, 6-1 win over Nutting.

Minor, for her part, won the girls’ 13-and-under after handily beating Shawn Adams of FSM in the finals, 6-1, 6-2.

Amy Arenovski, meanwhile, can finish no worse than sixth after beating Ayana Rengiil of Palau, 6-1, 6-4. The result of Arenovski’s match against Amanda Hawkins of FSM was still not available as of press time.

Jean Bracken, meanwhile, wound up in 11th place after beating FSM’s Danielle Adams, 6-2, 6-3. It was her first win in her first off-island tournament. Earlier she lost to Camdyn Nadler of Guam, 1-6, 4-6.

Other players making it the North Pacific Team are Michael Tan (Guam) in the boys’ 18, Alea Dugan (Guam) in the girls’ 18, and Shawn Adams (FSM) and Andrea Lai (Guam) in the girls’ 13.