Two 5-0 Wins Over Island Pacific
by Al Linsky
The weather was good for tennis. Very little wind, not too hot and a team relishing the opportunity to get the season started.
Tennis is a sport that takes a lot of time and dedication to develop the skill needed to compete at a high level. After covering tennis for a few years, it has become pretty clear that not too many schools have been able to produce teams that have the depth necessary for top level competition.
My main sport in college was tennis. With that background, I can usually tell what's going to happen in a match within a few minutes of warmup. It was pretty clear that Island Pacific is in a building stage and not quite ready to compete with the likes of the Raiders and Puns.
The effort was there, though, as the Island Pacific boys tried their best. I even saw them hit the ground a few times as they scrambled and dove for balls, even though they knew they were outmatched.
The Raiders ended up winning the match 5-0. Each match is to 9 games and I think the Raiders only lost one game. The challenge in a match like this is maintaining your concentration, and just getting the job done. This is not as easy as it sounds as a competitor at a different level of ability can easily take you out of your game because he won't hit the kinds of shots you are used to.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
Same Story for the Girls
by Al Linsky
It was mostly cloudy and cool at the Iolani Tennis Complex.
A good day for tennis.
Thursday, the intermediate boys took on Island Pacific and had an easy time of it. Today, it would be the intermediate girls taking on the Island Pacific girls. Would it be closer?
No.
If anything, there was even more of a difference.
First of all, Island Pacific only had 5 players so they had to forfeit 2 points right at the start. In high school tennis you only have to win 3 points to take the match so this was a pretty insurmountable obstacle right from the get go.
As it turned out, the Island Pacific girls team is even in more of a building mode than the boys. The Raiders showed great patience and compassion in just going about their business, but without showing off.
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
