Hamlet Wrap Up Views - SuffolkJournal.com

View From the Stands at the
2001 Hamlet Cup
by: Jane Conway

August 28, 2001 (click on photos for larger view)

The history of LI is replete with references to its being the playground of the rich and famous. No two sports more epitomize that group than tennis and riding. The last few weeks of golden summer on LI resonate with memories of those golden days and golden sports starting with the Hamlet Tennis Tournament followed by the week-long Hampton Classic Horse Show and then the fourth and most amazing of tennis' Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S. Open.

What a thrill then, for a Long Islander - a history buff, a tennis nut and a former horseback rider to be invited to contribute to a local publication writing about at least two out of those three memorable events.

Having attended the Hamlet as a spectator for more than a decade - from the first seats bought in the top row in the early years in Suffolk through years of a box adjacent to the press box at the net, right up to this year with media credentials introducing me into the rarefied air breathed by those allowed to attend press conferences, I was agog with the vision of the pros close up. off court as well as on. I was thrilled to be admitted into those sacred seats marked press and the hallowed walls of the media room.

Having sat among the media members and the real folk, I quickly learned that the regular people are the ones I prefer to mingle with. They come because they love tennis, they love being close to professional tennis in a way no U.S. Open attendee could ever hope to be.

On the other hand, the media people run the gamut from nice guys to some I don't think I should comment on : self-important, pompous, not all so knowledgeable, and in one or more cases: short - on many levels!

I really prefer to sit with the real people. The talk is better, the emotions are real.

Speaking of emotions, they were running high at the 2001 Hamlet. The early announcement of players such as Patrick Rafter, Michael Change, Groan Ivanisevic, Magnus Norman, and Thomas Enquist assured the attendance of a host of tennis fans. The last minute announcement of Pete Sampras' entry as a wild card drew many more including plenty of not-so-devoted tennis fans. It isn't so often that living legends, as he has been called, and all-time record holders, as he is, visit us here on LI. On the first Monday, expectations were running high and so it was a great disappointment to arrive that day to learn that Rafter had withdrawn due to "extreme muscle fatigue."

I, an avid tennis fan, had some forewarning during the televised final the previous day at the tournament in Cincinnati when former #1 Player and now commentator Jim Courier speculated that Pat Rafter would likely need a week off before the U.S. Open. Equally disappointing, Michael Chang and Magnus Norman had also withdrawn. Although some of the star power was gone the draw was still pretty exciting featuring reigning Wimbledon Champ Goran Ivanisevic, American Jan Michael Gambill with his movie-star good looks, young up and coming Taylor Dent, Thomas Enquist and Thomas Johansson as well as the veteran Sampras.

The opening day matches were good, although number two seed Alex Corretja lost a disappointing match to Galo Blanco. Number four seed Arnaud Clement a finalist at the Australian Open defeated Wayne Arthurs. In his post-match press conference, a charming Clement admitted he had gotten a little lucky on one or two shots in his win over Arthurs.

Tuesday was a big day beginning with Enquist v. Lee, followed by a two set battle between Jan Michael Gambill and Alberto Martin. Gambill took the first set easily 6-3 and seemed on his way to closing out the second - but an error caused him a lost break chance at 5-6 and he lost in the tie-break. At the end of the second set tie-break, Gambill retired citing a shoulder injury which had been aggravated.

The third battle of the day was a match up of the Spaniard Felix Mantilla against Ivanisevic. In answer to the question about which Groan would show up at the Hamlet, it appeared that it was not the sharper one. Although the temperamental Groan is prone to outbursts of fiery temper along with fiery play, on Tuesday night the temper was subdued and the play was too. Ivanisevic fell to Mantilla in two sets.

Perhaps it was the heat of the night or the extreme humidity, but the marquee match up of Pete Samaras against 20 year old Olivier Rochus was, despite several tremendous groundstroke battles, a rather flat performance from Sampras - or else it was a spectacular one from Rochus. To this writer as well as to several of the "real folks" surrounding, Sampras appeared to be less than at his best and lucky to survive in a third set tie break.

Pressing other obligations prevented my attendance mid-week but I was back on Saturday for the semi-finals, somewhat surprised to find Sampras still in and all the other top names out. The match between Clement and Tommy Haas was a good contest, won by Haas in two sets, 6-3, 7-6 and one could only fell for Clement who appeared to be impatient and therefore unable to defeat his controlled opponent.

The Friday night feature match was, of course, 13-time Grand Slam champion Sampras against Thomas Johansson. And it was a fine display of the talents we have so long witnessed from Pete. Despite a good effort, Johannson was unable to extend the match beyond two sets.

A little incident not worthy of much note, but annoying nonetheless followed. This writer, in an effort to learn more, tried to attend the post-match interviews of Johansson and Sampras. Before the interview commenced a man asked if I had a Sunday deadline, and if not, told me I had to leave. Thinking there was space constraints, I did comply. As I was leaving I saw a near empty pressroom. Inquiring why the request to leave I was advised it was because I did not have a "notebook." Actually, I did. I just hadn't taken it out yet. I've heard of checking press credentials but never notebooks! It would not seem that this is the best way to get PR for a tournament. I must confess to a real sense of outrage, so being the person I am I advised the "gent" to "give me a break" as I left. I guess I'll just have to learn about the players form the "real people" because the tournament agents don't want too much local media coverage. What a way to "grow the game!"

So now, tomorrow, and the finals. As I wait with great anticipation, the match-up of Tommy Haas, the German player once dubbed the next Boris Becker, against Pete Sampras, the grate American player who replaced Boris Becker as the reigning prince of Wimbledon, legendary people and places, all, I wonder if perhaps I might be well advised to trot out to the Hampton Classic instead. I wonder if they check notebooks?

As the Hamlet Cup wound down to its final day - the Hampton Classic Horse show was just getting started. Among the exhibits were these fine bronze sculptures in booths surrounding the rings. Click here to for more on the Hampton Classic 2001 and see some other pictures from the days' events