Post by tall_one on Jun 30, 2004 21:06:39 GMT
Olympic Tennis Returns Home
from www.itftennis.com/olympics/
With the Olympic Games returning to their spiritual home in Athens, it is fitting that tennis, one of only nine sports at the inaugural games in 1896, is set to attract its strongest ever entry. Since tennis returned to full medal status in Seoul in 1988, 65 players from 19 countries have won medals at the Games including some of the sport’s biggest names from the last two decades.
It was back in 1984 that the campaign to have tennis return as a full medal sport hit its stride. Tennis was staged as a 21-and-under demonstration sport in Los Angeles, where Stefan Edberg and Steffi Graf went on to capture the gold medals.
Both Edberg and Graf came back to defend their titles in 1988 in Seoul, where tennis finally returned as a full member of the Olympic family after a 64-year absence. Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini to complete what will always be remembered as her ‘Golden Slam’, but Edberg lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Miloslav Mecir, who overcame Tim Mayotte for the gold medal.
By the time Barcelona came round in 1992, Olympic fever had spread among the world’s leading tennis players, with the top five ranked men all in action. However it was Switzerland’s Marc Rosset who took the gold medal, winning a dramatic five-set final against Jordi Arrese of Spain.
In the women’s event, 16-year-old Jennifer Capriati overturned the odds to defeat home favourite Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the semifinals, before coming from a set down to defeat defending champion Graf in the final. Boris Becker and Michael Stich took home the gold for Germany in the men’s doubles while Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez won the women’s doubles.
Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of Atlanta, was the setting for the 1996 Olympic Tennis Event, where Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport, both children of Olympians, delighted home supporters to carry off a double American singles triumph. Agassi, fortunate to survive a stormy quarterfinal against Wayne Ferreira, overwhelmed Spain’s Sergi Bruguera in the final for what he described as “the greatest accomplishment I have ever had in the sport”.
Davenport overcame Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the women’s final, while Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde won a first tennis gold medal for Australia in the men’s doubles. Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez successfully defended their women’s doubles title.
The 2000 Olympic Tennis event was staged at a new purpose-built stadium in Sydney, with Yevgeny Kafelnikov capturing Russia’s first gold medal in tennis after a fluctuating five-set victory over Tommy Haas. But there was disappointment for home favourites Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, whose hopes of a second gold medal disappeared with a final defeat by Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor.
In the women’s singles final, rising star Venus Williams defeated Russia’s Elena Dementieva to crown an emotional week for the young American.
Williams, who went on to capture the women’s doubles title with sister Serena, said, “I really wanted the gold. This was the one moment in time for me, for my country, for my family, for the team. I'd be honoured to defend both medals.”<br>
Her comments are widely echoed by her contemporaries, many of whom are looking forward to experiencing the unique atmosphere generated by the Olympic Games for the first time.
ITF World Champion Andy Roddick, said: “I’m just stoked to go through the Opening Ceremonies, and I want to go watch all the other sports. I really want to go make the most of everything.”<br>
Roddick’s great rival Roger Federer, who missed out on a bronze medal in Sydney, added: “The Olympics are so special because they only happen every four years. I love to play for my country, so they are one of my top priorities this year."
Justine Henin-Hardenne, the current Women’s World Champion, said: “I will do my best to win the title for Belgium. For me it’s the fifth Grand Slam tournament of 2004.”<br>
A brand new Olympic Tennis Centre has been built in the heart of the main Olympic site in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Maroussi. The Centre, which includes an 8000-seat Centre Court and 14 other courts, will be a lasting legacy for the Hellenic Tennis Federation, which will move its operation to the site after the completion of the tournament.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti is delighted with tennis’s progress within the Olympic movement. “Since being introduced as a full medal sport in Seoul in 1998, the Olympic Tennis Event has gone from strength to strength. At Sydney 2000 the event attracted record participation by the top players and drew capacity crowds for every session. We look forward to another highly successful tennis event in Athens.”<br>
And it is the support of the game’s leading players that has ensured the event’s continued success.
Australian Mark Philippoussis, whose Greek heritage gives him added incentive for Athens, added: “The pride of representing your country at the Olympics is every athlete’s dream. I’m looking forward to trying to do something good for my country.”
from www.itftennis.com/olympics/
With the Olympic Games returning to their spiritual home in Athens, it is fitting that tennis, one of only nine sports at the inaugural games in 1896, is set to attract its strongest ever entry. Since tennis returned to full medal status in Seoul in 1988, 65 players from 19 countries have won medals at the Games including some of the sport’s biggest names from the last two decades.
It was back in 1984 that the campaign to have tennis return as a full medal sport hit its stride. Tennis was staged as a 21-and-under demonstration sport in Los Angeles, where Stefan Edberg and Steffi Graf went on to capture the gold medals.
Both Edberg and Graf came back to defend their titles in 1988 in Seoul, where tennis finally returned as a full member of the Olympic family after a 64-year absence. Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini to complete what will always be remembered as her ‘Golden Slam’, but Edberg lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Miloslav Mecir, who overcame Tim Mayotte for the gold medal.
By the time Barcelona came round in 1992, Olympic fever had spread among the world’s leading tennis players, with the top five ranked men all in action. However it was Switzerland’s Marc Rosset who took the gold medal, winning a dramatic five-set final against Jordi Arrese of Spain.
In the women’s event, 16-year-old Jennifer Capriati overturned the odds to defeat home favourite Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the semifinals, before coming from a set down to defeat defending champion Graf in the final. Boris Becker and Michael Stich took home the gold for Germany in the men’s doubles while Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez won the women’s doubles.
Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of Atlanta, was the setting for the 1996 Olympic Tennis Event, where Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport, both children of Olympians, delighted home supporters to carry off a double American singles triumph. Agassi, fortunate to survive a stormy quarterfinal against Wayne Ferreira, overwhelmed Spain’s Sergi Bruguera in the final for what he described as “the greatest accomplishment I have ever had in the sport”.
Davenport overcame Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the women’s final, while Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde won a first tennis gold medal for Australia in the men’s doubles. Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez successfully defended their women’s doubles title.
The 2000 Olympic Tennis event was staged at a new purpose-built stadium in Sydney, with Yevgeny Kafelnikov capturing Russia’s first gold medal in tennis after a fluctuating five-set victory over Tommy Haas. But there was disappointment for home favourites Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, whose hopes of a second gold medal disappeared with a final defeat by Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor.
In the women’s singles final, rising star Venus Williams defeated Russia’s Elena Dementieva to crown an emotional week for the young American.
Williams, who went on to capture the women’s doubles title with sister Serena, said, “I really wanted the gold. This was the one moment in time for me, for my country, for my family, for the team. I'd be honoured to defend both medals.”<br>
Her comments are widely echoed by her contemporaries, many of whom are looking forward to experiencing the unique atmosphere generated by the Olympic Games for the first time.
ITF World Champion Andy Roddick, said: “I’m just stoked to go through the Opening Ceremonies, and I want to go watch all the other sports. I really want to go make the most of everything.”<br>
Roddick’s great rival Roger Federer, who missed out on a bronze medal in Sydney, added: “The Olympics are so special because they only happen every four years. I love to play for my country, so they are one of my top priorities this year."
Justine Henin-Hardenne, the current Women’s World Champion, said: “I will do my best to win the title for Belgium. For me it’s the fifth Grand Slam tournament of 2004.”<br>
A brand new Olympic Tennis Centre has been built in the heart of the main Olympic site in the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Maroussi. The Centre, which includes an 8000-seat Centre Court and 14 other courts, will be a lasting legacy for the Hellenic Tennis Federation, which will move its operation to the site after the completion of the tournament.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti is delighted with tennis’s progress within the Olympic movement. “Since being introduced as a full medal sport in Seoul in 1998, the Olympic Tennis Event has gone from strength to strength. At Sydney 2000 the event attracted record participation by the top players and drew capacity crowds for every session. We look forward to another highly successful tennis event in Athens.”<br>
And it is the support of the game’s leading players that has ensured the event’s continued success.
Australian Mark Philippoussis, whose Greek heritage gives him added incentive for Athens, added: “The pride of representing your country at the Olympics is every athlete’s dream. I’m looking forward to trying to do something good for my country.”