Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Gambill says he’ll pass on chance to play in Olympics

LOS ANGELES -- When it comes to the Olympics, the patriot in Jan-Michael Gambill will be taking a back seat to the professional tennis player, if he is asked to represent the United States in Sydney this September.

Based on the ATP Tour's entry system as of July 10, Gambill would be the first person asked by U.S. team captain Stan Smith should Pete Sampras, Michael Chang or Todd Martin decline the invitation. Las Vegan Andre Agassi, ranked atop the list at that time, has already committed to playing.

The U.S. is allowed to take its top four singles players based on the entry system and Smith is allowed to choose one or two doubles players in the top 20 of the individual doubles rankings, if he so chooses.

Smith has until Tuesday to formulate the team, but Gambill said Thursday afternoon after his 7-6 (2), 6-2, victory over Laurence Tieleman in the Mercedes-Benz Cup that he would not play if asked.

The sixth-seeded Gambill will face Jason Stoltenberg, a 6-1, 6-2, winner over qualifier Goichi Motomura, today in the quarterfinals.

"I will not play because it's too late in my schedule to add another two-week event," Gambill said. "For the first time in my career, I have a shot at making a move and really doing what I've always dreamed of doing and that's getting into the top 20 and even further than that.

"I have tons of events coming up. The only time off I have is after the U.S. Open and if I play the Olympics that would mean having only one week off in the next four months.

"If I did that, I think I'd risk injury or burnout."

Former UCLA standout Justin Gimelstob clawed his way to the biggest upset of the tournament with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) win over Mark Philippoussis. The highest remaining seed is former Henderson resident No. 4 Michael Chang.

The unseeded Gimelstob had never beaten Philippoussis in two previous meetings.

Playing on his home court, which in the past has been called, "Justin's House," Gimelstob more than held his own against Philippoussis in a battle of big servers. Several times during the match fans yelled out in support, and Gimelstob said he was determined not to disappoint them.

"I am comfortable here," Gimelstob said. "People know that.

"It was nice to hear them saying that this is my house, it kind of got me going, but there are only so many times you can say that it's your house while getting your butt kicked, and you have to do something about it."

Though Philippoussis was comfortably in control after the first set, and up 4-2 in the second set tiebreaker, he lost concentration and allowed Gimelstob to regroup.

"The way I went through the match today, I was just too relaxed the whole time," Philippoussis said. "I don't know why.

"There's no excuse for why I wasn't intense. He's a confidence type player. After winning the second set, I'm sure he had a sniff that he could win the match."

In the first set, Philippoussis delivered an ace clocked at 136 mph, topping the week's fastest serve of 135, a mark held by Philippoussis and Taylor Dent.

Gimelstob delivered 15 aces to Philippoussis' 13 and saved five of seven break points. On his second match point he hit an overhead winner for the victory.

Gambill arrived Monday from Santander, Spain, after playing for the U.S. Davis Cup team that got blanked by the Spaniards, 5-0.

He said that for the first time this week, he felt the effects of traveling and said jet lag finally caught up with him.

"I didn't play very well today," Gambill said. "But he was playing well.

"He served bombs. I had played him before, but I never knew he could serve like that. I was just bewildered out there."

It didn't last long.

Gambill dropped the first two points of the tiebreaker, then won seven straight.

Victoria Sun

covers tennis for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at 259-4078 or [email protected] MERCEDES-BENZ CUP

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