WHEN I MADE IT TO THE US OPEN!

WHEN I MADE IT TO THE US OPEN!

by Jacqueline Colaco

     ‘STRAWBERRIES and CREAM’ time at Wimbledon is over, and the US Open is in full swing…

     My thoughts drift back to September 1986. The US Open was going on at Flushing Meadows – a short stroll away from where I lived during my posting at the Bank of Baroda branch in New York. One evening friend Wendy, nieces Claire Ann and Premila and I (all ardent tennis lovers), decided to go across from Flushing where I lived, and watch a few floodlit matches. We could only afford the lower priced tickets, and consequently ended up with a bird’s eye view of the court from the highly elevated rear stands. However it was thrilling enough to actually be in the midst of what we had been watching for years on television, thousands of miles away in India. I remember Yannick Noah was in exuberant form, playing more to the gallery with his clownish antics than concentrating on his match. In stark contrast, was the serious invincible Ivan Lendl, with court manners as boring as the saw–dust in his pocket. Brad Gilbert who later coached Andre Agassi, was also playing that evening.  All in all we had a very memorable experience, making a picnic of it as well, with a six pack of wine coolers and a bucket of KFC.

     A year went by and it was US Open time again. One morning while I was at work at the bank, my sister Isobel called me. She lived in New York too. She offered me a ticket to join her family for the afternoon matches, courtesy a friend of hers who couldn’t make it. I jumped at the offer, knowing that I would be returning to India a few months thereafter, perhaps never to come back. My boss, a great sport who sensed my excitement at this special chance offered to me, generously let me take off for the rest of the day.

     On reaching the venue, I was stunned when we were ushered right into the grandstand – a courtside box!  The rows where the TV camera men zoom in on celebrities and the kith and kin of players – was this really happening to me? Wow! I felt like a celebrity too. The players were just across the railing – an arm’s stretch away. I watched Martina Navratilova demolish her doubles partner Helena Sukova in the singles.  Martina is my all time favourite – always vibrant both in her play and rapport with the spectators or expletives at a missed chance. Steffi Graf (my second favourite) also played that day – elegant, dignified and athletic – silent in comparison with her grunting peers; Monica Seles and Martina Hingis, if I remember correctly. Stefan Edberg was another great I saw in action that exhilarating afternoon.

     Now to the present. While the still debonair and charismatic Vijay Amritraj continues to lend a dignified Indian dimension to tennis, it is unfortunate that a clash of egos between our Lee-Hesh combine, saw their legendary doubles potential fall by the wayside. However Martina made a comeback not long ago, to thrill us once again, by pulling off some splendid mixed doubles titles with our own Leander, then just half her age. Somewhere down the last two decades, Steffi and Agassi, matching in titles, decided to hitch in marriage as well. One hat’s still going strong.  Martina on the other hand, separated amidst much acrimony and claims for palimon(e)y, from her longtime girlfriend Judy, but despite cancer, after a cure, made a historic and spectacular comeback with Leander to win a mixed doubles in a grand slam not many years ago. This is some legendary pair! Truly sad though, about the Indian ego fiasco before the Olympics this year that brought us to our national tennis doom!  

     Yes, the US Open has come around again and we have old stars and new on courts that do not have traditional surfaces of old, who face challengers that are tougher in both mind and body than ever before! Federer and Nadal do not call the shots these days as much as Djokovic and

Andy Murray. I have a soft corner for the hulk Tsonga, who gives all a good fight but is yet to make his mark.  The Serbs, Russians, Chinese, Australians have showed their toughness in the games, backed by their glamorous costumes and good looks. Serena is indefatigable while Venus has succumbed to age though she still keeps up a brave fight and appears each year. Kim Clijsters had made a stunning comeback to win a few years ago but has now retired.

Lee and Hesh have partnered others in the mens and mixed doubles finals, and have enjoyed their wins and suffered their losses. We miss this doughty partnership for sure!  Sania Mirza, a ‘never say die’ kid struggles on bravely despite plaguing injuries, and has done us done us proud in doubles. We pin hopes on Som Devraman in singles and Rohan Bopanna for the future.

     For the past twenty five years I am back to watching the tournament on television from far away India, pinching myself sometimes to make sure I am not dreaming that I was twice present there. So to reassure myself, I go and dig up my souvenir collection and pick out the photographs, the ticket stub and the tiny teddy bear that sits in a little carry bag bearing the words – US Open.

    And I reproduce this piece annually…