Tourney opportunity for ‘young’ players

July 18, 2008 12:22 am

— By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
Despite first-round exits in both singles and doubles, Millennium tennis professional Diego Camacho was glad to play in the USTA Freeman $10,000 Futures Tournament this week.
“It’s a great experience,” he said. “It takes me back in time to when I was playing in these tournaments and training and getting ready. It kind of reminds me of old times.”
Camacho and Mauricio Estivariz, his Davis Cup partner from Bolivia, lost their doubles match Tuesday night to Steven Forman and Cory Parr, two All-Americans from Wake Forest.
In singles action Wednesday morning, Camacho lost to Jean-Yves Aubone, the top player at Florida State.
Camacho received considerable advice after both matches, much of it from the players he coaches at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School.
“This (tournament at Millennium) is a great opportunity for the younger kids,” Camacho said. “I would say that’s the most important thing, to encourage the younger ones to keep going, to keep improving, to keep getting better because they are not that far away from this.
“That is the most important thing of hosting this kind of tournament, and for the community as well.”
Many high-level tennis professionals got their start in the Futures events.
“Most of these guys are young,” said Camacho, at 25 one of the older players in the field. “This is the type of guy you’re going to see in a couple of years make the 100s (ATP world rankings) and be in the big tournaments. Remember their names ... you’re going to see somebody in a year or two who is here this week.”
Points are more valuable than money in the Futures events. First-place money is $1,300 for singles and $630 for the doubles team to divide. But the first-place points — 12 in both singles and doubles — help the players move up in the world rankings. Players have to win a match in the main draw to earn any points.
“You never know ... you get a good month of tennis and you can pick up 200 or 300 spots,” Camacho said. “Money is just for the expenses. You play these tournaments for the points and to get higher rankings.”
For example, Aubone’s world ranking, No. 1362 just three weeks ago, has improved to 1054 this week. It jumped 209 spots after he won the Futures event last week in Peoria, Ill.