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THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: FRIDAY, APRIL 18, No. 24
Spadea rising in ranks again
By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net
Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc. |
If someone is looking for an intriguing story in men's tennis these days and they're interested in an oncourt story rather than off-court affairs such as the battle between Lleyton Hewitt and the ATP, look no further than Vince Spadea.
The Boca Raton-based Spadea has certainly lived a roller-coaster life on the tennis circuit – ranking as high as No. 19 in the world in September 1999 to falling as low as No. 229 in 2000. Now Spadea, the jive-talking son of an opera singer/former IBM executive, is back in the Top 50 and with his stunning performance at Monte Carlo this week. He's into the semifinals where he'll face top-seed Juan Carlos Ferrero;he is flirting with Top 30 status with next week's ranking.
Of Saturday's match against Ferrero, a player he lost to the one time they played at a Davis Cup tie in 2000, Spadea said, "It's going to be a big challenge. Ferrero is an outstanding clay court player that has had significant results on clay. I expect him to be in good form."
Spadea's career took a downturn in 2000, resulting with his being one of the rare players who received recognition for putting together a 21-match losing streak, ending his misery when he upset Brit Greg Rusedski in the first round at Wimbledon. His good fortune didn't last long as he was ushered through the doors of the All England Club by Albert Portas in the second round. In all, 2000 was nothing like his spectacular 1999 season, quite the opposite as he finished the season with a pathetic 3-28 won-loss record.
FROM INJURY TO CHALLENGER VICTORY
Suffering through loss after loss from a shoulder injury, Spadea decided to regroup and rest for a bit. When he returned to the tour, he willingly went down to the minor leagues, going from where players have their every desire fulfilled by anxious tournament staff to the Challenger events where the athlete needs to fend for themselves because no one is there to provide usual services like laundry, free hotels and dinner reservations. His yearlong stint at the Challengers in 2001 resulted in the title at Houston, three finals and an overall 34-15 winning record.
In 2002, Spadea maneuvered his way back into the Top 100,a jump of 54 places. While still hanging out at the Challenger level events – he reached back-to-back semifinals at Waikoloa and Dallas in January, won the North Miami Beach Challenger in March, and reached the final of the Bermuda Challenger in April – Spadea also started to show up again at regular ATP tour stops. The highlight of 2002 was reaching the semifinal at Tokyo,his first tour semifinal since '99 Lyon.
When Spadea's aggressive baseline game is in full swing, he can be a tough tangle for any competitor. This season he is proving to be quite on, already reaching the semifinals of two Tennis Masters Series events at Indian Wells in early March and now in Monte Carlo. His year has also showcased fine performances at Memphis, where he reached the semifinals, and San Jose, where he went to the quarterfinals.
Spadea attributes his rebirth to simple time and effort – not bad for a player who admits he considered walking away from the game during his low point in 2000. He continues to be coached by his father, Vince Sr., as well as to seek tennis counsel from Pete Fischer, a former mentor of Pete Sampras, who spent time in jail on child molestation charges a few years back
"It's the result of a lot of hard work, a lot of decision-making and the building of a support team," said Spadea, who is currently 17-8 in match play for the year. "It's the result of my new focus and adamant approach to give the game another chance."
BIG AMERICAN SHOWING
Spadea's impressive performance in Monte Carlo marks the first time an American has rolled into the semifinals of this TMS event since Aaron Krickstein in 1992. Krickstein, however did not imprint his name on the trophy as he fell to Thomas Muster in the final. The last American to technically post a win at Monte Carlo was Jimmy Connors in 1981, but he had to share the trophy with Argentine Guillermo Vilas when their final match was permanently suspended by rain after the first set. The last American to actually compete and win the Monte Carlo title was the long forgotten Hugh Stewart, who reigned victorious in the principality in 1956.
Spadea has an arduous road ahead if he's planning on dethroning Stewart as the last American champion at Monte Carlo. He would have to upend Ferrero and then take on second seed Carlos Moya or Guillermo Coria of Argentina in the final. Moya, a former world No. 1 and Roland Garros champ, won their one meeting at Miami this year and Coria would be a new opponent for Spadea.
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