15, 16, 17 y 18
DIC 2011
FAREWELL TO MOYÁ
An early retirement, Carlos Moyá said his goodbyes to tennis with a victory over Guillermo Cañas in a moving match. The Spaniard, former number 1 player in the world charts, beat retired Willy by 4-6, 6-1 and 7-2 in the final tiebreak.
“It is difficult to put in words the eternal gratitude I will always feel for the Argentine public. Ever since I visited Argentina for the first time, with my first professional title, every visit has been filled with a very special chemistry.”
A moved Moyá, almost on the brink of tears, said that “one hopes the day for retirement will never come. Clearly, that day does arrive sooner or later. This is a heavenly farewell: at the Lawn Tennis Club, surrounded by friends, with the court full of spectators cheering the players.
I truly thank you for being so far away from home, and yet feeling as I were there.”
The Spanish player ended 16 years of a professional career with 20 titles among which stand Roland Garros 1998 and MS of Montecarlos 1998, Cincinnati 2002 and Rome, 2004. He won Buenos Aires ATP in 1995, 2003 and 2006.
HE STILL RULES
Watching David Nalbandian play the third game of the match in a soaking-sweat t-shirt as if he were playing in full daylight with 30Cº, clearly showed the level of seriousness and commitment with which he addressed the definition of the Argentine Cup against Juan Mónaco. With no jokes or comments that may hint at an exhibition match –there were a few laughs shared between the players- both top players displayed their best repertoire of shots and proved that there are hardly any tennis issues to attend to, for the beginning of 2011. See interview
STANDING OVATIONS FOR ALL
Players were congratulated with standing ovation on their own efforts. Not only were favorites Nalbandian and Mónaco congratulated, but also Chela, who had a great 2010 and two ATP tournaments won in the last season. Mardy Fish and James Blake were positively surprised by the public’s ovation, fascinated by the speed of their shots. The public even had to overcome the challenge of a rained out session on Friday, which was completed on Saturday, with three rescheduled matches instead. The finals match was the living proof of a satisfied and grateful public, who cheered enthusiastically from the crowded grandstands.
A TOUR OF THE COMMERCIAL STANDS AND PAVILLIONS
The commercial area of stands showcasing and marketing products is an attraction in itself. The public enjoys spending downtime in-between matches, grabbing some snack or meal, and delighting in the attractive products that our sponsors display. Some of the sponsors present in our edition were Powerade -the players´ official drink-, Topper -with a retro-style stand-, Babolat and Pony, among others.
AN ACTIVE CHELA PROVED TOO MUCH FOR A RETIRED SAFÍN
Ultimately, it was not another regular visit for Marat Safín to the Argentine Cup. Even a year after he left the courts and the tennis arena, the Russian player could offer a few strokes of his magic, but these were not enough to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela, who was superior and beat him 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 and 6-1. At the end of this edition, rain willing, Juan Mónaco would be playing against American player Mardy Fish. See interview
THE PRIDE OF A GREAT CONTEST
At the turn of every year, as we take the opportunity to embrace reflection and analyze events in retrospective, we also love to live intensely every step of the tournament that has already become a tradition in our tennis calendars. The Peugeot Argentina Tennis Cup has already turned its´ 8th Edition as a truly rewarding and pride-fulfilling experience for all of us who are a part of its´ essence. However, we would never be able to offer this outstanding sports event if the iconic grandstands at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club were not filled by you, the public who turned stellar the only top-quality contest played on fast surface in the country, in what is considered the Cathedral of Tennis in Argentina.
