Alejandro Falla, who nearly beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, lost at the United States Open to Taylor Dent.
For two months now, Alejandro Falla has answered questions about the Wimbledon match he did not win. In the first round, he nearly knocked off Roger Federer in what would have ranked among the greatest upsets in Grand Slam history.
|
|
In Colombia, strangers approached Falla in stores and restaurants, at tennis clubs and clinics. They wanted to know what it felt like that day on Centre Court. They asked what Federer said afterward.
"How could you lose that match? You had him!" Falla recalled fans saying.
But the defeat, as painful as it remains for Falla, had an unintended and positive effect. Mostly, it further highlighted the recent gains made by Colombian men's tennis players at a time when both interest and rankings are at their highest.
To wit: two Colombians (Falla and Santiago Giraldo) will almost certainly finish inside the ATP World Tour's top 100 for the first time. Colombia's Davis Cup team will host the United States a week after the United States Open. The country's top junior, Juan Sebastian Gomez, recently obtained the International Tennis Federation's No. 1 ranking.
Interest, according to Falla and Giraldo, has climbed at a rate corresponding to their success. A recent exhibition in Bogotá between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi drew 10,000 spectators, and tennis officials are hoping to lure back an ATP event.
"Colombia is actually having the best time in tennis," Falla said Sunday inside the players' restaurant at the Open. "It has never been like this."
Falla made an early exit from the United States Open on Monday, losing to the American Taylor Dent, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1. Giraldo plays Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday.
Click here to continue reading.
SOURCE: The New York Times
Greg Bishop
