Outspoken Hall Isn’t Just All Talk

Costa Mesa’s David Hall is tired of being labeled. He’s tired of the stares he gets when he rolls by people. Mandatory “wheelchair glances” he calls them. He just wants to be recognized as an athlete. He wants his talent on the tennis court to do the talking.

Hall, who 10 years ago had both legs amputated just above the knee after an accident, is the defending U.S. Open wheelchair tennis champion in singles and doubles, and one of the top-ranked players in the world. What he wants people to recognize more than anything else, is that he is a professional tennis player. Just a tennis player.

“This isn’t a bunch of bloody cripples just screwing around,” said Hall, 26, from Australia. “This is a tough sport. This is talent and a lot of hard work.”

Spectators were awed last week after a day of watching Hall practice for the U.S. Open at Palisades Tennis Club. He moved to Southern California two years ago, pound blazing forehands at his opponents, placing his shots to near perfection. Not only did Hall’s abilities catch the eye of many able-bodied spectators, but the speed and accuracy with which these athletes play prompted many people to stop and watch the matches.

“This is great. I can’t believe how good they are,” said one club member at a recent warm-up tournament for this week’s U.S. Open. “[Hall] hits the ball so hard and puts it right where he wants it. He strokes the ball better than most players I know.”

Hall began playing tennis at age 10 and was his club’s champion at 13. And until a devastating accident when he was 16, he never really thought about playing tennis professionally.

Hitchhiking one night in Australia, Hall, from Buff Point, a town of about 1,000 people, was struck by a small car. His legs were badly damaged, and he was hospitalized for weeks because of numerous internal injuries. It wasn’t until a week after his accident that doctors were forced to amputate one leg. Two months later, the other had to be amputated.

“I’m lucky actually. There was so much other stuff going on with me besides my legs, I didn’t know if I was even going to live,” Hall said. “I actually died once and they brought me back. I had kidney problems. I was on dialysis and in intensive care. I was drugged up so much. I knew what was going on, but the reality of it didn’t sink in until later when I was out of danger. I’m just lucky it wasn’t a bigger car.”

“Straightaway, I accepted it pretty well. It took me a while to get used to the change and get back into the swing of things. And I had to retrain my mind to think a certain way. But I think I handled it better than some.”

Two years after the accident, a story in an Australian newspaper caught his eye. A photograph showed a local man hitting some tennis balls from his wheelchair. Intrigued, Hall contacted the man and went out to hit some balls with him. From there, Hall quickly picked up the game again.

The unshaven, long-haired fan of the heavy-metal group Slayer, who crowd surfs at rock concerts, has the talent to back up those words.

Coached by Coloradan Rich Berman, Hall joined the International Tennis Federation tour full-time in 1993. He won his first major event in 1994, and quickly moved to No. 2 in the world. In 1995, he rose to No. 1 and was named world champion. at the end of the year.

This year, Hall lost his top ranking right before the Paralympics in August when he strained a biceps tendon in July and was sidelined three weeks. A week before the games, Hall picked up his racket and won the bronze medal in singles and the silver in doubles. He returns to this year’s U.S. Open, this week at the Racquet Club of Irvine, to defend his singles and doubles titles, in hopes of regaining his No. 1 ranking.

“He really is No. 1,” said Michael Foulks, Hall’s doubles partner. “He is definitely the best. He is such a stud. When we play, he’s the one that does all the work. And in singles he just dominates.”

Winning the world championship was one of the highlights of Hall’s early career. He was flown to Paris and honored with Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf.

“If you put Sampras in a wheelchair, I would kick his [butt],” said Hall, the defending U.S. Open wheelchair tennis champion. “I don’t think he’d even [win] a game. Actually, that would be kind of fun. Of course, if I was standing, he would wipe me out.”

Hall, who hopes to play at least until 2000, when he can compete in front of hometown fans at the Sydney Olympics, will have some tough competition in this year’s U.S. Open. Gold medalist Ric Molier of Holland, known for his 90-mph serve and Texan Steve Welch, both ranked among the top five in the world, are hoping to upset the defending champion. Teamed in doubles, Hall and Foulks also will be defending their title.

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Wheelchair Tennis

What: U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis.

Where: Racquet Club of Irvine, 5 Sandburg Way.

When: Today through Sunday.

Time: Singles and doubles competition from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Women’s finals are 11:30 a.m. Saturday; men’s finals are 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Basics: More than 300 disabled athletes from 25 countries are expected for the 17th annual event, which is organized by the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis. The U.S. Open is the culmination of the Grand Prix Circuit, which has more than 70 events nationwide. Defending U.S. Open singles champions are David Hall of Costa Mesa and Monique Kalkman of Holland.

Admission: Free Monday through Friday. Weekend pass is $5 for adults, 18 and younger free.

Information: (714) 361-3663.