Previous Story
Jones, Miller enter Oceania Plate semifinals
|
Posted on Aug 19 2008
CNMI’s Christian Miller and Rafael Jones are still unbeaten as the ITF Oceania Plate tennis tournament entered its second day at the Robin Mitchell Regional Tennis Centre in Lautoka, Fiji.
Miller duplicated his performance on Day 1, downing two foes to secure the No. 1 slot in Pool A and automatically advanced to the semifinals. He tripped Devrath Narayan of Fiji, 6-2, 6-1, and kept his clean record following a 6-4, 6-0, win over Robin Morove of Papua New Guinea.
The 16-year-old member of the CNMI Junior Tennis Team was playing his last pool game yesterday against Kiribati’ Bataua Matang. Even if Miller loses that match, he will still keep the top rank in Pool A, as he had already defeated the second placer Morove (3-1).
The semifinals were played yesterday with Miller set to face either teammate Jones or Khatri.
Jones had a similar 4-0 record after Monday’s matches, tying Devin Khatri of Fiji for the lead in Pool B. The 13-year-old Jones prevailed over Alex Beddoes of the Cook Islands, 6-4, 6-3, and completed a Day 2 sweep after topping American Samoa’s Christian Duchnak, 6-3, 6-1.
A Jones win over Khatri yesterday morning would give him the No. 1 spot in Pool B and prevent an all-CNMI semis duel in the Junior Boys division.
Tournament format allow the top two players in each pool to advance to the cross-over semifinals with the No. 1 player in Pool A meeting the No. 2 player in Pool B for the first finals ticket and Pool B’s top placer dueling Pool A’s second finisher for the other championship berth.
The two other CNMI bets in the Oceania Plate tournament are out of contention.
Thea Minor split her games anew to bow out of competition in the senior girls division.
Minor defeated teammate Dina Jones in the morning match on Day 2, 6-2, 6-1, but failed to earn back-to-back wins that could boost her semis chances after losing to American Samoa’s Leilani Duchnak, 2-6, 4-6.
Dina Jones joined Minor in the showers after dropping her fourth straight game, bowing to Losana Vosa, 2-6, 4-6. [B][I](Roselyn B. Monroyo)[/I][/B]
