My Tennis Kids, Serena Williams & Wasted Rackets

To quote Chris Evert, "I've never seen anything like this!"

But what drama!

Last Saturday, during the ladies' singles final of the 2018 US Open, Serena Williams smashed her racket, got penalized for coaching, and verbally attacked the chair umpire. She eventually lost the match and a chance to equal the tennis record of 24 grand slams singles titles held by Margaret Court.

Sadly, Williams's theatrics ruined what could have been a memorable night for the champion, Naomi Osaka of Japan, who just won her first ever Grand Slam title. Well, Naomi and the rest of us will eventually remember that night for all the wrong reasons.

I am both a tennis fan and a tennis player. 

I have watched in person matches of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis, Amelie Mauresmo, and of course, that of Serena Williams. I even have selfies with former World No.1's Andy Murray, Pete Sampras, and Marat Safin!

I have played tennis on the tennis courts of Seoul in South Korea, playing against Koreans and other nationalities, most of whom became good friends.

               (These kids love to play tennis!)

But my most cherished role in this sport right now is being a volunteer coach and instructor to young kids of a public elementary school in the Philippines. Nobody taught me how to properly play when I started; that's why I ended up with bad habits. I wanted to make sure these kids learn how to play properly from the start. 

 (Old tennis rackets and tennis balls - not in photo -                  donated by people who care)

(Old tennis rackets for local public schools in the Philippines: We don't even have enough tennis rackets, yet Serena Williams just destroys them as props for her theatrics.)

Last year, I asked my friends in Korea if they had old tennis rackets and tennis balls to spare as the local public schools (in my Philippine hometown) didn't have enough tennis equipment for the kids. And yet there she was, Serena Williams, seen by kids all over the world just destroying her expensive tennis rackets. How wasteful!

   (On my way from Seoul to Incheon International Airport) with the tennis bag on my back)

(Eugene carrying them when 

they got to the Philippines)

But thanks to those friends and donors who cared, I was able to gather a few old rackets, girls' outfits, and new tennis balls and donated them to two public schools in the Philippines (although they badly need more). 

(Turning over rackets & tennis balls to Mr. Noe Baldomer and teachers of AAYQM Elementary School)

   (Turning over rackets & tennis balls to 

Mrs. Lilibeth Jacobo of Valencia Ko 

  Elementary School)

One teacher even told me they only have two tennis rackets for eight kids; they had to take turns. And their tennis court? They had to make do with white lines written on the cemented ground.

(Sandy and Missy with their new girls' tennis outfits)

But what was worse, in my opinion, was the fact that, during the ceremony, the USTA President didn't even bother to address the issue. She even praised Serena and said,"...perhaps this is not the finish we were hoping for...", forgetting the fact that there were TWO players on court, and not only one, amidst booing and jeering by the New York crowd. I could only imagine how Naomi felt.

But amidst all these, with kids from tennis or from other sports, watching that shameful spectacle, it's only right to speak about the issues of fairness, sportsmanship, and respect because, sadly, a tennis superstar, someone who should have been promoting the sport, somehow managed to ruin it with just one match.

(Natassia, Missy, Rica, Sandy, Sean, Gabriel, 

Kentzhi & Joemar won all their matches 

at a local schools' meet in 2018)

Fair play
No cheating, please. If the rule says 'no coaching', then tell your coach not to send hand signals from the stands.

For me, throwing tantrums on court just to throw off your opponent or halt his/her momentum is cheating.

And cheating is wrong; it ruins, not just the sport, but your reputation as well.

Sportsmanship
Observe the rules of the game, accept defeat like you would a victory, and learn from your mistakes. It will make you a better player. Emotionally and morally.

Respect 
Even though he or she is your opponent, he or she deserves your respect like you deserve his/hers.

Remember the 1999 French Open when Martina Hingis crossed over to Steffi's side of the court (which is a no-no!) and even threw in an underhanded serve (which left Steffi shaking her head)? Martina got booed by the French crowd and was reduced to tears.

You should also abide by the rulings and decisions of the chair umpire, and not berate him just because he ruled against you. This is tennis where we shut our mouth, and let our forehands and backhands do the talking.

And my take on Serena's tantrums and theatrics? 

She did it to throw off her opponent. She was losing and was being outplayed by Naomi. With her coach's hand signals not working, she was probably ready to play dirty as long as she won.

      (Missy, Sandy, Daniel & Eugene won all their               matches at the local schools' meet in 2017)

But as I said, let's not emulate her disgusting behavior. She argued with the chair umpire using her 'mother card' and 'gender card' by claiming she was a mother and "...men out here that do a lot worse...". Well, Roger Federer is a father but we've never heard him argue against an umpire using his four kids as an excuse, have we?

So, there, tennis kids. Let's just play fair, respect everyone, and observe sportsmanship.

                   (We celebrated with pizza!)

PS. These are my happy tennis kids!  And even though our tennis rackets were just donated, we still have fun!

Kia Brings Tennis Champions To Seoul!

Their names are already legends in tennis: Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Marat Safin, and Pat Cash.

And thanks to Kia Motors and the ATP Champions Tour, these tennis legends came to Seoul, much to the delight of their Korean fans!

            (Marat Safin and John McEnroe 
             talking to sports reporters)

             (The four Champions in Seoul)

On November 12 and 13 in 2016, when the autumn temperatures in Seoul were best for the outdoors, the legends amazed their Korean fans with their booming serves, shot-making, and enthralling points that made their names the most exciting to watch during their professional days. 

John McEnroe, a former World No. 1 with 7 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, is the only left-handed player in the field. McEnroe is known for his serve-and-volley game as well as his leftie out-wide serve, which, according to Pat Cash, "is very difficult on this court; it's very fast".

         (Young tennis players pose with 
                       Pete and Pat)

         (Fernando Gonzalez was last year's                  tournament champion)

Pete Sampras, with his 14 Grand Slam singles titles, sharing the 2nd spot with Rafa Nadal in the current all-time record list, is also known for his serve-and-volley game, but it's his booming serves that usually do the damage. 

When I asked Pete Sampras about his reaching the World No. 1 ranking in 1993 and the 286 weeks he spent on that spot, he said that "it was one thing to get there; it's twice as hard to stay there".  

                  (Pat Cash with fans)

   (Marat Safin with a young Korean fan)

Marat Safin, also a former World No. 1, has won 2 Grand Slam singles titles, while Pat Cash has been a Wimbledon champion.

                (Excited tennis fans)

          (John McEnroe with his fans)

With the tournament having events such as the autograph signing, the 'one-point lesson' hit with Pat and Pete, and the 'fastest serve' contest, the local and international tennis fans in the SK Handball Arena were treated to a weekend of fun and special tennis matches.

                    (Marat in action)

During the matches, fans would get into the game by cheering words of encouragement for their favorite players.

But the most popular player among the fans was Pat Cash, who not only entertained everyone with his antics on court, but also gave away his prized trademark headbands to lucky fans who were seated courtside. He even walked over to a fan on the other side of the court just to give her his headband in appreciation of the fan's all-out cheering for him.

      (McEnroe questioning a line call)

      (Pat Cash unleashing a backhand)

And just like his old self, John McEnroe flared up during matches (jokingly though) whenever a questionable line call didn't go his way. But that's what fans came to see: their favorite tennis players being just themselves on the court.

And being a tennis fan and a player myself, I felt the excitement of the fans, both young and old, whenever a long rally happened and ended with a winner, or when they rushed courtside after matches to ask for a photo with their favorite player or for an autograph. 

            (The great Pete Sampras)

I even heard one Korean female fan loudly giggled after she had a photo with Marat Safin. It was understandable; he is handsome and at 6'4", his presence on the court is still intimidating.

On the first day of the tournament, Marat Safin won over Pete Sampras (7-6 (4),6-4), while John McEnroe won over Pat Cash (6-2,6-4). 

On the second day, Marat Safin lifted the champion's trophy after winning over John McEnroe (7-5,7-5), while Pete Sampras won over Pat Cash (7-5,6-3).   

        (McEnroe talking to a reporter)

(Marat Safin giving a champion's speech as the runner-up, John McEnroe, looks on)

While the two-day tournament was probably too short for Korean fans to enjoy watching these champions, Kia and the ATP Champions Tour would probably be bringing more legendary champions to Seoul next year! :-)

Playing Tennis in Seoul!

My first ever visit to Seoul On my first ever weekend during my two-week visit to Seoul years ago, I was showed around Seoul by Bella and her husband Junggu. When we drove through the Hannam-dong neighborhood in the Yongsan District, I immediately spotted tennis courts  from the car. And even though I couldn't see the actual courts, those high light posts and tall screen wires were a give-away! That time, I knew they were tennis courts! But what I didn't know was that I would be living in that neighborhood, and those tennis courts would just be minutes away from my apartment! Who would have thought that the first tennis courts I spotted in Seoul would be my favorite clay courts in the city?!

And when I finally settled in that summer, I wasted no time and visited the tennis courts one weekend. And over the years, and perhaps a thousand forehands later, I have been playing on the best clay courts in Seoul! Well, since the courts are very good, rental for one-hour is quite pricey. 

According to my tennis friend, Dong-Eun, decades ago, the Korean government promoted the sport of tennis by creating tennis courts all over the country, usually around the neighborhoods. This was the time when the sitting president then was a tennis player himself. Maybe that's why I always see in the Hannamdong clay courts a lot of old ajussis and ajummas still playing in their 70s, and perhaps even in their 80s. Maybe when they were young, that was when the government promoted the sports, enabling them to learn tennis at a young age. And they're still playing well until now! I remember when I used to play at the clay courts of Sogang University, I played doubles against Father Thomas, a Korean Jesuit priest. I was told he was already in his 90s!

                          (Go Seoda of Japan)

So, if you want to polish that forehand and improve that backhand, you can always find a tennis court around a cluster of suburban apartments near you. There are also tennis courts inside the schools and universities. 

In Seoul, the hard courts at Olympic Park (Olympic Park Station, Line 5, Exit 3) and Jangchung Tennis Courts (Dongkuk University Station, Line 3, Exit 6) are probably the best. 

While the neighborhood clay courts may do, the clay courts of Hannam-dong Tennis Courts (those on the 2nd and 3rd levels) are the best clay courts in Seoul. They're located in Hannam-dong in the Yongsan District (Beotigogae Station, Line 6, Exit 3).

                      (Duck-Hee Lee of Korea)

                      (Philip Bester of Canada)

The tennis courts of Olympic Park hosts the annual WTA event where you can see female professional tennis players slug it out against each other. This was the venue for tennis during the 1988 Seoul Olympics where Steffi Graf won the gold medal and completed her Golden Slam that year.

            (The Korean tennis prodigy Hyeon Chung 
                           being interviewed)

See you at the tennis courts!

PS. The photos below were from the ATP challenger event held at the Olympic Park in May, which was won by Go Seoda from Japan. The runner-up was the Korean teenage prodigy Hyeon Chung.

Serena Williams @ 19 Grand Slams!

When she and her sister Venus started winning Grand Slams, I remember reading a sports news item that quoted their father Richard saying that, between the two, it was Serena who was hungrier.

He was right. Father knows best, I guess.

I saw Serena Williams play at the Rod Laver Arena during the Australian Open back in January 2007 at Melbourne. That summer day in Melbourne Park, inside the players' lounge, my friends Elizabeth, Louise (a tennis commentator and the former Australian Fed Cup captain), and I were watching Serena battle against Nadia Petrova from the TV monitor. The first set score was 6-1 in favor of the Russian, but Serena fought back on the second set. That was when we decided to go up to the Rod Laver Arena and watch the match from there. Serena won in three sets.

I guess that's just Serena; the grit, the determination to win and the fight till the end. And just as Monica Seles said of her matches against her legendary tennis rival, "with Steffi, till you shake hands, the match is not over". I think that's the same mentality of champions. They never give up until the chair umpire declares 'game, set, match'.

And just over the weekend, Serena Williams won her 6th Australian Open singles title, making her total Grand Slam singles titles to 19, one more than the individual Grand Slam records of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Last Saturday, she defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Serena's 19 GS titles make her female tennis player with the 3rd most titles, after Margaret Court (24) and Steffi Graf (22). So, in tennis history, she is already one of the best tennis players ever.

And as a tennis fan, I consider myself lucky that, in my lifetime, I was able to watch and enjoy a legend play a competitive match live, and at a Grand Slam at that! She actually went on to win that year in Australia.

                     (A post-match interview)

And to make things even special, I received a gift from the Australian Open organizers that year: a t-shirt which was signed by 20 female tennis players who I think played there in 2007, and one of them was Serena! I intend to keep and treasure this souvenir, of course! 

Congratulations to Serena! What an athlete and a competitor. Now, she'll be definitely chasing Steffi's record of 22.

         (My souvenir t-shirt signed by 20 female 
          tennis players at the Australian Open)

                         (Serena's autograph)

A Tennis Dream Come True: The Australian Open!

That's the very beautiful Ana Ivanovic above serving during her first round match in 2007. I was reminded of this picture when I was watching her today play against Serena Williams on her Round of 16 match at the 2014 Australian Open. How I wish I was back there again. The energy and the atmosphere of the Rod Laver Arena during a great match could not be felt if you're just watching on TV.

How did I become a tennis fan?

                                      (James Blake)

                                      (Kim Clijsters)

Well, I actually started as a tennis player. On weekends, that is.

Back when I was still living in Manila, during weekends, I'd go to the Culture Center of the Philippines complex, where they converted the parking lot behind the CCP into tennis courts with uneven surface, ugly lines and old nets that had seen better days, or in their case, better matches. I'd pay a few hundred pesos back then to some so-called tennis instructors, who half-heartedly taught me to serve, volley and hit a decent forehand. Luckily, there was a wall next to the CCP where I actually improved my hand-eye coordination and reflex by hitting balls against the wall using double-handed forehands and backhands.

                                     (Roger Federer)

                       (Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet)


And over the years, I developed my own double-handed backhand when I started playing at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which had the best tennis courts in Manila. Playing there was a bit more expensive though and the courts were usually full on weekends. 

I'd usually play against friends; sometimes against strangers. I sometimes won and sometimes didn't. But it was the fun, the exercise and the goal to improve my game that dragged me to the courts over the years.

         (My favorite male player, Rafael Nadal practicing 
             his serve with his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal)

And then I came to Korea.

Over the years, playing against friends on the clay courts of Hannam-dong and the hard courts of Jangchung have enormously improved my tennis. I remember I joined my first tournament organized by the office tennis club in the summer of 2005. My doubles partner Jaesun and I lost...all of our matches. Ha-ha-ha! It was held on a Saturday morning and I remember I left the tennis courts limping all the way to my Korean class at YBM Sisa in Jongno that afternoon. But it was fun and a realization for me that I needed to improve a lot of aspects of my game before I competed again.

And then I met Lynette and Rene, a couple from Australia who are both very good doubles players. I played a few times with them and learned a lot of techniques, especially on clay. (Thanks, Lynette and Rene!) And in the winter of 2005, I competed again in another tournament, this time with another very good partner, Woojae.

This time, I could not believe it -- we won all our matches! I was a doubles champion in just six months! Finally! This is how hard work pays off.

                 (The tennis crowd at the Rod Laver Arena)

 

  (Martina Hingis serving. I actually had a placard made for   Martina which I displayed during her match)

                                         (Ball boys)

Before Lynette and Rene left Seoul to go back to Australia, they invited me to visit them in Melbourne. Of course, who would want to decline such an invitation? That's the home of the Australian Open!

So, in January 2007, I flew to Melbourne onboard Singapore Airlines, which have fabulous service and in-flight entertainment, by the way. Upon landing, I already tried to copy the Aussie accent that when my turn came up at the immigration line, I greeted the officer, "Good-dye-might!". I sounded like a local. Ha-ha-ha!
 

                                      (Lines persons)

            (A younger Andy Murray, whom I asked for a photo. 
                               He was very nice.)

               (Sir Richard Branson was also very nice. 
                        I also had a photo with him.)

Having bought tickets for first round matches months ahead, Lynette, Elizabeth, another friend from England, and I took the train from Mount Eliza and headed to Melbourne Park.

I remember the excitement, the atmosphere and the thrill of just sitting there amidst thousands of tennis fans filling up the Rod Laver Arena. As I sat there shaded from the mean Australian summer sun, I realized my dream of attending a grand slam event just came true. The years of playing tennis at CCP and at Rizal Memorial Stadium, and watching the sport on TV all came down to this: sitting, clapping and cheering live and in person for the world's best tennis players in one of the world's best tennis arenas. 

                         (Roger Federer changing shirt)

                                (Mikhail Youzhny)

And the dream didn't stop there at the Rod Laver Arena. It just went crazier.

Thanks to 'someone' who was a former professional player at the women's tour, I was given a player's pass! It was like I was part of a tennis player's entourage or team and could get into any match I wanted to see, be it at the Rod Laver Arena, Hi-Sense Arena or at the Margaret Court Arena! 

But the best part was....I had access to the players' lounge! Waaah!

On the moment I stepped into the players' lounge deep inside the labyrinth of the Australian Open arena, I almost went crazy! 

On the table afar were Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and their teams. To my right were Martina Hingis and a few European tennis players, and while I was waiting in line for a free cup of coffee was the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez! And I almost bumped and spilled Ai Sugiyama's coffee! I actually had a photo with Ai before entering the lounge. Taking photographs inside the inner sanctum was not allowed, but thanks to that dear friend who introduced me to Ai, I had one photo with her after a short chat.

Every where I turned at the players' lounge was a tennis star who I only saw on TV and on magazines. These are the players whose forehand angles and dropshots I copied, and who gave me confidence to do my own topspin lobs and backhand slices. As I said, I almost went crazy inside the players' lounge. But I had to subdue my excitement, knowing inside my head this was too much for me to handle. It was like a tennis fan overload! Ha-ha-ha! Otherwise, those big AO security personnel in yellow shirts would kick me out.

                                 (Tommy Robredo)

                (The crowds are the Margaret Court Arena)

(Win a few grand slams and you'd also get a court 

named after you)

Elizabeth and I didn't waste any moment with our player's passes. We went to see Roger Federer vs. Mikhail Youzny, and the Richard Gasquet vs. Gael Monfils matches for free!  We just headed to the 'players box' area and just enjoyed the atmosphere and the thrill again. After the Monfils vs. Gasquet match I spotted the retired French tennis player Guy Forget, who was also the French team captain. I stopped him and said, "Monsieur Forget, une moment s'il vous plait", and snapped a selfie with him! My two years of studying French at Alliance Francaise de Manille paid off! Ha-ha-ha! Of course, I didn't forget to say, "Merci."

The other match we saw was Serena Williams vs. Nadia Petrova. Serena and Federer, by the way, were that year's champions. 

(Tennis fans awaiting a player to get a player's autograph)

           (A peace offering from the Australian Open organization:  an AO shirt signed by 20 female tennis players 

       including Martina Hingis and Serena Williams)

Before we ended our day with our player's pass, Elizabeth and I ate dinner inside the players' lounge. I think I had pasta-something. While I was munching down the calories, Dinara Safina came in and joined Elena Dementieva's table. Dinara was very tall and was always smiling. Maybe she won that night. On the other table was Fernando Gonzalez also munching down his dinner after a win; he was being congratulated by other players.

                                      (Mario Ancic)

                                     (Nadia Petrova)

                                  (Serena Williams)

As tennis player and a fan, it was indeed a trip of a lifetime to the Australian Open. Not only did I bring back with me a few AO towels and keychains (for which I wasn't given discounts by the AO and for which I had to officially complain and got a peace offering of a signed AO t-shirt in return) as souvenirs, I also brought back fabulous memories, a ton of bragging rights and a dozenTim Tams! Ha-ha-ha!

So, thanks a million to my dear friends Lynette, Rene, Dale and Louise, for hosting me and making my tennis dream come true!

And these days, as I watch the live matches at the Australian Open, I could only watch with envy as the crowds sitting at the arena cheer, clap, whistle and gasp at every point. But at least, I could say 'been there, done that', as my own tennis dream already came true at The Australian Open.

Game, set, match!