No. 1-2 seeds left standing in state tennis finals
After two days of almost no upsets, the finals of the Island Insurance/HHSAA State Tennis Championships will be contested at Central Oahu Regional Park today with only 1 and 2 seeds participating. Top-seeded Bryan Assi of Hilo will look to repeat, with No. 2 seed Koji Ho of Punahou standing in his way.
Ho is also looking for his second state title, though his first last year came in doubles. His partner, Tanner Ige, graduated having won four state doubles titles with three different partners. Assi beat fourth-seeded Stefan Brajovic of University 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals after having lost only one game in each of his first three state matches this year.
Ho reached the final with a 6-2, 6-0 win over third-seeded Kawelo Tsuneyoshi of ‘Iolani. Like Assi, Ho has lost just eight games total through the first four rounds. One of them will lose at least 12 games today.
With both boys doubles titlists out of this year’s draw, the champions will be first-timers. They will also be Buffanblu, as both pairs in the championship match are from Punahou. Top seeds Allen Kudo and Owen Allison defeated teammates Evan Delse and Ethan Camp, the third seeds, in a pair or tiebreakers — 4 and 5 — after losing just six total games in the first three rounds.
Second-seeded Ethan Loo and Bradley Hirohata edged ‘Iolani’s fourth-seeded pairing of Dylan Tamamoto and Ben Arrillaga 6-3, 2-6, (8) to earn their spot today. Top-seeded Ashley Kurizaki of Moanalua will go for her second title today, having won in singles in 2024. She beat fourth seed Jurene Dupio of St.