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Hi! If you have Edberg news, write to me at mlliu@pacbell.net.)

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Welcome to the Stefan Edberg Column

a forum for sharing news among Edheads (fans of the retired professional tennis player Stefan Edberg.)
Updated 6/15/03

Stefan at the Stella Artois
"There is nothing more beautiful or more breathtaking than Stefan Edberg's tennis game when he is on.
Every stroke is poetic, every movement lyrical." -- Alison Muscatine, the Washington Post (September 9, 1991)

Stefan to play Becker at Queen's
Why I won't rant against the Hall of Fame anymore
Stefan triumphed in London's Royal Albert Hall 12/5 - read on.
Edberg-Becker Exhibition in Denmark November 2002;
Stefan snubbed by the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Stefan was in New England this past July.

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Edberg news

• The exhibition has taken place, and Stefan and Boris thrilled a packed crowd at Stella Artois. Stefan came out at the losing end, but it matters little to me. What is important is that he's still happy, healthy, and PLAYing. I look forward to pics and videos of the outing. Hail to both men, especially our inimitable Edberg!
  Here's an early report posted on the Stalla Artois site:
  Becker and Edberg Roll Back the Years
  Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg rolled back the years as the two former champions took to the courts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stells Artois Championships.
  Following the singles final between Andy Roddick and Sebastien Grosjean, the two legends delighted a packed Centre Court crowd with their trademark serve and volley games in a professional set, which Becker won 8-6.
  Becker, the four-time Stella Artois champion in 1985, '87-88 and '96, defeated Edberg in two of those finals and won their last competitive match at The Queen's Club in the final in 1996.
  Edberg, looking the same today as he did when he won his six Grand Slam titles in the 80s and early 90s, came back from a break of serve down to level at 4-4, before double faulting on match point to hand victory to his old foe, who won 25 of their 35 professional meetings.
  Both players delighted the crowd with their sublime touch and feel around the net, and the old familiar shots - the boom boom serve of Becker and the legendary Edberg backhand - were still there for all to see.
  "The Stella Artois was a big part of my life," said Becker. "My first victory was here 18 years ago believe it or not. I remember my parents flying in without me knowing to watch my final against Johan Kriek.
  "I'd like to thank Stefan for coming out of 'retirement' to play against me. I beat him here, but it's at Wimbledon where he always seemed to beat me."
  Edberg, who defeated Becker in two Wimbledon finals in 1988 and 1990 but lost to him the year in between, said: "It's been great coming back. I have a lot of great memories of playing here and it's great to be playing Boris again."
  When asked in a joint press conference earlier in the morning what they think the grass courts are any slower today than they were in their primes, Edberg replied: "We're definitely slower, that's for sure."
  Watching the two again on Centre Court, no one would have believed it.
  And six photos of the event can be viewed on the BBC site; the ones with our beloved captured below:
  
• And a tasty, tentalizing followup bit from our British Edhead Chris, who witnessed Stefan at practice on two days:
  Forgot to say that Stefan had some gorgeous Adidas gear on yesterday-shirt with no collar & not tucked in!! Major drool session when he picked up the end of the shirt to wipe his face with-lovely view of the Edberg belly which is still pretty firm!! He was still sweating like mad at both practice sessions-sweat dripped off his face like it used to!!

• While surfing the web, I came upon this little photo of Stefan (right) -- obviously from his younger days -- that really caused a pang to my heart. I love the way he parted his hair and that sweet expression on that gorgeous face :) Today he may be older, but his charm has not diminished, at least not to this fan.

• Chris (many, many thanks), fellow British Edberg fan, has yet another close encounter with Stefan, and filed this delightful report:
  Well, yet again Stefan came out to practice at Queens' whilst Tim Henman was playing so my friend & I just lapped it all up.He was hitting with Joachim Johanssen("pim pim") the new Swedish tennis hope.It took me ages to realise who it was as Joachim has just shaved his hair off!It was only when we saw his girlfriend, Jaslyn Hewitt there that I realised who it was!!
  I think Stefan was practising certain points-like return of serve, unlike yesterday when he was doing a practice set.His return of serve was a bit rusty & the word out is that Boris wants to annihilate him tomorrow!! He looked pretty relaxed & was chatting away to Joachim in Swedish. We took a few more pix but he was hitting on ct 2 so we did in Swedish. We took a few more pix but he was hitting on ct 2 so we did n't get a chance to talk to him like we did yesterday as we were sitting up in the bank of seats
  Near the end of the practice, Boris arrived to talk briefly about tomorrow & pose for a few pix.But what a sight-he looks such a poser now, we called him "medallion" man!! Hair is in a mess,wearing black leather jacket ,black trousers & smart black shoes-a bit like mutton dressed as lamb!! Pity a guy of his age has to try to look like a pop star!! Give me Stefan any time!!
  Unfortunately, my player in the doubles lost today so I cannot get in tomorrow for the exhib.But I think I enjoyed the last 2 days of watching Stefan quietly practice more than I would the exhib.
  When we were up on players' balcony watching a match we saw Stefan with a young blonde haired boy with blue baseball cap.Not sure if it was his son or not.Not seen any sign of Anette or his daughter
  Anyhow-I will be at home to record the match & interviews OK.Believe me-it was another major drool session today!! Stefan looks so good & is very tanned!!
• An amusing tidbit from this article posted on the Queen's Tournament web site:
  Did You Know? 10 Stella Artois Facts From the Past
  By Mark Staniforth, PA Sport
  ...
  7. 70.2mm of rain fell in just one and a half hours on the Tuesday of the 1992 tournament, disrupting the progress of defending champion Stefan Edberg. Pictures of the Swede being carried through waist-high waters by a steward made front pages around the world. The steward in question, coincidentally, had been president of the Cambridge boat race crew the previous year.
  I have never heard of this news item, nor the photo mentioned. If you have that photo, I would appreciate hearing from you - please write to me.

• The Queen's tournament is ongoing in London, and the Edberg-Becker exhibition is scheduled for Sunday 6/16, see here.
• The exhibition will be broadcast on the BBC as well as on Eurosport.
  BBC's broadcast schedule is as follows:
  Sunday 15 June
  BBC Two
  1335 Becker & Edberg interview
  1350 Queens final
  1520 World Superbikes - race two live from Silverstone
  1630 MotoGP Round six highlights
  1700 Edberg v Becker
  Boris Becker v Stefan Edberg
  Becker attempts to roll back the years when he takes on former arch-rival Stefan Edberg in a match to mark the competition's 25th anniversary.
  An occasion steeped in nostalgia is guaranteed as the pair, who competed in three consecutive Wimbledon finals between 1988 and 1990, come face to face for the first time in seven years.
  The two greats will be talking to Sue Barker about their careers earlier in the show.
• In addition, Edberg fan Chris filed a delightful eyewitness report:
  My friend & I spent a very enjoyable hour & a quarter at Queens' today watching Stefan practice! Boy-he did look gorgeous!! We were leaving a match on court 1 when we saw him arrive with kit bag & chatting to Goran.He obviously was going to be in action & after about 20 minutes we found him waiting by practice courts,Debbie asked him how the kids were & he said OK.She told him we'd missed him to which he replied that he had n't missed all this i.e the stress of the ATP tour.He was hitting with a young Welsh junior who was being coached by Derrick Rostagno's old coach.We heard from a couple of Debbie's friends that he was a bit worried about playing on grass as he'd not been on it for ages so had come over a few days before the exhib so he does n't look a fool on Sunday.Boris is already here but not seen him hitting.
  After about 15 mins of free hitting, Stefan & the junior started a practice set-Stefan looked a bit rusty to start but as time went on all those great shots were flowing again.He looked pretty happy & relaxed-signed a few autographs before he started hitting.There were about 15-20 people watching but it was all very low key which was probably how Stefan wanted it.Only Debbie & I were really drooling!! We noted that Stefan came out to hit when Tim Henman was playing on Centre thus hoping to avoid the crowds...
• More "Induction" junk:
  6/3 USTA ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR INDUCTION INTO "US OPEN COURT OF CHAMPIONS"
  New US Open Attraction Will Honor Its Greatest Singles Champions
  Media To Select Three Men and Three Women For Inaugural Inductees In 2003
  WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 3, 2003 - The USTA today announced the men's and women's nominees from which the top three men and three women will be inducted into the US Open Court of Champions, a new US Open and USTA National Tennis Center attraction honoring the greatest singles champions in the 122-year history of the US Open (previously the U.S. Nationals).
  The US Open Court of Champions will honor and celebrate the achievements of the event's greatest champions with an individual permanent monument to serve as a lasting tribute to those whose talents have helped build the tournament into one of the world's top sporting events. The 9000-square foot outdoor pavilion, bounded by the South Entry Gate and the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden and Sculpture, will also feature a complete listing of all singles champions since the competition began in 1881.
  The nominees that were selected by a "US Open Champions Nominating Committee" of seven international tennis journalists include:
  MEN Arthur Ashe Don Budge Jimmy Connors Stefan Edberg Roy Emerson Pancho Gonzalez Jack Kramer Rod Laver Ivan Lendl John McEnroe John Newcombe Fred Perry Ken Rosewall Bill Tilden Ellsworth Vines ...
  Wow - I imagine Stefan will probably get inducted by 2010. The only thing good about his is that he will probably be ahead of Becker, and Bjorn Borg - who never won in Flushing - won't even be eligible

Becker and Edberg Reunited to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
Four-time Stella Artois champion Boris Becker and three-time finalist Stefan Edberg will face each other for the first time since their 1996 final at the Queen's Club to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the tournament.
Becker and Edberg will contest a first-to-eight-game Pro Set match between the singles and doubles finals on Sunday 15th June. The match will be televised and is scheduled for inclusion in the 'Sunday Grandstand' programme for finals day.
"It will be an honour to play Stefan at the 25th Anniversary of the Stella Artois Championships," said Becker. "Having won the tournament four times, the Queen's Club holds many special memories for me. My career really took off when I won the Stella Artois title in 1985 and then Wimbledon three weeks later as a 17-year-old.
"Stefan and I enjoyed a great rivalry, playing many big matches over the years including my victory in that 1996 final at Queen's. I am planning a similar outcome this time!"
Tournament Director Ian Wight said: "Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg have typified the very best of grass court tennis as the sport was in transition from wooden rackets to the modern power-play game. These two have been great ambassadors for tennis, for sport and for the Stella Artois and we were absolutely delighted when they both jumped at the chance 'for one more go at each other' to mark our 25th anniversary. It will be a huge bonus for our finals day crowd and for BBC viewers."
At 17, Becker was the tournament's youngest ever winner in 1985. He became the youngest Wimbledon Champion just three weeks later and claimed three more Stella Artois titles in 1987, '88 and '96.

Sportsmanship
Edberg won the event in 1991and reached the final on two other occasions (1988 and 1996). As well as winning six Grand Slam titles in his career, the 37-year-old Swede was known throughout the world for his good grace on the tennis court. He won the ATP Sportsmanship Award five times and it was renamed the Edberg Sportsmanship Award in 1996.
Over the years Becker and Edberg met an incredible 35 times, with Becker leading their head-to-head 25-10. Their last competitive match took place in the final of the Stella Artois Championships in 1996 with Becker winning 6-4, 7-6.
They contested three consecutive Wimbledon finals between 1988 and 1990 with Edberg winning the 1988 and 1990 finals and Becker triumphing in 1989.
The 35-year-old German also won four of their six meetings on grass, including all three of their matches at the Stella Artois Championships (1988, '90 and '96).

Tennis royalty will reunite at Queen's Club in June. Three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker will renew his rivalry with two-time Wimbledon champion Stefan Edberg in a special seniors match at Queen's Club that is part of the Stella Artois tournament's 25th anniversary celebration.
The Becker-Edberg match, which will be staged on Sunday, June 15th, in between the singles and doubles final.
"It will be an honor to play Stefan," Becker said. "Having won the tournament four times, the Queen's Club holds many special memories for me. My career really took off when I won the Stella Artois title in 1985 and then Wimbledon three weeks later as a 17-year-old. Stefan and I enjoyed a great rivalry, playing many big matches over the years including my victory in that 1996 final at Queen's. I am planning a similar outcome this time! "
The 35-year-old Becker captured four Stella Artois tournament titles in his career. Edberg, who celebrated his 37th birthday on January 19th, won Queen's Club in 1991 and was a finalist on two other occasions (1988 and 1996).
Over the years Becker and Edberg met 35 times, with Becker leading their head-to-head 25-10. Their last competitive match took place in the final of the Stella Artois Championships in 1996 with Becker winning 6-4, 7-6. Becker's booming serve was a key stroke in helping him win four of his six career grass-court matches with Edberg, including all three of their matches at the Stella Artois Championships (1988, 90 and 96).
Becker established riveting rivalries with some of the game's greatest players starting with Ivan Lendl and ranging to his memorable meetings with Edberg, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Becker has said Sampras is the best player he ever faced and regards Edberg as his greatest rival.
"In the mid 80s I came along when Lendl was at his peak so for a couple years he was main rival when he was No. 1 and I was No. 2," Becker said. "And then in the late 80s Edberg came and he was basically my main rival throughout my whole career, including the three Wimbledon finals."
The pair played in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988-90 with the stylish Swede beat Becker in two of those three matches. The 1990 loss proved to be a particularly painful setback for Becker, who rallied from a two-set deficit and held a 3-1 lead in the final set only to fall 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Becker had a well-earned reputation as a tough big-match player capable of rising to great heights under immense pressure and the fact that he actually lost more Wimbledon finals then he won (he suffered four final setbacks, including final losses to Sampras and compatriot Michael Stich) still bothers Becker to this day.
"Of the seven Wimbledon finals I was able to only win three is something I can't actually even understand today in retrospect," Becker said.

3/17/03
In this time of endless depressing talk of wars, it's good to catch some news of Stefan. Apparently he played squash in an exhibition in Sweden, in January of this year. Here are a couple of nice pics - bring back memory, doesn't it? Read the article here.

2/22/03
It seems that today Boris Becker was "in a conference call with the media to discuss his impending induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame."
Quoting from an article posted on the tennis week site:

(Becker) established riveting rivalries with some of the game's greatest players starting with Ivan Lendl and ranging to his memorable meetings with Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Becker has said Sampras is the best player he ever faced and regards Edberg as his greatest rival.
"In the mid 80s I came along when Lendl was at his peak so for a couple years he was main rival when he was No. 1 and I was No. 2," Becker said. "And then in the late 80s Edberg came and he was basically my main rival throughout my whole career, including the three Wimbledon finals."
The pair played in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988-90 with the stylish Swede beat Becker in two of those three matches. The 1990 loss proved to be a particularly painful setback for Becker, who rallied from a two-set deficit and held a 3-1 lead in the final set only to fall 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.

This past week I had a chance to speak to Mark Stenner, the Hall of Fame's CEO. Mr. Stenner, who has visited my Edberg site ( The Stefan Edberg Column) and is aware of my passion for Edberg, very kindly invited me to speak to him (Stenner) on the phone about the controversial nomination of Boris Becker for the 1993 enshrinement. (If you have not been following the controversy, please see Stefan Edberg - snubbed by the Hall of Fame".) Stenner is a decent man who seems to be genuinely fond of Stefan Edberg, but it is apparent that he doesn't have anything to do with the nomination of Becker over Edberg, and he has no answer to my probing questions.

What I now understand is that the Hall of Fame is a business, not the institution for honoring sportsmanship as one might expect. If it were, Stefan Edberg, who more than any recent player symbolizes the tradition of tennis, would not have to wait on the sideline to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, a slight and an insult to a player of his stature.

Adding to the insult is that Boris Becker should NOT yet be eligible for the enshrinement. The Hall of Fame's own published rules stipulate that individuals eligible for the Recent Players category "are those who were active as competitors within the last 20 years, but have not been a significant factor in competition tennis during the previous five years." Becker played up to 1999 and, count your fingers: it's only been four years, not five. In his attempt to spin damage control, Mark Stenner resorted to a very contrived explanation to defend this transgression: "(W)hile Becker played until 1999, by the end of 1997 he was ranked No. 63. When a player falls out of the top 50, Stenning explained, he is considered 'no longer active.'" (See the 2/10 edition of the Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim mailbag. ) Well meaning as Stenner might have been, his remark inadvertently insulted all the 90% of tour players who are not in the top 50. By his reckoning, these players are inactive, and worse yet, by implication, not "a significant factor in competitive tennis."

In contrast, Stefan Edberg bowed out in 1997 with characteristic grace after a year of farewell on the ATP tour, and is clearly eligible for enshrinement. Stefan's qualfication is further bolstered by his impeccable behavior and sportsmanship on and off court. In any other sport, he would have been inducted to the Hall of Fame as soon as he became eligible this past year. His fans like me certainly expected the nomination.

That the enshrinement is run as a business is evident in this report published in the Jon Wertheim article: Tony Trabert was quoted as saying that "the (Hall of Fame enshrinement nomination) committee likes to nominate only one 'big name" each year because it doesn't need more than one name player to sell out the induction ceremony. Hence, the committee last year decided to nominate Boris Becker and not Stefan Edberg." This "one big name" only sentiment was echoed by the Hall's CEO, both to Jon Wertheim and also to me when I spoke to him on the phone. And yet in the next breath Stenner mentioned that next year Steffi Graf will be eligible, and Stefan may also be inducted. So what happened to the "one big name" only doctrine? And if Graf does get the kiss in 2004, with Stefan tagged on, who do you think will be in the spotlight when Mr. Agassi is around? The inevitable conclusion that I draw here is that Tony Trabert and his committee (more later) do not consider Edberg to be a big enough name, and so can be inducted as other lesser players in subsequent years once the all-mighty Becker has been enshrined. (To his credit, Stenner did sound genuinely distraught when I pressed him on this, saying that there are no bigger draw than Stefan Edberg. But apparently the sentiment is not shared by Trabert, whom I used to respect.)

In these days when we are surrounded with the real threats of terror, war, and disasters, I think I will just shake my head and walk away from this travesty called the tennis Hall of Fame enshrinement. The more I write about this sordid busines, the more I may be unwittingly contributing to the publicity of the Becker enshrinement. Big star that Becker is, he doesn't need my help.

In conclusion I think the enshrinement is a joke, a publicity stunt, an old-boy-old-girl network to curry/reciprocate favor and/or to make money.

For what it's worth: Here are the names of those on the nomination committee, headed by Tony Trabert. The list was provided by Mark Stenner at my request:

John Barrett, Mary Carillo, Bud Collins, Anna Dmitrieva, Richard Evans, Steve Flink, Gordon Forbes, Bjorn Hellberg, Nancy Jeffett, Alan Little, Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer, Frew McMillan, John Parsons, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Fred Stolle and Tony Trabert.

Ka-chink! Enough said.

2/15/03

• Chris wrote:
  I've just come back from Davis Cup in Helsingborg where Stefan appeared on the final day ... He looked absolutely gorgeous - which was why my hand was shaking so much!! It was rather funny 'cos I was in DC to support Brazil with my Brasil T-shirt on & he was giving me a wry smile as he saw me taking pix of him!!He sat on the Swedish bench for the 2 rubbers on the final day.
  And our thanks to her for sharing these pics:

• I don't believe I have ever shared this cartoon with you - obviously a depiction of the Swedish sport greats:

"I'm a sportswriter for The Newport Daily News, and last summer I interviewed Tony Trabert, the chairman of the Hall of Fame nominating committee. He said the committee likes to nominate only one "big name" each year because it doesn't need more than one name player to sell out the induction ceremony. Hence, the committee last year decided to nominate Boris Becker and not Stefan Edberg. This is a direct quote: "If you had four quality singles players, you wouldn't use them all in one year," Trabert said. "We want those big names to carry the weekend." Edberg probably will have to wait a couple years to be inducted, because Steffi Graf is eligible in 2004. And I think the Hall of Fame wouldn't mind having Steffi and Andre Agassi at the 50th anniversary celebration.
—Eric Snyder, Newport, R.I.
Thanks for your insight. Over the past few months, not a week has gone by when one of you hasn't asked about the curious selection process. Your dispatch more or less confirms the rumor I'd heard. The twist I got: The induction ceremony will receive some built-in bang and publicity on the 50th anniversary, so why not use the less dynamic and personable players (i.e., Edberg) that year and load up on a more charismatic personality like Becker this year?
We finally got a hold of Mark Stenning, the Hall of Fame's CEO and the Newport tournament director (a gem of an event, by the way), who called Mailbag HQ and was kind enough to provide us with an answer to the Becker-Edberg chestnut. He explained that in 1987 a slew of worthy candidates came up for enshrinement. "Five or six top names were inducted that year and we thought it was a disservice to the players," he said. "Billie Jean King, for instance, could have the ceremony alone" but was forced the share the stage. In 1995 there again were several deserving candidates. In hopes of avoiding a repeat, the executive committee nominated Evert and then closed the ballot, insuring that she would have the day to herself. The following year, other candidates were inducted.
Anyway, Edberg retired at the end of 1996. And while Becker played until 1999, by the end of 1997 he was ranked No. 63. When a player falls out of the top 50, Stenning explained, he is considered "no longer active." Still, shouldn't Edberg have been eligible first? "I have to agree it should be Edberg, but it's close. Also, the committee said that they’re contemporaries and the [induction] should be one or the other this year, but not both," said Stenning. "So Boris will get in in 2003 and I have to believe that Edberg will be [enshrined] in 2004. I can't see why he wouldn't. That will be Steffi's first year of eligibility, too, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Fame."
Stenning added that he and Trabert both met with Edberg at the Stockholm tournament last winter. They told Edberg of the Hall's realpolitik, and he had no problem with it. "When the ballot came out we heard from the Stefan Edberg fan club, and they were worried that we had overlooked him," said Stenning. "Nothing could be further from the truth." "

Here's the reaction of Rachelle, an Edberg fan, who said it all:

Sorry - but I'm not buying it. This whole thing reeks of petty politics, greed, money & everything else wrong in society & sport! Stenning contradicts himself. He says they want one 'name' player inducted each year, to have the stage to him or herself. And he claims that Edberg should go in 2004. But he points out that this will be just when Steffi Graf is eligible as well to co-incide, with the 50th anniversary. Now, it doesn't matter a hill of beans to me whether Edberg goes in with Steffi, or Boris, or by himself, or with some anonymous tennis coach from Zurich, but the rules seem to have been manipulated here I believe and that is clearly not fair. I think so called 'charisma' has won out here. They don't see Edberg as being enough of a 'name' by himself to bring in the money & attendance to Newport for an entire weekend. It's really sad how 'charisma' is judged. The H.O.F. plays politics with the rules to let a man in so soon after he has quit tennis. This is a man who admitted to cheating on his wife, was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock, was up on charges of tax evasion, displayed poor sportsmanship toward his opponents (including Edberg) in his younger years on tour, made derogatory comments about other players, was a sporadic participant in Davis Cup play, carried on a petty public spat with Michael Stich for a few years, and pulled out of more tournaments with 'so called ailments' than he actually played in. Okay, so I'm a little biased here, but please. I realize that being inducted into a sport's hall-of-fame has little to do with character anymore. i.e. Ty Cobb, Pete Rose controversy, etc. But really to put someone of Becker's nature in ahead of a man who has been nothing but class & integrity is a sham and an insult to the game of tennis and to Stefan. And this so-called notion of having only 1 big name in at a time is a crock. The other sport hall-of-fames have many 'big names' go in during the same year. That's what makes the event special because the athletes have a chance to reminisce together and be honored by their peers. They did this with the Steelers of the 70's I think with Terry Bradshaw and Mike Webster. They had a great time and included each other in their speeches.
Stenning claims that they told Stefan about this at the Stockholm Open and he was fine with it. Of course he was. What's he going to say? "Forget it! I don't want to be inducted period." That would make him look silly, and he does not seem like the type of person who would make a fuss about it because he does not have an ego about stuff like that. Well that's where we come in. We can make the fuss for him! And tell the H.O.F. what we think.
Stenning claims that they told Stefan about this at the Stockholm Open and he was fine with it. Of course he was. What's he going to say? "Forget it! I don't want to be inducted period." That would make him look silly, and he does not seem like the type of person who would make a fuss about it because he does not have an ego about stuff like that. Well that's where we come in. We can make the fuss for him! And tell the H.O.F. what we think. I doubt I would have the financial ability to attend the H.O.F. enshrinement anyway for Edberg, but you can be sure I will not tune in to it this year to watch Becker and all of his 'appeal' and 'charisma'. I have better things to do on a Saturday afternoon! Like cleaning out the filter on my air conditioner rather than be completely nauseated listening to Becker's hot air!
Anyways, Either Edberg will have to wait several years (I'm thinking after the Williams Sisters are enshrined at this point -:( or he will have to 'share the spotlight' with Steffi or Monica, etc. Again, I don't care who he goes in with but him being passed over this year clearly reeks of greed & politics. Shame on you Hall-of-Fame!

2/10/03

• Thanks to Chris, I was able to view a tape of Stefan's appearance at Royal Albert Hall last December. Although the tape is not of broadcast quality (there's no commentator nor closeups), it's certainly good to see Stefan on tape and in action again. It appears that Stefan was coughing on that day, so he may not have been feeling his best. The "match" was really an exhibit, with the two players (Stefan and Bjorkman) clowning around at times. The points were mostly short, and frankly a faint shadow of the glorious play displayed by Stefan in his heyday. It was nevertheless good to see his backhand and his signature volleys again. I must say that there is no substitute for seeing him closeup and in person, as I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to last summer in Cape Cod.
• More photos:
  The yahoo Edberg group has a photo album here. You do have to join the group to see it.

Edouard wrote:
I was looking at the Stefan Edberg Collumn and wanted to add a comment. It is more of a question than a comment but I think other Edberg fans might be interested. Please consider the Australian Open emblem below. I have always believed it was Stefan Edberg's silhouette. I e-mailed the Australian Open web site about it once but they ignored me. What do you think?
The use of silhouettes is not new. Sometimes a local tennis club will use a top player's silhouette when drawing a logo for their club. I've seen the silhouettes of Mats Wilander and Steffi Graf used in this way. In my oppinion it is a big compliment to the players.
(My response: Yes, you are not the only one who pointed this out . I think several Edberg fans have noticed this likeness and I personally agree that the silhouette is that of Stefan's - the arching of the back and the turning of the shoulder is unmistakable. I have also seen a painting, in a pro shop, of a tennis player serving: it looks very much like Stefan as well. Edberg was just such a beautiful presence on the court. I really miss that sight.)

• This is a great photo of him from the Stockholm Open...I love this pic! here, and shown to the right.
• The capital firm of which Stefan is apparently a partner,
• This one is a strange photo of him.

1/19/03
Happy birthday to Mr. Edberg, who, by the way, is one of four players featured on the cover of a book by Richard Evans, The Davis Cup: Celebrating 100 Years of International Tennis

1/8/03
Mauro wrote:
as Stefan's birthday (jan 19th) gets closer, please post a happy birthday message to him on my site , by following the link from the animated image in the home page.

1/3/03
I was browsing deja news, where there's a thread on Edberg vs. Becker. It's mostly the usual arguments, until I came upon a post that mentioned this:
Here's a video clip of Edberg at the Champions' Parade.
And here's a picture -
(And a great pic it is - with Becker, Cash, Graf, and our beloved Stefan shown vividly - see right)

1/2/93
A big thanks to Chris for sharing photos that she took at Albert Hall. Although the pictures did not come out the best, they nevertheless convey the atmosphere, and they show a very healthy and happy Stefan Edberg :-)

• photo 1
• photo 2
• photo 3
• photo 4

12/27/02

• A blurb from an Austrian site found here mentions Stefan as one of the "names" to hopefully appear at the Austrian CA Challenge in 2003:
  Stich, Edberg, Courier sollen 2003 zur CA-Challenge kommen
  Graz - Der Schlusstag der CA-Tennis-Challenge auf dem Dach des Grazer Media Marktes ist der bereits traditionelle Zeitpunkt für Turnierdirektor Herwig Straka, um eine Bilanz zu ziehen.
  Stars fühlten sich in der Steiermark wohl
  "Wir haben organisatorisch erneut eine erstklassige Veranstaltung abgewickelt. Ein Gradmesser, ob alles gut funktioniert hat, ist die Gemütslage der Superstars McEnroe, Becker oder Wilander. Die Spieler der Seniorentour waren nicht nur auf dem Platz mit vollem Einsatz dabei, sondern haben auch an allen Rahmenevents mit Engagement teilgenommen und ihren Aufenthalt in der Steiermark genossen. Dazu waren wir am Donnerstag beim Match Becker gegen McEnroe ausverkauft, was in Tennis-Zeiten wie diesen keine Selbstverständlichkeit ist", resümierte Straka.
  Besonders wohl hat sich Boris Becker in Graz gefühlt - erster Sieg auf der Tour of Champions, dazu am Samstag am Murhof der Triumph in der Nettowertung der CA-Golf-Challenge mit starken 78 Schlägen.
  ...
  Legenden-Turnier auch 2003
  "Es ist Boris Becker hoch anzurechnen, dass er nach dem vorjährigen Kurzauftritt sein Versprechen gehalten hat und auch heuer wieder nach Graz gekommen ist. Nachdem er in diesem Jahr so groß abgeräumt hat, stehen die Chancen sicher nicht schlecht, dass er wieder zur CA-Challenge kommen wird", so Straka, dessen Vertrag mit der ATP-Legendentour noch ein weiteres Jahr läuft.
  "Wir werden an unserer Strategie festhalten und 2003 wieder neue Gesichter präsentieren. Namen wie Michael Stich, Stefan Edberg und Jim Courier stehen auf meiner Wunschliste ganz oben. Mit einer attraktiven Besetzung und neuen Wegen in der Vermarktung werden wir im kommenden Jahr versuchen, das Stadion öfter als einmal zu füllen", kündigt Straka an und ergänzt:
  ...
• Responses to the uncalled-for swipe from Rod Laver:
  • Donna - long-time Edhead and eloquent writer -- wrote to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times as follows:
    Dear Ms. Elliott:
    I read with interest the following quote from Rod Laver, which you quoted without comment in yesterday's column:
    "If you look at Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad, my hero, we just couldn't bail out at an early age," Laver told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We put a lot of credit in those years, whereas Boris Becker and whereas Stefan Edberg, well, when the player pockets are full, they are out of there. . . . But Lleyton Hewitt, I don't feel that way about. I think he is a great competitor and a great Australian."
    Of course, Mr. Laver failed to acknowledge that when he played, it was virtually exclusively on the forgiving surfaces of grass and clay. Rarely if ever did his or Rosewall's body have to endure the pounding rigors of weekly play on cement. Likewise, these men never had to return a 140mph serve from someone 6'5" tall. And of course, the travel and tournament requirements and expectations in Laver's day were completely different as well. How many times in a year did he change continents, I wonder? Was he ever required by his racquet sponsor to play in Japan twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn? Oh, and then there's the equipment itself. Mr. Laver started his career with a wooden racquet in his hand, and a dare say he ended it with one, too. Stefan Edberg, on the other hand, started with wood, then went through aluminum, graphite, and God knows what else came along that allows a tiny guy like Michael Chang to serve a bomb.
    My point, one I hope someone conveyed to Mr. Laver, is that he is comparing the proverbial apples and oranges here. Yes, certainly, Becker and Edberg made heaploads of money--more than Laver ever did. But their bodies and psyches were also punished more for it and the game progressed at a breakneck speed during their tenure, putting their ability to have an impact and keep up with the Scuds (i.e., their very enjoyment of the game) in serious jeopardy. To claim that they walked away simply because they are wealthy is a grossly unfair oversimplification. Maybe they did. But probably they didn't.
    And Lleyton Hewitt is what, 22 years old? Perhaps Mr. Laver should bite his tongue until Lleyton proves he's going to stick around even after making his mint. But why didn't Rod include his fellow Aussie Patrick Rafter in the list of rich players deserving of a dressing-down for leaving the game as soon as he amassed a boatload of money? After all, Rafter left the game at an earlier age than either Edberg OR Becker.
    Mr. Laver was a great champion, no doubt about that. I also used to think he was a great ambassador of the game. Xenophobic nonsense like this statement, however, make me think twice about that assessment, and that's a shame. But really, anyone who would even suggest that a true sportsman, champion, and gentleman like Stefan Edberg was not a good ambassador for the game of tennis does not know what he's talking about--no matter how many Grand Slams he has won.
    Thanks for listening.
    And she received a reply:
    Hi. Thanks for writing. You made some very good points. However, your final point, in which he extolls Lleyton Hewitt, I think can be excused given the circumstances. He was speaking at a function for the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, so I guess a little nationalism can be forgiven. It's always difficult to compare eras in any sport, since equipment, travel and so many other factors change so rapidly. There's probably more than a little jealousy on his part involved here, too, because he sees the enormous amounts of prize money being offered now. But he did sound a little churlish, and perhaps I should have picked up on that... Thank you again for tking the time to write.
  • And Sally, our New Zealand Edhead, wrote thus:
    Rod Laver certainly has sunk in my estimation for that one, I can't believe he can class Hewitt in the same breath as Stefan - may be in ten years time when Hewitt hasn't missed a David Cup or a Grand Slam, but he will never be in the same class for dignity, elegance or sportsmanship no matter how long he plays.
  • Yours Truly also wrote to Jon Wertheim's Mail Bag, but nothing so far.

12/10/02
A jab from an unlikely quarter- as reported by Helene Elliot, in the sports section of the Los Angles Times, Sunday 12/8/02 :

Tennis Great Rod Laver, inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame last week, said big prize money had influenced many prominent players to abbreviate their careers.
"If you look at Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad, my hero, we just couldn't bail out at an early age." Laver told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We put a lot of creit in those years, whereas Boris Becker and whereas Stefan Edberg, well, when the player pockets are full, they are out of there.
"But Lleyton Hewitt, I don't feel that way about. I think he is a great competitor and a great Australian."

12/9/02

• On the weighty matter of hair :-)
  Chris wrote to say: BTW-I think I was wrong about Stefan thinning on top -- we were looking down at a weird angle & the lighting made things look strange.Another friend who sat closer said Stefan still has a good head of hair!!
  To which I reply:
  Yes, that's what I thought. As I said, I saw him in Cape Cod this summer, and I know that he's not losing his hair. In Cape Cod, with the sun shinning brightly on him, his short hair was flowing softly (see photo at right).
  I must be honest with you - I too obsess about such things. It's unfortunate, but human nature is such that we don't like to see the fading of beauty, inevitable as it is. I think deep down most of us would like to retain that image of Stefan as the golden-maned, youthful athlete that we found so endearing. This is the reason that at one time, painful as it was, I actually hoped for him to just disappear into the proverbial sunset once he retired. But I found that I missed him, and I have since come to accept that Edberg's appearance will change with time, but that I am still enchanted by his being and his unique blend of tennis. The thing about Stefan is that he is brutally honest, even with himself. I think even before he left the tour, Edberg had stopped marketing his looks - he let his hair cut short and didn't resort to dying his hair blond. These days, comfortable in his retirement, he's completely living the way he prefers, which is that he's just being himself, short hair and all. By comparison, Boris Becker - ever egocentric -- has apparently dyed his hair blond and these days spots a stylish hairdo.
  I would be lying if I said that I didn't prefer to see Edberg wear his glorious blond mane, at least in his public appearances. But I know that to him, such thing is no longer important. This is a man who has, unlike many other faded tennis greats, happily accepted life's responsibilities as a father, a husband, and a former tennis virtuoso. He's doing well in all those roles, and that's good enough for me.
• The Albert Hall appearance (and a little victory didn't hurt either :-) brough on a round of Edberg fever, it seems. Here are a couple of nice notes received from readers of this site - thank you for letting me know that the site is working for Edheads all over the world :-)
  • From Rachelle on the East Coast:
    I am a a proud ''Ed Head' and greatly admire the work on your web site - excellent pictures and impressively written articles. It is good to see the memories are being kept alive and that we are able to keep up with Edberg news post-retirement! Anyways, I found a link to an article from Reuters reporting on Edberg's exhibition against Bjorkman in London. Maybe you can post this article on your site. Here is the link:
    If this link does not work for you, you can find the article on Google's web site, if you go to their news section search engine and type 'Stefan Edberg'.
    (Note: This is the same article that Jennifer sent in.)
    From the tone of the article, Edberg seemed to be very relaxed in this exhibition and having a really fun time with it all! He even, according to the article, immitated John McEnroe's service motion! I would have loved to have seen that - As I'm not used to seeing him joke/play around on the court. I am very impressed he was able to beat Jonas Bjorkman, though Jonas is not the player he was a few years ago and this was only an exhibition. But still Bjorkman is playing on the regular tour! What a testament to Edberg's professionalism and athleticism, even though he no longer is competing.
    From the article, it seems that McEnroe is being his typical, pesky, annoying self and bugging Edberg to go on the senior tour. I'm probably one of the few tennis fans that loves both McEnroe AND Edberg but for entirely different reasons. McEnroe because he was always entertaining and blunt. He's like your typical loud, whiney New Yorker who'd be fun to have lunch with and converse with on a number of topics. I always admired Stefan because he seems to be very down to earth and never adopted the the typical 'tennis star' persona. Whereas McEnroe amuses me and makes me laugh, it is Edberg that I have the 'school girl' crush on - He has many built-in excuses to be arrogant (breathtaking looks, exceptional athletic talent, wealth, a beautiful family etc.), but he seems to be a sweet, gentle, genuine guy. I have never seen nor met the man in person, but that is just the feeling I get from reading numerous articles about him, seeing interviews of him on t.v. in the past, and reading the accounts on your web site. I can also relate to him because though he achieved much success in his career, he also was vulnerabile, had setbacks and difficult moments, when people questioned his competitiveness and heart. He sometimes seemed to struggle with his self-confidence on the court and that makes him seems more 'real' or 'human'. He proves that not all 'nice guys' finish last.
    I hope Edberg resists McEnroe's nudging because part of the reason I like him is that he wants to live a more normal life now, spend time with his family, live a quiet, simple life and not relive tennis's past glories on a regular basis. Very few tennis stars after retiring seem to have handled life (look at Boris Becker, for example) with such balance and common sense.
    Anyways, thank you for allowing me to babble about a man whom I've always admired. There are few role models in sports, but he is one of the few who stands out. He never received the recognition he deserved in this country (USA). Athletes with far less credentials are honored with profiles on ESPN Classic, yet you never see anything about Stefan. They did a sports century special on Kournikova, who has yet to win a tennis tournament, and Zina Garrison, (a player yes whom I admired certainly for her determination and abiliy to overcome obstacles) but Zina never won a grand slam title. Certainly they could put together a profile on Edberg. This is probably the Ed-head bias in me coming out and I feel a rant coming on so I will refrain. Don't get me started on the hall-of-fame sham either!
    Regardless, I appreciate the news and photographs that you maintain on your web site. Keep up the good work! This is the first time I have ever written about my favorite athlete of all time, so it's been a pleasure!
    About the U.S. media's treatment of Stefan Edberg: I raved and ranted about this as soon as I discovered Stefan and then found out, to my surprise, that he's not exactly embraced by the U.S. media. It just astonished me that a beautiful player (in all sense of the term) got such little coverage in our beauty- and athlete-worshipping society. But in the end I realized that this is because Edberg did not -- and still does not -- seek publicity.
    It so happens that I have been exchanging notes with Chris on this point, and I think this paragraph speaks to this issue:
    The average sport stars are like the Boris and the Macs, who never could really live with not being a star. It takes a rare person to step out of the limelight and be content. I always think that if Stefan had let it, he could have been marketed to the max and become far better known than he is, if only for his looks. But then when you think about it, he is able to lead a normal life now, which he could not otherwise. That's why I know that Edberg is an intelligent person.
    I am, of course, hugely biased :-)
  • M. Y. wrote:
    Hi! It was great reading your article, as i relived my memories of stefan when he's still active on the tour, and i learnt of some things new about him.
    In fact, I was trying to search for more news of him as I learnt that he's in the recent Honda Challenge in London just a few days ago, when I chanced upon your article. I started liking stefan at, I would say, the end of his career peak in 1991 and I remembered watching his matches 'live' in the 1991 and 1992 US open finals, his losses to Jim Courier in 2 consecutive years in the Australian opens and so on.
    I'm just so happy to know that someone else in this world, and I believe there are many others! :) who really like stefan. I think he's really the most elegant serve and volleyer we'll ever see on the tour, and hope that one day he might join the senior tour so that there's a chance i'll see him in live action in Singapore, where I live.
    Just wanted to share my thoughts with you.. :)
  • And yet another nice note from Chris:
    But Stefan is so different! Many years ago at Queens' I took my kids to watch the big guys-and kids are so affected by the big guys!One day at Queens' my eldest boy was snubbed by both Lendl & Becket at Queens'. Next day I took my second boy & he tried Stefan for an autograph. The PR girl told us Stefan would sign once he'd dumped his rackets in Tony Pickard's car! Sure Stefan did sign-and because of that he was P's hero for years!!
    Now listen to this-again at Queens' & Stefan again. He had decided to have a quick practice but had n't booked a court.I followed him from court to court as he looked for somewhere to hit balls.On every court the guys were willing to give up their court to him but he declined as they were still practising. He settled on about the 3rd court where the guys were just finishing! Becker would have just kicked the guys off court!! Stefan was the best-- and 3 of my kids just adored him because of that!!
  12/8/02
  Added Chris:
  ... One thing I forgot to mention was that he did the most beautiful drop shot during the match - I can't remember him being a great master of the drop when he was on the main tour.

  12/6/02

  • Jennifer found this nice article:
    Edberg Not Prepared to Give Up the Quiet Life
    Thu December 05, 2002 08:05 PM ET
    By Pritha Sarkar
    LONDON (Reuters) - He does not throw temper tantrums like John McEnroe or have the Gallic charm of Henri Leconte, but Stefan Edberg was the most sought-after man at this week's seniors tournament at the Royal Albert Hall.
    While the shy Swede was happy to stay in the background throughout his 14-year professional career, leaving Boris Becker and a young, charismatic Andre Agassi to dominate the tabloid headlines, he found himself thrust back into the limelight at the Honda Challenge on Thursday.
    They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Edberg certainly found that was the case when his legion of fans packed the 3,800-capacity arena to catch a rare glimpse of the twice former Wimbledon champion.
    With six grand slam victories, three Davis Cup trophies and more than $20 million in prize money banked, the 36-year-old has not felt the need to relive his glory days.
    Edberg, who also won two U.S. Opens and two Australian Opens, even dared to turn a deaf ear to McEnroe's frequent pleas to join the seniors bandwagon and was adamant that his days of playing in front of a crowd were over.
    "Every time John sees me he reminds me that he wants to see me on court but I'm still keeping the defense (of not playing competitively) up," Edberg told Reuters after enjoying a half-hour warm-up with McEnroe.
    "I still enjoy playing tennis but this is a totally different scene for me, playing in a big arena like this. I don't know if I would enjoy going around on the seniors circuit.
    "It would mean practising a lot more than I do, it would mean traveling and it would mean competition again and I'm not quite ready for it yet," added the genial Swede as the sweat poured from his face.
    Despite his reservations, a gentle nudge from his friend Tim Henman finally convinced Edberg to end his tennis exile on this one occasion -- all in the name of charity.
    Henman had initially suggested the pair play an exhibition match to raise funds for the Kids at Heart charity, but the British number one's shoulder problems put paid to that idea.
    Instead, Edberg was lined up to face his compatriot, doubles specialist Jonas Bjorkman.

    MEMORABLE BATTLES
    For the British crowd, Edberg's reappearance was long overdue. They took the Swede to their hearts after his memorable battles with Becker in three consecutive Wimbledon finals, winning the title in 1988 and 1990.
    "This is big for me but it's nice because it's London and the Albert Hall has a fantastic atmosphere...it's one of the best places to come to," Edberg said before stepping on court.
    "It will give me a little bit of a taste (of the seniors tour) but whether that would sway me, probably not," he added shaking his head and smiling.
    Once the former London resident stepped on court, it was hard to believe he had not played in Britain since his second-round Wimbledon exit in 1996.
    Having enjoyed a number of concerts at the Albert Hall during his decade-long stay in the English capital, Edberg showed his classic serve and volley game was still perfectly in tune as he beat Bjorkman 6-4 3-6 10-8 (champions tiebreak) in a highly entertaining match.
    Looking as fit and lean as he did during his reign as world number one, Edberg rolled back the years to defeat Bjorkman, who still plays on the main tour.
    Edberg, who also showed his backhand was still on song, poured cold water on the myth that "Swedes do not have a sense of humor" by sharing several on-court gags with his fellow countryman.
    To the delight of the fans, Edberg mimicked the service action of McEnroe and then set the pulse of a lineswoman racing when he ended up on her lap after fruitlessly chasing a Bjorkman winner.
    Despite his obvious appeal on the circuit, Edberg said he was not about to give up his laid-back lifestyle.
    "It's been pretty quiet for me for the last six years. I still do some work with tennis back home but I'm quite happy leading the quiet life," said Edberg, who now runs a low-key academy back in Sweden.

  • Follow-up from Chris:
    • I'll have video at the ready for when BBC show Honda Cup today but doubt if they will show anything of Stefan from last night.I looked very carefully when the match was on & could n't see any cameras at work-only a few guys taking stills.The Reuters article was very good & it was that kind of Stefan that played last night.I keep remembering little funny bits-like at 6-6 in the tie break when they changed ends Stefan hurried to be ready to serve before Jonas had taken receiving position-and did serve!!And the umpire gave the point to Stefan!! Next point it looked like Stefan was trying to make amends 'cos he deliberately hit a ball skyward & then raced right round outside of the court at breakneck speed!! He still is very fast!! He also forgot the new rules that you just change over after first game of each set & sat down in first 2 sets!!
      It was a great match & good to see Stefan so happy & relaxed-but he did want to win!! I'll try & chase up a few sources for photos next couple of days & try to e-mail you a more comprehensive report.I'm still a bit on cloud 9 of euphoria after last night!!
    • I've tried to write something a bit more comprehensive about the match l ast night but have probably forgotten some things!! I was just enjoying the match!! BTW-the Reuters article was slightly wrong in saying this was the first time Stefan had played in London since he retired because he did do a charity exhib in Battersea Park a few years back.
    • And here's Chris' account:
      STEFAN BACK IN LONDON
      It was a cold, dark December evening as my daughter Ruth & I hurried along past Kensington Gardens en route for Royal Albert Hall. I smiled inwardly as we passed top of Queens’ Gate as the guy were eager to watch that night was a resident in that road for many years!!
      Royal Albert Hall is the most magnificent setting for tennis-and certainly befitting for the return of a 6 times Grand Slam winner. As Ruth & I peeked in at the court at a lower level I was beginning to wish I’d thrown caution to the wind & gone for the better seats when I booked. I had been unsure as to whether Stefan would actually turn up then so opted for cheaper seats!
      Anyhow we were 2nd row circle which meant a lot of leaning over & looking at tops of heads. In fact, when Stefan came out with Jonas, Ruth’s first reaction was to say “he’s going bald, mum!!” (I guess the Swedish curse of thinning hair has rather caught up with Stefan!!
      The exhibition had originally been planned against Tim Henman, & was in aid of Tim’s charity “Kids at Heart” so we had a few words from Tim about his charity before Stefan & Jonas came out. I must admit Tim looked rather dapper in his suit.
      Stefan had elected to receive serve but the gamble didn’t really pay off as he was a bit rusty to begin. And after Jonas had won first game Stefan forgot the new ATP rules & sat down in his chair!! But as he played you could see the old skills coming back & when he won first set, Ruth & I got very excited. It was such a joy to see Stefan pounding into the net behind a very good serve-something you see so little of on the main tour now.
      Jonas is a great mimic of other players & before long we had the “Boris Becker” serve with all the rocking back & forth that Boris puts in. Stefan just looked so happy & relaxed & was joining in the fun with Jonas-but we knew he so much wanted to win as there was a bit of Swedish pride at stake there. Ruth looked a bit down hearted when Stefan lost serve in the second set so I was trying to explain the champions’ tie-break that operates in 3rd set.
      The match was so full of fun & excitement. There was Stefan first to demonstrate the John McEnroe serve before Jonas!! Then Stefan almost landing in the lap of a lineslady as he ran back for a ball. We were all so envious of her as Stefan ended up with his arm round her!! I think her pulse was beating a bit faster as well. And there were numerous wolf whistles when Stefan changed his shirt-just a pity that he had his back to us!!
      In the champions tie break which determined the match Stefan was twice a break down but levelled to 6-6.At that point they changed ends & with a little bit of the devil in his eye, Stefan quickly ran to his serving position before Jonas was ready to receive & served!! Obviously the serve sailed past Jonas-but the umpire gave the point to Stefan!! To make amends, Stefan hit a ball in next rally to the sky & proceeded to make amends by running right round outside of court. Boy-he is still fast!!
      It was great to see Stefan win & receive lots of cheers from the crowd especially as he bowed to all corners, a bit like Agassi!!! After the match various items were auctioned off to raise funds for Kids at Heart (including one racket from each of Stefan, Tim & Jonas!!) Then 10 lucky raffle winners had their photos taken with Stefan, Tim & Jonas on court (at which point Ruth rued the fact she hadn’t bought one) Then the guys left the court to huge cheers & both Stefan & Jonas waved to us all as they left
      It was so special to be able to watch Stefan playing & winning again & brought back so many happy memories of years gone by. It would be great if he made it back same time same place next year
      
      My note: Thank you, Chris! Chris' observation of Stefan mostly matched what I saw of him last summer when he came to Cape Cod. Stefan IS definitely more relaxed these days. And I am glad that his tennis is still as thrilling as ever.
      As for the thinning hair mentioned: Well, such is life. It would be unnatural for Stefan to not age. However, I have seen him up close and Stefan IS NOT balding. He has his hair cut severely short these days, which intensifies his high hairline. If you look at his photos from 1992 on, when he had his hair cut short, you will notice that his hairline was already high even then. I do wish that he would go back to a more stylish hairdo. Annette, do something, please!

  • And even more articles! Wow, the British do have good taste!
    Edberg serves up rare reminder of elegant style
    The Swedish former Wimbledon champion delights the crowd while Korda and Leconte reach Challenge semi-finals
    By John Roberts at the Royal Albert Hall
    07 December 2002, sport.independent.co.uk/tennis/

    The only thing about Stefan Edberg that was ever high-profile was his sumptuous tennis. The court was the only place where he did not blend into the background as if camouflaged. During the many years he lived in Kensington, as a Wimbledon champion and world No 1, Edberg would stroll to Queen's Club to practise between tournaments, not exactly unnoticed but never pestered.
    At 36, Edberg is even more selective about where and when he plays. His preference is a "small little court" near his home in Grimslov, Sweden, where he can play for an hour-and-a-half with one of the teenagers from his tennis foundation.
    Returning to London this week for an exhibition match in aid of Tim Henman's charity, Kids at Heart, Edberg enjoyed meeting old friends such as his former coach Tony Pickard, from Nottingham, and was happy to treat spectators at the Royal Albert Hall to a sample of his elegant serve-volley style.
    At one point Edberg imitated several of John McEnroe's idiosyncrasies, but he did not go too far along that route. His opponent, Jonas Bjorkman, a fellow Swede, is the ATP's master mimic, just as Mansour Bahrami is the trick-cyclist of the Delta Tour of Champions (the 46-year-old Iranian leapt over the net and returned one of his own shots when playing doubles here yesterday).
    Edberg drew the line, however, when McEnroe tried to recruit him to the senior tour, explaining politely that he understood why younger former players were needed, but was not inclined to be one of them. They had had the same conversation before.
    "It was nice to play in this lovely arena again," Edberg said, "but coming here is too much like the old days. I'm still involved in tennis, but it's more at grassroots now." That, he added, is a big enough challenge now Swedish tennis is in decline after the astonishing era of Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, and Edberg, even though Thomas Johansson won the Australian Open this year.
    "Time has changed, and it's difficult getting hold of talent," Edberg said. "Other countries now have the equipment and the hunger. Tennis in Sweden has fallen back, and other sports are bigger there now."
    Petr Korda, who won the Australian Open in 1998 with Pickard giving tactical tips on the telephone, joined Edberg and the coach for a brief reunion on Thursday evening. Yesterday the Czech secured his place in the Honda Challenge semi-finals by defeating Australia's Pat Cash, 7-6, 6-3. "Petr hits the ball harder than any other player out there," Cash said.
    "I never won a tournament in England," the 34-year-old Korda reminded us. "It would be great to win here at the Royal Albert Hall. You can't compare this court to any other indoor court in the world. I call it 'Little Wimbledon'. I need to enjoy myself when I play. I play tennis from the heart." Korda advanced to the Honda Challenge final last year and was defeated by Guy Forget, of France. Henri Leconte, another crowd-pleaser, joins Korda in the semi-finals. The Frenchman beat Mikael Pernfors, of Sweden, 6-3, 6-2, following on from his opening day win over John McEnroe.
    HONDA CHALLENGE (Royal Albert Hall, London) Round-robin: J McEnroe (US) bt M Pernfors (Swe) 6-1 6-0; P Korda (Cz Rep) bt P Cash (Aus) 7-6 6-3; H Leconte (Fr) bt M Pernfors (Swe) 6-3 6-2. Exhibition match: S Edberg (Swe) bt J Bjorkman (Swe) 6-4 3-6 10-8.

    • This article appeared with photos, for which I am most grateful
      
      Friday, 6 December, 2002, 16:02 GMT
      Edberg rolls back the years
      By Alison Keogh
      BBC Sport Online at the Royal Albert Hall
      It was clear from the rapturous reception Stefan Edberg received at the Royal Albert Hall that his fans had missed him.
      The Swede, who was facing compatriot Jonas Bjorkman in an exhibition match at the Honda Challenge event, had disappeared from the limelight since retiring in 1996.
      But after a shaky start, the 36 year old showed he had lost none of the sparkle that made him one of the greats of the game.
      The old traits were still there - the unique service style, the athleticism and of course the elegance.
      The quiet serve-volleyer rolled back the years to take the first set 6-4.
      But things got slightly more competitive after that as Bjorkman upped the tempo.

      Bjorkman was outwitted by Edberg The second set was a closer affair, but at 3-3 Edberg produced a stunning winning backhand down the line.
      This was swiftly followed by a delightful backhand volley.
      The shot, the like of which we so rarely see from today's players, was carefully disguised with backspin to totally outwit his opponent and he looked to be on his way to a straight-sets victory.
      However, it was Bjorkman who fought back to come out on top in the set and the crowd were treated to a Champions tie-breaker to decide the winner.
      After a series of glorious rallies it was Bjorkman who led and looked like spoiling the party.
      But a spirited Edberg fought back, and to the delight of a packed Albert Hall, took the tie-breaker 10-8 to seal victory.
      The match was played in a good spirit, with plenty of fun and jokes from both players, but when it mattered most the competitive edge was still there.
      Edberg showed that he could still teach today's professionals a thing or two and after four years in retirement and with six Grand Slam titles under his belt, it was clear that his popularity has not dwindled.
      Perhaps the affection in which he is still held by the public will convince him to join the senior's tour very soon. McEnroe and co had better watch out.

  • Edberg resists McEnroe
    By John Parsons (Filed: 07/12/2002)
    John McEnroe set himself a double mission at this year's Honda Challenge at the Royal Albert Hall - to win and to persuade Stefan Edberg to join him on the Seniors' Tour.
    The first target remained achievable as he waited to play the last of his three round-robin group matches last night. The other was still proving elusive.
    Although Edberg, who will be 37 next month, thoroughly enjoyed himself as he beat Jonas Bjorkman in an extra match for Tim Henman's Kids at Heart charity the previous night - even mimicking the exaggerated McEnroe service action - he was still playing hard to get.
    McEnroe and Mats Wilander, the new Swedish Davis Cup captain, had earlier stressed the valuable contribution former Grand Slam winners such as Edberg and Jim Courier could make to their tour, which mixes competition and nostalgia.
    "I know they're trying to convince me but I'm staying neutral," said the double winner of Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open.
    "I can understand that they probably need a few new names and I've thought about it but I'm quite happy being at home [in Sweden] playing tennis on a little court where no one is bothered."
    Edberg is nevertheless kept busy with his Junior Tennis Foundation at which 16 and 17-year-olds can combine regular education with learning how to be a professional tennis player. ...
  12/5/02
  A big thanks to Chris, who wrote to let us know that the event in London did take place, and that Stefan did well in it :-) The report brought a huge smile to my face.
  Stefan was awesome!
  Just got back from Royal Albert Hall-it was just great to watch Stefan play again & win!!He looked so relaxed & happy & it was far better that he played Jonas rather than Tim.He was mucking about quite a bit (I've never seen him having such fun!) and did his version of the John McEnroe serve before Jonas could do his!! Stefan got first set,Jonas got second then Stefan won champions' tie break (first to 10)after twice being a break down in it!! Even got wolf whistles when he changed his shirt!!
  I tried to take some pix but they'll be pretty naff.I'll try & get some pix off some of the professional photographers that my friend knows.My daughter came with me-Stefan was the only tennis player she ever followed & she was getting so excited during the match.Believe me-Stefan really wanted that match!!I think organisers of the Senior Tour are trying their hardest to persuade Stefan to join-he looked so at home in RAH.When he was in London he only lived round the corner in Queen's Gate.
  I'll try & put a bit more down on paper for you tomorrow.Sad that it was n't being televised! It's late now & am pretty tired!
  11/29/02
  Chris wrote:
  Jonas Bjorkman has taken Tim's place & is playing Stefan on 5th! Should be fun!!

  11/27/02
  There are now three albums of photos put together by Albert Murdiono. They can be found here, here, and here. Enjoy!

• Alas, Tim Henman can't make it to next week's event. Sent in by Jennifer:
  Recovering Henman Pulls Out of Exhibition Match
  By REUTERS
  Filed at 8:58 a.m. ET
  LONDON (Reuters) - World No. 8 Tim Henman has pulled out of a charity exhibition clash with former Wimbledon champion Stefan Edberg to allow his shoulder time to recover from recent surgery.
  Henman had been due to take on the retired Swede next Thursday in the match at London's Royal Albert Hall.
  But arthroscopic surgery to his right shoulder earlier this month has forced the Briton to take time away from the court to concentrate on rehabilitation.
  ``It's really frustrating because it's great fun playing in The Honda Challenge at the Royal Albert Hall,'' Henman said on Wednesday.
  ``It's a unique arena and to play Edberg, who was a hero of mine growing up, would have been really good. It's a great event and I'm sure I'll be back playing there in future years.''
  With Henman's help, event organizers are searching for a suitable replacement to take on Edberg.
  ``We are obviously very sorry that Tim won't be able to join the action this year and we wish him the speediest of recoveries,'' said tournament director, John Beddington.
  ``Our entry list is still the strongest ever and includes John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Michael Stich and Pat Cash.
  ``With Stefan Edberg and Virginia Wade also participating, along with doubles magician, Mansour Bahrami, I'm very confident that all our spectators will still enjoy an unforgettable experience.''
  Although he is unable to compete, Henman has confirmed he will be at the venue to greet fans.
  ``I know they've got a couple of options for Stefan to play against,'' said Henman. ``I'll be there on the night but obviously I won't be able to play. I'm going to be there on court helping with my part of the evening and meet and greet a lot of people.''
  Henman, who started rehabilitation work within four days of his operation, is on the mend but explained it could be several weeks before he is able to lift a racket...
• Sent in by Penny, as appeared in the Jon Wertheim Tennis Mailbag:
  As far as I know, tennis pros have to be retired five years before they're eligible for enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Why, then, did Boris Becker get the call before Stefan Edberg? Their credentials are roughly equal (Becker won 49 singles tournaments, Edberg 41, including six Grand Slams each). Edberg retired after the 1996 season, a good six years ago. Becker, on the other hand, went into "semi-retirement" after Wimbledon in 1997, played sparingly over the next two years, and only completely stopped playing professionally in 1999, a mere three years ago. I love both these guys, but what gives? Why wasn't Edberg inducted after his fifth year of retirement? Are his credentials not strong enough? Why was Becker ushered in after only three?
  --Omar Uddin, Urbana, Ill.
  This is another question that comes up at least once a week. I haven't gotten a response from the good folks at the Hall of Fame, so if, perchance, any of you know the answer, please clue the rest of us in . (And if you want an additional challenge, try and write the preceding sentence without ending it in a preposition.)
  
  Well, if Jon Wertheim could not get an answer, then I guess the Hall of Fame does not have one, which explains why they never responded to all our enquires. A pox on them!

  11/23/02
  
  A big thanks to Nicolai for sharing photos taken at the Edberg-Becker exhibition in Denmark earlier this month. More photos can be seen here.

  11/17/02
  • A big treat - photos from the collection of Albert Murdiono can be found here and here - click on Edberg. Check out the family photos and oh, how handsome Stefan really was and is! (see right)
  • Bjorn (in Sweden wrote):
    I ... actually thought that he would beat Becker. You know Stefan won versus Magnus Larsson only a few weeks ago and (Larsson) is number 115 on the ranking. Henman will surely win in London.
  11/11/02
  And another look at the Danish article, from Bjorn:
  BECKER WON THE FIGHT OF THE LEGENDS
  About 3500 people created an international atmosphere at the biggest sport event since Manchester United’s visit this summer. Boris Becker won the match over his former rival at the tennis court, Stefan Edberg.
  The stadium got a great start as a tennis arena when Boris Becker played the former world number one Stefan Edberg. The crowd also saw good tennis from good players.

  BECKER HAD A SMILE IN HIS FACE
  Boris often had a smile and gave comments to the boll boys and the line referees but it was with great tennis that the former stars mainly wanted to give to the crowd. It’s fantastic to play here and the crowd is great, Stefan said. The match took 1,5 hours to play.

  WON IN TWO SETS
  Boris won 6-4; 6-4 and many wished to get his autograph after the match. I hope to come back and make this to a tradition Becker continued. The two players haven’t changed much. With self-confidence and with the hair pointing everywhere Boris spoke much more than the quiet Swede. During Stefan’s carrier he often had his look in the ground and this was something his coach tried to change. He didn’t have the winning attitude as all stars have today. It was unthinkable to see Stefan with his fist tied (expression in Swedish) in the old days, said the umpire in the match, Carl Edward Hedelund. In this match it happened several times. Despite that 36 years old Edberg only plays a few matches per year it was a top fit Stefan that could match Boris. Carl Edward Hedelund says that he misses the kind of tennis these two had. Today everyone is standing on the base line.

  GREAT RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER
  They have always been fighting each other on the tour so I’m sure that both really wanted to win this match. Apart from this match the “artist” Mansour Bahrami showed his fantastic shots in a doubles match together with Frederik Fetterlein. They played against Michael Tauson and Morten Christensen. Bahrami gave the crowd and the three other players many laughs.

  11/10/02
  A big thanks to Markus for a tranlation of the Danish article:

  Becker won fight of the legends
  (By Anne Mette Svane)
  About 3500 spectators made the Arena to an international and intimate coulisse for the biggest sport event since Manchester United's stay in summer. Boris Becker won the duel against his old rival on the tennis court, Stefan Edberg.
  The arena got a smart debut as tennis arena with the legendary meeting between German superstar Boris Becker and the former number one, the Swede Stefan Edberg. About 3500 spectators made the Arena to an international and intimate coulisse for the biggest sport event since Manchester United's stay in summer. And the tennis loving audience soon got an answer that the two tennis stars hadn't come to town as two old circus horses which were pulled around in the manège.

  Becker with a smile on his lips
  There was a little showman with Boris Becker with a smile on his lips and fast comments to the ball boys [are they called "ball boys" in English???] and line referees, but the two tennis stars first of all wanted to entertain with thrilling tennis the world's tennis fans don't want to forget. "This is a fantastic arena and it's quite perfect to play here and the audience made an incredible atmosphere", Stefan Edberg said and especially praised Boris Becker for a good fight that lasted one and a half hour.

  Won in two sets
  Boris Becker won in two sets, in numbers 6:4, 6:4, and a huge crowd of spectators gathered to get an autograph from the German 34 year old star. "I don't hope this has been the last fight in Arena where the audience got to see a good fight. I hope I can come back because I want to make this a tradition, to come to Denmark to play", Boris Becker said after the match. Two of the biggest personalities in tennis sport haven't changed much. With self-confident style and unkempt hair Boris Becker was at the top against a more anonymous Stefan Edberg. The nice Swede who has decorated all world's bed-linen and souvenirs seemed more relaxed to the media as rarely seen during his active career. "Edberg was an atypic sport star because he was so shy as a person. He almost looked down onto the ground, and that was a problem his coach was working hard with. He didn't have this winner attitude all other tennis stars have today. It was unthinkable to see Edberg clench his fist", Carl Edvard Hedelung is telling who was the referee in this worth seeing showdown between Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.
  But Stefan radiated winner instinct and clenched his fist several times, jumped over the side boards in his raids on the base line as he succeeded in sending a passing shot past Becker in classical pose in front of the net. Even though the 36 year old Stefan Edberg has retired from limelight and only plays some exhibition matches per year it was a fit Stefan Edberg who still could compete with Boris Becker.
  "You can easily miss tennis stars like Edberg and Becker who mastered the serve-and-volley game. They always took the initiative during the match and didn't stand - like the nowadays young players - on the base line pumping the base shot. With this kind of game that is the tendency today they don't want to be with", Carl Edvard Hedelund is telling. He was wondering most if Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg were able to hold up a high level on the fast underground and play the match at a high speed.

  Big mutual respect
  "They have big mutual respect for each other and they have always been rivals and I don't doubt that they want to do everything to win. But it's clear that people have come to see if they are still good", Carl Edvard Hedelund says who is involved in the organization of the arrangement Legends Live III.
  The two players gave each other a solid fight with a nice match, less details and much more verve than the pre-fight which offered a big set up show by the artist Mansour Bahrami. 46 year old Iraniann had an arsenal of crazy and entertaining shots with poses decorated with talent for mimic art and show. It was hard for his double partner Frederik Fetterlein to dry his smile, and the double match against Michael Tauson and Morten Christensen gave the audience a lot to applaud and grin at.
  But without doubt, the audience wants to keep in mind the tennis gala in Arena with a warm meeting with two of the giants of tennis sport who still haven't forgotten how tennis is played on a high level.

  11/9/02
  • I asked Nicolai about his opinion of Stefan's play at the exhibition, and this is what he wrote:
    Stefan's play was as usual classic and beautiful. He's still got that superb backhand, and did indeed gain a few winners from it. So good to see it again. It really brought back memories..."best backhand in the world" :-)
    Regarding volleys - you bet! But it was clear that it wasn't up to the levels of his heyday. He's still got it in him - it's on the spine, but he missed a couple that he wouldn't have missed in the old days. But the same goes for Becker. They are getting a bit rusty in those old legs.
    • Postings found on a web site
      10:25 Retro tennis - Legends Live III Today is a big day. It's the battle of the tennis icons Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. Tonight at 19:00 the two titans will meet at the Århus Arena - hopefully giving the 5000 spectators (where I'm one of them!) a good run for our money. Becker and Edberg haven't stood face-to-face in a tennis match since 1996, where Becker beat Edberg in the finals of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament Queens. The head-to-head count is 25-10 in Beckers favour - so Edberg must be anxious to embellish that statistic.
      Anyways - I'm looking forward as a little boy to see Becker and Edberg in action again - and rest assured that I'll be sitting up front on the expensive high-roller seats with my DV-cam ready and loaded.
      10:40 Spectacular It was ohhh so good to see Becker and Edberg in action again. No doubt about it - they have their places in the historybooks. Even tho Becker had the upper hand througout the match, it was nice to see Edberg in action with a tennis racket in his hands, for the first time in 6 years. He has still got that classic back-hand, falwless serve and volley game - and perfect execution of all the shots. Truly tennis by the book. But Becker was just better. And so he should be... - he has after all been playing on the Senior ATP tour during the last year, and have been winning quite a few matches lately. So who knows if we'll see him in doubles action next year during Wimbledon... - that would truly be a fantastic Wimbledon reunion. Keeping my fingers crossed and hopes are high.
      Now I need to go home and start digging out old VHS tapes with classic Becker / Edberg matches - we're talking tapes that are over 10 years old, so I'd bette start cap'ing to MPG or DivX soon.
      Posted by Redfern at 10:25
    11/7/02
    • Stefan did play Becker in Denmark last night. Unfortunately, he lost to Boris at 6-4, 6-4. It's not surprising, and it's not important to me that he lost. The story can be read, in Danish, here - Markus may provide a translation later.
    • Meanwhile, a big thanks to Nicolai, who wrote:
      ... I was present at the Becker / Edberg match in Århus yesterday evening. It was truly a spectacular evening. SO good the see the two giants in action again. Becker came out on top 6-4 / 6-3, but it wasn't really important who came out as the winner - the important thing was to see the two in action again. It was superb.
    11/6/02 Markus wrote:
    (The Edberg-Becker exhibition) will take place tonight, November 6th, and is broadcasted live from Danish TV station TV Zulu from 21:30 till 23:30.

    10/19/02

    • Penny wrote to say:
      This is from MaliVai Washington's chat wrap.
      Ari, Alexandria: Mal, why don?t we hear the names of Edberg and Lendl when the all-time greats are being discussed? Is it a personality thing? What's your opinion about these two players and where they stack up all-time?
      MaliVai Washington: Typically when people talk about all-time greats they tend to focus on the more recent players. But Stefan and Ivan are certainly two of the greatest ever. I put both of those players in my top 7 or 8 all-time.
    • And from Jennifer:
      • And in the same article,
        "Kenny Burdick (St. George, UT): Pat Rafters gone. Pete's on his way out. Henman is getting older. Ivanisevic is about done. Krajicek is battling injuries. Are we seeing the last great serve and volleyer leave the game when Pete retires?
        MaliVai Washington: Off the top of my head, no serve-and-volleyers come to mind who I consider great. Wayne Arthurs comes to mind, but I dont' put him in a great category. It may be a long time before we see the likes of Sampras or Edberg."
        I believe Mal Washington once listed Edberg as one of his most admired and/or fave players.
      • Here's an article that appeared in the Swedish newspaper Expressen about Stefan Edberg today: here - a translation of this article provided by Markus Zacharsky is online on Mauro's website: here.
        (Editor's note: The article is obviously about the Stockholm Open, of which Stefan is one of the organizers. The photo accompanying the article, presumably a recent one, is shown at right. What do you think of Stefan's hairdo?)
    10/8/02
    More from Jon Weilheim's Mailbag:
    I found your Stefan Edberg story in last week's column incredibly touching, and it only reinforced his place as one of my favorite players of all time. Along these lines, are there other players, past and present, whom you feel were as classy and generous as Stefan?
    —Raymond Quan, Toronto
    Wait till next week when we reveal our contest winners. I suppose this is typical of celebrity culture in general, but it's amazing how a player's small act of graciousness or kindness stays with the recipient for years.
    10/02/02
    
    According to this article in www.sportal.nu, Stefan will play against Tim Henman at London's Royal Albert Hall this December, 12/5. Chris in England also wrote to say the same, although when he enquired about tickets, he was told that the event has not been confirmed. Wrote Chris: "The phone no is 02075 I've booked a couple of cheaper tickets just in case!!"
    Echoing the news is this posting on atpworld.com:
    Stefan Edberg will roll back the years when he faces Tim Henman in a charity exhibition match at London's Royal Albert Hall on 5 December. The two-set serve-and-volley clash during the Honda Challenge tournament will raise money for Henman's charity, Kids At Heart.
    It will also give Henman the chance to record a belated victory over the two-times Wimbledon champion, who won their two previous encounters before his retirement.
    Edberg, now 36, beat Henman in four sets in the last 16 of the US Open in 1996 and in straight sets in Stuttgart.
    And the Swede, who won Wimbledon in 1988 and 1990 and triumphed twice at both the Australian and US Opens, is said to be in good shape.
    Former Wimbledon winners John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Pat Cash will also be in action at the Honda Challenge.
    So: Stefan will play Becker in Denmark in November, and then in this London event in December. Is something afoot??? :-)

    10/1/02
    From this weeks's CNNSI's Jon Wertheim's Mailbag:
    OK, I'll bite: In last week's column, you mentioned that you had a "Stefan Edberg story" to tell. What is it? —Ali Akhtar, Austin, Texas

    Summer 1992. To earn some extra cash before the fall semester of college, I worked the locker room of the New Haven tournament. (Think I feel old? Kafelnikov had to qualify.) Anyway, I was a glorified towel boy, duties including making sure the showers were stocked with enough ATP Tour-brand bath gel. First day he arrived, Edberg, a top seed and defending U.S. Open champion, approached me and extended his hand: "Hi, I'm Stefan." Rest of the week, he treated me like an old friend. Edberg beat Mal Washington, I think it was, to win the title. He got his check, gave his speech and left town. As I cleaned up the locker room one last time, I came across an adidas bag stuffed with new shoes, a new sweatshirt and a racket. Atop it was a note: "Jon, thanks for everything. Good luck at school, Stefan."
    (FYI: 148 words.)
    9/24/02
    This week's CNNSI's Jon Wertheim's Mailbag has a couple mentionings of Stefan. In a previous column, Wertheim responded to a question posed to him, about Agassi being the greatest player in the open era. The article apparently drew a lot of responses, including these two notes:
    • Borg went a combined 100-6 at the French Open and Wimbledon, dominating for his entire career two of the three Slams that really counted in his era (the Aussie wasn't played by most of the top players). His winning percentage in Slam matches was 89.8 percent, by far the best in the modern men's game. By the way, here is how other greats of the Open era compare in Slam winning percentage:

      Pete Sampras: 84.2 percent 
      Jimmy Connors: 82.6 percent 
      Ivan Lendl: 81.9 percent 
      John McEnroe: 81.5 percent 
      Andre Agassi: 81.2 percent 
      Boris Becker: 80.3 percent 
      Mats Wilander: 79.6 percent 
      Stefan Edberg: 79.1 percent 
      —Maria Jose Andreotta, Miami 
      

    • I was disappointed not to see the name of Stefan Edberg in your discussion of Agassi's place in history. Edberg made it to the final of all four Grand Slams, outclassed Becker 2-1 in three Wimbledon finals, and won six in all. Not to throw in another feeble argument, but Edberg also won the junior Grand Slam. I still consider Sampras' loss to him in the U.S. Open final many years ago as Sampras' worst whipping (never mind Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin). By omitting Stefan Edberg, you have committed tennis blasphemy! —Anandam Mamidipudi, Boxborough, Mass.
      To which Wertheim replied: I humbly repent. Edberg does indeed deserve more than passing mention in any discussion of the best player of the last 25 years. But I was just answering the question posed. You lay a convincing case for Edberg's enshrinement and add another: His 18 doubles titles are more than Lendl, Borg and Andre Kirk combined. Further, Edberg gets subconscious bonus points for his aesthetically pleasing style and his general good-guy-ness. (Remind me to tell you my childhood Edberg story sometime.) Still, all things considered, I give the nod to Agassi.
    9/23/02
    

    This lot of two Swedish "Buster" sports comic magazines was for sale on ebay this past week.
    The bid started at $1, and finished at $26, with two bidders dueling it out in the closing minutes. I would have liked to have gotten them, but was seriously outbid. However, I am glad that there are others who recognize quality Edberg collectibles.

    9/17/02
    Someone mentioned this link www.parrocha.8m.com in a rec.sport.tennis posting, and I found there a few pics that I had never seen before, including the feature pic of the day, which is the way Edberg looked when he won his first Wimbledon. Sigh. Just how handsome was he?

    9/13/02
    Action speaks louder than words
    I am watching a tape of Stefan's first major victory over Ivan Lendl, his 5-set win in the 1985 Australian Open semi-final, the year that he won the AO title for the first time.
    Stefan had just turned 19, and Ivan Lendl was then a dominating figure on the tour, the perenial favorite in every event.

    The match, a great thrill and a breakthrough for young Stefan, has many great moments. But I find one particular moment especially endearing, as it speaks volumes of Stefan's character.

    In the 7th game of the fourth set, Stefan was serving at 0-15. He was one break down in the game, with the match at 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 in his favor. Lendl had just called an injury break, and, throughout the match, had interrupted action by challenging line calls repeatedly. He was carrying on a feud with the umpire, a young Australian.

    On this point, Lendl was returning on the ad court. Stefan, spotting a jaunty shirt with a touch of red, his longish blond hair flapping in the wind, wielded a serve that landed deftly on the T, right down the middle, a clean ace. From across the net, Lendl stared, caught the ball, glared fiercely at Stefan and did not move for a minute. He finally put the ball down on the baseline before moving on to the deuce court. Stefan readied for the next serve. But Ivan began to mouth something to the umpire, apparently challenging that there was no call on a serve that he thought had faulted. The conversation was barely audible on my tape, but the young umpire could be heard to say "let's play" repeatedly, while Lendl, his hands on his hips, could be heard saying "I didn't ask to play, I ..." The dispute went on in public view for minutes, while Stefan waited patiently on the other side of the court. The crowd in the packed stadium grew impatient; a faint boo could be heard.

    Lendl finally settled down. With his next serve, what did Stefan do? As if to express his disapproval of the constant complaints of his garrulous opponent, Stefan spinned off another ace, this time from the opposite side, that landed in the exact same pinpoint spot, to show Ivan that that the last serve was no fluke. The crowd let out a hearty cheer, with whistles to follow. Lendl moved mutely to the other side.

    Stefan went on to win that game, but lost the set after a rain delay. He would go on to win the fifth set to clinch his victory, to the delight of the Australian crowd.

    I dare say that the one point I described won Stefan the affection of many an Australian in the crowd. As the world would come to know, Edberg is a man of few words. But that one defiant serve spoke loudly and clearly that, young as he was, Stefan could make a statement with his action, and was a force to be reckoned with.

    9/12/02
    Following is an excellent posting from the Tennis Warehouse Pro Player Talk board:

    End of the Serve and Volley Era?
    Rabbit - 11:19am Sep 10, 2002 PDT (#10 of 23)
    I think S&V tennis is going the way of the wood racket.
    Prior to Jack Kramer, tennis was mainly a baseline game of fewer errors than your opponent. Jack Kramer revolutionized the game with percentage tennis. Likewise, Nick Bollitieri has created another revolution with academy tennis. NB's strategy is vastly different than the one that preceded it. Where Tilden's treatise on strategy focused on fewer errors than your opponent, Bollitieri emphasizes hitting more winners than your opponent. These two stategems are in direct opposition to each other. We happen to live in the era when they clashed.
    IMO, Stefan Edberg was the ultimate S&V player. His style of play and physicality were the pinnacle of serve/volley. Two of Edberg's contemporaries, while not as successful, were the future of tennis; Jimmy Arias and Aaron Krickstein. While we've seen a decline in the S&V player, the number of academy (power baseliner, huge first serve, huge forehand) players has increased tremendously.
    The two biggest factors in this change are racket construction and results. First, racket construction has changed so radically that now rackets are much more headlight than their wood counterparts. This enables much greater racket head speed and more extreme grips. Rackets are also lighter overall than they used to be and much more powerful. In the 70s, Borg was the only player capapble of consistently hitting winners from the back court. Today, this is commonplace and seen daily. It is not the size and strength of the players alone that dictates this, but also their rackets. I have not mentioned head size, but this too is a determining factor in the demise of S&V.
    The second factor is results. An S&V player takes more time to develop than a baseliner. Today, the players are younger than ever (only limited by rules not allowing them to enter professional competition) and when they develop a winning game, are reluctant to change it, if at all.
    Combine extreme grips with two handed backhands, and volleying is becoming a dying art. This is not to say that the pros can't volley, but the majority of today's touring pros have neither the technique or the proficiency of their predecessors.
    There are other factors. Patrick Rafter said that court surface limits the life of a S&V player. S&V takes a toll on the body and is accelarated when hard courts come into play. By the time a S&V player develops these days, his body is nearly worn out. One would think the opposite would be true since S&V players play (on average) shorter points, but this is not the case.
    Another major factor is the demise of grass. Once, a large part of professional tennis was grass. I was speaking with an older gentleman who told me he saw Laver play at a grass court tournament in Tuscaloosa Alabama in September after the Open in 63. The grass court season started before Wimbledon and went through close to February of the next year. Three of the four majors, Wimbledon, the Open, and the Australian were played on grass in a row. Hard courts were not nearly as commonplace as they are now. Percentage tennis on grass is predicated on solid net play (at least until Borg came along).
    There has also been a great call to slow the game down. A consequence of this is that net play will become harder and harder if your opponent has more and more time to set up and play a pass.
    IMO, these all these factors have combined along with the right set of circumstances (U.S Open and Australian Open ditching grass) to effectively end S&V as a mainstream strategy in tennis. Players will continue to hit the ball harder from the baseline with changes in equipment and the continuing call to "slow the game down". There will always be the odd S&V player, and probably always one in the top twenty, but the golden age of S&V tennis, much like the day of the wood racket is gone forever
    And an equally excellent follow-up post:
    Only time will tell, ultimately. You guys are kind of indirectly proving my point. You can only name a handfull of S&V players now. I didn't say that there would be no S&V players, I did say that as a mainstream strategy, it's gone.
    You need only to watch Wimbledon for proof. This year at Wimbledon, the grass inside the service box was not worn and chewed up as it was twenty years ago. The baseline, on the other hand, was a mess. I think all would agree that Wimbledon is the place where S&V players are able to showcase their skills. If we use Wimbledon as the barometer or forecast of playing styles, then clearly S&V tennis is on the decline.
    I've said before that the Academy style tennis is a better way to win a tennis match, much the same way as Kramer's S&V was a better way to win with wood rackets on grass courts. I've also said that it may be a better way to win, but it's not attracting fans. Will S&V be back? I truly think it's doubtful because of the speed of the ball. There's simply no way a player can serve 125 MPH and then get to the T of the service box, unless they foot fault.:) If they slow their serve down, which is the only alternative to close the net, they are going to get eaten alive by the returners of the game, the power baseliners. Unless there is a change in the game, one that involves either surface or equipment, then the current trend will only gain momentum.
    There will be the occasional S&V player, but there will be fewer and fewer of them in the future.
    9/9/02
    This line, which appeared in a posting on rec.sport.tennis, really struck a chord:
    Just shocks me that people forget Edberg so easily..(ARE YOU LISTENING INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION??)
    Perfect volleys. Come on. You HAVE to remember.
    I am sensing with increasing alarm that Stefan Edberg, as beloved as he was, is not getting his fair shake in the recognition department. Case in point is the slight from the Tennis Hall of Fame, and that supposedly McEnroe failed to even mention Edberg when, during last week's USO broadcast, he kissed up to Sampras and Becker as the best server-and-volleyers ever.
    The problem is that Edberg doesn't seek publicity, and, unlike Becker, he doesn't stir up a hornet's nest regularly. And his biggest problem is that he is not American. You do have people like USA Network commentator Ted Robinson and NY Times writer George Vecsey who still expressed appreciation for him, but I am really concerned that Edberg will be forgotten all too soon.

    9/7/02
    A discussion currently on the tennis warehouse board Pro Player Talk section, titled "Best Serve and Volleyer ever", starts as follows:

    GIlgamesh - 07:08am Sep 7, 2002 PDT
    I was watching the US Open today, and John McEnroe said that Peet Sampras and BOris Becker were the best serve and volleyers ever, without question. Who do you think is the best ever?
    Read the responses, including mine, there. John McEnroe, in my opinion, has always had a grudge against Stefan.
    I urge your to write to CBS-TV and voice your protest about the statement - you don't have to have a SportsLine ID to send a feedback message -- mine read as follows:
    During the 9/7 US Tennis Open broadcast, Mr. McEnroe made the comment that Pete Sampras and Boris Becker were the best serve-and-volleyers ever, without question. While I commend him for his modesty in not naming himself, as he should have, I take issue with him for leaving out Stefan Edberg, whom many believe to be the best serve-and-volleyer ever.

    9/6/02
    A big thanks to Jennifer, who has a real knack for finding little gems of Edberg news/references. Jennifer alerted me to a George Vecsey article that appeared in today's New York Times, which contains this sweet paragraph:

    As a paying customer a few decades ago, I derived a great deal of enjoyment from players who did not stuff an American passport into their kit — Adriano Panatta, Jaime Fillol, Wojtek Fibak, Vijay Amritraj and the lefty with the perpetual lopsided smile, Manuel Orantes.
    Later on, as a sportswriter, I have enjoyed covering such gallants as Miloslav Mecir, a big graceful cat of a player, the dreadlocked Yannick Noah, and Stefan Edberg, whom I dare say many men would choose to look like, play like and act like.
    What a nice thing for Vecsey to say. This ranks right up there with Ted Robinson's comments about Stefan being "the most impressive" champion he had seen during his 15 years of coverage of the USO. It really warms my heart that these people who are in the know appreciate Edberg just as much as we do. The Hall of Fame be damned!
    What's more, Vecsey's theme is exactly one on which I expounded on rec.sport.tennis 10 years ago, when I lamented the American-centric TV coverage of tennis ( Agassi and Sampras ad nauseaum, just like today.)
    Great article - please do read it in its entirety. And, one more thing that endears me about it: Becker is not mentioned!

    9/3/02
    I checked the Tennis Hall of Fame site today and noticed that the 2003 ballot announcement has now been posted, laughable error and all. You really have to think that the people there don't really follow pro-tennis. Here's another email that I sent to the Hall's Press Center contact, Kat Anderson:

    Hello, Kat Anderson:
    I am the Stefan Edberg fan who sent in a strong protest about the 2003 enshrinee nominations, to which you kindly responded. Per your advice, I did send in a letter to the nomination committee chairman, Tony Trabert and I eagerly await his response. Meanwhile, I see that the announcement is now osted on your site.
    I hate to say it, but it is a sign of how sloppy the nomination that this line appeared in the announcement: "Becker held the World No. 1 ranking for 109 weeks, and was ranked in the year-end Top 10 eleven times (1985-1996)."
    I recommend that you check the statistics and make some correction to this statement. I believe the figures cited belong to another Swedish great player who preceded Stefan Edberg, Bjorn Borg.
    I have aired my protests on several tennis forums on the web. I maintain that this nomination -- which violates the eligibility criteria stipulated by your own organization -- calls into question the validity of the enshrinements.
    
    9/3/02
    No word yet about the 1993 Hall of Fame nomination scandal :-(
    Meanwhile, this card, rather nice, is for sale on ebay. But look a little closer, and see if you can spot something wrong. I wonder if Stefan noticed it when he signed it:
    Exhbition in Denmark this November
    9/2/02
    • The ongoing Hall of Fame nomination controversy not withstanding, it seems that Stefan and Boris are scheduled for an exhibition match this Novemebr. When I spoke to Stefan in Cape Cod this past July, he mentioned that he may play an exhibition this Fall, and I very foolishly neglected to ask where and when. This must be what he meant.
      Anyway, this is what Edberg fan Markus wrote:
      Motivated through the entry on the edhead01us site, I searched through the web and finally found that indeed Edberg is playing Becker in an exhibition match in Århus, Denmark, on November 6th, 19:00. The event is titled "Legends Live III", it is broadcasted live on TV2 Zulu and there will be an one-hour-repeat later in the evening on TV2. Tickets cost 185-485 DKK. You find all information on http://www.f-reklame.dk/docs/LL3/ramme.asp.
      How about that! A big thanks to Markus. I do hope that people in Europe, or visitors to Europe at the right time, will lend their support to the event. It will be too far for me to travel, but I am hoping to obtain a video tape of the broadcast from European fans. If you live where you can get the broadcast, or know someone who can, I would appreciate hearing from you. Please write to me.
      Stay tuned.
    • Mats Wilander has been announced as the new Davis Cup captain for Sweden. See here.
      This news is not a shock to me. Earlier there were articles on expressen.se about who's to take up the vacancy and supposedly the Swedish players want Wilander to captain the team. Some Edberg fans had hoped that one day Stefan will become the captain, so that we may get to see him at Davis Cup events, but apparently that is not to be, at least for now. Stefan has said that he's not interested in the job, but it's hard to know if behind the scene this is yet another disappointment to Stefan.

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    Wanted and willing to share: Edberg matches

    If you have any video of Edberg matches, I would appreciate hearing from you.
    I have tapes of some of Edberg's finest matches, including three of his 1991 U.S. Open matches, and a couple of his 1992 epic matches, as well as his winning Wimbledon finals.
    Please write me at mlliu@pacbell.net .)
    Tapes of Stefan Edberg's matches: A long list of tapes, from my own collection and another source.

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    My tribute to Stefan, written in December 2001
    Favorite photos
    Links of interest
    Edberg articles
    Stefan Edberg matches on video tape
    Past columns

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    You can write to Stefan at:
    Stefan Edberg Foundation
    c/o Swedish Tennis Association
    PO Box 27915
    115 94 Stockholm
    Sweden

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