Day two of the CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open 2025 delivered a series of gripping matches, with top seeds tested early and rising stars refusing to back down. From a 70-minute thriller between Japan’s Koya Iwano and USA’s Garret Tan to hard-fought three-game battles involving the tournament’s highest-ranked players, the day showcased the depth of talent and intensity building across the draw.
Men’s Singles
From gutsy performances from rising stars to top-seed challengers, there was no shortage of action and tenacity on the courts today for the men’s singles.
The match between Koya Iwano (JPN) and the young USA star, Garret Tan, had everyone on the edge of their seats. For nearly 70 minutes, the opponents traded leads back and forth. Finally, Iwano pulled away to take the win with a score of 21-23, 21-8, 21-14.
Number one seed, Jeon Hyeok Jin (KOR), made his tournament debut against Japan’s Riki Takei. The Korean athlete played all the right shots, but with his unique placements and quick pace changes, Takei’s creativity seemed to startle his opponent.
The Japanese player took the first game 23-21, but Jeon found a response, holding off a late charge from Takei to win the second game 21-19. In the third, Jeon dictated the pace early, but he could not shake his opposition. Yet, in the end, Jeon’s composure led him to victory. He won the match 21-23, 21-19, 21-10.
Second seed, Sankar Subramanian (IND), found himself down a game against his Korean opponent, Cho Hyeon Woo. Rallying back, he took the second, but Cho was not relenting. Refusing to give an inch, the Korean player matched Subramanian every point. It took 69 minutes, but eventually Cho emerged victorious, winning 21-18, 16-21, 21-17.
At the same time, number three seed, Misha Zilberman (ISR), was under pressure from Korea’s Kim Byung Jae. After winning the first game, Zilberman struggled to find his rhythm in the second and fell to Kim. The Israeli player found himself trailing late in the third game, but in a stunning display of tenacity, surged back to take the win 21-19, 15-21, 23-21.
“The mental side [was my strongest part of my game]. I just believed until the last point that I could continue to play and win, and i think that changed a lot. It’s what gave me the opportunity to win.” – Misha Zilberman
WOMEN’S SINGLES
In a battle of experience and heart, Oceania Women’s Singles Champion, Shaunna Li (NZL) stood opposite Australia’s Faye Huo. Li strode to an early lead, securing the first game with a comfortable 21-13 win. Huo, the recent VICTOR Oceania Junior Women’s Singles Champion, found her rhythm in the second, capitalising on Li’s mistakes and forcing errors to take the match to a third game. It was here that the Kiwi’s experience shone through, and she stayed composed to win the match (21-13, 19-21, 21-16).
“I focused on my own game. Throughout the whole game, I made a lot of errors, and in my mind I was telling myself to calm down and not think about the last point, even if i wasn’t in the condition I wanted to be in.” – Shaunna Li on how she stayed composed throughout the match.
Northern Marianas International 2025 Winner, Park Ga Eun (KOR) trailed her opponent, Tsukasa Tsujita (JPN) early in the match; however, she managed to claw back the deficit to take the first game 22-20. Tsujita responded in the second, coming from behind to force a third. In the end, it was Park who came away with the match win (22-20, 16-21,21-13).
MEN’S DOUBLES
Kiwi duo, Raphael Deloy/Adam Jeffrey had a strong showing in their tournament debut. They commanded the court against Northern Marianas’ Ian Lubao and Leonard Manuel to close out the match in 14 minutes. The final score was 21-7, 21-8.
Over on court 3, Yudai Nagafuchi/Kota Ogawa (JPN) and Bao Xin Da Gu La Wai/Yu Hsiang Chou (TPE) battled hard. The score is not an entirely accurate reflection of the game, as the Chinese Taipei pair challenged the Japanese duo repeatedly throughout the match. With intense rallies and incredible saves, it was Nagafuchi and Ogawa that rose to the top, securing their spot in the round of 16 with a score of 21-11, 21-12.
