Referee for the Oceania Closed Junior Championships, Pat O’Rourke, writes that “Papua New Guinea born Violet Apisah was the star of the girls events at the 2016 Oceania Closed Junior Championships, ITF Junior Circuit B2 event, held in Lautoka in the second week of August. Australian based Apisah won both the singles and doubles titles.
Persistent heavy rain for three days from the practice day meant the tournament did not get underway until 10am on day three. This meant the early round singles matches had to be reduced to short sets with players playing multiple matches each day, including the singles quarterfinals and semi-finals on the same day played over two sets and a match tie-break.
In the semi-finals Apisah had a very tough match against Australian Jessica Zaviacic, seeded 6, recovering from a 5-7 loss in the first set to take the second set 6-3 and the match tiebreak 10-6. Her opponent in the final, second seed Kaitlin Staines, had an equally tough semi before beating Lisa Mays 7-6(4) 5-7 10-8 in over two hours. The final between the two top seeds was the only singles match played over the full three sets in the tournament. Both players held serve right through the first set but Staines powerful serve carried her through the tiebreak 7-4 to take the first set. Violet Apisah rallied strongly in the second set breaking serve once to take the set 6-4 and repeated the effort in the third for a 6-7 6-4 6-4 victory in over two and a half hours.
Apisah then returned to the court with her partner Petra Hule to win their doubles semifinal in straight sets and then beat Staines and Jessica Zaviacic 6-2 6-2 in the final.
Boys 3rd seed Adam Walton ensured there would be an all Australian boy’s singles final when he comprehensively beat second seed Ajeet Rai (NZL) 6-3 6-1 in the semi-finals. His opponent in the final was top seed Moerani Bouzige. Walton used his great consistency to never give Bouzige a look-in taking the match 6-4 6-2.
The boys doubles was an all Australian affair with Benard Nkomba and Kody Pearson upsetting the second seeds Adam Walton and Thomas Bosancic 5-7 6-3 (10-6) in a thrilling encounter.
Due to the bad weather none of the consolation events were completed and the mixed doubles was not held.”