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Wali's journey not over

The Green Devils' top player, who left Pakistan to improve his game, did not complete his quest to capture a state title.

By RODNEY PAGE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 29, 2002

Alamgir Wali had little in common with his classmates at St. Petersburg High. He had been in the United States for three months when school started. A native of Pakistan, he spent the first few months trying to figure everything out.

"I was bored," Wali, a junior, said. "I didn't know anybody. Tennis helped a lot."

Wali did have tennis. In fact, tennis is the reason he and his family left Pakistan. Wali and his younger brother, Sheharyar, were two of the top youth players in their home country. But Pakistan is known for cricket, not tennis. So Wali's father, Sabih, a businessman, decided a move to the U.S. was necessary if his sons were to improve. After a long search, Sabih decided on St. Petersburg because of its warm climate and abundance of facilities.

Alamgir and Sheharyar immediately started tearing up the junior circuit, and when spring rolled around, Alamgir joined the St. Petersburg tennis team and became the Green Devils' No. 1 player.

That was also when he started to feel like he belonged.

"I started to make a lot of friends on the team and in school because of tennis," Wali said. "That's what helped me the most in school. I got a lot of support, and that made me feel more relaxed."

It helped that Wali wasn't an average player.

After mowing down area opponents, Wali finished the Pinellas County Athletic Conference season undefeated. He had little trouble winning the Class 4A, District 5 tournament, defeating Chamberlain's Carl Fisher 6-2, 6-3.

As a district champion, Wali automatically advanced to the 4A state tournament in Altamonte Springs, but his stay was short. He lost to Lake Mary's Brett Thompson 6-4, 6-2 in the first round. Thompson went on to upset the No. 1 seed in the next match.

"I'm going to win the state tournament next year," Wali said.

He is clearly talented enough to do so. Wali has a powerful serve and wears opponents out with his baseline game.

"(Wali) is phenomenal, phenomenal," said John Haggar, who works with Wali at the Racquet Club of St. Petersburg. "He is so talented. It's a treat to watch him play."

Wali has played in few local tournaments since his state tournament ended abruptly in April. Once school ends, though, he plans on hitting the junior tournament circuit at full speed.

"Tennis takes up a big part of my life right now," Wali said. "I basically go to school, play tennis after school, go home, do homework and go to bed.

"I don't watch television. I don't watch movies. That's basically it."

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