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Kailua’s Ikaika Jobe lost to Philippines Davis Cup captain Cecil Mamiit 6-0, 6-3 last night in the second round of the U.S. Open National Playoffs in Atlanta.
Jobe won the Hawaii qualifier of the inaugural tournament to advance to the sectional, being run in conjunction with the Atlanta Tennis Championship, part of the U.S. Open Series. He won his first-round match Thursday.
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| Ikaika Jobe: |
| He broke Cecil Mamiit’s serve once during the second round of the U.S. Open National playoffs |
Jobe, who left the pro tour more than a year ago to enter law school at the University of Hawaii, could take only 11 points off Mamiit in the opening set. He broke Mamiit’s serve just once in the match.
Jobe, 27, returns home to defend his title, with UH senior Dennis Lajola, in the Blue Moon Men’s Night Doubles. Qualifying begins tomorrow. The main draw starts Aug. 1. Lajola and Jobe, a volunteer assistant at UH, are seeded No. 1.
Mamiit, who has played in Hawaii often on the USTA’s Pro Circuit, is seeded second in this sectional qualifying behind Blake Strode. Mamiit, 34, was ranked as high as 72nd in the world in 1999 and has reached the second round of every Grand Slam event with the exception of Wimbledon. He now lives in California, but plays for and coaches the Philippines’ Davis Cup squad.
He advances to today’s semifinals. Tomorrow’s final will be shown on the Tennis Channel. The winner gets a wild card into the U.S. Open Qualifying round next month at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
