BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Patrick Rafter and fans look up after Rafter hit a ball in the stands to celebrate his victory.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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MASON -- Brian MacPhie beat him. Then Sjeng Schalken.
Then Byron Black. Jason Stoltenberg. Scott Draper.
Two months ago today, Patrick Rafter entered the Rosmalen grass-court tournament in the Netherlands as the most mortal member of tennis' Top 10. He had lost five of his last six matches, was just 19-13 on the year, and had seen his ranking fall from second to sixth.
"I am finding it very hard mentally at the moment," he said then. "I am losing my confidence very quickly and losing games that I would not have lost a year ago."
Then a fax arrived. It was Australian Davis Cup captain John Newcombe, telling his 25-year-old countryman to relax and concentrate. Win the mental wars. Have fun.
Rafter is 19-2 since.
"That was definitely the lowest point of my career," Rafter said. "But my whole frame of mind just changed around. I knew I'd done the work, and I just had to be happy on the court.
"I just felt good within myself. Things just flew from there."
Today, he flies into the Great American Insurance ATP Championship finals, ranked third and riding a career-best nine-match winning streak. After dusting 10th-ranked Yevgeny Kafelnikov 7-5, 6-0 in 64 minutes in the semis Saturday, Rafter has lost just one set the past two weeks.
At this rate, Newcombe's fax might someday wind up framed in the Tennis Hall of Fame.
"The whole game's come together," Rafter said. "I'm serving well, volleying well, returning well, moving well. When I do all that, I play great tennis."
Yevgeny Kafelnikov put up a good fight for one set.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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Rafter's rankings rise was well-documented. He began 1997 at No. 62, and his surprise U.S. Open title and red-hot run thereafter helped him close the year No. 2.
He struggled with his sudden celebrity Down Under. He had a hard time saying no to requests for his time, and a busy spring schedule dulled his game.
After Newcombe's fax, Rafter's run started slow. He struggled past Daniel Vacek 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round at Rosmalen, and saved a match point en route to a 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7) beating of Andrei Medvedev in his next match.
"From then I just played better and better," Rafter said. "The confidence just grew. Now when I go out and play, I make up my mind what I'm going to do, and I go ahead and do it.
"My attitude changed. Enjoying yourself is really important."
Kafelnikov, a moody Russian who admits to a six-month funk, could have used that lesson. Though he hadn't lost a set in three previous meetings with Rafter, he disintegrated Saturday once Rafter stole the lead late in the first set.
How far was the fall? From a 5-4 lead, Kafelnikov lost the final nine games. Beginning with the last two points of the first set, Kafelnikov lost 12 straight points and 21 of the next 23.
The laid-back Rafter has said he has no goals of chasing the No. 1 ranking. He says he will guard his free time, ensuring he can still occasionally grab a beer or two with his friends, but won't let his social life stunt his success.
"I think it is very important to keep your (blinders) on and go straight ahead with tennis," he said.
For now, the victories keep coming. How long can this roll last?
"I'll tell you tomorrow," Rafter said.
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