EXCLUSIVE
THE SCOOP: FRIDAY, AUGUST 16

From Formula One to tennis: Castronevese grabs a racket

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Courtesy of RCA Championships

FROM THE RCA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN INDIANAPOLIS – Ask reigning two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castronevese what’s his favorite sport away from racing Formula One cars and he’ll quickly tell you it’s tennis.

That’s why Castronevese barely gave it a minute thought when the RCA Championships called and invited him to participate in a pro-celebrity match during the tournament. Flying in from his Miami home – his apartment is in the same building that Nicolas Lapentti lives in on upscale Brickell Avenue – Castronevese played on former player John Lloyd’s team opposite the top duo of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor.

“I am a huge tennis fan,” said Castronevese, a part of Team Penske. “Tennis is my second sport. I use it for my mental focus and physical. Last year, I went to the Nasdaq-100 and I wanted to go last week to the Cincinnati tournament, but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. I also went to the U.S. Open for the finals last year. I saw Serena in the final against Venus and I saw Pete and Lleyton Hewitt’s match, too.”

A fan of both Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, Castronevese also follows the Brazilian players progress on the tour.

“I know (Fernando) Meligeni; he’s a very funny guy,” Castronevese said. “I really want to meet Guga, but I didn’t have the chance yet.”

PLAYED JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS

Castrovenese, who sports his impressive '00 Indy 500 champions ring and will give the 2001 ring to come to his father, played tennis all through his childhood. He actually reports he played in some tournaments until he was 14, but by then “tennis wasn’t really my focus because my mind was on racing. I did go-carts from when I was 11 until I could drive.”

Capable of driving 220 mph around a track, Catronevese claims that when he gets together with friends in Miami to play tennis, the penchant for speed follows him on to the tennis court.

“I like to serve and come to the net,” said Catronevese, who laughed when it was pointed out that to do so was a very UN-Brazilian like style of play. “I just do not have enough patience to keep hitting the ball back.” As to classifying just how good his tennis game is, Castrovenese smiling offered his honest opinion, saying, “It’s just a good thing that I chose race car driving.”