By David Goodman
The Atlantic City Boardwalk will serve host to professional tennis for the first time since 1996 when many of tennis’ top names come to Boardwalk Hall Saturday evening for a night of exhibition tennis. Yet even with all-time great Pete Sampras on the Caesars Tennis Classic schedule, a ceremony for Venus Williams, and Grand Slam champions Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Mats Wilander set to play, all the talk seems to be about the return of Ivan Lendl.
Lendl, who retired from the pro tour in 1994 and disappeared from the tennis scene for nearly 15 years, hasn’t played in front of a crowd since he lost to Bernd Karbacher in the second round of the 1994 US Open. He hasn’t played tennis in front of a crowd, that is. He’s played plenty of golf, a sport he took up with the same passion that made him an eight-time Grand Slam tournament titlist and Hall of Fame tennis player. Lendl, a scratch golfer, competed on the Celebrity Golf Tour and runs Ivan Lendl’s Champions Academy for promising young tennis players and golfers.
The loudest cheers of the night may very well be for Roddick, the 27-year-old who last week beat Rafael Nadal on his way to winning the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Many tennis insiders think Roddick, a former world No. 1 and 2003 U.S. Open champion, is playing the best tennis of his career. He’s certainly known as an exhibition tennis veteran who knows how to work the crowd, not to mention the screaming females – young and old – that want his autograph, regardless of whether his super model wife Brooklyn Decker is in attendance.
Serious tennis aficionados will be looking forward to their close-up look at Sampras, who, before Roger Federer surpassed Sampras’ Grand Slam title record, was widely regarded as the best player in the history of the game. Sampras, who retired after his 2002 US Open championship, didn’t disappear from the game like Lendl, but has kept a relatively low profile. He plays the occasional exhibition as well as the Champions tour and keeps himself in good playing shape, but has often said that he’s perfectly happy being home in Southern California with his wife and kids.
The lone female scheduled to be in attendance is Venus Williams, the 20-time Grand Slam champion (seven singles, 11 doubles and two mixed doubles), former world No. 1, future Hall of Famer and budding fashion designer. Although Venus won’t be playing, she’s “hosting” the event, according to organizers. Williams will take part in an on-court tribute between matches.
Wilander, the seven-time Grand Slam champion from Sweden and former world No. 1, will play a set against Lendl. Safin, also a former world No. 1, will play Roddick and Sampras, whom he defeated in the 2000 US Open finals. The recently retired Safin is the older brother of women’s tour player and world No. 3 Darina Safina.
The event is scheduled to start at 7:30pm.
Order of play:
Match #1
Ivan Lendl vs. Mats Wilander
Venus Williams On-Court Tribute
Match #2
Pete Sampras vs. Marat Safin
Match #3
Andy Roddick vs. Sampras
Match #4
Roddick vs. Safin