Wimbledon 2018 • Tennis In America On T.V. • Where Are You Hiding?

Denis Shapovalov of Canada returns to Benoit Paire of France during their second round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 05 July 2018. EPA-EFE/GERRY PENNY

 

 

Editors Note : This was written by the brilliant Nancy Gill Mc Shea of New York City. She waited all day to see Denis Shapovalov play. Tennis on TV in AMERICA is impossible to keep up with. Impossible. You need to be a computer whiz , hackers , something. You need the latest TV. The latest cable box or dish. Lots of money to pay for extra services. Coast to coast Espn ? Tennis Channel ? What’s a Hulu ? What’s a fire stick ? Watching WIMBLEDON on an smartphone is as much fun as watching the big waves in Hawaii ” The Eddie ” when the waves look an inch high. (LJ)

 

Small world, tennis! The game’s emotions trigger passionate reactions similar to family! Denis Shapovalov lost to France’s Benoit Paire in four sets at Wimbledon today, but it wasn’t televised until the last few games and the deciding tie breaker. I was so frustrated trying to get ESPN streaming, I started yelling “C’mon Denis!” into my IPhone. Denis and John McEnroe, both known for artistry on the court possessing brilliant lefty forehands, one-handed backhands and deft volleys, are two of my all-time favorite tennis players. I know, NO KIDDING! It’s personal. Both guys won major junior titles — John (1977 French at 18), Denis (2016 Wimbledon at 17). I have interviewed John often but I don’t know Denis. The first time I watched Denis, John’s image popped into my head; and wouldn’t you know, John later raved about Denis in the TV booth. He also coached him on the 2017 Team World Laver Cup versus Bjorn Borg, John’s longtime buddy who coached Team Europe. Denis is still very young, exhibits a bit of fiery frustration like John, but hopefully will keep his cool as he rises to the top.

 

I can relate personally to their temperaments, albeit never in that kind of highly competitive environment. I wrote a few articles for World Tennis magazine in the 1980s and met Steve Flink there. I yelled at him, accused him of favoring Ivan Lendl in his CBS radio report when Lendl beat John in that 1984 five-set French Open final. My husband Jerry and I were vacationing in the Hamptons. It was a beautiful day. Jerry went out, but I opted to watch that match and we heard Steve’s report on the drive home. Steve was shocked at my outburst but we still laugh about it.

 

At the 1983 U.S. Open, I was sitting court side watching John play Trey Waltke. A guy I taught with at a Long Island high school was sitting in front of me, accused John of throwing sawdust at his wife and threatened a law suit. During the first week of school, I saw the teacher while walking in the hall with my daughter Colette, a student there at the time, and I yelled at him, advised him that hockey pros lose teeth. Colette shook her head, told me I was defending John like he was my son. So now I will defend Denis Shapovalov like he’s my grandson.

 

Coach Tony Palafox once described John’s game to me, and it appears that Denis, with a bit more focus, belongs in the same category. Palafox said, “John’s hands are like gold; he can do whatever he wants to do with a racket. He has good eye/hand coordination, knows instinctively that tennis is like chess, that you have to stay three or four moves ahead. That’s what makes champions. You’d give him a new shot, tell him three times and he could do it right away. But when he’d get upset in matches, he wouldn’t concentrate on stroke production. I would remind him and tell him you have to play your game. John did not like drilling. At Port Washington, when Harry (Hopman) told Vitas, Ricky Meyer, Peter Fleming and Peter Rennert to go to Court F, John would go to the last court in the bubble and hit with me. He was a good kid, never said no to me. He trusted me; he knew I was honest with him. We were always good friends. We’re still good friends.”

 

Denis looks like the same kind of good kid!

 

Want a quick laugh From Dusan Vemic? click below

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