KEAUHOU — Harmony Ring was sailing on the energy.
KEAUHOU — Harmony Ring was sailing on the energy.
Her face covered in swirls of red, white and blue paint spelling out the letters USA, the Parker School student was one of 2,004 fans who turned out to watch top tennis stars battle it out in the Fed Cup on Saturday at the Holua Tennis Center.
For Ring, who comes from a family of tennis enthusiasts, it was more than just a match between US star Sloane Stephens and Poland’s Madga Linette in front of a sold-out crowd that included the state’s governor.
“It’s disorienting, but it’s also exciting to see so many stars this close,” said Ring, stepping out of the mill of the crowd and the blare of the loudspeakers. “It’s a good kind of nervous energy. It’s great to be around people who are as excited as I am.”
The event, pitting the US against Poland, is billed as the World Cup of tennis. John Burns of Kailua-Kona turned out for United States Tennis Association tournament, wisely, wearing a straw hat, which helped him to brave a sun that drove off some other fans before the last volleys were fired.
“It’s great to see the Holua center so alive with people,” he said.
Bill Miller, who is in his 80s, was driven away by the intense heat around 11:30 a.m. A nearby resident, he planned to take a break and hoped to return, although tickets were good for one admittance only.
“You can tell by the way the people are performing, they’re way above and beyond what most people in the game are able to do,” Miller said. “It’s unbelievable to see the performance they’re able to achieve.”
Saturday’s event featured two singles matches. The Fed Cup continues today with two singles and a doubles match that starts at 10 a.m.
The weekend’s event features more than just big names like Venus Williams and serves as fast as cannonballs. It also has a nice bonus for Kailua-Kona. The USTA is teaming up with Hawaii County to refurbish and expand the tennis courts at Old Kona Airport Park. It’s a Fed Cup tradition to leave a lasting legacy in the communities where the events are held.
“Hawaii is a fantastic tennis town and has been a wonderful host for us during Fed Cup week,” said Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. “The community has truly embraced the tennis this week and fully supports the USTA’s mission of growing the game. With this Fed Cup Legacy project, we are proud to leave a significant footprint in this town by renovating the tennis courts at Kona’s Old Airport and by also giving kids the opportunity to learn and play the sport.”
The details of the USTA pledge are still being worked out, but Kailua-Kona can expect completely refurnished courts, new lighting and three new smaller child-friendly courts, with a grand opening sometime in late November or early December, said Ron Romano, executive director of USTA Hawaii Pacific Section.
A USTA engineer and court consultant have already visited the Old Airport courts and have worked up designs, Romano said.
“Old A has the only public tennis court in the whole area, and they’re highly used,” Romano said. “We wanted to help out.”
The project must now go through a county bidding process. A group of volunteers has worked for years to maintain the courts, said Kona Councilman Dru Kanuha.
“Over time, repairing of the cracks doesn’t work,” he said. “You need to fix the foundation. With the help of USTA, we’ll make sure we have a long-term solution for the courts.”
“I’ve never seen a pro match before, even though I’ve played tennis my whole life,” Kanuha added. “It was pretty incredible to see it here in Kona.”