The World Championship Match Report

From Alan Chalmers

The First Day of the 2008 Challenge at Fontainebleau

Tuesday 20th May 2008 at 7.00pm

This was the great confrontation that the tennis world had been eagerly anticipating for many months.  The old court at Fontainebleau, recently beautifully renovated, was to be the scene of Champion Rob Fahey’s 8th defence of his title against the undoubtedly deserving challenger Camden Riviere from Aiken, South Carolina. The match format was that the first player to accumulate 7 sets over the 3 days would be the winner.

The auditorium was not quite full but the very knowledgeable audience was keen to see the action.  The players were introduced by Marc Maury who elicited from the players the fascinating fact that whereas today it was Riviere’s 21st birthday, the champion had just passed his 40th!  As Fahey pointed out to the audience, he had started playing tennis before Riviere was born!

The match officials were Andrew Lyons (the Marker)  of The Queen’s Club, Matt Ronaldson (the Match Referee) of the Paris Tennis Club, and Chris Ronaldson, the former World Champion acting on behalf of IRTPA World Championship Executive as the Match Invigilator.

 Because of the peculiar format of the Fontainebleau court where there is no opening at the net, the Marker stood at the door on the service side and the Referee sat at the high level above the grille penthouse.

Previous encounters between these two players had featured peerless demonstrations of speed across the court, the ability to retrieve balls from seemingly impossible situations allied to amazing demonstrations of forcing and volleying.  With the game as it is today, the days of the gentle art of patient cutting and feathering of the ball on the diagonal are now long gone.

1st SET won by Fahey 6/1 in 24 minutes (1/0 RF)

  Fahey won the toss and went into serve and ran through the first set in only 24 minutes for the loss of one game.  This was the progress that the majority of the members of the audience had been talking about beforehand, thus there was no surprise so far; little did they know what was about to unfold in front of them.

The most notable feature of this first set was that Riviere broke a racket and it was clear that Riviere had not yet settled.

2nd SET won by Riviere 6/3 in 39 minutes (1/1)

  At the start of the second set Camden motored into an early lead, going 2 love up but Fahey started to claw his way back into the set.  However Camden was not to be denied, forcing successfully for the grille and dedans to remain ahead at 3-2.  Thereafter, Riviere remained ahead going to 4-2 and taking the set at 6-3 after 39 minutes to the enormous relief of the Riviere family but also producing a minor air of gloom in the Australian camp.

3rd SET won by Riviere 6/5 in 45 minutes (1/2 CR)

The unorthodox layout of the Fontainebleau court produced an amusing occurrence when the marker took a modest blow to the right buttock from Camden much to the amusement of the assembled crowd. I think Lyons saw the amusing side!

At 3 games all with Fahey at the service-end, Camden forced for the dedans and as so often hit the top lip of the penthouse, the ball falling no more than a yard from the back-wall. Fahey turned to face the back-wall and fiercely drove the ball which spiralled high into the air along the main wall falling just for a hazard.

Both players had by now settled into a routine of high Chandelle serves for the first service.  These were working for both players with great effect, more so with Fahey who was locking Riviere into the back-wall in such a way as to return the service, Riviere had to step back to the side-wall and drive the ball left-handed off the long-wall in a defensive manner.  The other major feature of the service technique of both players was the very small usage of the railroad, against which the high and steep angled penthouse at Fontainebleau mitigates.  At 3 all in this set and with intense duels of forcing and volleying to the foot of the tambour, Fahey forged ahead to take the advantage at 5-3, after Riviere served his only double fault at game point.  

However, Riviere was again not to be denied and in this the longest of the 4 sets at 45 minutes and displaying amazing speed from corner to corner at the service-side, retrieving what seemed to the audience as certain winning shots, Riviere clawed his way back to 5-5.  At this point several things happened at once.  Fahey broke a racket and as the game ended Riviere turned to the Dedans battery limping as he walked. For a moment we thought Riviere was in serious trouble, but whatever the limp was for quickly passed.

The match moved into the deciding game of the set during which Fahey broke strings on two more rackets in quick succession.  Here Fahey’s luck told as he forced for the dedans. The ball clipped the left-edge of the buttress, flying obliquely across the face of the dedans to fall for better than half-a-yard, here called a Pique. On the change of ends Camden forced successfully for the dedans taking the set 6/5 to enormous acclaim.

 I wonder how many people in the audience going back to 7.00pm could have guessed by 9.00pm that the world champion would be in trouble 2 sets to 1 down against the young challenger?

4th SET won by Fahey 6/4 in 37 minutes (2/2)

  From mid-way in the third set and throughout this fourth set, Fahey adopted the “be safe” policy when at the hazard end of continually driving for the service side galleries rather than gambling on the short ball, so as to be certain to get the service side.  

The players stayed neck and neck to 3 all with Riviere’s speed of retrieval if anything increasing at this late stage.  Lady luck played little part in either player’s progress but at this stage Fahey at the service side drove the ball for the tambour, it clipped the top of the net, hovered on the top for a split second and toppled back to the service side for chase the line.

By now it seemed to this writer that Fahey was beginning to lose his grip and accuracy, as too many forces were missing the openings and striking the penthouse roof with dire consequences.  But at 4 all Fahey re-grouped and with Riviere making several unforced errors Fahey ran out the winner at 6-4 to level the match.

CONCLUSION ON DAY 1 AT 2 SETS ALL

We now knew that there would be play on the 3rd day which had not happened since the challenge at The Royal Tennis Court in 2002.  However, the audience probably never thought that it could be Fahey who might have been defeated in two days had he not won this second set.

As an aside in the 4th set when the auditorium was very quiet, Kip Curren’s stomach was heard to rumble by quite a few.  The marker on passing said that he could nip out to get him a burger.

The Second Day of the 2008 Challenge at Fontainebleau

Thursday 22nd May 2008 at 7.00pm

Match situation is Fahey and Riviere at 2 sets all

Before the first leg, all those wise heads who knew the game had been unanimous on a 4 sets to 0 advantage to Rob Fahey.  Now we were starting the second leg at all square and possible psychological advantage to Riviere.

5th SET won by Fahey 6/2 in 42 minutes (3/2 RF)

  So we started the 5th set with Riviere continuing to serve, having been in hand at the end of the first leg.  Almost immediately Fahey hit the 2nd gallery in what was to be a never ending assault from the hazard end on that beguiling run of openings down the service end.  This was his clear and obvious strategy and it duly earned him the obvious reward of service.  In fact, during the 4 sets that followed, Fahey hit 23 second galleries and another 17 side gallery openings.  He had clearly realised that Riviere was moving so fast that there was little chance of creating anything short on the floor.  Fahey managed to lay only 10 floor chases on the service side, whereas Riviere laid 27 floor chases on the service side.

Riviere too recognised the near impossibility of laying floor chaces against Fahey, but instead of taking the side galleries, Riviere forced for the dedans, gratefully accepting the second best option of laying long floor chases on the rebound from the back-wall if the dedans did not beckon.

Whatever Riviere tried, Fahey seemed to have a planned response and he ran out the first set at 6/2 in 42 minutes.  In the game leading to 1/2 lasting 9 minutes, Fahey at the hazard end forced high up on the dedans wall and Riviere raced up the court to retrieve the ball but collided with the net!  In the game leading to 4/2 Fahey, Riviere hit the dedans with 3 straight drives, but still lost the game.

6th SET won by Fahey 6/3 in 38 minutes (4/2 RF)

  The second set saw this pattern emerging.  Whenever Fahey was at the service end, Riviere forced.  Fahey’s quality of volley was outstanding and he missed very few volleys.  Whenever Riviere was at the service end, Fahey went for the service galleries without fail.  Riviere occasionally tried to anticipate the 2nd gallery, but Fahey simply hit the Door or the First Gallery.

This policy of Fahey’s denied Riviere’s undoubted ability to dash from corner to corner, because Fahey only cut for the corner onto Riviere’s backhand when near the Winning Gallery.

The audience was enthralled with the duel which was developing.  Audience participation in a Tennis match is generally good natured and reserved for applauding brilliance.  I have to allude to some overtly partisan verballing of a few of the Marker’s calls, verballing which passed the boundaries of what I thought most of us in Tennis considered to be inviolable.  I think we all understand and value genuine passion.  I don’t think we need the intervention of soccer fan antics in Tennis; I may be wrong and if so I regret it, but I believe the thinking majority in Tennis will side with me on this.

(Comment by Susie Falkner:  The Australian and American supporters were prior to the final session reminded that enthusiasm and applauding on anything positive is good)

7th SET won by Riviere 6/5 in 55 minutes (4/3 RF)

  Set 3 lasted 55 minutes and was the longest of any played in the match.  This was the set Riviere had to win otherwise Fahey would be out of sight.  And win it Riviere did, though the score see-sawed till the end.  Riviere went 2/0 up, then he was 4/2 down. He hammered the ball at Fahey time and time again, but Fahey’s amazing volley held firm.  It seemed as though Fahey was permanently at the service end and too often did Riviere hit the top of the net when Fahey seemed out of position.

Fahey went to 5/3, then it was 5/4 and 5/5. In the 11th game came the longest reste at 26 shots putting Riviere at 40/30.  After 3 deuces Fahey fluffed a rare volley to give Riviere the set, at which Fahey hurled his racket across the court.

8th SET won by Fahey 6/0 in 22 minutes (5/3 RF)

  In this, the last set of the day, it seemed to me  that Riviere’s resistance was over, at least for today. Fahey surged ahead to take the set without losing a game to put himself at 5 sets to 3.  Riviere spent most of the set at the hazard end as Fahey’s Chandelle denied him attacking strokes.

CONCLUSION ON DAY 2 WITH FAHEY AT 5 SETS TO 3

  So Saturday’s climax due to start at 2.00pm could be over in 2 sets, or could we see a repeat of the climax at The Royal Tennis Court in 2002 when Tim Chisholm was 2/6 against Fahey but pulled back to 6/6?  Frankly I doubt it but one of life’s pleasures is unexpected surprises and it may just happen.

The Third Day of the 2008 Challenge at Fontainebleau

Saturday 24th May 2008 at 2.00pm

Match situation is Fahey leads Riviere by 5 sets to 3

The Floor Markings on the Fontainebleau Court

  So here we were again, this time for the denouement. The use of this French word, which seems to have gone well into the English language, gives me an opportunity to mention briefly the main differences between the French courts and the other courts of the world in Great Britain, Australia and the USA. Any visitor to the Fontainebleau court will immediately notice the presence of the doors (already mentioned), the lack of an opening at the net, and most of all the very unusual markings on the floor. Otherwise the service-side gallery openings are as usual, but shorter than the last gallery there is an array of lines across the floor unfamiliar to most Tennis players. These are the original and traditional line markings of centuries gone-by. Whereas most Tennis players are used to chases called yards from 1 to 6 (including worse than, better than, or half-way e.g. 3 and 4), here the markings are at about 18 inches apart numbered from 2 to 14 and then the “dernier” (last) gallery. Calling the floor chases demands a quick eye, as does noting a beaten chase or chase-off. The Marker calls the score and the chases in English but using the French floor markings; at each change of ends, the Referee calls the score in French and then in English. I should also add that here, a service which rolls down the full length of the grille penthouse to fall for a fault is here called a Pass and thus is not a fault.

I noticed that throughout the warm-up period, Riviere once again wore his IPOD, but I did not discover what his music was. I heard that he would have been happy to wear it during the match but for the fact he would not hear the Marker’s calls!

9th SET won by Fahey in 27 minutes (6/3 RF)

  Riviere went in to serve again, having finished the 8th set in hand. Fahey hit the door twice and after going into serve at 30/40, he defended successfully and served out the game. He raced through the next two games and at last found the winning gallery, an opening which had previously eluded him. He took the 5th game to love on another wining gallery, always a psychological blow to the opponent on game point, and then ran out the set for the loss of 1 game, putting him seemingly on the edge of victory.

10th SET won by Riviere in 26 minutes (6/4 RF)

  This was it for Riviere: lose the 10th set and good-bye, win it and game on! Riviere continued as he left off, and went quickly to 3/0. In this third game there was a lovely 22 shot reste, with Riviere in hand almost throughout this long game. The remaining games in this set were all about 3 minutes with Riviere taking the set in hand at 6/2 with a marvellous fluke off the net-cord. Fahey just managed not to say what was on his mind!

11th SET won by Riviere in 24 minutes (6/5 RF)

Now the crowd was on edge with anticipation of a possible upset. As I said earlier, not one sage had so far correctly forecast this result; those of us with plans for an early train ferry back to Folkestone rapidly adjusted our timetables.

The third game at all square was a very important period as the players upped the pace, Fahey scenting victory, and Riviere with his back firmly against the wall and fighting to the death. Some extended restes took place and this was possibly Riviere at his athletic best, being moved from corner to corner in a ruthless fashion by the champion. But Riviere stemmed the tide and took this game to lead, to the apparent annoyance of Fahey.

Deuce calls were much more apparent in this set and Riviere managed to win the next 4 games from deuce. Here a small drama occurred at 5/1 to Riviere, possibly induced by the champion being unhappy about his long stay at the hazard end. His unerring force to the right side of the dedans eventually broke the rope fastening the top of the dedans net to the underside of the dedans wall and a worrying gap opened up right in front of this writer. You don’t want a Fahey force in the face, but help was at hand as Lachlan Deuchar, the new Match Invigilator, was close by and he surreptitiously repaired the damage without having to stop the match, thus saving me from a probably terminal blow between the eyes! Anyway, Riviere finished off the set 6/1.

12th SET won by Fahey in 39 minutes (RF 7/5)

The pressure was now intense; Fahey was one away from victory (again) and Riviere was one away from making it unexpectedly all-square. Surely the champion would now wrap it up. And as the set progressed, that seemed to be the way of things, with Fahey going to 2/0, then 5/2 and well in control. Riviere had other  ideas, and frantically clawed his way back into the match to level the set at 5 games all. In the 9th and 10th games, Riviere was hardly out of hand. With Riviere serving to take this set, Fahey opened his shoulders and struck the dedans 3 times to Riviere’s 1 grille. Fahey reached 40/30 match point, then it was deuce, then advantage Fahey, then Fahey hit hazard the 2nd gallery, changed ends and it was all over. Fahey yelled and fell to his knees, Xanthe sobbed with relief and pride, and the very knowledgeable crowd paid homage to two marvellous players who had given an exhibition the like of which few of us will see again.

CONCLUSION ON DAY 3 WITH FAHEY AT 7 SETS TO 5

Recording the stats on this amazing match is an experience that will stay with me for ever. Many congratulations to all concerned who came together and made this such a memorable week. I make special mention of the match officials including Andrew Lyons who probably got as much exercise as the players, as he had to cover much ground in his duties. Well done to the organisers both at IRTPA and at Fontainebleau; the French hospitality was splendid and we all quickly adopted French street café society style. The many visitors from England, the USA, and Australia were treated to a feast of Tennis and even the USA contingent can go home satisfied, even if a little disappointed. Their man did not let them down.