Ferrer stuns ranked players

JC Ferrer poses for a photo after winning against Thaileena Raulerson in the girls U10 singles finals in the 2016 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships last Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Contributed Photo)

JC Ferrer pulled off two upsets in the 2016 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships to take her first U10 singles championship.

Ferrer first stunned the top-ranked Anika Camacho in the semifinals, 7-5, and then downed the second-seeded Thaileena Raulerson in the finals, 6-3, to rule the five-player division. Ferrer, who finished third in her first two tournaments for 2015-2016 before ending her title drought in the last local competition this season, earlier dominated Helen Kim, 6-2, to set up a semis date against Camacho.

Camacho, who topped the U10 singles in both the Tan Holdings and Coconut Classic tournaments, settled for the third place honors last week after defeating Yejin Son, 6-2.

Meanwhile, siblings Coume and Conatsu Kaga and Isabel Heras were the champions in the other girls singles events in the 2016 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships.

Coume won the battle of the Top 2 seeds in the girls U14 finale after slipping past the No. 1 seed Maria Gregoire in three sets. The second-ranked Coume dropped the closely fought first set, 5-7, before sweeping the last two, 6-2, 6-3, to complete the come-from-behind victory.

The younger Kaga made it to the finals after eliminating Erika Tuttle, 6-4, 7-6 (6), while Gregoire eased past Riko Ojima in the other semis pairing, 6-1, 6-2. Tuttle rounded out the Top 3 following a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Ojima.

In the girls U16 singles, there was also a collision between the Top 2-ranked players in the draw with Conatsu surprising the No.1 pick Asia Raulerson in the finals, 6-1, 6-2. Before her title win over Raulerson, Conatsu came from a three-set victory in the semis against Tuttle, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4. Raulerson, on the other hand, foiled a “sister act” finale after ousting Coume in the other semis match, 7-5, 7-5. Tuttle went on to take her second third place medal in the tournament after beating Coume in the consolation game, 6-2, 6-2.

In the girls U18 singles, Heras avoided the upset axe of Raulerson after prevailing in their three-set title match. Heras waltzed past Raulerson in the opening set, 6-2, but failed to finish off her much younger foe when the latter eked out a 7-5 win in the second. In the deciding third set, Heras came out on a mission, posting an emphatic 6-0 victory to clinch the division crown.

Tania Tan joined Heras and Raulerson to the podium after dominating Mimi Sakano in the battle for third place, 6-1, 6-1.