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2011 Pacific Games
Individual Events
Following the completion of the teams' competitions the women returned from Kone to Noumea and all the individual competitions were held on the plexicushion courts at Ouen Toro. New caledonia continued to dominate winning the singles titles but the medals were also spread around a number of the nations.
Nicholas N'Godrela (CAL) continued his excellent form from the teams' event but was extended to three sets in his semi-final by Michael leong (SOL) and in the final he had to work hard to claim gold over Cyril Jacobe 6-0 4-6 6-1. Leong took out the bronze.
The women's singles final was an all New Caledonia affair between the very experienced Elodie Dietrich-Rogge and 17 year old Anaeve Pain. The first set went to Pain and she led for most of the second but just when it seemed an upset was about to happen Dietrich-Rogge began a determined fightback. She took the second set in a tiebreaker and then seized control of the third taking it 6-2 to give her gold. Abigail Tere-Apisah (PNG) took the bronze medal.
There was an upset in the women's doubles where the Tere-Apisah sisters, Abigail and Marcia, gave PNG their first tennis gold medal with a stunning victory over Dietrich-Rogge and Pain. Steffi and Kim Carruthers made it a second set of sisters on the podium taking the bronze medal for Samoa.
Samoa came to the fore in the men's doubles where Pacific Oceania Davis Cup players Juan Langton and Leon So'onalole combined for a comfortable victory over Jerome Rovo and Cyril Jacobe from vanuatu. The bronze medal went to Nicholas N'Godrela and Maxime Chazal.
The last final was the mixed doubles and New Caledonia came back to claim the gold medal. The two youngest members of the New Caledonia team Maxime Chazal and Anaeve Pain combined to beat Juan Langton and Steffi Carruthers (SAM) 61 64 in the final. Samoa also took the bronze medal where Maylani Ah Hoy combined with Juan Langton.
The presentations of all the medals took place on court at the conclusion of the finals. OTF and all the nations that took part offer their thanks and congratulations to New caledonia on a very successful Pacific Games tennis event.
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2011 Pacific Games
Teams Competition - New Caledonia Take Gold
The teams competition was played from Monday 29 August to Thursday 1 September with the women on clay courts at Kone in the North and the men on Plexicushion hardcourts at the main tennis centre in Noumea. New Caledonia claimed gold in both mens's and women's teams events.
Nicholas N'Godrela was in awesome form as his New Caledonia ripped through the two singles matches against Vanuatu in only about two hours. In the feature match against Vanuatu's number one Cyril Jacobe, Godrela was on fire giving a superb display of hard hitting. Jacobe fought hard and came up with some spectacular shots but was unable to contain the New Caledonian who won 6-2 6-2.
Maxime Chazal, the youngest member of the New Caledonia team was also very impressive in the opening singles against Vanuatu's Aymeric Mara who is also only aged 18. Chazal showed amazing raquet speed on his forehand to blast a series of clean winners and also came up with aces at vital times. Mara played some good tennis from the baseline but was prone to error when in a position to win vital points. Chazal took the match 6-2 6-2.
In Kone the very strong New caledonia women's team were pushed to the absolute limit by the young Papua New Guinea team. Anaeve Pain got new Caledonia off to a good start beating 16 year old Marcia Tere-Apisah 6-4 6-0. Older sister Abigail Tere-Apisah then turned the tables on New Caledonia crushing Elodie Dietrich 6-2 6-0 to make the score one match all. The doubles proved to be the nailbiter. New Caledonia took the first set and the Tere-Apisah sisters replied taking the second in a tiebreaker 9-7 before New Caledonia pair took the third 6-2 to claim the gold medal. The teams are shown in the photo at the medal presentation in Kone.
Samoa took bronze in both the men's and women's teams winning both singles against Tahiti in the men's and sneaking past Fiji 2-1 in the women's. Tarani Kamoe scored a fine win for Fiji in the number one position beating the highly fancied Steffi Carruthers in strigh sets.
2011 Air Pacific/adidas Fiji Open
Championships
Players from overseas nations in the Pacific dominated the open events at the Air Pacific/adidas Fiji Open played at the Denarau Golf and Racquets Club in June. Meryl Pydo (New Caledonia) and Muka Godinet (American Samoa) took out the major titles.
In the women's singles final second seed Meryl Pydo beat surprise finalist Litia Godinet from American Samoa 63 63.Pydo came through a very tough semi-final edging out PNG junior Marcia Tere-Apisah 62 36 62. The biggest upset in the women's singles was the demise of the top seed Stephanie Diluccio (CAL) in the quarterfinals where she was tipped out by rapidly improving Fiji junior Tarani Kamoe 64 75. Kamoe wasn't quite able to repeat the performance in the semifinals going down to Litia Goadinet in the longest match of the event 67 76 75.
Unseeded American Samoan Muka Godinet was the surprise packet of the men's singles showing his experience to comfortably win all his matches. In the semifinal he had too much power for second seed Deva Reddy (FIJ) winning 64 64 and in the final was too classy for RTC scholarship holder Luke Paeni (SOL) winning 64 60. Paeni had a particularly strong tournament taking out top seed Matthieu Monot (CAL) in the quarterfinals 63 76 and then outlasting Fiji player Daneric Hazelman 26 61 64 to make the final.
The doubles events were totally dominated by New caledonia pairings who claimed all three titles. In the men's doubles Matthieu Monot and Loius Le Roux beat New Zealand veteran pair Bruce Derlin and Stephen Goodburn 60 64.
Local Fiji pairing Annie Shannon and Tarani Kamoe did well to reach the women's doubles final and almost pulled off an upset claiming the first set against top seeds Stephanie Diluccio and Meryl Pydo. However the more experienced New Caledonia pair fought back to win 46 63 64.
Meryl Pydo claimed her third title and Le Roux his second when the showed how mixed doubles should be played outclassing Luke paeni and Marcia Tere-Apisah in the final 61 61.
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