1997 Toronto Open: Chris Gerby On the Scene

Last Day of Qualifying

Nathalie Dechy vs. Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel

"When are they gonna stop playing this music?", Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel cheerfully grumbled on her way to Court 1 at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning. The Centre Court sound system was attempting to create a festive mood with a steady stream of tunes before matches, but the American veteran was here for business. The business, in this case, was a final round qualifying match against much younger French opponent Nathalie Dechy. A classic contrast, as qualies go -- fading veteran vs. rising potential star. Rinaldi-Stunkel won the toss and elected to serve.

It was a strong start for the American, holding at love with a backhand down the line. Dechy battled right back with her own love hold, forcing long rallies which ended on Rinaldi errors. Dechy took a 30-40 lead in the subsequent game, but missed her chance to break by putting an approach shot in the net (on what would have been the day's first foray to net from either player). The game would eventually go to three deuces, but Rinaldi-Stunkel held on for a 2-1 lead. She then lost a break point of her own, squandering it with a long forehand. Dechy fought off a second break point and held for 2 all. Up 40-15 in the next game, Rinaldi held after a questionable call on a second serve. I was sitting right on that line and thought it looked long. Dechy agreed -- "It was out, she didn't play, we all stopped, and you don't see (say?) anything. That's the second time."

Dechy responded with an easy hold for 3-3. Rinaldi-Stunkel got herself in trouble with errors, losing the seventh game on a long forehand. Having been broken for the first time, she whacked a ball back across the net in anger. Dechy gave the lead away almost immediately, committing three errors in a break for 4-4. At 30-30 in the following game, a Rinaldi-Stunkel groundstroke was deemed long on an overrule by the chair umpire. Kathy was predictably livid -- "You've gotta be kidding me...you're pathetic, you're pathetic." After hitting a double fault to drop the game, Rinaldi came over for the changeover and sarcastically assured the umpire "you're doing a great job."

It appeared that Dechy would once again be charitable with the lead -- she got down 15-40 after ending a moonball exchange with a wide forehand (exclaiming "no!" as the shot missed its mark). Two errant Rinaldi-Stunkel returns brought the game back to deuce, though. Rinaldi sent a high forehand into the net and then lost the set on a wicked Dechy backhand down the line. First set to the youngster, 6-4.

Another overrule against Rinadi-Stunkel early in the next game sparked a memorable argument. It appeared that she had hit an ace, but Dechy began complaining and motioned toward a mark. That was apparently enough for the umpire, who finally called a fault. Rinaldi's reaction: "Oh my God. Who's callin' 'em, honey? You wait for her to point, then you call it?" Rinaldi would face a couple break points later in the game, but she won it when a Dechy forehand was ruled wide on a conspicuously late call. Hopefully these officials will have the kinks worked out in time for the main draw matches. Dechy could only offer up a bemused smile as Rinaldi-Stunkel took a 1-0 lead.

Dechy rallied with a love hold for 1-1 and went up 2-1 when Rinaldi made two consecutive errors from 30-30. Dechy held at love again for 3-1, her opponent now beginning to look quite tired (perhaps even more mentally than physically). Rinaldi Stunkel double faulted for 0-30, buried a forehand in the net for 0-40, and was broken at love on a big Dechy overhead. Dechy then served up another love hold for 5-1, running her streak to 16 points in a row. The streak finally ended at 19, when Dechy put a backhand in the net on triple match point. The inevitable was only put off briefly, however -- a Rinaldi-Stunkel error was the last straw, the end rather fittingly coming on a late call.

Hailed by the French as a star of the future (along with Anne-Gaelle Sidot), Nathalie Dechy was indeed impressive in her final qualifying match, recovering from a shaky start to post a 6-4, 6-1 win. For Rinaldi Stunkel, it was a disappointing -- if ultimately rather quick -- loss. Her days as a singles player may be winding down, but she left Court 1 with her head held high and a smile on her face.

Ann Grossman vs. Joelene Watanabe

Ann Grossman may not have as many professional tennis years under her belt as Kathy Rinaldi- Stunkel, but she's already dropping hints about retirement. Being stuck in qualifying against tough opponents like fellow Americans Lindsay Lee (whom Grossman rallied past in three sets on Saturday) and Joelene Watanabe might drive anyone to consider hanging up her racquet. The inability to hold serve might do it as well -- this match opened with four straight service breaks. After the fourth made it 2-2, Grossman stuck out her tongue, managed an irreverent smile, and declared "I hate playing against the wind."

If the players weren't making a mark with their serves, they were at least scoring fashion points. Watanabe stood out with a white tennis dress accompanied by a navy blue headband and sunglasses. More unusual was Grossman's shirt, a collection of dark blue and light blue horizontal stripes which would send the All England Club into a collective fit. Making an even bigger statement was the forehand cross-court winner Watanabe ripped to complete a service hold for 3-2. Grossman then got down 30-40, but fought off the break point with a forehand winner down the line. Unfortunately for Ann, she followed that up with a low volley into the net (silently picking up the ball and dropping it over the net). A netted Grossman backhand then made it 4-2.

Up a break for the first time, Watanabe closed in for the kill, reeling off eight straight points to win the set 6-2. Grossman shrieked after making an error to open the second set. Perhaps the shriek woke her up -- she followed it with four straight points to break for a 1-0 lead. Grossman then held at love to go up 2-0. Watanabe matched that with a love hold for 2-1 and my growling stomach finally forced me to the media tent for lunch. I figured Ann would force a third set...and I was right. She claimed it 6-3 and added an easy hold to open the third and deciding set.

Grossman lost a pair of break chances in the second game, but would not be denied on her third opportunity as she put some nasty spin on a backhand. Watanabe got to the low-bouncing ball but whiffed to go down 2-0. With a Grand Slam win over Jennifer Capriati to her credit, Joelene wasn't about to fold up her tent and hand Grossman the win. She broke back for 2-1 and held at love to even the set at 2 games all. That fourth game featured the day's latest instance of bizarre officiating. A Grossman serve was called a fault, but Watanabe volunteered, "It looked on the line." The chair umpire nonetheless stood by her call, prompting Grossman to remark, "the player's calling it in and you're calling it out. That makes a lot of sense."

Grossman was pushed from 40-0 to 40-30 in the set's fifth game, but she held with a forehand winner. Watanabe had her own 40-30 lead in Game 6, but a backhand error brought the score to deuce. Two straight errors on the run did in Watanabe, who now trailed 4-2. The service problems of the first set continued. On her heels, Grossman hit a forehand into the net and fell behind 15-40. Her serve on the next point was called a fault by the chair umpire, but Ann insisted "that ball was right on the line." Watanabe admitted she wasn't sure about the call and said "take two" (i.e. try another first serve). Grossman asked "are you serious?" -- Joelene was. The game eventually went to deuce, but Watanabe pulled it out when a Grossman backhand went wide. Upset about a non-call earlier in that point, Grossman mumbled "unbelievable" upon reaching her chair, still up 4-3.

A love hold from Watanabe made it 4-4. Grossman got down 0-30 in the ninth game, but held with a nice forehand volley for 5-4. Trailing 30-40 in the next game, Watanabe found herself staring down the first match point. It nearly ended there, as a Watanabe forehand caught the tape. It went over, though, and she won the point two strokes later with a forehand pass. An errant Watanabe backhand brought up match point #2, though, Grossman pumping her fist as it went long of the baseline. The net cord would not be friendly to Watanabe this time. Her second serve hit the tape, took a right turn, and landed wide. Watanabe angrily bounced her racquet, but was composed enough for a very friendly shake of hands with Grossman. Ann gave Joelene a comforting pat on the back and exited with a hard fought, roller coaster 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. How could Grossman retire and miss thrilling battles like this one?

Barabanschikova/Pleming vs. Glass/Kleinova

When I vow to bring you the matches you wouldn't otherwise hear about, I'm not kidding. Sunday's travels brought me to doubles qualifying, the unglamorous afterthought of professional tennis. If you've never witnessed doubles qualies, here's how it works at most tournaments -- rather than best-of-three sets, the winner is the team which gets to eight games first, needing a margin of two. If it goes to 8-all, they decide it with a tiebreak. This abbreviated format was rather welcome out on Court 11, which has no seating. I'm not exaggerating -- there are absolutely no seats. You just have to pick a spot by the courtside fence and stay there for as much tennis as you can stand...literally.

Worth standing around for is Olga Barabanschikova, the flashy teen from Belarus. She plays with the attention-craving allure of Anna Kournikova and the happy-to-be-here spirit of Martina Hingis, not to mention big serves and sharp volleys. Barabanschikova smiled a lot during this match...not without good cause in the opening game, in which she held at 15. Andrea Glass had a considerably more difficult time in her service game, but won it after two deuces when Louise Pleming dumped an easy volley in the net. Pleming's service game went to deuce, but Sandra Kleinova surrendered it with a bad volley (then turned around and rolled her eyes). Kleinova made up for it by holding easily to make it 2-2.

A long Glass hold was sandwiched in between love holds from Barabanschikova and Pleming for 4-3. Kleinova was then broken at love for 5-3. Barabanschikova looked to keep the roll going, but she instead ended up shouting "oh, come on!" after missing a volley early in a service break. Glass trailed 0-40 in the next game, fought off those three break points, then lost three game points. A Glass ace and a Kleinova volley finally completed the hold for 5-5. Pleming had a less eventful hold for 6-5. As the 12th game started, one of the foam mats the ballkids use to kneel on was uprooted by the wind, went airborne, and nearly hit Barabanschikova. Maybe it was a bad omen -- Kleinova held for 6-6.

Early in the next game, Glass argued against an out call on a ball which really did appear to hit the baseline. It may not have mattered, though; Barabanschikova won the next three points to hold easily for a 7-6 lead. Down 15-30, Glass double faulted. She punched a backhand volley winner for 30-40, though, and got to deuce when Barabanschikova netted a return. Glass put a forehand volley in the net to set up match point #3, but Kleinova warded it off with a volley winner. Glass missed another forehand volley to set up match point #4 and could not bail herself out this time. Another misfired volley by Glass ended the spirited match 8 games to 6.

The crowd knew who its favorite was in this one. After the win, Olga Barabanschikova was surrounded by a gaggle of fans, most of them young males. Even though she had another match scheduled in approximately 15 minutes, Barabanschikova patiently stayed to sign every autograph which was requested. She was obviously in good spirits, saying something which cracked up the autograph seekers. They broke into a chant of "Olga! Olga! Olga!" before she left.

Barabanschikova/Pleming vs. Kruger/Maruska

The day's work was not over for Olga Barabanschikova and Louise Pleming. Shortly after a narrow win in their first qualifying match, they took Centre Court to face Joannette Kruger and Marion Maruska. If they were tired, it didn't show. Pleming held at 15, then Maruska was broken at love on a double fault. When Barabanschikova held at love, it was very quickly 3-0. Easy holds from Kruger and Pleming made it 4-1. Maruska then netted a volley to go down 30-40, losing the game when Barabanschikova returned a first serve with interest, smacking a forehand winner for 5-1. Olga then completed a love hold with an ace. In virtually no time at all, Barabanschikova/Pleming had a 6- 1 lead.

Kruger had a chance to hold in Game 8, but put a backhand in the net for deuce and an ugly backhand volley in the net for ad. The South African fought off the break point with a nice sharply angled backhand winner. Kruger tried that shot later in the game on another break point, but this time it fell meekly into the net for 7-1. Pleming tried to serve out the win, but missed two volleys in a row from 15-30 to make it 7-2.

At 30-30 in the next game, Barabanschikova fell to her knees hitting a backhand, but got right back up to keep the ball in play with an overhead and two volleys. Pleming finally finished the point with a smash. Kruger then sent a forehand into the net, ending the third break of Maruska and the match. Barabanschikova did a victorious curtsey and strutted to the doubles qualifying final with a decisive 8-2 win, having gotten into a good rhythm with doubles specialist "Louie" Pleming.