joker
Stephen Bierley
One of the most compelling images in tennis during the closing decade of this century was one born of loss. In the 1993 Wimbledon women’s singles final, and leading 4-1 in the third set, Jana Novotna dramatically crumpled to defeat against Steffi Graf and then, unable to contain her emotions, wept lingeringly on the shoulder of the duchess of Kent.
Four years later Novotna was on Wimbledon’s Centre Court again, losing in three sets to the 16-year-old Swiss Martina Hingis. No tears this time, but playful resignation masking her disappointment as she snatched the silver rosewater dish away from Hingis and made as if to run off with it.
Despite the fact that she had been told by her royal comforter, “Don’t worry. I am sure it will be third time lucky,” it was generally felt that Novotna had visited her last duchess.
The 1993 image of a heart-broken loser choking on her despair seemed one that would forever epitomise Novotna’s career, and she would be destined to be remembered as one of the finest women’s players, particularly on grass, never to win a Grand Slam title.
This year had opened in Australia with Hingis, the world’s number one, and like Novotna born in the old Czechoslovakia, winning the Australian Open title, thereby setting in motion what was expected to be a season dominated by the bright young things – Hingis, the two Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, and Russia’s Anna Kournikova.
There is no record of the crinklies (that is, any player over 20) gathering around a boiling cauldron and tossing in the odd fillet of snake or newt’s eye, but by the time the final at Roland Garros was reached the teenies had fallen under the spell of what may be politely referred to as the more mature players.
Novotna fans may have also taken heart from Petr Korda’s victory in the men’s final at Melbourne. Another renowned under-achiever, the 30-year-old Czech defeated Chile’s Marcelo Rios for his first Grand Slam title.
Novotna had noted the comments of the younger players on the tour, recognised their innate confidence, and determined to push herself to the limits in order to match their hunger for success.
Three years ago, her father’s illness persuaded her that she was taking tennis too seriously. “I started to enjoy myself more. In the past people thought I was not a nice person because I didn’t talk a lot. Lately the misconceptions have changed, which is incredibly important to me.” And her father has recovered.
Novotna now admits to being totally unprofessional when she was in her late teens, and recognises the current dilemma facing Hingis. “She’s not as devoted to her tennis as she used to be. She wants to do different things, which is fine, but she has to find the time to dedicate herself to tennis too.”
The contrast in their Wimbledon preparation was significant. Novotna arrived two weeks in advance, winning both the singles and doubles titles at Eastbourne. Meanwhile Hingis had a holiday in the Alps, went to a World Cup game in France, shot a shampoo commercial, and then arrived in London just four days before Wimbledon began.
In the quarter-finals Novotna, the third seed, defeated Venus Williams 7- 5, 7-6 and then beat Hingis, the holder, 6-4, 6-4 in the semis. “Jana showed more experience and, above all, maturity,” said a former champion, Chris Evert.
Yet had the United States’s Lindsay Davenport, the number two seed then, and now the current world number one, won against France’s Nathalie Tauziat, seeded 16, in the other semi-final, the supporters of Novotna would have surely entered the centre court with considerably more trepidation.
Even the bookies, men whose souls are stripped of sentiment, had the 29-year- old Novotna marked down as the overwhelming 1-6 favourite against Tauziat, while quoting a miserly 2-1 for a Czech straight-sets win. This had nothing do to with the 30-year-old Frenchwoman’s own temperament or ability, rather that a Novotna victory now seemed pre-ordained.
Inevitably there were moments of anxiety for Novotna. She was broken in her opening service game, and although the break-back came quickly the tension was palpable every time the Czech served.
Having taken the first set 6-4, Novotna led 2-0 in the second set only to be hauled back to 5-5. The “Oh no, not again, Jana” pessimists squinted anxiously through their fingers.
“What’s all the fuss about? I told you last year you would come back and win,” said the duchess afterwards, and the next day, men’s final day, Novotna and her mother, Liba, could be seen wandering around the players’ area linked by arms and beatific smiles, their feet scarcely touching the ground.
And yes, winning Wimbledon was “my dream come true” and everything from now on is “icing on the cake”. The cliches were forgivable for every tennis fan could see her emotions and relate to them – just as they had done in 1993 in quite different circumstances.
The choker turned joker was now a Grand Slam winner, as befitted her talent. There was no more heart-warming resolution to a tennis final all year.