It was 25 years ago on March 29, 1998 when Marcelo Rios reached the pinnacle of his career – The No. 1 ATP ranking.
The uber-talented left-hander, just two months removed from losing in the Australian Open final 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to Petr Korda, defeated Andre Agassi in the final of the modern-day Miami Open in Key Biscayne to clinch the top-ranking. The following is the excerpt of the Rios achievement from the “On This Day In Tennis History” book (for sale and download here https://www.amazon.com/This-Tennis-History-Day-Day/dp/0942257421/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B4BVUVJBJFK5&keywords=on+this+day+in+tennis+history&qid=1680101059&sprefix=on+this+day+in+tennis+history%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1
1998 – Marcelo Rios of Chile clinches the world No. 1 ranking for the first time when he defeats Andre Agassi 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. The victory for Rios sets off celebrations in Chile’s capital city of Santiago, where thousands for citizens take to the streets in jubilation, waving flags and singing songs celebrating Rios overtaking Pete Sampras as world No. 1. Says Rios of his accomplishment, “First of all, being the best player in the world for Chile is not normal. We have never had a champion be No. 1 in the world in tennis. I don’t know if we have had it in other sports, but I don’t think so. I think everybody is going to take it really good. I feel proud, being Chilean, to be the only one to be No. 1 in the world.” Writes Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times, “Marcelo Rios used his tennis racket like a magic wand, directing none other than Andre Agassi around the court at will Sunday. And, for his final trick, Rios made Pete Sampras’ No. 1 ranking disappear.”
Written by Randy Walker, the sports marketing and media specialist, tennis historian and former U.S. Tennis Association press officer, ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, 528 pages), is a fun and fact-filled compilation that offers anniversaries, summaries, and anecdotes of events from the world of tennis for every day in the calendar year. Presented in a day-by-day format, the entries into this mini-encyclopedia include major tournament victory dates, summaries of the greatest matches ever played, trivia, and statistics as well as little-known and quirky happenings. Easy-to-use and packed with fascinating details, the book is the perfect companion for tennis and general sports fans alike and is an excellent gift idea for the holiday season.
Said Hall of Famer Jim Courier of the book, “On This Day In Tennis History is a fun read that chronicles some of the most important—and unusual—moments in the annals of tennis. Randy Walker is an excellent narrator of tennis history and has done an incredible job of researching and compiling this entertaining volume.” Said tennis historian Joel Drucker, author of Jimmy Connors Saved My Life, “An addictive feast that you can enjoy every possible way—dipping in for various morsels, devouring it day-by-day, or selectively finding essential ingredients. As a tennis writer, I will always keep this book at the head of my table.”
Walker is a writer, tennis historian and freelance publicist and sports marketer. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Marketing and Communications Division, he served as the press officer for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1997 to 2005 and for the U.S. Olympic tennis teams in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also served as the long-time editor of the U.S. Open Record Book during his tenure at the USTA from 1993 to 2005.
Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “The Pros: The Forgotten Era of Tennis” by Peter Underwood, “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” by Steve Flink, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, “Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story” by Mark Hodgkinson, “Cattle To Courts: A History of Tennis In Texas” by Ken McAllister, “Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis” by Judy Aydelott, “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” by S. Mark Young, “Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game” by Marty Smith, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” by Emily Filloramo, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Your Playbook For Beating Depression: Essential Strategies For Managing and Living with Depression” by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, “The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All-Time” by Sandra Harwitt, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Days of Roger Federer” and “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis” by Neil Harman, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “Internet Dating 101: It’s Complicated, But It Doesn’t Have To Be” by Laura Schreffler, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Suzan Anson, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin among others.
