Team finishes second at junior tennis meet

Fiji finished second in the boys under-12 category during the Pacific Oceania Junior Championship (POJC) at the Regional Tennis Centre in Lautoka yesterday.

The national side, with the likes of Urai Ratu, Dev Thakur and Mayon Nethka, lost to Team Vanuatu 2-0.

Thakur lost to Oliver Sands 1-6, 6-1, 10-7 while Ratu lost to William Nolan 6-1, 3-6, 10-6.

The Fiji girls team, with the inclusion of Niconia Wivou and Alexandra Chand, was placed fourth after drawing 1-all with the Solomon Islands.

POJC co-ordinator Patrick O’Rourke said some nations could not participate in the qualifying tournaments because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

He said they tried to hold the qualification tournaments before August which was very difficult.

“We have some notable absentees such as Tonga for this POJC and they always have a strong team,” O’Rourke said.

“The Federated States of Micronesian is not here also. However, everybody else is here to participate. The standard of the tournament for the under-12 category is lifting slowly. For many of them it is their first time to play in an international tournament.

“It is their first opportunity so it is new for them. The under-16 grade is really strong in both the boys and girls divisions.

“In the under-14 category there are some strong boys. They played in the 2019 competition as under-12s.

“The standard is good and it is a good opportunity for the kids to get started with tennis at the international level again.”

The U14 and U16 finals will be held today.