Hye Jin beats Serin for women’s open title

Hye Jin Elliot, left, and Serin Chung in action in the finals of the women’s open of the 2022 SIS Student Council Tennis Tournament last Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.
(MARK RABAGO)

Hye Jin Elliot defeated Serin Chung in three sets to win the women’s open of the 2022 SIS Student Council Tennis Tournament last Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

It’s the third time in the last three months that the close friends and SIS schoolmates played each other in the finals.

Elliot topped Chung in the boys 16-and-under division of the 2021 TanHoldings Tennis Classic, 6-3, 2-5, 10-4. Chung, however, returned the favor a week later when she won the women’s open of the same tournament, 0-6, 6-4, 10-7.

So, it was no big surprise that the two top junior women’s tennis players needed another super tiebreaker to determine the champion of their duel last Sunday with the top seeded Elliot ultimately prevailing against the No. 2 seed Chung in a score of 6-4, 5-7, 10-4.

The 16-year-old junior admitted at this stage, she and Chung already know each other’s games very well and it all goes down to execution.

“We know each other’s game because we have been playing no other opponent in tournaments. But I think we both played very well and we had fun playing against each other,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Chung echoed the same sentiment. “Yeah, we always enjoy playing each other.”

Elliot shared that she pulled off the win by being aggressive from the get-go.

“[I won by] attacking the ball and controlling the point,” she said.

The Elliot-Chung finals was the only game in the women’s open as there was no other entry in the division.

Elliot dedicated her win in the women’s open to her parents, Jeff Elliott and Aeja Park.

In the girls 16-and-under singles, Yebin Shin upset No. 1 seed Seiyul Hong in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

The No. 3 seed started her campaign with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Lucy Li. She then advanced to the finals with a 6-1, 6-1 conquest of No. 2 seed Seohee Lee.

Hong got a bye in the opening round before punching her finals ticket with a protracted 5-7, 7-6, 10-7 win over Olivia Hwang.

Top seed Irin Chung won the girls 14-and-under after fashioning out a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over No. 3 seed Hoo Wang.

Chung only had to beat Lina Tsukagoshi to earn a finals slot, 4-2, 4-2, after getting a bye in the first round.

In contrast, Hwang opened with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jeongbin Park before outdueling second seed Hannah Chae in the semis, 4-2, 4-1.

Results of the mixed doubles will be reported in tomorrow’s issue of Saipan Tribune.

The 2022 SIS Student Council Tennis was held as a fundraiser for Saipan International School’s Student Council and is sanctioned by the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association.

The sponsors of the event are the following: Mango Six Café, Sura Restaurant, Café 670, All Star Sporting Goods and Boarderline, Joeten Superstore, Plumeria Steakhouse, Java Joe’s, Hyatt Regency Saipan, and Summer Snow Café.