TENNIS / DANA HADDAD : Rivals Take Their Shots in Friendly Feud

This isn’t the Hatfields and the McCoys. It’s only the Bryans and the Weisses.

But the area’s two most prominent families on the Junior tennis circuit had a shootout at the biggest Southern California tournament last weekend--the Junior Sectionals at Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley.

When the smoke cleared, the Bryans and Weisses had fought to an apparent draw.

Bob Bryan, 15, of Camarillo, defeated Jason Weiss, 15, of Calabasas, 7-6, 6-0, in the boys’ 16-and-under singles final.

The Weisses got even in doubles. Jason Weiss, teaming with Kevin Kim of Fullerton, upset top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, in the 16-under final.

The smell of gunpowder was still in the air in the aftermath--the Weisses were claiming victory.

Not only had Jason’s doubles team defeated the Bryans--five-time sectional champions--Nicholas Weiss, 11, had won the doubles title in boys’ 12-under after he and Michael Marquez of Ventura beat David Giorgis and Dante Haynes, 7-5, 6-1.

Two championships for the Weisses, one for the Bryans.

Jerrie Weiss, the mother, was thrilled--claiming Jason’s team was the first from California to beat the Bryans in age-group competition.

A big accomplishment, because the Bryans are double trouble.

Bob Bryan, confirming the loss was the brothers’ first to a California team within their age division, had a predictable response.

“You can’t win them all,” he said. “We’ll probably play them again sometime this year.”

Not only have the Bryans and Weisses been bumping into each other at tournaments for several years, the Weisses are members at the Cabrillo Racquet Club. Wayne Bryan, father of the twins, is a teaching pro there.

As the boys have grown to become some of the Southern California Tennis Assn.’s highest ranked age-group players, a talk-that-talk rivalry has developed.

“I’ve played the Bryans probably about 10 times and they’re tough,” Jason Weiss said. “They get every ball back and they’re always looking for a way to stay in the match. All they do is play tennis. We’re friends, but they’re real competitive and they want to win so bad.

“A lot of people think the Bryans are cocky, so it was real satisfying to beat them. I was pumped.”

Bob Bryan said cockiness shows on both sides.

“We’re basically good friends, but (Jason) kinda talks a lot,” he said. “He uses his mouth more than his racket sometimes. He’s getting better, but he still needs to shape up a little. After the match, he’s nice.”

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Bollettieri blues: Mark Dalzell, an eight-year tennis instructor and understudy to world-renowned teacher Nick Bollettieri, usually spends each summer holding court in front of a sea of eager faces.

Announce a Bollettieri tennis camp and state a location, and hundreds of Wimbledon hopefuls will go there as if trekking to Mecca.

Bollettieri’s people have set up one of their satellite academies at Cal State Northridge this year for eight weeks. But two weeks after their arrival, few have come.

“We’re used to getting 75 to 90 kids a week,” said Dalzell, 28, camp director. “This year we’re down to about half that. I think it’s the economy.”

This is a big camp and Dalzell, who manages 11 other instructors, puts in long days on the court and spends each evening entertaining the youngsters who stay at the Northridge dorms.

But earlier this week, Dalzell was at his desk, thinking of ways to drum up more business.

“Last year the riots and the earthquakes brought the attendance down, but it’s even smaller this year,” said Dalzell, at Northridge for the third year in a row. “This is a prime area for everything. The facilities are very nice.

“But I don’t know if tennis is not big here or there’s too many things to do.”

Dalzell came here from Bollettieri headquarters in Bradenton, Fla., where Jim Courier and Monica Seles and others got the same tutoring Dalzell gives at the Northridge camp.

“The program is the same,” he said, “the drills, the match play, the mental strategy we teach. We videotape the players here like we do there.”

It’s tennis from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. But for those youngsters who feel they are missing some extracurricular activities, Dalzell leads trips to malls, video arcades, miniature golf courses, baseball games, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios.

Dalzell said the main attraction, however, should be the name: Bollettieri.

“It’s the biggest,” he said. “Bollettieri is the most-famous name in coaching right now. We’re the biggest academy. We’re the Nike of tennis academies.”

And right now Dalzell wonders if enough young players around here know that.