Tough job for CNMI jr. netters

Eleven CNMI junior tennis players will have a difficult mission next week when they compete in the 2011 ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji.

The Commonwealth’s Carl Dela Cruz, Moris Villanueva, Negahr Rastguiy, Tammy Ackerman, Christian Miller, Jake Lee, Melody Johnson, Mikayla Lopez, Rafael Jones, and Thea and Theecel Minor will be suiting up for the North Pacific Team and battle the West and East squads in the POJC that will run from Aug. 8 to 12 at the Dr. Robin Mitchell Regional Tennis Centre.

The CNMI netters-led North team will be going for a title defense after stunning the strong West squad last year, 131-128. The East team placed third with 77 points. Points were given to the respective squads based on how their players finished in the U12, U15, and U18 divisions.

“It will be very difficult to win the POJC again, as even though we won last year, the West will still be the favorite in next week’s tournament. It will be a big challenge for the North team and our CNMI players to beat the West squad anew,” CNMI coach Jeff Race said when asked about the North’s chances on its title defense bid.

As for the individual competition, Race believed the CNMI will be the favorite in the U12 division, as the Commonwealth has Ackerman, Rastguiy, and Dela Cruz. Race added that Miller has a strong chance in the U15 category.

“Tammy and Negahr are in the Top 3 in the girls U12 and Carl has really stepped up his game. Christian was undefeated in the pool play in U15 last year and almost finished No. 1 if not for a loss to a New Caledonia player,” Race said.

In the U18 division, Race said the field will be very competitive and he hopes that Thea Minor and Jones’ training in Fiji will help them survive tough games next week. The two U18 players left Saipan early July to join a Junior ITF event in Fiji and stayed there to train and wait for their teammates for the POJC.

“I believe in individual competitions, we will face big challenges but we will do well, as our players have been training hard the past months,” the CNMI coach added.

Race was off-island for about a month, leaving the Commonwealth netters to train on their won for several weeks. He then resumed the group training last Monday.
“I am just fine-tuning their games, as some players have been training with former CNMI players Bobby Cruz and Peter Loyola. I am focusing on strengthening their mental toughness to prepare them for the intense competition,” Race said.

Race and the nine other CNMI junior players will leave Saipan for Fiji this Friday.