TOKYO – Twelve days and some 1,000 miles away from where it began, Lili Kobayashi and Nana Yoshimura finally put an end to the delayed girls doubles final of the Far East High School Tennis Tournament.

The American School In Japan duo completed their rally for the title, outlasting Matilde Piras and Ana Clara Borga of Seisen International 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 on Tuesday at International School of the Sacred Heart in downtown Tokyo.

That match began on Nov. 5, the scheduled last day of the Far East tournament. But rain struck with Kobayashi and Yoshimura leading 4-3 in the third set at Kadena Air Base’s Risner Tennis Complex on Okinawa.

Both teams’ players decided to finish the match in Tokyo at Sacred Heart, which was a neutral site for both groups.

Tuesday’s match was also played under overcast skies with a hint of rain from time to time. “The weather was not great, but we played before it started to rain a lot,” Kobayashi said.

The victory closed a run of two straight Far East singles and doubles championships for Kobayashi, a senior, and marked the second straight girls doubles victory for Yoshimura, a junior.

“It was a great final ending to my tennis career,” Kobayashi said.

The outcome did not change the final team standings. ASIJ had already won the girls team and overall school banners, with Seisen coming in second in the girls team standings.

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