31/05 - Roland-Garros : "Memories, memories"

SPORTS / TENNIS : ROLAND-GARROS / "Un Autre Regard" by Nicolas Rey / 31/05 - Roland-Garros : "Memories, memories"

All it takes is a bit of rain and a bunch of kids rolling out the big green tarp in the Roland Garros Stadum, and here we are, talking to strangers. In just a few minutes huddling in the shelter of the Philippe Chatrier Court, it seems we've known them forever. We have something in common, you see: past French Opens. So, like old cronies at the back of a Normandy bar, we yammer on and all the good times come flooding back. We begin, of course, with the legendary McEnroe/Lendl final. Why did John, that evil genius, end up losing that match to himself? Then we move on to Stefan Edberg's sublime backhand volleys, often at the net. Last to come is our fetish memory. The 1991 Connors/Chang match. It's the last French Open for the old American. The kind of Centre Court afternoon we like: late in the day but the stadium is packed. Connors wins the first set, but he loses the next two in a row. Nobody wants to see Connors go out like this. Then the wounded lionroars one last time. Each time Jimmy scores a point the public goes wild. I sit in front of my TV set, transformed. I start acting like the crowd at Roland Garros: fervent and unfair. I applaud Chang's mistakes. Today I can admit it. Old Jim comes back and equalizes, two sets each. Standing ovation. Connors stays on the court. He raises his arms in the air. My eyes are wet. Connors wins the first point of the fifth set. Then he falls down. A stretcher appears. He's given a glusose drip. The stretcher takes forever to leave. Because the crowd wants to say goodbye to Connors and because the whole stadium is on its feet waving to Jimmy who waves back at them. In 2009, the rain stops falling and the sun comes back out. The strangers and I each go back to watching Nadal. And, without acknowledging it, we all have the same dream: to see Roger Federer win this time. Simply a question of style. — Nicolas Rey