Courting Jan-Michael Gambill
At the U.S. Open, which begins Monday in New York City, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are among those expected to take center court. These seasoned veterans will not only be keeping their eyes on the ball but also on up-and-comer Jan-Michael Gambill, reports Saturday Early Show Co-Anchor Thalia Assuras..
Gambill, 24, has beaten both of these princes of tennis once before and hopes to dethrone them again. Sampras has even called him the future of tennis. Assuras interviewed Gambill last week, just before a shoulder injury forced him to pull out of a tournament on Long Island.
He told her, "Right now, I have a shoulder problem. It's the rotator cuff that's causing all the problems... I'll be ready for the U.S. Open, for sure."
That upbeat attitude and pure determination have propelled Gambill into the game's upper ranks. Going into the Open, he's the 20th seed. This comes after a successful spring; for the first time in his career, Gambill became a finalist in a major tournament.
"I've had a pretty good year so far," he notes. "On the hard courts, I've played some of the best tennis in the world. I've done well in almost every tournament. I feel confident."
His game and his ambition are a family affair. His father, Chuck, has been his coach since he first picked up a racquet and much more.
"He's a strict coach," says Gambill. "He likes me to put 1,000 percent out there, but I think that it's important for a professional athlete to do that anyway. At the same time, I know he cares about me a lot, more than any coach I can hire."
It's not just Gambill's killer serve that attracts a lot of attention; so do his killer looks. Gambill has a contract with the Ford Modeling Agency and made "People" magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.
But of that honor, he points out, "Well, that was last year. Now I'm outta there."
But not all of Gambill's off-court hours are spent striking poses. He donates time and money to "Cat Tales," a Washington State zoological park for endangered wildcats, including lions and tigers.
"It's awesome, because I've been there, taken the classes, bottle feed the cats," he says. "It's just very rewarding."
Almost as rewarding as tennis, a game that's served him well.
"It's a dream come true. Who wouldn't enjoy it? You know, playing a sport that they love and getting paid for it? It's pretty amazing."
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