 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
Hewitt can't handle the heat Posted: Saturday May 31, 2003 5:24 PM
PARIS -- When France defeated Australia in the Davis Cup finals of 2001, France's captain, Guy Forget, said of Lleyton Hewitt, "We were not afraid of 'Lew-ton.'" If you're going to disparage the world's No. 1 player, at least have the courtesy to pronounce his name correctly. On Satutrday Lleyton (LAY-tun) Hewitt was accorded another Gallic indignity. Though the tournament's No. 1 seed, he was banished to Court 1 for his third-round match against Spain's Tommy Robredo. Meanwhile, decidedly lesser lights -- Arnaud Clément and Nicolas Coutelot, Albert Costa and Nicolas Lapentti -- did battle on Court Chatrier and Court Lenglen. If it's any consolation, Hewitt was able to play on one of the tennis world's most intimate stages. Nicknamed the Bull Ring, Court 1 is a 360-degree cement bowl on the edge of the complex. When filled to capacity -- and it was Saturday -- the Bull Ring seats 4,500 fans. But it feels more like 450. The crowd circling the court is so on top of the action that it hears every muttered utterance from the players and observes all sorts of minor details (e.g., Robredo takes such a huge backswing on his backhand that he gets specks of clay on his shoulders and lats). "These guys are close enough to spit on us," said my Australian seatmate. With its weathered concrete and small archaic touches (the names of past champions are engraved on the exterior), Court 1 is an ideal companion piece to Court Central, which was rechristened as Court Chatrier a few years ago. Fans are invariably surprised to learn that Court 1 is only 23 years old. Despite its relative youth, the Bull Ring has taken its place alongside Wimbledon's Court 2, Flushing Meadow's Grandstand court and Rome's marbled Pallacorda as one of the sport's most soulful venues. Plus, its history is already textured. Chris Evert played her final match in Paris at the Bull Ring. It was on Court 1 that John McEnroe unleashed his alliterative tirade at a French judge, accusing the poor monsieur of being an amphibian, among other things. This was also the site of Gabby Sabatini's epic meltdown against Mary Joe Fernandez a decade ago. Add Saturday's match to the list of classics. In front of a packed maison -- many of the fans sitting on a ledge a few yards behind each player -- Hewitt jumped to a two-sets-to-none lead. Mostly by riding his inside-out forehand, Robredo leveled the match. In the fifth set Hewitt took a 3-0 lead, but Robredo stormed back to win the next six games. As Robredo soaked up cheers like a victorious matador, Hewitt stormed off in disgust. His trip to the Bull Ring had left him gored. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim is in Paris covering the French Open for the magazine and will file regular reports from Roland Garros. Click here to send a question or comment to his Tennis Mailbag. |
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
