Rostagno Advances With Straight-Set Victory : Tennis: Crediting a lighter schedule, he says he feels fit and ready for Los Angeles tournament.

What is the very best way to prepare to play a tennis tournament?

For Derrick Rostagno, it’s surfing. First, a little stop at La Jolla, then on down to Baja California, where practically the whole ocean is doing the wave.

On opening day of the Volvo/Los Angeles tournament at UCLA Monday, Rostagno rode into the second round with an impressive 6-1, 6-3 victory over Richey Reneberg.

Afterward, Rostagno pronounced himself fit and credited a trimmed-down schedule.

“I mean, I’m not over-tennised or anything,” Rostagno said.

If nothing else, Rostagno proved he can win a match in a tournament that doesn’t include John McEnroe. Rostagno beat McEnroe at Wimbledon and two weeks later in the Sovran Bank tournament at Washington D.C.

Soon, Rostagno will bring his multicolored plastic necklace back to the U.S. Open, the scene of one of his greatest matches, even though he lost.

“I was eager to play there last year and I’m more eager to play there this year,” he said. “I can’t have that bad of luck again . . . or maybe I shouldn’t say that.

“If I’m just barely better than last year, I’ll be happy. I’ll be happy probably anyway, though.”

David Pate, the 1987 champion, overslept and had no time to warm up, but still won his opening match against 23-year-old Australian David MacPherson, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Pate took a nap at his hotel and arrived at the courts just as the match before his ended. “Ten minutes later and I wouldn’t have had to show up at all,” Pate said.

Tennis Notes

Malivai Washington, the 20-year-old former Michigan All-American in his first full year as a pro, said his first-round match against Stefan Edberg will be a learning experience, if nothing else. “I was happy about the draw,” said Washington, ranked No. 91 to Edberg’s No. 2. “Just because I’m playing one of the best guys in the world, that doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over, say, ‘There goes my tournament’ and make a flight home. I’m definitely not mentally worried. For a guy in my position, you look forward to playing somebody like that. If you beat the person, it can do a lot for your career. He’s the best at what he does. You try to learn from it, look at it, analyze it, because that’s where you want to be.”

Jim Pugh, who lost to Dan Goldie, 7-5, 6-1, said he and doubles partner Rick Leach have accepted a bid to play on the U.S. team in September’s Davis Cup semifinal against Austria in Vienna. . . . Toughest first-round match could be today’s between Michael Chang and Scott Davis. They played in last year’s semifinal, Chang beating the 27-year-old Santa Monica resident, 6-4, 6-4.

Money matters: Chang played an exhibition Monday in Lake Tahoe against Andre Agassi. Although the ATP rules prohibit players from a special event the same week they enter a tournament, Chang received a waiver from the rule when Volvo/Los Angeles promoter Bob Kramer gave his permission. Two other key players in the tournament, Edberg and Pete Sampras, also played a special event Monday, a wheelchair charity event.