NMI all set for NPQ

Youth netters from the Commonwealth will soon join forces representing the islands in the upcoming North Pacific Qualifying Event in Guam next month.

The team’s roster, recently released by the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association, features players who have dominated the youth tennis scene the past couple of years.

Already known by many on island as artists on the tennis courts, hard hitters Tim Quan, Nicolas Son, Ralph Buenaventura, Keith Gabaldon, Ji Hoon Heo, Russell Buenaventura, and Calvin Yang will put their tennis talents to the test in the boys’ corner, going up against the best of the region in their respective age groups.

Meanwhile, the NMI’s hopes on the girls’ corner rests on the racquets of tennis sensations Mayuko Arriola, Vivian Lee, Lila Mailman, and Audrey Motto.

The team will be under guidance of coach Reo Arriola as they battle players from Guam, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia in the 18-and-under and 14-and-under categories.

“I don’t have any idea regarding the strength of other players from Palau and FSM, [but] I don’t want to underestimate them as I have always advised my sons,” said NMITA president Eli Buenaventura, whose sons Ralph and Russell are on the team.

“Never underestimate anyone. Most losses I suffered in the past were due to my overconfidence and underestimating the player across the net. Most wins I registered were those [matches] I had been underestimated,” he said.

The tournament will be held from June 13 to June 17 and serves as a qualifying for the 16th International Tennis Federation Pacific Oceania Junior Tennis Championships. Results of the tournament sets the primary selection criteria for the North Pacific regional team that will compete in the 15th ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji from Aug. 16 to Aug. 20.

All competitors in the singles and doubles of each age group at the Championships will earn points. The team with the most points will be on the receiving end of the Regional Team Trophy.

Also, the ITF will provide a grant of $1,000 for the purchase of 12 tickets for the players to the qualifying tournament.

During last year’s qualifiers held at the American Memorial Park, four NMI netters had their stuff working for them and secured slots for the Championships.

Quan placed runner-up in the boys’ 18-and-under category, Heo won the boys’ 14-and-under crown, and Kanani Ashraf defeated Arriola in the finals of their 14-and-under tiff.

Missing the tournament this year due to school obligations are defending 18-and-under champion Dean Dedicatoria of Guam and Saipan’s Jung Mun Chung, while Ashraf and her family have relocated to Hawaii.

Ashraf went on to place fourth at Fiji, while Arriola finished in seventh place. For his part, Heo placed fifth for the second straight year, while Quan finished eighth.

The four were grouped with netters from Nauru, Kiribati, and Guam and helped the North Pacific team place second with 90 points.

Western Pacific—Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea—took the top prize with 139 points, while Eastern Pacific—Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, and American Samoa—finished third with 82 points.