Mel Purcell
Encyclopedia
Mel Purcell is a former World No. 17 tennis
player in the ATP
tennis rankings. He is the head coach of the Murray State University
men's tennis team. Purcell's finest moment was when he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon
in 1983.
, and played in the Kentucky State Tennis Tournament as a fifth-grader, and won two state doubles crowns with older brother Del as a middle schooler. He made the state singles finals three straight years, winning as a senior.
Purcell graduated Murray High School
and went on to Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis
), where he played for one year. He transferred to the University of Tennessee
, where in 1980 he won an NCAA
doubles championship with teammate Rodney Harmon
.
. Two weeks later, he qualified for a spot in the U.S. Clay Courts. There, he beat Hank Pfister
and top-10 ranked Harold Solomon
before falling in the finals to José Luis Clerc
. Purcell saw his Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking soar from the 300s to the top 40 and was crowned 1980 ATP Rookie of the Year.
The next year he played at Wimbledon, the first of six appearances (1981–85, 1987) on the famed grass courts. He reached the quarterfinals in 1983, beating Tim Wilkison
, Stuart Bale
, Andreas Mauer and Brian Gottfried
before falling to eventual runner-up New Zealand
's Chris Lewis
6–7, 6–0, 6–4, 7–6 in the quarterfinals.
Purcell also was a fixture in other Grand Slam events during the 1980s, playing in the US Open 10 times (1978–87) where he recorded victories over Stan Smith
, Andrés Gómez
and Ilie Năstase
, among others. He competed in the French Open six times (1981–84, 1987–88) where he twice reached the round of 16 in singles and in 1981 reached the doubles quarterfinals with Vincent Van Patten
.
Another career highlight was beating Ivan Lendl
and Fernando Luna
at Boston in 1982 before falling in the final to Guillermo Vilas
.
Injuries to his elbow from a car accident and a pulled stomach muscle slowed his career in 1985 but a year later, he beat Boris Becker
in the German Open for another milestone singles victory.
Purcell won three ATP singles titles in 1981, at Atlanta, Tampa and Tel Aviv. He also teamed to claim four doubles titles, at Delray Beach (1982 with Chip Hooper
), Munich (1982 with Eliot Teltscher
) and Vienna (1983 with Stan Smith
and 1987 with Tim Wilkison
).
Ace Authentic
produced a line of trading cards called "Heroes & Legends" that included Purcell at his best.
. He led Murray State to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference
titles in 2001 and 2002 and was named OVC Coach of the Year both seasons.
Mel Purcell was still enjoying matches on the Jimmy Connors Champions Tour in his 40s, where he played against and sometimes beat Jimmy Connors
, Björn Borg
, and John McEnroe
.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player in the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
tennis rankings. He is the head coach of the Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
men's tennis team. Purcell's finest moment was when he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
in 1983.
Early years
Purcell grew up in Murray, KentuckyMurray, Kentucky
Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...
, and played in the Kentucky State Tennis Tournament as a fifth-grader, and won two state doubles crowns with older brother Del as a middle schooler. He made the state singles finals three straight years, winning as a senior.
Purcell graduated Murray High School
Murray High School (Kentucky)
-History:The school currently lies on the corner of Sycamore Street and Doran Road, but was previously located on the corner of 8th and Main Streets where it had been from 1872 to 1971. The first school was erected by the community, and it was considered the finest high school in the Jackson...
and went on to Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
), where he played for one year. He transferred to the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, where in 1980 he won an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
doubles championship with teammate Rodney Harmon
Rodney Harmon
Rodney Harmon is a former professional tennis player the ATP.Perhaps Rodney's greatest result came at the 1982 U.S. Open, when he got through to the quarterfinals...
.
Pro career
Purcell made his first splash on the professional circuit in the summer of 1980. As a wild card entrant at the Washington (D.C.) Star Tournament, he upset top-ranked Eddie DibbsEddie Dibbs
Eddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player. He attained a career high ranking of World No. 5 in July 1978.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-Grand Slam singles tournament timeline:...
. Two weeks later, he qualified for a spot in the U.S. Clay Courts. There, he beat Hank Pfister
Hank Pfister
Hank Pfister is a former tennis player from the United States, who won two singles titles during his professional career...
and top-10 ranked Harold Solomon
Harold Solomon
Harold Solomon was an American professional tennis player during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1980.- Tennis career :...
before falling in the finals to José Luis Clerc
José Luis Clerc
José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history....
. Purcell saw his Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking soar from the 300s to the top 40 and was crowned 1980 ATP Rookie of the Year.
The next year he played at Wimbledon, the first of six appearances (1981–85, 1987) on the famed grass courts. He reached the quarterfinals in 1983, beating Tim Wilkison
Tim Wilkison
Tim Wilkison is a former professional male tennis player from the United States.Wilkison was the #1 ranked junior in the United States and went on to play professional tennis for over 25 years. He won 6 singles titles and 9 doubles championships...
, Stuart Bale
Stuart Bale
Stuart Bale is a male former tennis player from England.Bale represented his native country in the singles competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was eliminated in the second round there....
, Andreas Mauer and Brian Gottfried
Brian Gottfried
Brian Edward Gottfried is a retired tennis player from the United States who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest ranking on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour on June 19, 1977, when he became World No....
before falling to eventual runner-up New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's Chris Lewis
Chris Lewis
Chris Lewis may refer to:*Chris Lewis , retired professional tennis player*Chris Lewis , Aboriginal Australian rules footballer with the West Coast Eagles...
6–7, 6–0, 6–4, 7–6 in the quarterfinals.
Purcell also was a fixture in other Grand Slam events during the 1980s, playing in the US Open 10 times (1978–87) where he recorded victories over Stan Smith
Stan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
, Andrés Gómez
Andrés Gómez
Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:...
and Ilie Năstase
Ilie Nastase
Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...
, among others. He competed in the French Open six times (1981–84, 1987–88) where he twice reached the round of 16 in singles and in 1981 reached the doubles quarterfinals with Vincent Van Patten
Vincent Van Patten
Vincent Van Patten is an American actor and former tour professional tennis player.-Personal life:Van Patten was born in Bellerose, New York. He is the youngest son of actor Dick Van Patten and his wife, Pat, née Poole, a former June Taylor dancer. He is of Dutch and Italian descent...
.
Another career highlight was beating Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
and Fernando Luna
Fernando Luna
Fernando Luna Vicente is a former tennis player from Spain.Luna won a singles title, the Zell am See clay tournament in 1981. The right-handed achieved his highest singles ATP-ranking on May 14, 1984, when he reached the 33rd position.-External links:*...
at Boston in 1982 before falling in the final to Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...
.
Injuries to his elbow from a car accident and a pulled stomach muscle slowed his career in 1985 but a year later, he beat Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
in the German Open for another milestone singles victory.
Purcell won three ATP singles titles in 1981, at Atlanta, Tampa and Tel Aviv. He also teamed to claim four doubles titles, at Delray Beach (1982 with Chip Hooper
Chip Hooper
Chip Hooper is a former tennis player from the United States, who won five doubles titles during his professional career....
), Munich (1982 with Eliot Teltscher
Eliot Teltscher
Eliot Teltscher is a retired professional American tennis player.-Early years:Teltscher's mother was born in Israel; his father emigrated there during the Holocaust, and joined the British army...
) and Vienna (1983 with Stan Smith
Stan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
and 1987 with Tim Wilkison
Tim Wilkison
Tim Wilkison is a former professional male tennis player from the United States.Wilkison was the #1 ranked junior in the United States and went on to play professional tennis for over 25 years. He won 6 singles titles and 9 doubles championships...
).
Ace Authentic
Ace Authentic
Ace Authentic, based in Duluth, GA, manufactures tennis trading cards and memorabilia, and sells other items such as photographs and posters. They have partnered with more than 350 active tennis players and legends to provide items, such as autographs and game worn material, not found through other...
produced a line of trading cards called "Heroes & Legends" that included Purcell at his best.
Singles titles (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | March 9, 1981 | Tampa Tampa Open The Tampa Open is a defunct Grand Prix affiliated tennis tournament played from 1981 to 1983. It was held in Tampa, Florida in the United States and played on outdoor hard courts from 1981 to 1982 and on indoor carpet courts in 1983.-Singles:-Doubles:... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Hard |  Jeff BorowiakJeff Borowiak Jeff Borowiak is a former tennis player from the United States, who won five singles and three doubles titles during his professional career. He played number one singles on one of the greatest collegiate tennis team of all time for the UCLA Bruins. Haroon Rahim played number two singles, Jimmy... |
4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2. | August 17, 1981 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard |  Gilles MorettonGilles Moretton Gilles Moretton , is a former professional tennis player from France. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 4 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 3. | October 5, 1981 | Tel Aviv ATP Tel Aviv The Tel Aviv Open is a defunct, ATP Tour affiliated tennis tournament. It was played from 1979-1996. It was held at the Israel Tennis Center at Ramat HaSharon, near Tel Aviv, Israel and was played on outdoor hard courts. The tournament was played as a ATP Challenger Series event in 1998 and 1999... , Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
Hard |  Per HjertquistPer Hjertquist Per Hjertquist , is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won 1 singles title and 1 doubles title. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 68 in 1980 and a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 106 in 1985... |
6–1, 6–1 |
Today
Purcell is the head tennis coach at Murray State University, a post he took in 1996 succeeding his father, hall of fame coach Bennie PurcellBennie Purcell
Bennie Purcell is a Hall of Fame basketball player who became a Hall of Fame tennis coach at Murray State University, coaching the Racers for 28 years...
. He led Murray State to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
titles in 2001 and 2002 and was named OVC Coach of the Year both seasons.
Mel Purcell was still enjoying matches on the Jimmy Connors Champions Tour in his 40s, where he played against and sometimes beat Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
, Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
, and John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
.
External links
- Official ATP profile
- Murray State University profile
- Murray State University Men's Tennis Team
- The Paducah SunThe Paducah SunThe Paducah Sun is a daily newspaper in Paducah, Kentucky owned by the family-run Paxton Media Group. The paper was formerly known as the Paducah Sun-Democrat. The publisher is Jim Paxton. Gary Adkisson is the general manager. Duke Conover is the executive editor.The Sun is the most-read newspaper...
archives, 1990 four-part series about Mel Purcell