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By Chris Umpierre

Daily Bruin Staff

The future is now for Jan-Michael Gambill.

The 23-year-old, who has been tabbed the next great American tennis player, took another step toward achieving his potential as he defeated Australian Jason Stoltenberg 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Mercedes Benz Cup.

The sixth-seeded Gambill will now face No. 8 seed Arnaud Clement in the semifinals. Gambill’s showing in the Los Angeles tournament is his third consecutive strong performance – he was a semifinalist at Nottingham and a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon.

“I think this summer can be very good for me. It’s very exciting.” said Gambill, who will play four more tournaments before the U.S. Open.

Gambill, admittedly, was not at his best on Friday night. Nevertheless, he found a way to win the match.

His 125 mph serve, which has earned him easy points in the past, was not its usual self. Gambill had only three aces and often had trouble getting his serve over the net.

“I came out there and my serve was off,” he said. “Just a little bit. Something just didn’t seem right.”

“I was having to work too hard to hit my serve hard,” he added.

Despite his problems with his serve, Gambill won the match’s first five games and looked like he would run away with the match.

“He started off without making any errors,” Stoltenberg said. “I was just trying to get a game there for a while.”

“It was five-love, and I’m thinking ‘Geez, I better get a game here.’ ”

The Australian did win a game but Gambill closed out the set soon after.

It was during the second set that Gambill began to have trouble with his serve as Stoltenberg broke Gambill once on his way to win the set 6-3.

Then with the match 2-1 in the final set, Stoltenberg double-faulted to give Gambill the break and eventually the victory. Gambill won the next three games to close out the match.

“Giving him that free game on the double fault really hurt me a lot,” Stoltenberg said.

Gambill said that he’s a smarter player these days. For instance, before he used to try to hit every return down the line. Now he realizes he doesn’t have to do that on every return.

“I’m doing things that I haven’t done in the past,” he said. “I’m definitely learning.”

“If you’re not learning this game you’ll be left behind.”

Despite Gambill’s problems with his serve, Stoltenberg was impressed by the young American.

“When his first serve is working he’s tough to beat,” he said. “He certainly can win titles like this.”

A couple of years ago that statement couldn’t be made about Gambill, who has won just one tournament in his career (Scottsdale in 1999). But the rising star is playing with more confidence now.

“In the past when I wasn’t playing great tennis I would have trouble getting back on track,” Gambill said. “Now I feel like even if I lose the first or second set I feel like I’m in the match.”

“Guys are going to have to play better tennis to beat me these days.”

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