HANAPEPE — Waimea High School’s No. 1 player Harold Shimono, Jr. twisted his ankle during yesterday’s tennis match against Kaua‘i High School’s Alan Castillo. But he still won in two games, 6-2, 6-2. That win was the first match to finish
HANAPEPE — Waimea High School’s No. 1 player Harold Shimono, Jr. twisted his ankle during yesterday’s tennis match against Kaua‘i High School’s Alan Castillo. But he still won in two games, 6-2, 6-2.
That win was the first match to finish for the Menehune as they went on to defeat the Red Raiders 3-2. On the girls side, Kaua‘i won 4-1.
“It was a good game,” Shimono said. “It was long rallies. The points were close. I just stayed patient during the match.”
While he handled Castillo, teammate Michael Haack faced Ryan Bieker the next court over. Their game started at 3 p.m. and ended nearly two hours later.
“It’s because they’re evenly matched,” said Waimea coach Paulette Lum. “(Long matches) happen sometimes.”
Haack won the first set 6-4. But Bieker caught on.
“I started hitting to his back hand,” Bieker said.
As they went into the third set, Bieker kept his cool. He said he felt as confident and as fit as he did going into the match.
Haack double-faulted on the final play. Bieker won , 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In first doubles, Kaua‘i’s Reyn Balocan and Sterling Inouye defeated Waimea’s Darrel Nonaka and Jordan Sato 6-1, 6-2. Waimea’s Ruben Nonaka and tennis partner Kekoa Masuda defeated Tim Rokohl and Chris Flynn 6-2, 6-3. Waimea’s Geoffrey Tran and Craig Ponting then defeated Manny Cagdan and Gerrick Monis, 6-1, 6-3.
In an exhibition match held later in the afternoon, Ty Shitanaka and Kainalu Barino defeated Domingo Loero and Pacific Gingras 9-8 (5).
For the girls, it was a long match for the two top players, Kaua‘i’s Dasha Lagmay and Waimea’s Tiffany Lum. The match took nearly three hours, going into extra sets.
Lum won the first set in a tie-break 7-6 (2). Lagmay, however, overcame Lum in the next two sets, winning 6-3 and 6-4.
Kaua‘i’s Cassady Sirois defeated Waimea’s Jade Cano in quick sets, 6-1, 6-2. Kaua‘i’s first doubles of Megan Vento and Lizzy Schiller defeated Waimea’s top doubles team Ceci Sun and Lee Ann Sagucio, 6-1, 6-1.
Kaua‘i’s second team of Katie Anderson and Jessica Castillo defeated Waimea’s Rachel Wright and Candice Klein in three sets, 7-6 (4), 3-6 and 6-3.
Then finally, Waimea’s Beverly Grande and Leslie Gudoy defeated Kaua‘i’s Tasha Hannah and Gabi Sanehiro.
