“COMPETITION” CHERYL JONES’ ROLAND GARROS STORY

Written by: on 29th May 2015
French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros
"COMPETITION" CHERYL JONES' ROLAND GARROS STORY

epa04773588 Richard Gasquet of France in action against Carlos Berlocq of Argentina during their second round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 29 May 2015. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT  |

Competition

By Cheryl Jones

 

Competition is an innate human response to life in general. Since the beginning of time, humans have been competitive on some level or another. Societies wouldn’t exist if somewhere along the line one human (or group of humans) hadn’t felt the need for dominance in some situation or other. That’s merely competition at its most basic level.

 

Taking a giant leap forward in time, it is an absolute truth or in reality, a fact, that tennis tournaments of any kind wouldn’t exist without the competitive bent most of us possess. Fierce competitors have adorned the game since it began as either Jeu de Paume, which originated around the end of the thirteenth century in France, or a while later, Real Tennis in England. (Racquets weren’t involved until the sixteenth century.) Tennis finally emerged as a name for the game because it was called “tenez” which means to have, hold or receive in French. Tenez was evidently bellowed when one served. (Seems to be much like the “fore” that is called when striking a golf ball as a warning to competitors who may be standing in the pathway of the ball.)

 

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the game was called Real Tennis in England. It came about when a group of men anxious to compete at something decided to play on the lawn when there weren’t enough players to hold a cricket match. One of those same individuals invented a lawn-mowing machine. He was in on the action and the pomp and circumstance of Wimbledon was born a few years later.

 

With all that inventing, men were playing tennis regularly. It took a bit for women to get into the competition, but when they did, their clothing was a hindrance. Those long skirts and corsets made it nearly impossible to scamper about the court quickly, let alone fluidly. Suzanne Lenglen was the star when it came to playing in a skirt. Before the days of Lenglen, it was thought that women weren’t competitive, at all. Checking out tennis these days at Roland Garros would certainly put a damper on that idea. With the likes of Maria Sharapova, Alizé Cornet, Garbine Muguruza and Ana Ivanovic dominating the courts of Roland Garros today, one would have to be blind not to see the competitive nature that tennis nurtures in women as well as men.

 

Hailing from Serbia, Ivanovic is twenty-seven, and is playing her forty-second consecutive Grand Slam tournament. She won the women’s title here in 2008. Now, after several years spent jockeying for position in the rankings, she’s back in the top ten for the first time since 2009. She is a competitor. Today she defeated Donna Vekic from Croatia, 6-0, 6-3. Now, it’s on to the Round of 16 for her.

 

Garbine Muguruza of Spain in action against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their third round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 29 May 2015. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Spanish woman, Garbine Muguruza is new on the professional tennis scene. She was the one who took out Serena Williams in the second round of last year’s Roland Garros. This time out, she faced German veteran, Angelique Kerber and sent her back to her home in Bremen. It took three sets, but Muguruza triumphed quite easily once the first set was complete, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Her ranking should soar after this tournament is as she moves closer to the goal each of the women who began last Sunday. It is a place in the spotlight on that final Saturday.

 

Lest anyone think that a competitive nature precludes a feminine appearance, one need observe these women. Cornet appears as dainty as any chanteuse. She took home the Junior Girls title here in 2007. Since then, the twenty-five year old has endured several injuries, but has always managed to climb back into the fray. Her 29th place in the rankings helped her to come back after losing the first set, defeating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, (another Croatian), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Her competitive spirit was so thrilled at the win that she fell to the terre battue and much like a happy child, wore the dust like a red badge of courage.

 

As a representative of grace in action, Maria Sharapova could be the poster child. Having a competitive nature has brought her to where she is today. She is a star in the truest sense of the word. The Russian player, who has graced more magazine covers than a super model, got the better of Australian, Samantha Stosur today. It took her a bit longer than usual, but in nineteen minutes shy of two hours, she triumphed in a hard fought match, 6-3, 6-4.

 

Even though competition is defined as on a par with rivalry. It appears to be more innate. The human condition seems to require it to flourish. Sports and life in general thrive on that facet of an individual’s personality. Whether we know it or not each of us is in competition from the moment we are born. When we go to school, there is competition for grades; for size; or recognition, Competition feeds our ego. It makes us proud. It makes our parents and siblings and children proud. It marks our place in a world that requires markers in every aspect of living. It is a goal that can be the end or a new beginning. Sometimes, it’s both.

 

This examination of competition is dedicated to my friend Terry Hinesly, whom I knew most of my life. He wasn’t a tennis player, but a top-notch sled dog racer who was known all over the snowy parts of the world. Yesterday he passed on to a place where there will be no pain and no need for competition. He was the best at what he did always. May he rest in peace for all of eternity.

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