Leach Ponders Life Without Pro Tour

The rumor was going around that this would be Rick Leach’s last year on the ATP Tour. Who would start a rumor that one of the world’s top doubles players would quit while he still had something left?

Well, actually, Leach, 34, would. Earlier this year, he wondered how long he could keep up the lifestyle of a pro tennis player, how long he wanted to punish his body and how long he wanted to be away from his wife Christi and his 5-year-old daughter Paulina in Laguna Beach.

After another successful year--highlighted by a doubles championship at the Italian Open, his 13th consecutive year of winning at least one doubles title--Leach still wonders.

“If my body is healthy, I’m going to try and play another year,” Leach said. “But it’s getting tougher. There’s more aches and pains every year.”

Since suffering a second-round loss at Wimbledon with partner Ellis Ferreira, Leach has been resting his aching body at home. But today, he returns from a month-long layoff to play doubles with Jan-Michael Gambill in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Cup at UCLA. This week begins a seven-week stretch of tournaments for Leach, who will play the rest of the year with Ferreira, his regular partner for the last two years.

Leach and Ferreira, the older brother of former top-10 singles player Wayne Ferreira, are No. 2 in the doubles team point standings this year. Entering the Mercedes-Benz Cup, Leach is ranked 18th overall in doubles. He has won $203,466 while compiling a 21-10 record.

Elliot Teltscher, a former competitor of Leach’s on the tour and now a USTA regional coach in Southern California, has some advice for Leach.

“Play as long as you can,” Teltscher said. “There ain’t a better life. Sometimes you don’t realize it while you’re out there. Rick’s had one of the most underrated careers of anyone on tour. It’s been long and consistently successful and he’s still one of the best doubles players in the world.”

Leach isn’t playing with Ferreira this week because Ferreira lives in Atlanta and he preferred to stay on the East Coast. So Leach picked up Gambill, a 22-year-old who’s ranked 48th in singles and 183rd in doubles. Gambill and Leach were given a wild card into the 16-team draw, but they were not given an easy first-round match. They will play big-serving left-handers Brian MacPhie and Goran Ianisevic.

“It’s going to be an interesting match,” Leach said. “Jan-Michael and I have never even practiced together. But Jan-Michael’s a great player.”

Leach isn’t too bad himself.

DENT FALLOUT

Teltscher said he isn’t worried about Newport Beach teenager Taylor Dent, despite Dent’s quick first-round exit Monday at UCLA against Justin Gimelstob.

“Other serve and volleyers like Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras went through this,” Teltscher said. “Edberg went through a period where he couldn’t win a qualifying match. Then it clicked and he figured out how to play. I think people are going to want to jump off Taylor’s bandwagon. But in two years, those people are going be saying, ‘Oops, look what we missed.’ ”

Teltscher said he also called Jim Courier’s comeback and he predicts Michael Chang will be back too.

BRAVERMAN UPDATE

Brandis Braverman, a 19-year-old from Newport Beach, said her recent strong play on the women’s satellite circuit has as much to do with her newfound motivation as her improved health. Braverman reached the second round of the main draw of the A&P; Tennis Classic/USTA Women’s $50,000 Challenger in Mahwah, N.J., two weeks ago.

Braverman, who was ranked 340th on the Women’s Tennis Assn. computer entering Mahwah, said she has been motivated by the performance of her friend Alexandra Stevenson, who reached the semifinals of Wimbledon four weeks ago.

“Seeing Alexandra do so well was a kick in the pants, a real wake-up,” said Braverman, whose ranking will probably improve at least 50 spots. “I figured if she can do it, why can’t I?”

Braverman has been bothered by tendinitis in her left knee since February, but she is finally close to 100%.