RAIN PUSHES BACK QUALITY CUP MATCHES

PRESS RELEASE – An all-Saipan semifinal round is set in the Girls U14 division of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament, as all visiting players posted wins at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts before the early afternoon downpour forced the postponement of all remaining Saturday afternoon and evening matches to Sunday.

“I was really excited to come to Guam to play in this tennis tournament,” said Grace Choi, a seventh-grader at Saipan International School. “Thanks to Auntie Lydia (Tan) – she prepared everything for us to play here.”

Choi and opponent Kanasta Abrams traded games early on, but Choi began to break away after the eighth game. Down 4-9 and facing elimination, Abrams rallied to win two straight games, while forcing her opponent to squander four match points before a brief rain delay late in the match. Choi wasted no time in the next game after returning to the court to advance to the semifinals with a 10-6 victory.

Kanasta Abrams goes airborne to send a forehand return to Saipan’s Grace Choi in a Girls U14 division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Choi defeated Abrams 10-6 to advance to the semifinals. (courtesy photo)

“In the beginning of the match, I was a little rusty – I had a lot of double faults,” said the 12-year-old Choi, who will be turning 13 Tuesday. “I told myself to never give up and just keep playing.”

Choi, seeded No. 4 in the draw, will next face No. 1 Julia Ishikawa, also from Saipan, who dropped Guam’s Tara Usita-Lee 10-2. Saipan’s Malika Miyakawi punched her ticket to the semifinals with a 10-1 win over Nozomi Yamasawa and will next face No. 2 Nathania Tan, who defeated Alyssa Merletti 10-1. Merletti defeated Victoria Smith 10-7 earlier in the day to set up the quarterfinal with Tan.

In the Girls U18 division, No. 1 Camdyn Nadler advanced to the final of the division with a 10-2 win over Emmanuelle Haurillon. Haurillon defeated Caylin Hubble 10-4 before facing Nadler.

In the lone U10 Co-Ed division match of the day, Aaeman Sachdev defeated Jacob Jackson 6-3.

In the Men’s 35+ singles division, Yeong Park advanced to the semifinals after defeating visiting player Sonny Levoit 6-1, 7-6.

In the Men’s 55+ singles division, Ricardo Estella defeated Ernie Galito 6-2, 6-2 for a quarterfinal berth. No. 1 Raymond Miranda defeated Bart Jackson 6-0, 6-0 for a place in the semifinals. Jackson defeated Kazuhide Saito Friday evening to set up the morning match with Miranda. Miranda will next face Jesse Tano, who defeated Jan Rudolph Friday evening.

A newly updated schedule will be available for view and download online at http://www.tennisacademyguam.com , as many matches had to be postponed to Sunday due to heavy rain Saturday afternoon.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Ray Miranda prepares to send a backhand return to Bart Jackson in a Men’s 55+ singles division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Miranda defeated Jackson 6-0, 6-0. (courtesy photo)

Saipan’s Malika Miyawaki prepares to send a forehand return to Nozomi Yamasawa in a Girls U14 division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Miyawaki defeated Yamasawa 10-1 to advance to the semifinals. (courtesy photo)

Saipan’s Julia Ishikawa reaches high to serve the ball to Tara Usita-Lee in a Girls U14 division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Ishikawa defeated Usita-Lee 10-2 to advance to the semifinals. (courtesy photo)

Saipan’s Grace Choi powers in a forehand return to Kanasta Abrams in a Girls U14 division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Choi defeated Abrams 10-6 to advance to the semifinals. (courtesy photo)

Aaeman Sachdev connects on a backhand return against Jacob Jackson in a U10 Co-Ed division match of the Quality Cup 2014 tennis tournament Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa tennis courts. Sachdev defeated Jackson 6-3. (courtesy photo)