A packed day of singles at Sol2023 tennis

The atmosphere at the National Tennis Centre was charged with excitement as the tennis singles and mixed doubles competitions continued on a cloudy day, where the cool breeze carried the promise of intense matches.

In the men’s singles category the day’s play opened with Tahiti’s Reynald Taaroa defeating Guam’s Aarman Sachdev 2-0, New Caledonia’s Heremana Courte beating Solomon Islands’ Solomon Ramoni 2-0, and Tuvalu’s Mathew Pese defeating Guam’s Daniel Llarenas (who won gold with Guam in the men’s teams event) 2-0.

Pese said: “I represent my country so I have to keep my winning streak up and I want to thank my family for supporting me”.

The morning’s other men’s singles matches saw 2-0 wins all round for Vanuatu’s Zachary Sands over Cook Islands’ Jason Pierre, Tahiti’s Heimanarii Laisan over Fiji’s Raynal Ray Singh, Papua New Guinea’s Matthew Stubbings over Vanuatu’s Jean Pierre Andre and Solomon Islands’ Junior Michael Miki over Samoa’s Faafetai Pritchard.

In the women’s singles category, all matches were won in straight sets (2-0).  Fiji’s Tarani Kamoe defeated Vanuatu’s Ashanti Ligo, Cook Islands’ Norah Browne beat Fiji’s Sina Izumi, Samoa’s Eleanor Schuster defeated Tonga’s Sisilia Laumanu I Hakau P Teu, Tahiti’s Jennifer Ly beat Nauru’s Tsitsi Edwinkalin, Papua New Guinea’s Abigail Tere-Apisah defeated Samoa’s Noelleda Ah San, Solomon Islands’ Georgimah Sauramoniabu Row beat Vanuatu’s Abygail Coeuillet, Tahiti’s Mia Chang Yuk Shan defeated Papua New Guinea’s Michaela Mesa, and Solomon Islands’ Vinda Sylvia None Teally beat Cook Islands’ Hinano Ellingham.

As the singles matches unfolded, the mixed doubles category was also taking place across other courts.

Tonga’s Ela I Puleni Vakaukamea and Filipe Huni defeated Papua New Guinea’s Pauline Hyun and Mark Gibbons 2-0, Samoa’s Eleanor Schuster and Marvin Soonalole beat Solomon Islands’ Philia Kerry Waita and Lachlan Patteson Guba 2-0, Vanuatu’s Lorraine Banimatakau and Zachary Sands defeated Guam’s Leila Mercado and Aarman Sachdev 2-0, Tonga’s S. Teu and O. Noa beat Nauru’s Tsitsi Edwinkalin and Scotty Robert Mikio 2-0, Cook Islands’ Norah Browne and Sebastian Tamarua Payne defeated Guam’s Freemont Gibson and Camden Camacho 2-1, Tahiti’s Tavero Chung and Heimanarii Laisan beat Fiji’s Sina Izumi and Amit Sumit Lal 2-0, and Solomon Islands’ Zorika Dalice Morgan and Samuel Ramoni defeated Samoa’s Mahinarangi Warren and Darius Carruthers 2-0.

In other mixed doubles showdowns, Tahiti’s Mehitia Boosie and Antoine Voisin beats Samoa’s Noelleda Ah San and Faafetai Pritchard 2-0, Papua New Guinea’s Michaela Mesa and Israel Eddie Mera defeated Nauru’s Itaia Nigelita and Nigel Itaia Kanano 2-0, Tahiti’s Jennifer Ly and Heve Kelley beat Fiji’s Ruby Coffin and Charles Cornish 2-0, while Cook Islands’ Lilian Maui and Jason Pierre defeated Vanuatu’s Ashanti Ligo and Jean Pierre Andre 2-0.

Papua New Guinea’s Abigail Tere-Apisah and Matthew Stubbings beat Tuvalu’s Sanapu Tepa Tealai and Mathew Pese 2-0, Samoa’s Annerly Georgopoulus and Leon Soonalole defeated Vanuatu’s Abygail Candice Coeuillet and Fintan Molbaleh 2-0, Fiji’s Tarani Kamoe and William O’Connell beat Tahiti’s Mia Chang Yuk Shan and Reynald Taaroa 2-0 and Solomon Islands’ G. Row and J Miki defeated Fiji’s Josephine Debalevu and Raynal Ray Singh 2-0.

The match between Guam’s Sydney Packbier and Mason Caldwell v Papua New Guinea’s Namet Sanewai and Christopher Kaiuolo was interrupted due to medical reasons.

Tennis continues from 9am on Friday with the commencement of the men’s and women’s doubles.

By Lamantha Lano, Pacific Games News Service