When Peter Richman was 9 years old, he wanted only one thing for his birthday — to practice tennis before school as well as after.
“You could keep me on a tennis court for six, seven hours, and I would be the happiest kid alive,” said Richman, a tennis pro at Colorado Athletic Club at Inverness.
It’s been a long road since those early birthday wishes. Richman, 26, once held the No. 1 junior spot in Canada and was close to breaking onto the professional scene. Now, he is competing in the Safeway Foundation Men’s Open Tennis Tournament at the Colorado Athletic Club at Inverness, which will be played through Sunday.
Richman, who grew up in Toronto and was coached by his father, was on the Canadian national team from age 15 to 18, which allowed him to travel the world, competing against some of the best tennis players his age. At one point, he was ranked No. 72 in the world among juniors. But a change in his backhand caused major pain and enough discomfort for Richman to switch to a one-handed backhand, making him question his desire to be a professional tennis player.
“That’s when I decided that my best bet was to go to college,” Richman said. “I was having a miserable time changing. I was losing a lot. I decided I was going to sign with a good school.”
Richman picked Louisiana State, where he was on the tennis team for four years. The highlight of his time there was playing No. 1 singles and No. 3 doubles during his freshman and sophomore years.
“His unique quality was that he had a big lefty serve and really controlled the points there,” said Jeff Brown, head men’s tennis coach at LSU.
During college, Richman decided professional tennis wasn’t for him. After graduation, he landed a coaching stint in New York City but eventually wound up in Denver.
“His strength as a coach is he knows the game of tennis, he knows the developmental process and he knows the steps to take,” said Randy Ross, the director of tennis at Colorado Athletic Club at Inverness.
Richman still likes to compete, which is why he is participating in the Safeway Open.
“It’s always a good feeling when you walk off the court and you know you’ve played your way,” he said. “If I do that, I feel good, and most of the time I will end up winning.”
Anica Wong: 303-954-1720 or awong@denverpost.com
At a glance
What: Safeway Foundation Men’s Open Tennis Tournament; men’s open singles, doubles and pro-am.
Where: Denver Athletic Club at Inverness.
When: Through Sunday. Singles final is 11 a.m. Sunday, with the doubles final to follow.
