Friday, April 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Roger Pettersson is not a man without options. Actually, just one of his options would translate into a promising future for another man.
The best men's tennis player in UNLV history, Pettersson is among the supreme collegiate players in the country. He currently is ranked No. 4 in singles and No. 6 in doubles, along with teammate Luke Smith.
"He put us on the map as a tennis school," Rebel head coach Larry Easley said.
But as talented as the senior All-American from Sweden is on the court, it is corporate life that interests him. A hotel administration major, Pettersson hopes to be accepted into the highly competitive Mirage Management Associates Program, a prestigious casino training program.
"I'm going to try to get in there," Pettersson said, shaking his head. "There are many standards and they're a lot higher than anywhere else."
But the 24-year-old is confident he has what it takes ... and then some.
"I guess I'd be good for their Corporate Challenge team," he said in semi-seriousness.
Pettersson, however, is not as sure when talk moves to the possibility of turning pro after graduation, regardless of what those around him say.
"I see how people I used to play are doing on the pro circuit and they're really not doing that great," he said. "They're struggling."
While he figures he would make enough money to support himself, that wouldn't cut it. He would need to be the best.
"If I could survive for four or five years, that wouldn't be enough for me," said Pettersson, who married former UNLV women's player Vicki Stephenson in December. "I would want to make the big bucks, put it away in the bank. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time.
"The people who play for money (to keep their careers alive) aren't good enough to win titles. If I knew I had a chance to win a Grand Slam tournament, that might change my mind."
From Easley's standpoint, Pettersson is selling himself short. And Easley knows what he's talking about: He coached Pete Sampras when the eventual top-ranked player in the world was between the ages of 8 and 17.
"When he's playing at the top of his game, I just see a professional player. I see it," Easley said of Pettersson. "He has the shots.
"I've seen it and taught it. I've worked with a number of pros and he's right up there with anybody. If I were him I'd probably give (turning pro) a try. I think he and Luke Smith could be top 10 in the world in doubles."
But before Pettersson moves on, he has his college career to finish. He went 24-4 during the recently completed regular season and is preparing for next weekend's Big West Conference Championships. After that, it's the NCAA West Regionals May 10-12 at UNLV's Fertitta Tennis Complex.
"He has already beaten some of the top players," Easley said. "His only losses are to the top three or four players. He's shown he can win (the national title in both) singles and doubles. Roger's right in there with anybody."
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