Issue date: 9/8/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Wade Barker W while tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have fought for the right to be called the best in the world, the best tennis player in Aggieland has been Austin Krajicek. Despite the difference in prestige, the three of them played on the same stage at the U.S. Open. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Marcia Frost - www.CollegeandJuniorTennis.com Austin Krajicek can serve the tennis ball up to 125 miles an hour. At that rate, one can drive from Wellborn Road to Texas Avenue on University Drive in 34.6 seconds. [Click to enlarge]

After winning the United States Tennis Association's Boys' 18 National Championship on Aug. 10, sophomore general studies major Austin Krajicek, a Brandon, Fla., -native earned a wildcard berth to become the second Aggie to compete at the U.S. Open in New York City.

Packed into the neighborhood of Flushing Meadows at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, 128 of the top men's singles tennis players kicked off the tournament on Aug. 25 vying to be crowned the U.S. Open champion.

Professionals like Federer and Nadal shared the playbill with amateurs like Krajicek, the only collegiate player in the field.

"It was a great experience," Krajicek said. "It was pretty cool. I had my expenses paid for, but I can't take the money because I'm in college, so I was trying to rack up the dinner bill. I didn't do too good of a job."

Krajicek drew Argentinean Agustin Calleri on court four of the complex in the first round of the tournament. The 31-year-old Calleri entered the tournament ranked No. 49 in the world and had been playing professionally since 1995, the same year Krajicek first picked up a racket.

"I started [playing tennis] when I was 5," said Krajicek, who turned 18 in June. "My dad was kind of playing at our local club and I just kind of picked up a racket and played a little and never really stopped."

Calleri, who has earned $3.5 million in career prize money, has been ranked as high as No. 16 in the world and has played in seven U.S. Opens, making a personal best third round appearance in 2007 and 2000.

"There were a lot of people watching," Krajicek said. "I really didn't have too much pressure on me, no one really expected me to do that well. I just kind of went out there and tried to play my game and just see what would happen."

Though the young left-hander was able to take two games from the experienced Calleri in the first and second sets, the Argentinean overpowered Krajicek, taking all three sets 6-2, 6-2 and 6-1.

"I was pretty confident going in," Krajicek said. "I had some good practices up until I played. I didn't play the best match. That happens sometimes and he played really well and that's just part of the game."

Being sent back to College Station without a victory was far from a disappointment for Krajicek. He said he was very positive about the whole experience.

"I really love to play the game and I think that to reach the professional level you have to," he said. "It's a hard sport mentally and there's a lot of ups and downs and almost every week you're going to lose a match unless you're Roger Federer. Almost every week you're going to lose and that's tough to deal with sometimes.

"You have to wait three or four weeks to get past the first round and you just have to be patient," he added. "It's really hard to stay positive through that and I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far."

Coincidentally, Krajicek's draw was in the same bracket as Federer, his favorite tennis player. Had Krajicek defeated Calleri and continued to make a Cinderella run through the tournament, he would have faced Federer in the quarterfinals.

"At first it's a little weird being in the same locker room and everything," Krajicek said about seeing guys like Federer and Nadal at the U.S. Open. "I think I see myself playing with them in the future so I try not to be too intimidated by them. They're great athletes and they're really good guys, too."

Krajicek's athleticism is in his genes. His father, Rob, played college basketball while his mother, Sherry, was a professional water skier. He trained at the IMG/Bollettieri Tennis Academy, whose famous alumni include Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Maria Sharapova.

After the U.S. Open, Krajicek returned to A&M where he had earned the title of co-Big 12 Freshman of the Year and co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2008. He posted a 16-7 record in singles and a 10-1 record in doubles when paired with teammate Conor Pollock.

Though A&M tennis was marginally successful with a 13-12 record and a 2-4 record in conference play, team leaders Krajicek, Pollock and Wil Spencer are returning for the 2009 season.

"I think we're looking pretty good right now," Krajicek said about taking on the Big 12. "We got a couple freshmen in and hopefully we'll get some more guys in January. Me, Conor and Wil are going to be back so I think we'll be up there. Hopefully, we'll have a good year."

However, like basketball, college tennis players are always susceptible to the desire to go pro and leave school early for the ATP tour. After playing the 2002 season with A&M, Lester Cook left school to join the tour and has not played in the U.S. Open main draw. Krajicek did not say if he would follow in the footsteps of Cook, but he did not rule out the possibility.

"I'm not sure," he said. "It's very possible but I'm just kind of taking it a year at a time and seeing how it plays out and how I'm playing at tournaments and everything. But right now I'm planning on being here for a while."

Austin Krajicek in a nutshell
Favorite meal: his mother's steak and gravy with homemade macaroni and cheese
Favorite places to eat in BCS: Pei Wei Asian Diner and C&J Barbeque
Favorite sport other than tennis: basketball (to play) ;football (to watch)
Favorite tennis player: Roger Federer
Favorite class at A&M: Ben Welch's MGMT 105, Introduction to Business

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