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Tuesday, July 10, 2001

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Dave Pollack had a flashback as he sat in front of the television Sunday watching Don Johnson, his college partner, win the men's doubles title at Wimbledon.

	A Wimbledon title adds to Don Johnson's reputation as one of the game's doubles specialists. (Dave Caulkin, Associated Press)

When Johnson crunched a volley at the net with a long reach or nailed a smash, Pollack smiled.

"It brought back visions of our college days," said Pollack, who teamed with Johnson for two successful seasons at the University of North Carolina. "I saw him do those things so many times in person."

Johnson and Jared Palmer became the first all-American team since 1990 to win Wimbledon, beating Jiri Novak and David Rikl, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Since they got together in early March, Johnson and Palmer have won five of eight tournaments.

This was the second Grand Slam title for Johnson, who won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon last year with Kimberly Po.

Johnson, 33, is a 1986 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School and childhood friend of Pollack, who grew up in Monroeville. Johnson and Pollack won the doubles title in the West Penn/National Collegiate Clay Court Championships at the Mt. Lebanon Tennis Center in 1983.

"It's strange seeing someone you know win at Wimbledon," Pollack said from his home in Plantation, Fla. "That's something you don't see every day. I think it's great what he's doing."

Johnson was born in Mt. Lebanon and lived there until 1980, when he and the family moved near Erie. He won a PIAA championship in singles in 10th grade at Fairview High School. The Johnsons moved back to Mt. Lebanon in 1984, and Johnson won another PIAA title as a senior.

"What you see at that age is the potential to play at a very high collegiate level. You can't say you see a future Wimbledon champion," said Chuck Stull, Johnson's coach at Mt. Lebanon. "He couldn't blow you off the court with any one shot, but he had a well-rounded game with a lot of touch.

"He had all the shots and he understood the geometry of the court."

Although he played only singles in high school, Johnson demonstrated the skills and knowledge of the game that would one day help him develop into a world-class doubles player. He was a tall, slim left-hander who covered the court with loping strides and could get to most everything at the net with his reach.

"He always realized his strengths and weaknesses," Stull said. "He was a very cerebral person, a kid who worked hard on the strategy of the game. He didn't go out there and just hit the ball as hard as he could. He was well-advanced for someone his age.

"You don't change someone's strokes during a high school season, so it was my job to design practices so that he's getting the drills that will enhance and improve his game."

Johnson's constant companion on the practice court was teammate Ron Mercer, now a teaching pro.

"We trained a lot together on the Mt. Lebanon courts," Mercer said. "He had all the shots, but you could see he still had a lot of room for growth. He stayed back in singles, for some reason. He was more of an all-court player."

Asked if he saw glimpses of what Johnson would later do at Wimbledon, Mercer hesitated, then said: "I didn't see that coming."

After high school, Johnson headed to Chapel Hill, where he and Pollack hooked up again at North Carolina to form one of the most formidable doubles teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"We were exact opposites on the court," said Pollack, who stands 5 feet 9. "My strengths were return of serve and keeping the point going. He used to have free reign at the net, and at 6-3 he could pick off volleys."

Who took the overhead on a high lob?

"They were all his," Pollack said, laughing.

Although their games differed, their personalities meshed.

"He was intense, but he also liked to have a good time playing tennis. He kept his temper in check," Pollack said. "Neither one of us was vocal. We worked off each other well because we both stayed positive."

Johnson, however, wasn't always sure he wanted to be a doubles specialist on the ATP Tour.

"You reach a point in time," his father, Jim, said in a recent interview, "where you realize you are not going to be rich and famous playing singles."

Johnson agreed.

"It makes sense," he said. "After a few years, you start to question what you're going to do with your life. Are you going to make a living or play singles."

Johnson has won 20 tournaments and earned nearly $1.75 million playing doubles. He and his wife, Krista, have a home in Chapel Hill, but he still maintains ties to the Pittsburgh sports scene and keeps close tabs on the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.

Johnson's older brother, David, played tennis at the University of Pittsburgh.

"From early on in his tennis career, Don had an intense desire to win," said Jim Johnson, who lives with his wife, Carol, in Madison, Ohio. "For Don, winning was the only thing."

Winning at Wimbledon has doubled Johnson's pleasure.