CNMI zeroes in on U12, U14 titles

Julia Ishikawa, seen here going for a backhand return from the baseline in a local tournament last year, arranged a title duel against teammate Tania Tan in the girls U14 singles event of the 2014 North Pacific Regional Championships yesterday in Guam. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

In the U12 singles, Malika Miyawaki beat teamed Asia Raulerson in the semis, 6-0, 6-1, to arrange a finals duel against Conatsu Kaga, who also swept fellow CNMI bet Jireh Warren, 6-0, 6-1. The All-CNMI semifinals took place after Miyawaki and Warren had a Top 2 finish in Group A with their 3-0 and 2-1, records, respectively. Kaga was also undefeated (4-0) to place first in Group B, while Raulerson was second with her 3-1 slate.

The girls U14 semis round was also an all-CNMI affair with Julia Ishikawa advancing against Ami Tsukagoshi and Tania Tan versus Mimi Sakano. Ishikawa coasted past Tsukagoshi, 6-1, 6-3, to set a finals date against Tan, a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Sakano.

Both title matches in the girls U14 and U12 singles will be played this weekend.

In other results, the three Commonwealth players entered in the boys U12 singles all marched into the semifinals. Top-ranked Robbie Schorr continued to live up to his lofty billing after dominating Palau’s Elijah Ziegler, 6-0, 6-1. Schorr’s semis foe in the upper bracket of the draw is teammate Aditya Rai, who ousted Guam’s Justin Kim, 6-2, 6-2.

In the lower bracket semis, the CNMI’s Ken Song will challenge Guam’s Andrew Leng. Song barged into Final Four after a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Guam Aaron Abrams, while Leng won over Moses Segal, 6-0, 6-1. Song and Rai advanced to the playoffs after a 1-2 finish in Pool B, holding 4-0 and 3-1 records, respectively, while Schorr lorded it over in Pool A with his flawless 5-0 slate.

In the boys U14, the second-ranked Luther Lizama also qualified in the semifinals after a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Guam’s Gabriel Tan. Lizama, who was unbeaten in five games in pool play, will face another Guam bet in Mason Caldwell in the semifinals today. The other semis pairing will have Guam’s Camden Camacho meeting Federated State of Micronesia’s William Joab. Camacho swept Abraham Sterkis in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-0, while Joab edged fellow FSM bet Samuel Nillasca, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.

In the boys U16 singles, Colin Ramsey had a free semis entry after winning via walkover against Guam’s Derek Okuhama. Ramsey will be pitted against the second-ranked Brian Tuncap Jr. of Guam. Ramsey entered the quarterfinals after a runner-up finish in Pool B, earning a 3-1 mark against the perfect 4-0 slate of former CNMI player Christopher Cajigan. Cajigan, who is now representing Guam is also in the semis and will duel compatriot Sydney Gadsden.

Meanwhile, doubles games kicked off yesterday with the CNMI Team emerging victorious.

In the girls U12, Kaga and Miyawaki went 2-0 after beating Isabel Garcia and Anne Skilling, 6-0, 6-0, and Raulerson and Warren, 7-5, 6-4. Raulerson and Warren were 1-1 in the doubles yesterday as they prevailed over FSM’s Chelsea Panuelo and Ridianne Wolphagen, 6-1, 6-1.

In the boys U12, Schorr and Song were perfect after two games, downing Abrams and Leng, 6-2, 7-5, and FSM’s Freddy Jerson and Palau’s Ziegler, 6-0, 6-2.

In the girls U14, Tan and Ishikawa also took only two sets to top Guam’s Kanasta Abrams and Victoria Smith, 6-0, 6-2, while Sakano and Tsukagoshi cruised past Anika Sachdev and Joclyn Tenai, 6-0, 6-1.

The CNMI got two more wins in the boys doubles events. Haruya Eda and Rai teamed up in the U14 division and defeated Guam’s Marcus Schrader and Arya Rhamani, 6-2, 2-6, 13-11, while Lizama partnered with Ramsey in topping FSM’s Geryld Etscheit and Jake Panuelo in the U16 age group, 6-0, 6-2.