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Andy, Helen triumph anew
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Posted on Nov 27 2019
Andy Kim makes a baseline return to David Kwon during their boys U16 singles game in the 10th TanHoldings Tennis Classic last week at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Andy Kim and Helen Kim picked up where they left off after ruling their respective divisions in the second and final week of the 10th TanHoldings Tennis Classic.
Helen, who topped the girls U14 singles and doubles events of the tournament in the opening week, added the women’s 4.0 singles title to her growing collection. The No. 1 seed defeated Irin Chung in the semis, 6-4, 6-2, and downed the latter’s sister, Serin in the finals last Sunday, 7-5, 6-4, to clinch the division crown. Irin reached the semis following a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Sarka Glajchova, while Serin moved into the finale after eliminating Savita Sikkel, 6-0, 6-1.
Besides the women’s 4.0 singles crown, Helen also took the women’s doubles 5.0 championship last weekend, as she and Malika Miyawaki prevailed over the Chung sisters, 6-1, 6-0.
Andy, on the other hand, bagged the men’s 4.0 singles to notch two first place honors in Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association’s first tournament of the season.
The Saipan International School student, who lorded it over in the boys U16 singles event in Week 1, bagged his second singles crown in the competition after sweeping David Kwon in the finals last Sunday, 6-2, 6-4. Andy also swept Felixberto Rulona in the semis, 6-2, 6-1, while Kwon needed only two sets, too to oust Edwin Simbulan, 6-1, 6-3, in the other Final Four match.
From left, siblings Irin and Serin Chung, Helen Kim, and Malika Miyawaki pose with their plaques during the awards ceremony for the 10th TanHoldings Tennis Classic last Sunday at the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Meanwhile, Il Kyu Hwang, Sunny Kim, and Kazu Shintani were the other singles winners in Week 2.
The No. 1 seed Shintani lived up to high expectations after topping Rulona in the men’s 3. 0 singles finals, 6-3, 4-1 (retired). Earlier in the semis, Shintani slipped past Joseph Jang, 7-5, 3-6, 11-9, while the latter advanced to the Final Four following a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Obi Onyeozlili. Rulona, on the other hand, marched into the finals after ousting Kam Wah Kwan, 6-4, 6-3.
In the men’s 2.0 singles, Hwang won the round-robin contest after beating Manny Sitchon, 6-1, 6-1, and Ambet Omampo, 6-0, 6-0. In the women’s 2. 0 singles, which also had a round-robin format, Sunny earned the division title after defeating Ella Kim, 6-3, 7-5, and Julia Yoo, 6-1, 6-1.
