AztecAztec TennisTennis ReporterReporter VOL 9 NO 3 SERVING THE SAN DIEGO STATESTATE TENNIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1998 OCTOBER 2008 Alex Waske Planning a Return Aztecs Gain To Men’s Tour After 14 Months 4 Recruits Aztec Alex Waske, one of career. His 2006 singles victory Germany’s top players and a over Paradorn Srichaphan For 2008-09 doubles semifinalist at the Aus- helped Germany eliminate Thai- tralian and French Opens, said land from Davis Cup contention. Tennis Year he expects to return to the ATP As a doubles competitor, tour in Basel, Switzerland, in Waske reached the Australian Four newcomers have October after a 14-month ab- Open semifinals in 2005 with joined the San Diego State sence due to an arm injury. Jurgen Meltzer of Austria, and men’s and women’s tennis “My arm feels better. I’ve the 2006 French Open semifinals programs for the 2008-09 fall been playing a lot of sets in with Andrei Pavel of Rumania. and spring seasons. practice. Serving was always “Those were good,” he said, Hans Rattenhuber, a 21- JAMES BOND: Match play the trouble. Right now, it’s 90 but indicated he has higher year-old freshman from Ger- by action hero in a book. per cent,” Waske goals. “My aim for many, is the newest men’s told ATR in early next year is to make player. He joins all 10 players October. it to the (year-end) returning from last season: Bond’s Tennis: With two more Master’s Cup com- Michael Beron of San Diego, Higher Appeal weeks of slow petition and to win a Achim Ceban of Russia, Jor- buildup, he said, grand slam title.” dan Coleman of Palm Desert, For Novelists? his physical train- Waske holds CA, Andre Felix of San ers said they be- victories over Rafael Gabriel, CA, Bartosz Golas of The latest James lieve he will be Nadal (on grass at Germany, Juan Gomez of Bond novel, Devil May restored to full Halle in 2005) and Ecuador, Danny Heidecker of health. Carlos Moya (on a Germany, Tim Schulz van Care, reveals a skill Endert of Germany, Matan we never knew existed If this prognosis hard court in Tokyo is correct, Waske in 2002). Shitrit of Israel, and Matthew on the resume of the said, “I’m really “My all-time Tosches of Murrietta, CA. world’s most dashing happy this is com- Aztec Tennis Reporter Photo worst loss,” he told Emma Cioffi from Australia spy: He plays competi- ing to an end and I RETURN: Alexander ATR in a telephone joins sisters Roxanne and Sierra Ellison from Coto de tive club tennis. can play.” Waske lines up a fore- interview from Caza, CA, on the women’s In service to crown Waske said his hand in the 2006 Aus- Frankfurt, “was with roster. and country, he faces manager will ask tralian Open doubles. Frank Morgan Six women return from last Dr. J. Gorner, a nasty for a wild card against Kolo Rosen- year’s team: Holly Bagshaw adversary bent on entry into the qualifying rounds thal and (Coach) John Nelson (in of the ATP Grand Prix event in a San Diego State practice of England, Esther Cadua of beating Bond for a lot Basel, starting Oct. 20. If he is match about 10 years ago). I am San Diego, Olivia Coleman of of money wagered on unsuccessful in obtaining a wild still hurting from that,” he joked. Los Angeles, Kathryn Kitts of their match at a swank card, Waske said he will seek Waske said Nelson, now head Yardley, PA, Julia Trunk of club in Paris — and, oh to enter a Challenger event men’s tennis coach at the Univer- Germany, and Milan Yusupov yes, destroying the beginning play at about the sity of Hawaii, continues to gloat of Israel. United States. same time. about his victory. Continued on Page 4 His last official pro tour Did Ian Fleming tell TM us that Bond had event was a first-round loss to Aztec Seeks a Patent for Illumiscore Gilles Simon of France, 6-4, 6- honed his consider- Aztec Kelly Ny- 1, ret., in the 2007 U.S. Open. gaard, who played able natural tennis Waske earned All-American SDSU men’s tennis in skills in Barbados? honors at San Diego State in 1993-94 and is now a Sebastian Faulks, a 2000, leading the Aztecs to the teaching pro in Mary- NCAA Sweet 16. NETPOST: Flip cards would give way Continued on Page 2 land, has turned ten- Waske rated his doubles to battery-powered electronic device. nis inventor. performance in Germany’s suc- INSIDE Nygaard has applied for a play of set scores. cessful run to the 2005 World What College Taught 2 patent for Illumiscore, an illumi- “It replaces flip cards and Team Cup championship and 1958: Where Are We? 3 nated scorekeeping device he other scorekeeping devices his German Davis Cup play as Aztecs’ Top Grades 4 has designed for net-post dis- among the highlights of his Continued on Page 4 October 2008 Aztec Tennis Reporter Page 2 Pro Tennis: Two Ex-Collegians (One Who Lost to the Aztecs) Look Back WASHINGTON, DC — days” (as he did to qualify Robert Kendrick remem- and play in the main draw). bers beating the Aztecs in On the other hand, he the regular season when said, “College does help you he was the top player at get very fit, and you know Pepperdine in 2000. I’m very grateful I went And in eight years on through that experience. the ATP tour, he has So, let’s see, chalk up never forgotten that the discipline and fitness, the Aztecs upset Pepperdine standards a college coach in the regional playoffs on tries to teach as a matter of the way to their first (and routine. These are, it seems, so far only) appearance qualities that an immature in the NCAA men’s tennis tour player might not have Aztec Tennis Reporter Photos round of 16. GRITTY: Former Pepperdine Wave Robert Kendrick, left, powers a worked out for him or her- He remembers losing backhand in qualifying for main draw slot in Washington. Former self. to Aztec Alex Waske in Virginia Cavalier Somdev Devvarman in his upset of Taylor Dent. Any other benefits from the NCAA regional team waiting to turn pro? competition, then beating him in Kendrick was emphatic: have a set schedule and Kendrick had no trouble iden- the NCAA Singles Champion- “It did. It did. You know, you’re doing that for months, tifying the best part of his col- ships at the University of Geor- they (college coaches) work and you’re bound to get bet- lege career. gia. you quite hard, and I think ter.” “You know, it’s a great time, Now a journeyman ranked in when you come out on tour, Somdev Devvarman going to football games and just the top 120, Kendrick is in a it’s a little different,” he said agrees. The two-time NCAA hanging out with your buddies unique position to rate the ex- during a break after qualifying Singles Champion (2007- from all over the world, you perience of playing college ten- for the Legg Mason Tennis 2008) upset Taylor Dent in know, on your team. I had a nis before turning professional. Classic in Washington. the first round of the Legg great time, made unbelievable He attended not one but two On the tour, Kendrick said, Mason, then acknowledged friends and keep in touch with all universities — Washington and “You’re playing matches and how college tennis had made of them.” Pepperdine — playing for two then you have a few days off, him stronger physically. Devvarman agreed without top coaches, Matt Anger in Se- and you get into a routine, or “You very rarely play any reservation: “I had such a attle and Peter Smith in Malibu. a rut, and you’re not working matches back to back, you good time in college there’s no Asked if playing college ten- as hard. know, four matches in three chance I would trade it for any- nis helped improve his game, “Whereas in college, you thing.” — John Martin James Bond’s Match in Paris: Making Tennis Attractive to Novelists? Continued from Page One plates, knock-outs, seniors’ and juniors’ eight handicap. Quite fierce enough.” novelist writing for Fleming on the 100th competitions,” Faulks writes, tossing in The match, played on a court Gorner anniversary of the British author’s birth, what seems to be an English colloquial- has commandeered for the occasion, is a reveals these and other aspects of Bond’s ism (“knock-outs”). I’m at a loss. test of wills (like the tennis we know) and background and persona. “The names of the entrants included technology (all Bond adversaries seem Faulks’ toil has not gone unrecognized. some of the best-known families in addicted to forms of evil behavior abetted In The New York Review of Books, writer Paris,” he continues. by nasty digital or electronic devices). Geoffrey Wheatcroft dismissed much of “Towards the top of the second lad- Bond prevails (you knew he would), the novel (and the match) as implausible. der, he saw the name ‘J. Gorner.’ If the but along the way, it’s an interesting Faulks has gone back to writing serious top echelon was the first and second match. Gorner is a world-class cheater. fiction. A spokeswoman said he will have teams, men in their twenties of near- Bond must summon all the skill he has to no more to say about his moonlighting professional standard, that must mean outwit his opponent, hitting well within the effort to continue the Bond genre.