Heo sweeps first two matches Down Under

CNMI junior netter Ji Hoon Heo was off to a good start Down Under sweeping his first two matches in the 2009 Post Margaret Court Cup at the Albury Grasscourts in Albury, New South Wales, Australia.

Heo, who left Saipan Sunday to compete in two tournaments in Australia, had an impressive 6-0, 6-0 win over Joshua Verity of Thurgoona, NSW in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday.

In the second round, Heo was still on target beating Matt Thompson of Albany, Wodonga in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0, yesterday moving the CNMI netter to the Round of 32.

Heo’s next foe will be the No. 10 seed Robert Partington, also of Albany, Wodonga.

Partington drew a bye in the first round and came from a hard-earned 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 triumph over Adib Golshan of Albury.

Heo is in Australia as part of the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team. Joining him on the team are Cook Islands’ Elias Tukaroa, Fiji’s Tony O’Connell, Solomon Islands’ Luke Paeni, and Samoa’s Prince Matautia.

From Albury, the group will go to Wodonga, which will host a tournament from Jan. 13 to 17.

Heo and his teammates will leave Wodonga on Jan. 18 to go to Melbourne and watch several qualifying matches for the 2009 Australian Open.

From Australia, the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team will go to New Zealand for training sessions in Christchurch and tournaments in three various places.

Heo and his teammates are expected to arrive in Christchurch on Jan. 21 and stay there for two days before going to Canterbury, where an ITF qualifying tournament awaits the group.

Besides the tournament in Canterbury, Heo will also be competing in Auckland and Wellington,

The CNMI netter is hoping to earn more points in the three tournaments in New Zealand to improve his rankings, which is currently No. 1,226.

Heo is also trying to get his tough form back after lackluster performances in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines in the last quarter of 2008.

The Marianas High School student had forgettable stints in Japan, the Philippines, and Korea as he played hurt following an injury he sustained while competing in New Caledonia mid last year.

In August, Heo continued to play in pain in the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji. He made it into the finals, but lost to Lorenzo Pineda of Vanuatu.

Making it to the top two in the boys’ 18-and-under division of the POJC allowed Heo to earn a return trip to Australia, and a bonus stint in New Zealand tournaments.