Fulfilling Fantasy: Edberg Adidas Camp Strikes Success

Richard Pagliaro
12/17/2003
Tennis Week

The fantasy figure has the familiar face of a champion and on this day Stefan Edberg finds himself engrossed in an extensive exchange with an unheralded opponent in his return to tennis.

Fulfilling sports fantasies is more than a past-time for Alain Benzaken, it's a professional pursuit. As the CEO of GameLine Sports, a fantasy sports web site, Benzaken directs Baseball Manager, the longest-running fantasy baseball game on the Internet.

On a sunny Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona, the man who makes baseball fans' fantasies come true comes face-to-face with his own sports fantasy as he rallies with six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edberg.

The 40-something Benzaken is one of about 60 people ranging in age from a 14-year-old junior standout from New Jersey to a grandmother from Arizona who have paid about $775 to attend this three-day Adidas Stefan Edberg Fantasy Camp conducted on the eight hard courts of the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort at Gainey Ranch during the first weekend of December.

Virtually every one of the attendees have enjoyed the experience of trading shots and stories with the two-time Wimbledon winner, 17th-ranked Meghann Shaughnessy and the energetic and entertaining staff of the ITUSA who have run the camp. Most of the participants are recreational hackers in the 3.5 to 4.5 range, but a trio of junior standouts as well as a few 5.0 players provide formidable opposition during the Saturday afternoon doubles sessions in which each camper plays four-game sets before rotating to play with and against other members of the group.

During the course of the camp, Edberg spends time hitting with each of us hackers who have traveled from all over the country to play with and against the greats of the game. One of the more memorable rallies pits the overwhelming Edberg against the unheralded Benzaken.

A fit and fast player who completed the New York City Marathon two months earlier, Benzaken hits a concise, classic Eastern forward and a slightly less reliable backhand that is struck with all the self-assurance of a man stretching to swipe the snow off a car windshield with a scraper while struggling to stay on his feet in the face of gale-force winds as he slips on a slick sheet of ice.

A slithering, slice backhand from Edberg draws Benzaken to the net. Approaching a bit apprehensively on well-worn, white K-Swiss sneakers that are beginning to bear the early signs of deterioration (the tongue is hanging out as if its thirsting to break out of its laced-up detention and make a break for the court-side Gatorade immersed in ice), Benzaken is in perfect position to volley — or so it seems — until he watches Edberg loft a lob over his head. The six-foot Stamford, Connecticut resident skies for the overhead and unleashes a vicious swing of a player perfectly poised to slam the ball through the back fence.

The swing is so impressive it takes a split-second to notice Benzaken hasn't quite made the kind of contact he envisioned. In fact, he actually misses the ball completely and for a second bears the slightly startled expression of a man whose attempt at a post-match handshake has missed the mark.

He misses the shot, but not his opportunity to prolong the point.

Recovering from his air-wave, Benzaken spins and sprints back near the baseline where he turns, times the ball perfectly and blasts a clean pass by Edberg who has crept close to the net behind his lob.

Stunned by the shot, a smiling Edberg drops his racquet to the court and applauds at the effort given by his opponent, who may now own the distinction of being the only unranked player in history to pass one of the sport's greatest serve-and-volleyers.

The exchange is symbolic of the entire experience: even when Edberg wasn't providing you personal instruction, he was always willing to give you a hand.

"He's such a smooth player," Benzaken says of Edberg. "He's always exactly where he should be on the court. Watching the pros on TV you get a sense of how good they are, but when you're actually out there playing against them you realize how high their level really is and how easy they make the game seem. It's almost like they're playing a different game. It was fun to hit with Edberg and Martina Hingis and Meghann Shaughnessy helped me out a lot. I became an instant fan of Meghann after meeting her here."

While Shaughnessy doesn't spend as much time on court as Edberg, her advice is direct and designed to inspire immediate improvement.

After watching one camper hit his third consecutive forehand into the top of the tape during a down-the-line drill, Shaughnessy says: "You've got good power, but you're hitting the forehand too flat. Just take the racquet back a little bit higher on your back swing and that will force you to come under the ball and naturally give you topspin you need to clear the net without even having to think about it."

It's a simple tip that produces instant results.

Perhaps the most surprising and appealing aspect of the camp was that Edberg was so approachable and relaxed. In an era when some pros act like prima donnas occasionally showing a contempt for competition or communication with fans, Edberg's work ethic, the ease of his exchanges and his complete comfort with campers is as old school as as the continental grip on his forehand.

"The best part of my interaction with Edberg was his sense of humor and regular-guy quality," said Michelle Groff of Forth Worth, Texas, a 44-year-old mother of two who's ranked 11th in the state in her age group.  "He did not seem aloof or unapproachable. He understood the nature of interacting with club-level players, and he seemed humble and grounded. So much so, that at one point when I passed him by the courts I felt completely comfortable to say with a hug, 'How's my new best friend?' Of course, that could just be indicative of my naturally imbalanced state or a fatigue-induced insanity."

Granted, trying to reproduce the classic Edberg backhand overhead could be maddening for many campers.

Throughout the camp, Edberg exerted an ideal balance between play and playfulness. When rallying with campers, Edberg displayed the innate ability to instantly assess your level of play and adjust (read: lower) his level accordingly.

The focus was always on insightful instruction, but Edberg's determination in drills and hitting session was a reminder that regardless of what level you play at there is a correct way to approach the game — giving your best effort every time you play regardless of whether it's Centre Court at Wimbledon or Court 7 in Scottsdale. His commitment was contagious.

"Off-court training and working out in the gym is very popular among players now," Edberg says. "When I was on Tour, I pretty much did all my training on the court. I believe, if you work hard, you can get twice as much out of training on the court as you can in the gym."

All of the coaches at the camp, particularly the good-natured, transplanted Australian Simon Gale, who is a teaching pro at the award-winning Yonkers Tennis Center, strive to contribute help to each campers game.

Clearly, Edberg is the man most have come to see.

A six-time Grand Slam champion, Edberg amassed 41 singles titles and 18 doubles championships in his career. Edberg and John McEnroe are the only men in Open Era history to hold the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously. For the player who spent much of his prime at the top of tennis, this fantasy camp is a first.

"I do very few things during the year," Edberg told Tennis Week on the final day of the camp. "I've said that to myself since I stopped playing: 'I'm not going to get on the senior tour.' I do somewhere around four exhibitions a year, mostly I've done it in Sweden in small clubs. I've done it (a legends match against former foe Boris Becker) at Queen's Club this year. So that I will do. This is really the first time I've done something like this (a fantasy camp) here."

He may be a rookie on the fantasy camp circuit, but Edberg exudes the ease, charm and charisma of a man whose influence on his fans transcends the simple act of striking forehands and backhands.

He made his mark as a champion, but Edberg's integrity, honesty and sportsmanship made him one of the sport's most admired figures. Revered and respected by players and fans, Edberg always conducted himself with class both on and off the court. And as you talk to people, you realize it is those qualities — as much as the grace of his game — that has endeared Edberg to his loyal fans. Several campers confide they completely stopped watching tennis after his retirement.

Watching Edberg warm up on the first day of camp, a Californian who plays with the same Wilson 6.1 Pro Staff Edberg once used and emulates Edberg's service motion right down to the extended racquet face at the start of his serve, introduces himself as "Sean — that's like Stefan without the 't' or 'f' " and admits: "I haven't really watched tennis since Stefan retired. I watch videos of his matches."

Fittingly, the fantasy experience begins on a Friday as campers' strokes are videotaped by the ITUSA staff who will later compile a personalized DVD for each participant. The camp culminates on Sunday with Edberg, Shaughnessy and former No. 1 Martina Hingis, a surprise special guest whose primary purpose is to mentor the young women — including 95th-ranked Angelique Widjaja, 177th-ranked Anne Keothavong, third-ranked junior Anna-Lena Groeneveld and rising American junior Ally Baker — participating in the ITUSA's adidas player development program. On the final day of the camp, all of those women help conduct clinics and participate in drills and games.

Some of the best demonstrations feature Edberg playing straight man to his former Davis Cup captain Carl-Axel Hageskog. Affectionately called "Captain Carl", Hageskog, who bears a slight resemblance to Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart if the captain of the Enterprise were as fit as a triathlete, tells the campers: "This is a drill we would do during December to prepare for the Australian Open. When you were home eating your Christmas turkey dinner, Stefan was out on the court for hours every day doing this."

Starting at the baseline, Edberg trots forward, taps the top of the net with his racquet and then rapidly retreats like an NFL corner back back-pedaling to keep up with a speedy receiver.

While Edberg is still moving backward, Captain Carl begins furiously feeding balls to the left, right and over head and an explosive Edberg pursues every single shot with the level of determination of a man trying to save match point as he surges, stretches and stabs at volleys from all areas of the service box.

Edberg's explosiveness is evident. He doesn't so much sprint to shots as he glides to them with the effortless ease of a speed skater whose half of the court happens to be ice. In fact, the sound of his fast-moving feet are almost inaudible so smooth are his movements.

Movement is vital to Edberg's style and is a constant theme of his instruction.

"Tennis is a game of legs," Edberg tells one camper. "I would say 75 or almost 80 percent of my game was built on movement. It doesn't matter how great your strokes are, you have to put yourself in position to hit the ball to be successful."

With the exception of the times he's standing still or serving you almost never see Edberg on his heels. While returning serve, Edberg creeps closer toward the baseline taking swift, short, shuffle steps. He looks like a father sneaking into his child's bedroom with stealth secrecy — quickly moving forward, but careful not to step on a squeaky toy while he checks on his sleeping child.

Some campers videotape Edberg's instructional drills, for others, off-court interaction is even more exciting.

"Let's do shots with Stefan!" one exuberant camper exclaims prior to the Saturday night group dinner held at Los Olivos, a popular Scottsdale Mexican restaurant, that features its own version of the Rod Laver Arena's retractable roof.

Clad in black Lee jeans, a white Ralph Lauren Polo collared shirt and black leather jacket, Edberg is completely at ease with the festive mood at dinner. So much so, that when he takes the microphone to speak, you almost expected him to break into spontaneous Karaoke. Instead, Edberg praises the group for its performance.

"Everyone has worked very hard and made it a very enjoyable experience for me," Edberg said. "I've had a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to tomorrow — we have a lot of tennis left to play."

The collective camaraderie of the dinner after a long day of play — or perhaps it was the open bar and abundance of margaritas flowing courtesy of the generosity of camp member Frank Aaron, a Montreal native who lives in Arizona — brought many of the campers closer together. The experience even moved the normally stoic Swede to tears — not because of some deep emotional bond established with the participants, but because apparently the man who withstood the power of Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic found himself combating an even more powerful opponent — salsa.

"I guess they don't serve salsa like that in Sweden," joked camp master of ceremonies Rob Coseo, former tournament director of the Sarasota Open, whose consistent wit created a relaxed atmosphere throughout the camp.

Dr. Eric Lee — a California cardiologist and 5.0 player who played junior tennis in Northern California against the likes of Barry Gilbert, Brad's older brother — is one of several people we meet at the camp who say watching tennis has lost its appeal since Edberg's departure. An avid Edberg fan, Dr. Lee attended the camp at his wife's urging. And near the end of dinner, he's one of the lucky winners of a drawing and receives one of Edberg's own Wilson racquets, which the two-time U.S. Open champion autographs on the spot leaving his signature on the brown leather grip.

As Edberg presents him with the racquet and poses for photos, a smiling Dr. Lee chats with Edberg and at the moment, the pair look like old friends from high school catching up on the past at a class reunion.

"He told me that since it's a player's racquet and a little heavier, I might not want to use it," Lee says. "I told him I'm going to frame it. It's fantastic. I told him I watched him and met him during his farewell tour. He's my favorite player."

The camp culminates with the Hingis and Edberg playing tiebreakers with and against campers in front of the entire group. The final spot to play against Edberg went to a practitioner of classic serve-and-volley tennis — Tennis Week writer Brad Falkner, who first came face-to-face with Edberg prior to the Friday night cocktail party that kicked off the camp when someone suggested cracking open a case of Absolut to toast Edberg to which a smiling Edberg replied: "I don't think I could drink a bottle of Absolut."

An accomplished former teaching pro whose striking one-handed backhand and crisp, varied volleys reflect the influence of Edberg's elegant serve-and-volley style (as played by a 4.5 player who prefers playing with wood racquets after a brief flirtation with bamboo), Falkner's on-court demeanor is reminiscent of the young Brad Gilbert's stream of consciousness commentary and is directed, at various times, to himself, opponents, teammates, spectators and people who just happen to be passing by.

During one doubles point, Falkner's partner incorrectly calls a shot out, but Falkner quickly over-rules saying: "Sorry bro, but the line is good..." The prospect of the vocal Falkner taking on the subdued Swede is intriguing, but Falkner shows his sense of chivalry by handing his pass to play against Edberg to Groff, who loaned her Head racquet to Falkner on a daily basis so he could participate in the camp.

"Maybe Edberg's sportsmanship rubbed off," said Falkner, who breaks strings more frequently as a thrash-metal guitarist using a razor blade rather than a pick to play. "I broke a string and she was nice to loan me her racquet. I wouldn't have been able to play at all if it weren't for her. When you do good things for people, good things can come back to you."

So the final showdown features fan favorite Edberg teaming up with a 40-something camper named Steve to take on Kevin Janison and Groff.

Janison, an award-winning weatherman from Las Vegas, immediately creates a fun atmosphere on court with his mock trash-talking to Edberg.

"At one point, when Kevin and I were up 7-6 in the tie-break, Kevin said to Steve, Edberg's partner, 'I'd hate to have to live the rest of my life admitting that I'd lost a tie-break with Stefan Edberg as my partner!' " Groff remembers.

The words were still echoing in Edberg's ears when, storming forward on fleet feet with the focus of a man closing in on the Wimbledon title, he executed a textbook backhand volley winner and punctuated the point by looking at Janison and replying: "That's not going to happen!"

It was a memorable response that prompted collective smile from the crowd and reinforced the realization that the difference between us hackers and a Grand Slam champion is, as noted tennis fan Mark Twain once said, "the difference between a lightning bug and lightning."

To be sure, there are several aspects of the experience some campers said could be improved. A few people said they had hoped the video taping of their strokes could have been incorporated into instructional drills to help sharpen their strokes. Some campers confide they would have preferred playing in slightly smaller groups during drills, while others wish the lunch break between Saturday's morning clinic and early afternoon doubles play had been shorter. "Shove a sandwich in my mouth and get me right back on court," one woman said. "I'm here to play!"

The consensus among the campers Tennis Week spoke to was the entire experience was well worth the trip.

"I know some people would have liked more court time with the pros, but honestly, the whole thing exceeded my expectations," Groff said. "I loved the organized and diverse drills (especially with people to pick up the balls for you), the random match play with other campers, and the casual socializing with the pros on and off the court. Some of the higher level players wanted to go toe-to-toe with Stefan, but I am just a lowly 4.0 middle-aged housewife from Fort Worth, Texas where the closest I get to celebrities are the statue of Will Rogers or a Chuck Norris sighting."

Some campers spent the final group lunch fantasizing about the prospect of an Edberg-Hingis-Shaughnessy future fantasy camp. Asked if she would consider coming back next year, Groff replied: "Not only would I attend the camp again, (my friend) Susan and I have already signed up for next year!"

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