great tennis week

it all started last sept 2010, while i am browsing the net, i run through a website advertising the Australian open for 2011. 

 

Australian Open is the first of the four grand slam tennis tournament each year...  out of nowhere, my tennis spirit was awaken and i find myself reading all about the Australian open series in Wikipedia... and then i found out that the series has one of its leg in Sydney...  As a big tennis fan, i’ve got so excited that I read further about the Sydney leg of the tournament...  And it was the Medibank International Sydney...

going back, all I can remember, it was my sister who introduced me to this great game. it was like love at first sight,  immediately i am so in love with the game that I forgot that i’ve been watching back to back games in tv for hours... it seems that 2hours in a tennis game becomes a mere 5mins... the game is too exciting that long hours becomes short... and i also remember that these were the glory days of monica seles, lindsey davenport, martina hingis, pat rafter, andre agassi and pete sampras... 

 then as they say the rest was history... i’ve been hook up to tennis since then.... and i promised mahself that one day i will watch one of the four tennis grand slam tournament...

so going back to Medibank, hahahaha!!! I went to its website to learn further about the tournament... the tournament is a premier WTA event for woman tennis and tier 1 ATP event for men tennis... and by knowing this, i became so animated that i am one step closer to my dream.... 

while browsing the site, there was a tab for those who want to become a volunteer for the event.... i was like saw a great opportunity for me that i did not hesitate in applying.... 

after waiting anxiously for the result, come Nov, i received an email and whala! They gave me a spot.... i was accepted as a field of play volunteer.... i felt like winning a lottery because, I will just not see my fave tennis players but i will have an opportunity to interact and serve them too... a great early xmas present for me... i would say, one of the best, hehehehe... 

so i attended the volunteer orientation and training to prepare me for the event... and i was informed that one of my primary task is to assist the players before and after their games... also to prepare the playing courts, to provide shades, drinks and food for them and anything else they need during the game....

 

then last week, Jan 9, the tournament began... 15 of womans top 20 were signed in for the tournament and some of the men’s top players were present too (i so hate the Doha Tournament because it was a week before Medibank and Doha is a much bigger event for mens tennis therefore the men’s top 10 players were signed in there)....

But to compensate for my sadness for men tennis, I just learned that mah fave tennis player signed in for Medibank, it was Richard Gasquet, oh, la la, mah icha! now i just don’t care for anyone because mah icha was in Sydney... Finally, i’ll have a chance meeting him....

Richard Gasquet (born 18 June 1986) is a French professional tennis player. He won the mixed doubles Grand Slam title at the 2004 French Open, partnering Tatiana Golovin. His highest ranking in singles is #7. His best achievements in tennis are reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2007 and later that year qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup. Gasquet is known for his one-hand backhand down the line, it is his trademark shot. (from Wikipedia)

During the tournament, i’ve also served and saw almost all of the top players present... to name a few, Caroline Wozniaki... Vera Zvonareva... Kim Clijster... Francesca Schiavone... Daniela Hantuchova... Maria Kirilenko...  Samantha Stosur... Victoria Azarenka... Na Li... Juan Martin Del Potro... Gilles Simon... Radek Stepanek... Feliciano Lopez... and so on and so on....

 

though the task is exhausting, the reward is more than gratifying, one of my best week ever... and in case i’ve been called to do the same task again, i will not hesitate to say YES.... anytime and anything for the greatest game... i will be glad to serve... and i believe, this experience is just  the start of mah yearly habit...

 

now, i am just a heartbeat away of finally reaching one of my dream, 

AUSTRALIAN OPEN wait for me.... :p


credits: photos are from yahoo.com