One wonders how many careers Andre Agassi has jump-started. Or any athlete at the top of his game, for that matter. Put Kilauea’s Alex Latif on what surely is a long list for the world’s number one tennis player. About
One wonders how many careers Andre Agassi has jump-started. Or any athlete at the top of his game, for that matter.
Put Kilauea’s Alex Latif on what surely is a long list for the world’s number one tennis player. About 15 months ago, en route to the 2000 Australian Open, Agassi and his entourage laid roots on Kaua-i’s northshore for a few days.
“They stopped here to adjust to the weather,” Latif said. “I got to watch Agassi hit balls for a couple of days. That’s when I really got into tennis.”
As Agassi stirred Latif’s tennis pot, so did the 12 year old cause a bit of commotion over the weekend of February 3-4 on Oahu. There, the unranked Latif unveiled himself, defeating the second- and third-ranked players (under-12 division) in the state on his way to winning the Barbers Point Junior Tennis Open.
“There were a bunch of good tennis players there,” Latif said. “It was a really unexpected win for me. The first day I played four matches. I was on the court for at least eight hours.”
Two of those matches were played in the 14-and-under division, where Latif advanced to the semifinals. A good sign, considering he turns 13 in June.
“I’m going to have to move up a division,” Latif said. “But it’s okay. It’ll give me a chance to prove myself.”
With “two or three more tournaments” scheduled before his birthday, however, Latif said he’s likely to get a state ranking.
“I should be ranked before the next tournament, which is sometime in May,” he said. “They release the rankings about a week before play actually begins.”
Latif’s ascent to the upper crust of junior tennis in the state is surprising, considering his lack of experience. He confessed to having played in just three career tournaments prior to his Barbers Point victory. And he is discouraged by the shortage of organized events available to the tennis youth of Kaua-i.
“Only one tournament that counts toward [state-ranking] points is played here,” Latif said. “Most of the events are played on the other islands.”
Thus, Latif spends most of his time playing against older friends and adults. And, of course, he hangs on to his visual memory of Agassi.
“He was a really, really powerful player,” Latif said of the pro. “But he’s also really fast. He gets to the ball so quickly and has plenty of time to decide where he’s going to hit it. He’s very patient and anticipates so well.
“I know I’m trying to emulate the pros when I play.”
