Tan labors for world ranking points

Tania Tan returns a shot to Asia Raulerson during their singles game in the CNMI Junior Tennis Championships in April this year at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

It took CNMI player Tania Tan more than a year and 11 tournaments to get the much-wanted ITF Juniors world ranking points and she definitely earned them.

The 15-year-old is one of the two newest Commonwealth players to gain world rankings—the other one is Isabel Heras—making it to the elite group after advancing to the quarterfinals of the doubles event (with Heras) in the Open Junior BNP PARIBAS de Nouvelle-Caledonie held in Noumea, New Caledonia from June 13 to June 18 this year.

Tan and Heras moved into the Round of 8 of the Grade 5 event after sweeping Australia’s Luciana Kunkle and Mia Katharina Savio, 7-6 (4), 6-3. The two CNMI bets then missed a semis entry after bowing to Australia’s Madison Bishop and New Zealand’s Lianvhi Clark, 3-6, 1-6, in the quarterfinals.

Tan at the conclusion of the tournament in Noumea received 5 ranking points and took the No. 2,200 spot in the world. She slid to No. 2, 236 (as of July 18, 2016) as she has not played since seeing action in the Oceania Open Junior Championships in Fiji early this month.

“I can say now that I have worked hard to get these points and it feels great to tell people that you are ranked in the whole world. It also tells me that my training has paid off and it was worth it,” Tan said when asked of her latest accomplishment.

The Saipan International School student began joining ITF Juniors competition early last year in her bid to earn ranking points. He had been to tournaments in Guam, Vietnam, New Zealand, Brunei, Fiji, and New Caledonia besides participating in the last two editions of the Saipan-hosted IT&E Northern Marianas Junior Championships.

She is still in Fiji, training as a member of the Pacific Oceania Touring Team that earned ITF/OTF Pacific Training Centre–Summer Scholarship. Tan, Heras, and world No. 453 Carol Lee have been away from Saipan for more than two months and they still have two more tournaments and one ITF ranking event scheduled in August in Fiji

“The ITF competitions the past two months were tough, because all the high-ranked players from all over the world came and played. But it was a great experience for me as I gained more confidence through these tournaments and these will help me with my other games in the future,” Tan added.

Tan is also among the 17 CNMI players who will banner the North Pacific Team in the 2016 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships that will be held in Fiji next month.