Hunter Fujimori rules OIA boys tennis

Mililani's Hunter Fujimori returns a ball against Pearl City's Rylan Woo durning the match of an OIA Tennis Championships on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at Central Oahu Regoinal Park in Waipio. Jay Metzger / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Mililani’s Hunter Fujimori now has a boys singles title to go along with the doubles crowns he’s won at the OIA Tennis Individual Championships.

Fujimori beat Pearl City’s Rylan Woo 6-3, 6-4 in the boys singles final.

Fujimori, a junior, had won OIA doubles titles with Tobey Chang in 2017 and Aidan Rooney last season.


Fujimori said he switched to singles this season because, “I felt my game was developed enough and I was ready and, of course, Andre Ilagan wasn’t here.” Ilagan is a two-time state champion with Farrington, who is competing as a freshman at the University of Hawaii.

On Saturday, Fujimori jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Woo in the first set.

“In my semifinal (earlier in the day), I didn’t play too good so my coaches told me to go for it and thankfully the ball started to go in more,” Fujimori said. “I just felt it in that 4-0 lead.”

Woo, a Pearl City junior, won the next two games, before the players held serve the rest of the way.

The second set was tied 3-3 before Fujimori surged ahead.


“I always try to do my best throughout the match and never give up,” Woo said.

Fujimori beat Woo during the regular season, but Fujimori had to default in the OIA West tournament final because of his junior prom.

“I was a little sad, but I really wanted to make my date happy and I didn’t want to rush her or anything. I think I made the right choice,” Fujimori said.

Mililani’s Rooney and Spencer Dang — both sophomores — beat McKinley’s Chaz Nagasawa and Payton Nagasawa 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the boys doubles final.


“It feels good. It’s pretty different playing with different people two years in a row,” Rooney said of repeating as doubles champion. “We (he and Dang) have good chemistry and it felt good.”

Next up for the top OIA singles and doubles players is the HHSAA state championships to be held May 9-11 at the Mauna Lani Sports & Fitness Club.

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