The Next Big Thing in American tennis sounded very much like someone who’s already lived through that cursed title Tuesday at the Atlanta Tennis Championships.
Ryan Harrison, 19 years old and ranked No. 120 in the world, dispassionately dissected his 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory with over Yuichi Sugita at the Racquet Club of the South with the focus of a veteran.
Harrison owned the first set with a punishing serve and dictating forehand and then had break points in several different games in the second set that he couldn’t take advantage of. Suddenly, Sugita had a chance to win the set and extend the match.
“Tennis can change so quickly,” Harrison said. “I was dictating everything, and all of a sudden he’s holding.”
With back-and-force baseline adjustments by both players, Harrison finally sealed the victory against the qualifier. “It’s not a bad thing to get pushed a little bit,” he said.
That wisdom and ability to adapt is one of the things that has impressed James Blake. A veteran on the tour, Blake defeated Harrison 6-3, 6-2 on the clay courts in Houston in 2008.
“I think one of the best things about him is he’s eager to learn, which will serve him well,” Blake said. “He has a great chance to reach his potential. ... I’m not an expert. I don’t know what that will be, whether it’s top 10, top 5, top 50, I don’t know, but he’ll reach his potential.”
Harrison almost seemed fated to play, picking up a racket when he was 2 years old growing up in Shreveport, La. He learned from his father, Pat, who played at Oklahoma State and Mississippi before a short pro career.
Harrison was a natural, losing to his father in the finals of the Shreveport City Championships when he was 11. He won three tournaments on the ITF Junior Circuit and rose to as high as No. 7 in rankings.
He has won a doubles title, but hasn’t won a singles championship since moving to the ATP Tour. He knocked off three players ranked in the top 50 to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells earlier this year. His run was stopped by Roger Federer in a two-set sweep, but not before taking him to a first-set tiebreaker.
That ability, actually that desire, to push the former top-ranked player in the world is why Harrison doesn’t shy away from expectations that have caused others to self-destruct.
He said he wants to win Grand Slams. He wants to be No. 1. He picks the brain of Andy Roddick, formerly the top-ranked player in the world, on what he needs to do next.
“It’s a privilege to be mentioned in that sentence,” Harrison said. “I’ve got more than a couple of steps to get there, but I believe in my game and believe in my abilities.”
That ability to stay focused and improve as matches continue is the next big lesson that Harrison said he must learn if he wants to reach No. 1. Harrison will get that chance when he faces Xavier Malisse, the fourth seed, in the second round of the ATC.
“I’ve put myself in contention to win and not come thorough against guys in the top 10,” he said. “My level’s not dropping, but their level is rising. It’s a matter of getting into that situation and saying I’m going to match you.”
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