The team competitions are well underway. While some players are still recovering from the major events of the last few days, others were ready to attack from the first serve. Here’s your daily recap from the VICTOR Oceania Men’s and Women’s Team Championships and the Pacific U17 Invitation Team Challenge.
Women’s Teams
The day opened with a spirited clash between Cook Islands and New Caledonia, where both sides showed early determination. Cook Islands settled into their rhythm first, fighting through several tight games to secure a 3–2 victory. It was a confidence‑building start for the squad, who held their nerve in the deciding matches.
Over on the neighbouring courts, New Zealand took on Northern Mariana Islands. The hometown side looked composed and efficient from the outset, sweeping the tie 5–0 with disciplined performances across all five matches.
Australia also started strongly, overpowering Tahiti in a clinical 5–0 result. Their singles unit proved especially sharp, giving the team early momentum that carried through the entire tie.
In the afternoon, Australia backed up their performance with another clean sweep–this time over Cook Islands–but the standout story came from Northern Mariana Islands, who produced a breakthrough result against New Caledonia.
The tie swung back and forth before Genelyn Mirando Lansangan and Shaina Angela Dael Malonzo stepped up in the pressure moments, guiding NMI to a memorable 3–2 win, a vital result for the young team.
Men’s Teams
The men’s competition opened with New Zealand asserting early control against Northern Mariana Islands. NMI pushed hard, especially in the longer rallies, but the hosts were too steady, closing out a 5–0 win.
At the same time, Tahiti faced Cook Islands and delivered a polished performance. Tahiti looked sharp through all disciplines, taking the tie 5–0 with disciplined court coverage and confident attacking play.
Australia continued the trend of dominant starts with a clinical 5–0 victory over New Caledonia, demonstrating strong combinations in both singles and doubles.
As the evening session began, Cook Islands returned to court against NMI and produced one of their best performances of the day.
Brendan Lee opened with a composed win, and Cook Islands never looked back, sweeping to a 5–0 victory. Daniel Akavi, featuring twice—once in singles and again in men’s doubles—played a central role in keeping his team in control throughout the tie.
New Zealand closed the day by repeating their earlier form, defeating New Caledonia 5–0 and completing a perfect start to their men’s team campaign.
Pacific U17 Invitation Team Challenge
Cook Islands and New Caledonia made strong statements in the morning session, each securing 5–0 sweeps. Cook Islands overpowered Guam, while New Caledonia produced back‑to‑back clean results, first against Wallis and Futuna, then again at midday against Guam, finishing the day unbeaten and untouchable.
The most dramatic contests came from Tahiti and Northern Mariana Islands (NMI). Their midday tie went the distance, with Tahiti edging out a 3–2 victory after several tense three‑game battles. NMI continued to show promise in the afternoon but again fell just short, this time losing 3–2 to a resilient Cook Islands outfit. Strong performances from Evan Seguritan kept them competitive throughout the day.
Tahiti closed their schedule with another nailbiter, defeating Wallis and Futuna 3–2. Despite standout wins from Laila Javelier in women’s singles and women’s doubles, Wallis and Futuna couldn’t hold off Tahiti’s late surge. The mixed doubles proved decisive once again, securing Tahiti a second hard‑earned team victory.
In total, the day showcased New Caledonia’s dominance, Cook Islands’ consistency, Tahiti’s grit under pressure, and NMI’s impressive competitiveness despite two narrow losses. With momentum building and tight margins emerging early, Saturday’s matchups promise even more intensity in the competition.
