Kramer Concentrates on Tournament’s Controllable Details

One thing Bob Kramer has learned over the years--it doesn’t pay to be too big a tennis fan.

That might sound odd coming from the tournament director of the Mercedes-Benz Cup, which concludes today at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA.

But after months of coaxing and cajoling, scrambling to attract big-name players who will attract big crowds, Kramer must distance himself from the proceedings once the draw is set.

Otherwise, his heart might have broken when Pete Sampras withdrew at the last moment with a foot injury.

“Well,” he said, “that did take the wind out of our sails for a while.”

And his hopes might have sunk when Goran Ivanisevic lost in the first round.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked. “Do I go home and stay in bed or do I come back and put the best possible spin on what we’ve got left?”

Fifteen years of running this tournament have taught Kramer to deal with adversity. He likens the job to that of a pilot. There are long hours of routine work interrupted by moments of sheer panic.

The analogy fits his circumstances. Kramer lives in Thousand Oaks, a mid-point between his two passions--the Southern California Tennis Assn. offices in Los Angeles and the Air National Guard planes he flies from a Channel Islands air base.

As a lieutenant colonel, he has logged more than 5,000 flying hours. But, as son of the legendary Jack Kramer, he will always be known for tennis.

He was a ballboy as a youngster and captain of the Cal State Northridge team. He became a tennis administrator in 1977, joining the staff of what was then called the ARCO Tennis Open. In 1983, he became director.

These days, the Mercedes-Benz Cup is one of several tour stops that fall between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“All of us are trying to get as many of the top players as possible,” he said. “It all comes down to how much money we have and who can we get to come here.”

In an attempt to woo players, Kramer must bend and stretch his schedule. “Some guys like to play nights,” he said. “Some guys like to play days.”

And he can’t go around hoping that his premier attractions will survive the early rounds.

“I have to stop being a tennis fan once the tournament begins,” he said. “I can’t be worried about how Andre Agassi or Patrick Rafter are doing in their matches.”

This year Kramer got lucky enough to have the crowd-pleasing Agassi reach the final. Still, he has learned that it is better to concentrate on the things he can control.

“If the coffee’s not hot and the restrooms aren’t clean, I’ve got bigger problems.”

*

While Kramer did not follow in his father’s footsteps on the court, he is certainly continuing an off-court legacy.

Jack Kramer--who won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the amateur era--was a pioneer of the pro tour and the first executive director of the Assn. of Tennis Professionals.

But while his son was dealing with pro players at UCLA, the elder Kramer paid a visit to the Jack Kramer Open junior tournament at the Burbank Tennis Center.

Kramer was on hand to present the championship trophies on Friday. Winners from the region included Jesse Ferlianto of Canyon Country in boys’ 16 singles, Sergy Vagramian of Glendale in boys’ 14 singles, Georgette Wright of Burbank in girls’ 14 singles and Amanda Fink of Calabasas in girls’ 12 singles.

*

Following the men’s final at the Mercedes-Benz Cup today, Travis Rettenmaier of Camarillo and Ryan Redondo of Ojai will participate in a junior exhibition on the stadium court.

Rettenmaier and his doubles partner, Alex Bogomolov of Miami, finished second at the USTA National Boys 16 Clay Court Championships in Rockville, Md., last weekend. The top-seeded team lost to Tres Davis of Lubbock, Texas, and Alberto Francis of McAllen, Texas, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the final.