JOP
Showa no Mori Dec. 23, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Angelyna Tatsuko struggles in her QF match with a knee
injury, but after defaulting half of the tournaments she entered this
year due to a broken back, she is
determined to complete her remaining matches. After some treatment and
pain-killers, she constantly changes pace to frustrate Saki
Hirukawa with a combination of power, slice and touch in a 6-3
SF victory. The finals is a rematch with JOP's #3 10U player, who still hasn't
even noticed Angelyna Tatsuko's one-hand handicap,
and loses in an even easier 6-2 match that secures a year-ending
national rank of
#1 in the 12U Division!!!
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JOP
Showa no Mori Dec. 22, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
After attaining a career-best
national rank of #1 in
JOP's 12U Division, Angelyna Tatsuko faces the reigning
Yamanashi 12U champion with
newfound confidence. Although still restricted to playing one-handed and with
her serve absent, she still manages to frustrate her opponent with her unique
slice shots to earn a 6-3 semi-final win. She injures her knee and falls behind
1-3 in the finals against JOP's #3 10U player before she masterfully
mixes pace between power and touch to sweep the remaining games and earn her
17th title.
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JOP
Sugita Phoenix Oct. 28, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Inspired by the recent Radwanska-Errani match at the
TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul and proudly
sporting a Wozniacki hair style for the first time,
Angelyna Tatsuko expertly duplicates the 'touch' gameplan
to slice her way into the Finals without dropping a single game.
Christyna Seiko overcomes her own poor play by varying her
gameplan for each opponent. But as with their recent Finals showdown in
Izu Kogen, a storm grew in protest and the
match was stopped at 2-all.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix Oct. 14, 2012
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14 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko reaches the Finals and achieves a milestone. At
just 10 years of age, she edges Sayaka Maruyama as the nation's
#1 ranked girl in the
entire JOP
Japan Junior Tennis Tour!!!
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JOP
Izu Kogen Lobbing Sep. 30, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Although still limited to one-hand, Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki
makes progress with a 6-4 SF win against Misa Okawa, who
stopped her in this year's Tomas Cup.
Christyna Seiko Sasaki's SF opponent did not have a single
serve returned before she managed to take a point in the opening game. Once
getting the timing to neutralize the formidible serve, Christyna
Seiko went on to sweep the remaining games. In the finals, marathon
deuce games wore on Christyna Seiko's sore shoulder so she
started attacking the net every point. Having no underhand serve to fall back
on like her bigger sister, she retires to provide Angelyna
Tatsuko her first title since breaking
her back! With the victory, Angelyna Tatsuko achieves a
career-best ranking of #2
in the 12U Division!!
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JOP
Nishi Tama Sep. 29, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki scores the first 13 points in her SF and
just misses a 'golden set' by three points. Then for the second consecutive week,
she gets revenge for her bigger sister in the finals with a 6-2 victory over
Miwa Matsuzawa.
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JOP
Sugita Phoenix Sep. 22, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
After a month of facing power in the 14U AND 16U divisions,
Christyna Seiko Sasaki returns to 12U play with a vengeance.
Even though she is not in good form, she works her way up to a dominate route in
the finals. Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki tries to play another tourney
one-handed, but the nerve
damage is so painful from her service toss that she can't even complete
her first match against Yui Tsukada, the eventual finalist.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix Sep. 8-9, 2012
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12/14 and Under Tournament
The nerve damage to
Angelyna Tatsuko leaves her unable to hit her two-handed strokes
and she is forced to play entirely one-handed on both sides. With little practice
for nearly three months, she can't strike with any confidence and must revert to
mixing up the spin on her shots. Midway through her SF, the pain in her shoulder
is so great she can’t even toss the ball to serve and resorts to underhand
serves. However, the heavily-taped Angelyna Tatsuko guts out a
comeback victory before retiring as the tournament runner-up. Christyna
Seiko can’t find her rhythm in the 14U division, and by the time she
finally finds her range with offensive moonballs, it is too little too late.
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KETF
Korea International August 12-16, 2012
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G2 10/12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko repeats her results as best among non-Korean girls
in singles and doubles, where she is again stopped by Korea's #1 10-year old,
Oh Yu Kyung, who goes on to win in doubles
but is stopped in the finals for singles. Christyna Seiko has an
inspiring comeback fall short against Moon
Jeong, Korea's #6 girl, when she re-injures her left knee in an intense singles
match that was like an away Fed Cup rubber.
After being eliminated in doubles, Angelyna Tatsuko is forced to
retire in her singles match as the acupunture needles are not enough to relieve the
pain from her nerve damage.
New friend and Korea's #3, Kim Cherry,
wins the 12 & Under Singles and qualifies for this year's
51st Junior Orange
Bowl International Championships in Florida, USA.
The Head Interpretor also recognizes
both girls for their help as English-Japanese interpretors during the event.
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KCP
International August 6-10, 2012
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G2 10/12 and Under Tournament
With her broken back healed,
Angelyna Tatsuko is cleared to play, but
nerve damage limits the
use of her left arm. Still, with only a week of practice, she has the opening
match in hand until a scoring error robs her of the match (no scoreboard and they
do not call out the score before serving). The referee is aware of the error, but
it is not corrected because she had already shaken hands to accept the loss in a
match that was initially declared a walkover when her opponent was not present at
the official starting time! However, she is still scouted by
Hwang Sunghoon, China's national junior
coach at the reception party and invited
to train at August Sports
Development in China. Christyna Seiko goes on to post the
best results for a non-Korean girl in singles and doubles. In doubles, she is
stopped by Korea's #1, Oh Yu Kyung, who
goes on to win both 10U titles. Her dominant run in singles is capped by two
victories over seeded players, one that became so vocal that the referee had to
eject a dozen spectators from her opponent's support group. Although great, the
different food and travel fatigue leaves her lacking energy in the quarterfinals.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix July 21, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Mei Nomura was looking forward to a final against
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki, who could've become
JOP's #2 12U girl in
Japan with this title had it not been rained out back in June, but
overlooked her younger sister. Christyna Seiko Sasaki
withstood a strong power game from Mei á la
Muhammed Ali's "rope-a-dope" before reversing a 1-3
deficit into a 6-4 victory when her opponent tired in the semifinals.
Christyna Seiko then went on to beat Hana Onuma
6-1 for the title and dedicated it to her injured
sister, Angelyna Tatsuko.
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JOP
Nishi Tama June 30, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki loses the first game of each match
poorly before taking control to sweep the remaining games. She comes within
two points of doing the same in the finals before her injured shoulder wears
down. While the pain was bearable, Christyna Seiko didn't
have the strength to put away open shots and complete a 14-minute blowout.
Chieri Mitsui turns the rout into a 65-minute marathon battle.
Along the way, Christyna Seiko fails to close out multiple
chances on several match points before losing the title in a tie-break.
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Mizuno
Banana Cup June 17, 2012
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14 and Under Round Robin Tournament
Angelyna Tatsuko finishes one event with a powerful, leaping
overhead smash winner that brought an ovation from among her peers. At the second,
she meets long-time friend Nanako Onishi in a showdown for the
title. Both players cruise into the finals, but Nanako finishes
her SF before Angelyna's SF even begins and she gets just five
minutes rest prior to playing her seventh match in six hours! However, after
Nanako jumps out to a 2-0 advantage with a surprisingly
relentless power game, it is Angelyna who patiently wears out
her older opponent with a mix of defensive & offensive strokes to earn a
tough 6-3 win.
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Korea
Int'l Kanagawa Qualifier June, 2012
|
12 and Under Tournament
Angelyna Tatsuko and Christyna Seiko Sasaki
meet in the finals to both qualify to represent Japan in a pair of int'l events
in Korea. Both girls put in dominating performances, however, it was
Angelyna Tatsuko who impressed with some powerful play on a
sprained ankle the entire tournament.
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JOP
Showa no Mori May 26, 2012
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12/14 and Under Tournament
With her elbow in severe pain the previous Monday, Christyna Seiko Sasaki
undergoes hypnotherapy the following day to aid in recovery. She rolls
through a tournament without pain for the first time in two months before falling
in the Finals to Sayaka Maruyama, the #2 14U girl in JOP!
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki regains her form and 'scoops up' another
12U title.
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JOP
Nishi Tama May 12, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
A rusty Christyna Seiko Sasaki loses the first game in each of
her matches, but sweeps thereafter for another dominant 12U title. Amazingly, she
has not practiced with a real tennis ball for six weeks but still manages to keep
her confidence as well as her form solely from mental training.
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JOP
Head Showa no Mori May 5, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
With qualifications to the Head Rebel Challenge on the line,
Christyna Seiko Sasaki scouts each opponent carefully and
successful employs a different game plan to perfection. She endures the pain
of her elbow injury with the help of treatment from Dr. Manabe, father of her
semi-final opponent, and takes advantage of the absence of #1 seed
Yukari Endo to take the title, which also propels her to the
#1 national rank in 10U!
It also gives her the points to be ranked
#1 nationally in 12U!
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JOP
Showa no Mori May 4, 2012
|
12/14 and Under Tournament
A 4-hour thunderstorm delay between her semi-final and final matches causes
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki to come out cold against Reine
Mano, who continued in a zone when her semi-final with Riho
Saito is resumed after the break. Angelyna is not able
to regain her form in time and settles for runner-up. Christyna Seiko
Sasaki is forced to retire for the sixth time in six weeks.
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JOP
Sugita Phoenix Apr. 29, 2012
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12/14 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki retires after only two games against
Elan Mizoguchi, who goes on to power her way to a 6-4 victory in
the 14U Finals against Momoka Kawakami. The 1st & 2nd seeds
dominate their way to a 12U Division showdown, where Angelyna Tatsuko
Sasaki storms out to a 3-0 lead. However, Shino Saito
raises her play to even the match before fatigue forces the girls to exchange
service breaks. Finally, after failing to convert on six match points,
Angelyna earns a third straight JOP title with a 7-5 win and a
personal-best ranking of #3!
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JOP
Nishi Tama Apr. 21, 2012
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12/14 and Under Tournament
After a sloppy first game, Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki sweeps through
the rest of the 12 & Under Division with a rarely used power game.
Christyna Seiko Sasaki is on the receiving end of power in the 14 &
Under Division, but glides into the finals with a counter-punching gameplan.
However, exchanging long rallies with Ayu Sugiyama is more than
her arm can bare and she retires for the fourth time in four weeks.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix Apr. 15, 2012
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14 and Under Tournament
Playing girls 3-4 years older and over a foot taller, Christyna Seiko
Sasaki (10) and Naho Sato (11) shutdown each of their
opponents without losing a single game. However, Christyna is
not yet on the level of the 2012 Tokyo Junior 12U Champion
and top 11 year old in the country, an incredibly instinctive and unbelievably
talented player. Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki was at the
Kanagawa Primary School Championships.
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Atsugi
Indoor One-Day Apr. 7, 2012
|
12 and Under Tournament
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki sails through three opponents but is no
match for Ayu Sugiyama, who scores shutouts in all four of her
matches for the title. Christyna Seiko Sasaki has only one
practice a day after the JOP National Championships and is back
out of action with her arm injury.
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JOP
Japan Junior Tour Champions
|
5th Tomas Cup - 10 and Under Tournament (Christyna)
Christyna Seiko Sasaki overcomes fatigue from lack of play only
to fall short in the championship match.
Christyna vows this is but a beginning as we take great pride in
her character in defeat and are blessed by God that
she could even compete through the finals.
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JOP
Japan Junior Tour Champions
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5th Tomas Cup - 12 and Under Tournament (Angelyna)
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki is unable to complete the change to a
one-hand forehand and struggles with timing when she reverts to two-hands. Once
finding her rhythm, she advances strong until she unexpectedly plays in stormy
conditions. With a change of tactics, she mounts a furious comeback against
Misa Okawa, only to fall just short of reaching the finals and a
legitimate chance to win the Draw B title. Top seed and best friend,
Yukari Endo, easily wins Draw A.
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KTA
Kanagawa Junior (G4A) Mar. 26, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki can generate little power and again is
forced to retire due to her wrist injury. With little practice for two weeks and
only days from the JOP National Championships, Christyna
must rely on daily physical training and therapy from
Sugita Sekkotsuin,
as well as visualization practices only.
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JOP
Yamanashi Mar. 25, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki flies into the finals where she retires
due to her ongoing wrist injury. Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki is the
benefactor, who qualifies for her fourth consecutive JOP National
Championships while also earning a wild card into the next KTA
Yamanashi Verde Cup with the title.
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KTA
Yamanashi Verde Cup (G4C)
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14 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki has her breakthrough tournament in Kanto
reaching the quarterfinals until a wrist injury leaves her no match for the top
13-year old in Yamanashi, Nanami Ito.
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JOP
Sugita Phoenix Mar. 3, 2012
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10 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki has an easy run through her 11th title,
her first with the new green balls for 10 and
Under play. The tournament serves her as a tune-up to the 2012 JOP National
Championships later this month while also qualifying for the 2013
JOP National Championships.
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Mizuno
Banana Cup Feb. 5, 2012
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12 and Under Round Robin Tournament
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki debuts her topspin serve to go with her
new one-hand forehand and dominates her younger and shorter opponents. She loses
just one game thru five rounds, including an 9-minute match where she loses only
one point (double fault)!
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JOP
Showa no Mori Jan. 29, 2012
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10/12 and Under Tournament
Following the lead of her big sister, Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki,
who continues to bravely test out her new one-hand forehand, Christyna
Seiko Sasaki sacrifices her strong desire to win to follow her coach's
instructions and experiment with a different gameplan. However, a gusting wind
only compounds her first experience using the lighter
green balls, and she suffers a loss in the finals.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix Jan. 28, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
With stomach cramps so bad she can hardly stand, Christyna Seiko Sasaki
quickly falls to 2-5 and faces double match point against a very strong
Ran Uozumi in the semi-finals. However, she refuses to surrender
and guts out yet another Tebow-like comeback to win 7-5!
Meanwhile, Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki courageously plays her
first tournament one-handed, which ultimately fails her in a tough 5-7 SF loss.
Christyna goes on to avenge her sister in the finals, 6-1.
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JOP
Nishi Tama Jan. 22, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki can only watch as her opponent rifles
forehand winners to both sides and races out to a 4-1 lead in the finals. With
her opponent's father already packing his video camera away, Christyna
goes into 'Tebow mode' and cleverly takes a
page out of Jimmy Connors' playbook for a change of tactics.
The new strategy works and Christyna goes on to bully her older,
bigger, and stronger opponent for an unbelievable 7-5 comeback victory!
Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki takes time off to start a transition from a
two-handed forehand to one.
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JOP
Oiso Phoenix Jan. 07, 2012
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12 and Under Tournament
Christyna Seiko Sasaki & Angelyna Tatsuko Sasaki
deliver on their father's birthday present by meeting in the finals. On the way,
Christyna gets revenge while spoiling Ran Miyaji's
own birthday and ending her streak of 21 consecutive finals appearances.
Christyna improves her head-to-head record to 3-1 against
Ran, winner of 18 tournaments with an amazing overall record of 62-4!
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