TENNIS / DANA HADDAD : Summer of Sweet Promise Turns Bitter

A summer that appeared promising has turned sour for David Brown and holds even greater disappointment for Romy Mehlman, a schoolmate of Brown’s at Harvard-Westlake High.

Brown and Mehlman anticipated earning lots of points, improving on their rankings and possibly qualifying for the junior national championships in the 18-and-under division. But both were sidelined by injuries during the most-important tournament of the year.

Brown is still injured. Mehlman is playing again, but unbeknown to her has lost a friend and doubles partner to suicide.

Brown, who will be a senior at Harvard, was eliminated quickly in singles in the Southern California sectional championships in late June, only weeks after he had upset Southern Section champion Eni Ghidirmic of Palm Desert in high school play.

Playing with tendinitis in his right (racket) shoulder, Brown didn’t put up much of a fight in the sectional, losing to third-seeded Kelly Gullett, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of the main draw. He then lost to No. 6 Ryan Thompson, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round of consolation play.

After a first-round victory in doubles, Brown and Todd Campbell of Westlake Village defaulted their next match, against the eventual champions, Thompson and Dylan Mann of Canoga Park, because of Brown’s ailing shoulder.

“I could have played it, but I had another singles match the next day,” said Brown, who was limited to playing every other day before the tournament because of his sore shoulder. “Two matches the next day would have been real bad. It was bothering me as it was.”

In a summer most crucial to his bid for a college scholarship, Brown has not played since June 22 while rehabilitating the shoulder.

The injury has forced him to withdraw from several tournaments, most notably the Southern Open and the National Clay Court championships, both in Louisville, Ky. The tournaments are scouted heavily by college coaches.

Mehlman appeared to be making a run in both singles and doubles in the sectional until she suffered a strained quadriceps muscle.

She was excited after a first-round, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over her friend, Julia Feldman, the 1994 City Section singles champion while at Taft High. Mehlman lost in straight sets in the second round to eventual champion Mugette Ahn of Los Angeles, then retired after suffering the leg injury in her first consolation match.

But in doubles, fourth-seeded Mehlman and Julie Banks of Victorville won three matches and rolled into the semifinals.

“I really think we can win this thing,” Mehlman said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to show people what I can do. I hope this is it.”

It wasn’t. The leg injury was too severe. Mehlman and Banks had to default their semifinal match to Calabasas High teammates Kirsten Gross and Shera Wiegler.

Mehlman, who next fall will attend Illinois on a tennis scholarship, has recovered and is on a three-week tour or Europe. Last week she won both the women’s open and mixed doubles titles at a tournament in the Netherlands.

But Banks, who recently had been treated for what was diagnosed as manic depression, committed suicide last week.

Mehlman doesn’t yet know about her friend and doubles partner’s death. Mehlman’s family doesn’t intend to tell her until she returns from Europe at the end of this month.

“Romy will be devastated,” said Gary Mehlman, Romy’s father. “But there’s nothing she could have done.”

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Only rarely does a highly ranked junior player grace the courts of Burbank High, yet the Bulldogs won a Southern Section championship in 1993, are perennially ranked in the top 10 in their division and have won eight consecutive Foothill League championships.

Without great players, how does Coach Clyde Richards do it?

He makes an offer Burbank youths can’t refuse: a weeklong camp for $30, a fee many tennis professionals might charge for an hour.

But at the Burbank Tennis Center, a boy or girl can attend the six-week Be A Champion Tennis Camp for $160. The camp runs weekly until July 27.

Richards’ affordable rate has attracted players whose families might not otherwise be able to afford lessons. Richards has stimulated their interest and, in turn, produced Burbank victories.

Foothill League rival Saugus, after learning about the camp, sent three varsity players to it this summer. Canyon has sent one.

“It’s mainly for Burbank kids,” Richards said. “We aim for that. We haven’t put the word out. But the Saugus coach asked me about it.”

Richards said his budget-friendly program is near capacity.