Nationals for 16s, 18s set for O'ahu
Advertiser Staff
The yet-to-open Central O'ahu Regional Park (CORP) tennis complex in Waipi'o will be the main site for the 2003 United States Tennis Association National Open for 16- and 18-year-old males and females.
The major junior event, with draws that call for 256 singles and 256 doubles players, will move from Maui to O'ahu next year. Punahou director of tennis Bernard Gusman is tournament director. Entry is restricted to those who qualify through a national selection process.
"The mentality of how we ran the Dillingham (tournament) is the same as how I'd like to bring this junior event in," Gusman said. "It will be an annual event. We'll build it. Maybe it can become like the Orange Bowl (junior tennis tournament). It can not only help our kids, but help the Hawai'i community and bring all our kids together."
The tournament will be Feb. 14-19 and utilize 49 courts at Punahou, Ala Moana, Ke'ehi Lagoon, BYU-Hawai'i and the CORP complex, which will be home to the finals.
Originally, CORP's first 20-court phase was to be open this May. The project started Nov. 1, 2001. By June, delays had pushed the estimate to the summer and now the hope is that it will open before the end of the year. All but three courts are surfaced.
The 2003 state high school championship also is scheduled to be played at CORP.
Arnoult reaches final
Maui's Beth Arnoult helped lead the U.S. women's team to the finals of the Invacare World Team Cup Championships last month in Tremosine, Italy. The Invacare World Team Cup is considered the Davis Cup or Fed Cup of wheelchair tennis.
After a strong week of competition, the U.S. team was finally stopped in the finals by the strong Dutch team, which took home its 15th consecutive title.
"This is the best our entire team has done in several years — all three (adult) teams playing in the finals," said USA Wheelchair Tennis chairwoman Tina Dale. "The players are disappointed they lost in the finals, but the coaches — as well as myself — are more than pleased with our results."
The United States, birthplace of wheelchair tennis in 1976, enjoyed one of its best overall results in the Invacare World Team Cup. The U.S. men's, women's and quad teams finished second in the week-long event and the juniors third.
Alice Marble Cup
Kaua'i's Sinclair Bill was a member of the United States' 2002 Alice Marble Cup team last month at the Tennis Club Rot Weiss, Bad Hofgastein, Austria.
The U.S. team finished in second place behind France, which was led by retired professional player Francoise Durr.
The Alice Marble Cup is an international team competition for women in the 60-year age group.
