Dedication, Persistence Pay Off for Mello

Every penetrating forehand that Maggie Mello hit, it seemed, was a demonstration of power and progress.

And by the time she’d won the singles championship at the Southern Section individual tournament this month, the Mission Viejo sophomore had shown just how far she had come, during the season and as a result of her determined efforts over the last year.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Mello said. “It was amazing. There were such good points, I had to work hard for every ball.”

Mello rallied from a first-set deficit and then held off a third-set comeback by Temecula Chaparral senior Nazlie Ghazal to win the Southern Section title, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, at SeaCliff Country Club. Three weeks after winning that title, Mello has been named The Times’ 2004 girls’ tennis player of the year.

She was characteristically aggressive in pursuit of her title.

“I’m always attacking,” she said. “I live to hit the ball hard. I just love it. It’s like endorphins, or something.”

A powerful serve, at 110 to 113 mph, and an overwhelming forehand have helped Mello reach new heights, but patience, persistence and newfound perspective and maturity have also played a part in her success.

“I think her dedication to the game is extraordinary,” Mission Viejo Coach Brent Pillsbury said. “It’s every day, and it comes before almost everything else. The way I see it, wherever she wants to take this thing, she can take it.”

Mello’s private coach, Bobby Berger, agreed, though he said his pupil probably would have to develop a third weapon -- perhaps her backhand, her return of serve -- that would be as consistently effective as her serve and forehand if she were to become a successful professional player.

“She’s always been very passionate about her tennis,” Berger said. “She wants to be really good, and she’s worked accordingly. She’s not just hoping to wake up at 18 and be a good player. She’s doing something about it.”

Mello has increased her strength and agility in recent months through regular workouts with Todd Norman, a former trainer for the Mighty Ducks. Mission Viejo’s sophomore-class president, Mello also has benefited from reining in her emotions during matches, as well as resisting the tendency to beat herself up for mis-hits, mistakes and defeats, such as the one she suffered in the South Coast League singles finals to Dana Point Dana Hills’ Christina Tan.

That loss sent Mello into the Southern Section tournament as the league’s No. 2 representative.

She came out of it a different player.

“I think I’m almost glad that happened,” said Mello, who won the league title as a freshman.

“I was really upset. But I said, ‘You know what? I’m better than that.’ ”

She went out and proved it by going undefeated the rest of the season.

“Tennis is all momentum,” she said. “It’s all about picking up the level of your game, and that’s what I did.”