{"id":401582,"date":"2023-11-17T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=401582"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Chung-sisters-dominate-women-s-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Chung-sisters-dominate-women-s-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Chung sisters dominate women\u2019s field"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irin and Serin Chung duplicated their win in the girls 18 doubles by winning the women\u2019s doubles in the 12th TanHoldings Tennis Classic last weekend at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan and American Memorial Park tennis courts<\/p>\n

The Chung sisters went 2-0 in women\u2019s open play. They first beat Melody Johnson and Mikayla Lopez, 5-7, 6-2, 10-1, before capping it off with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 win over Anne Lee and Amelie Terlaje.<\/p>\n

The sisters then figured in the finals of the women\u2019s open with Irin taking the tiara, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.<\/p>\n

The Chung sisters\u2019 final preempted the much-anticipated showdown between Anne Lee and Hoo Wang.<\/p>\n

The top junior girls\u2019 netters figured in a heated girls 18 finals a week prior. However, both were ousted in the semis of the women\u2019s open with Lee dropping a 1-6, 3-6 loss to Irin and Wang exiting following a 6-2, 1-6, 7-10 defeat in the hands of Serin.<\/p>\n

Irin said playing the women\u2019s open finals against her sister was a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt exciting knowing it\u2019s my sister. It made me feel more comfortable and I wasn\u2019t nervous at all. I really enjoyed playing against my sister…I feel like we both weren\u2019t able to play our best because I know we have played so much better before, but it was a close match and I hope to compete against her again,\u201d said the 15-year-old Saipan International School student.<\/p>\n

She added going all the way in the women\u2019s open more than made up for her lackluster showing in the girls 16.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was upset I didn\u2019t do so well in the juniors but I\u2019m happy I was able to do better in the women\u2019s division,\u201d said Irin who dedicated her championship to their parents, Rie Nakai and J.B. Chung, as well as Serin.<\/p>\n

For her part, Serin said playing the women\u2019s open finals opposite Irin was both challenging and fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt a lot more nervous playing her in the finals than when I played her for third place in the junior division. I think it was nice since we usually don\u2019t play against each other in tournaments. It really feld good since it has been a while since my sister and I played doubles together in a tournament. I think the last time we played was like in the girls 12,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s doubles 3.0, Min Han and Jing Zhao triumphed over Mae Kim and Mei Rengiil in the finals 7-5, 6-2, while Soung Mi Yang blanked Wei Tang, 6-0, 6-0, for the women\u2019s 2.0 championship.<\/p>\n

Race wins first men\u2019s 60<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n

CNMI Sports Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Race, meanwhile, reached a milestone in the tourney. This, after winning his first men\u2019s 60 championship, which now gives him around 107 career titles.<\/p>\n

\u201cExperience counts for a lot. I\u2019ve played in hundreds of tournament matches. So, I don\u2019t really get very nervous and I know what to do during tense situations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Race dominated the division as he nearly swept Brian K. Wessel in the finals, 6-1, 6-0. Before that the many-time CNMI national tennis coach easily beat John Bradley, 6-0, 6-1.<\/p>\n

He also took the mixed doubles 50 championship with Lydia Tan after the pair overwhelmed Sally Lee and David Lai (6-1, 6-1) and Eun Kyoung Lee and Dong Min Lee (6-0, 6-1).<\/p>\n

In the mixed doubles open, David Kwon and Hoo Wang took the championship with successive wins over Lina Tsukagoshi and Siwoo Lee (6-3, 6-2) and Hannah Chae and June Yu (6-3, 6-1).<\/p>\n

J.R. A. Jacinto and Mae Kim then topped the mixed doubles 3.0 after drubbing Mihoko Suzuki and Jim Tuttle, 6-4, 6-2, while David and Annie Lai won the mixed doubles 4.0 via walkover against Yuko Kumada and Reo Ariola.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s doubles 4.0, Annie Lai and Lydia Tan outlasted Yuko Kumada and Harumi Suzuki, 4-6, 7-5, 10-7, in the finals.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Irin Chung in action against sister Serin in the women’s open finals of the 12th TanHoldings Tennis Classic last Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan tennis courts.<\/p>\n

-MARK RABAGO
<\/figcaption><\/figure>

<\/p>\n

Serin Chung in action against sister Irin in the women’s open finals of the 12th TanHoldings Tennis Classic last Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan tennis courts.<\/p>\n

-MARK RABAGO
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