Paris Open 98
By Marie-Thé
PAT AT THE "OPEN DE PARIS-BERCY" -
1998
It's probably useless to specify that I followed and encouraged for one thing
"my very dear" Aussies! :-) That year, I saw playing Big Mark, the
Woodies, Stolts. Lleyton wasn't here. And, naturally, I wouldn't have missed
Pat's matches for the world! I was so moved by the idea to see him playing for
the first time of my life, on Wednesday, that I ate nearly nothing that day!
The day after, I was so peaky when I went to eat my breakfast that the guy of
the hotel thought I was ill! Happily, the breakfast was copious, and I made up
for it! *lol* I'm a totally crazy girl, I guess! No?
You maybe want to know what Pat was wearing at Bercy in 1998. Well, he had got
this classy shirt I liked so much. You know, it was the white one, with thin
blue stripes and those large blue bands on shoulders, which made his build
appear even more imposing : it really suited him, to my mind! By the way, he
always wears nice outfits... :-) He also had his matching blue shorts. He
sported his usual ponytail, had a two or three days' beard, and I was really
HAPPY to see him as he was when he ruled in the American summer events and the
U.S. Open with all his great class! The only thing he hadn't got was that big
white "war painting" he had in New York! But um... at Paris, in
November, you don't risk a sunburn! Especially when you play an indoor event!
*lol*
Wednesday, 4th November 1998
Pat played his first singles, early in the evening, facing Nicolas Escudé,
who beat Boris Becker the day before, after an interesting cut-throat game. It
wasn't a very fascinating match, I have to concede it : "Scud" (it's
the Frenchman's nickname, not because of a "missiles-launcher"
serve, but simply because of his name), so I said that "Scud"
rapidly injured himself and Patrick, in fine fettle, hit his volleys with the
biggest efficiency. The public didn't have the time to enthuse much : 58
minutes after the first serve, it was finished for the poor Nicolas (6/3-6/1).
For my part, I (selfishly!) much appreciated this fast win for our Aussie : it
set my mind at ease about his form and his mental, his will to play. The weeks
before, he seemed to be a little bit down, and tired after so much time spent
far from his base. And I also was worried concerning his left knee. That first
match thus was a good test!
After the match point, Pat kindly replied to Jean-Philippe Fleurian, a former
French player, who is now the "stadium speaker" (I'm not sure of the
word) and who interviews the winners, and sometimes the defeated mens if
they're agree, after each match. If I remember well, Pat said he was confident
enough, and happy with that first round. It wasn't very original, but you
couldn't ask someone who just did some efforts to say very original things!
And, in any case, it was really nice to hear Pat's voice. I think it was the
very first time I hear him! :-))) He even ended his little "speech"
with a few French words : "Merci! Au revoir et à demain!"
("Thank you! Good bye and see you tomorrow!"). You can be sure that
he was very successful! Here, we love when players make the effort to say a
few words in our language! :-) And, of course, I was stunned to hear him
speaking French! I had a big large happy grin on my face, it really was a
great experience! Pat, you're an angel!
Thursday, 5th November 1998
If the first Pat's match wasn't part of the ones which leave an immortal
remembrance, the second was completely different. By the way, I considere it
was the most sumptuous game I attended at Bercy, and even the most beautiful
one I've ever seen in my life. For 2 h 41 mn, the crowd had the time of their
life : suspense, beauty of the play, sportsmanship, combativeness and good
mood set up the cocktail offered that evening by Patrick and one of his mates,
Todd Martin - I read in the "Event Daily" that both of them
"prepared" their match lunching together :-) - The score is enough
to give an idea of that game : 5/7-7/6 (7-3)-7/6 (8-6) for the American. My
God, I can't help being thrilled when I think of this match!
Yes, Pat didn't win the duel... But, don't say he lost it : at this level, for
me, he wasn't defeated at all! The match was so close! Only one or two points,
the last ones of the final tie-break, tipped up the game. Until the very last
second, only an astrologuer or a wizard would have been able to guess the
winner's name! Ah, what a great thriller!!! Patrick was absolutely fantastic :
in spite of his injured knee and a painful left shoulder, he constantly rushed
to the net, on his second as on his first serves. He volleyed and smashed as a
god - the Tennis God, of course! -, threw himself on "impossible"
balls without hesitation, covered the whole court with the most admirable
energy. You forgot the guy was injured!
As for the big Todd, he also played magnificently, returning to a nicety,
hitting superb passing-shots and volleying with much talent. He really
impressed me! By the way, I encouraged him for his following matches, facing
Agassi (a superb victory!) and Sampras (a defeat, but he fought as a lion!).
Pat and Todd offered their most beautiful tennis to the spectators, who were
totally delighted to be there and to admire them. I can assure you that I was
the first who applauded and that I wouldn't have swapped my seat for $1
million!!! The two guys also showed what is the most fantastic thing in sport
: sportsmanship and "joy of playing". They enjoyed themselves on the
court, it was absolutely obvious!
Here is a little anecdote, which happened for the second set : Patrick served,
he led 40-15, if I correctly remember. He got ready to pitch the ball, when
his opponent suddenly shouted something (that I wasn't able to understand,
unhappily). Our Aussie stopped his gesture, and said : "What?" So
the American blurted out smiling : "Nothing! It was just a joke!"
Wherupon, the two guys bursted out laughing, with the greater part of the
public (and Pat won his game). It was a really cool moment! :-)
An other anecdote showed how the guys (and mainly Pat!) were relaxed. For a
change-over, as usually when Pat changed his shirt soaked with sweat, many
people in the crowd shrieked... So, mischievously, after having pulled on his
new shirt, he stood up and made as if to pull out his shorts. He just started
to pull down it, but it was enough to make the crowd react! After a short
instant of a disconcerted silence... *lol*... there was a huge burst of laugh
and applauses. Some guys in the public encouraged him to go further... But,
um... it was time to come back to the court!!! Unhappily... *lol*
When it happened, would you believe it, I saw nothing! I was plundged in my
bag, searching for my damned water bottle (I have a large bag to put inside
everything -water, sandwiches, apples... chocolates...- I can need for a whole
afternoon of tennis, from 11 h 00 a.m. to 12 h 00 p.m., and even 1 h 00 a.m....).
Hey, it was the change-over, the match was bloody exciting and I absolutely
needed to drink a little! And I couldn't guess that Pat would do such a thing
right in the middle of such a match!!! So, I had nearly my head in the bag,
and, suddenly, I heard some whistles and cheers. I immediately looked up :
bummer... it was too late! Pat was just straightening his shorts, under the
laughers and acclamations! So I asked what happened to my neighbour, a nice
Thaï Sampras' fan, and she said, with a little charming smile : "Oh,
he just had a problem with his shorts..." A problem with his shorts...
Oh, my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *lol* I still can't believe he did that in front of
15 000 persons, for a very "serious" match! It's too much! Two years
have passed, and I still can't help laughing when I think of that... Great
moment! (There is the pic of it on Planet Rafter : it's the one with the
following title, if I remember well : "Pat and his Calvin Klein").
Let us (seriously *lol*) come back to the match, now. Pat and Todd often
applauded each other after the most lovely points, and they showed a delighted
face : you felt they were really happy to be there, on this court, face to
face. It was nice to see such a complicity between two opponents! :-) And it
didn't keep them from being combative : I saw many fists clenched by the
"will to win", many determinated looks, many triumphal or
disappointed gestures... Right to the end, both of them fighted as lions,
without the friendship which joins them spoiling their motivation.
Something funny : nearly each time Pat missed a stroke, he yelled something I
didn't understand well. It sounded as "shit", but said in French,
with a little weird accent. And that really amazed me! I wasn't the only one
who heard that. The man sat near me even said : "It's really curious that
they never have trouble to learn and remember that kind of words!" *lol*
But I don't think that was this word he yelled! In any case, it sounded funny
to my French ear... and it was funny! :-) Well, does anybody have an idea
about that word? I'm still very intrigued!!!
In brief, it was a terrific game, ended by a very hearty handshake. Patrick
didn't seem to be very affected with his "defeat"! He showed a large
happy smile and sparkling eyes, as his mate! It was great to see that! :-) I
figure that the matches played at the beginning of the century, when there
wasn't yet some talk of earning money or getting celebrity, looked like this
one! Cut-throat, but friendly, and funny...
If I would have come to Paris for only one match, it would have been for that
wonderful Martin-Rafter! Well, O.K., I cried a little bit after the match
point ; by the way, I would be unable to tell you much about the Agassi vs
Rosset which followed. Stupid me! But I quickly recovered from my let-down,
because the spectacle given was sumptuous enough so that the result didn't let
me the least grief.
I even would say that game was part of those who make you love tennis so much,
and there're not enough words to thank Patrick for giving us so much pleasure,
playing as he does it his courageous and flaming serve-and-volley game! THANK
YOU, PATRICK!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
Please, don't ask me if I've been able to get some autographes! On the one
hand, I'm a very, very shy girl, and champions awfully impress me. *lol* And
on the other hand, even if I would have been daring, I wouldn't have succeeded
in coming on the brink of the court : it was the crush to approach to the
players! And, it's not surprising, Pat was the one who was the most surrounded
by fans! :-)
Marie-Thé
