U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship : Parks Shows Savvy in Defeating Giammartini

With patience and concentration, Brad Parks of San Clemente defeated Laurent Giammartini of Cannes, France, 6-3, 7-5, at the Everest & Jennings United States Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship Sunday at The Racquet Club of Irvine.

Parks, 30, a three-time U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis champion and the world No. 1-ranked player, started playing the sport in 1978, two years after a ski injury paralyzed him from the hips down. He founded the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis in 1980.

Aside from the wheelchairs, the only difference between this sport and tennis is that wheelchair tennis rules allow two bounces of the ball before it must be returned.

Parks’ 10 years of wheelchair experience was evident Sunday as the match progressed.

Giammartini, 20, top-ranked in Europe and fourth-ranked in the world, relied on a powerful, topspinning forehand and serve to keep Parks off balance.

But where Giammartini showed occasional brilliance, he could not overcome Parks’ smooth, well planned strategy. Parks relied on cross-courts, lobs, and passing shots to eventually overcome his opponent.

Both players had trouble serving from the start. Giammartini broke Parks at 15 in the first game, and then Parks broke Giammartini at 15 to tie the match. They broke each other back in the next two games to bring the first set to 2-2.

But Parks, holding serve at love took a 3-2 lead on a passing shot, a lob and two forehands that sent Giammartini wide and long.

Giammartini took control of the next game to even the set, 3-3. From that point on, though, Giammartini played inconsistently, which cost him the set, 6-3.

“I think I started to lose my mental (toughness),” Giammartini said. “I started getting nervous and Brad started playing better.”

Giammartini overpowered Parks with quick forehands to take the first game of the second set. Parks, in turn, held his serve with less power, more finesse.

The contrast of their styles intensified, with Giammartini going to mid-court for shots and Parks playing a consistent baseline game.

Giammartini’s aggressiveness helped him to a 5-3 lead, but the same aggressiveness led to errors. Parks rallied to win three straight games to take a 6-5 lead.

The final game saw both players all over the court, exchanging long rallies from the baseline and mid-court.

Parks plunked a perfect corner lob to go up, 40-30, but double faulted at match point to go back to deuce. With a drop shot, Parks gained match point again, and won with a fast forehand to Giammartini’s feet.

“Laurent played really tough,” said Parks, who defeated Giammartini in last year’s team final, 6-0, 6-1. “He played better than I expected. He’s improving fast; the level of the sport is improving fast. For myself, though, I played well. I guess I can’t complain.”