Tweet
2014 Citi Open...Washington, DC USA
Washington D. C. USA. Only in America. The lies and the deception. What can you say about politicians? Bought and paid for. Sign of the times. Somewhere between Hollywood and Washington lies America. The land of the free. The land of the freebie. Now...it's the more you got the more you get. The Nobel Peace Prize winner in the White House...ginning up for WWIII with Russia...while dismally failing to play any mitigating role in the Israel-Palestine farce. These are the days...are they not?
But anyways...somewhere's outside the parkway lies the Citi Open. When I was there in 1974 it was called the Washington Star tournament. It used to be played on Har-Tru. Good old green American clay. I miss that stuff. It's only red over here in Europe.
But check out a bit of history of this event...not that anybody might be interested. Look here at the draw sheet for the 1973 edition.
Look at the final pairing...none other than Arthur "The Stoic" Ashe versus Tom "The Flying Dutchman" Okker. The same as in the 1968 U. S. Open singles final. Same results too...only this time on CLAY. See what I mean about adaptability. There were plenty of clay court specialists present and accounted for if you were familiar with this era. The draw sheet serves as proof.
I remember Don Budge really liked the "New Kid in Town" Guillermo Vilas. He loved the way he rolled his backhand with topspin. I remember too...going up to Ion Tiriac and engaging him in conversation. I was so proud of myself...everyone was so intimidated by him. He was rather kind to me...I took him by surprise. I asked him if it was true that he once ate a glass ashtray. What a question! Hey...I was only nineteen.
Fast forward to the next year...1974. Just another fantastic draw sheet.
Harold Solomon over Guillermo Vilas in three grueling sets. Solomon "owned" Vilas 5-2 head to head on clay. True testimony to his gutsiness on the dirt. I guess Mr. Budge knew what he was talking about regarding Vilas...Vilas went on to post a 929-286 career won lost record.
The score of this match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, may not indicate it but anybody familiar with the style of play between these two will testify that it was probably a long and arduous affair. Harold was the 11th seed...true testimony to the depth of the tennis in those days.
Billy Martin who had been a God in the juniors had perhaps his best run in a tourney as an adult...unseeded he got to the semis having defeated Raul Ramirez, Fred McNair, Tom Gorman and Stan Smith in succession before running into Harold "The Wall" Solomon. Billy ran out of gas after taking the first set from Harold...he lost the last two 6-1, 6-0.
But anyways...somewhere's outside the parkway lies the Citi Open. When I was there in 1974 it was called the Washington Star tournament. It used to be played on Har-Tru. Good old green American clay. I miss that stuff. It's only red over here in Europe.
But check out a bit of history of this event...not that anybody might be interested. Look here at the draw sheet for the 1973 edition.
Look at the final pairing...none other than Arthur "The Stoic" Ashe versus Tom "The Flying Dutchman" Okker. The same as in the 1968 U. S. Open singles final. Same results too...only this time on CLAY. See what I mean about adaptability. There were plenty of clay court specialists present and accounted for if you were familiar with this era. The draw sheet serves as proof.
I remember Don Budge really liked the "New Kid in Town" Guillermo Vilas. He loved the way he rolled his backhand with topspin. I remember too...going up to Ion Tiriac and engaging him in conversation. I was so proud of myself...everyone was so intimidated by him. He was rather kind to me...I took him by surprise. I asked him if it was true that he once ate a glass ashtray. What a question! Hey...I was only nineteen.
Fast forward to the next year...1974. Just another fantastic draw sheet.
Harold Solomon over Guillermo Vilas in three grueling sets. Solomon "owned" Vilas 5-2 head to head on clay. True testimony to his gutsiness on the dirt. I guess Mr. Budge knew what he was talking about regarding Vilas...Vilas went on to post a 929-286 career won lost record.
The score of this match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, may not indicate it but anybody familiar with the style of play between these two will testify that it was probably a long and arduous affair. Harold was the 11th seed...true testimony to the depth of the tennis in those days.
Billy Martin who had been a God in the juniors had perhaps his best run in a tourney as an adult...unseeded he got to the semis having defeated Raul Ramirez, Fred McNair, Tom Gorman and Stan Smith in succession before running into Harold "The Wall" Solomon. Billy ran out of gas after taking the first set from Harold...he lost the last two 6-1, 6-0.
Comment