MEN’S TENNIS LOS ANGELES TOURNAMENT : Krajicek Slams Racket, Then Stoltenberg

Anybody can recognize a good serve. You simply smack the ball so hard, it hits the court like it was dropped out of an airplane.

But out of the tennis mainstream, the sublime is not so easy to identify or appreciate. For instance, consider the act of throwing a racket. It’s truly an overlooked art form.

Over the years, a few racket-throwing masters emerged--craftsmen such as Ilie Nastase, Goran Ivanisevic and John McEnroe, who attempted the creation of small craters with their heaves.

Now, though, there may be a new, young talent in our midst. It is Richard Krajicek, 21, of Holland, the defending champion of the Volvo/Los Angeles tournament, whose one-handed racket slam was scored as the best string music Thursday at UCLA.

Krajicek, lucky enough to avoid a second-round upset by Jason Stoltenberg, sent his racket to the court like a guided missile during a shaky moment, then didn’t lose another game in a 1-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-0 victory.

Krajicek, who meets Alexander Volkov in the quarterfinals, explained what constitutes an appealing racket throw.

“For starters, you don’t break your racket,” he said. “That could get you a warning, and you would also have one less racket. Technically, you must throw it flat. If it bounces, it does funny things. And you must always avoid injuring someone.”

Stoltenberg probably deserved better, but that’s the way the racket bounces. He led by a set and 5-3 in the tiebreaker, but double-faulted at 5-4, plunked a volley into the net at 5-5 and netted a forehand passing shot to give Krajicek the set.

Said Stoltenberg: “All of a sudden, it’s a different ballgame.”

Krajicek managed to stagger home with one ace and two double-faults in the third set and still didn’t allow Stoltenberg to win a game.

“It’s one that got away,” Stoltenberg said.

Maybe he should have thrown his racket . . . flat, no bounces.

Pete Sampras started flat, but was sharp at the finish in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over No. 161-ranked Mauricio Hadad, who was playing the eighth IBM/ATP Tour match of his career.

Sampras plays Patrick McEnroe in the quarterfinals.

If Brad Gilbert was winning ugly when he served nine double-faults in his first-round match, his 6-7 (10-8), 6-3, 6-0 second-round loss to McEnroe was downright gruesome.

Gilbert had eight more double-faults and was shut out in the deciding set for the first time he could remember.

“It was pretty depressing,” said Gilbert, who said he might become a full-time author if he doesn’t start playing better.

“Obviously, if if it continues like this, I’ll have to consider retirement,” said Gilbert, ranked No. 36. “I can’t foresee playing like this week-in and week-out, (but) as many bad matches as I’ve played, I still plan on playing through 1994.”

While Gilbert’s ranking continues falling slowly, McEnroe seems to be on his way up again. From his best ranking of No. 31 two years ago, McEnroe is back to No. 87 after falling as low as No. 110 at the end of 1992.

Against Gilbert, McEnroe clearly was the steadier player. He saved four of four break points and made 76% of his first serves.

If McEnroe hadn’t missed two set points in the tiebreaker, it might have been over a lot quicker. And once it got to the third set, McEnroe said he felt a lot better about his chances.

“He was playing defensively and I just wasn’t going to get tired,” McEnroe said.

Tennis Notes

Alexander Volkov scored a 6-1, 6-3 victory over wild card Michael Joyce of Santa Monica, despite four double-faults, only one ace and making 40% of his first serves. . . . Brad Gilbert didn’t think much of the officiating in his match, with Peter Richter in the chair. But then Gilbert doesn’t think much of tennis officiating in general. “I think our game is the worst-officiated game in the world,” he said. “I’d like to see how the Lakers and Rams would like to go out there and play with amateur officials. . . . There’s no way in the world you should be able to call the lines for one week a year. It should be a minimum 12 tournaments, or otherwise they shouldn’t do it at all.” Gilbert also took exception to the rotation system that gets fresh linesmen into the match. Said Gilbert: “Hell, I’d like to go out and get a substitute for about 15 minutes.”