Minh Le and Wei-Yu Su will be trying to make history at the 39th annual Kailua Racquet Club Men's Night Doubles Tournament, which has set a record even before it starts Sunday.

There are 56 teams entered this year, the most in history and a dozen more than last year. All but the eight seeded teams play the first week in a qualifying round that will cut the field to 16 for the final week.

Le and Su, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight championship, are seeded first. They are followed by former Hawai'i Pacific All-Americans Jan Tribler and Mika Maata, who have lost in the last three finals.

The third-seeded team is University of Hawai'i junior Dennis Lajola and Punahou graduate Ikaika Jobe, a volunteer assistant at UH who plays professionally. Jobe won the title in 2004 with Bradley Lum-Tucker.

The fourth-seeded team is Punahou graduate Mike Bruggemann and Erich Chen, former Santa Clara teammates who won the 2003 and '05 titles.

Teams attempting to qualify include KRC General Manager Bruce Nagel and Oahu Club Director of Tennis Henry Somerville, Alika Beamer and Lawrence Lowe, Lum-Tucker and John Paer, Muke and Frank Godinet, Alex Ching and Brett Katayama, and state high school champion Jared Spiker with David Andrews.

Matches will be played at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. each day, with as many as five going on simultaneously during qualifying, under KRC's new lights. There are no matches scheduled Aug. 1 and the main draw starts the next day. The rain date this year will be Thursday, Aug. 6, with semifinals Aug. 7 and the championship set for 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 8.

The purse is $7,500, with $2,400 to the winning team. Proceeds will help continue the free Kailua Boys & Girls Club tennis program at the club.

STRICKLAND JOINS UH

University of Hawai'i women's tennis coach Jun Hernandez hired former Utah State player Bridgette Strickland as his assistant. Strickland played No. 2 singles for the Aggies and was team captain her final two years.

Before that, she was the top-ranked junior in Utah, where she worked as a private tennis instructor the past five years. She also recently participated in the Trabert Tennis Camp in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the Nike Camp in Logan, Utah, as coach and counselor.

A three-time all-Western Athletic Conference academic selection, Strickland graduated this spring with a degree in parks and recreation, and a minor in sociology.

LEE GOES CAMPING

Calvin Lee, a 12-year-old from Honolulu, was one of 40 juniors selected to attend the 25th annual USTA/NJTL Tennis Leadership Camp in Denver this week. The camp is for National Junior Tennis and Learning participants to experience an intense week of training, emphasizing individual skills development, physical fitness, proper nutrition, good sportsmanship and other healthy attitudes.

Participants were selected through an application process that considered tennis aptitude, sportsmanship, leadership skills and financial need. They train with experienced pros, participate in a career counseling night, interact with special guest speakers, and visit local area attractions.

Lee was introduced to tennis at age 5 while attending Hokulani Elementary School. After taking lessons, he joined the Kilauea Jr. Tennis Club's Ralleyball team, then advanced to Junior Team Tennis and now plays Open 14s.

YAMAMOTO HONORED

Glen Yamamoto, founder and organizer of the Manoa Valley Jr. Team Tennis Program, has been selected by the USTA Hawai'i Pacific Section to receive a $1,000 grant to attend a multicultural coaches program at the U.S. Open.

The USTA's Learning and Leadership Development Department and Diversity Office partner to provide scholarship funding for multicultural coaches to attend Arthur Ashe Kids' Day and the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference in New York City, Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. Each USTA section grants a scholarship to a coach who has made a positive impact on growing tennis in its community.