Kang stamps his class in boys U12 singles

Daniel Kang turns for a return to Jae Yun Jung in their semis game in the boys U12 singles competition in the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships last Saturday at the AMP courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Daniel Kang capped his domination in the boys U12 age group with a title win in the 2017 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships.

The top-ranked Kang swept the unseeded Jiwoong Kwon in the finals yesterday, 6-2, 6-0, at the American Memorial Park, to bag his third singles crown in the division in the final local tournament of the 2016-2017 season. Kang’s first two boys U12 singles titles were from in the 8th Annual Tan Holdings Tennis Classic (against Anthony Gregoire) in November last year and the 2017 White Coconut Tennis Classic (opposite Richard Steele). In the NMITA-organized 2017 Junior Fun Tennis Tournament, Kang opted to join the U14 singles contest and also won in the finals against Steele, giving the former a 4-for-4 performance in the championship round.

Kang moved a win away from clinching his third straight boys U12 singles title after eliminating the No. 3 seed Jae Yun Jung in the semifinals last Saturday, 6-1, 6-1. Kwon, who stunned the No. 2 seed Gregoire in the Week 1, pulled off another upset last weekend after downing No. 4 Andrew Chung in the other Final Four pairing, 6-4, 6-3. Chung eventually had to settle for fourth place after Jung won their battle for third, 6-4, 6-3.

Meanwhile, two more No. 1 seed players also ruled their respective divisions.

The favored Robbie Schorr earned the boys U18 singles title after easing past Michael Ren in yesterday’s finale, 6-1, 6-2. Ren, who was unranked in the tournament, foiled a title showdown between the Top 2 seeds in the division when he surprised No. 2 Vince Tudela with a 6-3, 7-6 (7) semis victory. The other semis game between Schorr and Ken Song went the distance with the former eking out a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win. Song eventually joined Schorr and Ren in the podium after sweeping Tudela in the consolation match, 6-4, 6-0.

In the boys U14 singles, Sean Lee did not drop a single set in the competition en route to the championship win in the division. The top-ranked Lee claimed the title yesterday after a 6-2, 6-0 triumph versus No. 2 Sam Ryu. Lee’s two other victories were against Seong Eon Heo, 6-0, 6-0, and Eugene Park, 6-0, 6-1.

Ryu, on the other hand, eliminated Hyunmin Cho, 6-0, 6-1, and Richard Steele, 7-5, 6-2, to earn the right to face Lee in the finals. Steele rounded out the Top 3 in the boys U14 singles after a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 win over Park yesterday.

After taking home the boys U14 singles title victory last Sunday morning, Lee returned to the AMP courts in the afternoon to get the boys U16 singles championship. He was also unbeaten in the round-robin contest, gaining the division crown after shutting down Seong Bin Heo yesterday, 6-0, 6-0. Lee’s other win was recorded in Week 1 against Ken Xue, 6-1, 6-1.