Women’s Night Doubles Has Doubled (Its Field) To 16 Teams
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usFor all the work Leilani Magee does on behalf of local tennis, the best way for her to make a difference is by way of her own playing.
The 2008 Hawaii Tennis Grand Prix Circuit Women’s Champion, currently ranked No. 1 in Hawaii Women’s Open Singles, Magee will be in the talented field assembled for this week’s Island Design Center Women’s Night Doubles Tennis Tournament at Kailua Racquet Club. The tournament, which runs nightly Wednesday through Saturday, will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer research organization.
“I recently started to compete again in an effort to get more girls involved,” said Magee. “My goal is advancing the community through tennis.”
Magee is the principal and founder of Hawaiian Isles Tennis and an award-winning inspirational tennis instructor and longtime coach, among other accomplishments on a heavy resume.
“This is probably the most important event in Hawaii currently,” she said. “I don’t believe we’ve yet seen the full realization of the top women’s tennis players coming together at the same event, but this (Kailua tourney) is a start. I don’t know that we know who the top women’s tennis team is. I compete in the open division, and women really don’t compete that much (in it). Hopefully, we’ll have more of a real representation of who the best women’s players are in Hawaii.”
The Women’s Night Doubles has been known for showcasing the best of what Hawaii’s college teams have to offer in recent years, with an eight-team, invite-only format, but Magee proposed that the field increase to diversify the field. Bruce Nagel, whose academy runs the tourney, promptly doubled the field to 16 teams this year.
Magee will team up with former Chaminade/Mililani standout Audra Takara, and she’s looking forward to competing with some of the best college players and recent graduates. Also playing are former HPU standouts Anastasia Agaychick and Lauren Shin and former University of Hawaii players Melinda Wong and Anja-Vanessa Peter, who teamed up to win last year’s event.
“To get to go up against college girls; I’m excited about that,” Magee said. “I recently played in the Honolulu Masters and won the singles draw, so I do feel competitive.” In fact, Magee is undefeated over the past two years, adding intrigue to her first appearance at the Women’s Night Doubles since 2005.
“I’m not afraid to lose; I just want us to all be able to play together,” she said.
Magee “has been around the world three times” through tennis, but her enthusiasm has never wavered.
“I’m passionate about it,” she said. “I played every day of my life on the public courts of Lahaina. There, you have to win, survive, prevail ... that’s what I come from.”
Magee met Takara at the Grand Prix Circuit Women’s Championships last year. “I beat her in the Grand Prix, and I thought,‘Here’s someone who could really blossom at the next level,‘“Magee said. “Usually when I look for a teammate, they’re different. In this case, she and I both love the net. We have a strong, aggressive, full-court press. I need someone (as a teammate) who is mobile, and she has wheels.”
The extras that make the tennis club’s men’s tournament a can’t-miss event also will be on display for the Women’s Night Doubles.
Admission is free and in addition to the strong field, dinners prepared by Master Chef Dave Kaminski are available for purchase. Door prizes and cookies will be distributed, and there will be a silent auction for sponsors. Pairings for the tournament were to be set after press time.
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