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Rastguiy reaches finals of New Zealand event
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Posted on Dec 21 2011
By Roselyn Monroyo
Reporter
Reporter
CNMI bet Negahr Rastguiy made it to the finals of the 2010 Poverty Bay East Coast Junior Open in Gisborne, New Zealand, last week.
Rastguiy, who topped the U12 singles division of the same tournament last year, moved up to the girls U14 this year and won her first three matches at the Gisborne Tennis Club to advance to the championship game before losing to top-ranked Sarah Knighton, 1-6, 2-6.
The 12-year-old netter was seeded second in the 32-player draw and drew a bye in the first round. In the second round, Rastguiy defeated Al Soo and then won anew against Kiana Sword-Tua (scores were not posted) in the quarterfinals. With her twin victories, Rastguiy marched into the semifinals where she was paired against Kelani Chene. The Commonwealth netter then swept Chene, 6-4, 6-2, to set up a finals duel against Knighton, who beat Mishaela Bonin, 6-0, 6-1, in the other semis pairing.
Rastguiy was also entered in the girls U14 doubles and teamed up with Ruby Coffin. The duo was seeded third in the 11-team field and had bye in the first round. In the second round, they battled Chene and Mullan Kamoe in three hard-fought set before losing. Chene and Kamoa took the opening set, 6-2, but Rastguiy and Coffin recovered big time in the second set with an impressive 6-0 triumph. In the deciding third set, Rastguiy and Coffin ran out of steam and bowed to their unseeded foes, 3-10.
Rastguiy and Coffin dropped to the loser’s bracket and were scheduled to meet siblings Hanan and Najat Chidiac in the semifinals.
The tournament in Gisborne was Rastguiy’s second since traveling to New Zealand early this month. Two weeks ago, she joined the U12 singles competition of the 2011 Waikato Christmas Junior Open in Hamilton and marched into the semifinals. She also entered the doubles event with the Solomon Islands’ Vinda Teally and the duo barged into the quarterfinals.
Rastguiy is in New Zealand as a member of the Pacific Oceania Touring Team. Her last stop will be Auckland where she will participate in the 2011 Auckland Christmas Tournament, which runs from Dec. 18 to 23 at the Scarbro Tennis Centre.
