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Saturday, September 9
Spadea's rank has dropped a hundred spots
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Vince Spadea replaced Andre Agassi on the U.S.
Olympic tennis team Saturday despite holding a 2-24 record this
year and a No. 119 world ranking.
Agassi withdrew from the team this week after revealing his
mother and sister have breast cancer. Agassi was seeded No. 1 in
the U.S. Open, but lost in the second round.
Spadea completes the U.S. team, which includes Todd Martin, who
lost in the U.S. Open semifinals Saturday, Michael Chang and Jeff
Tarango. Alex O'Brien and Jared Palmer will play doubles.
"Vince is a dangerous floater who can beat anybody in the
field," said Stan Smith, the men's Olympic tennis coach.
Spadea, a quarterfinalist in the 1999 Australian Open, was
eliminated in the first round of the U.S. Open.
He was ranked a career-best 19th a year ago. He lost his first
17 matches this year before ending the losing streak with a
first-round victory over Greg Rusedski at Wimbledon. His other
victory came the next week when he defeated Sergi Brugera at
Gstaad.
Tarango was picked for the team after Pete Sampras and
Jan-Michael Gambill declined invitations. When Agassi pulled out,
Chris Woodruff, the next highest-ranked American, was offered the
spot but also turned it down.
The 26-year-old Spadea played on the Davis Cup team in July,
losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero as Spain blanked the United States
5-0.
Tennis at the Olympics begins Sept. 19.
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