Richard Evans News
There have been several surprise winners at last ATP Masters 1000 event of the year at Bercy’s Omnipalais since its inception in 1986 and not all of them have left a major mark on the game. Karen Khachanov will.
It was won and lost in the 3rd set tie-break, this 47th edition of the Novak Djokovic – Roger Federer Classic Series and it kept a packed 15,000 crowd enthralled to the last point in the semi-final of the Rolex Paris Masters.
Novak Djokovic, who will return to No 1 in the world when the rankings come out on Monday, admitted that it gave him an extra incentive to survive a tough battle against former U.S. Open champions Marin Cilic here at the Rolex Paris Masters.
There is no more fascinating question to pose on the ATP Tour right now than this: Who, amongst the army of young talent on the march towards the top of the game, will become the most prolific winner and end up with the most successful career?
It was a strange day at the Rolex Paris Masters – one of those days when something that didn’t happen made something else happen. Rafa Nadal didn’t play so Novak Djokovic returned to No 1 in the world.
The tears of joy had barely dried in Basel before Roger Federer’s great rivals were gearing up for the year’s last ATP Masters 1000 event at Bercy in Paris – an event that will decide whether Rafa Nadal or Novak Djokovic will finished the year as world No 1.
King Arthur had his round table. Gladys Heldman had her round bed. It was there that Gladys spent hours with the make-ups of the next edition of the magazine spread before her.
It was Charles Wintour, the father of Vogue’s Anna Wintour, who assigned me to write Althea Gibson’s copy for the London Evening Standard in 1960 and, in doing so, kick started my tennis writing career.
Althea Gibson, the first African-American ever to win a Grand Slam title, provided a perfect example of America’s schizophrenia over its attitude to people of color in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
When I lived in Richmond, Virginia I found it difficult driving past Arthur Ashe’s statue without getting a lump in my throat. Compared with the huge, preposterously imposing statues of Confederate Generals that adorn long stretches of Monument Avenue, Arthur’s statue is relatively small but no less emotive.
They both said it. “This has been a week I will never forget.” Nor should they because, at the Rolex Paris Masters, Jack Sock and Filip Krajinovic lifted themselves to higher levels of achievement than either had ever experienced before.
It was all set up for two Americans to make Paris their own by reaching the final of the year’s last ATP Masters 100 event. It never happened.
The day did not start well for the Rolex Paris Masters. As soon as it was announced that Rafa Nadal was calling a press conference at 1.00 pm we knew what he was going say.
Outside, the falling autumn leaves might give voice to a song but inside the vast stadium on the banks of the Seine, Rafa Nadal was calling the tune.
You are a Russian man with a 6 year old daughter and $700 in your pocket. You are standing on the curb at Miami Airport at 2.00 am and cannot speak English. The Russian coach who is supposed to pick you up doesn’t arrive.
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