The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MARK Knowles, not yet feeling the effects of being a retired professional tennis player, was pleased with the support he got from his peers for the 12th version of his Celebrity Tennis Invitational that was held at the Atlantis Tennis Center on Paradise Island over the weekend.

Players such as Lindsay Davenport, a former women’s No.1 player in the world, Sam Querrey, one of the rising young stars in the men’s division, Knowles’ former doubles partner Xavier Malisse, Knowles’ former mixed doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld, along with Sabine Lisicki, Iva Majoli, Brent Haygarth, Donald Johnson, Craig Kardon, Alex Kuznetsov, Asia Muhammad, Yasmin Schnack and Tara Snyder, all participated.

They highlighted the show on Saturday as they were featured in a series of exhibition singles, mixed doubles and men’s doubles matches. The event was held to raise funds for a number of local charities.

“It was very successful, great event,” was how Knowles summed it up. “We had fantastic weather, which was always great. Great sponsorship, exceptional players once again. That’s the combination that we needed with this backdrop of Atlantis. The Ministry of Tourism, the sponsors and the players all helped to make it a great event again.”

The crowd was entertained by a colourful commentator, which kept everybody abreast of the players and their performances on the court. While they were not in a serious mood, the results were not as important as everybody was able to enjoy themselves in a light hearted moment.

“We had some fun with some good matches out there,” Knowles said. “The main goal was to let the people see Lindsay Davenport, Sam Querrey, Xavier Malisse and the other players who came down. It was good for all of us to entertain the fans.”

For Knowles, who announced his retirement as a successful and story-filled 20-plus career on the circuit after he and Malisse got eliminated in the first round of the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York in August, said he doesn’t miss the tour as yet because it’s still the off season.

“Maybe when the Australian Open rolls around and everybody else is in fact playing and I’m watching it on TV, sure I might miss it,” he said. “But I can look on the brighter side. I had a full career. I played for 20-plus years and I know I gave  150 per cent every day. So I know I punched the clock and gave it my all, so I’m very comfortable in moving on the next stage of my life, which is being with my family.”

Back for his fifth appearance, Malisse said he always has so much fun that he wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to share the moment with Knowles.

“I learnt a lot from him. I’m 32, but I played some doubles from him and I had a lot of fun,” he said. “Everybody is going to miss him. He’s a great player and a personal friend. So I expect to see him at some point on the tour. He’s been so competitive at 40 playing against the best in the world. It’s going to be hard not seeing him out there. I’m just glad I had a chance to play with him.”

Groenefeld, who teamed up with Knowles to win the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2009, said while this is her fourth year participating in the event, this trip was special.

“Mark has always been fun to be around, so it’s going to be different for him I know,” she said. “But I hope the tournament will go on and on and I can keep coming back to share the moment with him.”

In 1999 when she was still in her prime playing the game, Davenport was here, but this is her first appearance at Knowles’ Invitational. The 36-year-old American, who took a break last year for the birth of her third child, said she definitely enjoyed herself.

“I love Mark. He’s been such a great guy, so it’s wonderful to come and see all that he has been able to do here,” said Davenport, who like Knowles has won at least 55 titles. “

For 6-feet-6 Querrey, it’s his first trip here and while he’s having a good time, he said he wished he “could stay another week,” but he can’t wait to come back again.

“I’ve known Mark for seven or eight years and so to come down here and help out and raise some money was a great experience. Hopefully I can come back again next year,” he said. “I think it was casual, but it was a lot of fun playing out there. I had a lot of fun.”

Lisicki, a German residing in Bradenton, Florida, who had her highest ranking of No.12 in singles in May in her sixth year on the circuit, said the event was all that she had anticipated and more.

“I’ve known Mark for quite a few years. He’s a great guy and he’s doing this for charity, which is why I enjoy coming back,” she said. “It’s been fun playing in the Pro-Am (on Friday) and the exhibition (on Saturday). So it’s always fun to be a part of something like this.”

Legendary sailor Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles was among the spectators on hand. In fact, it was the first time that the 95-year-old two-time Olympic medallist has been at the event and he noted that he only wished he had seen some of the previous ones.

“This is the first time that I’ve seen a tennis match like this locally and it was amazing,” he said. “You watch them on TV and even at Wimbledon, but it’s just amazing how fast these balls go back and forth. I’m glad I came. I appreciate being here and I have to thank Peter Andrews for getting me here.”

As he was being interviewed, the icon was asked for an autograph and in his usual humourous manner, Knowles said “you’re asking the wrong person.”

Then when asked if there was any player(s) he was impressed with, he quickly lamented: “Mark Knowles. Certain volleys I watch, he was just amazing. I’m glad to see what they go though. It was a great idea and I’m just glad that I came here to watch him play against the other players.”

Former national long jump record holder Shonel Ferguson, who is now in the political world having ran as the FNM candidate for Fox Hill in the recent general election, said that she has turned to playing tennis to stay fit, so she couldn’t miss the opportunity to be in the audience for the event.

“I’m chairman of the competition committee for the Nassau Lawn Tennis Club and so we brought a group of people out here and it was just fantastic,” she said. “Things that we struggle to do, they do so easily. Shots that we hit in the net, they hit them too, so it makes you want to go back and try harder to learn a lot more about the game.”

When asked who was the player(s) she was keen on watching perform, she noted: “Mark. Mark. Mark. Hands down Mark. I normally go to Chicago with our club to play and the host pro saw that some of us were having some difficulty volleying and he said Bahamians should be the best volley players in the world because of the way in which Mark has been demonstrated his skills on the circuit.”

One of the rising young players, Oneil Mortimer, said he was glad he got a chance to watch the pros in action.

“I really was happy to see Sam Querrey. He was one of the players I always wanted to see after I watched him on TV,” said Mortimer, a 13-year-old grade eight student at St John’s College. “I hope that based on what I saw today, I can become more disciplined and be a better player on the court.”