Former world No. 42 Jeff Tarango is enjoying himself playing USTA National events. This week, Tarango reached the semifinals of the USTA National 40 Hard Court Championships in La Jolla, California, where he will meet USC coach Peter Smith, whom he is now an assistant coach for.
"Everybody you play here has such a different game style," said Tarango who won two singles and 14 doubles titles while on tour. "Everybody trains in a different way. It’s kind of neat to see all of these gurus of tennis out here. These guys have their own technique and how they prepare. It’s really kind of classic to be out here and just seeing how all of these guys operate. To me, that’s the exciting part."
Robby Ginepri, who reached the 2005 US Open semis, played the USTA National Father and Son Hard Court Championships, with his father Robert, but they fell in the third round. Carl and Joe Chang also played and lost. The Father and Son is run currently with the 40s at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club..More than few former pros have won that event. Richard and Rick Leach won it in 1999, and Anand and Steven Amritraj won it in 1998. Oregon's Brian and Brett Joelson are attempting to win their ninth straight USTA National Father and Son Hard Court Championship this week.