If you are searching for a prodigy at this year's U.S. Open, look outside the lines. Hawai'i's Taka Fukuda will be an official.

Fukuda, 50, is a rising star in the small, somewhat weird world of tennis officiating. Fukuda and the majority of his colleagues love the game and passionately follow players. But their assignments usually prevent them from seeing most of the court.

Fukuda, whose favorites are Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters, has thrived anyway. He has risen to the elite level of his hobby in just his third year of officiating.

"All these guys have technique," says Bill Liston, chair of Hawai'i's officials committee. "They take certain steps and make certain signals. And your voice ... you call the ball out. If it's obviously out you don't have to yell, but if it's real close you have to sell your call to the player and chair umpire.

"Taka is very, very accurate. He's got very good eyes and he is a very humble guy. People like him, his attitude is real good, he never complains and he does what he is supposed to do."

That would be make correct calls and remain invisible.

He started when Liston's wife asked him to come to a training session before the 2003 Honolulu Futures event. Fukuda did well at that tournament and the next on the Big Island. He was asked to help at the Waikoloa Challenger soon after.

Fukuda ended up working the final of his third event. Joan Vormbaum, then an administrator with the ATP officials, liked him immediately.

Fukuda was given a "wild card" — much like a player is given an exemption — to officiate the ATP event in Indian Wells, Calif. "I guess he just did fabulous and worked well into the tournament," Liston says.

That led to more Mainland events for Fukuda and Hawai'i's Tammy Tomida, who could be working next year's Open. Evaluators gave Fukuda "unheard of scores, even for experienced guys," according to Liston.

The U.S. Open begins today, and Fukuda is one of some 300 officials brought in from all over the world, and the first from Hawai'i in nearly two decades.

The U.S. Tennis Association pays all his travel expenses, puts him up and gives him a credential that allows access anywhere on the Flushing Meadows complex. He also gets paid about $150 a day, for shifts that run 1 hour on and 45 minutes off.

He finds concentrating on the same line for so long the most difficult part of the work, particularly the seldom-used baseline in doubles. His biggest fear is having the camera focus on his face for an over-rule.

"You never want to get a second over-rule," he says. "Then you get even more nervous."

NOTE

Line umpires are needed for the November Honolulu Futures event. Anyone interested in becoming an umpire should contact the Hawai'i Pacific Section (955-6696, ext. 21), or Bill Liston (778-1012).

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.