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HK, Japan players to debut in TanHoldings Classic
Roman Merletti was among the Guam junior players who joined last year’s TanHoldings Tennis Classic. (Contributed Photo)
The 8th Annual TanHoldings Tennis Classic will pit the CNMI players against representatives of Guam, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Tournament director Lydia Tan, in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday, said three junior players and four adults from Guam, one from Hong Kong, and two female players from Japan have confirmed their participation in the two-weekend competition. Week 1 of the TanHoldings Classic will run from Nov. 25 to 27 and deadline for submission of entries is this Friday evening. Week 2 games will be held from Dec. 2 to 4 with matches to be played at the Pacific Islands Club, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Kanoa Resort, and Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan (main headquarters) tennis courts.
The opening week of the TanHoldings Classic will feature matches in the singles and doubles events in the boys and girls U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18 age groups, while a mini tennis (co-ed 10 and under) is scheduled in the same weekend (Nov. 27).
CNMI players and their Guam counterparts will see action in the junior competition as ranking points are at stake in next week’s tournament. The TanHoldings Classic is one of the ranking events under the Pacific Oceania U14 Circuit. Other competitions are hosted by Guam, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Samoa—which along with the CNMI are members of the Oceania Tennis Federation.
The Commonwealth’s Robbie Schorr and Malika Miyawaki finished at No. 1 and 2 in the boys and girls divisions, respectively, of the Pacific Oceania U14 Circuit last season. Both Schorr and Miyawaki won the U14 singles crown in last year’s TanHoldings Classic and will be among the favorites in this year’s competition.
Meanwhile, Week 2 of the tournament will have games in the adults singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Players can enter the 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 40-and-above and 50-and above categories in the three events. Entry fees are $20 for singles per event and $15 per person for the doubles competition.
Portions of the proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association and its junior program. NMITA is among the most successful sports federations in the CNMI with some of its players ranked in the world and making outstanding performances in regional competitions in the past several years.
