By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Despite all of the success, money and notoriety he has earned as a professional tennis player, Clay Thompson hasn’t forgotten where he came from. In fact, there’s no place like home for the ex-UCLA star.
On Tuesday, Thompson returned to the Palisades Tennis Center, where he honed his skills as a teenager growing up in nearby Venice. He gave local youth the thrill of a lifetime by playing with and against them in a spirited round of Live Ball — the fast-paced doubles game popularized 20 years ago by PTC founder Steve Bellamy.
Among those vying for the “champions” court with Thompson were Pali High players Diego Huttepain and Lucas Bellamy, recent Pali High graduate Ben Goldberg (who is starting his freshman year at UCLA), and PTC juniors Halsey Hulse, Noe Winter and Jack McGary.
Afterwards, Thompson answered questions from the PTC academy players, including how tall he is (6-foot, 6 inches), who were his best coaches (all the ones at the PTC) and whether he’s also a rock star (unequivocally not).
Thompson won the CIF individual singles title his senior year at Crossroads High in Santa Monica before embarking on a four-year career in Westwood, where he was the NCAA’s No. 1-ranked player his senior year at UCLA. His favorite ATP tournament is the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
“I started playing Live Ball here when I was 14 and I’m 24 now,” he said. “When you turn pro it becomes a business, but I credit the PTC for promoting energy and enjoyment and teaching me how to have fun.”
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