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Ji Hoon falls Down Under
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Posted on Jan 18 2009
Ji Hoon Heo’s run in the 2009 Victorian Junior Grasscourt Championships at the Wodonga Lawn Tennis Club in Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, ended Thursday when he bowed to a seeded foe in the Round of 16.
The CNMI junior netter failed on his quarterfinals bid when he lost to No. 5 seed Sean Carson in straight sets. Carson dominated Heo in the first set, 6-1. But Heo gave Carson a run for his money in the second set before the CNMI bet lost, 5-7.
Despite his Round of 16 exit, Heo was still the top finisher for the ITF Pacific Oceania Touring Team.
In the 2009 Post Margaret Court Cup at the Albury Grasscourts in Albury, New South Wales, Heo also advanced to the Round of 16 before losing to Jack Cox of Berkley Vale, NSW, 6-2, 6-2.
Heo’s teammates—the Cook Islands’ Elias Tukaroa, Fiji’s Tony and William O’Connell, Solomon Islands’ Luke Paeni, and Samoa’s Prince Matautia—either lost in the opening or second round.
In the Victoria tournament, the O’Connel brothers dropped their first round matches, while Heo’s three other teammates were booted out in the second round.
Heo won his first match in Victoria pulling off an upset over No. 9 seed Luke Vicary of Lake Albert, NSW, 6-2, 6-2.
Another straight set win, 6-1, 6-1, over Ryan Jones allowed Heo to cruise to the Round of 16 before the CNMI bet faltered against Carson.
Heo and his teammates will stay in Australia for a couple of days to watch several games in the 2009 Australian Open before the group flies to New Zealand to compete in three tournaments.
The CNMI netter will be participating in junior tournaments in Canterbury, Auckland, and Wellington.
