At least since college I've lived in fear that I'd be near a not-to-be missed event but be oblivious and miss it entirely. In college this usually took the form of fearing that I'd pass on tickets to see someone I didn't really care to see at Blues Alley, only to find out the next day that Keith Richards had joined him on stage. I don't recall whether this ever happened, or if it was just an irrational fear. Whatever the history, that dreaded I-coulda-had-a-V8 feeling came over me when I read this bit in the New York Times Sunday:
On Friday night, Wilander and Noah, longtime good friends and now regular golf partners, picked up their tennis rackets and played a lighthearted rematch of their 1983 final on a miniature makeshift court on top of a barge in the Seine river with Parisians shouting their support from bridges and quays as Noah and Wilander banged balls in their direction.
Mysterywriter and I were not only in Paris Friday evening, but crossed the Seine in a cab on the way from our Saint Germain hotel to dinner in the Marais. Curses! Mats has always been one of my favorites. I miss him. (On a side note, am I the only one who has noticed his uncanny resemblance to Pope John Paul II?)
You won't get to see Mats playing in this year's French Open, but it is underway at Roland Garros. You can find scores, draws, schedule of play, and other information on the official website. Check out the U.S. television schedule on tennis.com. The tournament is being carried at different times by the Tennis Channel, ESPN2, and NBC.
Oh well, at least you were in the same city as Yannick and Mats. Mats was never my favorite--his matches sort of lulled me to sleep. The one match of his I do remember was the Davis Cup marathon w/ McEnroe. And I remember Noah's French Open win. I was surprised to find out the other day that I get the TennisChannel(never thought I had access to it). So I might have to start watching some matches......
Posted by: sybil | May 28, 2008 at 04:54 PM