Bjorn Fratangelo

[ClarkC]

#2 Blue Chip is Filip Peliwo from British Columbia. He is doing very well in the Junior French Open, and made the finals of the Junior Australian Open. The Canadian Tennis Federation pushes their top players to go pro, and they provide a good support system. I expect we will hear soon that Peliwo turned pro. The top guys actually going to college will be Mitchell Krueger and Mac Styslinger.

[10isplayer]

Peliwo actually already turned pro. Check the lagardere website under their clients

[Satsuma Illini]

Which means Illini recruit Jared Hiltzik is moving up close to the top of the rankings! Good for us.

Illini Recruits

[Clemson_tennis]

There is talk that Krueger may be going pro now. A&M fans seem to think he is as good as gone.

[treeman10]

Originally Posted by Clemson_tennis

Also very few players are making breakthroughs at young ages now. Most make breakthroughs in the pro tour around age 20-21 which is the age of a college junior. Going to college for a year or two is not that damaging. Lots of top juniors haven't top anything when they decided tonot go to college. Players like Cesar Ramirez who was a top player.

Agree. That's why I like a year of college and if you end up at the top of NCAAs then go for it, but even then it doesn't always work out. Then you don't trade that life experience away. Which leads to this question (which maybe a thread of it's own), in the last few years, of those going pro early (prior to college) or after a year or so, who is doing well enough to say it was the right decision? It seems we talk about them going pro then they disappear from conversation....are there any standouts that went pro early - say before 19 or 20 - on the tour now?

[Clemson_tennis]

Originally Posted by treeman10

Agree. That's why I like a year of college and if you end up at the top of NCAAs then go for it, but even then it doesn't always work out. Then you don't trade that life experience away. Which leads to this question (which maybe a thread of it's own), in the last few years, of those going pro early (prior to college) or after a year or so, who is doing well enough to say it was the right decision? It seems we talk about them going pro then they disappear from conversation....are there any standouts that went pro early - say before 19 or 20 - on the tour now?

The only recent one I can think of is Sam Querrey. He is the only one that could have gone to college who went pro and actually did well(of course I am not countine players like Harrison where college was never an option). Everyone else usually hovers around in futures and maybe challengers and then makes a breakthrough around the same time they would have graduated college or often times no breakthrough at all.

[Gatorluver]

I just heard Bjorn turned pro - sorry Dawgie Dawg.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by Gatorluver

I just heard Bjorn turned pro - sorry Dawgie Dawg.

I heard that too. Not sure whether it was mentioned during the French or just mentioned on TTC.

[Satsuma Illini]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

I heard that too. Not sure whether it was mentioned during the French or just mentioned on TTC.

I saw it in a couple of places.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by Satsuma Illini

I saw it in a couple of places.

“It was a huge relief,” said Fratangelo, who turns 19 in July. “Every day it was back and forth. My family and I would talk about it, but they left it up to me. I’m not the best at decision-making.”

I think the last line sums it up

[The Wreck]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

“It was a huge relief,” said Fratangelo, who turns 19 in July. “Every day it was back and forth. My family and I would talk about it, but they left it up to me. I’m not the best at decision-making.”

I think the last line sums it up

He was thinking like any 19 year old would. Especially one who's had the taste of the "life". With perspective, it's easy to say he should go to college. But when you're getting PAID to play tennis, it's going to cloud your judgement. And for most 19 year olds, collecting a $1000 check from a futures tourney is like hitting the jackpot. Not having to go back to school after you've already been away from it for a time, plus the prospects of making money from tournaments and sponsors...It's just too much for a kid to say no too. And that's a shame.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by The Wreck

He was thinking like any 19 year old would. Especially one who's had the taste of the "life". With perspective, it's easy to say he should go to college. But when you're getting PAID to play tennis, it's going to cloud your judgement. And for most 19 year olds, collecting a $1000 check from a futures tourney is like hitting the jackpot. Not having to go back to school after you've already been away from it for a time, plus the prospects of making money from tournaments and sponsors...It's just too much for a kid to say no too. And that's a shame.

Comon. You act like you're there and know him. He knows the risks.

[mackimac]

I think it is a mistake for Bjorn to turn Pro. Just looking at his results in the futures makes me think this is a bad decision. He does not have the greatest frame, but hey been wrong before. Do not see how a year of this kid playing at USC or Georgia would have hurt. They send there players to futures anyways.

[SoCal10s]

Originally Posted by mackimac

I think it is a mistake for Bjorn to turn Pro. . Do not see how a year of this kid playing at USC or Georgia would have hurt. They send there players to futures anyways.

he would be hard press to be playing top 2 spot at elite D1 program...

[The Wreck]

Originally Posted by andfor

Comon. You act like you're there and know him. He knows the risks.

Uh no? That's not how my comment came across at all. Dude has lived the life of a professional tennis player (minus the getting paid part) for the last couple years. To just drop all that and go back to a "normal" life, playing college tennis, is a lot harder to do. My guess is that's what he was thinking about, and why he made his (questionable) decision.

[treeman10]

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[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by SoCal10s

he would be hard press to be playing top 2 spot at elite D1 program...

Outside of UVA, I disagree with this. Pretty confident that he'd be a 1 or 2 anywhere in the country other than Virginia.

[tball2day]

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[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by tball2day

The record isn't there, more importantly the game isn't there. The marketing of the french open win has carried him way beyond his ability and level as a player. He just wouldn't beat the seasoned top of the line ups at a few elite schools including Virginia. The "legend effect" has overtaken reason as it does many times, from juniors to pro - one or a couple good match/tournaments and everyone thinks more about the player than justified

He could play 1 or 2 for UF next year, if that were an option. Would think UGA too. Probably Ohio State, maybe even USC. Maybe you have seen him play more than I have and think less of him, but from what I gathered I thought the guy was every bit as legit as Frank, Domijan, and other recent top recruits nationally.

[tball2day]

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