Raulerson gains finals berth in U18 singles

Asia Raulerson serves to Tania Tan during their semis game in the 2016 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Asia Raulerson booked the first finals ticket in the girls U18 singles event in the 2016 CNMI Junior Tennis Championships after slipping past Tania Tan yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Raulerson lost the opening set, 1-6, before rallying in the last two, 6-4, 6-4, to take the finals berth at the lower half of the draw. Earlier last Saturday, Raulerson set up her semis duel against Tan after eliminating Malika Miyawaki, 6-3, 6-4. Tan, on the other hand, knocked out Ami Tsukagoshi, 6-1, 6-1.

At the top half of the draw, the No. 1 seed Isabel Heras marched into the semis after beating Grace Choi, 6-0, 6-1. Heras was scheduled to meet Mimi Ssakano in the other Final Four game yesterday afternoon, but results of their match were unavailable at press time. Sakano moved into the semis following a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Conatsu Kaga.

Conatsu may have missed a finals seat in the girls U18, but she still has a chance to win a championship in Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association’s last local tournament for the 2015-2016 season after barging into the title game in the girls U16 singles. Conatsu made it to the finals after surviving Erika Tuttle in three sets, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4. Her finals foe could be the top-ranked Raulerson or her sister Coume. The younger Kaga advanced to the semis after beating Maria Gregoire, 6-0, 7-6 (7), while Raulerson drew a bye in the division to get an automatic Final Four ticket. The Raulerson-Coume semis tiff will be played this weekend.

Coume also played in the girls U14 singles and will be battling Gregoire for the division championship also in the final week of the annual tournament. Coume is at the lower half of the draw and downed Tuttle, 6-4, 7-6 (6) to barge into the finals against Gregoire, a 6-1, 6-2 winner against Riko Ojima at the top half of the draw. Ojima earned the right to face the top-ranked Gregoire in the semis after ousting Rei Sekiguchi, 6-0, 6-2.

In the girls U10 singles, it will be JC Ferrer and Thaileena Raulerson. Ferrer pulled off an upset against the No. 1 seed Anika Camacho, 7-5, while the second-ranked Raulerson lived up to her lofty billing following a 6-1 rout versus Yejin Son.

Meanwhile, results in the boys singles and doubles will be reported in Saipan Tribune later this week.