FILDERSTADT 2000 REPORT
by Caz

The Magüi Maniacs Invade Filderstadt!!

Germany is the coldest place I’ve ever been too – and I’m English! That being said, despite the temperature, Bea and I still managed to have a lot of fun.

We saw some great matches, some amazing comebacks, some terrible matches, and some even worse shots, but above all, we had fun!

The week started by my meeting Bea at the Christopher Columbus statue in Barcelona, and presenting her with a ‘Kinder Egg’ as a present (she likes the toy, I like the chocolate, so that kind of present works for both of us!!)

Later, at Stuttgart airport, we were met by Manu and Andreas, who then drove us straight to the tennis stadium, where we met all the rest of the crazy German fans.

The following are select memories of the fun we had at Filderstadt 2000:

Monday

Final round qualifying: Tatiana Panova vs. Martina Sucha.

On our first proper day at the tennis, I dragged Bea along to cheer with me for Tatiana Panova, as I swear that girl is at a disadvantage, given that she is barely the height of the tennis net!!! Somehow, despite the fact I think they should have to lower the net for her, she managed to win and make the main draw - only to lose in round one to Jana Kandarr!

Final round qualifying: Silvia Farina Elia vs. Asa Carlsson:

This match was memorable for two reasons; one, because Silvia had two match points before finally succumbing to her Swedish opponent, and, two, because it produced, indisputably, the worst shot of the tournament, when Silvia’s serve completely missed the court!! Yeah, you read that right!! Instead of landing in service box, her serve actually hit the middle of the wall on the opposite side of the court!

First round (doubles): Karina Habsudova/Jelena Kostanic vs. Sabine Applemans/Catalina Cristea:

Our first glimpse at Catalina Cristea with blonde hair!!!! Personally, I thought her hair looked cool before, but still, the difference was striking!!!

First round (singles): Ruxandra Dragomir vs. Patty Schnyder:

Our first look at Ruxandra with her new blonde hair, and her dress that made her look like a waitress!! This created much amusement for everyone in our group for the rest of the week!! (“Mine’s a coca cola!” “Café Latté over here please!”).

As both Bea and I like both Ruxandra and Patty, we were undecided as to whom to cheer for … in the end we decided to go for Patty, (after all Ruxandra could always make on the tips!!!)

It was a tough match, which eventually Patty won.

Tuesday

First round (singles): Gala León Garcia vs. Justine Hénin:

What a match! If not so much for the tennis, as for our cheering efforts!! Danni, one of the German girls, is a big fan of Gala, and so united us in one hell of a cheering effort!! She had a notepad and pen with her, and made us all sit down and organise exactly what we were to sing or cheer, exactly when!! We had various songs in Spanish, (ie. Un, dos, tres, Vamos Gala León Garcia, Un, dos, tres, Vamos Gala León), various songs in English, (If you like Gala León clap your hands etc.), Spanish clapping, etc., etc. We even had a sound check before the match! Never have I been part of such an organised cheering group!!

As for the actual tennis, Gala got off to a good start, but once Justine got into the match, she was always just that little bit better than Gala .. though that’s not to say that Gala didn’t have chances to take the match…

First round (doubles): Amanda Coetzer/Caroline Vis vs. Greta Urn/Anca Barna:

The height difference between Amanda and Caroline was what stood out most here!!! We were sure Caroline would get a back injury through bending down to talk with Amanda!! But, you gotta love Caroline Vis!!! LOL!!

The match itself was easily won by Amanada and Caroline against the German qualifiers!

First round (doubles): Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario/Barbara Schett vs. Kim Clijsters/Barbara Rittner:

I tried out my hideous German, (to support Barbara Schett!), during this comfortable victory for the seeded pair. Bea and I managed to get several people around us clapping and cheering for Arantxa and Barbara, and despite Barbara’s, at times, very bad play, Arantxa’s impressive play saw the team win through.

Wednesday

First round (singles): Magüi Serna vs. Asa Carlsson:

The day started with Magüi’s terrible loss to Asa Carlsson. Magüi got off to a good start, holding her serve with ease. However, it soon became apparent that the only part of her game that was working for her was her serve. In her second service game of the match, it must be noted that she served an incredible four straight aces! (bowing down ordered to commence!) However, her serve soon started to break down, and then Carlosson began to run away with the match…

Second round (singles): Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario vs. Cara Black:

Arantxa got off to a great start, taking the first set 6-2, with ease. She soon found herself down in the second set, 0-3, but having faith in Arantxa’s ability to stage comebacks, and thus, knowing that Arantxa was far from through, we left the match to watch the end of Magüi and Chanda Rubin’s doubles match.

When we got back, Arantxa was 6-2, 3-6, 1-3 down, and it was apparent that something was very wrong. Noting that she was putting an ice pack on her neck at every change of ends, and that she was in obvious pain during points, (after the match, we found out from Marisa Vicario that Arantxa had fallen and hurt her neck), we began to worry that, in fact, she may not be able to pull off one of her trademark comebacks – boy, were we wrong!!!!

After falling behind 1-4 in the final set, Arantxa did not let Cara take another game!!

First round (doubles): Chanda Rubin/Magüi Serna vs. Alexandra Fusai/Nathalie Tauziat:

Unfortunately Wednesday was not Magüi’s day! When we arrived at the match, the pair were losing by a set and a break. We cheered as loudly as we could, and they staged something of a comeback. They had several chances to take it to a third set, but unfortunately Magüi hit several easy shots into the net - on important points - and it was all over quickly! L

Thursday

Second round (singles): Nathalie Tauziat vs. Barbara Ritnner:

There were seven of us, at the last count, bravely cheering for Nathalie against a German player, in Germany!!! Luckily, (surprisingly!!), we managed to survive!!

We totally confused a French couple sitting next to us, when we got out the Spanish flag for Conchita’s match, (which followed Nathalie’s), after we’d been cheering for Nathalie in French, and speaking to one another in English!!! Finally, the very confused woman asked me, in French, if we were Spanish, to which I explained, (also in French), that I was English and Beatriz, Spanish.

Second round (singles): Conchita Martínez vs. Magdalena Maleeva:

We cheered loudly for Conchita, and although it seemed, at times, that she would lose, she eventually pulled the match out, valiantly coming back from a 1-4 final set deficit.

Conchita kept us amused all the while with her whole ball superstition thing. I have a theory that before her matches, she finds the cans of balls, and marks up the ones she likes best, so when she makes the ball children give her every single ball they have before carefully inspecting them all, then discarding all except the one she decides is lucky, what she’s really doing is looking for the ball with her mark on it!! LOL!!

After the match we sang, “Mucha Conchi, Mucha Conchi, es, es!!!” to her, and she waved to us!!!

Friday

Quarter final (singles): Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario vs. Amanda Coetzer:

The day got underway with what potentially could have been the longest match of the day.. in fact it was over in about two hours, (a pretty short match for an encounter between Arantxa and Amanda – my money was on eight hours!! LOL!)

This match contained some of the best tennis of the tournament. Both players were playing really well for most of the time. As expected from perhaps the two best retrievers in the game, there were many long rallies – I counted 23 shots in one of them, (and that, by no means, was the longest) – and many incredible gets by both players. Arantxa always seemed to be in control of the match – watched by Magüi, (who watched all of Arantxa’s matches - singles and doubles - after she had lost in the tournament, until the Saturday, as well as Gala León Garcia’s first round match) – and finally won through in three sets.

Quarter final (singles): Nathalie Tauziat vs. Anne Gaëlle Sidot:

What a bad, bad match!! This was memorable for being the worst match we saw in the whole tournament! Error, after error, after error. Nathalie did not so much win the match as Anne-Gaëlle lost it! Neither player played well, it was just a case of Nathalie getting the ball in the court and letting her opponent make the error.

Quarter final (singles): Conchita Martínez vs. Kim Clijsters:

Conchita had chances to win, it was a match she could have won, but Kim simply wanted to win more.

Kim was pumping her fists and screaming “come on” to herself, whereas Conchita was often not even bothering to run for drop shots. Need I say more?!?!

Saturday

Semi final (singles): Nathalie Tauziat vs. Kim Clijsters:

Nathalie had chances to take this. She had break points when leading a set and 4-4, but couldn’t convert any of them, and was never in the match from then on.

It was a disappointing loss….

Semi final (doubles): Martina Hingis/Anna Kournikova vs. Cara Black/Elena Likhovtseva:

Memorable not for the players (though Bea and I both like Elena), and not for the tennis (we only got to see two games of it before we left for the airport), but rather for the umpire, the one and only, the legendry, (drum roll, please!), ANNE-LASSER ULLRICH (sp.?)

As the players were announced, Bea and I were silent for Martina Hingis and Anna K., clapped mildly for Cara Black and reasonably loudly for Elena Likhovtseva, and then cheered our hearts out for Anne-Lasser, much to the general amusement of the crowd – even Anne-Lasser, herself, looked our way and smiled!!

After that, it was time to say our goodbyes and leave the artic German weather to return to sunny Spain, after a fun week at the tennis!

back to REPORTS







This site is intended as a tribute to Magüi Serna.
No copyright infringement is intended.
© Magüi Mania