suffered a severe back injury and was told she could never serve again. The world-class

tennis champ thought her career was over.

"I never really ended [my career] on my terms," said Schultz-McCarthy, who at the time

was ranked no. 9 in singles and no. 7 in doubles. "If I didn't get hurt, I felt like I could

have stayed another few years."

But as fate would have it, a serendipitous series of events has allowed Schultz-McCarthy

to return to her beloved sport and has led the tennis star, who holds the world record for

fastest serve (130 mph), to the courts at the Westend Racquetball Club in Allentown for

her first Mecco Cup Women's Tennis Tournament. Having already enjoyed a remarkable

career, Schultz-McCarthy is looking to improve her ranking (no. 284 in singles) in hopes

of earning a pass into the U.S. Open.

The Mecco Cup is "a stepping stone to get into the qualies of the U.S. Open," Schultz-

McCarthy said. "You need to be in the top 100 to get into WTA events. Also, you can get

your confidence up at a tour like this."

Schultz-McCarthy began her tennis career at the age of 16. Two years later, she broke

the top 40 spot, and went on to earn a top-10 ranking in 1994. Her rise to the elite level

of women's tennis came to an abrupt halt in 1999 when a herniated disk forced her out

of the professional league.

"I thought that was the end of it," Schultz-McCarthy said. "Right away, I changed my

career and said, 'Now I want to be coaching.'"

She opened a summer camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where young

tennis players come to train and enjoy other summertime activities, such as canoeing

and camping. Schultz-McCarthy worked hard to promote the camp during the school

year and to run it during the summer.

"I wasn't sitting around and not doing anything," she said.

She’d managed to refocus her passion for tennis, but a part of her still pined to return to

the pros.

She began playing in several charity events. During one particular event her back injury

flared up again. Top-level men's player Andy Roddick recommended an NFL doctor who

ultimately would help Schultz-McCarthy to condition her back and get back into the

game.

“He gave me some hope,” Schultz-McCarthy said. “This guy worked with a lot of athletes

and knew how an athlete’s body can function with the right exercises.”

It worked. After five months of the prescribed regimen, the 6’2’’ athlete felt great.

Still, one problem remained. As part of Schultz-McCarthy’s agreement with her disability

insurance, she wasn’t allowed to play tennis professionally--unless she agreed to return

the insurance money, which she’d already used to build her tennis camp in Virginia.

Then, fortune struck again. Schultz-McCarthy’s story got around when she was a

participant at a charity event, sponsored by Donald Trump. One thing led to another, and

before she knew it, a deal was made on her behalf. As part of the deal, Schultz-

McCarthy is permitted to participate in professional tournaments, but any prize money

she wins must go to the insurance company. That’s just fine with her.

“It was never about the money,” Schultz-McCarthy said with a smile.

So, five years after leaving the pros, Schultz-McCarthy, who was just entering her late

30s at the time, was ready for a comeback. In 2005, she was invited to coach the Fed

Cup team for The Netherlands and ended up playing for the team, as well. The following

year, during a Cincinnati qualifying match, she proved that she could still bring the heat,

unseating Venus Williams as the woman with the fastest serve in the world.

"I knew it was a gamble to play the bigger tournaments," Schultz-McCarthy said, as she

awaited her singles match at the Mecco Cup on Wednesday. "When you play this level

of tournament, it sort of gets you ready for it."

Now 37 years old, Schultz-McCarthy has her sights set on the US Open. Unfortunately,

she lost her quarterfinal match on Friday after winning her first two matches at the 2008

Mecco Cup. After leaving Allentown, she plans to play major tournaments in Mexico and

Cincinnati. And then, who knows? She said she just may take a break to spend more

time with her husband, American Sean McCarthy.

But this time, it’ll be on her own terms.