4 clinch singles titles

Malika Miyawaki rushes forward for a return during her and Danny Jeoung’s game against Ken Song and Isaac Heo in the 2018 Coconut Tennis Classic last week at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Junior players J.C. Ferrer, Malika Miyawaki, Robbie Schorr, and Richard Steele ruled their respective singles events in the 2018 Coconut Tennis Classic that concluded yesterday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Steele won the boys U14 singles crown after beating Daniel Kang in the championship game, 6-3, 6-0. Steele was seeded first in the 13-player field and lived up to expectations as he did not drop a single set en route to clinching the division title. Steele earlier swept Seung Won Lee, 6-3, 6-1, and then topped No. 3 Andy Kim in the semifinals, 6-4, 6-3, to notch the second finals berth in his category.

Kang took the first finals berth after eliminating No. 4 Eubin Park, 7-5, 6-0, and also needed only two sets to down Hyunmin Cho, 6-0, 6-0, before failing to keep his run in the finals against Steele. Kim joined Steele and Kang in the podium after winning over Park in the consolation game, 6-2, 6-3.

In the boys U16 singles finale, Schorr dominated Ji Min Woo, 6-3, 6-1. Schorr was the No. 1 seed player in the division and duplicated Steele’s feat, as the former recorded his twin wins via sweeps. The No. 2 Woo was also unscathed in his first two games before falling to the much-experienced Schorr.

Schorr and Woo made it to the finals after ousting Seung Jin Paik, 6-0, 6-3, and No. 2 Ken Song, 6-3, 6-2, respectively. Song went on to complete the Top 3 after slipping past Paik, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Schorr and Woo played their title match in the morning and after only a few hours the former returned to the court to challenge Moris Villanueva in the men’s singles finals. Fatigue then took its toll on Schorr, as he was forced to retire in the second set. Villanueva eased past Schorr in the opening set, 6-1, to boost his chances for the title, which the 19-year-old player eventually won as his foe could no longer continue playing.

Meanwhile, in the women’s field, Ferrer and Miyawaki prevailed in their head-to-head against their respective opponents.

Ferrer faced Anika Camacho in the lone girls U14 singles and won after only two sets, 6-4, 6-3.

In the women’s singles, Miyawaki defeated Grace Choi, 6-0, 6-1.

In other results, Dong Min Lee bagged the men’s over 40 singles championship after sweeping Gary Ramsey, 6-0, 6-1.