Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two of American Samoa's top junior tennis players are trading shots and aces in the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 12 & Under Intercontinental Team Competition in Hong Kong as part of the Pacific Oceania team.

Joella Ioane and Hermann Thomsen were selected to represent the Pacific Oceania region on a six-member team. The other four members include Faith Perera and JJ Camelo from Guam, Mareko Webb of the Cook Islands, and Alex Chand of Fiji.

The Pacific Oceania team coaches are Ryan Horn of Guam and Florence Wasko, the American Samoa Tennis Association president.

American Samoa Tennis Association President Florence Wasko poses with three female players from the Pacific Oceania region team, American Samoa's Joella Ioane — one of the two local players selected to part of the Pacific Oceania region team —and Faith Perera, alongside JJ Camelo from Guam, all competing in the same Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 12 & Under Intercontinental Team Competition in Hong Kong. [courtesy photo]

The ATF 12U Intercontinental Competition, which started on Monday, October 7th, incorporated eight boys' and eight girls’ teams. The games are scheduled to be played in a round robin format followed by the knockout stage.

The tournament is played in the Tie and Match format. Each tie consists of two singles and one doubles match. The first singles match shall be played between the number 2 players of each nation. The second singles match shall be played between the number 1 players of each nation.

The tournament is organized by the Hong Kong China Tennis Association and is sanctioned by the Asian Tennis Federation.

The two local junior players, Joella Ioane and Hermann Thomsen are both 11 years old and have been playing tennis from a young age. Both of them have competed in several international competitions.

Both competed in the East Pacific Junior Championships held in Tahiti where she competed and won in the Dragon Tournament with local clubs in Tahiti. Joella was also a silver medalist in the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji in July.

According to her father Joseph Leuila Ioane, Joella started playing as a four-year-old with her five-year-old sister Joelei.

The two sisters have honed their skills on court and have proudly represented American Samoa at the international level. Now 11 and 12, they have shown remarkable improvement in their game with the guidance of their coaches, ASTA President Florence Wasko and national coach Dave Godinet, and the invaluable experience from international exposure.

"I love that Joella is experiencing a new level of tennis at a young age, just like her sister," said their enthusiastic dad, who is deeply involved in their budding careers.

"They approach the game very differently. As Samoan girls straight from American Samoa, they have a lot to learn, and it can be tough with limited competition on a small island. However, they both have that 'Williams Sisters factor' (Venus and Serena Williams). They motivate each other to compete and win, keeping each other accountable and always coming back for more."

Joella and Hermann will be returning on October 11th accompanied by ASTA President Florence Wasko.