Heineken Trophy 2000
By Marjolein
I met him for the first time
this year on Monday. I walked up to him after his training. I asked him things
about his shoulder, he said that everything was feeling okay. I asked him how
he felt about his chances in the tournament and the rest of the season. He
said that he hoped to play better, but he didn't expect too much of it. I told
him that I had all the confidence in the world in him, and that I was sure
that he was going to win this tournament. He said: "how can you be so
sure? I haven’t won a match all year!" I said I just had a good feeling
about it. He said: "Well, you have more confidence in me than I have in
myself". Then Peter asked what I had for breakfast to get so confident. I
told him that I had a typically Dutch breakfast: sandwiches with cheese. Pat
looked at me as if he thought that I was crazy. He said: "Really? You
like that?". I said yes and I asked him about his breakfast. He said that
he always has toast with bacon and eggs for breakfast. Then I said I really
didn’t liked that at all. So we had a laugh about that. After that, Peter
took a photo of Pat and me. I wished him good luck for his match, and he went
away. After that I was a bit shaky and a boy asked if everything was okay. We
started talking and he said that he could arrange a real meeting between Pat
and me. I didn't believed him at first, but later that day he came up to me
and said that he spoke to Pat and he agreed to meet me after his match on
Tuesday. Pat said: "Sure! Is it a girl?" The guy said yes, Pat said:"Great!
I like girls".
So on Tuesday we went to see his match. And after that we went back to meet
him (that guy had a VIP-badge). He came to us and I introduced myself. He
couldn't pronounce my name, so I told him to just call me'Marilyn', because
that was easier. He asked where I lived, what I was studying and if I would be
in Rosmalen all week. We had a really nice chat. After 15 minutes he took off
for his press conference. I was in total shock after that chat! I went to my
father who was also there, and I had to sit down for a little while, I just
couldn't believe what just happened to me!
On Wednesday, I went to see his training. After the training, he came up to
me, he put his arm around me and said: "Hey Marilyn, you're here again!
How are you?". I was so surprised that he still knew my name! I said that
I was fine but that my nose and cheeks were sunburned. He looked at my face
and said: "You forgot to use the zinc oxide!! And you know you always
have to wear a cap!" I didn’t know what to say about that, so I just
said that he was right, and that my nose was feeling very bad. So we talked a
bit more about his upcoming match, the weather and about football (Euro 2000).
Then I wished him good luck for his match, and he went into the player's
lounge. I spoke to him again that day after his match. He told me that he was
feeling better on the court and that he was getting more confident about his
game every day. I congratulated him with his win. He said:"You're not
disappointed?" I asked him why I should feel disappointed. he said:
"Well, this is the second Dutchman I beat this week!" We had a laugh
about that and after that he went away to give a press conference.
On Thursday we had a chat after his training again. Before that, I just had a
talk with Karim Alami (Pat's next opponent) and Karim told me that he was a
bit afraid about playing Pat. I told Pat that, and Pat said :"I have to
make sure that he has a good reason to be afraid, then!" Peter said:
"Just make sure that you win, mate!" We walked by the restaurant and
Pat asked Peter if he would get some carrot juice for him. I said: "Carrot
juice? You like that?" He said: "yeah, it’s the best, you should
try it!" I said that I would try it for sure. We said goodbye and he went
into the player's lounge. I met him again later that day and we had a chat.
Then I said: "I know you for almost a week now, and I didn’t had a
chance to take a nice picture from you". He smiled and said: "Okay,
let’s do that now!". So he stood there, first he was just standing
there, smiling in my camera. Then he took some weird poses for me, like he was
a model. Then he said: "I should get my bikini on, that'll be nice for
the picture!" I was laughing so hard, how he said that, it was so funny!
then I took a few more pictures, and he took of.
Friday morning I was walking to the practice courts. That's where I met Joes,
Andrea, Joëlle and more. They were translating a Dutch interview with Pat. I
helped them with that. After that we watched Pat's training together. I had a
really good time that day, it was the first time I met people who are as crazy
about Pat as I am! So I told them my stories, and we had a great day!
On Saturday I talked to Pat after his training again (this was almost becoming
a regular thing for me). I told him I almost burst into tears after he finally
won the match against Alami. Tony Roche heard that and he said: "Really?
You should stay calm, cool down! I wasn’t nervous at all!" We talked
about the semi-final and we all were a bit worried about the weather (they
were expecting showers that day).
On Sunday we had a double portion of Pat. In the morning he played his
semi-final match, and in the afternoon he played the final. After he won the
tournament, we (the boy with the VIP-badge and I) went to see him. I bought a
big chocolate bar for him. Joëlle told me he liked a certain brand, so I
bought that. When I gave it to him, his face led up and said: "Oh, Thank
you very much, you’re a sweetheart!". I said that he also got it from
Joëlle, he looked at her and thanked her too. We also took some pictures: Joëlle
& Pat, Pat & me and just Pat, being his cool self. After that he gave
a press conference and then he took off, so we said goodbye to him....
I had such a nice week there, I really missed talking to him every day after
that week. And the worst thing was that I couldn’t get on the internet
because of my internet-connection. But now it's all good, and hopefully it
stays good!! I will scan my pictures in when my neighbors get back from
holidays (I always use their scanner), so you'll see them later.
Unfortunately, the roll with my'private photo session' with Pat is ruined,
because my camera (with that roll in it) fell down on the floor during a
training from Pat, Joes was there when it happened. I first thought that is
was ok, but apparently it wasn't, Because only one photo from that roll turned
out fine. I cried so hard when I found that out, I just couldn't believe that
it had to be that roll!!! But most of the other pictures do look really great!
Phew, this was the whole story, I hope you liked it!
Marjolein
