Four make finals

 ABIGAIL Tere-Apisah was the only one remaining undefeated out of the three Papua New Guinean female tennis players entering the quarterfinals yesterday at Steamship Racquet Club.

Marcia Tere-Apisah and Violet Apisah lost to Ana Pain and Lysiane Moto of New Caledonia 1-6, 6-1, 1-6 and 1-6, 4-6 in their respective matches.  

Marcia’s elder sister  and aunt to Violet Abigail made it through to the semi finals today after defeating Mayka Tehani Zima of Tahiti 6-4, 6-1.

Abigail said her sister and niece had played their hearts out and she was sorry that they could not advance beyond the quarterfinals against the more experienced New Caledonians.

She said she would make up for her sister and niece’s loss in the semi finals today with a stronger and better performance in order to make it to the grand final.

In the men’s doubles semi-final, PNG’s Matthew Stubbings and Mark Gibbons lost to Heve Kelley and Angelo Yersin of Tahiti 6-2, 5-7, 4-6 but not without a gallant fight back in the first set to lead in the match.

PNG is guaranteed the gold and silver medals from an all-PNG mixed doubles match today when Matthew Stubbings and Violet Apisah play Mark Gibbons and Abigail Tere-Apisah in the grand final.  

In the mixed doubles semi-finals earlier yesterday Stubbings and Apisah defeated Julien Delaplane and Lindsey Nekiriai of New Caledonia 6-3, 6-2 while Gibbons and Tere-Apisah beat Guillaume Monot and Yaelle Honakoko of New Caledonia 6-3, 6-3. 

When asked how she would felt about challenging her own team mates in the grand final, Abigail said, they may be her family and team mates outside but inside the court they were opponents so she would put up a big competition against them.