Ako/Kahakui vs. Jodoin/Valdez QUALIFYING R1 HIGHLIGHTS - Kailua Men's Night Doubles 2011

The Blue Moon Kailua Men's Night Doubles
Kailua Racquet Club, Kailua, HI
July-August, 2011

Men's Open Doubles Qualifying 1st Round:
Gordon Ako & Irwin Kahakui (wearing blue)
vs.
Larry Jodoin & Romeo Valdez (wearing white & gray)

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One thing that separates the Kailua Men's Night Doubles from any other tennis tournament in Hawaii is the qualifying draw! This is one packed week of exciting matches between the best & most well-known local players in the state. In summary, it's like a celebration of local tennis in Hawaii with everyone from upcoming juniors to wily veterans who coach or have played tennis for decades! Its a little of everything in route to the main draw the following week of the event.

In 2011, one of those veteran teams that is always known for making the audiences smile & enjoy the show was Gordon Ako & Irwin Kahakui. These two players are local legends in Hawaii tennis, playing every league & almost every tournament that has come up on the tennis schedule throughout the years. Irwin, a varsity tennis coach for James B. Castle High School, had a wide range of playing experience & craftiness all the way back to his junior days when he was one of the top players in the state. Gordon brought the heat but you usually couldn't tell as he was all smiles, enjoying himself in every match. Clearly, this team was always known for having the most fun playing tennis every time they played. 2011 would be their 11th year playing the Kailua Night Doubles as a team.
Their opponents were Larry Jodoin & Romeo Valdez, two other veteran players. Like Gordon & Irwin, these two would be seen battling it out in local tournament & league play on the weekends. Romeo has represented in some of the Hawaii Adult NTRP tournaments as well as took home a singles championship at the 2007 Aloha State Games (a formerly famous local Hawaii tournament). Larry brought the craftiness & smarts to the court, finding all the angles & keeping you honest when balls would drop short. These guys also would be all smiles throughout their matches.

When the draw came out that year, you'd see this match & automatically think "This will be a entertaining battle played in good spirits."

Check out highlights from this qualifying memory back in 2011!
#TennisNinja #KailuaMensNightDoubles #AkoKahakui #JodoinValdez

Sources related to this match:

The Blue Moon Kailua Men's Night Doubles 2011 Tournament Draw:
https://tennislink.usta.com/TOURNAMENTS/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=104789#&&s=7Draws3

Aloha State Games 2007 Men's 4.0 Singles Draw:
http://hawaiitennis.org/tourmn/ASG2007/M40S.shtml

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