Haas Recovers, Will Defend UCLA Title

Beware the innocent-looking tennis ball, rolling onto the court, ready to ambush unsuspecting victims.

They have taken out beginners, weekend wannabes and professionals. Almost every player has come close to stepping on an errant tennis ball, and the clumsier (and unluckier) sorts have suffered painful injuries by doing so. This, however, is not supposed to happen at prestigious Wimbledon.

But it did.

Tommy Haas of Germany recalled warming up for his first-round match against Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia last month at Wimbledon on Court 3. Apparently one of Tipsarevic’s serves rolled back from the fence, unspotted and ready to wreak havoc.

“I don’t think it happened any time before,” Haas said in a conference call last week to promote the Mercedes-Benz Cup tennis tournament, which starts today at UCLA.

“Usually, the ball kid’s job is to get the balls out of the way, but no one was saying anything. The ball just rolled back and stopped right in front of my right foot while I was serving.

“I landed on the ball in such a way I twisted my ankle and tore a ligament, and the swelling was quite big right after, so I knew there was no chance for me to finish the match. I kept trying to play and see what happens, but there was no chance. So it was something that was very unlucky and something that I do not think would ever happen again.”

His Wimbledon run in 2005 lasted one set and three games into the second against Tipsarevic before the pain and discomfort forced him to retire from the match.

“That is part of life,” Haas said. “There are definitely many worse things in life than that, so it is just another hurdle to jump over.”

Unfortunately, the 27-year-old Haas has encountered drastically more difficult circumstances in recent years. His parents were nearly killed in a motorcycle accident in 2002, suffering serious injuries. He then sat out about 15 months because of two shoulder surgeries, one in 2002 and another in 2003.

Luckily, for him, the Wimbledon mishap put his career on hold for weeks, not months. Haas will be back in action for the first time since then, returning to UCLA as the defending champion. He defeated three-time champion Andre Agassi in last year’s quarterfinals, and countryman Nicolas Kiefer in the final, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

This year, Haas is seeded fourth behind Agassi, Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia and Kiefer. In the first round, Haas will play the big-serving Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, and Kiefer will face wild-card entry James Blake. Indianapolis finalist Taylor Dent of Newport Beach is seeded fifth, followed by Mario Ancic of Croatia, Sebastien Grosjean of France and Vince Spadea, who was shifted in the draw when Greg Rusedski of Britain withdrew because of a neck injury.

In addition to Rusedski, the tournament was hit with several other withdrawals, including the usual last-minute one before the draw. Fourth-ranked Andy Roddick, who lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Robby Ginepri at Indianapolis on Friday, pulled out of UCLA a few hours later, citing a sore right knee.

Others withdrawing earlier were Swedes Thomas Johansson and Joachim Johansson apparently because of injuries and Guillermo Canas of Argentina, who has not been playing on the circuit since he announced that he is under investigation because of an apparent positive drug test.

One intriguing subplot will involve the state of the 35-year-old Agassi, who will play a qualifier in the first round and could meet Kevin Kim of Newport Coast or Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark in the second.

Agassi has been sidelined since the French Open because of a sciatic nerve problem and has needed at least one cortisone shot since then.

He has been practicing in the area since early last week, according to his management, making progress since having to withdraw from the Indianapolis event.

The American coming to UCLA with the most momentum is the resurgent Ginepri. Ginepri won the second title of his career, defeating Dent at Indianapolis.

Dent and Ginepri are in opposite sides of the draw. In the first round, Dent is scheduled to play Mardy Fish, returning from right wrist surgery.

Ginepri drew Wayne Arthurs of Australia in the first round, and could face Kiefer or Blake in the second.

*

The facts

What: Mercedes-Benz Cup, part of the U.S. Open Series.

* Where: UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center.

* When: Today-Sunday. Action is at 11 a.m and 7:30 p.m., today through Wednesday; noon and 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Friday; and 3 p.m and 8 p.m., Saturday; Sunday’s final is at

2 p.m.

* Who: Top-seeded players are Andre Agassi, Dominik Hrbaty, Nicolas Kiefer, Tommy Haas, Taylor Dent, Mario Ancic, Sebastien Grosjean and Greg Rusedski.

* 2004 singles champion: Haas

* 2004 doubles champions: Mike and Bob Bryan.

* Charity event: Night at the Net, a pro-celebrity doubles match benefiting MusicCares, at 7:30 tonight.