Kurizaki, Ho win second titles in tennis championships

Pushing his body to the edge, Punahou sophomore Koji Ho overcame a gritty effort by defending state champion and top seed Bryan Assi for a 6-3, 7-5 win in the boys singles final of the Island Insurance/HHSAA Tennis State Championships on Saturday morning at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

Within moments after the match, Ho was on his back. Quadriceps in both legs cramping. Abdominal cramps. Chest cramps. Shoulders. Back. He consumed mustard and pickle juice, and athletic trainers taped bags of ice to his legs.

Roughly half an hour later, the awards ceremony began and Ho was back on his feet.

“It was so worth it. The most worth it ever. I would do it all again. It’s the best feeling ever,” Ho, the second seed, said. “I think it put more pressure on me that Bryan was injured. I just tried to stay positive and focus on the good things in our match. I’m just grateful for all my teammates and my coaches — everybody who’s helped me get here.”

Punahou coach Ikaika Jobe praised Assi, a Hilo senior.

“Bryan made it to the final. He made it through the pain,” Jobe said. “He’s a great player. He still has all that experience. Koji did a good job staying present, staying focused. Koji keeps playing with people, putting in the time. He won doubles last year, and I think that helped build his confidence. I like that he kept going after it today, kept trusting his shots.”

Assi played through the tourney, which began Thursday, with a right wrist injury that he suffered three weeks ago while working out with a personal trainer, running sprints. He tripped, fell and braced himself with his strong hand.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander’s powerful serve wasn’t 100%, however, and Ho was ready to pounce.

“Koji is really good — he kept balls in, kept the rallies going,” Assi said. “ His returns were really good.”

Ho matched forehand shots with Assi and had the slight edge in long rallies as Assi continued to wince. The injured wrist was wrapped up but limited his flexibility.

Assi battled back in the second set and led 5-4, but double faults allowed Ho to rally.

“I tried my best, kind of came back in that second set. I had my chances, but the serve was a little off, the forehand was a little off,” Assi said.

In girls singles, top-seeded Ashley Kurizaki of Moanalua outlasted second-seeded Mami Daysog of Roosevelt 6-2, 6-1.

“I feel pretty good. I almost expect myself to win, so it’s more of a relief, but I’m also excited,” Kurizaki said.

Daysog, a sophomore, often mirrored her counterpart … unsurprisingly — the two are often doubles partners in junior tennis. Kurizaki, a senior, played the long game, using long rallies to grind out hard-earned points.

“I know her game and she knows mine. Mami is a good player overall. Staying in the points long enough, not pushing too much, was important,” said Kurizaki, who trailed 2-0 in set one. “After I got more into a rhythm, I mostly just tried to play my game. There were a few times when I had to adjust. I threw in some drop shots, but otherwise I played my game.”