Yokota senior Ryunosuke Roesch is going for his fourth straight Far East title. (Eryzah Joyce Ricardo/Special to Stripes)
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Ryunosuke Roesch toed a fine line during last year’s Far East tennis tournament – playing his best while nursing sore muscles in his hitting arm.
No such worries this year, said the Yokota senior who is taking aim at his fourth straight singles championship in Far East tournament play, which gets underway Thursday at Matthew C. Perry.
“My arm has been 100 percent this past year, and hopefully, I can continue to have that throughout Far East,” Roesch said.
That does not automatically mean a fourth singles title is a sure thing, he said. There’s always somebody out there better, and encountering an off day and a stronger opponent is always something in back of his mind, Roesch said.
“Obviously, it is always a lot of pressure to play each gamer as it would be a big upset if I lose, but I try not to worry about who I play and continue to play my game,” Roesch said.
This time around, should Roesch repeat as Division II champion, he won’t be facing the Division I champion. For the first time, the large- and small-schools tournament have been divided and will be played at separate sites.
Division I Far East is being played at Kadena Air Base’s Risner Tennis Complex, hosted by Kubasaki, while the D-II returns to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to be hosted by Perry.
“I think splitting the divisions has its goods and its bads, but I would have preferred to play (at) Okinawa, since that is where I started,” said Roesch, who was raised on the island.
The 2025 Far East was played entirely at Perry, with separate division champions crowned. They then played against each other for an overall Far East championship.
“Only thing that matters is bragging rights,” Roesch said of whether the divisional champions face each other or not. “I will focus on playing my own game and having a good mental outlook.”
Zama’s Maya McElroy is taking aim for the Far East Division II singles title she just missed last year. (Taisei Shimakura/Special to Stripes)
Kadena senior Gabriel Fino captured the Okinawa island singles title. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
While Roesch is focused on repeating as champion, one 2025 runner-up, Zama’s Maya McElroy, says she’s trying to take the final step toward the girls singles championship.
“I feel my game has really improved since last season, especially with my serves, the placement with my balls, consistency and power,” said McElroy, a sophomore who lost to teammate Jolie Nguyen last October.
“I’m very prepared physically and especially mentally to face the challenges at Far East in order to play my best,” McElroy said.
The Division II tournament features only DODEA-Pacific schools from Japan and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the Division I tournament will include four non-DODEA international schools from the Tokyo area, American School In Japan, St. Mary’s, Seisen and Christian Academy Japan.
It’s the first time that’s happened since before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the tournaments in 2020 and 2021.
As in years past, the top players from those schools are viewed by observers as favorites to win.
“They do have an advantage,” said Kadena senior Gabriel Fino, the Okinawa all-island singles champion, of the international school teams, most of whose players do the sport year-round, “where I’m a seasonal player.”
“I won’t let it get into my head and affect me,” Fino said. “I have nothing to lose and I’m going to give it my all. If you play to the best of your ability, everybody has a chance. I’m excited. I’m ready to get out there and give it my all.”