Heo is Islanders’ top netter

CNMI’s top junior tennis player Ji Hoon won three matches in the 2009 Post Margaret Court Cup to make it to the Round of 16 of the event played at the Albury Grasscourts in Albury, New South Wales, Australia.

After a scintillating 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Joshua Verity of Thurgoona, NSW in the first round and a 6-2, 6-0 win over Matt Thompson of Albany, Wodonga in the second round, the CNMI bet cruised to his third straight victory following a 6-2, 6-3 win against Albany’s Robert Partington.

It was an upset victory for Heo, who was unseeded in the tournament, but defeated the 10th-ranked Partington.

In the Round of 16, Heo was paired against a much tougher foe in second seed Jack Cox of Berkley Vale, NSW.

The No. 2 pick Cox ended Heo’s string of victories nailing a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to advance to the quarterfinals.

Cox went on to win the boys’ 16-and-under title after pulling off a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 upset over the top-seeded and fellow NSW player Ethan Scobie.

Heo competed in the Margaret Court Cup, along with the Cook Islands’ Elias Tukaroa, Fiji’s Tony O’Connell, Solomon Islands’ Luke Paeni, and Samoa’s Prince Matautia.

The CNMI netter was the top finisher for the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team in the tournament. Matautia was good only until Round of 32 losing to Albury’s Lewis Ahern, 6-7, 4-6. The three other ITF Pacific Oceania netters were eliminated in the earlier rounds.

Next up for Heo is the 2009 Victorian Junior Grasscourt Champ, which will be played at the Wodonga Lawn Tennis Club.

The Marianas High School student played in the same tournament last year and made it into the semis before losing to No. 2 seed Rory de Boer of Tasmania, 2-6, 2-6.

Before bowing to de Boer, Heo defeated three seeded foes.

The 15-year-old Heo reached the semifinals after a 6-4, 6-4 upset over the seventh seeded Sam Clow of Victoria. The CNMI netter also won over Dane McKinnon of Queensland, 7-5, 6-4, in the Last 16 and against No. 3 Michael McKee of New South Wales in the Round of 32.

After the tournaments in Australia, Heo and the rest of the ITF Pacific Touring Team will go to New Zealand to compete in Cantebury, Auckland, and Wellington.

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