Despite a few challenges they encountered during the preparation, Race is confident that the NMI young netters who did excellent games in the recently held North Pacific Qualifier in Guam, will make it this time, to the top.
Ji Hoon Heo, has been plagued this summer with injuries that limited his practice but Race said the NMI top seed will definitely be capable of winning the POJC.
Race believes Heo will pull it together and round into form when the tournament starts.
“I think our team will do very well this year, based on what I know and what International Tennis Federation’s Dan O’Connell has told me,” he said in an e-mail.
Race is also confident that Mayuko Arriola who has had a lot of practice this summer, will contend for a spot in the top four this year as she played great going into the NPQ where she won the finals easily.
Arriola who plans to try it out in the University of Oregon tennis team is the most prepared among the kids, Race said.
Thea Minor he added should be one of the top two players this year. She has been invited to apply to attend the ITF Training Center.
Most likely, Race said her main competition will be Tarani Kamoe, the same player she played in the three finals in New Zealand in December last year.
Race said O’Connell believes that Rafael Jones and Christian Miller will do really well this year, as he noted that most of the boys who did well last year moved up to the 18’s.
“I think they’ll be in the top six. If they make the top four that will be really excellent and they would be invited to play in NZ in Dec,” Race said.
James Camacho, who Race said was apparently unable to get Grace Christian Academy to allow him to go and compete, is missing a superb development opportunity.
“This is a real shame as he earned the right to go and hopefully someday he will play for the CNMI in international competition,” Race said.
The parents he said have done a terrific job of organizing practices and keeping the kids on the court during my time off-island.
Miller and Raffy Jones are among the 15 entries in the Boys 13 while Minor is in the Girls 13 line up.
Heo is among the 12 competitors in the Boys 18 and Arriola and Dina Jones in the Girls 18 entries.
