Tomoka Miyazaki reaches for the return near the net during her match against Kim Ga Ram for the women’s singles title of the TakeCare Saipan International 2023 on Sunday at the Ada gym.
Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki and South Korea’s Kim Ga Ram pose with their medals following their women’s singles match in the TakeCare Saipan International 2023 Sunday at the Ada gym.
TOMOKA Miyazaki, 16, of Japan tasted sweet revenge after defeating Kim Ga Ram, 21, of South Korea in a hard-fought three-game match to win the women’s singles title of TakeCare Saipan International 2023 Sunday, June 18, at the Ada gym.
Kim edged Miyazaki in a thrilling three-game finals of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 on June 11, 2023.
In the opening game of their TakeCare Saipan International match, Miyazaki used her speed and relentless defensive efforts to outhustle Kim.
There were several lead exchanges, but Kim committed untimely errors that allowed Miyazaki to notch the first game, 21-19.
Kim quickly bounced back in game 2, playing more aggressively and unleashing powerful smash returns that proved too much for Miyazaki to handle.
Down by seven points, Miyazaki attempted a rally with four consecutive points, but Kim maintained enough pressure to win the second game, 21-14, and force a third and final canto.
Kim seemed to have the win in the palm of her hands as she led game after scoring nine consecutive points, 12-5. However, Miyazaki’s continuous efforts rewarded her with an epic comeback to even the score, 14-14.
The back-and-forth action continued but Miyazaki’s quick returns repeatedly caught Kim off-guard. Miyazaki eventually bagged the win and the title, 21-17
In an interview, Miyazaki said following their Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open match, she found a way to work around Kim’s quirks. However, at the start of their game 3 on Sunday, with Kim holding a nine-point lead, it seemed that Miyazaki had very little hope of catching up her rival. “But in the end, I knew I could win,” the teenager said.
Men’s doubles title
In the men’s doubles final Chinese-Taipei’s Fang-Chih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee defeated compatriots Chang Ko-Chi and Po Li-Wei, 30-29, 22-20.
