Race, national players in men’s singles field

Jeff Race is among the eight players competing in the men’s open singles event in the inaugural Bridge Capital Tennis Classic that will take place this weekend at the Pacific Islands Club courts. (Saipan Tribune)

The men’s singles event in the inaugural Bridge Capital Tennis Classic will have an interesting competition, as CNMI Sports Hall of Famer Jeff Race joins former and current junior national players in the battle for the division crown.

Incidentally, Race will have his opening match against Robbie Schorr this Friday. Race coached Schorr in the 2018 Pacific Games in Samoa where the former won a gold medal (team) and silver (men’s doubles). The many-time CNMI national team coach and the No. 1 seed Schorr are at the top half of the eight-player draw with the winner advancing to the semis against the victor in the match between Moris Villanueva and Colin Ramsey, who used to play for the Commonwealth’s junior squad.

At the bottom half of the draw, Jimin Woo leads the field and he will go up against Malika Miyawaki this Friday. The other pairing at the lower half of the draw will have Ken Song—another gold medalist in last year’s Pacific Games—battling Sean Lee.

Besides the men’s singles play, six other division championships will be contested this weekend at the Pacific Islands Club hard courts.

In the women’s 3.0 singles, Hoo Wang is seeded first and will automatically advance to the semis where she will duel either Julia Yoo or Ella Kim. The other semis showdown in the division will feature No. 2 seed Yuko Kumada and Michelle Wang.

In the men’s 4.0 singles, Ji Hwan Ryu and David Kwon are the Top 2 seeds and they will be joined on the field by June Yu, Jun Wang, Juncheol Hwang, Daniel Kang, and Patrick Aquino.

In the men’s 40 and over singles, Dong Min Lee is the No. 1 seed and will have his first game against either John Bradley or Wan Sub Lee. No. 2 seed Gary Ramsey is seeded No. 2 and will go for a finals slot when he faces the winner in the Edwin Simbulan-Il Kyu Hwang tiff.

Dong Min Lee is also entered in the men’s open doubles, as he will team up with his son, Sean. The Lees will have a chance to challenge the No. 1 seed pair of Race and Schorr if the father-and-son duo wins against Villanueva and Colin Ramsey this Saturday at the top half of the draw. At the bottom half, Song and Woo will take on Bobby Cruz and Peter Loken.

In the men’s 4.0 doubles, four pairs will vie for the championship—Andy Kim and Ji Hwan Ryu, Nason Wessel and June Yu, Ronnie Lacbayo and Aquino, and Isaac Heo and Juncheol Hwang.

For the women’s open doubles, Serin Chung and Helen Kim will go head-to-head with Irin Chung and Miyawaki.