Tennis / Chris J. Parker : Datt Hoping to Mold a More Patient Game With the Help of Clay

American tennis, to many, is John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors, those hot-tempered left-handers who dominated international competition in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. To others, it is Chris Evert, who won three Wimbledon championships with smooth ground strokes and an even smoother disposition.

Rajeev Datt is also a flag-bearer of sorts. A dual flag-bearer at that. Anyone trying to get a bead on Indian-Canadian tennis players need look no further than Datt.

When it comes to Indian-Canadian tennis players, in all likelihood, Datt’s all, folks.

“He is a classic,” said Joe Santellano, who coached Datt at Chatsworth High the past three years.

Classic as in an episode of “The Honeymooners,” not as in a Van Gogh painting.

“His mental attitude has always been his biggest question and he still has a long way to go,” Santellano said.

Sometimes Datt, who was born in India but also holds Canadian citizenship, will play with a competitive fire that carries him past stronger opponents. But he also has been known to serve underhand to overmatched players and wolf down a bag of French fries minutes before an important match.

Datt has played in local junior tournaments this summer, but his plans should take him much farther than the neighborhood courts. All the way to India, in fact. He plans to visit relatives in August, as well as compete in tournaments on the Indian professional tour, where the clay courts slow a player’s game but demand patient and consistent play.

“Going to India, it’ll teach me patience,” said Datt, who plans to attend Pierce College in the fall. “I’m not patient on the court. I hit six balls and I think, ‘Oh, a long rally, let’s put the ball away.’ I’m going there to learn how to hit for half an hour just to win one rally.”

Datt was born in the Indian city of Dehra Dun and lived in Canada from 1978-82. Datt and his father then moved to Oklahoma and Maryland before settling in Chatsworth. While in Norman, Okla., at age 13, Datt learned to play tennis by hitting with the women’s team at the University of Oklahoma.

Datt’s skill level--and ego--developed quickly while he practiced with the Sooners. If he was good enough to play with collegians, Datt reasoned, he was more than good enough to play in high school.

When he failed to make the varsity at the local high school in Maryland the next year, Datt quit playing instead of striving to improve.

After moving to Chatsworth in 1985, Datt practiced over the summer and made the varsity as a doubles player his sophomore year.

But in his junior year, “I really screwed up,” Datt said.

The 5-foot, 8-inch, 140-pound Datt had his hair cut in a Mohawk and brushed off schoolwork. He thought he was a better tennis player than his opponents, a better student than his peers. But his defiance got the best of him.

Two weeks into the season, Datt was declared academically ineligible.

“I was a real jerk,” he said. “I was bitter to everyone. I became an introvert. I didn’t like staying around people too much.” Datt’s attitude changed when a friend took him to Palos Verdes to compete against some of the top junior players in Southern California. Datt was beaten handily but learned not to run from a challenge.

“That was the crucial change. I mean, they’re tennis players down there,” Datt said. “I hit with them and they were just coasting and I was on overdrive. They were making me look like a clown on the court.

“When I got back, that’s when I decided, ‘Hey, you’re not that great, Raj. Start working harder.’ ”

This spring, Datt and Justin Sherring finished second in the City Section doubles tournament. And this summer, Datt hopes to do some solo work in India.

“My goal is to be like Wilander,” Datt said, referring to Swedish professional Mats Wilander. “Just hit as many balls in the world as you have to win the point.”

Family affair: Two sets of siblings are poised to compete in the 44th Ventura Junior tennis tournament to be held Tuesday through Friday at Pierpont Racquet Club.

Art Thomloi of North Hollywood is the top-seeded player in the boys’ 18-and-under division and his brother, Arnold, is seeded No. 2 in the boys’ 14-and-under division.

Amanda Lynch of Ventura is the second-seeded player in the girls’ 18-and-under and her brother, Alex, is seeded No. 2 in the boys’ 16-and-under.