CNMI players deliver in opener

The CNMI’s Rintaro Miyawaki returns to Guam’s Dakota Gibson during their opening game in the boys U12 singles event in the 2016 North Pacific Regional Championships yesterday at the Pacific Islands Club courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Seeded CNMI players in the 2016 North Pacific Regional Championships lived up to expectations early after winning their opening matches yesterday at the Pacific Islands Club and Kanoa Resort courts.

In the boys U12 division, the third-ranked Ji Min Woo swept Palau’s Jonah Ziegler, 6-2, 6-1, in their Group C pool play. In Group D, the fourth-seeded Seung Jin Paik also needed only two sets to beat the Federated States of Micronesia’s Kiko Rush Apis, 6-2, 6-0. In Group B, the unseeded Rintaro Miyawaki got a pair of wins—a walkover against fellow CNMI player Min Gi Jung and an impressive 0-6, 6-4, 10-7 triumph over Guam’s Dakota Gibson. In Pool A, Richard Steele outclassed FSM’s Deavyn Etscheit, 6-4, 6-4.

“So far so good. The players I expected to win won. There were many short matches. No upset in the opening day and I hope we can keep this momentum in the coming days,” CNMI coach Jeff Race said in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday.

“We have a lot of entries this year because we are hosting the tournament. We are able to let our lower-ranked players compete and this is a good experience for them because they are able to challenge players outside Saipan,” Race added.

In the girls U12 Group A, the top-ranked Coume Kaga eased past Palau’s Silmai Ngeelittle, 6-0, 6-0, while Anika Camacho and Marielle Lopez split their first two games. Camacho lost to Lopez, 5-7, 2-6, and was awarded a walkover win against fellow CNMI bet Katie Choi. Lopez earlier dropped a three-setter against the third-ranked Paris Panuelo of FSM, 6-4, 4-6, 6-10.

In the CNMI-dominated boys U14 singles, the Top 2 seeds Robbie Schorr and Tony Kim waltzed past their respective first round opponents. Schorr defeated CNMI teammate Sean Lee, 6-1, 6-1, while Kim clobbered Guam’s Roman Merletti, 6-0, 6-0.

Ken Song is also in the boys U14 singles contest and went 2-0 in the opening day, while Sam Ryu earned a 1-1 mark. Song first prevailed against compatriot Eune Park, 6-0, 6-0, and got another shutout win over Merletti. Ryu, earlier lost to Sean Lee, 1-6, 0-6, but bounced back with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory against Park.

In the girls U14 Group A pairing, No. 1 seed Malika Miyawaki won the all-CNMI match opposite Maria Gregoire, 6-3, 6-2. In Group B, second and third-ranked Conatsu Kaga and Asia Raulerson won over FSM’s Isabel Garcia, 7-5, 6-0, and the CNMI’s Riko Ojima, 6-0, 6-0, respectively.

In the boys U16 singles, Steven Goodwin swept FSM’s Sarkau Weston Luckymis, 6-3, 7-5, in their Group A tiff, while Vincent Tudela ruled another CNMI vs CNMI game in Group D after blanking Allan Seo, 6-0, 6-0.

In the girls U16 singles, the unseeded Grace Choi needed only two sets to beat Guam’s Victoria Smith in their Group A match, 6-4, 6-1, while the second-ranked Mimi Sakano also won via straight sets opposite another Guam bet Anika Sachdev, 6-2, 6-2.

Meanwhile, the doubles competition will start today, while pool play matches in the singles event in some age groups will continue today.

Players competing in the regional tournament are battling for slots on the North Pacific Team besides the championships in the various age groups. Players who will make the grade will be able to play in the 2016 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji in August.