Kim, Heras ahead in jr. rankings

Helen Kim gets ready for a return during the 2017 TanHoldings Tennis Classic. Kim is ahead in the girls U12 rankings. (Contributed Photo)

Isabel Heras and Helen Kim had contrasting fortunes in last week’s 2018 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships, but earned similar rankings at the conclusion of the Northern Marianas Islands Tennis Association-organized tournament.

Heras ruled the girls U18 event of the competition to get additional 1,500 points, bringing her total to 2,500 and putting her on top of the division rankings. The 16-year-old player is ahead of Tania Tan (2,075), Coume Kaga (1,500), Malika Miyawaki (1,500), Maria Gregoire (900), and Conatsu Kaga (850).

A 6-0, 6-1 victory over Tan in last weekend’s event gave Heras the No. 1 spot in the division rankings. She made it to the finals following a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Miyawaki, who moved into the Final Four after eliminating Gregoire, 6-3, 6-2. Tan, on the other hand, set up a title showdown against Heras after ousting Coume, 6-2, 6-0. Heras also defeated Tan in the 2017 TanHoldings Tennis Classic to gain 1,000 ranking points.

In the girls U12, Kim finished only third in the singles play, but her 900 points in that event and 375 in the doubles were enough to land her at the top spot in the division rankings. Kim has earned 3,025 points to place ahead of last week’s champion Serin Chung (2,850), Dana Lee (2,075), runner-up Ye Jin Son (1,875), Hoo Wang (1,525), and Hye Jin Elliot (1,250).

Kim got additional 375 doubles points when she and Lee ruled the round-robin play after beating sisters Serin and Irin Chung last Sunday, 7-5, 6-3. In the singles event, Kim downed Bomee Park in their battle for third place, 8-3, while Serin won in the finals against Son, 6-1, 6-2. The No. 1 seed Kim was stunned by Serin in the semis, 6-4, 7-5, while Son also took only two sets to eliminate Park, 6-2, 7-5, and march into the title game.

Meanwhile, Elliot played in her first girls U14 singles event and topped the round-robin contest to get 1,500 ranking points—the third best in the field behind the 1,900 of JC Ferrer and 1,875 of Annika Camacho.

Ferrer is slightly ahead of Camacho in the division rankings, as the former earlier won the TanHoldings Classic to get 1,000 points, while the latter settled for the runner-up honors and 760 points. Eva Kim got 750 points for placing fourth in last weekend’s tournament.

In the U10 division, Irin notched her second title after outclassing Anna Kwon last Sunday, 8-6. With her additional 1,500 points and the 1,000 she won in the TanHoldings tournament, Irin’s 2500 total gave her the No. 1 spot in the rankings. She leads Anna Kwon (1,875), Saorin Oh (1,500), Savita Sikkel (750), and Anne Lee (600).