Sporting Gentleman
The Summer Game
There have also been players whose names
have appeared on many occasions on their
respective lists. In 1996, the ATP
Sportsmanship award was renamed in honour
of Stefan Edberg, who had won it 5 times over
the course of the previous 8 years. Since then,
Patrick Rafter has won it 4 times, and Roger
Federer has won it a staggering 10 times. In
the WTA Sportsmanship award, the award
has been won twice on 6 separate occasions,
but Kim Clijsters has walked away with it 8
times.
Tennis has established itself across the world
and it played now on a variety of surfaces, but
essentially it will always be a Summer game.
It conjures images of Tennis Whites,
Strawberries and Cream, the scent of fresh cut
grass, the thwack of ball on racquet and the
exceptionally smart dressed lines judges and
well drilled ballboys and ballgirls.
This Summer, put on your tennis shoes and
enjoy the game of ‘Sticky’!
On a fun note, We are a huge fan of the antics of tennis' most
famous entertainer Mansour Bahrami. Although his career singles
highlights came in his younger days, and he had some successes in
doubles pinnacling in the final of the French Open, he is best
remembered for the 20 or so years that he thrilled the crowds as
part of the ATP seniors invitational circuit. An incredibly gifted
player, with a whole host of trick shots and a mischievous sense of
humour, Bahrami brings the joy of the game into wonderful
contrast to the intensity of the duals that are normally the focus of
the public's tennis scrutiny. (Watch one above)
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