Americans uphold glory at ATP
Four open with victories
Tuesday, August 11, 1998BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Vince Spadea had to go three sets to beat fellow American Justin Gimelstob.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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MASON -- Flags of six different nations ring the ATP Stadium. The American flag is no larger than the others, but that's not the case in the tournament draw.
Of the 17 countries with players in the 56-player Great American Insurance ATP Championship, the U.S. has the most representatives: 11. (Australia is second, with six.) The U.S. also had 11 last year.
"Eleven of 56 is pretty good," Jeff Tarango said, "but it doesn't mean anything if we all go out in the first round."
They didn't. Of the seven Americans who played Monday, four won -- Tarango included -- and one of those who didn't, Justin Gimelstob, lost to countryman Vince Spadea.
A roundup:
Spadea's 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 victory turned on a dime. Up 6-2 in the second-set tiebreak, Spadea squandered four set points and found himself down match point at 7-6. But Gimelstob pushed a forehand wide, and Spadea rallied to win.
Spadea, 24, is enjoying his finest year. He has risen in the rankings from No. 87 to 44, reached his first final (in St. Poelten, Austria, in May) and beaten No. 3 Petr Korda and No. 5 Patrick Rafter.
"Any player has the opportunity to be in the Top 20," Spadea said. "You have to get your game to where you can do these things week-in and week-out."
After beating Spadea in Key Biscayne, Fla., in March, Andre Agassi called Spadea "a classic journeyman." Stung by the remark, Spadea vowed to reach the Top 20 within a year.
Should Agassi beat Nicolas Kiefer today, Spadea would get a rematch.
"I'd love that," Spadea said. "Andre, for him to make comments like that, wasn't being very sensitive."
Jan-Michael Gimball was a straight-set winner.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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Tarango, 29, provided the only upset of a seeded player, beating No. 13 Alberto Berasategui 7-5, 6-2.
Ranked 59th, Tarango's best victory this year came against seventh-ranked Yevgeny Kafelnikov in March.
"I always play great against guys in the Top 20," he said. "Those guys know that and they hate to play me."
Ever since walking off the court at Wimbledon in 1995 in the middle of a third-round match -- his wife, Benedicte, later slapped the chair umpire -- he has been tabbed one of tennis' bad boys. But he has mellowed since the birth of his daughter, Nina Rose, 10 months ago. "It's all worth it," he said. "It's better for me to have a real life than to be taking steroids and be obsessed with trying to get in the Top 10."
Jan-Michael Gambill, ranked 60th, beat France's Olivier Delaitre 6-1, 6-3 in his first ATP Championship match.
Gambill, 21, will meet 16th seed Cedric Pioline today. A victory could set up a first-ever meeting with top seed Pete Sampras.
"That'd be great," Gambill said. "Everybody wants to play the No. 1 guy. I know the computer says he's not (No. 1), but he really is."
Todd Martin, ranked 31st, beat 29th-ranked Fabrice Santoro of France 6-1, 6-4. Martin has been slowed by injuries and inconsistency, but he was near-flawless Monday.
"It makes me feel like I'm moving in the right direction," Martin said.
Alex O'Brien, ranked 124th, nearly pulled off the biggest upset, but fell 6-3, 6-7 (7-3), 7-6 (9-7) to No. 9-seeded Alex Corretja of Spain. O'Brien saved seven match points before falling.
"I'm happy I did a lot of positive things, but I'm never happy when I lose," O'Brien said.
Jim Courier, ranked 69th, lost to 40th-ranked German Tommy Haas 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5).
Four Americans didn't play Monday: Agassi, Michael Chang and Steve Campbell play today, but Sampras has a bye into the second round.
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