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Author - Louise

Estoril 2004

Last minute plans are always the best.....
The Extreme Tennis Tours trip to Monte Carlo has been planned for ages... and of course, the last thing any sensible person does is decide to go another a foreign trip 2 days beforehand, with no planning at all when she knows fully well she is going to Monte Carlo the following week.
OK!! I was being sensible!!! really sensible!!!! really really really sensible!!!! even when Marcus was asked to attend Estoril to take pretty pictures of Henrietta Nagyova, Emanuelle Gagliardi, Alina Jidkova and Barbara Schett for Tennis Angels... and his arrangements were all set... I was still really sensible... I was going to Monte Carlo... I am not a greedy person.... (ok so I knew fully well who was in the men's draw...) I was going to send Marcus on his way - no problem.... It would do Marcus good, and he would have a great time.... :o)
OK... so... then the little voices start.... its Easter weekend...., you will be on your own, Marcus has a hotel room already ... its Easter weekend, you will be on your own... All the Argentines will be there... I drew up a reasons to go and reasons to stay list - and to be totally honest - the only thing making me stay at home (I work hard from home!!) was my conscience AND not having the nerve to ask the neighbours to feed Basil and Elmo at short notice... - The Chat room gang found out my "opportunity" and said - "GO - you idiot!" or words to that effect... but my concience still said no... Of course, Air Luxor did not help by offering an extremely tempting cheap flight going out on Easter Sunday either....
Marcus didn't help by pointing out that we would not see each other for nearly 3 weeks.... (Grrrr) and then getting shouted at by the Neighbours for being totally crazy about passing up an opportunity.... stating that my babies (cats!) are SO difficult and vicious to look after... go!! - I ended up going on a last-minute trip to Estoril....
Estoril is a lovely tournament. It is small and friendly, access to the players is easy, they are always walking about, there were no "divas" there, no hassles, no pressures, it was just a lovely relaxed atmosphere. 4 courts (plus another secret court!!) free popcorn, free internet cafe, access to the practice courts could have been better, but still you cant have everything!
Marcus had already arrived and settled in and made himself at home by the time I arrived in the Club on Monday morning. I immediately lost Marcus to the media found Marcus again taking pics of Attila Savolt, as he was doing this (on some dodgy steps...) Team Zabaleta decide to appear with Chela on the same steps.
Their practice session lasted about 1 hour or so...
Whilst watching M practice - two people dressed as frogs (SAP sponsors) jumped on us and gave us teeshirts...
M and C stopped practicing (Goran kicked them off the court!) So he (M - not Goran!) came out and said hello.
I found out that Mariano was playing doubles with Canas so that sounded like fun! - and it meant there would be at least 2 matches!!! - but I wanted 10!!!! (because, after all!, I AM greedy!!!!! and maybe I can't count either....) - :o) the 4 matches were very nice!!
The main match of the day for me was.... Chela and Gaudio against the "two people they beat". They took 2.5 hours to beat them!!! 6-1 6-3 it was a good match.
Day Two
Marcus is having an awesome time!!! Today's highlight for him was a photo fashion shoot with Henrietta Nagyova... but I did kind of force him to take Mariano first match pictures (blue lacoste outfit) before he left for Henrietta!!! after all... we have priorities!!!
OK... match report.
Mariano and Greek guy walked on court.... M started playing brilliantly, wiping the court with Greek guy. Then Greek guy woke up and won 5 games straight off!! taking set 1 but hey he had every right to be on the court too... He learned that Mariano uses the drop shots and kept getting them.... The rallies were brilliant. Greek guy won set 1.
Tommy Robredo's New Coach, Franco and Raphael Nadal decided to sit in front of me (but not blocking my view!!) for part of Set 1 and Set 2... Gaston was hovering...
Tommy Robredo's coach left after Greek Guy won Set 1.
Mariano then stormed through the second set 6-1 showing the Greek guy what he could do... and then repeated Set 2 in Set 3... winning that 6-2. IT was a really good match... Not an easy one... but a good one!!
This tournament is lovely... I recommend it to anyone thinking of a nice tournament to go to this time next year...
Rumour had it that Mariano was seen leaving for the day... so the rest of the day was spent watching Gaudio, Chela and Canas' first round matches. It was a pleasant afternoon, Chela's acting like he could quite easily lift a couple of trophies this week... lets hope the good luck continues...
Day three - Doubles Match 1
As I said this tournament is great. BUT they have a really really annoying habit of CHANGING THE COURTS AT THE LAST MOMENT!!!!!!
So I was ready to go on Court 2 (as per schedule...!!!) instead at the time.... Lucas Arnold and Augustin Calleri walked on instead.... normally this is perfectly acceptable... and a pleasant surprise.. BUT not when we were expecting Mariano and Guillermo!!! bad organisers!!!
OK.. so panic station went in.... who was injured etc etc etc... but the panic lasted about 10 seconds as I saw 4 heads started walking past court 2 and to a remote court in the middle of nowhere... (2 czechs and 2 argentinians...)
So... of course I followed.... at a long distance!!!
IN case anyone thinks their ideal match would be 2 of their favourite players playing in front of you and you only (obviously Not including Player's Coaches, Girlfriends, etc) then take it from me - it is the scariest spookiest wierdest feeling ever... (I didn,t like it...) I fought with my concience about leaving... but told myself not to be stupid and that of course the CHAT ROOM GANG! would all be in the chat room cheering Mariano and Guillermo on with me ' and that I was not really on my own... and that I really really had to stay there!! (and I did - Marcus said - and I bet you were in the corner hiding as far away from any other person possible.... - he was right..... (his excuse for not being there was an important media meeting.... hmmm!!!!)
Mariano is a great doubles player!!! - he should play more doubles!!!
Mariano and Guillermo basically swept the court with the czechs 6-4 6-0 (Stepanek and Pala). It was a really fun match... especially the last few games, Team Argentina were just fooling about with the Czechs... and making them look ameteurs... It was lots of fun....
Day 4 - Thursday - Singles and Doubles day.
Tommy Robredo.
Hmmm...
points to note.... Tommy Robredo is a difficult player at the best of times, and a clay courter too... but he has gone and done a really sneaky thing and hired Chela and Calleri,s old coach... who obviously did his job well too...
Robredo & Mariano must obviously be friends... they were ignoring the umpire and giving points to each other and congratulating good shots alot... there were brilliant rallies all the time, lots of power all the time. Robredo got the lucky shots to win the match... It was a good match!! The first set was alot tighter than the scoreline suggests.
DOUBLES - Lucas Arnold/Agustin Calleri
hahahahaha..
Ok this started off really seriously (honest!) ..... then Canas got injured.
During his injury timeout all his friends decided to stand round him and watch.. (L C & M!) the match then turned instead into 4 friends hitting the ball at each other as hard as possible, wrecking court furniture if it got in the way (nicely) . and entertaining the crowd too....
it was fun...
STILL think Mariano really should play more doubles..... like in Monte Carlo......... with maybe, Gaudio as a partner.... I know several people would like that... (just kidding)....
So.. that was my last day.. I did like this tournament, there were lots of good bits. Marcus is still there... having a great time, some of his ladies are still in the tournament, he did go into details with me... but its LADIES!! - Marcus is there for the finals... so... if there does happen to be any Argentine players in the finals... we have a personal photographer there for us.
Good Luck in Monte Carlo!
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