Hall of Fame: Mike Briggs (Corona del Mar)

Richard Dunn

As a junior tennis phenom, Mike Briggs played on the cutting edge

of greatness.

But the former Corona del Mar High and UC Irvine standout could never

forecast the prominence of one of his common opponents -- Pete Sampras.

“(Sampras) was really small,” Briggs said. “In juniors, he was a

pipsqueak. I always thought he was talented, and you always knew he would

be a great player, or a great college player. But did I ever think he

would be the greatest player ever? No. It never crossed my mind.”

Briggs never lost to Sampras in “three or four” junior matches, but he

was also three years older than the future 13-time Grand Slam singles

champion.

“At that level, (three years) is a huge advantage for an older guy,”

Briggs said. “You’re not comparing apples to apples. (Sampras) was

playing at a way higher level for his age.”

Before Sampras blossomed on the Association of Tennis Professionals

Tour at age 19, Briggs had been labeled the next great American player,

earning No. 1 rankings in the 12s and 14s in the United States Tennis

Association, a No. 3 national ranking in the 16s and a top-10 ranking in

the 18s.

In Southern California, Briggs was first in the 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s.

As a CdM sophomore, Briggs won the CIF Southern Section individual

singles title in 1985, defeating Mira Costa’s Jeff Tarango, 6-4, 6-4.

“(Tarango) is still playing on the tour, making some noise,” said

Briggs, who lost in the CIF semifinals his junior and senior years in

1986 and ‘87, when Tarango and Sampras won CIF titles, respectively.

After a stellar prep career, Briggs played at UCI for two years under

Coach Greg Patton in 1988 and ‘89, then turned pro along with doubles

partner Trevor Kronemann.

Briggs and Kronemann, nicknamed “the tank” and an NCAA All-American

with Briggs at UCI, enjoyed a fine doubles career on the ATP Tour,

reaching as high as No. 11 on the computer rankings.

Briggs, who had a six-year pro career come to an end in 1994, once

faced John McEnroe and Andre Agassi on center court at the 1992 French

Open. It was a quarterfinal match and one of the few times McEnroe and

Agassi teamed in doubles.

“We lost, 6-3, 6-4, but there were 18,000 fans, a full house, so I

guess that’s my highlight,” said Briggs, who played in 12 Grand Slam

events, his best result coming at Roland Garros in ’92.

Before retiring, Briggs played all four Grand Slams three times.

“I hit one too many balls,” said Briggs, when asked why he retired in

‘94. “I just didn’t enjoy it anymore, partly because of the travel, I

think, and partly because I was losing a lot. When you lose and you play

40 weeks a year and lose 40 weeks in a row, it gets tiring.”

Briggs, who “wanted to get on with the rest of my life,” started a

fashion footwear company in 1996, called Projekt, and is now busier than

ever with global distribution of the product. The Newport Beach-based

company launched its own brand this summer.

Briggs, the latest honoree in the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame,

also became a father for the first time recently when his wife, Lela,

gave birth to a son, MacWilliam Robert. The family lives on Balboa

Island.