Gora, Lim capture ILH singles tennis crowns
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
WAIPAHU — Kalei Gora of St. Francis School may be just a freshman, but she already knows how to take advantage of a golden opportunity.
Top, Punahou junior Robbie Lim whips a forehand to Iolani senior Derrick Lajola. Lim triumphed, 6-1, 6-3. Above, St. Francis freshman Kalei Gora focuses on a backhand return to Kamehameha sophomore Heidi Kaloi. Gora won, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
Down 2-4 in the third set of yesterday's Interscholastic League of Honolulu singles tennis championship against Kamehameha sophomore Heidi Kaloi, Gora changed tactics to force an aching Kaloi to shuttle along the baseline and ended up winning the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 at Central O'ahu Regional Park.
Play had been stopped when Kaloi suffered cramps in her right leg while leading 2-1 in the third set and again while leading 4-2. She also suffered from cramp-related tightness in her left wrist.
"My thumb wouldn't let the ball go up when I tried to toss it," Kaloi said. "And my leg was still hurting from (the first stoppage) on."
Gora recognized that fact immediately.
"I changed my game plan," Gora said. "Before, I was trying to hit winners, but after (the injury) I was just trying to keep the ball in play. I knew she was tired physically, so I wanted to make her move around."
It worked, as Gora won the final four games to take the match.
"Her forehand crosscourt got me off-guard a lot," Kaloi said. "I tried to move around, but I couldn't run. She changed her game to keep the ball in play, because she knew eventually that would get her the point."
Both players also knew Kaloi would not retire.
"I'm gonna try my hardest and fight all the way," Kaloi said. "That just gave me even more reason to win."
In the boys final, Punahou junior Robbie Lim held off Iolani senior Derrick Lajola, 6-1, 6-3.
Lim's strong service game and nearly flawless shot-making allowed him to dominate the first set, but Lajola recovered and led 3-2 in the second set.
"He came out really strong in the second set, but I was expecting that," Lim said. "I just had to hang in there."
Lim held serve to tie it 3-3, then broke Lajola to go up 4-3 and won the next two games for the match. Lim, the defending state champion, took second in the ILH as a freshman but was upset in last year's league semifinals.
"Today I was prepared, I was more focused than usual," Lim said. "It was a good day for me."
In the doubles finals, Punahou's Chris Iwamura and Nicholas Leong defeated Saint Louis' Marcus Kutara and Reyn Makishi, 6-4, 6-3, and Kamehameha's Kim Kaloi and Lauren Shin defeated Punahou's Kristina Katayama and Julia Sandborn, 6-3, 6-2.
