TENNIS / DANA HADDAD : Hamilton Vanishes Once More

Krissy Hamilton has been one of the brightest players in Southern California junior tennis for the past three years.

The Agoura Hills resident turned heads two years ago when, at age 13, she won the Southern California Junior Sectional championship in the 18-and-under singles division by dominating Pam Trump of Arcadia, 6-2, 6-3.

Yet Hamilton is also equally notorious for her disappearing acts.

Her profile, particularly in big tournaments since 1994, has been marked more by injury defaults and complaints from other players than by triumphs.

This week Hamilton, now 15 and once again the No. 1-ranked player in the Southland, withdrew before the first round of the Southern California sectional, currently being played at the Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley.

Craig Heinberg, Hamilton’s stepfather and coach, said Krissy is again injured. She has a hangnail, which he said required surgery Tuesday. Other players and their parents are reluctant to believe Heinberg’s story. They say Krissy is ducking the competition while preserving her No. 1 ranking.

Hamilton’s latest withdrawal sparked a heated argument between Heinberg and Hillman, the director of junior tennis for the Southern California Tennis Assn. Hillman has demanded a written statement from Hamilton’s doctor verifying the injury.

“I’m not sure why Krissy pulled out,” Hillman said. “She seems to always be injured and not able to play in the back draw.”

In 1994, Hamilton, after winning one match, defaulted in the second round of both the junior section and the United States Tennis Assn. national championships with injuries.

So far this year, the pattern hasn’t changed. After losing in the second round of the Easter Bowl, a prestigious national invitational tournament in Palm Springs, she withdrew from the back draw, or consolation bracket, without giving a reason.

Hillman said Hamilton’s default at this week’s sectional, the most-important qualifying tournament for nationals, threw the 18 singles bracket out of balance and embarrassed tournament officials.

Hamilton could not be reached for comment and Heinberg on Thursday did not know her whereabouts. He guessed she was spending the day at the beach. But Heinberg, who is at the sectional coaching other players, said the complaints perplex him.

“People should be happy she’s not here,” he said. “Now they’re mad because she’s injured? I love people. People can complain about anything.”

Hillman said those who complain believe Hamilton is lying. Other top players in the 18-and-under division know a victory against Hamilton will boost their ranking. But those players are frustrated at Hamilton’s defaults.

“I get a lot of complaints from parents about [Hamilton],” Hillman said. “The wins here are very, very important.”

Sixth-seeded Alexandra Stevenson of San Diego, who lost to Hamilton, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, at a Long Beach tournament in March, figured she would play Hamilton in Friday’s quarterfinals. Instead, she polished off Natalie Exon, 6-2, 6-2.

Stevenson badly wanted a rematch with Hamilton.

But when she looked at the draw in Wednesday’s opening round and saw that Hamilton was replaced by Yoko Matsumoto of La Crescenta, Stevenson wasn’t surprised: Hamilton and Stevenson were in the same bracket at the Ojai Valley Championships in April before Hamilton dropped out.

“It figured,” Stevenson said. “At Long Beach my coach said, ‘You better beat her now, because you’ll never see her again.’ ”

Stevenson’s coach might be right. Heinberg said his stepdaughter is almost ready to jump to the professional ranks.

Said Heinberg: “She’s already played four or five tournaments this year. They had the chance and nobody beat her.”

Five days before Hamilton was supposed to play her first match in the sectional, Heinberg said she had entered a mid-level pro tournament in Peachtree, Ga., where she won three qualifying matches and won in the first round of the main draw before losing. He said the hangnail, a recurring problem, flared up after the loss.

Hillman would not confirm reports that the SCTA is investigating Hamilton’s participation in the Georgia tournament as the real reason for her default, but if she is in fact injured, Hillman said she should retain her No. 1 ranking.