Loucks’ Expectations Bloom Under California Skies

PALM SPRINGS â€”  Two years ago, Matt Loucks would have been thrilled to reach the quarterfinals of the Easter Bowl Junior Tennis Championships. But since moving to Irvine two years ago from Spokane, Wash., Loucks’ game and his expectations have changed dramatically.

So much so that a three-set loss Wednesday afternoon to lanky, hard-serving John Isner of Greensboro, N.C., in the boys’ 16 division was no longer acceptable, even though he played with a strained right hip flexor that he injured Tuesday.

“He played pretty well, but I should have still been able to win in two sets,� Loucks said. “I was kind of out of it, thinking too much about my condition.�

Regardless of Wednesday’s result, Loucks’ game is in good enough shape to attract the attention of Elliot Teltscher, the United States Tennis Assn. Southern California regional coach.

“He’s got a very good backhand,� Teltscher said. “He’s very athletic and very strong. He’s got a few holes in his game that he needs to work on.�

But Loucks, and his family, have shown that they are willing to work on filling in the holes.

Tom and Debbie Loucks left the rain, the indoor courts and their friends in Spokane so their sons, Matt and Adam, could play against better competition year round, instead of a few times a year at national tournaments.

“I grew up in Washington and I didn’t have the tournaments that I knew they needed to play,� Tom Loucks said.

He still turned out to be a pretty good tennis player, a two-time Washington state high school champion and the No. 4 singles player and Teltscher’s teammate at UCLA. But he wanted more for his sons.

“Matt’s ground strokes are already better than mine,� Loucks said. “I was trying to play catch up at UCLA. Changing my game, doing things at 20 that I needed to be doing at 14 or 15.�

Before the Louckses moved to Irvine, they had already pulled their children out of school so they could concentrate on tennis. The Louckses moved into the University High district, but Matt and Adam attend Spirit Preparatory School in Tustin where they are in the independent study program.

“Our progression went from public to private schools, but even then they were missing too many Fridays because of tournaments,� Tom Loucks said. “I know when I was in school I found a lot of the stuff I did unnecessary. My wife and I believe education is critical, we’re both college educated. But to be a top-notch player, you have to be able to give them the time to play, plus all the best competition and the best coaching.�

Matt, who would be a sophomore at University, realizes he is giving up a lot to become a better tennis player.

“I miss the social part of high school, but I wouldn’t do it any other way,� he said. “I couldn’t do it any other way.�

But Loucks would like to find a way to join hitting partners Aaron Yovan and Henry Mak on University’s top-ranked tennis team.

“I’m thinking about taking a few classes at University so I could be eligible to play next year,� he said. “I’d only do it if my brother did it with me. I think we’d be pretty much unstoppable.�

In the last year, Loucks’ Southern California ranking has jumped from 30 to six and his national ranking is up to 12.

Matt credits much of his improvement to famed tennis instructor Robert Lansdorp, who coached Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport and Tracy Austin. All of those players skipped college tennis to pursue a professional career.

Is Loucks thinking about taking the same path?

“I’m keeping my options open,� Matt Loucks said. “But I’d like to go pro.�

Said Tom Loucks: “Realistically, if you’re talking about going pro out of high school, you should be one of the top two players in the country. He would have to make an awfully big leap in two years to do that.�

Notes

Matt Loucks was supposed to play Aaron Yovan today in the consolation rounds, but he pulled out with his hip injury. Yovan was beaten Wednesday by Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Rylan Rizza, 6-2, 6-2. “He was more aggressive,� Yovan said. “I just couldn’t set up points. He’d lead every point and I never got going.�

Anaheim’s Tracy Lin lost in the girls’ 14 quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-3, by Lejia Hodzic of Cupertino. Lin wanted to bang away from the baseline, but Hodzic’s moon-balls kept her off balance. “It’s frustrating,� Lin said. “I know I needed to come in more, but I’m not comfortable with doing that yet.�