The four-month period from April to July 2023 has been an eventful and successful one for the Oceania Tennis Federation (OTF).
Three regional events have been completed in the North, East and West Pacific. These decided the qualifiers that played in Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji in mid-July, where 112 players participated across three age groups.
A junior touring program continued to run with tours to Guam, New Caledonia and Fiji, whilst in the senior category the Oceania Tennis Federation had its most successful year to date, with both the male and female Pacific Oceania teams winning and gaining promotion out of their respective groups. The teams participated in the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
When you couple this with the respective development visits, 2023 is proving to be an exciting year for the OTF.
EAST PACIFIC REGIONAL QUALIFYING CHAMPIONSHIPS – APIA, SAMOA
The ITF East Pacific Regional Qualifying Championships (EPRQ) concluded in Apia, Samoa on the April 22. A total of 84 players took part in the U12, U14 and U16 events from five different nations; American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga.
NORTH PACIFIC REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – GUAM
The ITF/OTF North Pacific Regional Championships were held in Guam from April 24 to 29, 2023. It featured 50 players in the U12, U14 and U16 events from five nations; Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia. During the week an expert coach from Indonesia, Martin Setiawan, conducted a development camp as part of the ITF/OTF Development Program.
WEST PACIFIC REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – PORT VILA, VANUATU
The West Pacific Regional Championships were held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from the May 1 to 6, 2023. Thirty-four U12 players from five nations – Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Kiribati – competed. In the U14 and U16 events, 52 players from four nations competed; Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
2023 11U, 13U & 15U AUSTRALIAN TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP
The GSPDP/ITF/OTF Gold Coast, Australia Tour began took place in June 2023. See below for Team Pacific Oceania’s results:
Teams Rod Laver Cup (11/U Boys)
10th Place
Teams Margaret Court Cup (11/U Girls)
7th Place
Teams Sproule Stephens Cup (13/U Boys)
9th Place
Teams Mary Hawton Trophy (13/U Girls)
7th Place
GSPDP/ITF/OTF 16U/1U7 J30 NOUMEA ITF JUNIORS TOURNAMENT
The GSPDP/ITF/OTF 16U/17U J30 Noumea ITF Juniors Tournament kicked off on Monday 19 June, continuing through until Saturday 24th June.
The Pacific Oceania players – a team of four – consisted of Fintan Molbaleh Roselyn Tupuola, Josephine Grace Debalevu, Hiva Kelley and head coach, Gilles de Gouy.
PACIFIC OCEANIA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – LAUTOKA, FIJI
The Pacific Oceania Junior Championships were held in Lautoka, Fiji from the July 10 to 19, 2023. Fifty players competed in the U12 event, and 62 players in the U14 and U16 events.
In the U12 event, there were teams from:
Boys – Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, Vanuatu.
Girls – American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, French Polynesia, Vanuatu.
In the U14 and U16 events, players represented:
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, Vanuatu.
PACIFIC OCEANIA BILLIE JEAN KING CUP TEAM PROMOTED TO WORLD GROUP I IN 2024
The Pacific Oceania Billie Jean King Cup team has beaten Indonesia 2-0 (doubles not played) to win promotion to World Group I in 2024. As was been the case consistently throughout the tournament week, Violet Apisah (PNG) got the team off to the perfect start beating the number two player from Indonesia, Deria Nur Haliza (INA) 6-2, 6-2. T hen Carol Lee – also as she has done consistently throughout the week – backed this up by beating the number one player from Indonesia, Beatrice Gumulya (INA) 7-5, 6-1.
Chinese Taipei were the other Nation to be promoted, beating New Zealand 2-1.
PACIFIC OCEANIA DAVIS CUP, WORLD GROUP III – COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
The Pacific Oceania Davis Cup team have been promoted to the 2024 Davis Cup World Group II play offs in 2024. They are one of three teams who have been promoted; the other two being Iran and Vietnam.
