Lee aims for Aussie Open Juniors stint

The CNMI’s Carol Lee is still in Fiji, waiting for another ITF Juniors ranking tournament and training hard to prepare for a possible stint in the Australian Open Juniors.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

After climbing up the world rankings, the CNMI’s Carol Lee and her supporters continue to aim high as she sets her sights for the Australian Open Juniors.

Oceania Tennis Federation, in a message posted on its official Facebook page, stated that Lee aspires to play in the junior division of the first Grand Slam event under the International Tennis Federation’s calendar every year and they will work hard to see if that goal can be reached.

“I’m surprise and happy that I might play in the Aussie Open Juniors. I need to keep working harder and develop my game more. I am expecting that a lot of good players will be there in Australia so I am excited to play,” the Commonwealth top U18 player said.

Lee is currently in Fiji, undergoing a four-month long training at the OTF facility after she and fellow CNMI players Tania Tan and Carol Lee received the ITF/OTF Pacific Training Centre–Summer Scholarship.

“The training is benefiting me a lot and I feel like I’ m getting fitter now and improving a lot of my tennis skills. I am getting physically and mentally stronger,” the Saipan Community School graduate said.

Under the ITF/OTF scholarship, Lee and company participated in a series of ITF Juniors ranking tournaments in Fiji and New Caledonia. The 14-year-old Lee went on to make it to the finals of two singles and one doubles events of the three ranking competitions.

“Carol is a product of the existing Pacific Player development pathway, the support of her national federation, her own hard work, and her father’s passion for her to do well. With the opportunities that have been offered to her though the ITF Grand Slam Development Fund, she has been steadily improving week by week, month by month,” OTF stated.

With her notable performances in Fiji and New Caledonia, Lee hiked her world ranking from No. 748 in 2015 to No. 443 (last July 4, 2016). As of July 11, the CNMI player is ranked No. 455 as she has yet to join another tournament after completing the Oceania Open Junior Championships in Fiji early this month. Her next ranking tournament will not come until August when she plays in the Oceania Closed Junior Championships in Lautoka from Aug. 8 to 12.

Oceania Closed is graded as a B2 tournament and offers more ranking points (120 to the singles champion and 80, 60, 40, 25, and 10 to the runner-up, semifinalists, quarterfinalists and losers in the Round of 16 and 32, respectively). Last year, Lee joined the same tournament and got 25 ranking points for winning her first match against Australia’s Monique Belovuvic, 6-0, 6-2. Going into next month’s tournament, Lee has 105 ranking points in singles, 40 in doubles, and combined 115 points.

Meanwhile, Lee, Heras, and Tan and the rest of the Pacific Oceania players who received training scholarships this year met with Amrit Rai of Platform Sports Management in Fiji. Rai’s firm assists players wishing to play in colleges and universities in the U.S. He urged Pacific players to study hard now to get the grades required by U.S. colleges.