KOHALA COAST — In a quick trivia session before they took the court at Mauna Lani, keiki tennis players were asked to provide some insightful tidbits about tennis legends Jim Courier and Tommy Haas.
“They’re really good at tennis,” one blurted out.
“They’re retired,” another said.
Well, they were at least 50 percent right.
The 26 youth tennis players from around the state — ranging from shorter than a tennis racket to 15 years old — took to the courts at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel &Bungalows under the scorching sun to hit some balls with Courier and Haas on Saturday afternoon.
“It feels hot, humid and awesome,” a drenched Courier said after two hours in the sun. “There are some really good players here and everyone was enthusiastic. That’s what you want to see — everyone having a good time and lots of smiles. Hopefully we can make some good tennis memories for these kids.”
The clinic was a precursor to the Invesco Champions Cup — a stop on a circuit that features legendary tennis icons and world-renowned champions like Courier and Haas, as well Mardy Fish and the legendary John McEnroe.
All four of the players will be in action today at Mauna Lani starting at 2 p.m. for the event’s debut on the Kohala Coast.
Haas takes on Fish at 1 p.m., followed by Courier vs. McEnroe at 3 p.m. The winners face off in the final at 4 p.m. All the matches are one set.
But on Saturday, the kids took center court, and each one learned in a hurry the skill that the once top-ranked players in the world possessed.
Haas — a former world No. 2 and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics — slapped hands with the keiki after solid shots, and showed off his craftiness with a between the legs tweener shot.
During his fun-filled volleys with the youth, Courier — who garnered the world No. 1 ranking in 1992 — served up compliments to the kids.
“Can’t teach finesse like that,” the four-time grand slam winner said as a ball dropped in front of him.
A pair of young players that were providing some highlight reel plays during the clinic were Damon Nagata and Kiki Kunimoto.
Nagata — whose favorite player is Roger Federer — relished in points that went his way. When prompted with what the best part of the clinic was, the 10-year-old from Hilo had a quick response.
“Beating them,” Nagata said with a laugh.
He did, on more than a few occasions.
“Me too,” said Kunimoto, also 10, agreeing with a nod and smile. “My favorite part was just hitting with them and taking some points against them.”
But there were also many lessons to be learned during the afternoon.
“Tommy and Jim taught me to keep moving forward when hitting my volleys, instead of stepping back,” Kunimoto said. “It was so cool to get to hit with the pros.”
Courier has been a strong supporter of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Net Generation, which aims to develop the next generation of greats. The hope is that going into smaller tennis communities — like those on the Big Island, where seeing a pro play isn’t an everyday experience — can help form lasting memories through the sport.
“We are grateful to Jim, Tommy and everyone at the Invesco Series, for offering this wonderful opportunity to our Hawaii junior players,” said Mimi Kennell, Director of Junior Tennis for the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section. “When our kids meet these tennis legends, they will surely feel empowered to aim for greatness, just like their role models did.”
“We are out here selling the gospel of tennis to people,” Courier added. “We still all love to play the game, just as much as we did when we were kids. Hopefully they can feel that enthusiasm and we will come away with a few more fans.”
As for what people should expect from the sold out event today, the International Tennis Hall of Famer Courier promised to bring some gusto with his game.
“It’s a beautiful island and a beautiful court here at Mauna Lani. I’m excited about it,” Courier said. “There will be four highly competitive guys coming on the court and we are going to leave it all out there.”