Eight excited with trip to Fiji

All eight of the qualifiers from the North Pacific are ready and raring to play in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships this August in Lautoka, Fiji.

For the record, the CNMI and Guam each will be sending four players each in the regional 18-and-under tournament.

The CNMI will pin its hopes on boys 18-and-under runner-up Tim Quan, boys 14-and-under champion Ji Hoon Heo, girls 14-and-under winner Kanani Ashraf, and second placer Mayuko Arriola.

Guam’s team in Fiji, meanwhile, will be led by boys 18-and-under champ Dean Dedicatoria, girls 18-and-under title-holder Michelle Pang, runner-up Yumika Sugahara, and Justin Dugan, who finished second in the boys 14-and-under.

Dedicatoria said his victory in this year’s North Pacific Qualifying Tennis Tournament was really a big thing after he finished runner-up in 2003.

“I wasn’t really expecting to win. I just tried to make shots and play consistently and fortunately I came through. This is awesome…”

The 17-year-old Guamanian studies at Father Duenas High School and – like most tennis players his age – hopes to parlay his recent success to a college scholarship.

Quan, for his part, didn’t mind losing twice to Dedicatoria. He said he just lost to a better player but will train harder and play with more fire and focus the next time they meet.

The 16-year-old high school student from Hawaii Preparatory Academy said he is excited in getting a chance to play in Fiji. Quan is the son of Sidney Tenorio and Priscila Tenorio and is the grandson of Joeten.

Pang, who goes to school at Collegio San Agustin in Manila, said she was surprised with the ease she won the tournament (She didn’t drop a set the whole week). She, however, observed that a lot of 14-and-under girls are coming up in the NPQ.

“Overall, it was a very good tournament… perhaps except for the rain. I also hope to play good tennis in Fiji.”

Ashraf, for her part, said her victory over Arriola has so far been the biggest tournament win of her young career.

She also said she is already excited in coming to the site of the last year’s South Pacific Games. The 10-year-old up-and-comer is the only daughter of economist Dr. Mohammad Ashraf and banker Verna Felipe. Ashraf studies at William S. Reyes Elementary School.

A player who would not be satisfied just going to Fiji is Heo. After getting a taste of competition there last year, the 12-year-old Grace Christian Academy student is aiming to break into the top three of his division after finishing a strong fifth last year.

“I’m relieved more than anything. But this is only the start, I hope to improve more in Fiji.”

Ditto for 38 Dugan. The 14-year-old said he was a bit nervous playing in his first regional championships last year and said he will definitely make a run at finishing better than his ninth place rank in 2003.

Still smarting from her upset loss to Ashraf, 14-year-old Arriola said she would just have to vent her frustration in the Pacific Champs.

“I didn’t play well. My backhand wasn’t working and I had too many unforced errors. I will just use this defeat as motivation to do better in August.”

Arriola goes to school at Hopwood Junior High School.

Like the seven, Sugahara most probably would also want to continue what she started in Fiji. All of the finalists know that competition there would be tougher, but all of them definitely would like to make their presence felt in the tournament.

International Tennis Federation-Oceania officer and tournament umpire Dan O’Connell said he thought Saipan and tournament director Jeff Race did a great job in hosting the tournament.

“I thank all of you so much. It was a great NPQ. All of the visiting coaches thought it was great and all of the kids had a wonderful time.”

Race, who is off-island on vacation, also congratulated O’Connell for a well-run tournament and also thanked all the volunteers for pitching in to make it a success.

“Thanks to all of you for your great help in putting on the event. It was a fabulous event and one many of the kids will remember.”

A total of 38 junior players from the CNMI, Guam, Palau, and FSM dueled in the NPQ, which was held from June 14-18 at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.