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 Time according to tennis' standards
Posted: Friday September 10, 1999 06:37 PM
Outside the world of sport, the question -- "what is time?" is one of the great imponderables. Inside the field of athletic endeavor however, and in tennis in particular, the nature of time seems much more definite. Firstly, the measurement of time appears to vary depending on your point of view. For example, Frenchman Cedric Pioline, the surprise success at this year's U.S Open, is apparently a veteran. Prior to his quarterfinal with the fifth-seeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, the Frenchman, already dubbed a "graybeard" by the media during his Flushing Meadows run, was forced to answer the question of whether at the ripe old age of just 30, he still had the legs to compete with the relatively juvenile Brazilian. "I played four sets in the first match," he said incredulously. "Five in the second, and four in the third. And I'm still here. So, I guess, yes." His triumph over 23-year-old Kuerten in a four-set marathon that included winning three consecutive tiebreaks, surely giving his fellow "geriatrics" a major shot in the arm. If Pioline proved time is a relative concept in the men's draw, then the youthful Serena Williams did a similar job in the women's singles. The powerful youngster, whose playground feud with fellow teen, Martina Hingis, helped fill the gaps between the daytime and evening sessions, is undoubtedly a precocious talent. Indeed, along with her senior sister, Venus, she can expect to be a formidable force in the sport for many years to come, should her somewhat eccentric father, Richard, decide not to make good on his promise to have the girls retire at 22 that is. However, her idea of how long it took to reach these lofty heights reveals a serious problem with reading the calendar. Her quarterfinal victory over the "ancient," Monica Seles, a relative senior citizen at 25, was followed by references to having "never done anything in a Slam before," and having "worked for this for so many years." She's 17 to for goodness sake! This is only her second full year on the tour! Did she expect to be winning Slams at the first attempt in her pram? Everything comes to she who waits Serena. Finally, whatever else it may be, time is obviously a great healer -- a quality endorsed by one of the biggest stories in tennis over the last few days. The appointment of former "superbrat," John McEnroe, as United States Davis Cup captain, standing as proof positive that anything can be forgiven if you're prepared to shout loud enough and wait long enough to get your own way. It's a sign of the times I suppose. CNN/SI's Terry Baddoo co-hosts WORLD SPORT, the international sports show that airs live daily on CNN/SI and CNN International. His columns appear regularly on CNNSI.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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