CNMI-led Pacific Oceania makes grade

From left, Pacific Oceania Junior Davis Cup captain Jeff Race and players Ken Song, Clement Mainguy, and Robbie Schorr pose for a photo during the opening ceremony for the 2018 Junior Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Pre-Qualifying Event in Colombo, Sri Lanka last week. (Contributed Photo)

Pacific Oceania advanced to the championship game in the 2018 Junior Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Pre-Qualifying Event held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The team, which is made up of CNMI junior players Robbie Schorr and Ken Song and Vanuatu’s Clement Mainguy and coached by Jeff Race, played in the finals after eliminating Kuwait, 3-0, and Vietnam, 2-1. The twin victories in the playoffs also gave the CNMI-led Pacific Oceania Team a slot to the 2018 Asia/Oceania Qualifying Finals that will be played in Kuching, Malaysia from April 9 to 14. Joining Pacific Oceania in the competition in Malaysia was Pakistan, which nosed out Schorr and company in the pre-qualifying even finale, 2-1.

Pacific Oceania, which swept Bangladesh and Lebanon in pool play, extended its streak when it shut down Kuwait in the quarterfinals last Thursday, 3-0. Schorr started the squad’s domination of Kuwait after beating Ali Alshatti in the Singles 2 game, 6-2, 6-3. Pacific Oceania went on take the early win in the Round of 8 and marched into the semis after Mainguy rallied past Bader Antar in Singles 1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Schorr then returned to the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay court and teamed up with Song in downing Mohammad Alqattan and Alshatti, 6-3, 7-5.

Up next for Race’s crew was Vietnam and this time, Schorr, who took only two sets in beating his previous opponents, went the distance before escaping with the victory.

The Commonwealth player won the opening set of his Singles 2 duel against Quang Truong Tran, 6-3, but failed to wrap up the match early when the Vietnamese recovered in the second, 4-6. Then in the deciding third set, Schorr was in danger of losing the match when Tran posted a 4-2 advantage. However, according to Oceania Tennis Federation, the 15-year-old broke his opponents serve at 3-4 in the third with a brilliant drop volley to even the set, then held serve, and broke again for the first rubber en route to a come-from-behind 6-4 triumph.

Schorr’s tough performance was followed by Mainguy’s 6-1, 6-3 convincing win over Le Khanh Duy Tu to hand Pacific Oceania the finals berth opposite Pakistan and a ticket to next month’s tournament in Malaysia. Vietnam averted a shutout loss when Thai Nguyen Tat and Tran prevailed against Schorr and Song in the doubles match, 6-2, 6-1.

In the finals against Pakistan last Saturday, the eventual champions won the deciding doubles match to top the 14-team tournament. Huzaifa Abdul Rehman and Muhhamd Shoaib defeated Mainguy and Song, 6-1, 6-1. Earlier in the Singles 2, Mainguy tied the finals at 1-all when he swept Shoaib, 6-4, 6-3, Pakistan took the 1-0 lead when Rehman outclassed Schorr, 6-0, 6-1.

Pakistan moved into the finals after ousting Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka in similar scores, 3-0. Vietnam went on to join Pakistan and Pacific Oceania in the Top 3 after slipping past Sri Lanka in the consolation game, 2-1.