Forgot to say that Stefan had some gorgeous Adidas gear on yesterday-shirt with no collar & not tucked in!! Major drool session when he picked up the end of the shirt to wipe his face with-lovely view of the Edberg belly which is still pretty firm!! He was still sweating like mad at both practice sessions-sweat dripped off his face like it used to!!

6/13/03 Edberg, Becker all set to renew rivalry
By: PTI
June 13, 2003

London: The Kings of Queen's are set to return. Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker who ruled the tennis lawns in the late eighties and early nineties will come face to face once again on Sunday to play an exhibition match commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Queen's Club grass court event here. And years after his retirement, Edberg is still as keen to renew his rivalry with the German legend.
"Even if it's fun, just an exhibition, I want to beat Boris," he was quoted as saying.
"That's just the way it is. It will be the same for him. It will bring back some memories for us, hopefully for the people too," he said.
The rivalry between the two players, who between them hold five Wimbledon singles titles, has been legendary.
Becker made history when he won his first crown in 1985 at the age of 17 and won his second title in 1986.
Australian Pat Cash brought a brief halt to Becker's dominance at Wimbledon in 1987 but then followed a saga in which the German and the Swede met in three consecutive finals - Edberg emerging the winner twice, in 1988 and 1990, and Becker once, in 1989.
Edberg and Becker had keenly contested against each other at the junior level, and carried on their battles at the other Grand Slams too.
Edberg won the Australian Open in 1985 and '87, and the US Open in 1991 and 92. Becker claimed the US Open title in 1989 and the Australian Open in 1991 and 96.
Only on the slow red clay of Roland Garros, the booming serves of Becker and the wicked kick serves of Edberg failed to come through.
Over all, Becker and Edberg played each other 35 times and the former holds the upper hand 25-10. But the Swede held the number one position for 72 weeks, 60 more than what Becker managed.
What the rematch of the two players will strive, although in vain, is to revive the glorious era of the serve and volley specialists who have long lost out to the powerful baseliners.
Edberg acnowledged Becker brought the best out of him.
"Boris has been very good for my tennis and I hope I have been good for his.
"We have challenged each other. He won the Queen's and then Wimbledon, and it made me realise I could do that too because we had already played together in the juniors.
"In 1983 we played the first round of junior Wimbledon... I don't think either of us thought it would be the start of something.
"All I remember was that he had a big serve," Edberg said.
Edberg was aware of the place in history the two players enjoyed.
"I would not want to change places with Boris, not for a second. There had not been a German tennis player for years and then this big star comes from nowhere, from a country hungry for success.
"His life changed in a second. I was lucky. Even today Boris is the big star, Mats (Wilander) and I are on a different level. So when I won my first Grand Slam it was almost expected."
The passage of time has blunted the edges that shone through the clashes between the two, and the mention of Becker brings out a mild laughter from the polite Swede.
"Boris is Boris. I don't know what he is up to - he has not been too much in the press recently - but we can look each other in the eye and know we have given our best.
"I know Boris' tennis well enough, but we kept our distance once the rivalry began. He was in his corner, I was in mine.
"In some ways, I have been able to sneak in the back door because of Boris. He was the big star, I wasn't. But that suits me."
After their playing days, the lives of the two players had followed different tangents. The German, once the blue-eyed boy of his nation, is constantly on the news, not always for the right reasons.
On the other hand, Edberg, who quit the professional circuit while still at his peak, leads a quiet life in Vaxjo, his native place in Sweden, where he runs a tennis project and a charitable foundation.
Edberg is disturbed by the homogenisation of the modern tennis.
"I went down to a coaching clinic recently with 50 to 60 of the best juniors in the country. All play western forehand grip, all have double-handed back hands. It looked as if they have come out of the same factory."
What concerns the Swede more is the death of the serve and volley game.
"Serve and volley is a dying art. That's sad because you need a variation to make the game attractive. If I were starting my career now, I couldn't play like I did.
"I served and volleyed first and second serves. It was hard work, but with the new rackets so much more powerful and the return of serve so much better now, I would have to mix it up more."
That dying art will be given a temporary life-support on Sunday when the two of the best practitioners of that kind of tennis in recent years take to the courts at the Queen's.

• The Queen's tournament is ongoing in London, and the Edberg-Becker exhibition is scheduled for Sunday 6/16, see here.
• The exhibition will be broadcast on the BBC as well as on Eurosport.
  BBC's broadcast schedule is as follows:
  Sunday 15 June
  BBC Two
  1335 Becker & Edberg interview
  1350 Queens final
  1520 World Superbikes - race two live from Silverstone
  1630 MotoGP Round six highlights
  1700 Edberg v Becker
  Boris Becker v Stefan Edberg
  Becker attempts to roll back the years when he takes on former arch-rival Stefan Edberg in a match to mark the competition's 25th anniversary.
  An occasion steeped in nostalgia is guaranteed as the pair, who competed in three consecutive Wimbledon finals between 1988 and 1990, come face to face for the first time in seven years.
  The two greats will be talking to Sue Barker about their careers earlier in the show.
• In addition, Edberg fan Chris filed a delightful eyewitness report:
  My friend & I spent a very enjoyable hour & a quarter at Queens' today watching Stefan practice! Boy-he did look gorgeous!! We were leaving a match on court 1 when we saw him arrive with kit bag & chatting to Goran.He obviously was going to be in action & after about 20 minutes we found him waiting by practice courts,Debbie asked him how the kids were & he said OK.She told him we'd missed him to which he replied that he had n't missed all this i.e the stress of the ATP tour.He was hitting with a young Welsh junior who was being coached by Derrick Rostagno's old coach.We heard from a couple of Debbie's friends that he was a bit worried about playing on grass as he'd not been on it for ages so had come over a few days before the exhib so he does n't look a fool on Sunday.Boris is already here but not seen him hitting.
  After about 15 mins of free hitting, Stefan & the junior started a practice set-Stefan looked a bit rusty to start but as time went on all those great shots were flowing again.He looked pretty happy & relaxed-signed a few autographs before he started hitting.There were about 15-20 people watching but it was all very low key which was probably how Stefan wanted it.Only Debbie & I were really drooling!! We noted that Stefan came out to hit when Tim Henman was playing on Centre thus hoping to avoid the crowds...

6/14/03

• Chris (many, many thanks), fellow British Edberg fan, has yet another close encounter with Stefan, and filed this delightful report:
  Well, yet again Stefan came out to practice at Queens' whilst Tim Henman was playing so my friend & I just lapped it all up.He was hitting with Joachim Johanssen("pim pim") the new Swedish tennis hope.It took me ages to realise who it was as Joachim has just shaved his hair off!It was only when we saw his girlfriend, Jaslyn Hewitt there that I realised who it was!!
  I think Stefan was practising certain points-like return of serve, unlike yesterday when he was doing a practice set.His return of serve was a bit rusty & the word out is that Boris wants to annihilate him tomorrow!! He looked pretty relaxed & was chatting away to Joachim in Swedish. We took a few more pix but he was hitting on ct 2 so we did in Swedish. We took a few more pix but he was hitting on ct 2 so we did n't get a chance to talk to him like we did yesterday as we were sitting up in the bank of seats
  Near the end of the practice, Boris arrived to talk briefly about tomorrow & pose for a few pix.But what a sight-he looks such a poser now, we called him "medallion" man!! Hair is in a mess,wearing black leather jacket ,black trousers & smart black shoes-a bit like mutton dressed as lamb!! Pity a guy of his age has to try to look like a pop star!! Give me Stefan any time!!
  Unfortunately, my player in the doubles lost today so I cannot get in tomorrow for the exhib.But I think I enjoyed the last 2 days of watching Stefan quietly practice more than I would the exhib.
  When we were up on players' balcony watching a match we saw Stefan with a young blonde haired boy with blue baseball cap.Not sure if it was his son or not.Not seen any sign of Anette or his daughter
  Anyhow-I will be at home to record the match & interviews OK.Believe me-it was another major drool session today!! Stefan looks so good & is very tanned!!
• An amusing tidbit from this article posted on the Queen's Tournament web site:
  Did You Know? 10 Stella Artois Facts From the Past
  By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport
  ...
  7. 70.2mm of rain fell in just one and a half hours on the Tuesday of the 1992 tournament, disrupting the progress of defending champion Stefan Edberg. Pictures of the Swede being carried through waist-high waters by a steward made front pages around the world. The steward in question, coincidentally, had been president of the Cambridge boat race crew the previous year.
  I have never heard of this news item, nor the photo mentioned. If you have that photo, I would appreciate hearing from you - please write to me.

One of the great tennis rivalries for a decade from the late eighties to the late nineties was between Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. They brought out the best in each other and more often than not when they met in a Grand Slam final like Wimbledon, it was never seen as just a match, it was seen as an event.
Incredibly, the first time they squared off at Wimbledon was in the first round of the juniors back in 1983. Twenty years on they remain great champions and laugh when one asks how many people really would have imagined that they would play finals there years later.
On the eve of Wimbledon, 2003, Boris and Stefan sat down for a chat.
Do you think things are a bit slower on the courts?
SE: It's hard to tell. I've been looking a little bit at the matches here. Obviously there is a lot of tennis played form the back of the court but they do it well and they do what they can and what they do best, but it has changed a little bit over the years, everybody has to agree with that and it's not easy serving and volleying out there

What do you think about the absence of serve and volleyers? BB: Well in my opinion, Stefan in his good days would serve and volley and so would I, its a question that you don't have many playing it all year round. You saw the match with Roddick and Agassi - it was still a very fast and powerful game, so if you've got the weapons you are still going to use them. But in general, the yes is played more from the back and you've got more rallies, and it doesn't really matter if you play on clay or grass or on hard courts, guys like to rally.
SE: It could go in cycles, that has been in the past. There were a lot of serve volleyers at one time and now they are playing from the back of the court and hopefully it will change a little bit. I think what is needed is a contrast of different styles, it makes the game a little bit interesting, I think, because usually the best games you watch is an aggressive player playing against a defensive player, where you have a lot of movement up and down, forwards on the court, that could help. I think what has changed also is that the guys return a lot better today than the used to do. If a guy had a big serve 15, 20 years ago you would automatically step back one or two steps to get more time, today they don't, they stand at the same place and they react so much faster. That is the difference.

What do you think of the way Andre Agassi is still going?
SE: To me it's astonishing. He is playing some great tennis, he's 33. It's quite amazing. If you look back in history it has been quite difficult to win grand slams once you pass 30 years of age but he's proven you can do it. He's probably one of these exceptions that come once in a while, he can stay focused on what he is doing, he's enjoying what he's doing and he's working out hard and still got the power to do it. I'm very impressed to say the least.
BB: The big difference between his career and our careers is that we produced every year, we were in the top five or top two, Agassi for a number of years he was gone, he wasn't playing, back to '97, he was ranked 150 in the world, basically not playing, giving up tennis so that gave him a couple of years from his body and game wise. When Stefan retired in '97, and I a year later, we had for the last 12 years played our 60, 70, 80 matches on the top level, and sooner or later that is going to catch up and eventually it did at 30 years of age. That's the difference with Andre, he saved himself a little bit with his career.

Is there one favourite for you for Wimbledon?
BB: No. There are a number of favourites, you have to always go with the defending champion first, that's Lleyton Hewitt. He's not up to his level he was last year, he was the number one favourite, then you have Agassi, through his performances this week Andy Roddick and I would usually always say Pete Sampras but he is not around this year, so that's a first. I think nit's pretty open. The last couple of years you had two, three, four guys who were definite favourites, this year I find it far more open than in previous years.
In the women's I have to go with the Williams sisters. Clay is a different story but on grass with their power, and also the fact that they haven't won in the last couple of weeks or month, a major. It probably makes them more determined to come back and win again, but we'll see.
SE: I totally agree with Boris on what he says for both the men and the women sides. That's the predication from me too.

Any outsiders you fancy?
SE: Not from me. I haven't particularly watched a lot of tennis on television. No one that I can come up with. What about you Boris?
BB: I like the young Croatian (Mario) Ancic. I think he has shown not only last year beating (Roger) Federer but this year giving Andre a good run for his money at the French, he could be up for a couple more rounds this year, plus Roddick, the guy is only 20 years old and he hasn't produced his major tennis at a Grand Slam but he's about ready now.

Roger Federer has failed to deliver at a Grand Slam, what about him?

BB: I actually forgot to mention his name because he is the most naturally gifted played around and he can play on any surface. The fact that he has been winning Masters Series events, so not producing in a Grand Slam must make him upset. He's one of the top four favourites I would consider to win Wimbledon.
SE: I've seen him play and I agree with Boris. He has the potential to win, no question about it. He's got the talent but maybe there is something up there missing as of now but once he cracks it and gets into a groove and starts winning matches it will end (not performing) pretty quickly at the next few Grand Slams.

How do you see things with Lleyton Hewitt at the moment?
BB: Every number one goes through a dry spell. It was in Stefan's career and it was in my career. It's just natural. Your opponents read your game better. It's far more pressure producing it the second or third time around than the first time around. You as a young man grow older, have a girlfriend and all the distractions that take a little bit away from it, but eventually you come through and that's the same with Lleyton. He is a very, very talented young player, got the right attitude, loves tennis, loves to win and he will be back winning. It's just a question of time but as of now he's maybe 10% off from last year.

Do you really think that's the case seeing that he's won Scottsdale and Indian Wells, won at Davis Cup and all three matches at the World Team Cup and while he struggled at Queen's, he still got through a couple of matches.
BB: The problem being ranked number one or the current Wimbledon champion, you're level is there (showing how high). He didn't win the Australian, he didn't win the French, he's not number one on Monday (week before Wimbledon) and that's what you measure it on. He's still one of the very best of the game but there is only room for one number one, and he's not that anymore because his level has just dropped a few percent and that means he will lose in a semifinal or a final. That doesn't mean he's bad, by no means.

In your opinion why do you think the over-35s circuit hasn't been a success, is it too expensive to stage, should they be promoted before a regular tour event, what?
BB: I have played them so maybe I should answer. The problem is that it was run by (Jimmy) Connors and he happens to be 50 now, and (John) McEnroe took over and he's 44. It's basically now in our hands and when we do hold a tournament in an environment that loves tennis, and as you said, in front of a major tournament, it's very successful. I was playing for two days with John and Patrick McEnroe in Hamburg and we had 24,000 people over two days. I played Michael Stich in Halle and we had 12,500, and I think if Stefan and myself played anywhere in the world we would get as many. You need to get the right people and the right format to play one another and then there's a chance. Then again it has a lot to do with who's hosting it and who's responsible and who's speaking with what and whom ... so, you are talking about politics here and this is not our forte.

The posted article also has audio that you can link to.

---


(Note: these photos and a few others are apparently from gettyimages, on which page you will find the photos in mini-size. I don't know why, but these and other photos taken at the match do not do justice to Stefan's appearance. The Edberg in these photos appeared pale and old, but you could see from photos taken by fans (read on) that he was not that -- perhaps the photos released to the press were taken by a Becker fan???)

• The exhibition has taken place, and Stefan and Boris thrilled a packed crowd at Stella Artois. Stefan came out at the losing end, but it matters little to me. What is important is that he's still happy, healthy, and PLAYing. I look forward to pics and videos of the outing. Hail to both men, especially our inimitable Edberg!
  Here's an early report posted on the Stalla Artois site:
  Becker and Edberg Roll Back the Years
  Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg rolled back the years as the two former champions took to the courts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stells Artois Championships.
  Following the singles final between Andy Roddick and Sebastien Grosjean, the two legends delighted a packed Centre Court crowd with their trademark serve and volley games in a professional set, which Becker won 8-6.
  Becker, the four-time Stella Artois champion in 1985, '87-88 and '96, defeated Edberg in two of those finals and won their last competitive match at The Queen's Club in the final in 1996.
  Edberg, looking the same today as he did when he won his six Grand Slam titles in the 80s and early 90s, came back from a break of serve down to level at 4-4, before double faulting on match point to hand victory to his old foe, who won 25 of their 35 professional meetings.
  Both players delighted the crowd with their sublime touch and feel around the net, and the old familiar shots - the boom boom serve of Becker and the legendary Edberg backhand - were still there for all to see.
  "The Stella Artois was a big part of my life," said Becker. "My first victory was here 18 years ago believe it or not. I remember my parents flying in without me knowing to watch my final against Johan Kriek.
  "I'd like to thank Stefan for coming out of 'retirement' to play against me. I beat him here, but it's at Wimbledon where he always seemed to beat me."
  Edberg, who defeated Becker in two Wimbledon finals in 1988 and 1990 but lost to him the year in between, said: "It's been great coming back. I have a lot of great memories of playing here and it's great to be playing Boris again."
  When asked in a joint press conference earlier in the morning what they think the grass courts are any slower today than they were in their primes, Edberg replied: "We're definitely slower, that's for sure."
  Watching the two again on Centre Court, no one would have believed it.
  And six photos of the event can be viewed on the BBC site.
• And a slight variation of that post, found at http://www.supanet.com/dyn/sport/872247.html:
  Becker and Edberg turn back the clock
  

  Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker faced each other in a battle of the veterans at Queen's today, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Stella Artois Championship.
  The two tennis legends took the court after the tournament final, and looked as though they had not lost any of the skill or agility that graced tennis courts in the eighties and nineties.
  Becker eventually won 8-6 in the specially arranged, one set game, but both players thrilled the crowd with some fantastic serving and volleying, a skill that was notably absent from many of the tournament's more important games.
  The German broke Edberg early on, but the Swede, looking as fit as he always has, broke back to bring the game to 4-4. And it looked as though match would go on and on, with both players locked at 6-6, but Becker claimed victory when Edberg double-faulted when trying to save match-point in the 14th game.
  But the real winners were the crowd, who got to see tennis played as it should be, and two legends grace the court again.
  'Its really great to be back here at Queen's club. I've played here a lot of my life and have some great memories,' Edberg told the BBC after the match.
  'The backhand is still there. It was great to be playing tennis again with Boris and reminds me of 1996 - he won then as well.'
  Becker was also delighted to be back in front of the Queen's club crowd and admitted it brought back some happy memories.
  'Queen's was a big part of my life,' he said. 'I had my first victory as a professional here, seventeen years ago, believe it or not.'

• And this one-sided account from BBC (Boris Becker works for the BBC these days):
  Boom-boom Becker strikes again
  Becker showed glimpses of his old magic
  Amid all the hype about the speed of Roddick's serve, one old timer proved he could still pack a punch on Sunday.
  Shortly after the 20-year-old had summoned all his strength to lift the biggest trophy in tennis, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg arrived on court to play an exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary of the Stella Artois championship.
  The German was keen to make sure the speed gun was working before the match and soon showed why, sending down a booming 130mph serve.
  He went on to win 8-6 in a match that proved rather more entertaining than the routine final that preceded it.

• And a huge thanks to Chris for sharing these photos that she took during the two days preceding the Queen's exhibition:
  Two old friends getting reacquainted
  Stefan in good form
  That familar sight of Stefan receiving
  Stefan readying for a backhand/volley
  Stefan in motion
• Sally wrote:
  ... I have my tape sent by a devoted cousin from England and immediately sat and devoured every minute of it. What a treat - it was a superb match and our boy showed us he has lost none of his beautiful footwork, lightness and speed and incredible volleying. Even Pat Cash rated him as the best athlete of all time and was full of genuine praise for him. He looked wonderful too, not an ounce of fat on that lovely body - relaxed and happy. More please!
• Maruo, Italian Edberg fan who runs the fabulous STE...fans site, has this to say about Stefan at Queen's:
  I finally had the chance to see something of the exhibition match at the Queen's between Edberg and Becker thanks to Eurosport's rebroadcasting of the event. Unfortunately, just the last three games were shown, but of course I'm still waiting for the entire video. The first thing I can say is that I was amazed seeing how well Stefan still keeps: I must say that he really looks younger than some claycourts heavy sweaters such as Kuerten or Albert Costa do. During the change of hands at 5-6, Stefan changed his shirt and I noticed that there's not an inch of fat on his body. The strange thing is that in pictures Stefan really looks a bit older, while seeing him moving on court through TV remains the same wonderful experience that it was almost seven years ago, when he retired from professional tennis. The same can be said for his game: the serve hasn't lost speed, his backhand volley is still deep and hurting. Maybe Stefan has lost a bit of speed in following the serve to the net, but the run is always very fast and stylish when he has to pick up drop shots. Unfortunately, Stefan gave away his last game of serve committing two double faults (one of those on match point), in spite of an ace, and that costed him the match. But the result is not that important. Even if I had not the impression that it was an exhibition match: both players fought to win, conceiding the show no more than what their fantastic tennis already conceeds. Stefan was really disappointed when his last serve went into the net, but I also have to acknowledge that Boris was a gentleman in victory. He came forward to get his ovation raising his arms, but immediately afterwards, he indicated Stefan, as to invite him to get his also deserved ration of applauses. These two guys wouldn't have any trouble in still playing and winning tournaments on grass courts at professional level.
  (My note: I agree with Mauro that the AP photos show an Edberg that looks pale and older - perhaps he had a poor night's sleep? Chris, who saw him at practice, thought he was well-tanned and "gorgeous", and I myself saw him only a year ago and the photo shown below is exactly the way he looked then. In any case, I have noticed from watching old matches that typically Stefan's appearance impoved as a match proceeds, once his hair became less stiff and his complexion became more rosy.)

6/23/03
Thanks to the kindness of Chris, I finally got to view a tape of the BBC broadcast of the Edberg-Becker exhibition.
The video was recorded in SP mode, and contains about 30 minutes of a pre-match interview of Stefan and Boris, and then about 30 minutes of the two in action. As a bonus: During the showing of the match, there are shots of Stefan's family.

I have not viewed the whole thing yet, but suffice it to say that the photos posted on the web did not do justice to Stefan. On the video (including closeups), Stefan did not look pale and aged as shown in the photos. Quite the contrary, he was tanned, relaxed, fit as a fiddle, and his usual poised and handsome self. If only he would let his hair lose that stiff look:)

The prematch interview was conducted by BBC's Sue Barker, and you could see that both Stefan and Boris have mellowed with age. I must say that Stefan speaks excellent English, better than Boris', in my opion. He's ever the gentleman and speaks of everything and everyone positively. For example, while Boris cast doubt on Roddick, Stefan praised him highly. I didn't know that people were invited to send email to ask questions, or I would have sent in a few myself. As it was, Becker was asked if he still dives for the ball, and they both were asked what they are doing these days. Unfortunately, Sue Barker (I am sure that she was only doing her job) seemed to be more interested in asking the two to promote the tournament, asking them to comment on Henman (of course), Roddick, and Grosjean and their chances. Stefan and Boris do come across as two who share a fondness and has respect for each other - it's really wonderful to get to see them together again; I always do think of them (Stefan especially) as the princes of tennis.

I have not yet finish watching the set that the two played. But it's really a shame that Stefan didn't defeat Becker, because Boris was, at least at the beginning of the set, visibly sluggish. As many has observed and a number of articles have hinted: Becker apparently has put on some weight. But he has not lost his touch and he could still boom those serves.

I have seen a shot of Annette and the kids in the stands though, and, folks, the boy is a mix of Annette and Stefan, really very cute (and I don't use the word lightly.) In this shot, Emilee for some reason appeared to be sulking, not even looking at the action, but as we all know she takes up after the mother and she will be a beauty.
I thank Chris again for providing the tape - it made my day and then some. I will have more to say after viewing the whole tape.

6/24/03

I realize that the rest of the tennis world is buzzing about the #1 seed getting knocked out in the W today. Ah well, he too got the giant treatment - remember the year that Stefan losing to Dick Norman? But for a defending champion to lose in the 1st round to a qualifer who had never played in any grand slam - that is embarrassing, but I suppose anything could happen these days in men's tennis, I understand. Must say that Stefan probably had a chuckle over this, perhaps under his breath. I don't think Stefan has gotten over his ire towards Hewitt for ditching the Stockholm Open when Hewitt first burst on the scene.
Meanwhile, I live in the past and enjoyed the Queen's video. I must say that Boris' victory was deserved: he was the better player even though Stefan was apparently the fitter of the two men. A big reason is that Boris still plays professionally, while Stefan only hits with juniors in Sweden. It is to Stefan's credit that he held his own and did not get demolished, thanks to his good work ethic (two days of practice, per Chris' report.) It's too bad that the exhibition ended on a down beat - I think the crowd would have been on the edge of their seats had the set gone on to 8-8 and a tiebreak.
As Stefan said in the post-match interview: He can still hit his backhand and can probably do so if he's woken in the middle of the night. He was playing better early on: the serves were going in better and he made a good lob and some beautiful touch shots. As the match wore on his serve got worse and Boris was able to make some deadly returns and to pass Stefan at the net repeatedly.
I think we can forget about Stefan's kids emerging as the next generation server-and-volleyers: both of them looked disintereted, especially as the match went on. Stefan's little boy did look alert and happy at the beginning, but apparently the sun was in his eyes, among other things. But I couldn't get enough of seeing that little boy.
Another highlight is the cut of Stefan taking off his shirt just before the last game. The camera was on Boris when off screen some commotion could be heard. One lady seated immediately behind Boris picked up her camera to train it to the right of Boris, as did BBC's camera. And there was Stefan in the midst of peeling off his sweat-soaked shirt. Having seen such a spectacle numerous times on tape, I can tell you that yes, it is true that Stefan has a lean physique that should be the envy of any 35+ person. People were trying to be polite, but whistles could be heard.
Well, it wasn't the Wimbledon 88 final, but I never thought I would get a chance to see Stefan play on grass again. I count my blessings and this is definitely one of them. Thanks again for the tape, Chris.

6/26/03
A followup on Stefan's little boy as he appeared at Queen's: Upon looking at the tape again, I realize that Kristofer was wearing a hairdo much like his dad's - same cow lick; parting on the same side :-) Also, he was wearing a shirt of the kind favored by Stefan when he's off the court. Cute or what? :-) :-)

6/29/03
Rachelle alerted me to a 2000-word article that appeared in the (London) Sunday Times on June 8th, the Sunday preceding the Queen's Tournament, titled "Edberg's return". Parts of the article have appeared in various articles, but read the real thing here.
The writer of the article apparently visited Stefan in Vaxjo, and the article gave a good account of what life is like for Stefan these days.
There's mentioning of Stefan's farm (first I heard of). And there are a couple of poignant paragraphs:

"The first night when I'd finished playing, I couldn't sleep because I had so many things I wanted to do, so many plans," he says. "You feel freedom, freedom for the first time in your life."

"I know Boris's tennis well enough, but we kept our distance once the rivalry began. He was in his corner, I was in mine. He had 10 people around him and I had Tony (Pickard). In some ways, I've been able to sneak in the back door because of Boris. He was the big star, I wasn't. But that suits me. Even in Sweden now, the kids don't realise what sort of a player I was in the past. When they ask for an autograph now, it's usually for their mum or dad."

Epilogue:
While surfing the web for more Queen's articles, I found this reference to Stefan in an article about a female athlete from the Yale University, which really strikes a chord:

Despite the constant recognition, Anthony likes to think of herself in terms of lesser known athletes. "My favorite athletes are Billy McCaffrey, Chris Collins, and Stefan Edberg," she said. "Most people haven't heard of the first two. I'm a big fan of the behind-the-scenes types, the people that get the job done and don't necessarily seek recognition for it."

7/10/03

• A delightful note from Mark, who was at the Queen's exhibition:
  I was lucky enough to visit the Stella Artois championships in London 2 weeks ago and saw the Edberg-Becker exhibition match. It was such a joy to see him in action again and a relief after the boredom of the actual final which Andy Roddick won. Towards the end of the day I waited for a while at the players exit in the hope that Stefan would sign another of my drawings. Not only did he oblige, but he was considerate enough to put all of his luggage down and ask me where exactly to sign it. He hung around for fans to have photos with him and made time to chat. This was so the opposite of earlier in the day when I just about managed to get Becker to scribble on a drawing of him - his arrogance and general bigheaded attitude only proved even more just what a gentleman Stefan is. It was great to see him so relaxed.
  The excellent drawing mentioned by Mark -- do note the autograph by Stefan: Also, photos taken by Mark are shown below - quite different from the AP photos taken during the match, wouldn't you say?

This year I visited the Stella Artois Championships at the Queens Club in London. I only decided to go along after hearing that Stefan was to play in an exhibition match against Boris Becker on finals day and was very lucky to get a pair of the last few remaining tickets for sale.

We arrived just after 10am, which was quite early really, but in some respects itıs great to arrive before the gates open and soak up the mood of the spectators and the general atmosphere. People had travelled from all over the UK and in some cases from all over the world, much the same as they do for Wimbledon. It was great chatting to others about their favourite players, past and present and it was clear that the majority were looking forward to the match between the two former Wimbledon Champions more than any other match that day, it was almost as if the main final (Roddick vs Grosjean) was just a warm up to it to wet the appetite! Standing in the queue we saw Stefan arriving by courtesy car, followed by Boris driving himself in.

Arriving early also means that you are able to get to the practice courts as soon as is possible, always a joy at Queens Club because you can get so close to the players and thereby take some fantastic photographs as well as appreciate just how annoyingly talented they are! I took along 2 illustrations of mine, one of Stefan and one of Boris, with the aim of getting them both autographed - never as simple as it sounds. Although Stefan is in my view far more of a joy to watch and on every previous visit it has of course been him that I have rushed off to the practice courts to admire, I decided just this once to head to the court where Boris would be, to try for his autograph first; I had at least already got Stefans autograph several times, one of them being on another drawing of mine so took the view that I would get a couple more opportunities throughout the day to see Stefan and if not then so be it.

I was first to get to the court where Becker was due on to go through his practice routine, he was late in turning up (the players seem to get quite rigid time slots allocated) but as we stood waiting Goran Ivanisevic strolled past along one of the public footpaths without a care in the world and then Pat Cash turned up on a court opposite to do a TV recording with Andrew Castle, presumably for the BBC. However, once Boris did turn up the viewing alley designated for spectators became very cramped. He appeared very aware of the public presence and seems to lap up the attention that he gets, his real life persona not demonstrating the modest reluctance or almost comical shyness that he tries to convey on television during interviews nowadays. He definitely had a certain arrogance about him that you donıt get with Stefan, which is of course just one of the reasons why so many of us admire Stefan. After finishing his practice, Boris did come over to sign some autographs and he eventually signed my illustration of him, although he seemed very reluctant to do so and ignored me right up until the last moment, I really was thinking that I had wasted my time but got lucky in the end!

The main final was first on and although there were flashes of good tennis, I am sad to say that it all felt a bit dull and predictable, Andy Roddick winning quite comfortably, mainly due to the power he has. You could sense that what was coming up next was what people were really waiting for and by no means were we disappointed. As the players walked on court the reception spoke for itself, loud and welcoming! As Stefan and Boris knocked up and their playing histories read out, the crowd took photographs at every opportunity and good humour was already apparent on both sides of the net - obviously a little different to previous meetings during their playing career. Stefan still looked incredibly fit and certainly no weightier, Becker perhaps looked a little bigger!

The opening point was a fine example of what was to come. Stefan won it with an exquisite backhand lob, an immediate example of why and how he won 6 Grand Slam titles. This kind of superb touch was repeated in Stefans first service game when he played an amazing half volley, still good enough to put any player on todays ATP Tour to shame. Becker took the first service break in the fourth game, only for Stefan to move up a gear in the eighth game, making some fine returns on the stretch just as he used to at Wimbledon, to get the service break back. The good humour continued throughout, with Boris pretending to be annoyed with a call by the net judge - he hit a trademark winning return only for Stefans serve to then be called a let. Stefan himself joined in the fun several times, mocking both himself and his opponent!

By the 12th game, the score 6-5 Becker, the tennis was being played at a sublime level, both players almost as quick to the ball and reacting as sharply as they ever did, and reminding us just why it is that their contests are missed so much. Unfortunately, Boris took the match 8-6 (they were playing first to 8 games) but were Stefan still playing competitively as much as Becker is, the result would likely have gone the other way. They then received a standing ovation from the whole crowd and an on-court interview was held. Stefan as as polite and understated as ever, he suggested that Boris would "maybe give me another chance to come back and beat him." How fantastic it would be if this could become a regular fixture.

After a short while I decided to head off to the players entrance/exit, in the hope of catching Stefan as he left. After about half an hour Becker walked past with his son and a few of those who had gathered alongside us went after him for autographs. There were a number of us still waiting and I started to wonder if maybe Stefan had already made his way to his hotel. But then his wife Annette appeared with their 2 children, followed by the man himself. I was first to approach him, asking if he would be able to sign my drawing. He replied "yes, sure" and put down his bag and racket holdall. Stefan was even kind enough and thoughtful enough to ask where specifically I wanted him to sign the drawing - such a warm and welcome contrast to the difficulties of obtaining the autograph of his opponent earlier in the day! He then spent time signing numerous autographs, posing for photographs with adoring fans and taking further time to talk to us and answer questions. Stefan suggested that he may be back in the UK during December while the Seniors Tour event at The Royal Albert Hall takes place, but it would only be to perhaps participate in another exhibition match as opposed to the main tournament. How pleased we would be to have another opportunity to see this fine player and fine gentleman on court again.

I have sent a print of the illustration that Stefan signed to him just as a way of thanking him, via his tennis foundation at the Swedish Tennis Association. Hopefully it will reach him and maybe I will get a reply - that really would be the icing on the cake of the best day I have ever had at a tennis tournament.

Stefan and Boris played at Queen's June 2003
If you are interested in getting a copy of the video (sorry, not DVD) from the BBC broadcast of the Queen's exhibition, please write to me.

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