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Extended finale at PIC tennis tourney
The last two championship games in the 19th Pacific Islands Club Tennis Championships went the distance with the pair of Jeff Race and Mayuko Arriola and junior player Irin Chung surviving their respective opponents last Sunday at the PIC Saipan hard court.
Race and Arriola took the mixed open doubles crown after outclassing Robbie Schorr and Marivic Dunlop in a three-set finale. The eventual champions dropped the opening set, 4-6, but got their acts together in the last two, 6-3, 7-5, to steal the win from Schorr and Dunlop.
Before their extended title match, both finalists needed only two sets to eliminate their respective semis foes. Arriola and Race posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Anthony Gregoire and Serin Chung, who made it to the Final Four after escaping past Helen Kim and Isaac Heo, 4-6, 7-6, 10-7, in the first round match at the top half of the bracket.
At the bottom half, Schorr and Dunlop won their opening game over Maria Gregoire and Danny Lee, 6-0, 6-2, to march into the semis against the pair of Tommy Choi and Sarka, who drew a bye in the first round. Dunlop and Schorr then eased past Choi and Sarka, 6-1, 6-2, to set up a finals showdown against the eventual winners Race and Arriola.
Meanwhile, Irin Chung also needed more time on the court before clinching the girls U12 singles crown. She was pitted against Dana Lee in the finals and eked out a 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 triumph to rule the six-player field.
Lee made it to the title game after eliminating Anna Kwon, 6-4, 6-3, and Hoo Wang, 6-3, 6-4, while Irin secured a finals ticket following her 6-4, 6-0 victory over Savita Sikkel—a 6-4, 6-4 winner versus Lina Tsukagoshi.
In other results, David Kwon topped the round-robin boys U14 singles division after earning a 2-0 record in last weekend’s competition.
David first defeated Eubin Park last Saturday, 6-1, 6-1, and then also swept Anthony Gregoire last Sunday, 6-2, 6-3, to seal the deal. Anthony outclassed Park in an earlier game, 6-1, 6-4, to finish second in the division.
The PIC tennis tournament, which is supported by Triple J Truckload Store, will continue this weekend with seven events.
