WAIKOLOA, Hawai'i — On one constantly rotating tennis stage, the U.S. Tennis Association is staging its first Pro Circuit event of 2007 this week at Hilton Waikoloa Village's Kohala Tennis Garden on the Big Island.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village Challengers offer $50,000 purses for men and women. Finals are Sunday. Players are from all over the planet are here.

Chris Lam, who ended his first full year of professional tennis ranked No. 721 in the world, stunned eighth-seeded Sam Warburg, 6-3, 6-4, in the opening round yesterday for the biggest win of his fledgling career.

Lam, home-schooled in Kaimuki, came to the Big Island after upsetting No. 289 Todd Widom. He received a wild card into the main draw.

Warburg, like many at Waikoloa, arrived here after falling at the Australian Open. He is ranked No. 175.

Meanwhile, Punahou grad Ikaika Jobe, the 1999 and 2001 state champion, and Brad Lum-Tucker, the 2000 state champ for Kaua'i High, reached the second round before losing. Mauna Lani pro Malino Oda, the 1997 and '98 state champion for Lahainaluna, fell in the first round. Hilton Waikoloa pro Nicholas Moxley also lost in the opening round of qualifying.

Jobe and Lam plan to spend the next few months in Australia and New Zealand, playing Futures and Challengers. Jobe, in his first year as a full-time pro, would like to go on to Japan and is trying to convince Oda — who has been there, done that and loved it — to travel with him. Lam hopes to improve his ranking enough for Europe.

It is a life like no other, if you have the talent and tenacity. Everybody at Waikoloa does or they wouldn't be here. This is the relatively laid-back start to what will probably be a frenetic year for everyone here. It is also a place where dreams come alive.

Andy Roddick, James Blake and Robby Ginepri won here in 2001, '02 and '03 — and each had his first ATP title in a year.

The men's top seed here is two-time champion Paul Goldstein, the "Crash Davis" of tennis with more Pro Circuit titles than anyone. He is ranked 70th and the next three seeds are in the top 100, an inordinantly high number for a Challenger. The fifth seed is Michael Russell (No. 114), who was up two sets against Lleyton Hewitt in the first round of the Australian Open a week ago.

The top-seeded woman is Romania's Edina Gallovits, ranked 108th, with 2004 Waikoloa champion Melinda Czink second at 118. Jessica Kirkland, last year's runner-up, was not seeded this year and lost in the first round. Ashley Harkleroad, at No. 86, would have been the top seed but she had to stay in Australia, where she advanced to a doubles quarterfinal.

More typical at a Challenger is Tiffany Dabek, who won in three sets Tuesday to reach the second round. At 26, the Floridian is the world's 258th-best female player. Her goal by the end of the year is to get into the top 100. When she's done playing, she will study nutrition, with a solid foundation built by trying to keep herself healthy the past eight years as a touring pro.

Dabek has seen nearly every country and culture, from the poverty and crime of Nigeria to the wondrous surroundings of Waikoloa. But while the travel is enticing — beyond airplanes and airports —the competition is what hooked her, and everyone else.

"Everybody wants to win," says Oda, 27. "Everybody has one goal and we are all focused. And even though we have to play each other there's a camaraderie since we're all at the same tournaments all the time."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.