Sister act in Coconut Classic

Irin Chung, left, hits the ball during her girls U14 singles game against Anna Kwon in the 2021 White Coconut Tennis Classic at the American Memorial Park tennis courts last week, while her sister Serin, is seen here going for a backhand return during an earlier tournament in 2019. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Sisters Irin and Serin Chung were victorious in the 2021 White Coconut Tennis, as they clinched the singles titles in their respective divisions last Sunday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts.

Irin was the first to be crowned champion when she ruled the girls U14 singles division following a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hoo Wang. The victory over Wang gave Irin a 3-0 record in the round-robin competition. The younger Chung’s two other wins were against Savita Sikkel, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-3, and Anna Kwon, 6-2, 7-5.

Wang also prevailed over Kwon, 6-1, 7-6 (3), and Sikkel, 7-5, 6-1, to settle for the runer-up honors. Sikkel finished third, as she downed Kwon last Saturday, 6-2, 7-5.

A few hours after Irin notched the girls U14 singles crown, her older sister, Serin had the same achievement after topping the women’s singles division.

Serin recorded a come-from-behind victory in the women’s singles finals, as she lost the opening set of her title game against Hye Jin Elliot, 2-6. No. 1 seed Serin foiled Elliot’s bid for an upset after taking the second set, 6-2, and completed the comeback win following a 10-6 triumph in the super-tiebreaker third set.

Serin reached the finals after eliminating Elizabeth Culp, 6-2, 6-2, while Elliot followed suit, thanks to the lopsided victory over Grace Choi, 6-0, 6-0. Culp joined Serin and Elliot in the Top 3 after a walkover win against Choi.

Meanwhile, Hannah Chae swept her way to a title victory in the girls U12 singles division.

Wataru Kadokura, seen here going for a baseline return during his and Bishop Ryan Jimenez’s mixed-up doubles game against Simon Tang and Sam Ryu in the White Coconut Tennis Classic at the American Memorial Park last week, finished second in the boys U14 singles event. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

No. 2 Chae made short work of the unseeded Isa Nishitani in the finals, 6-1, 6-0, to rule the six-player field.

Chae never lost a single set en route to clinching the division championship, as she also needed only two sets to beat Anne Lee in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-2. Nishitani took two sets, too to stun No. 1 seed Lina Tsukagoshi, 6-3, 6-3, in the other semis pairing. Tsukagoshi ended up notching the third place honors in the division after beating Lee, 6-3, 7-5.

In other results, June Yu went unbeaten in a round-robin play to reign supreme in the boys U14 singles division.

The No. 2 seed Yu secured the division crown after pulling off an upset over No. 1 seed Wataru Kadokura last Sunday, 6-3, 6-4. Before losing to Yu, Kadokura won his first three matches, as he prevailed against Takeru Jim, 6-0, 6-0; Simon Tang, 6-2, 6-3; and Henry Choi, 6-2, 6-0. Yu also swept Choi, 6-0, 6-3, and kept his streak by beating Jim, 6-0, 6-0, and Tang, 6-2, 6-3.

In the U10 co-ed singles, which also had a round-robin format, Ryan Choi bested four other players.

Choi shut down Jin Ho Park and Anna Lee and then beat Eliza Culp, 6-2, to rule the division. Quido Jambor finished second with his 3-1 record, posting his victories against Lee, 6-1; Park, 6-0; and Culp, 6-1.