Mel Purcell
Mel Purcell ( born July 18, 1959 in Joplin, Missouri ) is a former American professional tennis player.
Life
Purcell studied one year at Memphis State University before he moved to the University of Tennessee. There he won in 1980 on the side of Rodney Harmon the NCAA doubles title. In the same year he reached the final of Indianapolis as well as the semi-finals of the Japan Open. 1981 was his most successful year on the ATP World Tour, he was able to win three individual titles. He also was the first time in a double finals. The following year, he won the doubles title of Delray Beach and Munich and was in the singles final of the tournaments of Los Angeles and Boston. In 1983, he won another doubles title in Vienna and was in the singles final of Vienna as well as at the Monte Carlo Masters.
In 1985, he underwent surgery on right elbow and then had to suspend several months. He then played on the ATP Tour and reached the final of Raleigh. In 1987, he won his fourth and final doubles title with Tim Wilkison. Its highest listing in the tennis world ranking he reached in 1980 with position 21 in the singles and in 1984 with position 47 in doubles.
In some his best result was at a Grand Slam tournament, the quarter finals Wimbledon 1983. In the doubles competition in 1981 he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, the second round of Wimbledon three times and the first knockout round of the U.S. Open.
After the end of his professional career he was head coach of the Murray State University.