Lim rebounds to defend boys singles championship
By Leila Wai
Special to The Advertiser
WAIP'IO — On Friday evening, Punahou junior Robert Lim was in the emergency room of Kapi'olani Medical Center, suffering from cramps and heat exhaustion.
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Yesterday, he overcame the cramps and finished the afternoon untouchable, winning 23 consecutive games, to defend his title in the Carlsmith Ball/HHSAA State Tennis Championships at Central O'ahu Regional Park's Tennis Complex.
"Even when I was losing faith, everyone was cheering me on," said Punahou's Robert Lim who rebounded from severe cramping the day before to capture the boys state singles championship yesterday.
"I felt a little sluggish," said Lim, who received fluids intravenously Friday. "As I played I felt better, but I was cramping in the end."
Lim, the No. 1 seed, defeated Farrington's Mark Ilagan, 6-0, 6-0, in the championship match.
He almost never got to play for the title, trailing Kahuku's Dillon Porter by a set in the semifinals. Lim rebounded from a 5-2 hole in the second set to win, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Lim won 23 consecutive games en route to the title.
"Even when I was losing faith, everyone was cheering me on," Lim said. "It feels good. It confirms last year. I was down 5-2 in the third set, and I won then, too."
On the girls side, two Kaloi sisters of Kamehameha again won state titles. Except this time — for the first time in four years — it wasn't together.
Sophomore Heidi Kaloi won the singles title, beating freshman Kalei Gora of St. Francis, 6-2, 7-5.
Her older sister, senior Kimberly, teamed up with sophomore Lauren Shin to defeat Punahou's Adriann Cy Gin and Erin Katayama, 6-3, 6-1, in the doubles final.
"I thought it was neat, sisters in singles and doubles," Heidi said. "I knew my sister could pull it out, she's a fighter."
It was Kimberly's fourth straight championship, but her first won without one of her sisters. Her first two came with her older sister, Janalle, who is now playing at Santa Clara. Last year, Heidi and Kimberly teamed up.
This year, in an attempt to win the girls team title, the Kamehameha coaches decided to split the sisters up in order to earn more points.
"At first I was like, 'oh no!' " Heidi said. "I feel confident playing with my sister. But I thought maybe I could challenge myself, and show that I could play singles also."
Not playing together brought on a case of nerves for Kimberly when she watched her younger sister.
"After she lost the ILH, I knew she was pumped for states," Kimberly said.
Heidi lost to Gora in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships, after suffering from cramps. This time, Heidi said she made sure she had a lot of fluids and rest.
The strategy of breaking up the Kalois almost worked. The Warriors came within one point of tying Punahou for the team title.
The Punahou girls finished with 18 points, Kamehameha with 17, and Hawai'i Prep, Iolani and St. Francis were far back with six apiece.
It's Punahou's 29th overall title.
The boys team title went to Punahou, which won it's 13th straight and 35th overall boys' championship, a national record. They outdistanced the field, with 26 points, more that triple Kaiser's second-place seven.
Punahou juniors Chris Iwamura and Nicholas Leong, the No. 1 seeds, defeated No. 2 Wataru Mino and Fuyuki Samejima, of Kaiser, 6-3, 6-4, in the boys doubles final.
Iwamura and Leong, who lost seven games in four previous matches, gave up seven in their final match.
"They're good players and they rose to the occasion and played great," Leong said of the Kaiser pair.
Iwamura, who won a doubles title as a freshman, said, "I'm just relieved it is over, that the pressure is off. The team was behind us and I wanted to do it for them."
Boys
Singles
Championships
[1] Robert Lim (Punahou) def. [6] Mark Ilagan (Farrington) 6-0, 6-0.
Third Place
[9] D. Edward Kane (Kaua'i) def. [3] Dillon Porter (Kahuku) (walkover — injury).
Semifinal Results
Semifinals
[1] Robert Lim (Punahou) def. [3] Dillon Porter (Kahuku) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0. [6] Mark Ilagan (Farrington) def. [9] D. Edward Kane (Kaua'i) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
Championships
[1] Chris Iwamura/Nicholas Leong (Punahou) def. [2] Wataru Mino/Fuyuki Samejima (Kaiser) 6-3, 6-4.
Third Place
[4] Michael Azuma/Wil Grosswendt (Punahou) def. [3] Marcus Kutara/Reyn Makishi (Saint Louis) 6-2, 6-3
Semifinals
[1] Chris Iwamura/Nicholas Leong (Punahou) def. [3] Marcus Kutara/Reyn Makishi (Saint Louis) 6-1, 6-2. [2] Wataru Mino/Fuyuki Samejima (Kaiser) def. [4] Michael Azuma/Wil Grosswendt (Punahou) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Girls
Singles
Championships
[4] Heidi Kaloi (Kamehameha) def. [3] Kalei Gora (St. Francis) 6-2, 7-5.
Third Place
[1] Michelle Pautler (Hawai'i Prep) def. [2] Chloe Bihag (Waipahu) 6-4, 6-2.
Semifinals
[3] Kalei Gora (St. Francis) def. [1] Michelle Pautler (Hawai'i Prep) 7-6 (5), 6-4. [4] Heidi Kaloi (Kamehameha) def. [2] Chloe Bihag (Waipahu) 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Doubles
Championship
[1] Kimberly Kaloi/Lauren Shin (Kamehameha) def. [2] Adriann Cy Gin/Erin Katayama (Punahou) 6-3, 6-1.
Third Place
[3] Krystina Katayama/Julia Sandborn (Punahou) def. [4] Jenna Kappel/Stacy Shimata (Iolani) 6-1, 6-2
Semifinals
[1] Kimberly Kaloi/Lauren Shin (Kamehameha) def. [4] Jenna Kappel/Stacy Shimata (Iolani) 0-6, 6-0, 6-1. [2] Adriann Cy Gin/Erin Katayama (Punahou) def. [3] Krystina Katayama/Julia Sandborn (Punahou) 6-3, 6-3.
Final Team Standings
Boys
1, Punahou 26. 2, Kaiser 7. 3, Farrington; Iolani; Kamehameha 6. 6, Kahuku; Saint Louis 4. 8, Hawai'i Prep 3. 9, Baldwin, Hilo, Kealakehe, Lahainaluna, Moanalua 2. 14, Academy of the Pacific, Kalani, Leilehua, Mililani, Pearl City, Roosevelt 1.
Girls
1, Punahou 18. 2, Kamehameha 17. 3, Hawai'i Prep, Iolani, St. Francis 6. 6, Waipahu 5. 7, Lahainaluna 4. 8, Baldwin, Kealakehe, Leilehua, Moanalua, Pearl City, Seabury Hall 2. 14, Hilo, Mililani, Mid-Pacific, Waiakea 1.
