 Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 07 Jun 2009 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 15 Jan 2008 |  Photographer: Rien Hokken
Date: 07 Jun 2009 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 22 Apr 2009 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 30 Mar 2009 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 22 Dec 2008 |
|
| 09 Jun 2009 - Daniela di Toro (AUS) | |
| AUS v NED 1999: The biggest upset in Invacare World Team Cup history |
In the first of series of flashbacks and anecdotes covering the last 24 years of the Invacare World Team Cup, Australia's Daniela di Toro gives her personal account of the biggest upset in the event's history to date, as di Toro and fellow Aussie Branka Pupovac snatched the women's title away from hot favourites the Netherlands in 1999.
Flushing Meadows, New York, 1999. That was pretty amazing to say the least. At the time I was in New York with some of my best friends and it was the year leading up to Sydney Paralympics. I don't think I have ever had so much fun at a tennis event. It wasn't just that a team of just 'Branks (Branka Pupovac) and myself had made it past really gifted teams of three or four. It was that we were in one of the greatest cities on Earth, hanging out with my best friends every day and night. Karin Korb (USA), Petra Sax Scharl (GER), Hope Lewellen (USA), Sharon Clark (USA), Nancy Olsson (USA), Brigitte Ameryckx (BEL), Maaike Smit (NED), Esther Vergeer (NED), Ally Mann had come down and the crew was on fire.
I recently found some old letters from that time and found one that Esther wrote the night Branks and I won our semifinal match. The note said how excited she was to play us in the final and I felt every bit the same. It was always a pleasure to play good friends and this time it was more so. It seemed like such a David and Goliath match between us Aussies and the Dutchies - a team that consisted of Esther, Maaike, Sonja Peters and Sharon Walraven. We had no chance unless I won the second singles, so when we stepped out to play the deciding doubles I felt like we had nothing to lose.
It was the most exciting match I have ever played. It was something like 11-9 in the tie break of the third set when we won with five people in the crowd. I remember looking around just after match point and seeing Sascha Miller and Sharon clark and Greg Crump and thinking this was the coolest thing. That was until we finally got to the banquet, which had started a few hours earlier (hence the small crowd for the conclusion of the match). I remember arriving with Kim Dell (now Kim Blake - GBR) and Branks and as we entered the ballroom the entire place erupted and everyone stood up and cheered. It was such a humbling moment to have your fellow peers applaud what seemed like a very personal victory. The rest of the night was a bit of a blur; we all ended up in a swanky club with Branks insisting they let us in and proceeding to lose her trophy. Hmmmm... We had the best time and every minute of it was surrounded by friends.
Apart from that, one World Team Cup that always stands out was my first in 1990, I think. All the countries came down the huge ramp onto centre court at the Racket Club of Irvine and I remember the GB team being called out. One by one, names were called and players followed... Simon Hatt, Janet McMorran and, finally, 'giant mystery' was called and there wasn't anyone flying down the ramp. I thought, 'oh my goodness, they must have this amazing player that they don't want anyone to see yet... maybe this person is their secret weapon....'
Ha ha, very funny, to think GB had a secret weapon. I wonder where it is?????
^ Back to Top
|
