Colin, Pacific Oceania team will now play in Jordan

The CNMI’s Colin Sinclair, seen here in a file photo, and the rest of his teammates in the Pacific Oceania team are preparing for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Asia/Oceania Group III Event set in Amman, Jordan this coming September. (Contributed photo)

Pacific Games gold medalist Colin Sinclair and the rest of his Pacific Oceania teammates will now be playing in Amman, Jordan where the Davis Cup by Rakuten Asia/Oceania Group III Event has been relocated this coming September.

The Pacific Oceania team was originally set to compete last August in Vietnam, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions in the country. The new Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group III Event will now start on Monday, Sept. 13, in the Middle East country.

Sinclair said he’s looking forward to suiting up for Pacific Oceania anew in the Davis Cup in Amman.

“We’re just finalizing travel plans now. Our team is looking a bit different than two years ago. We have two new young guys Clement [Mainguy] and Heimanarii [Lai San],” he said in a social media message to the Saipan Tribune.

The 6’2” Sinclair said while his teammates are set, who will skipper the Pacific Oceania team come September is still up in the air.

“We’re hoping our captain Brett Baudinet will make it but he and his wife are expecting the birth of their second son around the same time so we’ll know within the week where he’ll be able to make it. Also, our coach Rob [Krause] is stuck on Fiji so Richard Breen who is traveling with his daughter Saoirse in Europe will be our stand-in,” he said.

Baudinet of Cook Islands and Matthew Stubbings of Papua New Guinea were originally slated to join Sinclair in Tay Ninh, Vietnam with the former serving as playing captain.

Sinclair, who is currently ranked No. 718 in the ATP Tour singles, also hopes to see action in a couple of tournaments before representing Pacific Oceania in the Davis Cup competition in Jordan.

“I’m hoping to play a few more tournaments in Belgium and Czech Republic before going to play Davis Cup in Jordan. We’re super excited and are hoping to play some good tennis and have a shot at promotion to Group II.”

As far as next year’s 2022 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games is concerned, Sinclair said he will definitely come home to represent his birthplace in the quadrennial event the CNMI will be hosting for the first time ever.

“Yes I’m planning on playing on Saipan next year,” he said.

Sinclair’s confirmation was music to the ears of CNMI National Tennis Team coach Jeff Race.

“He’s the best we’ve got and if he’s healthy and the Games actually happen then Colin will lead us to some medals,” he said.

Race said he hopes Baudinet though would still be able to represent Pacific Oceania in Jordan. For many years, Race served as captain of the Pacific Oceania Davis Cup team and one of the players under his wing was Baudinet.

“Brett has tons of Davis Cup experience and he is a very enthusiastic individual. I think he will do a great job. He holds some worldwide Davis Cup records possibly as he played 19 years on the team.”

Aside from Pacific Oceania, other teams competing in Asia/Oceania III include Hong Kong, China, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Vietnam. Three teams will advance from Asia/Oceania Group III to contest the 2022 World Group II playoffs.