Work Never Far From Housman’s Mind

Leland Housman has a problem the majority of professional tennis players will never have to face. Emergency surgery. It doesn’t happen often but Housman, a cardiac surgeon at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, always has to be ready for the call.

Playing in this week’s USTA Men’s 50 and 55 National Hardcourt Tennis Tournament at the Lindborg Racquet Club in Huntington Beach, Housman has a friend constantly by his side to hold his beeper and cell phone.

“It happened once last year,” Housman, 56, said. “My opponents are usually very nice about it. Last year, I got called in the middle of a match and the guy told me he’d wait.”

Several hours after surgery, Housman returned to finish the match and beat his opponent.

“After that, he told me he wouldn’t never wait for me again,” Housman said.

Just playing in the tournament takes a lot of schedule maneuvering for Housman, who is commuting from San Diego.

On Tuesday, he defeated Charlie Shapiro of Fountain Valley, 6-4, 6-1, in a second-round match, then traveled back to San Diego for a three-hour surgery. After another surgery Wednesday morning, he drove back to Huntington Beach for his third-round match against Dave Lougee of Palo Alto. Housman won, 6-1, 6-0.

Housman won Thursday, 6-2, 6-1, over Michael Stewart of Bluebell, Pa., in the fourth round.

“I never put tennis first, but for this week I do have to rearrange my schedule a little,” Housman said. “But, obviously, my patients come first.”

Seeded second in the tournament, Housman is the defending champion in the 55 division, which is impressive considering he is facing the nation’s best, including many teaching pros.

His main competition this year figures to be top-seeded Dick Johnson of St. Louis. The two met three years ago in the 50 finals, and Johnson won in three sets.

Housman started his tennis career in high school and later played at Texas El Paso. He graduated from UTEP in 2 1/2 years and went on to 12 years of medical school. During that time, his tennis career was on hold, but he picked it up again 15 years later.

“Any time you can accomplish something on this level, especially when you’re working full-time, it’s quite fulfilling,” he said. “I play tennis to get away from work and the stress. So to be able to compete at this level is quite an accomplishment.”

LARGE DRAW

This year’s National Hardcourt tournament, which began Monday, features the biggest draw in its history with more than 200 players entered. The matches continue through Sunday’s finals, beginning at 9 a.m. Vilnis Ezerins, a running back with the Rams in 1968 and now a teacher at Huntington Beach High, and actor Ben Murphy, most noteworthy for his role in the TV series “Alias Smith and Jones” are entered. And nine-time doubles champions Bob Duesler and Jim Nelson are back. The only seeded player from the county in singles is eighth-seeded Jerry Edgar of Mission Viejo.

SMALL PAYOFF

The tournament’s purse is only $1,700, making the winner’s take a whopping $100, a prize that Housman didn’t even realize he’d won last year, until he was handed the check.

“I lost it,” Housman said. “Lenny [Lindborg] had to mail it to me.”

Like Housman, the majority of the competitors aren’t playing for the money. Instead, they want to win gold tennis balls. Each champion receives a small gold tennis ball, on black velvet, encased in wood, with the runners-up taking home silver.

“You only have one opportunity to win it each year,” said Bill Roth, general manager at Lindborg. “It is a very cherished title.”

DIABLO ROAST

More than 50 of Mission Viejo High Coach Bill Smith’s former players will roast him Saturday night in the school’s multipurpose room.

Smith retired in May after 37 years of coaching tennis, 19 at Mission Viejo. For those interested in attending the dinner/roast, call Greg Hebets at (949) 888-6808. Hebets played on Smith’s first Mission Viejo team in 1971.