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 Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 06 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 04 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 05 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 06 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 06 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: Jeff Crow
Date: 06 Dec 2007 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 02 Dec 2007 |
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| 06 Dec 2007 - Christchurch, New Zealand - Lorne Main (CAN), Sylvie Galfard-Kirsten (FRA) | |
| Lorne Main (CAN) and Sylvie Galfard-Kirsten (FRA) are back blogging |
One year after the blog at the 2006 Super-Seniors World Championships in Turkey, Lorne Main and Sylvie Galfard-Kirsten have agreed to let us know what they have been up to in the last year.
LORNE MAIN, Friday 7 December 2007
Since Nov 2006, I have spent most of 2007 in the most wonderful city of the world, Vancouver, British Columbia, the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
As most of my tennis friends know, I am considered a vagabond in Canada. As things worked out this year, I put down some roots in my hometown.
It was wonderful meeting a lot of my old friends and one that I happened to know when I was 3 years old and I had. The Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club also gave me a free courtesy membership club and I consider it as one of the best clubs in the world.
In May, Tennis Canada had a special dinner for Ken Sinclair and myself for winning 11 team championships for Canada (since last week … it’s 12 !!!) and in July they also have named a tennis court in our honour at the Rogers Centre. This is where they hold the ATP and WTA Circuit Tournaments. It is court 6 at the Toronto centre and it’s the Main-Sinclair Court. We are both proud of this honour.
In November I drove my car the 2000 miles down to Los Angeles and practiced a bit on some grass tennis courts in Palm Desert with a few of my American friends like Bob Duesler and Jim Nelson.
I then flew to via Auckland to Christchurch.
Christchurch is a very friendly city. The people are polite and nice here. I have also had the fortune of staying at a private residence with my friend Tom Tothill, who is an inventor of many products. He has invented a simmermat which fits on any stove and will not let any vegetables burn or burn and stick to the pot. Have a look at www.simmermat.com if you are interested.
If you remember last year, I gave a riddle about who are the two masked men that to my surprise Michael Bottomley from England was the first to answer correctly and I promised him a tennis lesson, anywhere in the world if Michael could find me.
As of now, I will be in Florida from December 15th to April 15th at Payne Park Tennis Centre in Sarrasota Florida. So, Michael, I hope to see you there!
One thing about Christchurch: it certainly has changeable weather. One day 26 degrees Celsius and the next day it feels rather freezing.
My partner and Sinclair and myself won our 12th ITF Cup last week at Hagley Park Tennis Club, which had 22 grass courts. And we again defeated the USA team 2-1 in the Final.
The Individual week has progressed very well for me, as I am now in the finals to play Atushi Miyagi from Japan, who I defeated in one of the Cup matches.
But the one thing of playing on grass tennis courts …. .it’s always an ADVENTURE.
So I expect to have a very difficult match with him on Saturday.
Earlier this year I vacationed with an old friend of Toronto, Muffie Grieve, and told her that with her serve and volley technique she would do well in the ITF world champs in New Zealand this year …. and …. lo and behold, she is now in the finals of the women’s 75 championships, where she plays Mary Boswell tomorrow here at Wilding Park.
She has actually just come in and borrowed my playing cards and she expects to beat Ken Sinclair in that very difficult game of Crazy Eights.
I will probably play the winner in a few minutes, because I am also known as the “Crazy Eights World Champion.”
I can’t wait to catch up with Sylvie Galfard, my fellow blogger from Turkey, on Saturday.
I will be back to give the latest news from Wilding Park tomorrow.
Sylvie GALFARD, Friday 7 December 2007
What has happened in the year since Ali Bey?
I had a very good year. Firstly I became a grandmother for the second time with a small American – Kyllian.
Then I won the French National Championships and the German Team Championships with my team from Berlin. It would have been a very funny thing, if the French team here in New Zealand would have played the Final against the German team in the Alice Marble Cup (women’s 60). This is because each of the teams was made up of two players from the TC BW Berlin. Can you imagine?! A Berlin Championship at the World Championships. But …. to the sadness of France, and the happiness of Great Britain, it was not to happen.
New Zealand is a very nice country – the country of the Maori, the kiwis and the penguins.
Last night at the dinner, which was held at the Antarctic Centre here in Christchurch, I saw three blue penguins. They very cute and very small, as they were just 43 cm tall. It was a great idea to have the dinner at the Centre, because we could visit the exhibition about the Antarctic all night.
It’s a very long trip for us Europeans down here to the other side of the world, but it is worth it. I discovered a wonderful country with a beautiful landscape, flowers and botanic gardens. And especially very friendly people. Everybody is smiling and helpful. I got here 4 days before the start of the event and thanks to Bruce from Christchurch, I found practice partners, Kate, Joelene, and Judy.
Just to give you an idea how helpful the people are here, I will tell you this little story: one morning we were walking in Christchurch and wanted to go back to our hotel, but we got lost. I asked for the way to a gentleman who happened to be on the street, about to leave with his car. He thought for a moment and then he decided that the easiest was, simply to take all of us with his car back to our hotel. We are very thankful to him.
So thanks to the World Championships being held here in New Zealand for the first time, we were able to discover this fantastic spot of the world.
Today it was not possible to do the blog together with Lorne, but at least we did a photo session as you can see in the photo gallery above.
Tomorrow I will be off taking the Tranzalpine Express across the Southern Island, but I am looking forward to blogging together with Lorne on Saturday from Wilding Park.
See you then!
LORNE MAIN and SYLVIE GALFARD-KIRSTEN blog together, Saturday 8 December 2007
Lorne: I have just won the World Championships today!!
I had one of these days, when I was in the zone. Even though it was quite windy and sunny, but I played my best tennis of the week. For the world Championship today I defeated my Japanese Atushi Miyagi. He really is, as he played Davis Cup, too. 60 62!! When you’re in the zone, that’s what you do.
(Sylvie is just asking what it means to be in the zone.)
Sylvie: I think I was never in the zone so far !!
Lorne: I know you will be in the zone one day!
Isabelle (from the ITF team who helps us with the blog) has just told me that I have tied the World Singles record for the most Singles World Championships wins with I am now holding with Maria Pinterova from Hungary, who I have known for many years after spending an afternoon with her on the beach in Rio de Janeiro at the Ipanema beach. We both have won 11 singles titles now.
Sylvie: Don’t give us any more details what you did at the beach!
Lorne: My next big challenge after the doubles final this afternoon, will be to go Bungy Jump. I will be jumping from the tallest Bungy Platform in the world. It’s called Skippers Canyon and it’s in Queenstown, New Zealand and it’s 71 m high.
Sylvie: I will wait for you at the bottom with a bottle of Gin or Whisky, whatever you want.
Lorne: They take your weight, so that your head will just dip in the water as you jump at the bottom.
I hope that they are very accurate, because I don’t know how to swim.
Sylvie: So I have to give you some swimming lessons in Ali Bey next year!
Lorne: I don’t drink!
Sylvie: You will after that. I promise you!
I want to congratulate the ITF organisation, everything here in Christchurch was very well done. And a special thanks to Faye and Isabelle from the ITF office here.
Probably Isabelle will have lost some kilos during the last 10 days, as she is working so much, that she has hardly time to eat!
Thank you, all people from Christchurch for your hospitality and kindness. It’s been great being here!
I hope to see you all again in Ali Bey in good shape, good health and good mood. I will be looking forward to catching up with all the Super-Seniors from all the different countries there again.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS & A MERRY NEW 2008.
Lorne: I want to say something about the people of New Zealand.
I have been staying at a private residence with Tom Totthill and I have also been riding the buses. I have never met more friendly bus drivers than I have here in New Zealand. They say good morning to you and have a good day at the end.
This has been a wonderful way to meet people outside of the tennis community and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here in New Zealand.
I am now going to Florida for 4 month and then to Europe for 2 month where I am hoping to meet Sylvie again.
Sylvie: Then we will see each other in Poertschach!
Lorne: I do wish everybody Merry Christmas and thank you to all the ITF people who again have run a marvellous tournament.
And Isabelle…. Do I have to bring the cup all the way back to Turkey, next year???
Don’t worry! It was just a joke. I will bring it again for sure!
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