Bill Scanlon, 1983 US Open Semi-finalist & Winner Of A 'Golden Set', Dies Aged 64
He was not on the list.
Former World No. 9 Bill Scanlon, the 1983 US Open
semi-finalist, passed away aged 64 on Wednesday after a brief struggle with a
very aggressive cancer.
During a successful 13-year career, Scanlon became the first
man to complete a ‘Golden Set’, winning 24 straight points in the second set of
a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Brazil’s Marcos Hocevar on 22 February 1983 at the WCT
Gold Coast Classic in Delray Beach.
Scanlon had warmed up for the match with Rod Laver using a
graphite racquet, but, as the American told the New York Times in 2012, he
could barely hit a ball in court. Scanlon said, “It was so horrible that Rod,
who’s like the nicest guy in the world, said, ‘What’s going on, Bill?’ I just
said, ‘Oh God, I’m just scared to death with these new racquets.’ So I
panicked, got in the car, went back to the hotel and switched back to my wooden
rackets. I went onto the court against Marcos without even hitting a ball with
them.”
Later that year, as the 16th seed at the 1983 US Open,
Scanlon beat top seed John McEnroe 7-6(2), 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3 in the fourth
round, letting out a cry of “Yeah!” after winning the three-hour, 44-minute
battle on Labor Day at Flushing Meadows. He lost to eventual champion Jimmy
Connors in the semi-finals.
Former American pro Jonathan Canter told ATPTour.com, “Bill
was an incredibly thoughtful and diligent individual. Everything he did had
purpose behind it. His success in tennis and as a financial advisor are rare.
Whatever Bill focused on he was amazingly adept at. I enjoyed the time I had
with him, the conversations, the golf, and his relentless energy to be the best
he could be at whatever he did. He will be missed by many.”
Scanlon captured the 1976 NCAA singles title as a sophomore
for Trinity University in San Antonio, beating UCLA’s Peter Fleming 5-7, 7-6,
6-3, 6-2 in the final in Corpus Christi, Texas. The right-hander followed in
the footsteps of 1972 titlist Dick Stockton, of the same Texas school, and soon
turned pro. But two years later he considered quitting the sport after a run of
poor results.
Coaxed to play by friends, Scanlon, known universally as
“Scaz” on the circuit, gained a place in the Maui main draw as a lucky loser
and beat McEnroe and Harold Solomon en route to the 1978 title (d. Fleming). He
retained the title the follow year, beating Fleming again in the final, and
quickly became a larger than life ‘folk hero’ on the Hawaiian islands, where he
entertained locals with his guitar at beach parties or playing golf off a
scratch handicap.
Former junior rival Tracy Delatte, who played for the
University of Tennessee before turning pro, told ATPTour.com, “I met Bill in
Shreveport, Louisiana, for a junior tournament. I was No. 1 in my State for
under 18s and I played Bill in the second round and he cleaned my clock that
day. What I remember about him then was how smooth he played, and his movement
on the court was so fine-tuned. No matter what I did to hurt him with my
strengths, he always had an answer for it - with great shots hit for winners or
I just could not get them back. As I played more national junior tournaments, I
always looked for Bill’s name in the draws. I hoped he wasn’t in my section of
the draw. He was that dangerous.
“With his game and athletic ability, I knew he was going to
do some damage at some time in his life. Once I left Tennessee in 1979, I moved
to Dallas and I trained with Bill and other great players from the area. Bill
was a great player with many wins over top pro players. He was a fiery
competitor with smooth strokes and his serve and volley game was something to
be dealt with.”
Scanlon played in four WCT Finals (World Championship
Tennis) in his native Dallas, which included a five-set loss to McEnroe in the
1982 edition, having held four match points. He also reached the 1983
semi-finals (l. to Lendl). By 1985, he required two knee surgeries that
curtailed his peak performance days, although he did capture his final singles
title at the 1986 Hall of Fame Open in Newport (d. Wilkison).
Former World No. 8 Fleming told ATPTour.com, "If you
weren't a great player playing your best, Bill would likely carve you up on any
quick surface. He had immaculate hands and was one of the best returners in the
game."
Hard-hitting Scanlon won seven singles titles and two
doubles titles. He also reached the 1979 Wimbledon quarter-finals (l. to
Connors) and the 1980 Australian Open quarter-finals (l. to Warwick). In
playing retirement since 1990, Scanlon became a professional investment
advisor, and later established his own firm, Advantage Capital Advisors LLC,
based in Los Angeles. He authored two books, including ‘Bad News for McEnroe’
in 2004, and ‘Zen Tennis – Playing In The Zone’ in 2015.
In 1984, Scanlon founded the Dallas Youth Foundation,
providing sports activities from former professional and Olympic athletes to
children in the Dallas area. He also served on the ATP Board of Directors as a
player, the board of the Southern California Tennis Association and the USTA
Davis Cup committee. He was chairman of the Carl Reiner Celebrity Pro-Am
tournament, co-founder of the Beverly Hills Invitational and inducted into the
Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame and the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame.
Scanlon, who lived in Bel Air, California and also in Park
City, Utah, where he passed away, is survived by his wife, Stephanie.
Doug Adler, the former tennis analyst and one of Scanlon’s
closest friends, told ATPTour.com, “Bill and his wife moved to Park City in
Utah at the start of lockdown last year, but soon he had problems with his
dexterity, problems with his hands and his wife told him to go to see a doctor
in Salt Lake City.
"They found melanoma sitting inside his head and he
underwent one bout of radiation and recuperation around seven months ago. He
thought he was good to go, the scar had healed and he felt fine, but only about
six of seven weeks ago did another problem arise - a problem with his hearing.”
William Neil Scanlon, tennis player, author and investment
advisor, born 13 November 1956, died 2 June 2021.
THE TENNIS WORLD PAYS TRIBUTE
Brian Teacher, former World No. 7 and 1980 Australian Open
champion, told ATPTour.com:
Bill was a very bright and articulate man and had many
interests. Whether it was business or sports he loved the challenge and loved
life to the fullest. I remember on the Tour the year he got to the semi-finals
of the US Open [1983], weeks before the event I shared a simple, but powerful
book with him, [titled] ‘Zen In The Art Of Archery’.
After reaching the semi-finals he told me it was the book
that helped to inspire him to reach this pinnacle. On the surface, the book was
simple and easy to read, so much so that it could easily be discounted. But as
we all know in tennis and competition it is always about the moment and staying
present. The book approaches life and sport as opportunities for learning between
conscious and unconscious co-operation and finding the balance.
From what I have witnessed in Bill's life, is that he had
this balance always and stayed true to his values and core beliefs. He lived
life on his terms and was a good friend to all who knew him and he will
certainly be missed and remembered.
Trey Waltke, former ATP pro and friend, told ATPTour.com:
Bill Scanlon made the game of tennis look both simple and
beautiful at the same time. Guys would come out of the locker room just to
watch him slowly dissect a great player. Often a loner during his playing days,
Bill really became a wonderful man after leaving tennis. Bill was a winner at
everything he became interested in. We had many long conversations about how
tennis was the perfect blueprint for life. I’ll miss you Bill. I will miss your
understated humour and sharp observations about the world, and also the gentle
soul you became.
