In 1988 I had landed the role as Chinese Junior National Team Coach. 4 boys and 4 girls were selected from throughout the country and were trained for two months inside mainland China. This was the beginning of China’s emergence back into the international tennis mainstream after years of isolation. We later played junior ITF tournaments in Jakarta, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Also on the trip was a Thai team under the management of a local ex-pat Gordon U.E Martin. Gordon was a true tennis fanatic. Gordon helped put Thai tennis on the map in the early days by bringing professional tennis to Thailand and starting ITF junior events for the first time. Those early ITF Junior events started by Gordon are still held annually each year.
Gordon was particularly interested in the history of Asian tennis and after years of research he eventually published the Asian Tennis Encyclopedia. The book is still the definitive history of tennis in the Asian region.
Gordon was particularly interested in the history of Asian tennis and after years of research he eventually published the Asian Tennis Encyclopedia. The book is still the definitive history of tennis in the Asian region.
Gordon and I spent a lot of time together on the trip and he was fascinated by my Chinese players as he seemed to have a real interest in things Chinese.
It was in Tokyo that my story takes place. One evening as the matches were finishing for the day I was making my way back to the clubhouse and to catch the bus back to the tournament hotel. It was bitterly cold but I noticed Gordon on the back courts watching a late match being played under lights.
I approached him and he was quick to introduce me to the only other spectator watching the match. Gordon explained that he and the stranger had struck up a conversation while the man was watching his son play. They discovered that they knew each other from years earlier in New York. Gordon used to buy his breakfast at the diner this man worked at and now they had met at courtside in Tokyo!
I approached him and he was quick to introduce me to the only other spectator watching the match. Gordon explained that he and the stranger had struck up a conversation while the man was watching his son play. They discovered that they knew each other from years earlier in New York. Gordon used to buy his breakfast at the diner this man worked at and now they had met at courtside in Tokyo!
The three of us stood talking as the man’s son played his first round match. The boy wasn’t bad either, a bit too laid back to ever make it at the top level but a solid player. The stranger was Mr. Sampras and his son Pete went on to have a fairly decent career winning 15 Grand Slam singles titles.
A few years later I met Pete’s older brother Gus in L.A. My colleague David Nelson and I were meeting to try and establish a link with their new company Pure Sports Management which we hoped would help manage outstanding players under Bigger Better Tennis (BBT) here in Asia.
I related the story to Gus that day and he believed that it would have been one of Pete’s first overseas trips as a 17 year old. His father probably didn't attend another tournament Pete played in for nearly a decade.
Two years later Pete Sampras won the US Open Singles title.
I related the story to Gus that day and he believed that it would have been one of Pete’s first overseas trips as a 17 year old. His father probably didn't attend another tournament Pete played in for nearly a decade.
Two years later Pete Sampras won the US Open Singles title.
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