ennis time






It’s that time of the year – it’s tennis time.

You know it’s tennis time because you hear about it on the radio, read about it in the papers and if (unlike me) you were a person who watches TV, there would be plenty of on and off the court coverage there too. You would also notice the sponsor vehicles whizzing about town, carrying players, officials, and for all I know, the mother of the driver who needs a lift to the shops, on the way to collecting or carrying the next important person to be ferried to the next destination of their day.

I was amused to read earlier this month that new entertainments for tennis patrons are to be introduced. Music and cabaret no less. Apparently there has to be something for everyone and as long as they can draw people through the gates it doesn’t matter much whether they come to watch tennis or watch cabaret. It’s the gate takings that count; and the more takings there are to count the better. For my money, in the current heat wave I think they would draw huge crowds if they supplied portable, personal air conditioning suits to keep the customers cool.

This year so far we have had a streaker livening up a break in the doubles match being played by the Williams sisters and the obligatory brawl between the Bosnian and Serbian fans who, in the long tradition of their forbears, cannot resist carrying on old grudges even though they are far in time and place from the country of their ancestors. This recent fracas resulted in thirty people being asked to leave Flinders Park.

The Dokic family have been subjected to close scrutiny in the press and every particular of their supposed approach to the game of tennis has been examined in minute detail. Outbursts, bridges burned and the on again, off again aspects of Jelena’s tennis appearances are put under the microscope. A fickle lot, the local tennis press, if she does well she is ‘ours’ and if she doesn’t she is given the thumbs down. I yawn and turn the page.

Scare tactics are to the fore again; this is another perennial. We will lose the Australian Open to another country. We read there is interest from China, Dubai and Spain; China certainly has a big enough population to ensure good gate takings, Dubai has the petro dollars to back up their stand and Spain at least has a few class players which is more than can be said for Dubai and China right now. We do not hear however, that any of these countries want to usurp Wimbledon where England have had about the same success with winning players as Australia has of recent times. Shock, horror!! What would we do with a huge empty stadium each January? Have another pop concert, that’s what.

It’s day 10 today and as I scan the list of players in the men’s quarter finals I recognise only half of them. I recognise even fewer of the women’s quarter finalists, apart the always-there Serena Williams and Jelena Dokic, who of course we are claiming as ‘ours’, now she is doing so well.

A few more days and it will be all over for another twelve months.