Saying Hello to Anna and Goodbye to Sabine
by Craig Thomas
Back in the mid to late 1980's many Swedish backpackers on holiday
in Australia during the Open began a custom of attending in large
groups, draped in large Swedish flags, wearing the Swedish colours
and having the flag or colours of Sweden painted on their faces.
Seated together, they would cheer the Swedish players of the day,
sing songs, recite chants and play musical instruments, which were
often home made. As the years have passed these Swedish fans have
become a tradition, and despite several rivals emerging, namely the
Dutch and Croatians, the Swedes are still the masters. The cheering
matches which take place when a Swedish player meets a Dutch player
are sometimes as entertaining as the match itself, and always
conducted in a very friendly atmosphere. The colour and fun they
bring to the Open is unique.
One of the spectacles at the Australian Open, especially in the first
week, are the training sessions of Anna Kournikova. These resemble
more or less a mob scene, as hundreds of desperate fans, seeking
either a photograph, autograph, or just a glimpse, pack in around the
sides of the court. Both Anna's arrival and departure are accompanied
by a phalanx of security men, who clear a path for her through the
milling throng. On occasions Anna will react to the crowd -- for
example, today, when one admiring fan persisted in asking her to
marry him, she responded by smiling at him and pointing at her ring
finger, an obvious reference to her engagement to Sergei Federov.
The climax of the sessions always comes as Anna prepares
to leave. The fans surge and scramble, thrusting photos, Australian
Open programs, tickets, pieces of paper, tennis balls, those jumbo
sized tennis balls, in fact just about anything in Anna's direction
in the desperate hope that she will grace it with an autograph.
Today Anna signed for a little longer than usual, no doubt thrilling
her adoring fans, before being swept to safety by her security
attendants.
One of the sadder moments to occur at the Open for quite a few years
took place today on Court 13. Many people may not realise that this
was to be the last tournament for Belgian Sabine Appelmans. Her
second round defeat by Denisa Chladkova produced a very emotional
scene, Sabine breaking down in tears after the match, as she was
congratulated and consoled by several tour players, including her
young countrywoman Kim Clijsters. Sabine was interviewed courtside
after the match by several television crews and press reporters, and
signed autographs for about ten minutes. Sabine has been without
doubt one of the most accessible and friendly players on the tour,
always very approachable and ready to chat openly with the fans. In
her press conference after the match she told how she now plans to
tour Australia with her husband and return to her television work,
but whatever she does she will be sorely missed on the WTA tour.
And on the subject of Belgian players and their significant others,
18-year-old Justine Henin announced in her press conference after her
second round victory that she is engaged to her boyfriend, Hardene
Pierre Yves. When questioned as to when the wedding would be, she
replied, "Within the next two years". We shall see!
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The views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine.
http://tennis-ontheline.com/01aoct3.htm © 2025
Last updated 26 September 2015
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