Wee’s net gain a plus for Sage

Sage Hill School boys’ tennis player Robert Wee used to treat the net like it was the plague.

The Lightning junior stayed as far away from the net as possible, hugging the baseline and chasing down balls like there was a gravitational pull holding him back.

Wee had a fair amount of success doing this because of his quickness. But after last season, when Wee was a sophomore, Sage Hill boys’ varsity tennis Coach A.G. Longoria told him things had to change if he wanted to advance his game.

“I told him if he wanted to move to the next level, he has to attack the short ball, come to the net, use the volley and overhand, and he has,” Longoria said.

From last season to this summer, Wee started altering his game. From that point through this season, he has shown huge improvement.

“He had no serve and no volley at the end of last year,” Longoria said. “He only came to the net to shake hands.”

Wee admits he was a lot more comfortable hanging back and chasing down balls.

“I would come to the net about once a match, like when my opponent hit a ball that hit off the top of the net and fell on my side,” Wee said. “And whenever I’d come to the net, I’d lose that point. So basically I never did it.”

But Wee, a left-hander, wanted to improve his game, so he took Longoria’s advice, started working on his net play in practice and soon was coming to the net with confidence.

“I think I’m pretty much a whole different player than last year,” Wee said. “And I’m probably a lot stronger. I think my groundstrokes are better. I serve better and I volley ? period. I didn’t used to volley at all.”

Wee has taken his new game to the No. 1 singles spot in Sage Hill’s lineup, earning the position with his strong play early in the season.

Wee has swept his three sets in three matches this season, including two sweeps last week, one against Academy League foe Oxford Academy, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, the other against Laguna Beach, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2. Wee is 13-5 this season.

“He uses his quickness to come to the net more,” Longoria said of the third-year varsity player. “His overhand and volley has really improved. I’m very pleased with how he has taken charge of his game.”

The emergence of Wee, who was voted the Most Improved Player on the team last year before undergoing his makeover, helped the Lightning win their first two matches last week after a slow start against some of the area’s top teams.

“It’s been disappointing so far, but we have enough talent,” Wee said. “It depends if we come together at the right time. Sometimes we look like a top-four seed, sometimes we don’t. I definitely think we have a chance.

“Martin Park is normally our No. 1 player, he’s our stud, I’m sure you’ve heard of him,” Wee continued. “But he’s not playing very well right now. We’ll be a lot better when he gets back on track.”

How does Wee like being the No. 1 singles player in the meantime?

“I like it. I feel like I have nothing to lose,” Wee said.

The Robert Wee File

Hometown: Beverly Hills

Height: 5-foot-5

Weight: 133

Sport: Tennis

Position: No. 1 singles

Coach: A.G. Longoria

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “Snatch”

Favorite athletic moment: “I was down, 4-1, my freshman year versus a player that was way better than me and I came back and beat him.”

Week in review: Wee helped Sage Hill capture its first two victories of the season by sweeping his singles sets against Oxford Academy, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, and Laguna Beach, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.dpt-maleathlete.IMGGraphicInfo2J1P986N200603242J1P986NNo Captiondpt.24-aow-BPhotoInfoF51P980O20060324iwm69mknKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)