 Photographer: Rien Hokken
Date: 07 Jun 2009 |  Photographer: None / Not Applicable
Date: 04 May 2009 | | | | |
|
| 18 Jun 2009 | |
| 20 Years of World Team Cup memories: Jayant Mistry |
Holder of the international record of 20 Invacare World Team Cup appearance for his country, Jayant Mistry (GBR) recalls some his outsanding memories in the latest of our 25th Anniversary features...having previously featured in our flashbacks as the subject of one of Daniela di Toro's first memories.
As I set about gathering some memories, thoughts and recollections of my 20 World Team Cup appearances for Great Britain, a very sad thing happened – former GB team mate Diana Bowles passed away...
Di (as she was known to all) represented Great Britain at World Team Cup level, and my over-riding memory of her was at the 2001 Invacare World Team Cup in Sion, Switzerland. She took my false foot (whilst I was playing a match) and painted the toe nails in the colours of the National flag!! Never before (or since) have I had my toe nails painted...
This was one of those moments when I stopped still, sat back, turned off all the distractions of the modern world, had a long thought, made a cup of tea (I am English after all!), and made a toast to all the great people, events and places that have given me so many fond memories that have made my journey so very special.
I looked back at my first World Team Cup in 1987 in Irvine, California. The Great Britain team only had a men’s squad, and it was so different back then for Chris Illingworth, Simon Hatt, Mark Kleingeld and myself. The chairs we played in were different. We only had one, for both playing and for going around in! And don’t even get me started on the glasses, hair cuts and dodgy facial hair (or was that only me??).
It was always something very special about representing your country. Only at a World Team Cup and at Paralympic level do you get to wear a National tracksuit. And to play for other people as part of a team event, the format of the World Team Cup (two singles and one doubles) was ideal.
It was great when the World Team Cup moved to Belgium in 1992 as it was the first time that GB entered a ladies team. I remember enthusiastically supporting Janet (McMorran) and Christine (Blackmore), and especially their match against the French ladies, as it meant that I could shout friendly abuse at the French men (who were there supporting their ladies) too!!
Another highlight was beating Australia in the deciding rubber of one of our ties in Villache, Austria. The doubles match finished indoors, on clay, at 1.45am, and we had to be back on court again at 7.00am the next morning for practice for the next round. They were some long days indeed...
Memories of Nottingham
The Invacare World Team Cup is in Nottingham for the third time this year. The last time it was held there in 1997 I played in one of the most exciting tennis matches that I have ever played in my career. It was against Sweden, we had lost the first singles match and I was 2-5 down in the third set when the rain started (good old England!), and we had to play the rest of the tie inside.
I came back to win that match in a 3rd set tie-break and with the support of a partisan crown we were on such a high that Simon Hatt and I carried on the momentum into the doubles. We won that convincingly. We reached the semi finals that year - one of four times that the GB men’s team has reached the semis, and the men’s coach was a certain Mark Bullock!
As well as the highs, there have been low moments too. Brazil in 2006 was one of my worst memories. It was my 20th appearance for GB, and we got relegated from World Group 1 for the first time in our history. I remember I sat on court by myself (inconsolably) for a good half an hour after the final match had finished (against Thailand), as it meant such a great deal to me.
In my opinion, being successful at World Team Cup level is about the strength of the second player and having a great doubles partnership. It is so much easier playing as the number one player, knowing that you already have won a match, and if it is still tied then you can look forward to the doubles.
I feel very honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity of representing my Country for 20 years. There have been many changes and developments in the game over the years and I see wheelchair tennis getting bigger and better.
To all of the competitors, staff, officials, sponsors, spectators, and other members of the tennis family, I wish you all the very best and hope you enjoy the 25th anniversary of the Invacare World Team Cup in Nottingham.
I’ll be there at some point, watching and supporting the GB teams, as well as carrying on my tradition of throwing insults at the opposition...in a nice, polite, and very British way, of course!
For more Invacare World Team 25th Anniversary News and Features, please click here.
^ Back to Top
|
