Waiting Game Is a Losing Proposition

BURBANK — The HealthSouth USTA Challenger boasts such recognizable names as Andre Agassi, Sargis Sargsian and Daniel Nestor in the main draw.

But the holiday tournament was thrown for a loop Wednesday by another well-known name.

El Nino.

With storms forecast throughout Southern California, tournament officials kept an eye on television weather reports all morning, hoping to get lucky.

The rain was sporadic, allowing morning matches to start by noon. But afternoon clouds produced enough rain to halt play before those matches could be completed.

That means players will have to spend their Thanksgiving making up for lost time.

“Hopefully it won’t take too long,” said Michael Sell, who is scheduled to finish his second-round match at 10 a.m. “Then we can have some turkey and watch some football.”

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The eighth-seeded Sell was leading David DiLucia 6-1, 5-2, when play was halted.

“It’s always frustrating not to complete a match,” Sell, the No. 157-ranked player, said. “It’s tough to get your body all psyched up, then stop and have to start again.”

The match figures to stay on his mind all night, especially because he and DiLucia are roommates.

Would the friends-turned-competitors talk to each other?

“We talk every night,” DiLucia said.

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Brandon Coupe never so much as set foot on the court Wednesday. His second-round match against Agassi was rescheduled for 11:30 a.m. today.

“I was hoping to get it in,” Coupe said. “The nerves will have to start all over again tomorrow.”

The 25-year-old Northern Californian turned professional after graduating from San Jose State a year and a half ago. He is ranked No. 82 in doubles but has yet to have much success as a singles player.

So the Burbank tournament, which ranks slightly below a full-fledged Assn. of Tennis Professionals Tour event, offers him a shot at valuable ATP points.

“These are great tournaments,” he said. “It’s very competitive because everyone wants to be at that upper echelon. They’re really fighting hard.”