Mamiit leaves USC tennis for pros

By Jason Spencer
Staff Writer

Even with the start of the 1997 collegiate tennis season more than five months away, the USC men's tennis team has suffered its first loss.
Last season's freshman phenom for the Trojans, Cecil Mamiit, has decided to forgo his three years of college eligibility and go in search of greener pastures by playing in the U.S. Open and joining the professional tennis tour.
"We really thought that Cecil would be back because he really liked USC and I think he wanted to come back," USC Coach Dick Leach said. "His dad and mom, who should be put in jail for child abuse, are the ones who talked him into it.
"(His parents) don't realize that their son has a chance to get out of the gutter and make something of his life with an education from USC and I think that they are a little short-sighted thinking he is going to go out into the pros and make some money."
Mamiit's parents were unavailable for comment.
Last year was supposed to be the start of something big for Mamiit in his collegiate career. His freshman year saw him attain the No. 1 ranking in the nation while compiling a 33-5 regular season record en route to becoming the NCAA national singles champion in May.
However, despite the first-year success Mamiit attained, Leach said the skill that Mamiit has now just isn't enough to compete at the professional level.
"I don't think he has the weapons right now in his game to win at the top level," Leach said. "He doesn't have a big shot. His backhand is pro level, but his forehand is not, his second serve is not, and he needs to get to the net more, which he is reluctant to do."
Mamiit was to be the No. 1 singles player again this year on a USC team that finished in a second-place tie with Stanford in the Pacific 10 Conference.
What hurts more is that Mamiit leaves the Trojans when they needed him the most. Leach must now find someone to anchor a team that returns only two players from last season's team: Fernando Samayoa and Kyle Spencer.
"We lost the top five off of a very good team," Leach said. "Basically now, with Cecil leaving, we have a real tough job ahead of us."
This event isn't just a once in a lifetime occurrence for Leach. He faced a similar situation during the summer of 1994 when Trojan Wayne Black left school in August to pursue a pro career.