BELIZE CITY, Tues. June 29, 2021– The Brodies & RF&G Insurance Men’s Doubles tennis tournament took place this past weekend, June 25-27, at the Pickwick Club tennis courts.
There were twenty-two men in this event, making it eleven doubles teams. The format was done as a round-robin to increase playing time. There were two groups of five and six teams, respectively; and each team in a group played each other a regular set in the round-robin, with the top two teams from each group making it to the semifinals.
The top finishers making it to the semis were Mike Sosa & Stefan Sosa, Blake Lee & Ralph Tatum, Peter Quan & Harnadar Tut, and Richard Huang & Samron Pott.
In the first semifinal, which was a pro-set, the father and son duo, Mike Sosa & Stefan Sosa vied against Richard Huang & Samron Pott in a fast and exciting match with some great tennis. The defending champs, Mike & Stefan Sosa’s strong net game brought them the victory over Huang & Pott, 8-4.
In the other semifinal, hard working Blake Lee and Ralph Tatum played against the team of Peter Quan & Harnadar Tut, and took the win over Quan & Tut, 8-2, to make it to the finals.
The final match was a best-of-three sets between the Sosa duo and Lee & Tatum. Both teams played well and the virtual fans were treated to some quality tennis. Lee & Tatum came out strong, taking the first set, 6-4. The Sosa’s changed their game a bit in the second set, putting on the pressure at the net, and took that set, 6-0. The third and deciding set continued in favor of the Sosas who won, 6-1, allowing them to defend their championship for the third time in a row (excluding 2020 – Pandemic year when no events were held).
Congratulations to the men finalists for a match well played and for some fine tennis! With the public health regulations to challenge Covid-19, the fan base was primarily virtual via Facebook live stream. The junior team of Santiago Palomo and Daniel Musa who competed in this tournament was acknowledged for a great performance in their first open tournament.
Regrettably this year, sufficient women’s teams did not sign up to have the women’s competition. The Belize Tennis Association encourages all women and girls to stay active and engaged in the sport and in the events. The physical and mental health benefits and positive impacts for women (including being a role model for our young girls) cannot be overemphasized.
James Brodie & Co. Ltd.’s CEO, Edward Musa, Sr. and RF&G Insurance Operations Manager, Andrew Roe were on site to distribute the exquisite trophies and cash prizes to the first and second place teams. RF&G Insurance and James Brodie & Co. Ltd. committed to continue to sponsor this prestigious annual tournament. Thanks to the sponsors, all participants, the organizers and all who made this event possible!
– press release –