It’s All Relative for Zelenovic in National Finals : College tennis: Cal Lutheran standout has been on cloud nine since his mother and brother arrived from war-torn Croatia.

For Cal Lutheran’s Tomislav Zelenovic, the excitement of competing in this weekend’s NCAA Division III tennis championships has been overshadowed by a friend’s graduation present.

The gift consisted of uniting Zelenovic, a Croatian native, with his mother and younger brother after four years.

His mother, Ana, and 9-year-old brother, Aleksandar, arrived from Rijeka, Croatia, on the Adriatic coast on Friday and watched Zelenovic graduate with honors on Saturday.

The ride to the airport was full of anxiety for Zelenovic, who became somewhat nervous upon arriving to meet the flight.

“It was very emotional at the airport,” said Zelenovic, 22. “It’s very hard to describe. It’s unbelievable to think that all these years have passed without seeing someone so close to me. We look back and find it hard to believe we made it through the years.”

After attending his senior year of high school at La Canada in 1990 as part of an exchange program, Zelenovic went home for the summer. He hasn’t been back since.

He was granted an academic scholarship at Cal Lutheran, where he majored in biology and sociology, and graduated with a 3.8 grade-point average.

So Zelenovic’s friend, John Grace, brainstormed for the perfect graduation gift. Zelenovic and Grace met four years ago through a student exchange program and have been close since.

It was Grace who introduced Zelenovic to officials at Cal Lutheran and subsequently helped him get a scholarship at the school.

“At first I wanted to surprise him, but I had to tell him so that he could help out with the documents,” said Grace, who is an investment adviser. “Initially he didn’t want to believe it because he didn’t want his hopes smashed.”

Grace convinced some of his clients at Delta Airlines to contribute to the plane fares, and a friend who is an attorney helped with the legal documents required to obtain the visas.

The process was a tedious one, Grace said. Initially, Croatian officials would not grant Ana, a literature teacher, a visa because they feared she would not return.

“But it was so great to see a family reunited,” Grace said. “There weren’t many words spoken. Just a lot of tears.”.

Zelenovic communicates with his family through letters and telephone calls. His father, who is a sailor, also lives in Croatia but was unable to make the trip because of work.

“Often I can’t get through and I get real worried because there’s a war going on,” Zelenovic said. “It’s very difficult for them to get visas to come here and I can’t go back because there’s a good chance I would go straight into the army. It’s mandatory there.

“A lot of my childhood friends are in the military and some, I don’t know if they’re alive. I’ve really come to appreciate the peace here.”

Zelenovic’s consolation is seeing his 23-year-old brother, Marko, frequently. Marko attends Montana State on a tennis scholarship, so the brothers talk often and visit every few months.

Tennis was a big part of their lives while growing up. Zelenovic started playing when he was 8. He has competed at Cal Lutheran for four years. This season, he is the Kingsmen’s top singles and doubles player.

Zelenovic is ranked 17th nationally in Division III heading into this weekend’s tournament at the University of Redlands.

He has a 7-3 singles record and is 8-1 in doubles with partner Tony Cohen. Zelenovic and Cohen are ranked 17th in the nation in Division III.

“Tomislav is a super aggressive competitor,” Cal Lutheran Coach Mike Gennette said. “His presence on the court is intimidating alone. He’s 6-foot-3 and he has the deepest voice.”

Gennette is confident Zelenovic will win at least one national title, though he might feel a bit nervous with his mother and brother watching.

While he spent ample time at tennis this week, Zelenovic devoted as much time as possible with his mother and brother, who will be in California for two months.

Since he got a job as a biologist with a company that makes heart valves and he plans to attend medical school eventually, Zelenovic knows it may be another four years before he sees them again.

And as long as his country is at war, he says, he will not return.

“You know what I really wish I could do?” Zelenovic said. “I wish I could walk down my old street and see all my neighbors. What’s happening there is really sad.”

But with his mother and brother present at his college graduation, the sadness melted away temporarily. So far, it’s been the happiest day of his life.