JAMES BECK: Paes is a true doubles magician
If you missed him Friday night, you’ll have to wait until Sunday to see the great Leander Paes play doubles. It’s worth the wait.
Paes is truly a doubles magician. In the World TeamTennis format, the Calcutta, India, product is the most exciting thing on the five-colored plywood.
He’s everywhere, and probably the main reason the Washington Kastles ran through the regular season 14-0. No wonder he’s the men’s MVP for the league.
Of course, he had plenty of help from Venus and Serena Williams in the regular season. But neither made the trip to Charleston for the WTT Finals Weekend, and Paes was the main reason the Kastles scored such an easy 23-15 win over the Boston Lobsters in the Eastern Conference title match.
Paes gave up a total of only three points in four service games, two games each in mixed doubles and men’s doubles. The 15-5 lead after three sets practically assured the Kastles of being in Sunday’s WTT final against the winner of today’s St. Louis-Sacramento Western Conference championship match.
At 5-10, Paes has lightning in his right arm. But just as quickly, he can turn his rubber arm into a weapon that can deliver feathery touch shots.
Just as amazing is the fact that eight years ago he was more worried about living than playing tennis. That’s when he was diagnosed with a parasite on his brain. After a year of treatment and losing the 100 pounds he gained from the treatment, he was back winning Grand Slam doubles titles again. He now has a total of 12 Grand Slam titles.
At 38 years old and a perfect specimen of an athlete, he is better than ever. “It’s amazing what can happen when you play with a little heart,” he said after Friday’s match.
That’s obvious from watching Leander Paes play.
Fans love it
The fans at Family Circle Stadium appeared to love it all, cheering enthusiactically even with the sun baking them in early evening. Family Circle officials said about 2,000 tickets had been sold for the night, but an announced crowd of 1,526 showed up.
No one was disappointed, considering the heat and the absence of an everyday name among the participants. Not to mention no home team.
The little-known players put on quite a show for WTT co-founder Billie Jean King as America’s Best Tennis Town lived up to its name.
Keep an eye on Liezel
Looking ahead to today’s 5 p.m. match, St. Louis has made a last-minute substitution by adding 42nd-ranked Tamira Paszek of Austria as its women’s singles player to go with doubles ace Liezel Huber. Mark Knowles and American star Vania King will be the key players for Sacramento.
Huber, like the Kastles’ Rennae Stubbs, is one of the top women’s doubles players of the decade with four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles and one mixed doubles crown. The South African/now U.S. citizen also was the WTT women’s MVP.
Afghanistan tennis
Tennis in Afghanistan? And you be a part of it.
Fans attending the WTT Finals are bringing supplies to Family Circle Tennis Center this weekend for an 80-soldier Army Military Police company from Fort Stewart, Ga., which was recently deployed to Afghanistan. As a partner in this initiative, the USTA will send portable tennis equipment (nets, throw down lines, rackets and balls) to the deployed company.
Sunscreen, hand sanitizer, athletic socks, disposable razors, lip balm, sport magazines, baby wipes, travel size toiletries (shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, foot powder, shampoo), trail mix (no chocolate), hard candy, powder drink mix packets, inspirational books, DVDs, CDs and flip flops are some of the items fans can deposit into collection bins at the stadium.
Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com. See his columns on pro tennis at ubitennis.com/english.
