University of North Carolina Athletics
Johnson Reaches Final Of U.S. Open
September 8, 1999 | Men's Tennis
Sept. 8, 1999
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Don Johnson, the volunteer assistant men's tennis coach at the University of North Carolina, has reached the mixed doubles finals of the 1999 United States Open Tennis Championships at New York City's Flushing Meadow complex Wednesday. Johnson and doubles partner Kimberly Po defeated third-seeded Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge of Australia Wednesday, 6-4, 6-4, to earn a spot in the final Friday against second-seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan and Mahesh Bhupathi of India.
Johnson, a 1990 UNC graduate who makes Chapel Hill, N.C. his home now, also reached the third round of men's doubles in this year's U.S. Open. Seeded 12th and playing with Cyril Suk of Czechoslovakia, Johnson and Suk earned victories of Alberto Martin and Javier Sanchez (Spain), 6-2, 7-6 and Doug Flach and Geoff Grant (United States), 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 in the first two rounds of men's doubles. Johnson and Suk fell in the third round to sixth-seeded Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) and Sandon Stolle (Australia), 6-3, 6-4.
Johnson and Po have had marvelous run through this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles championship. In the first round, the duo defeated Irina Selyutina (Kazakhstan) and Cyril Suk (Czechoslovakia), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The second round found Po and Johnson upsetting the tournament's top seeded duo of Lisa Raymond (United States) and Leander Paes (India), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the quarterfinals, Johnson and Po vanquished Larisa Neiland (Latvia) and Rick Leach (United States), 6-2, 6-4.
