PO‘IPU — Freshman Sarah Kukino of Kaua‘i High School never expected she’d be playing for the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls singles championship yesterday, much less winning it all in her first year. “It’s exciting,” she said. “I was nervous, but
PO‘IPU — Freshman Sarah Kukino of Kaua‘i High School never expected she’d be playing for the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls singles championship yesterday, much less winning it all in her first year.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “I was nervous, but I tried not to be. Although the score might not show it, the games were really close. A lot of them went to deuce. ”
Kukino defeated her senior teammate Cassady Sirois 6-2, 6-1.
“It’s kind of easier (playing a teammate) and it’s kind of harder,” she said. “You know their strategy and you know how they’re going to play. But at the same time, it’s harder because you don’t want to beat your friend. I just thought of it as another practice.”
On the opposite court, fellow freshman Chas Okamoto of Kapa‘a High School also won his first KIF championship.
He defeated Sam Dunham of Island School 6-1, 6-4.
“Sam played tough,” he said. “He played a lot harder than he usually does.”
To counter that, Okamoto tried to play more controlled tennis and to hit the ball deeper down the court.
“I tried to back him up so he couldn’t come in and hit my balls and attack,” he said. “Because he was hitting much harder, I had to work on pushing him back.”
Dunham, who is also a freshman, thought yesterday’s match went well.
“I was the first time I’d ever got four games on him,” he said.
Dunham said the hardest part of the match was hitting his forehand return off of Okamoto’s serve.
Because both of them are in their first years of playing in the KIF, this means there’s a good chance this pairing could occur several more times.
“I’m looking forward to three more years of it,” Dunham said.
For the girls doubles, Tiffany Lum and Jade Cano’s match against their Waimea teammates Candice Klein and LeeAnn Sagucio saw lots of lobs and long rallies. The match came down to a third set that went to extra games with Lum and Cano winning 6-4, 2-6 and 7-5.
Waimea advanced all four sets of girls doubles to the state tournament. Waimea head coach Paulette Lum said she thinks this is the first time one school has been able to take all four doubles pairs.
Waimea will also be sending its boys doubles champions Jordan Sato and Michael Haack. The pair won their championship match yesterday over Kapa‘a’s Kila Youn and Ador Lopez, 6-3, 7-6(4).
All players or pairs who made it to the KIF tournament’s semifinal matches advance to the state championships which will be from May 7 to 10 at the Holua Tennis Complex and Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on the Big Island.
