In Grand Scheme, U.S. Is Called Out in Tennis

After breaking away from England 230 years ago, here’s a news flash, America: We have become England.

Yes, the United States is now in the same boat as the old mother country -- bedeviled by an underachieving soccer team, disappointed by big-name golfers who melt down in majors, and most recently, embarrassed by the inability to land anyone in the singles quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

In fact, the years being mentioned most often in London this week are 1966 and 1911. For the English, 1966 was the last World Cup victory. Across the pond, 1911 was the last time an American failed to reach the quarterfinals on the previously hospitable grass courts.

Welcome to the new world order.

Andy Roddick, a finalist the last two years, ousted in straight sets in the third round.

Andre Agassi’s farewell Wimbledon run given the quick boot, silenced in the third round.

James Blake, soon to leapfrog Roddick as the top-ranked American men’s player in the world, sent home before the first weekend.

Defending women’s champion Venus Williams also didn’t make it out of the third round. Former Wimbledon winners Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport did not even enter the tournament.

The failure of the 2006 U.S. Wimbledon contingent has led to humiliating headlines worldwide, trickling down to stick-and-ball talk shows such as ESPN2’s “Cold Pizza,” where Skip Bayless dragged the name of Pete Sampras through the mud, saying Sampras was to blame for the decline in U.S. tennis by boring a whole generation of potential serve-and-volleyers into more interesting pursuits.

Such as golf, snowboarding and competitive eating.

“Oh, is Agassi to blame also?” former pro Eliot Teltscher, of the U.S. Tennis Assn., said jokingly.

“Keep in mind, we didn’t come close to winning the baseball, basketball or the hockey or the soccer,” he added, referring to recent American pratfalls at the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic and the World Cup. “It’s not tennis. We’re not winning anything anymore. This country’s dominance in sports has died in everything.”

Today, there are as many Chinese women ranked in the top 50 as Americans. Russia has 10 of the top 50, France five and the U.S. three -- 30-year-old Davenport, 26-year-old Venus Williams and 32-year-old Jill Craybas.

Five years ago, there were three American women in the Wimbledon semifinals: Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams and Davenport.

As for young talent?

Possible replacements for the respected elders, the likes of the soon-to-be retired Agassi, the ailing Davenport and the waffling Willliamses, part-timers Venus and Serena, and the emotionally fragile Roddick?

Among players age 21 and under ranked in the ATP’s top 100, there is a Scot, a Serb and a Cypriot, among others. There is not one American.

“Look at where the players are coming from now, places like Serbia,” said doubles star Bob Bryan of Camarillo. “War-torn places. They’re playing tennis for survival. They’re busting just to get out.”

David King, the father and coach of rising teenager Vania King of Long Beach, understands that mentality, having immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. He doesn’t often see Maria Sharapova’s trademark intensity on those shores. “She had to fight for her life,” he said.

The Eastern-European tilt is more pronounced on the women’s side. Russia has 13 players in the top 100.

“The [International Tennis Federation] has done a very nice job of promoting tennis around the world,” said the USTA’s Paul Roetert, managing director of its high-performance program.

There are four American women ranked in the top 100 who are 21 and under -- Jamea Jackson, Shenay Perry, Ashley Harkleroad and King, but none are in the top 50.

To be sure, questions are being raised after the dismal U.S. performances at the Grand Slam events in 2006. Those are usually expected after clay-challenged American showings, not after a surprising flop on the quick-strike surface of grass.

Legendary champion Jimmy Connors, who has been in talks to assist coaching Roddick this summer, stressed the need for action when he was commentating on the BBC, saying: “And if something’s not done in a hurry, we’re going to miss another generation after this.”

These concerns, typically, land at the door of the USTA. The organization is scheduled to have a news conference today at Wimbledon.

“They have to do something here,” said well-respected coach Robert Lansdorp, who guided the early careers, among others, of Davenport, Sharapova, Sampras and Tracy Austin. “The USTA cannot keep doing what they’re doing. It’s disastrous almost what’s going on. It’s getting worse and worse. This cycle is pretty bad. This has got to be a huge wake-up call.”

In reality, the USTA’s role may be overstated. The very best American players in recent years were developed by single-minded parents (e.g., Richard Williams) or large-scale tennis academies.

The USTA operates high-performance centers in Key Biscayne, Fla., and the Home Depot Center, providing hard courts, clay courts and considerable coaching assistance to children, junior players, fledgling pros and established tour players.

Should there be a full-scale overhaul?

“I’m comfortable saying no,” said Tom Ross, senior vice president of the sports management firm Octagon. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t periodically examine the issue and evaluate your options. You have to continue to strive to make the sport as accessible, attractive, economical, inviting, fun, trendy....

“If you do all those things, then your base undoubtedly grows.”

Patrick McEnroe would like to see the USTA take the full plunge.

“I’m more in favor of them being more hands-on,” said the U.S. Davis Cup captain. “I’d like to see them train a few top players, and take 100% responsibility for it.”

All this isn’t to say the shelves have been stripped bare. Three Southern California teens are highly regarded by tennis observers.

Teltscher, director of tennis operations of the USTA’s high-performance program, called 18-year-old Sam Querrey of Thousand Oaks, who recently turned pro and promptly won a singles title in a $50,000 event in Yuba City, Calif., “the real deal.” He also believes King, 17, and her close friend Alexa Glatch, 16, of Newport Beach have top 10 potential.

King is ranked No. 88 and made the semifinals of a WTA tournament this year.

Though Donald Young has impressive junior credentials, his progress has seemingly stalled after he failed to win a set on the main pro tour this year and in 2005.

Teltscher’s highest praise comes for the youngsters. He said the group of girls he watched this spring at the Easter Bowl in the 14-and-under division was the best he had seen in the last five to six years, and singled out two 15-year-old boys, Chase Buchanan and Rhyne Williams, who both recently qualified for a $10,000 pro event in Vero Beach, Fla.

Two of Lansdorp’s current prospects are even further removed from prime time, two pre-teens -- Mika De Coster of Coto De Caza and Carolyn Xie of San Diego. “She hits with a one-handed backhand,” Lansdorp said.

Times staff writer Diane Pucin and special correspondent Chuck Culpepper contributed to this report from London, and staff writer Lauren Peterson contributed from Los Angeles.