Bill Scanlon, 1983 US Open Semi-finalist & Winner Of A 'Golden Set', Dies Aged 64
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.
Former junior rival Tracy Delatte, who played for the University of Tennessee before turning pro, told ATPTour.com, “I meet 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.
William Neil Scanlon, tennis player, author and investment advisor, born 13 November 1956, died 2 June 2021.