Bryan Couldn’t Close It Out in Open

Bob Bryan was fully aware of the opportunity that slipped through his hands when he lost his first-round match against Glenn Weiner in the Infiniti Open.

Bryan, 19, a Camarillo resident who captured the Pacific 10 Conference singles championship three months ago in Ojai as a Stanford freshman, missed the chance to again wow family and friends in a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Weiner on Tuesday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

“I could have played Richard Krajicek,” Bryan said. “I was thinking about that. It’s disappointing.”

Krajicek polished off Marcos Ondruska in the opening round.

What a thrill that would have been for Bryan, an amateur playing singles for the first time in a professional event, to match ground strokes with a two-time Infiniti champion and the 15th-ranked player in the world on the stadium court.

But in the same breath, Bryan rebounded.

“Something could have gone wrong in the qualifier,” he said. “I don’t like to look ahead.”

Looking ahead, the future looks bright for this 6-foot-3 left-hander and his twin Mike, a 6-2 3/4 right-hander.

Looking back, the Bryans did better than expected in the Infiniti qualifying tournament.

Mike Bryan posted two victories before losing to Mahesh Bhupathi of India, 6-2, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1, in the final round. Bob Bryan beat Martin Barba and benefited from the fact that his next scheduled opponent, top-seeded Michael Joyce, withdrew because of an injury. Both Bryans were unseeded in the qualifier but were a combined 5-1.

“It doesn’t boost my confidence, going 4-3 with a guy I feel I can beat,” Bob said. “But I definitely don’t feel out of place here. Well, maybe with the big guys, but definitely not with guys like Glenn.”

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Houdini act: Speaking of Joyce, he is on the comeback trail, thanks in part to Nels Van Patten.

Van Patten, a Sherman Oaks resident, didn’t miss a beat after losing his top student, former Encino resident Brandis Braverman, when she joined the U.S. Junior National team earlier this year. Joyce, of Los Angeles, signed on with Van Patten after he dropped from No. 51 to below 200 last year because of a shoulder injury.

Joyce was back up to No. 153 last week before he strained his left wrist in a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 loss to No. 2 Michael Chang at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington D.C., which Chang won.

“He was on the verge of beating Chang, but then his wrist went out,” Van Patten said. “The injury took away his two-hand backhand, which is his best shot.”

But Joyce earned the respect of his peers.

“Being from Los Angeles, he was nicknamed ‘Mud Slide,’ ” Van Patten said. “Now that he’s starting to win again, his nickname is ‘Houdini.’ He’s finding a way to win.”

Van Patten, 41, is a 1974 Van Nuys High graduate who has maintained a two-pronged career: coaching and playing tennis, and acting and screenwriting. He would have followed the footsteps of his father, actor Dick Van Patten, more closely if not for his love of tennis.

Van Patten has also worked with Vitas Gerulaitis, Steve Denton and his brother, Vince Van Patten.

His best asset as a coach, he says with a touch of humor, is game strategy.

“I’m the father Houdini,” he said. “I’m a magician. I don’t tell my secrets. But I have the ability to empower my student and depower the opponent. I believe I’m great at it. I get results.”

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Future Pro? Even after he lost to the nation’s top-ranked player in the Southern California Junior Championships, Nick Weiss of Calabasas was the talk of his age group.

Weiss, barely 15, wasn’t expected to reach the final of the 16-and-under division, let alone challenge John Paul Fruttero of San Marino.

Weiss has done the unthinkable. He beat top-seeded Fruttero, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, en route to a seventh-place finish in the United States Tennis Assn. National Clay Court Championships last weekend in Rockville, Md. His victory came not three weeks after a 6-4, 6-1 loss to Fruttero.

“He’s not as strong a player on clay,” Weiss said. “He can’t hit an outright winner with his huge forehand. I love clay. It’s my game.”

Weiss gave Fruttero trouble by kicking his serves high and slicing them off the court and said he played a smarter match than in the sectional final in Fountain Valley.

“I had a great day,” said Weiss, who expects to be seeded in the top eight for the USTA Junior National Championships, a hard-court event in August.