By Mitch Abramson
The Glendale resident has lost in the finals of the Mayor's Cup singles tournament two years in a row at the home of the US Open. Heading into Sunday's final against Brooklyn Tech's Andre Vorobyov, he was trying to reverse the curse of the famed playing grounds and win his first championship.But as his father, Derek accurately stated following the final: “The ghost of the National Tennis Center continues,” and his son, seeded second, was defeated by No. 8 Vorobyov 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in a match that lacked any suspense in the second set when Tomczyk seemed to lose interest. The freshman insisted that playing at the National Tennis Center did more to weaken him than any of Vorobyov's shots. Once he dropped the first set, Tomczyk could see the handwriting on the wall.”I never play well here,” he said. “I made mostly stupid mistakes. I mean, he played well, but I really didn't play well. Even in the early matches, I had a rough time. There's something about playing here. I try not to think about it, but something happens when I'm here.”Something also happens when he plays Vorobyov, a scrappy competitor who is a human backboard and never gives up points. Vorobyov beat him last year in the Mayor's Cup when they were in middle school, and he turned the tables on his 6-foot-3 opponent by varying the pace and budging him from his baseline perch.Tomczyk is ranked No. 2 in the Eastern Tennis Association Under-16's and he is comfortable playing against opponents who hit with pace. He went 10-0 playing No. 1 singles for Hunter this year, and he works with a private coach five days a week. In Vorobyov, he was facing his opposite in strength and style.”I don't want to take anything away from him, but I should have beaten him,” Tomczyk said. “His style affected me a little bit in the match. I'm used to competing against players who hit hard. He gives you junk: a lot of slices and stuff.”Tomczyk's family emigrated from Poland in 1986. Derek works for an environmental firm. His wife is responsible for picking up Tomczyk from school and driving him to Long Island where he practices at Robbie Wagner's Tennis Club. Tomczyk begins his day at 5:30 a.m. and doesn't return home until late in the evening. It's an ambitious schedule that he hopes will produce a scholarship at an Ivy League school. On Sunday, his hard work was trumped by the hard luck of playing at the National Tennis Center.”The bottom line is that he had no right to lose to this kid,” Derek said. “He gave up today.”Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by E-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
