Indian Wells 2000

by Susan and Sheena

　
Monday, 13-Mar-2000

We got to the tennis early today because Susan wanted to get Andrew's autograph before his match at 10 a.m. We took the bus (again) and when we got off, who should we see? PAT. He was practicing on the first court next to the entrance. Both of us look at one another, and said, "Isn't that Pat?" It was cooool.

He was wearing blue shorts (not too long) with a white waistband, white cap, shirtless, hair loose, lots of zinc oxide and the shoes we all love! He was there with Rochey, Peter and Muddy.

Pat is, in a word, stunning. Even more so in person than he is in pictures or on TV.

He was hitting with an Aussie named Pedro, at least that's what Pat called him. We don't know who he is. Nobody did. Have you Aussies heard of Pedro before?

Pat seemed a bit rusty. He wasn't practicing at full strength, although he did hit a couple kick serves and a few groundies. He practiced for 45 minutes after we got there. Susan took two rolls of pictures. Afterward, he came by and answered a couple questions. Someone asked him about the shoulder, and he said "it's fine but I don't answer that question any more." Someone said, "Good luck. I hope you win," and he responded, "I hope I win A match." He signed autographs, including Susan's day ticket -- although she had him sign on the back because he wasn't thrilled about signing over Todd Martin's pic on the front.

After Pat walked way, Andrew and his coach walked by, on the way to his match. Susan seized the moment, and asked him to sign the Nice pic. He was very gracious. In fact, he liked the picture, and his coach said, "Wow." It was really funny. He didn't want to sign over the pic, so he signed the back with a personal message. Goal 2 accomplished. (Goal 1 was meeting with the Babblers, and I've been doing that! It's been great fun. We then went to Andrew's match. There were about 10 people there, and two of us were cheering for Andrew, plus his coach. He lost in 3 sets, unfortunately, but he put up a good fight.

The big shocker was Andre losing to Arazi in the first round. Arazi played very well. Susan is glad she saw Agassi today, because this is it. While she was watching Agassi lose, Sheena saw Jonas lose to Lapentti. (BooHoo.)

We went on to watch Mary Pierce (she looked good, Steve) against Likhovtseva. Sheena also saw Seles against Appelmans. Seles looked good, too.

We then went on to see what we think was the best match of the day: Capriati/Seles v. Raymond/Stubbs (the number 1 seeds). It went three sets, and was nail-biting at times, with some excellent tennis. Robyn, I kept wanting to pull out your "Good Golley, What a Volley" sign, and Sheena kept saying we only use that for Pat. But there were some great volleys in that doubles match.

Then we saw the first set of Enquvist v. Golmard. It was a pretty routine first set, 6-1 to Enqvist.

While waiting for Mark's match, we saw a little of Hingis/Pierce v. Huber/Schett. Hingis and Pierce were toying with their opponents. So we decided to go to the opening ceremonies. And, boy, are we glad we did!!!!

After introducing many former star players, such as Rod Laver, Newk and Rochey, they had the players come in by country -- sort of like the Olympics. All the Aussie players came (except Mark who was getting ready for his match). Pat looked young in his casual clothes. We took a few pics, but don't know how they will come out. They made a big deal about bringing the US players in last to the tune of "Born in the USA." Pete was there, but Andre was conspicuously absent. It was a moving moment for Susan as an American. Jack Jones sang the national anthem.

　

Tuesday, 14-Mar-2000

.   .  .He Won!!!.  .  .

Today was awesome. While we were watching Tommy Haas's match, Sheena went scouting about, and she located Lleyton right away on the practice court. And who was he hitting with: Pat. What a treat to watch those two guys hit together. They obviously have a wonderful rapport. We got some great pics, I hope.

By now, you know that Mark won. He looked very good last night (his serve was in top form), but we left before the end. Fortunately, we saw the results before we ran into him the lobby. We congratulated him, and he was very gracious. (We were glad we didn't have to ask him the score). I have heard several people in the hotel comment about how impressive he was last night.

Pat's match was excruciating for us. We barely breathed during every point! Catherine, Sheena and I sat together in the front row of our section. I think we got some good pics. We agreed that Pat did not look tentative. He went for his serves, and he was able to dig himself out of trouble when necessary. His volleys, if anything, seemed a little rusty, but he hit a lot of good groundies and, at times, he seemed like "vintage Pat." We were so glad he got through the tie break, though. We weren't sure about a third set. But, all in all, we think he played well under the circumstances.

He was so happy to have won. Rochey, Newk, Peter and Lara sat in his section. It was difficult for me to get a look at Lara because she was behind Newk most of the time, and could not be seen. She is, shall we say, quite trim, and could not be seen behind Newk. She is quite attractive, though, and it was difficult for her to watch the match when Pat was down break points. We all knew how she felt. It was hot enough in the stadium already, without all that additional nervousness!!!

Anyway, he made it through. And after that he had the privilege of driving a remote control vehicle around the stadium, racing a couple kids. Apparently the winner won something. Well, Pat could have won (he had better control of his vehicle), but he stopped and let one of the kids win. It was cute, and he was a really good sport. He was so delighted with his win.

Lleyton was next, against Moya. In the third set, we saw some of the best tennis we had seen during the tourney. We weren't sure who was going to win for a while, but Lleyton came through, and he was stoked. Newk joined Lleyton's coach for most the match.

The "cutest" moment during the day was when Pat and Lleyton took a break during their practice session and sat together talking. It was just them, and it was a Kodak moment. We took pics. It is obvious they are good "mates."

We are totally jazzed that Pat is through!!! And we are also jazzed that Kiefer is out. YES! Here's hoping. Both Mark and Lleyton are looking very strong. This could be an Aussie tournie!

Susan saw Haas win his match. It was tough. She wanted to see Courier, but Pat's match was at the same time. Sorry Jim. Maybe next time. Sheena and Catherine saw Guga's first set. He came though, too.

　

Thursday, 16-Mar-2000

.  .  .Details about our discussion with Peter, and other matters.  .  .


We started the day watching Enqvist vs. Johannson. It was a sparsely attended match, and was not too exciting. Enqvist won.

We decided to go over to another stadium to watch Lleyton's match. We heard Greg R. was just about to lose, and knew Lleyton was up next. Well, on the way to Stadium 3, we checked out the practice courts. I said to Sheena, "Look there's Pat." And she said, "No, it's Goran." Well, I insisted it was Pat, and she insisted it was Goran. We both were right. They were practicing on side-by-side courts, and we were just looking at different courts.

Well, we stopped to watch Pat's practice. He was practicing with Rochey, and was making him run around a bit. He looked really good in practice -- the best he has looked since he has been here. His volleys were sharper, and his groundies were looking good, too. Susan took some pics.

Goran watched some of Pat's practice session, and he came over after a while and spoke with Pat. They seemed to enjoy their conversation.

After the practice, we spoke to Peter. He said Pat is going to play World Team Cup. Our understanding, however, is that only the top two men from each country qualify for singles; and that Pat may have to play doubles. Peter didn't say that, but that's our understanding.

Peter did say that Pat was a "definite" for Davis Cup in Adelaide, at least with respect to doubles. He said they are still concerned about whether Pat could go five sets in singles, so singles may not be an option.

Peter asked if we were going to Adelaide. We said "no," and told him about how we went to Nice, as arranged by Robyn and Woz. He said they were so sorry to miss Nice, and said he understood it was a great time. He says he hopes that they will win the Cup again this year with Pat.

We asked Peter about the shoulder (since Pat doesn't like to talk about it). He said he was a little tight this morning, but that it doesn't hurt. Nonetheless, Pat took it easy during practice and only did a few "soft" serves. Peter told us that was why.

Peter said they love the new IW facility (it is beautiful). He said it's a lot like the US Open facilities, only smaller. Very player friendly. He said they are going to stay here until Sunday to prepare for the Ericsson. Pat is going to continue to work with Rochey. Hopefully, we'll get some info later in the week about how Pat's doing, etc.

We also asked Peter about why Pat and Lleyton didn't play doubles. He said they would have played except Pat was "too honest" about the situation. As we suspected, Pat was planning to pull out of doubles if he proceeded beyond the first round in singles, and he told the officials that. They were unable to give them a wild card under those circumstances.

We bet Lleyton is wishing he had doubles, too. After Pat finished practicing, Sheena went to see Hingis v. Seles. I went to see Lleyton's match. During his practice, we overheard Pat say to Rochey or Peter that Byron was playing well. He was right. Susan watched the second set, and did her best to support Lleyton, who was getting very vocal, shall we say. He did get to a tie break and was leading 5-0. Sheena heard this, and came over to say, as only she can, "You can do it . . . Hewitt." But as she was waiting to get in for the presumed third set, the score was now 5-all. Lleyton lost, and it was very distressing for us all. I guess he will be working with Rochey this week, too.

.  .  .Here is Part 2 of our day; details re Pat's match.  .  .
 
Before Pat's match, we saw Guga and Tommy Haas. It was a good match. It looked as though Guga was having problems. He had the trainer come out a couple times, and he limped off the court a bit. Tommy looked very sharp for the most part. We are looking forward to his match against Mark tomorrow.

Now to Pat's match. It was a very tight first set. His serve was very good for both the first and second sets. His volleys and groundies improved as the first set went on, and were very good in the second set. There were some AMAZING points (vintage Pat) in the latter half of the second set. The crowd was really getting into it.

Unfortunately, after the second set, he wasn't able to go for his serve as much. He took some pace off his serves. In the first two sets, he was serving 110-120 mph on his first serve. By the third set, he was in the low 100's to mid 90's. In the meantime, Alex stepped up his serving, and cranked out a 131 mph serve when Pat had break point against him.

It was getting cooler, and he looked a little tired. He was rotating his arm before serving a lot. This doesn't mean that there's a problem.

From our perspective, he played well. And if a few things had gone differently, he could have won in two sets. All the pieces are there. He should take heart from this. He battled well, and many people around us commented on what a good match it was and how well Pat played. In our opinion, it was (notwithstanding the loss) a big improvement over the match with Ondruska. He is on his way.

Once again, Sheena, Susan and Catherine watched the match together. Our hearts were in our mouths the whole time. We lived and breathed and every point. In fact, the guy next to us inquired as to whether we were related to Pat, given that we were so intense on his match.

It appeared that Alex said some nice things to Pat at the net after the match. Immediately the match, Pat was given a headset, and it appeared that he was being interviewed. We don't know who interviewed him. Perhaps one of you caught the interview. We'll definitely be interested in what he said. Of course, if we can catch up with Peter at the practice courts this week (hopefully tomorrow), we'll inquire as well.

On a more personal note, Susan was delighted to hear Jim Courier sing last night. It was a real treat. Catherine called in the evening to say that Jim was playing his guitar and singing at the Hyatt lounge. I went over, and it was a real kick. He really can sing and play the guitar, fairly well. And if he didn't know a song, he a great excuse -- he just said "I'm a tennis player, not a singer." I had an opportunity to speak with him one-on-one, which meant a lot to me, since he has been a fav player of mine for many years. We spoke about whether this will be his last year on the tour, and it very well could be. He is planning on playing Cincy, but I won't be surprised if this year is it. Happily, though, his singing is much better than the entertainment at our hotel, so he may have another career already lined up.

　

Friday, 17-Mar-2000

Catherine saw Peter coming into the hotel about 9:30 a.m. We assume that Pat was practicing early today, which would make sense because it has been so hot here. Very unseasonable. We know Pat will be here until Sunday, but I don't know if we'll be able to catch up with him or Peter by then. We'll try.

During the matches today, we heard a lot of people commenting on how great the Rafter match was last night. By and large, everyone agrees he is on his way back. I'm glad that the media is putting that spin on it, too.

We really lucked out today. We took the shuttle bus to the stadium today, and were really dreading spending another day in the hot sun. But we are tennis troopers! Anyway, a woman on the bus had some air conditioned suite tickets, and I asked about buying them. She handed Sheena and me three tickets, with her compliments. She runs the Rado (one of the sponsors) suite. So the three of us got to sit in air conditioned comfort to watch the matches on stadium court today. It was wonderful, especially since the food and drinks were complimentary, too. We were in heaven. If only Pat were playing!!!!

We enjoyed the Escude/Lapentti match. We really thought that Escude would win a few times, but Lapentti kept coming back. In fact, it seemed at times that neither of them wanted to win, as they kept trading breaks. Sorry, Elina. I kept thinking of you, and hoping Escude would pull through.

We also thought that Byron had a chance over Pete, but as usual, Pete found a way to fight back when he was down. We really thought Wayne would beat him in the last round. We have to say that he doesn't look invincible, even though he's pulled through. It is amazing, though, how much he is well loved here. Everywhere you go, it is Pete, Pete, Pete. If he's playing, and you cheer for the opponent, you get these dirty looks (we have been the recipients of those dirty looks). He is a national hero here, probably like Pat is in Aus.

Mark played very well against Tommy, although Tommy made some good shots. (I have to say Tommy is very cute in person.) Anyway, Mark looked really strong, and I know many people are hoping for a Mark vs. Pete semi-final. Let's hope. Mark's serve is firing, and his groundies look good. He has a real shot here, which is one reason I really wanted him to get by Tommy. I'm not sure Tommy could beat Pete at this point.

　

Sunday, 19-Mar-2000

. . .I'M BACK FROM INDIAN WELLS. . .

Before I get to Pat's practice sessions, I wanted to mention what happened after Mark's match against Schalken. Remember when we reported that Pat had to drive the remote control vehicle around the court, racing two kids. Well, Mark had to do the same thing, and it is obvious that Mark's a remote control vehicle expert. This must be what he does in his spare time. I couldn't believe how fast he drove his car around the stadium two times. He beat the kids and won a t-shirt. I am really glad that Pat only has to play tennis against Mark, and not engage in RC vehicle racing against him. There is no way Pat could compete.

Also, after the match, the commentator asked Mark what he thought about his match against Pete the next day. And Mark said something about Enqvist, and the commentator assumed that he was playing Enqvist. Obviously, the commentator didn't realize that the other quarterfinal had yet to be played, and Mark had to straighten him out.

Also, I almost forgot to mention that you may see Shannon, Kelsey and Jennifer on TV during Mark's match. They created quite a sensation around the stadium by sporting green flippers saying "GO FLIPPER." I'm sure ESPN panned to them several times during the match. All the people around me kept commenting on them. It's just too bad that it didn't spur Mark on to victory.

By Friday morning, we thought it was unlikely that we would see Pat any more, at least on the practice courts. We figured he would practice at the hotel or really early. Catherine, Shannon, Kelsey and Jennifer have seen him around the hotel a few times, at breakfast and such. After the Pierce/Hingis semi, Sheena went out and happened to see Pat on the practice courts. He was with Rochey, and I believe he was hitting with Peter (Pedro). I forget Pedro's last name, but Sheena thought she knew who he was, and Pat's brother Peter confirmed it. We'll have to ask her his last name. Because I wanted Pat's autograph on a poster, I went over by the exit gate, which is on the adjacent court. Guess who was practicing there, Elina? Escude. I took lots of pics, since he was right next to me. Hopefully, they'll come out.

When Pat left, he signed my poster, which is the Wimbledon poster Wendy sent to me after Nice. Thank you, Wendy. It means a lot to me that it came from you and Pat signed it. I also got some close up pictures, which I hope will come out. Pat joked with the fans a bit, but that was about it. We didn't talk to Peter, other than to confirm Pedro's name.

This morning I got off the shuttle bus around 10:30, and he was out practicing yet again. This time he was with Pedro, Lleyton and Rochey, and they really worked. They hit until about noon, and since they probably got there at 10 a.m., it was about a 2 hour practice session. It was really intense. At one point, Pat was on one side hitting to Lleyton and Pedro. They had him running around hitting balls for about 5 minutes straight (no stopping). When they were done, Pedro and Pat did the same for Lleyton. It is really neat to hear Pat "coach" Lleyton, telling him to "move, move, move"; "get it, get it," etc.

It was really funny to hear the various spectators' comments. Most of them didn't know Lleyton, and I heard several people say, "That kid is really good."

The good news is that the Pat I saw practicing this morning was not the Pat I saw last Monday. He looked sharper, and more focused. He hit lots of amazing shots in practice (something he did not do last Monday). I think this week with Rochey has helped tremendously (along with a first round win and a competitive second round match with the finalist). I am really looking forward to hearing how he does in Miami. As we said before, he's on his way. Notwithstanding their losses, Lleyton and Mark have been doing well lately, too. I think Aus will have an amazing DC team in Adelaide!!!

One other thing I thought I'd pass on. During the practice today, several people (Americans) commented on how the "Aussies practice together." And then noted that the American players do not do that. It was very obvious this week that the Aussies are a "team."

Since last night was our final "hurrah," Sheena and I decided to go to the Hyatt for a drink. I'm really glad I brought Sheena because she is an amazing player spotter. With the exception of Pat, Mark and Lleyton (and perhaps Andre and Pete), I have a difficult time recognizing the players. Sheena can spot 'em from a mile away. I can't tell you how many times someone has walked by, and Sheena has said, "That's so and so." (I did recognize Bud Collins, though!) The fact that I have been able to report seeing certain players is because Sheena has told me who they are. (In fact, think of all the players I could have reported I saw if I had recognized them when I saw them.)

Anyway, it seemed as though we saw every player from A to Z (Arazi to Zabaleta) at the Hyatt lounge. Although Pat was not there, most of the others who were still in town dropped in. I can't remember them all, but I know we saw Henman, Zabaleta, Norman, Lapentti, Arazi, Pierce, Moya, Santoro, and Grosjean. (I saw Goran, Jim Courier and Chris Woodruff the prior night, at least those were the ones I recognized.) What has struck me the most about seeing these players in person is that they look quite different than they do on TV and in pictures (which is why I don't recognize them!). For the most part, they are much better looking in person. This is definitely true of the women players.

In retrospect, there were two things I was not really prepared for. One was seeing Pat in person. I already knew he was good looking; I just didn't realize how stunning he really is.

The second thing was Carlos Moya. I have seen Carlos on TV and in magazines before. I watched his match against Lleyton from practically the front row. I never thought of him as particularly attractive or unattractive. I really never thought of him at all.

Well, he walked into the Hyatt lounge, and I just about fell off my chair. (Of course, I didn't know who he was; Sheena had to tell me.) He is drop dead gorgeous. He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt, and as Sheena says, "He cleans up quite nicely." Although I questioned the decision at the time, I have absolutely no doubt why People Magazine chose him as one of the 50 most beautiful people a couple years ago. They must have seen him looking the way he did last night.

Aside from seeing the players and trying not to stare at Carlos, the evening was mostly uneventful. I did dance with a guy who said I really should take dance lessons. Since he was about 70 years old, I wasn't too offended, particularly since he kept saying, "You young people just don't know how to dance."

Well, that's about it from Indian Wells. It was a fantastic week. I had a great time with Sheena and the other Babblers (I enjoyed meeting Lynn, too). We're definitely going back next year (although we're going to pray for cooler weather -- I hear Rado is not going to be a suite sponsor next year!). The facility is fabulous, and I really enjoyed being able to catch the women's matches, as well as the men's. Lindsay played a good match against Martina today, and one of the highlights was the Seles/Capriati match we saw earlier in the week. On the men's side, in addition to Pat's matches, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Enqvist beat Pete on Friday. (It's going to be a novel experience cheering for Pete at Davis Cup next month.) I also enjoyed the Lleyton vs. Moya match (even before I realized how devastatingly handsome Moya is), all of Mark's matches (particularly today's match against Enqvist), Tommy's matches and Arazi's win over Agassi. All in all, we saw some great tennis, including two of Pat's matches, plus five practice sessions. Can't complain about that!

I got Andrew's autograph on my picture. Sheena (of course) spotted him going by on the way to his match on Monday, unfortunately, he lost his first round match against Clavet. In addition to Pat's autograph, I also got Jim Courier's. I figured that was enough, although I may seriously consider trying to get Moya's autograph one of these days.


Susan & Sheena