TENNIS : Pleasant Convinced That His Path to Pro Tour Includes Stop at UCLA

Darin Pleasant subscribes to the theory that he must take risks to lift his tennis game to a higher level. Pleasant will take a bold step this fall but feels it is necessary, nonetheless.

Aiming to play eventually on the professional tennis tour, Pleasant has left UC Riverside, which competes at the NCAA Division II level, and will attend UCLA, a Division I school, next fall.

Because of NCAA regulations, Pleasant must sit out a season before trying to make the ultra-competitive Bruin team as a walk-on. Pleasant, who transferred to Riverside from Moorpark College last year, has not been offered a scholarship from UCLA, but said, “(A scholarship) has been mentioned.”

“I want to push myself so I can compete with these Division I players,” Pleasant said.

“If I have an ambition to go pro, then I basically have to play at that level and come out ranked highly.”

Pleasant, a Division II All-American, finished the season ranked 12th in Division II in singles. He and partner Chris Ewing were ranked third in doubles.

“Darin did a great job for us and he’s going on to greener pastures,” Riverside Coach Mike Johnston said. “He was a real fine player and he really helped us.”

Johnston added that Pleasant was formidable in tournaments but could be hurt by a ho-hum attitude in dual-team matches.

“He gets into tournaments and he does fantastic. He plays like there’s no tomorrow,” Johnston said. “He gets into a team match and says, ‘Well, maybe I’ll play better tomorrow.’ ”

Pleasant, a junior-to-be, says that the yearlong layoff could help his game and that he plans to turn some heads in Westwood.

“I’ll be practicing every day with the team and I’ll play in tournaments that the coach has lined up for me,” he said. “As for abilitywise, I can only get better practicing with such good players.

“If I keep improving the way I have, I’m sure I’ll shock some people out there.”

Blue Monday: Natasha Pospich of Woodland Hills had a rather discouraging time Monday at the U. S. Olympic Festival in Minneapolis.

Pospich lost to Christine Neuman of Downers Grove, Ill., 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round of women’s singles play. In a first-round doubles match, Pospich and Kristin Osmond of Worthington, Ohio, lost to Meredith Chiles of Germantown, Tenn., and Patty Murren of Newtown, Conn., 6-3, 7-6 (7-0).

Sponsorless: For the fourth consecutive year, the Westlake Tennis and Swim Club will play host to the U. S. Tennis Assn. National Senior Hardcourt Championships for men in the 50 and 55 age divisions.

Club owner Jack Darrah has not found a primary sponsor to provide $5,000 in prize money for the event, which will take place Oct. 15-21.

Information: 818-889-6164.

Back for more: Although the past season might have been his most difficult as Pierce College tennis coach, Paul Xanthos will be back next year, his 26th season.

Pierce once was a powerhouse, winning 50 consecutive Western State Conference matches from 1965-68 and 96 consecutive Metro Conference matches from 1976-87. The now-defunct Metro Conference included Santa Monica, Cuesta, Santa Barbara, Glendale, Ventura, Moorpark, Bakersfield, and West Los Angeles.

The past season was markedly different. Pierce, ranked an uncharacteristically low 12th in the state, finished 11-8 overall and 11-5 in Western State Conference play (third place).

“It was disappointing,” said Xanthos, 69. “You learn to grin and bear it. You work as hard as you can with the players you have.”

The Brahmas’ most critical loss came at Bakersfield. Pierce folded after its Nos. 1, 3, 5, and 6 players failed to arrive at the match for various reasons.

Xanthos perhaps is most disturbed when he considers how good his team could have been.

Nelson Gary, a 1987 junior college division singles finalist at the Ojai Valley tournament, could not play this year because of transportation problems.

Pierre Mareschal, a doubles standout at Cal State Northridge in 1985, couldn’t play because of financial difficulties.

Sudantha Soysa, who, at 16, was the youngest player ever to play on the Sri Lankan Davis Cup team, withdrew from Pierce because of financial problems.

The only remaining top-notch player, Al Martinez, was sidelined for much of the season with a shoulder injury.

As a result, the nine-man team included six freshmen.

“You learn to grin and bear it,” Xanthos said. “You work as hard as you can with the players you have.”

Xanthos is cautious about appraising next season’s team.

“It will be a good team but how good I don’t know,” he said. “I need to get some top guns.”