Doing the Grunt Work

There is a lot of Monica Seles in Natalie Braverman--the two-hand strokes from both sides, the loud, almost exaggerated grunting, the relentless baseline play. But Braverman--a 15-year-old from Newport Beach--is still searching for one more ingredient Seles has: the knockout punch.

On Wednesday, the lack of a knockout punch cost Braverman a chance at her biggest junior victory yet, an upset of third-seeded Whitney Benik of Delray Beach, Fla., in the United States Tennis Assn. girls’ 16 national hard courts in San Diego.

Braverman had Benik, a 14-year-old who attends the International Tennis Academy, on the ropes. She controlled the points with flat, penetrating ground strokes and led the first and second sets. But Braverman lost, 6-4, 7-5, because of her inability to finish off points.

“My plan was to hit one more ball than her,” Benik said. “She hits really solid and really flat, but I was able to keep it in play more than her.”

Even after losing a 3-0 lead in the first set, Braverman led 40-0 on her serve at 4-4. She also led 40-15 on Benik’s serve in the next game. But each time, Benik recovered to win the game.

“I had so many chances,” said Braverman, who will be a sophomore at Newport Harbor High. “I was up so many times. It’s very disappointing to lose like that.”

Disappointing, but not disheartening. Braverman knows that this has been the best summer of her young career. In June, she reached the final of the Southern California Junior Sectionals. Here in a national tournament, as an unseeded player, she advanced to the fourth round. In the third round, she overwhelmed 17th-seeded Amy Wei of Marietta, Ga., 6-2, 6-2.

“I’ve played really well, I just need to play the big points more carefully,” she said. “I played my game this whole tournament and it was good enough to beat a lot of players.”

Braverman doesn’t turn 16 until March, but she was old compared to Benik and some other seeded players in San Diego. Top-seeded Ashley Harkleroad of Flinestone, Ga., is 13, as is ninth-seeded Sunitha Rao of Bradenton, Fla.

“I’ve been playing a year up [in age], but apparently that’s not enough,” Braverman said.

Braverman apparently is not considered one of the USTA’s rising stars. Doug MacCurdy, USTA director of player development, didn’t know who Braverman was when he was introduced to her. But Braverman seems to play a brand of tennis that MacCurdy encourages.

“If you’re young and you take a lot more chances than your opponent, you’re probably not going to be successful as a junior,” MacCurdy said. “But that’s the style we think [is] better for the long run.”

In the long run, Braverman hopes to become a better finisher. But probably not by putting away volleys.

“I need to strengthen my strength and be a little more consistent,” said Braverman, who is coached by Ross Case. “Volleys are just not my style.”

But a two-hand forehand, even though most coaches don’t teach it, is Braverman’s style.

“I wasn’t taught to play that way,” she said. “I kind of picked it up myself. By the time anybody said anything, it was too late.”

And the grunting?

“I don’t even think about it,” she said. “I don’t know where that sound comes from. But it seems the harder I’m working, the louder I grunt.”