Heo sets record in Jr. Championships

Ji Hoon Heo made a milestone last weekend, as he became the winningest male player in the history of the CNMI Junior Tennis Championships.

Heo topped the singles competition in the boys’ 18-and-under division of the 2009 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships after shutting out Benjie Decena in the finals, 6-0, 6-0, Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis court.

This was the fourth straight time that Heo ruled the boys’ 18-and-under singles division in the Commonwealth’s junior tennis championships, allowing him to shatter the record of Kim Hee Sung.

Kim dominated the same event from 1999 to 2001, while Heo started his title run in the CNMI championship from 2006.

In 2006, Heo prevailed over 2005 champion Rafael Buenaventura, 6-4, 7-5, and the former nailed back-to-back titles after downing Nicolas Son in the 2007 finale, 6-4, 6-2. Last year, Heo made it a three-peat after crushing Russell Buenaventura, 6-0, 6-0.

At the awards ceremony Sunday night, Heo received the perpetual CNMI championship trophy, which had his and other winners’ names on it. Heo is in the company of Sung Won Yoon (1993), Chang Hyun Cho (1994), J.J. Richardson (1995 and 1996), Tadashi Yoshimura (1997), Eung Sung Hang (1998), Kim Hee Sung (1999 to 2001), Daniel Son (2002), Jung Mun Chung (2003), Nicolas Son (2004), and Rafael Buenaventura (2005).

Heo said it was great to have set a new record and be on top of the field today.

“I remember several years ago when I started playing tennis, I was one of the smallest kids in the field. I was the perennial underdog. But things have changed in the past three years and I am thankful to my coaches and fellow players for bringing me where I am now,” Heo said in a telephone interview with Saipan Tribune.

Heo’s fourth consecutive titles in the CNMI championships tied Kana Aikawa and Mayuko Arriola’s records in the women’s division. Aikawa won from 1999 to 2001 and in 2003. Arriola had her first back-to-back championship in 2004 and 2005 and went on to have the same achievement in 2007 and 2008.

Others on the list of champions in the women’s division were Kaoru Suwa (1993 and 1994), Hiroe Fujimoto (1995 and 1996), Min Ji Kim (1997), Momoko Kobayashi (1998), Na Sil Heo (2002), Vivian Lee (2006), and Thea Minor (2009).

Heo still has a chance to extend his reign in the boys’ 18-and-under age group, as he is only 17 years old.

The Marianas High School student competed in last week’s junior championship a few weeks after participating in two tournaments in South Korea.

Heo joined the Jeju International Junior Championships 2009 and lost in three sets in the first round in the main draw against Kyu-Min Park, 7-6, 3-6, 4-6. The CNMI bet then went to Seoul for the Lee Duk Hee Cup Korea International Junior Championships 2009 and bowed in the qualifying round over Moo Seong Park, 4-6, 2-6.

Though he lost in the two tournaments, Heo was proud to represent the CNMI in Korea. He said a CNMI flag was in display at the tennis courts during the two tournaments.

“For the first time, our CNMI flag was standing in the tennis courts. I was proud to see the flag hanging. Usually I don’t see a CNMI flag when I compete off-island because they barely even know where CNMI is. But this time they got it,” Heo said in an earlier interview with Saipan Tribune.