The year was 1985.. Ours was a ’’gali’’ where everything from tennis ball cricket, touch rugby to hand tennis was popular..It was those days when we didn’t have cable television..There was only one house in our entire street where there was TV, an old black and white Dyanora - if I am not mistaken.. So it was no wonder that there was a big crowd when the finals of Wimbledon was relayed on DD. I vividly recount how I was the only one supporting the young, athletic, blonde kid from Germany - the underdog against the seasoned veteran from South Africa. A few hours later, I was running around madly , shouting in glee - it was as if I had conquered Mount Everest. It was on that unforgettable day that I discovered the biggest icon of my life - BORIS BECKER.
1986 was a different story - the family which owned the telly had moved out - I followed Wimbledon in our old NATIONAL RADIO set (It was monstrously big but it picked up BBC at 6:15 pm and that’s what mattered) till the semifinals. This time around we had our own TV set to catch the finals and when Becker beat Lendl in straight sets, the partying went on late into the night.
When the whole world was expecting the hat-trick in 1987, Becker lost to Doohan at the infamous Graveyard of the seeds - Court no: 2 (right??) and millions all over the world wept. (I hollered - how I must have cursed Doohan and his generations to come) What struck me most was that Boris displayed maturity way beyond his age to sum up his defeat philosophically ’’I didn’t start a war. Nobody died.’’ My heart went out to my man !!
The rest as they say is history. Becker went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open in 1989, the Australian in 1991 and 1996. When he finally retired in 1999 he had won 49 singles titles, 15 doubles titles, had been world no: 1 and had accomplished just about everything (If grass is for cows , then clay is for potters :-p ) He was the second youngest at 35 to be inducted into Tennis’ Hall of Fame.
Booming serves, diving volleys, child like enthusiasm, fanatical crowd support - Boris had it all... But over and above all this, Boris had a great heart ! In racially sensitive Germany, Becker dared to marry the stunning Barbara Feltus (I simply love the way she watched Boris’s matches). In 1992, ignoring his nation’s euphoria over reunification, Becker refused to serve as ambassador for Berlin’s bid to host the 2000 Olympics, saying he feared a triumphant Germany might stir its citizens’ old fantasies about a master race. Scandals of adultery, a messy divorce and cases of tax evasion apart, Boris continues to be an icon for millions like me.
It’s a pity Steffi chose to marry Andre ! I am willing to bet good money on Noah Gabriel beating Jaden Gill someday at Wimbledon ! :-)
Ending it all with a quote from Boris:
I love the winning, I can take the losing, but most of all I love to play.
BORIS, How much we miss u!! (sigh)