July 8, 2001

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - University of North Carolina assistant men's tennis coach Don Johnson had to wait one day to make history but on Sunday he and partner Jared Palmer claimed one of the greatest titles in all of sports--the gentlemen's doubles championship at Wimbledon.

Johnson and Palmer, the tournament's #4 seeds, upset third-seeded Jiri Novak and David Rikl of the Czech Republic by a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) at the All-England Tennis Club in the London suburbs.

The match was resumed today at 4-4 in the first set after rain suspended play on Saturday. Johnson held his serve to put the Americans up 5-4 and then they broke the Czech duo to win the first set. The teams split the next two sets and held serve throughout the fourth set forcing a tiebreak. The Czechs actually had a set point on the Americans in the 10th game of the set but Johnson and Palmer staved off that point and the teams eventually locked at 6-6 in the set. Johnson and Palmer survived a second set point at 5-6, but rallied to win the next three points to earn the title.

Johnson etched his name in history again at the All-England Club, winning a Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year. Last year Johnson and Kimberly Po-Messarelli defeated Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clisjters to win the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Championship. Johnson has now won 20 career doubles titles and over $1.5 million in prize money during his career.

Johnson is the first Carolina graduate to win a Men's Doubles Grand Slam Title since Fred McNair ('73) teamed with Sherwood Stewart to capture the 1976 French Open.

Johnson played at Carolina from 1987-90, leading the Tar Heels in 1990 as a senior to their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 12 years. He and his wife live in Carrboro, N.C., the neighboring community to Chapel Hill, N.C. where he starred as a collegian.

The Wimbledon doubles crown is the first grand slam doubles title (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open) for either of the Americans in men's doubles. Johnson was coached during his Wimbledon fortnight by UNC head tennis coach Sam Paul, who is rightly proud of his assistant coach's accomplishments. Johnson and Paul will attend the Wimbledon Champions Dinner Sunday evening before returning to the United States.

The tournament was only the eighth appearance together for Johnson and Palmer this year. They have won championships in five of those tournaments. By contrast, Rikl and Novak have played in 109 tournaments together as professionals, making 26 finals and winning 12 championships.

Look for continuing coverage of this momentous milestone on www.tarheelblue.com.