Lopez exceeded expectations

Mikayla Lopez’s campaign in ITF Juniors Circuit had a fitting ending as she made it all the way to the semifinals of the 2015 IT&E Northern Marianas Junior Championships.

The CNMI’s Mikayla Lopez serves during one of her singles games in the 2015 IT&E Northern Marianas Junior Championships last week at the Pacific Islands Club hard courts.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

“I believe this was my last year of playing in ITF Juniors and I am very happy that I was able to win not only one but three games and get into the semifinals,” said Lopez, who was the first CNMI player to reach the semifinals of a singles event in the ITF Juniors.

“I was not expecting to go that far. I had a modest goal coming into the tournament and that was to win at least one match,” the incoming Marianas High School senior said.

Lopez was pitted against six-ranked Sabrina Mary Woll of Hong Kong in the opening round of the Grade 5 event and stunned her favored foe with a convincing 6-2, 6-4 victory. Next up for the 17-year-old CNMI bet was Japan’s Makoto Ohara and that second round match was the toughest game the former played.

“I lost the first set so bad (2-6) and after that I was so nervous that I will not be able to come back. However, at the same time, I told myself not to give, keep calm, and stay focus,” said Lopez, who managed to steal the victory from her Japanese opponent with an impressive 6-1, 6-1 win in the last two sets and advanced to the quarterfinals.

In the Round of 8, the many-time CNMI Junior National Team member was paired against second-ranked Maria Dominique Ong of the Philippines and pulled off another upset, 6-1, 6-0.

“I warmed up early for the quarterfinals match, but still felt nervous. However, as the game went on, I got my confidence, especially after seeing my opponents committing several errors. I was very patient in that game and that paid off,” the 2012 NMASA/Tan Siu Lin Foundation Female Student Athlete of the Year.

The victory against Ong moved Lopez into the semifinals where her streak ended by eventual runner-up and third-ranked Ayana Shimizu of Japan, 1-6, 0-6.

“Though I lost in the semifinals, I am still happy with the way I played in this tournament. I was consistent with my serves and hit several down the line backhand shots that helped me in those three victories,” said Lopez.

The CNMI player also competed in the doubles event with Palau’s Ayana Rengiil and they made it to the quarterfinals after stunning the third-ranked duo of Woll and Yuen Yung Liu in a thrilling super tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-1, 10-8.

With her notable showings in the two events, Lopez received 15 ranking points in the doubles and 5 points in the singles.

She also got good words from CNMI national coach Jeff Race and Oceania Tennis Federation executive director Patrick O’Rourke.

“Mikayla is superb in this tournament. I have seen here play in the last three or four years and this is her best performance,” O’Rourke said in an interview.

“We are so proud of Mikayla’s achievement. It was unexpected, but she really proved she can play against the best in the draw. She really played well in this tournament. Her making it to the semifinals says something to our youth tennis program,” Race said.