Di Giulio opts out

NEWPORT BEACH — Austin Di Giulio has watched his tennis idol win the tournament five minutes away from home.

Di Giulio won’t get a chance this year to follow the road his older brother has conquered.

Seeded No. 2 in the boys’ 12 singles division, Di Giulio is one of the favorites at the 20th annual Balboa Bay Club Junior Tennis Tournament.

Di Giulio plans to play once more after easily getting past Alex Kuperstein, 6-0, 6-0, in his first match at The Tennis Club Tuesday.

Instead of trying to claim his first War by the Shore Tournament, Di Giulio is leaving to see his brother Joseph finish first on Florida’s coast.

Fourteen-year-old Joseph starts competing Sunday at the United States Tennis Assn. Super National Clay Court Championships in Fort Lauderdale.

“Do you want to play your matches, or go to Florida?” Paul Di Giulio asked his son Austin. “He wants to go watch the clay courts. It’s a big tournament.

“If Austin ends up winning [today], he’s going to have to pull out of the tournament.”

Before Di Giulio gets on the runway, a formidable opponent is in the way.

Di Giulio faces Remus Risnoveane of Anaheim in the quarterfinals today at 2 p.m. The two have played each other in the past.

Two years ago was the last time. Di Giulio beat Risnoveane, 6-3, 6-0, for the Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic 10-year-old singles title.

Back then, Di Giulio was 7 and Risnoveane 10. Di Giulio has grown up, but he hasn’t forgotten Risnoveane.

Risnoveane, the No. 6 seed, advanced out of the Round of 16 after defeating Di Giulio’s neighborhood friend, Adam Langevin, 6-0, 6-2.

“I just lost to him,” said Langevin, giving Di Giulio the news.

What might have turned out to be a friendly match before traveling is now serious. Di Giulio expects a challenge, more than Tuesday’s against Kuperstein.

Di Giulio, ranked No. 5 in the Southern California Tennis Assn.’s 10-and-under group, began slowly against Kuperstein, who’s from Palm Desert and ranked No. 13.

Once Di Giulio went ahead, his shots began pinning Kuperstein in tough spots.

As Di Giulio got comfortable, his opponent let his emotions get to him.

“He started getting mad, so it gave me energy,” Di Giulio said.

“You don’t show [your temper]. Just try [to] do something else and hope it works. If you get mad, you’re just going to give [the other player the advantage].”

Di Giulio grabbed the momentum and kept it. It wasn’t always easy, the weather factored in.

On the court, it felt hotter than what Di Giulio prefers.

“I was sweating a lot,” said Di Giulio, who on Thursday will sweat a lot more when he lands with his father in humid Florida.