Schorr earns slot on elite squad

The CNMI’s Robbie Schorr returns a shot to fellow Commonwealth player Ken Song during a playoff game in the boys U14 singles event in the 2016 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships held in Fiji last month. (Contributed Photo)

The CNMI’s Robbie Schorr was rewarded with a spot on the Pacific Oceania Touring Team after dominating the boys U14 age group competitions in the region this year.

Schorr will suit up for the elite squad for the third time and head to Melbourne, Australia this December to play in two tournaments.

“I am honored to represent the CNMI and the Pacific Oceania in the tournaments in Australia. This is my last year playing in the boys U14 division and I am hoping to get as many wins as I can,” Schorr told Saipan Tribune.

The 14-year-old Schorr is one of the 12 players from Pacific Oceania selected to compete in the Land Down Under later this year after ruling both the singles and doubles events in the 2016 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships held in Fiji last month and topping the Pacific Oceania U14 Circuit.

The CNMI junior player was undefeated in pool play in the singles event in the POJC and clinched the division championship after surviving the tough Vaitei Molinier of Tahiti in a super-tiebreaker third set, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 10-5.

In the doubles, he partnered with fellow Commonwealth player Ken Song in sweeping Tahiti’s Brendon Fong and Molinier in the finals, 6-2, 6-2, to give the CNMI the most titles (4) in the POJC. Carol Lee handed the Jeff Race-coached Commonwealth team the two other championships—the girls U16 singles and doubles (with Isabel Heras).

With his outstanding showing in the POJC, Schorr got additional 2,000 ranking points to bring his total to 5,500 and beat 49 other players in Pacific Oceania for the No. 1 rankings in the Circuit. Schorr was way ahead of the Vanuatu’s Samuel Strid, who collected only 2,890 points. Molinear completed the Top 3 with his 2,700 points.

Besides winning in the POJC and topping the Pacific Oceania U14 Circuit, Schorr also ruled the 7th TanHoldings Tennis Classic held on Saipan and the 2016 Chamorro Open in Guam.

“The tournaments in Australia are different and tougher than the ones I had on Saipan, Guam, and Fiji. The players are really good so I need to prepare well to play good games there,” said Schorr, who still had a practice session with Race despite the uncooperative weather yesterday.

The top-ranked U14 player in the Pacific trains six times a week to get ready for competitions later this year, working out with Race and Saipan Tennis Academy coach Peter Loken.