Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Career ladders head both ways in Plantation
PLANTATION — Most of the 32 tennis professionals participating in the the USTA Men’s $15,000 Futures Plantation Community Open on Wednesday are competing for ranking points, so they can eventually get straight into ATP events and Grand Slams, such as the upcoming Australian Open.
On Court 7 of the Veltri Tennis Center, Colombian Nicolas Mejia, 16, was just beginning his pursuit of a lifelong dream, while on Court 1, 33-year-old Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador approached the end of a 14-year career mostly spent in the minor leagues of a fiercely competitive sport.
Mejia, whose sister Gabriela was an All-American player for the University of Miami, broke his opponent’s serve at 3-4 in each set before prevailing 6-4, 6-4 over Ty Trombetta, a 26-year-old Hollywood native trying to mount yet another comeback, this time from shoulder surgery, to keep his fading dream alive.
“I’m not only playing for points, but in order to get better you must play better players,’’ said Mejia, a qualifier ranked 90th in juniors. He recently relocated to Bradenton, where he trains at the IMG Tennis Academy, from Miami.
“Everyone wants to be No. 1 and win Wimbledon. … I always dream big, and to be the best I can so I can do what I love. I don’t have any expectations, just go day by day.’’
Just two weeks ago, Trombetta, who honed his game on the city courts of Hallandale Beach, outlasted Mejia in three sets to earn a wild card into this event, the first of four 15K Futures tournaments (Sunrise, Weston and Palm Coast) in Florida.
At 6-foot-2, Trombetta has a huge serve and forehand, but a recent bout of bronchitis weakened him, as did Mejia’s steady ground strokes. A frustrated Trombetta, who trains in Pembroke Pines, smashed his racket after match point. He has yet to play one ATP main-draw match.
“It’s been rough,’’ said Trombetta, once ranked a career-high No. 644 in pros but now down to No. 1,501. “I haven’t been playing much since my surgery [last year]. I’m trying to get to the ATP. That’s where everybody wants to go.’’
Lapentti, of Miami, has an older brother Nicolas who was ranked sixth in the world in 1999. Their uncle, Andres Gomez, reached No. 4 and won 21 titles, including the French Open in 1990 at age 30.
Giovanni Lapentti reached a career-high 110th and is 18-36 in ATP main-draw matches, including just two firstround appearances in majors. He was forced to retire at 5-5 in the third set with sixth-seeded Filip Peliwo of Canada when he felt a muscle twinge in his leg.
“I’m playing my farewell tournament in two weeks,’’ said Lapentti, who will play doubles in the ATP Eucador Open with Nicolas, 40. “I felt a pull, so it’s not worth it. I don’t care how many ATP points I make, I just want to be ready for that.
Peliwo, 22, who dropped the first five games in the opening set to Lapentti before finding his confidence, seemed destined for stardom when he reached four consecutive Junior Grand Slam finals in 2012, winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
However, back issues and an energy-sapping virus has slowed Peliwo’s transition to the pros, where he has compiled a 2-6 record.
“It was tough, obviously, to come out and see myself struggle,’’ said Peliwo, ranked No. 223 in 2014, but now at 511. “My confidence was low, and I was hoping it would come quicker. I put the wrong kind of pressure on myself to do that, but I know it can happen as players are playing later into their careers.
“I know my game is there. The dream is alive. I believe in myself 100 percent, and know I can do it, and I will do it. It’s more a matter when than if.’’