By Bob Eckstein
With Upper West Siders Michael Zheng and Aleksander Kovacevic now out of the US Open, I left the confines of USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and found two other local players in action at the 96th Street Red Clay Tennis Courts on 96th St.
Our very own Managing Editor, Gus Saltonstall, was playing in an official ladder match against, coincidentally, WSR contributor, Richard Robbins (who, among other things, hands out WSR Mitchum Stars to deserving food establishments.)
I attended both of the men’s doubles semifinals the day before in Louis Armstrong Stadium and again I had free front-row seats for this contest but that’s where the similarities end. For starters, the match was played on slower clay courts (everything about this match was slower). The players actually had to first hose down the courts. Then rake them smooth. Finally, the lines needed to be sweep clean using a mini rotating brush. The actual match didn’t take as long—as format was for only one set.
Certainly, it was not enough time to warm up, at least not for Gus, who lost to Richard Robbins, 6-1. I could say more and break down the match, but what’s the point? Saltonstall said it all in the post press conference, “Rich is the best player I’ve ever played.” [Note; WE have not played each other yet.]
The best thing that could be said about the match was it did not go on until three in the morning. And the newspaper will not be losing its leader to the pro tour any time soon.
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I’m not one to make excuses but Bob failed to mention that he was wearing a very distracting hat.
I bought him that hat!
Love this! Gave me a real laugh.