On December 9th, 2023, we hosted the second event of our tournament circuit, featuring exciting upsets and entertaining games.
Junior Singles:
In the Junior category, Victoria Lee once again claimed the title in a closely contested match against her sister, Alexus Lee. Victoria secured victory with a fortunate edge, concluding a match that could have gone either way. Alexus may have better luck in the next encounter. The battle for the 3rd place unfolded between Didie Joyal and Zack Dong, both putting up a fierce fight. After an intense match, with one set score standing at 24-26, Didie’s all-around style and creativity secured him the victory, marking his second Top 3 finish this season.
Active for Life:
This category was marked by upsets, starting with the defeat of the previous tournament’s 1st-place holder, BJ Oyewo, by Juan Tagle Jr. Juan avenged his previous loss to BJ in the last tournament’s semifinals. Andreas Ingenfeld then triumphed over Juan in the semifinal, causing the 1st seed to fall. Pablo Catalan, the Philippine hero, dashed the dreams of our German player with a 3-1 victory, securing his first-place finish after coming second in the previous tournament. Juan Tagle Jr., our previous number 1 open singles circuit player, won 3rd place after a close match with Marcos Sioson in a defender showdown.
Open Singles:
With Matthew Lehmann, the province’s reigning champion, away competing for a spot in the Canadian national team for the 2024 World Team Championships in Busan, Korea, the question arose: who would claim the title this time? Terry Zhang, our Manitoba number 3 player, demonstrated why he is the province’s dragon, securing 1st place in a dominant fashion without dropping a game. Juan Tagle Jr. fought valiantly, but Terry imposed his impressive offensive and creative style for a convincing 3-0 win. Both Lee sisters aimed for a spot in the final, but the seniors thwarted their plans. Victoria Lee claimed 3rd place in this tournament.
Open Doubles:
In the Open Doubles, the Lee sisters sought revenge from the Red River Open, where the Philippine duo of Juan Tagle Jr. and Pablo Catalan emerged victorious in the semifinals. This time, facing each other in the finals, the Lee sisters made adjustments and won dominantly with a 3-0 score. In the 3rd place, a European battle unfolded as the Ukrainian duo “Kozaky,” comprised of Vitalii Dolzhanskyi and Roman Zhadik, defeated the combination of Andreas Ingenfeld and Vitalii Chobotenko 3-0.
