Men’s tennis team delivers gold

Robbie Schorr, Colin Sinclair, and Ken Song repaid the faith head coach Jeff Race gave them by ruling the men’s team tennis event in the XVI Pacific Games in Samoa.

“I was telling people I would eat my hat if we didn’t win a medal. So, at least I won’t have to do that, LOL,” said Race shortly after the CNMI Men’s Tennis Team was guaranteed to win a silver medal following a semis victory, 2-0, over Tahiti last Friday morning at the Apia Tennis Court.

Against Tahiti, Robbie Schorr handed the Commonwealth the first win after sweeping Ridge Chung, 6-1, 6-3. It was not the matchup that Race was expecting, as he was anticipating Tahiti’s No. 1 Heve Kelley to duel Schorr.

“I think they thought their No. 2 would beat Robbie and they would have saved him (Kelley) for the doubles and gold medal match in the afternoon,” Race said.

Obviously, the ploy backfired on Tahiti, as Schorr hammered Chung, and the CNMI did not even have to play the doubles game, as Colin Sinclair also prevailed in his singles match, beating Heimanarii Lai San, 6-2, 6-1, to move the Commonwealth to the gold medal game.

The finals was set Friday afternoon and was stretched to early evening due to rain with the CNMI pitted against Papua New Guinea, which edged Samoa in the other semis tiff, 2-1.

Schorr was first up in the gold medal showdown and eased past Mark Stuart Gibbons in the opening set, 6-0. While the first set was a gimme for the Commonwealth junior player, the second was a different story, as Gibbons went toe-to-toe with Schorr before the former pulled off a 7-5 triumph to move the CNMI one win away from securing the gold.

In the second singles game, Sinclair was caught off guard by Matthew Dean Tui Stubbings, who raced to a 2-0 lead. However, the moment Sinclair got into his rhythm, not even a rain-delay prevented the world No. 53 (ITF rankings) from storming back and sealing the deal for the CNMI. Sinclair won the five games before rain halted the first set, which when resumed ended right away, as the CNMI player took a 6-2 triumph. Sinclair went on to extend his streak, dominating the second set, 6-0, and handing the Commonwealth its first medal in the XVI Pacific Games.

“Hopefully, a couple more are coming,” said Race, whose wards returned to the court right on the next day to compete in the men’s and women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.

Tan, Song advance
In the women’s singles, Tania Tan survived the opener with a three-set victory.

Tan lost to American Samoa’s Paris Redskin in the first set, 6-7 (9), but stole the win after sweeping the last two, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the second round where she will face No. 3 seed Steffi Carruthers of Samoa.

Carol Lee, Malika Miyawaki, and Isabel Heras were the other CNMI entries in the women’s singles and all three drew a bye in the opening round last Saturday. Miyawaki will face No. 6 Naia Guitton of Tahiti today, while No. 5 Lee and No. 13 Heras will take on Samoa’s Ela Puleni Vakaukamea and Sauleone Anasis Saipele, respectively.

In the men’s singles, Song moved to the second round where he will challenge No. 13 Larry Magalasin of American Samoa after a walkover against Kiribati’s Dallas Addi. Sinclair, the No. 1 seed and drew a bye in the opener, will meet Icham Tidjane, while No. 8 Schorr will square off against Samoa’s Matavao Faleta Fanguna.

In yesterday’s results, Schorr teamed up with Heras in beating Kiribati’s Tebatibunga Tito and Kaoa Fakaofo, 6-4, 6-1. Schorr and Heras will face American Samoa’s Christian Duchnak and Kalani Soli for a quarterfinals berth in the mixed doubles. Sinclair and Lee will also go for a Round of 8 slot against the duo of Vanuatu’s Desiree Signo and Noah Molbaleh after sweeping Fiji’s Raynal Singh and Ruby Coffin yesterday, 6-2, 6-1.