Editor’s note: This story was modified to reflect that Randy Kunimoto is Keilyn Kunimoto’s uncle.
The words of the day at Waiakea’s sun-splashed tennis courts were “right back.”
Kealakehe’s April Wong heard those words of encouragement here and there from spectators, but the sentiment — shake it off, you can do it — was more often directed at the Warriors’ Keilyn Kunimoto.
It was Wong who applied more pressure Monday near high noon, and she amped it up and never relented to hand her younger opponent her first BIIF loss, 6-1, 6-2 in an intriguing No. 1 singles match.
It was the first league meeting between Wong, a senior who was second at BIIFs last season, and Kunimoto, a freshman and a highly ranked junior player, but the two know each other well.
“I think on any given day, either one can beat the other,” Kealakehe coach Lawrence Lowe said. “April comes over to Hilo to get coaching from Randy (Kunimoto, Keilyn’s uncle).”
Wong earned the only victory for Kealakehe, which had to default the other singes match and lost 4-1 to the Warriors, who remained undefeated.
The Kealakehe boys won three third-set tiebreakers, including a victory from Vyas Hale at No. 2 singles, prevailing 4-1 to stay unbeaten, and Lowe was effusive in his praise of Hale, proclaiming it “Vyas Day.”
“Vyas is our hero,” Lowe said. “He’s our MVP.”
Hale’s 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 victory against Conner Yoshimoto clinched the match for the Waveriders and took the pressure off of Noa Roth and Ziggy Bartholomy, who closed it out 6-7(4), 6-3, 1-0.
“We could have easily lost 5-0, but it came down to third-set tiebreakers,” Lowe said. “Waiakea was deeper than us, so we’re not going to win the girls match. But our boys won so everybody goes home happy. I’m glad Vyas came out of his shell.”
Hale didn’t play the hero role in a recent victory against Hawaii Prep, Lowe said, instead relying on his doubles partner, Jasper Henry, to carry him through.
“I reminded Vyas that in practice you’re tough as nails, but when you’re in matches, I told him not to choke,” Lowe said. “He didn’t improve his stroke (today), just his nerves.”
Lowe walked around the courts using different words to get his players to relax, telling some to “look at the goats on the hill and have some fun.”
Wong was fine on her own. No. 7 in the Hawaii Pacific section of the United States Tennis Association’s girls 18 singles rankings, she overpowered Kunimoto at times, taking advantage of her foe’s backhand.
‘That’s the level we’re trying to get (Keilyn) to,” Waiakea coach Bill Brillhante said. “In tennis it’s a process and it doesn’t come overnight.
“They get more aggressive as they get older, and they develop more power.”
Kunimoto is ranked second in girls 16 in the section.
“I told Keilyn to allow your results to motivate you and make you work harder,” Brillhante said.”The good thing is I know she is going to work hard from this and become a better player.”
Wong could decide to vie for her first BIIF singles title – Hilo grad Emily Soares is out of the way after winning the crown the past two seasons – or another option could be to join forces with Michelle Uyeda on a talented doubles team. Uyeda won the BIIF singles crown in 2014.
Freshmen Maile Brillhante and Anna Oda kept up their winning ways for Waiakea, beating Uyeda and Joyce Rosabia 6-2, 6-1 in in doubles.
“There were some eye-opening points, and Michelle showed them some things no other teams have yet,” Bill Brillhante said.
• Defending BIIF boys champion Gil Assi of Hilo has played a limited schedule so far this season, but he returned Saturday to beat Kohala’s Jamesen Keyes 6-1, 6-1 in rematch of last season’s final.
Boys
Kealakehe 4, Waiakea 1
Singles
Chase Matusmoto, Kealakehe, def. Kamuela Chow 6-3, 1-6, 1-0(7)
Vyas Hale, Kealakehe, def. Connor Yoshimoto, Waiakea, 6-2, 5-7, 1-0(8)
Doubles
Cameron Ventura/Brett Guccione, Kealakehe, def. Brennan Yamamoto/Lucas Chun, Waiakea, 7-5, 6-3
Noa Roth/Ziggy Bartholomy, Kealakehe, def. Koby Kosaki/Colby Kudo, Waiakea, 6-7(4), 6-3, 1-0
Wesley Amuimuia/Treyson Ishimoto, Waiakea, def. Jasper Henry/Justyn Toyama, 6-1, 6-2
Girls
Waiakea 4, Kealakehe 1
Singles
April Wong, Kealakehe, def. Keilyn Kunimoto, 6-1, 6-2
Waiakea wins by default
Doubles
Miya Yanagisawa/Chloe Teramoto, Waiakea, def. Allison Ackerman/Lisa Byelikova, Kealakehe 6-0, 6-1
Maile Brillhante/Anna Oda, Waiakea, def. Michelle Uyeda/Joyce Rosabia, Kealakehe, 6-2, 6-1
Caitlin Tsuchiya/Kiani Nishimoto, Waiakea, def. Fiona Miranda/Myah Kari, Kealakehe, 6-3, 6-1
