Carol, Helen claim U18 doubles

Oceania’s top female junior netter Carol Lee and up-and-comer Helen Kim won the U18 doubles of the SIS STUCO Tennis Tournament last Sunday at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan.

Lee and Kim went up against Juncheol Hwang and Lee’s brother Sean in the finals and needed a tiebreak in the opening set before prevailing in a score of 7-6 (6-3), 6-4.

The duo advanced to the finals after beating Andy Kim and Steven Goodwin, 4-0, 4-2. Carol Lee and Kim debuted against Andrew Chung and Jimin Woo and were tested before avoiding the upset axe, 1-4, 4-2, 10-2.

Hwang and Sean Lee made it into the championship round following a 5-3, 4-0 victory over Serin Chung and Ken Song. They began the division by overcoming Robbie Schorr and Seiyul Hong, 2-4, 5-3, 10-7.

In the U12 doubles, Hoo Wang and Lina Tsukagoshi endured three-set matches in all three of its games in the division en route to winning the championship.

Wang and Tsukagoshi had to rally against Irin Chung and Anne Lee in the finals. Chung and Lee surprised the favored pair in the opening set, 4-1, but Wang and Tsukagoshi regained their bearings in the second set winning in the same score, 4-1, before winning the tiebreak by the skin of their teeth, 10-8.

Wang and Tsukagoshi booked a ticket to the championship round after a similar three-set thriller against Yutaka Kadokura and Hannah Chae, 2-4, 5-3, 10-9. They started off with a 3-4, 4-0, 11-9 nipping of Wataru Kadokura and Landon Pudney.

Chung and Lee made the championship appearance after beating Nason Wessel and Jace Choi, 4-2, 4-2. Earlier, the pair upended Takeru Jin and Ji Hun Park, 4-2, 5-3.

The Saipan International School student council organized the SIS STUCO Tennis Tournament. It was held to fundraise for the school’s many activities, including prom. SIS student and CNMI junior national player Malika Miyawaki coordinated the entire tournament with the help of CNMI national tennis coach and sports hall of famer Jeff Race.

Miyawaki would like to thank the SIS tourney sponsors, namely Topnotch, Nam Dae Mon, Sura, Laolao Bay Golf & Resort, Kanoa Resort, The Shack Saipan, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Subway, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Café De Hei, Ice 2 C U, Asian Airlines, Paris Croissant, Chungiwa, Ete Café, Athlete’s Foot, and DFS Galleria Saipan.