Opener Is No Day at the Beach for Rafter

Having reluctantly peeled himself off a beach in Bermuda, Patrick Rafter on Monday returned to the dull business of professional tennis.

His first-round match against Lionel Roux of France was hardly enough to dull his suntan, but did serve to work out the holiday-induced kinks. Rafter, seeded No. 5 in the Infiniti Open at the L.A. Tennis Center at UCLA, defeated Roux, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3.

Rafter is one of the few players on the ATP Tour who wisely builds in two and three-week breaks throughout the year. As if living in Bermuda isn’t vacation enough.

The 24-year-old Australian took two weeks off after Wimbledon and returned to the tour refreshed and ready to face the grueling hardcourt season.

“I was hanging out at home and doing nothing, on the beach. It was fantastic,� Rafter said of his recent hiatus.

His time-management techniques are working. Rafter is enjoying his best season since turning pro in 1990. Rafter began the year at No. 62, got as high as No. 17 and is this week hovering at No. 19.

A serve and volleyer, Rafter plowed through a field of claycourt specialists to get to the semifinals of the French Open last month, losing to Sergi Bruguera. It was the best showing by an Australian male at Roland Garros since 1971.

Rafter is grateful to enjoy elective vacations. Last year he missed the beginning of the season after wrist surgery and then injured his ankle training for his comeback.

His season has been boosted by a potent serve, greater consistency and a sunny disposition that may be a byproduct of his island lifestyle.

Considering that, to some, Los Angeles is thought of as a vacation destination, Rafter may do well here.

He did well Monday, fending off the determined Roux, who is ranked No. 73 in the world.

There were no breaks of serve in the first set, but Rafter gained his advantage in the tiebreaker, which he dominated from an indomitable position at net. Roux would have been in a better position to crack Rafter at the net if his groundstrokes had been less apt to fly off his racket at violently acute angles.

Rafter broke in the first game of the second set and seemed poised to make short work of the rest of it, but the Frenchman rallied and the Australian drooped.

Roux’s serving was speedy but erratic and very nearly brought him down while serving at 3-5 in the second set. Rafter took advantage of missed first serves and chased the second serve to net. He worked his way to two match points, but squandered both.

Rafter grew cautious after losing the break points.

“My first thought was, Just be careful here, he could get back into the match. That’s what happened.�

Roux broke in the next game to put the set back on serve. It was Rafter who was less sharp in the tiebreaker, giving Roux the set.

Rafter got the only service break he needed in the sixth game of the third set, but allowed another match point to slip at 5-3.

Tennis Notes

In the night match, second-seeded Thomas Enqvist defeated Steve Bryan, 6-3, 6-2. . . . Top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic defaulted from his doubles match, reportedly suffering from an unspecified stomach ailment.

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Infiniti Open

TODAY’S FEATURED MATCHES

Beginning 11 a.m.

* Roberto Jabali vs. No. 3 Mark Philippoussis

* Grant Stafford vs. No. 6 Jim Courier

* No. 4 Richard Krajicek vs. Marcos Ondruska

*

Beginning 7:30 p.m.

* Justin Gimelstob vs. No. 7 Andre Agassi