Dent Looks Ahead After Quick Exit

After losing to Greg Rusedski in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Cup tournament Tuesday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, Taylor Dent of Newport Beach will have to look forward to other events this summer.

The U.S. Open is one of them, the Olympics another.

Dent, who lost, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-2, is one of five members of the U.S. Olympic men’s tennis team that will travel to Athens next month participating at UCLA.

For Dent, it will be a family affair.

Dent and Misty May are cousins, and May, one half of the No. 1-ranked women’s beach volleyball team in the world with Kerri Walsh, also will be competing at Athens in her sport.

“I don’t think we’re going to be seeing each other very much there, but we’re both looking forward to going and competing,” Dent said. “It means a lot to me. It’d mean a lot more to me if I did well for my country.”

May and Walsh will have more than one fan on the U.S. men’s tennis team.

Mardy Fish also is looking forward to going to Athens.

“I’m pretty excited about watching some of the other stuff, like women’s volleyball,” he said with a grin.

Dent and Fish will be joined on the U.S. Olympic team by Andy Roddick, Vince Spadea and Camarillo twins Mike and Bob Bryan. All but Roddick are in Los Angeles this week.

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Wayne Ferreira, the defending tournament champion, was unceremoniously dumped in the first round by Paradorn Srichaphan, 6-3, 7-6 (4), and the defeat only cemented his belief that he would retire at age 32 following upcoming Davis Cup and U.S. Open play.

It is something Ferreira has contemplated seriously since playing in his tour-record 55th consecutive Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon last month.

“As far as dedicating my life to tennis and that being my only focus, the U.S. Open will be it,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of injuries that don’t allow me to practice as much as I like, but I don’t have the motivation or enthusiasm to practice and train. I just don’t feel like I have it anymore.”

A winner of 15 titles in his career, Ferreira wants to devote more time to his family.

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The pain of a first-round loss to Cyril Saulnier of France would not go away for Spadea.

Even after he retired because of injury, it was still there, stiff and excruciating, in his back.

Spadea suffered a herniated disk six years ago, and he hadn’t felt anything like it since. But he lost the first set, 6-4, and was forced to stop playing before the second set began Tuesday.

“I’m in acute pain, but hopefully, it’s going to get better,” said Spadea, No. 24 in the ATP entry-system rankings. “I think it’s just a matter of time, taking it day by day.”