A new challenge on the court

Steve Johnson, a former two-time NCAA national champion, helped the University of Southern California win four consecutive NCAA team national championships. He currently is in the semifinals of the Comerica Bank Challenger at Aptos. (Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian)

APTOS — Steve Johnson and Bradley Klahn know that life is different now. Sure, it’s fun to look back and remember what they did as student-athletes on the tennis court, but that was months and years ago.

They’re trying to make their way as rookies on the ATP World Tour.

But they go in with a nifty resume that includes a NCAA national championship.

“The national championship run in 2010, those memories are ones you won’t forget,” said Klahn, who won it all while a sophomore at Stanford University. “It was a fun year. The memory of that run is engraved in my head. But at the same time, it was two years ago, and it’s time to keep working hard.”

In 2010, Klahn became the ninth Stanford player in the past 35 years to win it all.

Johnson’s collegiate career included not only four team national championships but also back-to-back singles national titles. He ended his collegiate career at the University of Southern California with 72 consecutive singles wins.

In the 2012 NCAA singles tournament, Johnson lost just one set and never trailed. His run included a win against Klahn in the semifinals.

For four years, USC made history. Only two schools ever have won the team national championship four times in a row: USC (1966-69 and 2009-12) and Stanford (1995-98)

“Those national championship runs, I remember every one of them, as clear as the first one and the last one,” Johnson said. “It’s fun to look back at those memories.”



For the complete article see the 08-11-2012 issue.

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