University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC's Johnson Wins Third ATP Doubles Title This Year
May 8, 2001 | Men's Tennis
May 8, 2001
MALLORCA, SPAIN - University of North Carolina assistant men's tennis coach Don Johnson continued his amazing doubles play on the ATP Tour this year as he and doubles spartner Jared Palmer won their third title of the season this past weekend in Mallorca, Spain.
Johnson and Palmer combined to beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Francisco Roig on their home soil in the final of the Mallorca Open by a 7-5, 6-3 score. This is the third doubles title of the year for Johnson, '90, a former great player at Carolina and Palmer, a 1989 Stanford graduate. The duo also won ATP titles this year in Scottsdale, Ariz. and Barcelona, Spain. The Barcelona win came the previous weekend giving Johnson and Palmer back-to-back ATP victories.
oth were outstanding junior players together as long as 22 years ago.
"We have played four times together and won three, so he's pretty darn good," said the 32 year old Johnson about his partner Palmer, 33. Johnson also admits that it wasn't that long ago when the two were juniors.
"When I was 11, he was the No. 1 junior in the world at age 12 and under, and his father had an academy," says Johnson. "I used to go home and say 'I've been practicing drills on Jared Palmer's court today."
Palmer obviously enjoys playing with Carrboro resident Johnson, originally from Bethlehem, Pa. when he came to Carolina in 1986. "We've had a couple of great weeks," says the former Cardinal. "We make a good team. I would like to get my doubles ranking back in the top ten, or possibly higher."
