Britta's Halle Experience
My day in Halle Sunday,
18-Jun-2000
Finally up now...ya know, I was in Halle yesterday and actually pretty tired when I got back today at half pas one am., so I slept pretty long really, till seven pm or somethin'. still it was great *grin*. After about 7 hours of travalling, I arrived at 1 o'clock am and went straight ahead to cc, watched the early games of the first set between Prinosil and Kafelnikow. Decided then to take a look around, to figure out what else's going on. Got to a practise court and guess who was there?!? right -it was PAT! *grin*! Wearing blue trousers and blue-white shoes, a white cap and NO shirt :O)...he was practising with Jonas, Peter was there, too, of course and a guy I don't know really, probably Jonas' coach (?!). anyway, Pat seemed fit and was obvioulsy in a good mood, which also had an impact on the following match I think, since he smiled and laughed a couple of times and joked, even with his opponents Prinosil and Bupathi, but that's just him, isn't it, cause actually I don't think that there're many players being that open and joking around on court... well, back to practise, there were quite many people really, taking pictures and waiting for the end to get an autograph, well that were only the girls really *grin*... unfortunately, I had missed the first half of his practise, when I arrived he was already pretty sweaty, but he was so friendly to hold out for another twenty/thirty minutes, I can't name the exact time really, cause I was just sitting there and watching him :), it was a great experience. additionaly, the court was pretty small which means that you were pretty closed to him, so that you could understand almost everythin' he was saying ecxept from the talk he was leading when there sitting on the bench :( *grin*. I have never heard him talking live before... when they finished, and wanted to get to their hotel rooms, the girls started to run of the court and forced him to stop which is always nice to watch, especially when Jonas can move on cause nobody is interested in him :), poor Jonas! but I think he might have been reliefed, as well cause when you tired and sweaty and you just wanna have some time for yourself, it's not that funny when you've to give plenty of autographs, still Pat was patient and did the girls the favour, so that I was able to take a few pics which didn't work out, really since each time I wanted to take a pretty pic, one of the girls was standing in way :(...well, I still heard one girl saying "good luck for the doubles-match" and he was like "yeah, right - thanx!" what a day!!! *grin*
Watched the first halffinal afterwards, wasn't that exciting cause Michael unfortunately wasn't in good mood, so Richard dominated the match and won 6-2 6-1 I think... I went afterwards back to practice court where I interrupted my search for Pat and watched Nikolas Lapentti practising but when I heard that Pat and Jonas were already on cc, I got back there and watched their match applauding each point though the others didn't which felt strange really :), obciously they wasn't that excited about Pat on court as I was *lol*... well, afterwards, you probably know that Jonas and Pat lost :(. I waited near the entrance of their hotel for about 40 minutes or somethin', Buphati passed by, as well as the coach(?) of Jonas and some German celebrities having played a show-match on court1...Pat FINALLY :O) passed by, too, wearing a white shirt, white trousers, no cap which always looks better, I think, and he looks so damn fine, even from behind :O)!! ya know what I mean, don't ya?! well, a few minutes afterwards I had already to leave Halle, 6 hours journey by train to go, but and that's for sure I would do it each time again *grin* but - only for Pat, that's for sure, too!! :)) and I have to admit that I'm meanwhile addicted to this travalling from tournament to tournament-thing *grin*, so I'd like to watch the eurocard-open as well, but haven't found any homepage, yet...may you help me, please? additionaly, I'd like to know whether someone of you knows which hotel the players stay in when they're in Stuttgart?! thanx so much bye, b.
Britta
