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Heo to launch bid for ranking points Down Under
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Posted on Dec 30 2008
Ji Hoon Heo will start his bid for more ITF Junior ranking points early as he leaves for Australia next week.
Heo was invited, anew to join the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team that will be competing in three tournaments Down Under. He earned another slot on the team after a runner-up finish in the 2008 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji.
Heo was coming off a stint in two tournaments in the Philippines early this month, but won only a couple of games there as he was still playing hurt.
But with or without an injury, he will keep on playing to earn ranking points.
“I hope to get more ranking points so I could get bring my ranking to a higher level. My injury still bothers me but it’s getting better. The thing about ankle injuries is that it never really goes away,” Heo said.
“It’s vulnerable and I really need to be careful so I still wear a brace when I’m playing tennis,” he added.
After playing in the Philippines, Heo took a weeklong break before resuming his preparations for the tournaments in Australia.
He is training six times a week doing upper body and core workouts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Heo does leg workouts such as running, sprinting, and other drills.
“I’m trying to get back in best shape. The problem in the Philippines was that I wasn’t much in shape. I will try to solve these problems before I go to Australia. I really want to prepare for this trip because this is a great opportunity for me to get more ranking points,” the Marianas High School student said.
Beside the tournaments in Australia, Heo will also compete in Auckland, New Zealand in the last week of January.
Joining tournaments in Australia and New Zealand will make the CNMI netter miss classes and he thanked MHS for allowing him to continue competing off island.
“I thanked MHS for being so supportive lately with my tennis. I hope they will continue to be supportive with my tennis career,” Heo said.
