Giving it that old college try

By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

No one gave Brian Vahaly much of a chance when he decided to stay at the University of Virginia until he completed his double major in finance and business management.

He was 21 years old and a rookie on the pro circuit, while many players his age had been on tour for years. Vahaly was determined to prove his doubters wrong, however. In his first year after college, he finished the season ranked No. 403. Less than two years later, he is ranked No. 72 and is the only college graduate in the world's top 100.

"I knew it was going to be hard, but ... I wasn't ready to be on tour," said Vahaly, who played at River Oaks International and the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships this month. "I matured as a person (in college). Some of these guys out here need some of that a little bit. You just grow so much in college outside of the tennis courts and the classroom, and I think a lot of these young guys, the 16- and 17-year-olds, could use that."

After an impressive 2002 season, Vahaly has continued to improve his ranking this year. He reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells by picking up wins over Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo. He also advanced to the semifinals in Memphis before falling to fellow American Andy Roddick. He made his Australian Open debut but drew a first-round matchup against eventual champion Andre Agassi and fell 7-5, 6-3, 6-3.

"As soon as I decided to go for my degree, I didn't really receive any help from anybody or was given much of a chance," Vahaly said. "They said I was too old. It's been nice to prove them wrong over the last few months at Indian Wells and Memphis.

"I think I'm surprising a lot of people. And yet, at the same time, what I hope to be doing is inspiring a lot of college players. Because there are a lot of great players out there in college that have been written off, and I think college is a good stage in a guy's development."

A few players in the top 100 have attended college briefly. James Blake spent two years at Harvard, while Todd Martin spent two years at Northwestern.

"I personally don't think it's smart to go out there and lose all your confidence because you're out there too early," Vahaly said. "As soon as I left college, I started doing real well right away, and I never really looked back.

"I think if these guys who are so young and get out there and lose week in and week out, it's not fun. No one likes to lose, especially every time you walk on the court. You have to believe in yourself. Eighty percent of this game is mental and with that comes confidence, and these guys don't have confidence because they aren't winning."