University of Hawai'i sophomore Leo Rosenberg fell to second-seeded Kevin Kim, 6-2, 6-4, yesterday in the second round of the $50,000 Honolulu Challenger. The USTA Pro Circuit event is at Patsy T. Mink CORP Tennis Complex in Waipahu.

Rosenberg earned a wild card into the main draw by winning the Honolulu Masters in October. His victory in Tuesday's opening round gave him seven ATP points, or a world ranking of about 1,000.

Kim, 31, from Torrance, Calif., has been ranked in the top 125 five of the past six years and is currently 108th. He was ranked as high as 63rd after advancing to the third round of the 2005 Australian Open. Last year, he won his ninth Pro Circuit singles title.

Rosenberg, who helped the Rainbows to the WAC championship last year, was even with Kim at 2-all in the first set yesterday, before it got away.

"I made sure I stayed focused and had a good rhythm with my serve to start with," Rosenberg said. "Then I started going for too much, trying to do a little too much. I felt a lot of pressure from him, too. He started hitting deeper. I felt like I needed to go a little bit bigger, heavier, and started missing the lines. I couldn't get the good rhythm back."

Until it was too late. Kim won the first three games of the second set before Rosenberg rallied, but was too far down.

"He played really consistent," Rosenberg said. "That's what matters most. A lot of college players play really well at certain points, then don't understand what they're doing and make a lot of mistakes or get defensive. To play with him, I had to be myself, very consistent with my strengths against his weaknesses. That's the game — be consistent."

Rosenberg's teammates are in Los Angeles, playing the ITA Kick-Off Weekend tomorrow and Sunday. The 42nd-ranked Rainbows are paired with fourth-ranked UCLA, No. 17 Pepperdine and No. 37 South Florida.

In other Challenger matches yesterday, top-seeded Michael Russell advanced to the quarterfinals, as did Donald Young and fourth-seeded Robert Kendrick, who play in today's 5 p.m. feature match.

Matches begin at 10 a.m. today. Tomorrow's semifinals and Sunday's championship start at 11 a.m. Admission is free.