TENNIS / DANA HADDAD : Malin’s Gripes Out in the Open

After Gene Malin of Woodland Hills dominated a national age-group tournament by winning the singles and doubles titles last Sunday, his caustic post-victory remarks were all too familiar to the U.S. Tennis Assn.

Malin, after winning the USTA national men’s 45-and-over tournament at Westlake Tennis & Swim Club, complained about not being allowed to play in the men’s 45 draw in the U.S. Open next month in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Malin, who will turn 45 in December, is a former touring pro who resents the fact that the USTA sends U.S. Open invitations to only the superstars he once faced on tour.

This is nothing new for Steve DeVoe, USTA director of professional tennis, who said he routinely hears that complaint from recently crowned senior champions.

“When we set up this tournament, we had to decide whether we were going to make it highly competitive, with the best (senior) players in the country, or almost a friendly competition, with players that had achieved star status,” DeVoe said. “We decided on the latter.

“We did it for the fans, who just wouldn’t show up to see players they’d never heard of.”

DeVoe expressed sympathy for the amateur players and said he values their ability. But while he was almost apologetic about the format, he stood firmly by it.

“There’s no doubt,” DeVoe said, “that a lot of guys playing 45s could beat the big names.”

DeVoe said 1993 invitations for men’s 45 singles went to Jimmy Connors, John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver and Stan Smith among others. The list includes Malin’s close friend and hitting partner, Vijay Amritraj of Encino.

Malin beat Newcombe in 1979 and nearly toppled Stan Smith the same year, at the end of which Malin was ranked 161st in the world.

“I went three sets with Stan in Vienna,” Malin said. “(The U.S. Open) doesn’t have to be the way it is. And I don’t think it’s fair.”

Malin insists that, while age has taken away a step or two, he is now a better overall player than when he was on tour. He insists he can beat several of his more famous contemporaries.

U.S. Open exclusion is not Malin’s only complaint. He contends the nonprofit USTA has accumulated an excess of wealth, a tiny percentage of which could make national senior tournaments more attractive for top amateurs.

Malin paid $100 to enter the singles and doubles competition at Westlake. He grossed $300 in prize money for two championships. He said the USTA should give back more cash to the seniors.

Cliff Price of Tulsa, Okla., who lost to Malin, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, in the singles final, agreed.

“I think we would prefer to have a $5,000 tournament,” he said. “I think the USTA is where the money should come from. But it’s a good ol’ boy organization.”

DeVoe said his group is philosophically opposed to awarding cash prizes for amateur tournaments.

“We have not gotten involved in funding prize money for senior tennis because we do not feel that’s a credible purpose,” DeVoe said. “It’s not appropriate for what is basically recreational tennis.

“The age-group events are like thousands of others. The important thing is to give people the opportunity to play tennis.”

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Lottery tournament: Rudy Vargas of Chatsworth thought his chances of winning this weekend were pretty good. Vargas, 19, who plays collegiately at North Carolina, picked up a strong doubles partner in Chong Cho of Glendale, who will be a freshman walk-on at UCLA this fall.

But Vargas looked at the draw for the Volvo Tennis/Los Angeles Open pre-qualifying tournament and saw former UCLA standouts Billy Barber and Brian Garrow listed as his first-round opponents at The Racquet Centre of Universal City.

“Honestly, if we could get past the first round, we might have a chance,” Vargas said. “We’re a very strong team, but this team we’re playing tomorrow is a notch above us.”

Such realities are typical for a tournament like this. The L.A. Open is so big, tournament officials must not only hold a qualifying tournament for four places in the main draw of 32, they also stage a pre-qualifying tournament (which started Thursday) and a pre pre-qualifier.

For what? For one entry into this week’s final qualifier, which has 31 of 32 places reserved for touring professionals.

In singles, the chance of making it to the 32-player main draw--which starts Aug. 2 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center--is 200 to one. Two hundred players signed up for a chance at 15 minutes of fame. For the player who finally gets there, the likely first-round opponent is Pete Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world.

Eleven singles players from the Valley were eliminated in the pre pre-qualifier last week. Four Valley doubles teams (from almost 200 entries) are alive and kicking in the first round of the 32-team pre-qualifier--for one berth.

Vargas and Cho are part of that mad scramble unfolding at The Racquet Centre.

“Each round you’re going up against a tournament pro, a teaching pro, a young ranked player or a guy that made it big at one time and is now trying to get back,” said Jaime Barajas, 29, of Granada Hills.

Barajas, who once played at Cal State Northridge and is teamed with Kerry Wayne of West Los Angeles, realizes that chances are slim.

Just getting into the main draw is like winning a lottery.