Minor gains more confidence, toughness

CNMI junior tennis player Thea Minor had a fruitful two-week stay in New Caledonia gaining more confidence and toughness which she needs in future off-island tournaments.

“I had a great experience in New Caledonia,” said Minor, who returned to Saipan last week after competing in tournaments in Lifoi and Noumea.

Besides participating in two tournaments in the French territory, Minor also trained with New Caledonia players and coaches.

“The training in New Caledonia is very stringent. You wake up early and run six kilometers non-stop and return in the afternoon for footwork workout and pickup games,” Minor said.

“But it was all worth it as the training and tournament in New Caledonia added toughness in my game and gave me more confidence,” the 13-year-old netter said.

“I learned a lot from the coaches and the players. One of them is footwork which is a key factor in your game. Training and playing in New Caledonia taught me to play smart inside the court and be more aggressive.

In Lifoi in the Provincial Islands of New Caledonia, Minor played in a Davis Cup-style tournament and together with her teammates in the Pacific Oceania squad, they won the team championship.

Minor said playing against New Caledonia players was tough, as her opponents were the qualifiers in the provincial tournaments

“New Caledonian players are tall, talented and very competitive,” she said adding New Caledonia players also work out in gyms to boost their upper body strength.

Working out or engaging in sports is part of New Caledonia’s healthy lifestyle, according to Minor.

“Most of the people there are into daily routine exercises. You can see them biking, roller blading, walking with therir dogs and running. For them, a healthy lifestyle is very important,” Minor said.

After competing in Lifoi, the CNMI netter traveled to New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea, and joined two age group divisions of the Open Jeunes 2008 at TC Olympique.

She made it into the semis of the girls’ 13-14 age group and the 17-18 division.

Minor prevailed against New Caledonia players in early rounds before losing to her Pacific Oceania teammates in the Final Four.

Thea’s parents and coaches, Boyet and Joy are proud of their daughters’ semis finish in a tournament in New Caledonia.

“Making it into the semifinals was an accomplishment for Thea. Based on the scores, she was not beaten easily,” Joy said.

Minor lost to Fiji’s Annie Shanon in the first set, 7-5, and 6-4 in the second. Against Maria Tere Apisah, also of Fiji, Minor dropped the first set, 1-6, but gave her foe a tough ride in the second before bowing, 6-7.

“Thea’s opponents know that every point they will score against her, they have to earn it. Thea’s opponents in the semifinals are her teammates, these girls are very competitive and consistent, and are staying in the ITF training center in Fiji,” Boyet said.

Thea’s parents believed all the things their daughter learned from New Caledonia will prepare her for her next journey—New Zealand.

Minor was invited to join the Pacific Oceania Touring Team in New Zealand for the second straight year. She, Rafael Jones and Christian Miller will be battling Australian and New Zealand players in three tournaments in December.