University of Tennessee Athletics
Many Former Vols Successful on ATP Tour
August 21, 2003 | Men's Tennis
Aug. 21, 2003
When the 2003 U.S. Open begins Monday in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., the hard courts at the USTA National Tennis Center will feature the world's top tennis talent, including former Tennessee tennis All-America selection Chris Haggard. With America's premier tennis event and the final Grand Slam tournament of the year close at hand, it is appropriate to recognize the many former Vol standouts that have experienced professional success after leaving Rocky Top.
Haggard, a 1993 All-America netter, is currently Tennessee's top representative on tour. He turned pro in 1993 and has recently blossomed into a perennial top-50 doubles player. Haggard was a doubles semifinalist earlier this year at the Australian Open, he reached the doubles finals this year at Amersfoort and Barcelona and won the doubles title in Adelaide in January with fellow South African Jeff Coetzee.
Haggard is ranked No. 20 in the world in the most recent ATP individual men's doubles rankings, which were released Aug. 18. In the team doubles rankings, Haggard and Coetzee are currently the world's No. 18-ranked men's tandem.
In last week's Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Haggard and partner Donald Johnson were eliminated in the second round. Haggard is expected to participate in men's doubles at next week's U.S. Open. Complete doubles draws and pairings will become available early next week.
Chris Woodruff became one of Tennessee's most successful pro netters after an outstanding collegiate career that included an NCAA singles championship in 1993. The Knoxville native turned pro following his 1993 NCAA title and quickly established himself as one of the top players in the world in his generation. Woodruff recorded singles victories over players such as Mark Philippoussis, Pete Sampras, Gustavo Kuerten, Goran Ivanisevic and Yevgeni Kafelnikov. He also won singles titles at the 1997 Montreal Super 9 Canadian Open and the 1999 Miller Lite Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Some of the moments that Woodruff may be best remembered for include his upset-win over No. 3-seeded Andre Agassi at the 1996 French Open and his victory in the 2000 Davis Cup that clinched the United States' victory over Zimbabwe.
Pete Sampras, perhaps the world's most dominant player from 1995-2000, was last year's U.S. Open men's singles champion. Sampras' coach from 1995-2001 was former three-time Vol All-America selection Paul Annacone. Annacone turned professional in 1984 and amassed more than $1.6 million in career earnings as a tour player before making the transition to full-time tennis coach. The two-time SEC champion joined forces with Sampras in 1995 and guided the American superstar to 33 singles titles, eight Grand Slam titles and four consecutive year-end No. 1 world rankings (1995-98). The pair split for a brief stint in 2001 and then reunited in July 2002. Less than two months later, Annacone helped his longtime pupil regain his championship form and Sampras stormed his way to a record 14th Grand Slam men's singles title.
Mike DePalmer Jr., Annacone's teammate at Tennessee in 1982, is another former Vol netter who found his niche as a professional coach. DePalmer officially turned pro following the 1982 collegiate season and enjoyed most of his success in team tennis. He was a two-time Domino's Team Tennis Player of the Year, and went on to serve as coach of the World Team Tennis (WTT) league's Philadelphia Freedoms in 2002.
DePalmer Jr., whose father, Mike Sr., held the head coaching reins at Tennessee from 1981-94, has himself coached some high-profile names on the ATP Tour in recent years. The younger DePalmer served as the primary practice partner for six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker and then became Becker's full-time coach in 1995. In 2000, the Australian superstar Philippoussis enlisted DePalmer's services. Currently, DePalmer is working with American tour veteran Justin Gimelstob. Gimelstob faces Dominik Hrbaty in first round action at next week's U.S. Open.
The list of Vols who succeeded on tennis' most challenging proving ground goes on, and includes names such as Tracy DeLatte (1975-78), Andy Kohlberg (1978-79), Mel Purcell (1980), Byron Talbot (1985-88), Shelby Cannon (1985-88) and Doug Flach (1990), all of whom have captured tour titles during their distinguished pro careers.
