Sam Querrey time to relax before Farmers Classic

When Sam Querrey opted to play professional tennis rather than accept a scholarship at USC in 2006, he didn’t give up summer break.

The 22-year-old Querrey, who begins doubles play with James Blake on Tuesday at the Farmers Classic at UCLA, last played at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on July 8. In between, Querrey set aside plenty of time to relax at his Santa Monica home.

“A lot of my friends come to stay at my house; we’ll go to the ocean, cook barbecue at my house, go to the movies. We just do whatever,” he said. “Things are good in my life.”

Things are going well for Querrey in tennis too. He has won three tournaments in 2010 and is ranked No. 20 in the world. He achieved his highest-ever ranking at No. 19 earlier in the season.

He enters the Farmers Classic as the defending champion and No. 2-seeded player in singles play. He last faced top-seeded Andy Murray on June 21 in the fourth round at Wimbledon, where he fell, 5-7, 3-6, 4-6. A rematch is possible.

“Hopefully I can have a shot at repeating the title,” Querrey said. “I’ve still got to win three other matches before I get there.”

The word “prodigy” is nearly always used to describe the 6-foot-6, hard-hitting player. He was 14 years old when he played in his first futures event, and he won his first ATP title in Las Vegas in 2008 at the age of 20.

In his first season, he jumped more than 600 spots to finish in the top 150. Though he didn’t join the ranks of the elite right away, Querrey is content with his career thus far.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished. My ranking has gone up every year,” he said.

That his standings continue to grow this season is a reason for Querrey to be cheerful. He suffered a potentially career-ending injury in Bangkok in 2009.

“I was sitting on a glass coffee table putting my shoes and socks on, which is not a good idea, and it broke,” he said. “I looked down and there was a piece of glass sticking out my right forearm.”

The shard pierced a muscle in the right-handed player’s arm, ending his season early and setting off months of rehabilitation. By January, Querrey was playing tennis again, with a little extra motivation.

“It let me know that anything can be taken away from me, just like that,” he said. “It’s a blessing that I can even play.”

And despite all of his accomplishments in 2010, Querrey has remained down-to-earth; he had to dart from Pauley Pavilion after training Monday so he would have time to go grocery shopping to cook for his friends and family.

The pre-match cookout would mark the end of Querrey’s brief summer holiday.

“I went to the beach, I rested my body and mind,” he said. “Now I’m ready to go for this week.”

First day results

Rainer Schuettler of Germany won the first match of Farmers Classic main draw play when No. 7-seeded Horacio Zeballos retired with a hamstring injury.

Seeded players had no trouble after that, however. No. 5-seeded Ernests Gulbis, the youngest player in the tournament, defeated Lukas Lacko, 7-5, 7-5, and No. 6-seeded Janko Tipsarevic defeated Santiago Giraldo, 6-1, 6-0.

laura.myers@latimes.com