Back to work for Schorr

From left, Malika Miyawaki, Ken Song, and Robbie Schorr pose for a photo before playing a friendly game last Saturday at the American Memorial Park tennis courts. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

A little over a week after Super Typhoon Yutu slammed Saipan, CNMI junior player Robbie Schorr is back on the court to get ready for a couple of ITF Juniors tournaments.

“We could not let a typhoon stop us from becoming better players and preparing for our future,” Schorr told Saipan Tribune before going inside the American Memorial Park tennis courts to play against Malika Miyawaki and Ken Song last Saturday afternoon.

When Yutu hit Saipan, Schorr had been on island in less than three weeks, as he was in New Zealand early last month to compete in world ranking tournaments under the ITF Juniors Circuit. He wishes to return to New Zealand in January next year to participate in a couple more ITF Juniors events

“I did pretty good in the tournaments in New Zealand last month. I won some matches and got ranking points. There are two more competitions in New Zealand that I hope I could join, as I still have to check my schedule in school,” the Saipan International School student said.

Schorr is eyeing a stint in the 2019 Tecnifibre Wellington ITF set from Jan. 21 to 26 at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington and the New Zealand Summer ITF, which will be held at the Wilding Park Tennis Centre in Chrischurch from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2.

Last month, the Commonwealth bet first played in the Auckland ITF Indoor Championships 2018 held at the Scarbro Tennis Centre in Auckland from Oct. 1 to 6. He won a pair of matches in the qualifier to make it to the main draw of the singles event. The 16-year-old swept New Zealand’s Nicholas Varley, 6-0, 6-2, and also took only two sets to beat another Kiwi bet, Oscar Horslet, 6-3, 6-3.

Schorr then made it three in a row after downing Australia’s Jacob Bradshaw, 6-4, 6-1, in the first round of the main draw, before falling to New Zealand’s George Stoupe, 2-6, 2-6. In the doubles, the CNMI player partnered with New Zealand’s Tom Downs and they lost to the latter’s compatriots Kevin Fu and Sam Hodges, 4-6, 3-6.

From Auckland, Schorr went to Hamilton and saw action in the Waikato Thames Valley 18 & Under ITF—another Grade 5 event. This time, Schorr automatically made it to the main draw of the 64-player field and marched into the Round of 16 in the singles event.

He defeated New Zealand’s Arjun Shah, 6-4, 6-1, and also swept Kiwi Ruben Emmerson-Hiini, 6-2, 6-1, to boost his chances for a quarterfinals berth. However, Schoor’s bid for the Round of 8 slot was foiled by New Zealand’s Jin Dassanayake, who labored through a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph to eliminate the CNMI junior player.

In the doubles, Schorr joined forces with Kiwi Adrian Christoff Lagman and they were pitted against the latter’s compatriots Daniel Persson and Adrian Rosioru, cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 win to advance to the Round of 16. Schorr and Lagman, however, missed a quarterfinals ticket after bowing to the New Zealand duo of Patrick Joss and Matthew Shearer, 6-7 (6), 4-6.

After the two events in New Zealand, Schorr gained four ranking points in singles, bringing his total to 10. He also moved up to No. 1, 289 in the world ranking from No. 2,496 at the end of 2017. Schorr’s best ranking is No. 1,268, which he got early last month.