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Sunday, July 15, 2001

Tennis has taken Don Johnson to places and heights he thought he might never see. But never put a timetable on where he wanted to be tennis-wise at any stage of his life.

He always has followed the bouncing ball because that's what he does best.

"I love playing tennis," he said from Philadelphia, where he teamed with David Dilusia to play his first match for the Freedom in World Team Tennis. "I love working hard."

Johnson, a native of Mt. Lebanon, has combined his two passions to become a world-class doubles player. He has won two Grand Slam titles, both at Wimbledon -- mixed doubles last year with Kimberly Po and men's doubles last week with Jared Palmer.

He and Palmer became the first All-American team since 1990 to win Wimbledon, beating Jiri Novak and David Riki, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Since they got together in early March, Johnson and Palmer have won five of eight tournaments.

"Winning mixed was fun, but winning the men's doubles is what I do for a living," Johnson said. "It gives you the realization you can do it. Jared has brought a fresh perspective because he's had super experience. We both voice our opinions, but we both listen, too.

"We're both fighters and we feed off each other's energy. When we step on the court we know it's all business."

Johnson, 32, is a 6-foot-3 left-hander with smooth ground strokes and a lethal volley at the net. He was born in Mt. Lebanon, moved near Erie when he was 10 and won a PIAA singles title as a sophomore at Fairview High School. His family returned to Mt. Lebanon when he was in 11th grade and Johnson won another PIAA title as a senior.

Johnson went to the University of North Carolina on a tennis scholarship and became partners with David Pollack of Monroeville to form one of the top doubles teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

After college, Johnson packed up his racket and headed to Europe and the pro tour.

"Every year has its surprises and accomplishments. I'm going in the right direction," he said. "I'm still getting better."

After a sluggish start on the pro tour, when he played singles and doubles, Johnson has blossomed into a doubles specialist. When asked if he's playing his best tennis now, Johnson answered, "Seems to be."

"The average life span of a player on tour is three years. If you last beyond three years, you've either had some success or you come from a wealthy family. My family isn't wealthy. I've been doing it 10 years."

Johnson has won 20 tournaments and earned nearly $1.75 million playing doubles.

"I'm proud to be a doubles specialist," he said. "You have to be a very good singles player to become a great doubles player," he said. "But a lot of great singles players are not great doubles players. You have to have a certain kind of game and a certain kind of personality to make a living playing doubles."

"I'd like to play three or four more years. I do have a timetable for life."

He plans to cut back on his tennis to spend more time with his wife, Krista, who is in her residency as an ob-gyn at the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill.

"I want to give back to her what she's given me," he said. "She needs my support like I needed her support when she's traveled with me. We work hard to keep our relationship working. I'm gone 30 to 35 weeks out of the year. The phone bills can be extreme. Thank God for e-mail.

"I do miss her."

Johnson said the only upside of not having his wife with him is that he can "focus more on my tennis."

"I've always strived hard to obtain a Grand Slam championship," he said. "Three or four years ago I was making the quarterfinals but I could never get over the hump."

Until now.

What's happening

The deadline for applications is Tuesday for a Class B tournament at the Boyce Park Tennis Center that starts Friday and runs through July 27. There will be competition in men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles. Entry fee is $7 for singles and $10 for doubles. For more information, call 412-793-4926.