ISLE FILE
Lajola bounced from singles play at Waikoloa
Advertiser Staff
Robby Ginepri defeated Hawai'i's Dennis Lajola, 6-2, 6-4, in the opening round of the $50,000 Hilton Waikoloa Village Challenger yesterday on the Big Island.
Ginepri and Lajola, a freshman for the University of Hawai'i, both received wild cards into the tournament.
Ginepri, 25, was ranked as high as 15th two years ago. Last year he fell out of the Top 100 for the first time since 2002. Ginepri reached the third round at the 2007 Australian Open, but did not win consecutive matches again until June. He is currently 135th in the world.
In the $50,000 women's Challenger, second-seeded Julie Ditty advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Christina Mchale. Ditty is No. 101 in world rankings. Stephanie Dubois, seeded third and ranked 105th, also advanced to the second round.
Earlier in the week, Lajola and former state high school champion Ikaika Jobe won their first-round doubles match, as did Kaua'i's Brad Lum-Tucker, playing with Jan-Michael Gambill.
LAM ELIMINATED
Honolulu's Chris Lam lost to Portugal's Gastao Elias, 7-6 (6), 6-3, yesterday in the first round of the $10,000 Champion Porsche Futures at Boca Raton, Fla.
Tuesday, Lam and Alberto Francis fell in first-round doubles, 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 (super tiebreaker) to Uladzimir Ignatik and Andrey Kumantsov. Lam and Francis, teammates on UCLA's 2005 NCAA title team, were seeded second.
Lam will return to California to train for three tournaments in Texas next month.
SURFING
HAMILTON ADVANCES
Kaua'i's Bethany Hamilton advanced to Round 5 of the Roxy Surf Festival yesterday at Phillip Island, Australia.
Surfing in clean, 3-foot surf at Woolamai Beach, Hamilton scored 12.00 points to place second in her heat to Erica Hosseini (15.00). Hawai'i's Alana Blanchard finished third in her heat and was eliminated.
Hamilton will now compete with fellow Hawai'i surfer Leilani Gryde and Australia's Laurina McGrath in a heat tomorrow.
GOLF
KODAMA QUALIFIES
Former University of Hawai'i golfer Matt Kodama shot a 6-under-par 66 Monday at El Camino Country Club in Oceanside, Calif. to qualify for the PGA Tour's Buick Invitational, which starts today in San Diego.
Kodama played for UH for four years, qualifying for the NCAA West Regional as an individual in 2004.
