Johnson, Jones jolt rivals

Melody Johnson and Rafael Jones pulled off contrasting wins to lead four other players on the champions list in the 2009 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Johnson waltzed her way to the girls’ 14-and-under title via a straight sets win over the diminutive Neghar Rastguiy, 6-2, 6-0, while Jones took the long route to the Promise Land, outlasting perennial rival Christian Miller in three sets.

Miller, who downed Jones in the finals of the PIC netfest, 6-2, 6-3, took the opening set with an impressive 6-1 victory. But Miller failed to notch his second straight victory over Jones, who stunned his foe with a similar 6-4, 6-4 win in the last two sets.

Jones advanced to the title match after topping Jake Lee, 6-2, 6-3, while Miller nailed the second finals seat after a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Chris Cajigan. Lee won third place after thwarting Cajigan in the consolation match, 6-3, 6-4.

In the battle for third place in the girls’ 14-and-under division, Jean Bracken outclassed Amy Arenovski, 8-6.

Bracken ran out of steam in her semifinal game against Rastguiy, allowing the latter to win and move into the title match against Johnson. Rastguiy ruled the opening set, 6-1, and was leading at 2-0 when Bracken retired.

Johnson also had an easier semis win, thumping Arenovski in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

In the 10-and-under division, Carl Dela Cruz and Emily Jones eased past separate foes to join Johnson and Rafael on the winners list.

Dela Cruz whipped Colin Ramsey in the boys’ 10-and-under finals, 6-2, while Emily defeated Carol Lee in similar scores in the girls division.

Dela Cruz gained a finals berth after winning over Moris Villanueva in the semifinals, 6-3. The other semis pairing had Ramsey walloping Alex Park, 6-1. Villanueva topped Park, 6-2, to settle for third place.

Carol foiled another Emily-Tammy Ackerman title showdown in the girls’ 10-and-under after the former downed Ackerman in the semis, 6-3. Emily advanced to the finals via a 7-6 (8-6) win over Imaya Sakuma. Ackerman was relegated to third place after beating Sakuma, 6-2.

Favored Ji Hoon Heo and Thea Minor lived up to expectations en route to claiming the 18-and-under division titles.

Minor went undefeated in the round-robin girls’ 18-and-under division, topping Dina Jones and sister Theecel in similar scores, 6-0, 6-0, and Jodel Fernandez, 6-3, 6-0. Dina placed second.

Heo also had a shutout win in the finals against Tinian’s Benjie Decena. The CNMI’s top junior netter in the boys’ 18-and-under division nearly blanked Nathan Nutting in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-0. Decena earned a title match against Heo after beating Woo Suk Chang in the other semis game, 6-2, 6-4.

The top two placers in each division in both the doubles and singles competitions were given trophies during an awards ceremony Sunday night.

Meanwhile, CNMI coach Jeff Race thanked the following for supporting the two-weekend tournament: Deloitte, Tano Group, Deepstar Submarine, Java Joe’s, Spectrum Electric, Marianas Medical Center, Law Offices of Stephen J. Nutting, C.N. Lee International, Tan Holdings, and Aces Tennis Academy.