St. Francis' Gora, Punahou's Lim win titles

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Punahou's Robbie Lim, above, routed teammate Jonathan Farm, 6-1, 6-1, for the ILH boys singles title, while St. Francis' Kalei Gora, below, fought off Kamehameha's Heidi Kaloi, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, for the girls singles title. The state tournament is May 13 to 15 on the Big Island. Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

So was the result.

In what is becoming a premier rivalry for high school tennis supremacy, Gora defeated Kaloi, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, for her second ILH championship in a row, yesterday at the Central O'ahu Regional Park.

"I knew she wanted to win against me because she didn't during the regular season," said Gora, a sophomore.

She said she didn't think about last year's ILH championship win, or losing to Kaloi in last year's state championship.

"I just let it go, it's just another game," she said. "I felt kind of hesitant because she knew she could have beaten me."

Kaloi, a junior, who suffered from cramps in last year's ILH championship, said that to start the match, physically she wasn't "really in the match, I wasn't playing my game."

She gained confidence in the second set, but said that Gora came back strong in the third set.

"I know what I have to do now; not play her game but play a different game to throw her off," Kaloi said. "I'm learning her game, I definitely want to play her again."

While the girls' match was hard fought, the boys' final was the exact opposite.

Punahou's Robbie Lim, the two-time defending state champion, repeated in boys singles, defeating teammate Jonathan Farm, 6-1, 6-1.

"I actually felt more relaxed because if I lose, I'm still glad my teammate is able to pull off a victory," said Lim, who will be attending Dartmouth and playing tennis for the men's team there this fall.

Lim dropped the first game on four unanswered serves by Farm, who is going to MIT.

"The first game he had me doubting myself," Lim said. "When he's on, he's got some fire power."

But Lim went on to win nine straight games, giving him the first set, 6-1, and a 3-0 advantage in the second.

Farm, who was bothered by cramps in his right hamstring and calf, won his only other game to make it 3-1, but couldn't shake off the fatigue in his legs — although he tried.

Farm said that Lim was on the top of his game yesterday.

"You could tell by the way he hit the ball and the way he walked (with confidence)," said Farm, who said he will change his nutrition and fitness training to prepare for the state tournament next month.

It was actually an all-Punahou day on the boys' side, with Michael Azuma and Ryan Laws of Punahou defeating teammates Chris Iwamura and Nicholas Leong, the defending ILH doubles champions, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"I couldn't wish for more in an ILH tournament, or any tournament, for it to be an all-Punahou final," Lim said. "No matter who wins, it is still going to be a great day for the team."

Punahou's Erin Katayama and Julia Sandborn defeated Brooke Doane and Lauren Shin of Kamehameha, 6-3, 7-5, in the girls doubles final.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.