Serve-and-volley tennis isn't dead. In fact, it's alive and well and thriving in China.
The second day of play at the inaugural Chengdu Open at the Sichuan International Tennis Center set up intergenerational collisions between former Wimbledon champions, while rekindling conflicts from eras past and showcasing an attacking art form that is on the edge of extinction on the pro circuit these days.
The clash of Wimbledon winners Bjorn Borg and Pat Cash led off the day’s slate with an entertaining display. Cash beat Borg 7-6(4), 6-3.
Cash’s serve and volley strategy brought a fresh dynamic to the game, though trying to vary his shots in the second set, he got broken in the first game. Buoyed by the crowd, however, Cash broke back down 2-3, broke Borg again up 4-3, and then served out the match at love.
Though most Chinese fans had likely not heard of Cash before the Chengdu Open, he wasted no time in becoming a fan favorite. Cash did not limit the entertainment to well-placed serves and crisp volleys, engaging the spectators by strumming his racket like a guitar, flexing his muscles, teasing the ball kids, and throwing his trademark black-and-white, Cheap Trick-inspired checked headbands into the crowd.
"The crowd is very fun here, very enthusiastic, it’s really nice," said Cash. "I like to have some fun and give them some headbands and wristbands. I remember when I was a kid, I got a wristband from one of my favorite players, [Peter MacNamara].... and I always remembered that, and wore it for a long time, always wearing it, so I remember that and that’s why I like to give those things out."
Cash credits martial arts for keeping him fit and injury-free.
"Traditional Chinese martial arts exercises are some of the best exercises in the world, crazy stuff, very very very very difficult, so it’s kept me strong," said Cash.
Former ATP World Tour No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and ATP Champions Tour current No. 1 in the South African Airways rankings Thomas Enqvist battled in the second match of the day. Familiar foes on the ATP World Tour, Kafelnikov led their head-to-head 8-6. Their most significant match was the 1999 Australian Open final in which Kafelnikov won his second major singles title, defeating Enqvist 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6(1).
This time, however, Enqvist extended his dominance on the ATP Champions Tour in sweeping Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-4, to raise his senior circuit record to 10-0.
Recently appointed as the new Swedish Davis Cup captain, Enqvist looks as fit as some players on the ATP Tour.
"It’s a good match, quick conditions," said Enqvist. "It’s a beautiful court to play on, it’s really really nice. Perfect surroundings and you see the ball great. The noise is great, you actually still think you’re hitting the ball hard, so it’s a fantastic court to play on, really."
Goran Ivanisevic squared off against another of his childhood idols, John McEnroe, and emerged unscathed, scoring a 7-6(11), 6-3 victory.
Though Ivanisevic prevailed, McEnroe was the crowd pleaser. Growing up, Ivanisevic modeled himself after the older, similarly volatile lefty. McEnroe wowed the crowd with his agility, playing smarter rather than simply hitting harder, displaying absolute artistry as he forced a tiebreaker with an opponent 12 years younger.
Even Ivanisevic found himself spellbound at times.
"What he can do with a racket is just beautiful to watch," said the 2001 Wimbledon winner. "Sometimes I lose the point, [but] it’s [still] nice. What he can do with the ball, it’s just beautiful."
McEnroe played his way to eight set points in the breaker, but even with three set points on his serve, was unable to convert. Ivanisevic seized his first set point to win the breaker 13-11. Untouchable on his own serve, Ivanisevic only needed to break McEnroe once to take the second set.
"McEnroe was my idol, my number one, he is the guy I admire the most, so for me to beat him is always a pleasure," Goran said. "We both have the temper, but...he uses that...when I was arguing, I lost the next six games, [but when McEnroe argues] he wins next six games -- that’s the thing I learned from him."
Michael Chang and Sergi Bruguera will square off in the final match of the day. Both players need the win having lost their first matches.
The players who compile the best match record in each group will meet in the final, with the runner-up from each group to play off for third place, much like an Olympic bronze medal match.
Ivanisevic leads Group A with two match wins, while Enqvist leads Group B with two wins. McEnroe and Cash are tied for second place in Group A with one win and one loss each, while Kafelnikov, also with one win and one loss, is in second in Group A with Chang and Bruguera yet to play.
At stake at the outdoor hard court event are South African Airways ranking points. The winner will take 400 points, the runner-up 250, third place 200, and fourth place will claim 125.
On Saturday, the third day of play, Ivanisevic plays Cash at 4 p.m., followed by Bruguera vs. Enqvist, who will not start before 5:30 p.m. The highly-anticipated McEnroe vs. Borg match will not to start before 7:30 p.m., and Chang vs. Kafelnikov, who will not start play before 9 p.m.
The marquee match of the day will be McEnroe and Borg, reigniting one of the most celebrated sports rivalries of all time.
