Taylor Dent Stumbles at Home Again

A leaner, healthier and more confident Taylor Dent showed up at the Mercedes-Benz Cup tennis tournament this year. But for the third year in a row, Dent is going back home to Newport Beach a first-round loser.

Dent played well in spurts, but the 19-year-old serve-and-volleyer still made too many young mistakes, losing to qualifier Lionel Roux, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, Tuesday afternoon at UCLA Tennis Center.

At least this time, Dent made a match out of it. Two years ago, he lost to Sandon Stolle in 55 minutes and last year Justin Gimelstob wiped him out in 44 minutes. The Roux match lasted 1 hour 37 minutes.

“Those guys were a little too good for me then,” said Dent, who has lost seven of eight matches in ATP Tour events. “This year, it wasn’t that. I’m just young and stupid.”

And maybe a little nervous playing in his hometown.

“A lack of concentration is all it comes down to,” Dent said. “I’d love to do well at this tournament. It’s so close to my home.”

Dent, whose 193 ranking is a career high, hadn’t played since retiring with a knee injury in the first round of Wimbledon against Andre Agassi. He was scheduled to play Agassi here. But Agassi pulled out with a back injury, opening the door for Roux, the 259th-ranked Frenchman who lost in the last round of qualifying.

Dent had his chances against Roux, a counter-puncher who was able to pass Dent at crucial times. But Dent couldn’t overcome having his serve broken twice in the third set. The second break came at 3-4 and it handed Roux the match.

“That game I had a tough end to serve from,” Dent said. “The sun was right in my first serve toss. But I didn’t really serve well the whole match.”

Dent’s first serve percentage was acceptable at 63%, but he had twice as many double faults (8) as aces (4) and he won only 43% of his second serve points.

When Dent’s serve was on, he looked good enough to make that next step into the upper echelon of the men’s tour--making several crisp volleys and spectacular drop shots. Dent credits his new “eat for your blood type” diet for his improved movement and athleticism at net.

Dent, who called himself “sluggish” last year, has lost 20 pounds off his 205-pound frame in the last year, 10 since going on a vegetarian diet he picked up from Pat Cash at Wimbledon.

Some in tennis circles have suggested that Dent would be better off if he broke away from his father, Phil, a former top-10 player who has been his only coach.

“If I thought my dad was a problem, I would,” he said. “That was nobody’s fault out there but my own.”

Brett Hansen-Dent, Taylor’s half brother who lost to Roux in qualifying, agreed.

“I don’t think Taylor needs another coach,” he said. “It’s pretty much up to him now. He knows what he needs to do.

“He wants to hit winners and mash people. That’ll work, but that kind of game will take time to perfect.”

The brothers Dent will play the brothers Bryan, Bob and Mike, today in the first round of doubles. Brett is returning to the tour after being out 2 1/2 years with a knee injury.

“I came back,” Hansen-Dent said. “Because I wanted to play doubles with my little brother.”