TENNIS: ATP Champions event

[feather_ghyll]

There was tennis on ITV4 this weekend – I found it by accident. It was an ATP Champions (veterans) tour event at the Royal Albert Hall (so the sound the ball kids made scuttling about was really something). On Saturday, I saw bits of Moya vs Santoro, Bates vs Forget and a doubles match featuring Barhami, Wayne Ferrera’s cheekbones and a commentator offering up the peach of a line ‘(Andrew Castle) doesn’t find playing second fiddle easy’. Then, on the same night, there was Ivanisevic vs Henman, with the first being streaky and entertaining, while the other was mostly more ruthless. There were tennis greats among the very well-dressed audience because it was a charity event (I think the sponsors had agreed to donate £100 for every challenge made, so Ivanisevic was even challenging decisions that had gone his way). When the camera pulled up and you saw the dimensions and shape of the hall it was something to behold (I’ve never been there), but because the court and hoardings were painted grey, it looked disconcerting, as if you were watching it in black and white, but of course you weren’t – the ballkids were in bright pink.

On Sunday, I saw McEnroe close off his match with Wilanders, who was no match for him (sorry, couldn’t resist). His play was impressive. It meant that there was longer for the exhibition doubles match, with ‘the Clown Prince of Tennis’, MacNamara, Forget and Ivanisevic. Hilarious. I couldn't watch the 'younger vets' final, and had to look up the results.