KAILUA-KONA — The stage is set for the Fed Cup best-of-five match series between the United States and Poland at Holua Tennis Center, with a towering grandstand set to host nearly 2,000 spectators and multiple cameras surrounding the court.
But it wasn’t Venus Williams or any of the Fed Cup players taking the spotlight at Holua on Wednesday. That was reserved for the hundreds of Big Island keiki who showed up to hit some balls with some of the world’s best.
Williams, along with US teammates Sloane Stephens, CoCo Vandeweghe, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and captain Mary Joe Fernandez played with the young tennis players, which ranged from smaller than a tennis racket to high school standouts.
“They are trying to beat me. They are trying to beat all of us,” Williams said with a laugh. “This is so fun. They are so enthusiastic and are hitting the ball really well.”
Williams’ history in the sport is well chronicled, and along with her sister Serena, have changed the women’s game forever. But it had to start somewhere, and Venus can recall a day when she was in a similar situation to the kids she now coaches up.
“I did a clinic like this when I was these little people’s age with Billie Jean King. I remember I wanted to impress her and it was an amazing experience,” she said. “Tennis has given me so much, and I hope it is able to give the same thing to them in their lives. It doesn’t mean they will have to play professionally, but it is more about the lessons they take away from it.”
The clinic provided not only some insight into the talents of the pros, but also their personalities. And while it did take a little bit of time to adjust to seeing the players in person, it was nothing a few Snapchat selfies with Sloane Stephens couldn’t solve.
“I was pretty starstruck seeing all the pros, but it was an awesome experience,” Konawaena High School student Tresen Arakaki said.
“It was really great because they are very down to earth and incredibly nice,” Jordan Virtue, a Hawaii Preparatory Academy student added. “Being able to talk to them and play with them one-on-one was incredible.”
Konawaena tennis coach Richard Kahalioumi was happy to see some of his players embracing the clinic, and thinks it will go a long way.
“We live in Hawaii. Most of the time you flick on the TV and there they are, but it’s not every day do you get to see these pros in person,” Kahalioumi said. “It’s good for our tennis community. It gives them the encouragement and motivation to keep going on.”
The Fed Cup action starts Saturday and runs through Sunday. The draw is scheduled for Friday at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay.
The winner of this match advances to the World Group Playoffs, held April 16-17, to compete for a spot in the 2017 World Group. The losing nation will play in the World Group II Playoffs in April to remain in World Group II in 2017.
Fairly favored
The United States holds a 3-0 record against Poland in Fed Cup. The U.S. last faced Poland in the 1990 World Group First Round in Atlanta, sweeping the tie, 3-0. The U.S., which also faced Poland in 1974 and 1980, has never lost an individual match in Fed Cup play to Poland.
It will also be the U.S.’s first home tie since 2014 in St. Louis, as the team competed on the road in Argentina and Italy in 2015.
While the history speaks for itself, the weekend’s matchup is also heavily skewed in the United States’ favor — even without world No. 1 Serena Williams — on paper.
Venus Williams is ranked 12th, Stephens 25th and Vandeweghe 46th. Mattek-Sands is a highly-ranked doubles specialist.
Poland will be without No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, with their highest ranked player in Kona being No. 96 Magda Linette.
“You try never to let your guard down. We have been on both ends. We’ve been the underdogs and have won and been the favorites and lost,” Fernandez said. “You know you have to take that seriously, especially in team competition.
“Sometimes the lower-ranked player, that’s where they excel and play their best; sometimes a higher-ranked player doesn’t play as well under the competition of being on a team. So you really have to approach it very seriously and treat it like business as usual.”
Feeling the aloha
The first ball has yet to be hit at Hawaii’s first Fed Cup event, but the tropical venue is already drawing a splendid review from the players.
“I think we should always play Fed Cup just on the islands,” Poland’s Klaudia Jans-Ignacik said. “That would be the best.”
US captain Fernandez had a similar take.
“We love being in Hawaii. It’s like being in paradise. Absolutely beautiful,” she said. “The weather has been perfect.”
That weather is expected to remain nearly perfect through the weekend and should not play a big role at the outdoor venue Holua provides.
Ball runner’s burden
Wednesday’s clinic will not be the last time some of the local youth players will be on the court with the pros. As many as 18 of them will be serving as ball runners for the event.
Kahalioumi said a lot of his Konawaena players will pick up that duty, as well as a handful from Kohala and Hilo high.
While it will be something they won’t soon forget, it can also be a bit stressful thinking about the small possibility of ending up on the losing end of a viral video.
“Their biggest worry is messing up on TV or getting hit by one of the pro’s balls,” Kahalioumi said. “But there is no way they can pass it up. It’s such a great opportunity.”
Kuchar’s second swing
PGA Tour veteran Matt Kuchar wasn’t lost on Wednesday when he found himself at Holua Tennis Center on the Big Island. Kuchar and his family showed up to get in some playing time on the court with Williams.
The two played as partners in an exhibition doubles match in Sea Island, Georgia last April during Masters week. They got in more hits and laughs at Holua.
Kuchar — a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour— was a stellar junior tennis player and has won some husband and wife tennis tournaments with his wife, Sybi, who played collegiately at Georgia Tech.
Kuchar recently competed in the Sony Open on Oahu, finishing tied for 13th.
Small market, big impact
So why choose Kona to host an international match with some of the biggest names in tennis? Jeff Ryan, USTA Senior Director of Team Events, thinks it’s vital for the sport to bring tournaments like the Fed Cup to smaller, new markets.
“I think the secondary and tertiary markets are key for us,” Ryan said. “Not everyone can travel across the states to go to the Open in New York. We can come in and make it a very nice, personal experience for everybody.”
The ticket numbers back up Ryan’s statement. It didn’t take long for the event to sell out.
“People want to see good, high-level tennis. That is definitely the feeling I got when we went on sale. People bought everything up really quick,” he said. “These kind of events are different than the week-long ones. They are condensed, and basically like the semis and finals. You have to be ready to go. There is not a lot of time to work the kinks out.”
A lasting legacy
After this weekend, the Fed Cup coming to the Big Island won’t just be another event relegated to live in memories and photos. The USTA is hoping to leave a lasting mark on the Orchid Isle.
The USTA has announced plans to renovate the tennis courts at Old Kona Airport Park as part of its Legacy Project, leaving something behind for current and future generations of tennis players on the Big Island.
“That’s one of the things I’m most excited about,” Ryan said. “I think it’s very important. There are a lot of events that come and go. At the end of the year when it is hopefully all done, people will notice a difference and that’s our goal.”
The project will be officially unveiled this weekend at the tournament.
Sounding off
The US team on what question is the most annoying to hear:
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: I think there is just a lot of repetitive questions asked. I’m still surprised people don’t know that I wear knee high socks for compression. I feel like I’ve answered that in every single interview I’ve given for the last four years, and still people are still surprised that I don’t just wear them for fashionable reason. They’re actually for compression purposes.
SLOANE STEPHENS: I think the most annoying question has to be what is the state of U.S. women’s tennis. That’s all. That’s like in every press conference, every interview.
MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I get that one a lot, too. Same topic. You get the same answer because everybody is working hard, everybody is trying, and everybody is trying to make that next move. You’re right. We get that all the time.
VENUS WILLIAMS: What’s it like playing your sister? It’s like 20 years later. Haven’t you seen us play? What do you think? Kind of draw your own conclusion at this point.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I would agree, definitely what’s the state of American tennis, but also, especially after a loss, why did you lose?
MATTEK–SANDS: Yeah, or how do you feel after you lose?
VANDEWEGHE: Oh, I feel wonderful. Peachy. Great. Can’t wait to get to the hotel room.