Advanta Championships

Philadelphia marked the third tournament in a row that Pete entered as the defending champion. Things had gone south in the last two tournaments, and he was hopeful for a turnaround. However, things got off to a rocky start when he was nearly upset in the first round by a player then ranked in the 800's.

Opponents:

1st round: Xavier Malisse, def. 4-6 6-3 6-2

2nd round: Andrea Gaudenzi, def. 7-6 6-3

QF: Sjeng Schalken, def. 6-2 6-2

SF: Tommy Haas, def. 6-4 6-4

Flawless Victory: On his way to the final against Thomas Enqvist, Pete held off a very determined Tommy Haas, a young player who would later make some noise of his own at Wimbledon '98 by knocking out tournament favorite Andre Agassi. Enqvist was a former top 10 player from Sweden, coming back after an injury-plagued 1997. He was looking to establish himself as the "top Swede". The final was high calaber tennis, the type of tennis that had yet to be seen from Pete. He held firm, and finally won his first ATP tour title of the year, defeating Enqvist 7-6 7-6. Pete's joy was evident by the huge grin on his face after the final.
Record to date: 13-2