LOOKING FORWARD TO UPCOMING SABBATICAL

Patrick pulls out a win, ready for U.S. Open

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Joanna Gleason

INDIANAPOLIS, AUG. 20 – In case you haven’t heard, RCA Championships champion Patrick Rafter is going to take a minimum six-month sabbatical from tennis next year. If the break away suits him, the popular Australian claims he might never return to tennis.

It remains to be seen whether Rafter will permanently stay or go, although tennisreporters.net believes that Rafter, a two-time U.S. Open champion, still has a great burning desire to win Wimbledon. And the idea of Rafter winning Wimbledon is certainly not far-fetched since he’s reached the last round at the All-England Club the last two years.

“I don’t think guys take their breaks enough,” said Rafter, earlier this summer. “That’s why I want to take six months off, see how much I really do miss the game. I think that’s the question – will I miss the competition and will I miss that feeling of getting into tough situations and feeling the rush. But I really hope that I can find something else in my life that can give me a really good fulfillment and enjoyment.”

Tony Roche, Rafter’s coach of many years and a 1968 Wimbledon finalist, has no doubt that his student is at the prime time in his game.

But he isn’t surprised that Rafter is ready to let his rackets gather dust.

“He’s 28, a lot of times that’s when guys are at their peak, especially with the way Pat plays,” Roche said. “It takes a while to develop that style of play (serve-and-volley). You see a lot of guys successful at an early age, but they play a particular (baseline) style.”

“He doesn’t even know (if he’ll play again), so I’d be guessing. He won’t know until he gets a couple of months into it how much and what his plans are going to be. If he does quit, he’ll be one of those rare players to leave still near the top of their game.”

Another dream of Rafter’s, besides for winning Wimbledon, is to add his name to the list of greats that led their country to Davis Cup titles. Rafter was nursing rotator shoulder surgery when the Australians successfully captured the Cup in 1999 and was unable to participate in the final against France. He’s hoping this is the year he will get to accomplish that amazing feat as he heads to the Davis Cup semifinal against Sweden in Sydney after the U.S. Open. If Australia gets by the Davis Cup semifinal round a final berth will entail facing either France or the Netherlands.

But sometime after the U.S. Open, hopefully not until the end of November when he will have the chance to both win the Davis Cup and play in the year-end Tennis Masters Cup, there will come that long respite from tennis.

According to Rafter, the plan for the six-month hiatus is to not have a plan at all. What he does know is that he will split his time between being back in Australia and his Northern Hemisphere home in Bermuda. Some of the activities you can expect Rafter will be taking in as he fills his free time with soccer and sunning on the beach. Not bashful about his shortcomings, Rafter admits that his attempts to surf have failed, saying “I’ve tried but I’m bloody useless at it, so I’ve given it up.”

One player, as dangerous as an offshore shark, was Rafter's familiar final opponent, Gustavo Kuerten, who whipped him soundly 6-1 6-3 in last week’s Tennis Masters Series-Cincinnati final. The message Rafter was determined to send to Kuerten this time around as they took to the courts was: “Swim at your own risk!”

Unfortunately or fortunately, Rafter didn’t need to patrol the stadium court at the RCA Championships for very long. Both players are fatigued from their recent success in the summer circuit, but it was Kuerten who gave out first, surrendering to Rafter at 4-2, ad-in, with a right rib cage strain. It was to be double duty for Kuerten for the second week in a row, playing a semifinal match before returning to the court for the final after a brief break. While Kuerten took care of Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic 1-6 6-3 6-2 victory, trying to face Rafter would be too much of a task.

Kuerten was expecting the injury would heal in three or four days and he’d be ready for action at the U.S. Open. Rafter was sounding like the Long Island tournament next week was going to be removed from his schedule as he was feeling match weary, yet match ready for the upcoming U.S. Open. Here in Indianapolis, in five matches played, albeit an abbreviated final match, Rafter only had his serve broken once in the second set of the semifinal against Marat Safin.

Presented with the key to the city during the award ceremony following the 26-minute final, Rafter was pretty pleased that in future visits to Indianapolis having the key would mean “I can keep any bar open as late as I want.”