Lutz Braves Longwood Gauntlet

Until last week, vultures followed Bob Lutz around the World Championship Tennis circuit. Whenever the professional tour set up housekeeping at one of its preordained oasis, they checked into town shortly thereafter, grim and faintly expectant of Lutz's imminent demise.

That is the way it is, when you're an unseeded tennis player. Every week Lutz, Brian Fairlie, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim and a group of other newcomers, once weres and aren't-yets get thrown to the wolves on the first day of the tournament. The only way to become a seeded player is to win a few matches, and how good are the chances of winning when they hit you with John Newcombe, last year's Wimbledon champion, as soon as you've laced up your Adidas?

No one expected any drastic reversal of form this time, either, when Lutz trudged onto the Uniturf center court at Longwood to face the first man in a long gauntlet. Newcombe, a seasoned, exquisite stud, had Lutz against the wall, double match point within the first hour, and the vultures had barely unpacked their bags. Actually, they never got to. Lutz escaped elimination the next day against Brian Fairlie, and the next, when they threw five-time champion Rod Laver at him.

By now, it had become unstoppable. With a strategy built around deadly backhand volleys, Lutz polished off Cliff Drysdale in the semifinals, then overpowered Tom Okker, the fastest man on the circuit, in a four-set final.

Lutz quickly grabbed the $10,000 first prize and headed off to Cleveland. The vultures shifted loyalties to Okker and Laver, both of whom lost in the second round of the Cleveland Classic Wednesday.