Tennis: Making a fast Dent in 2001

Richard Dunn

The extremely fine line between the world’s top 10 players and its

top 100 is one Newport Beach’s Taylor Dent crossed this month in the

millennium’s first Association of Tennis Professionals’ Tour event.

Dent, the budding 19-year-old phenom whose father, Phil, once cracked

the top 10 in the 1970s, talked about consistency on the court before he

left for the 2001 ATP Tour campaign, and how one day he could beat

anybody, and the next anybody could beat him.

At the Gold Flake Open in Chennai, India, Dent epitomized what he

meant that day at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center, where he trains.

In the first round, Dent upset top-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden, the

fourth-ranked player in the world, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), for his first career

top-10 victory.

The following day, Dent celebrated by losing to Kristian Pless of

Denmark, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4, in a tough second-round match.

But Dent’s win over Norman puts the Corona del Mar High product in a

different category and could ignite the type of breakthrough season he’s

looking for. And, with an enthusiastic and spirited crowd at the Chennai

venue, the world’s former 144th-ranked player was fired-up with a renewed

sense of tennis vigor.

“Three quarters (of the fans) were for Norman; a quarter, maybe a

little more, for me,” Dent said. “I’ve never played a Davis Cup match,

but I could not imagine it could be any louder than that. It was

unbelievable. That was the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in.”

Norman held the No. 1 position in the ATP Champions Race for seven

weeks last year, while Dent, son of the 1974 Australian Open runner-up,

peaked at No. 139 and finished at No. 144.

Dent, who doesn’t turn 20 until April, played as a wild card in the

ATP event at Chennai.

“I did not play my best tennis,” Norman told reporters after the loss.

“It takes a lot to beat me. This guy (Dent) is good.”

Less than two months ago, Dent said his goal for this season was to

play with more consistency. He’s trying to eliminate the bad days and

quit losing to players like Pless, after days he beats former No. 1

players in the world.

In 2000, Dent enjoyed a couple of sparkling moments against two of

America’s, and the world’s, greatest: Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

The 1996 CIF Southern Section boys singles champion as a Sea King

freshman pushed Sampras and Agassi in close losses last season, losing to

Sampras at the Tennis Masters Series in Cincinnati last summer after

forcing a tiebreaker in both sets as Sampras advanced with a 7-6, 7-6

win.

In the first round at Wimbledon last year, Dent gave Agassi a scare

before retiring in the third set with a knee injury.

Dent, who plays and trains with a strong passion to enter the game’s

pantheon, went baseline to baseline with Agassi and Sampras. But then

stubbed his toe against unknowns.

With more experience and a little age on his side, look for Dent to

make his biggest move yet up the world’s rankings.

“Patrick Rafter didn’t start (winning ATP Tour events) until his

mid-20s, and Rod Laver was 21 or 22 when he started (his climb to the

top), and they ended up as two of the best players of all time,” Dent

said.

“The line is so fine (between the world’s top-10 players and those in

the top 100), it’s undefinable. The difference ... for me ... is (going

to be) consistency.”

Former UC Irvine men’s tennis All-American and Newport Harbor High

standout Glenn Cripe will be inducted into the UCI Athletic Hall of Fame

on Feb. 24.

Speaking of UCI, Newport Beach-based men’s tennis coach Steve Clark is

hoping some of thrills from the UCI men’s basketball team will rub off on

his tennis players, who open their season in a doubleheader Jan. 20 at

home against USIU at 9 a.m. and UC Riverside at 2 p.m.

The Anteaters’ basketball team is 9-2 and has beaten Cal and

Washington, while coming within five points against UCLA.

“Synergy, team unity, and a fighting spirit give any team an edge,”

Clark said. “I anticipate having an edge this year and, with one of our

toughest schedules ever, that will come in handy.”

Congratulations to Rick Leach (Laguna Beach) and his retirement from

the ATP Tour.

A longtime doubles specialist, the Palisades Tennis Club member and

former U.S. Davis Cup player ended his pro tennis career at the ATP Tour

World Doubles Championships, where Leach reached the semifinals with

Ellis Ferreira of South Africa and the crowd in India was once again the

theme.

“It’s the most incredible atmosphere I have ever played in. What a way

to go out!” Leach said after his last match in Bangalore, India. “The

atmosphere was just electric. I’ve had 14 wonderful years (on the tour).”

Leach, who won 40 doubles titles in his career and more than a dozen

Grand Slam doubles championships, will be an assistant tennis coach at

USC, under his father, Dick.

Rick Leach won over $3.6 million in his playing career.

The Newport Beach Tennis Club will host its second annual Super Bowl

Celebrity Pro-Am Tennis Tournament Jan. 27-28. Action will take place the

day before the Super Bowl and the pro-am finals will be played prior to

kickoff on Super Bowl Sunday. Details: (949) 644-0050.