Ho takes down 2 favorites to reach tennis championship

On a day that yielded numerous upsets, Punahou's Doug Ho's was perhaps the most impressive.

Fresh off a disappointing loss in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship singles tennis match two weeks ago, the fifth-seeded Ho blew up the state boys bracket, pulling off quarterfinal and semifinal upsets yesterday at the Carlsmith Ball High School State Championships at the Holua Tennis Center on the Big Island.

Ho defeated top-seeded Matthew Westmoreland of Island Pacific Academy 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinal match, then breezed past No. 4 Larson Oliva of Pearl City 6-1, 6-1 to advance to today's final against second-seed Fernando Aguirregomezcorta of St. Joseph's.

Aguirregomezcorta handily defeated No. 11 Joshua Wong of Hilo 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals.

In boys doubles play, Pearl City's Jordan Lum and Taylor Pacarro took down the defending state champion, the top-seeded Punahou duo of Alex Ching and Erik Shoji, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals.

Punahou got revenge in the opposite bracket, with No. 3 seed Shaun Chow and Brett Katayama upending No. 2 seed Devin Anderson and Marco Kobayashi of Iolani 6-3, 7-5.

On the girls side, both singles and doubles results went neatly according to seed. Top-seeded Kristen Lim of Punahou defeated sixth seed Sayo Tsukamoto of Kealakehe, advancing to today's final, where she'll play No. 2 Jackie Owens of Lahainaluna.

In doubles, the top-seeded duo of Ashley Ohira and Ashley Nakaoka of Punahou left no doubt that they're the team to beat, crushing teammates Sherise Lum and Kimberly Wo 6-0, 6-1.

Ohira and Nakaoka will meet No. 2 Kelsey Daguio and Kelly Domingo of Sacred Hearts in today's final. Daguio and Domingo beat Adrienne Hamada and Alyssa Shimizu of Iolani in the other semifinal match, 6-0, 6-1.

As expected, Punahou sits atop the boys and girls team standings entering today's finals.