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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, September 28, 2007

Lam making moves to boost ranking

 •  Retired attorney now enjoying ride of his life

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tennis pro Chris Lam is working with two coaches and with former 49er linebacker Dan Bunz on his fitness.

DEBORAH BOOKER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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It might be easier to ask Chris Lam what is not new in the life of a Hawai'i touring tennis pro.

As his second full year as a pro heads into the home stretch literally and figuratively — he will be here next month for the Waikoloa and Honolulu Futures — Lam has:

  • Invested in full-time coaching, where he relocated in Sacramento with John Rodrigues, and in Palm Springs with Jose Higueras, whose students included Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Jim Courier;

  • Become a fitness disciple of former 49er linebacker Dan Bunz and partner Steve Kenyon at Sports Specific Training in nearby Rocklin, where the 49ers used to train;

  • Worked his way through a wrist injury that kept him out three months, and brought him home to rehab and get a first-hand look at the progress of brother Carter, now the top-ranked boy in Hawai'i 16s;

  • Reached as high as 590 (currently 638) in world rankings, and No. 51 among Americans. Lam jumped 801 spots last year, to No. 722;

  • Acquired Prince as a sponsor and is playing with a custom-made pro tour model.

    As he prepares to play in his biggest main draw, the $75,000 Swanston Challenger, beginning Oct. 8 in Sacramento, Lam and his support group believe they have laid the foundation for a 2008 blitz.

    "My goal this year is still to get my ranking up as high as possible," said Lam, 24, "but more so to use the time to get coaching and raise my level so next year I'll have the technique and conditioning and confidence to have a breakthrough year."

    Lam's investment in his future comes at a cost. He figures touring on his own is as much as $30,000 a year. Adding coaching and trainers makes it closer to $50,000. Traveling with a coach, as most top-ranked players do — with the notable exception of Roger Federer — kicks that figure much higher.

    After living in Los Angeles for five years, winning an NCAA title with UCLA and graduating, Lam headed north earlier this year to work with Rodrigues. The Swanston co-tournament director and head pro at Sutter Lawn Tennis Club in Sacramento, Rodrigues has worked in the USTA development programs and shares Higueras' teaching philosophy. He is Lam's first full-time coach as a pro.

    Rodrigues is focusing on adding more aggression to Lam's baseline game to help him to the next level. His help, and Lam's results the past year, were enough to get Lam wild-card entries into the singles and doubles main draws in Sacramento. Lam beat rising Americans Scoville Jenkins (306), Sam Warburg (151) and Todd Widom (373) before beginning work with Higueras, part-time in Palm Springs, and Rodrigues.

    The goal is for Lam to move up far enough fast enough that he will be playing only in Challenger and ATP events next year, which was the plan this year before the wrist injury took him out. Lam would like to get his ranking high enough to get into French Open qualifying in May.

    The goals expand the last half of the year, health permitting. Lam would like to play in qualifying for U.S. Open Series events and be ranked high enough to play in U.S. Open qualifying.

    If he achieves those goals, the next one will be the ATP tour in 2009.

    That means, as much as Lam and his surfing skills thrive on visits home, he hopes the $15,000 Waikoloa (Nov. 3 to 11) and Honolulu (Nov. 10 to 18) events will be the final Futures of his life. He also hopes to improve on last year's quarterfinal appearances.

    "I've entered a few tournaments where I was seeded and I definitely felt if I played well I had a shot to win it," Lam said. "The time I've spent working on my game and continuing to improve ... when I come back in November, if I play well and I'm able to do what I've been working on, I feel like I have as good a shot as anybody at winning.

    "Ideally, they would be my last Futures ever. I would hope so. You always hope the Futures you're playing is your last Futures."

    Lam wants to cherish the memory. He admits to times when "you are wondering why you are out here doing it," but they have been rare, and often connected to injury and illness. Now, with new coaches making progress noticeable on a daily basis, the fun side of the game is even more enjoyable.

    "When you are injured and not doing well, it's tough," Lam said. "I was never to the point where I was ready to quit. Once you are past that and know you're healthy and you feel you're improving, it makes it a lot easier and more enjoyable. I'm looking forward to playing fulltime next year and continuing to improve. I need to get my ranking a little higher and make some money so it will be easier to stay out there for a few years."

    Lam plans to play the $50,000 Calabasas Challenger before the two Hawai'i Futures events. He will train in Sacramento, and in Palm Springs with Higueras, for six weeks the end of the year.

    Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.