The 2015 FilAm Friendship Doubles Tournament wrapped up play Sunday at the Holua Tennis Center. The tournament featured three open divisions, as well as five divisions in the under-40 category and seven divisions in over-40.
The open divisions were loaded with local talent including several high school male and female athletes from Kealakehe and Konawaena and one coach.
Konawaena head tennis coach Richard Kahalioumi teamed up with his sophomore standout Tayvia Yamagata in the mixed doubles division. The pair have plenty of playing experience together, having teamed up for the tournament in four consecutive years.
In the previous three tournaments, both Kahalioumi and Yamagata came agonizingly close to winning, but lost each time in the championship match. However, this year the duo managed to punch through, winning the finals in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
“It was a tough road this year,” Kahalioumi said. “The first match went to three sets and it is tough to win playing against my own students.”
Kahalioumi was dominant on the court with a serve that was hard to return and several hard hitting forehands. His playing partner brought an all-around good game, which is surprising for an underclassman.
Yamagata has been playing tennis for five years and is already an elite high school player after completing her freshman season where she played in the No. 1 singles slot for the Wildcats.
Yamagata was excited to finally pick up the tournament championship victory Sunday afternoon, which had previously eluded her.
“It feels so good and shows that hard work is paying off,” Yamagata said. “This is a fun tournament.”
Kahalioumi gave all the credit of the victory to his playing partner, saying she carried the team.
While Konawaena stole the show in the mixed championship, Kealakehe stood out in the girls final. April Wong, the Waverider team captain from last season, picked up her second tournament victory after capturing the women’s open title in 2013 with Yamagata. This year Wong teamed with Maile Brilhante and the duo won their championship match 6-2, 7-5.
In the men’s open championship, former Waiakea players Kallen Mizuguchi and Sam Matsuura picked up a straight set victory 6-3, 6-4.
Picking up championship wins in the Under 40 division were Cameron Ventura and Hunter Tavares (men’s 7.0), Stefan Kimura and Noa Roth (men’s 8.0), Melanie Uyeda and Mike Lam (mixed 8.0), Karlen Kunitomo and Rubens Kumori (mixed 7.0) and Kea Kahalioumi-Taketa and Kayla Hollister (women’s 7.0).
Wrapping up the tourney in the Over 40 division with title victories were Trisha Kailiwai and Larry Walsh (mixed 6.0), LoriJo Rogers and Brent Butcher (mixed 7.0), Karen Char and Jeff Kam (mixed 8.0), Ed Allen and Brent Butcher (men’s 7.0), Sharina Gomes and Kalae Wheeler (women’s 7.0), Karen Char and Pat Breault (women’s 8.0) and Ron Self and Barney Frazier (men’s 8.0).
“The tournament went pretty smoothly and the weather was great,” said Lovette Llantos, the tournament director and founder. “We were able to get more participation from the younger generation and that is a good sign for us.”
The FilAm Friendship Tennis Tournament is an unsanctioned charity tournament that helps raise scholarship funds for eligible college bound high school seniors. The event is sponsored by Gonna Love it Tennis with the cooperation of the Kona Visayan Club.
The next event for GLI Tennis will be the fourth annual St. Michael’s Church Tennis Tournament which will be held Nov. 15-16. For more information visit gonnalove-it.com/tennis.
