Oh my, I somehow forgot this was a bilingual blog. It's time to get back to it then.
I like tennis. I'm not crazy about it, and I certainly don't know what tournament is going on right now. But I do know the rules of the game (I'm a dreadful player, by the way), and I certainly do like to watch once in a while. If I can be there, so much the better. But, alas, I'm not rich, and therefore resort to just attending the final day of our own little ATP tournament called Estoril Open.
If there is an underrated tournament in Portugal, it has to be this one. But it's understandable, being an upper middle class and upwards type of sport in a small country with a big football tradition means that only a few lean towards tennis.
But that ends up having positive effects. There are no dangerous tennis matches, with the police going over the attendant's belongings looking for dangerous stuff. There are no hoolingans, people are civilized. Only in such a circumstance do I have the chance of riding in the very same bus next to Lili Caneças, a socialite famous for being famous, or literally walking side by side with famous politicians, bank owners and big companies' CEO's and such.
Although it's called Estoril Open, it is actually held in a beautiful place surrounded by trees halfway between Lisbon and Oeiras called "Complexo Desportivo do Jamor" or simply "Estádio Nacional". The tournament is almost always a success, and has been going on for twenty years. The final day, always on a Sunday, meets a full court with a cheering, respectful crowd and , generally, good weather.
However, there are also downsides: the organiser, João Lagos, has been fighting a constant battle over the past few years in order to establish the tournament in a definitive place, with proper infrastructure, but to no avail up to now.
The main tennis court is temporary by nature, being assembled and disassembled every year, The restaurant is done in the same fashion: a cramped tent. The Vip Lounge ? Another tent. The organiser still holds out hope, but this country takes a long time to make things official, even though they are as official as it can be.
However, at the end of the day, Estoril Open will never have a mass appeal as long as the VIP tent is three or four times the size of the restaurant. It's a small little country, with all the meanings the expression encompasses.
I like tennis. I'm not crazy about it, and I certainly don't know what tournament is going on right now. But I do know the rules of the game (I'm a dreadful player, by the way), and I certainly do like to watch once in a while. If I can be there, so much the better. But, alas, I'm not rich, and therefore resort to just attending the final day of our own little ATP tournament called Estoril Open.
If there is an underrated tournament in Portugal, it has to be this one. But it's understandable, being an upper middle class and upwards type of sport in a small country with a big football tradition means that only a few lean towards tennis.
But that ends up having positive effects. There are no dangerous tennis matches, with the police going over the attendant's belongings looking for dangerous stuff. There are no hoolingans, people are civilized. Only in such a circumstance do I have the chance of riding in the very same bus next to Lili Caneças, a socialite famous for being famous, or literally walking side by side with famous politicians, bank owners and big companies' CEO's and such.
Although it's called Estoril Open, it is actually held in a beautiful place surrounded by trees halfway between Lisbon and Oeiras called "Complexo Desportivo do Jamor" or simply "Estádio Nacional". The tournament is almost always a success, and has been going on for twenty years. The final day, always on a Sunday, meets a full court with a cheering, respectful crowd and , generally, good weather.
However, there are also downsides: the organiser, João Lagos, has been fighting a constant battle over the past few years in order to establish the tournament in a definitive place, with proper infrastructure, but to no avail up to now.
The main tennis court is temporary by nature, being assembled and disassembled every year, The restaurant is done in the same fashion: a cramped tent. The Vip Lounge ? Another tent. The organiser still holds out hope, but this country takes a long time to make things official, even though they are as official as it can be.
However, at the end of the day, Estoril Open will never have a mass appeal as long as the VIP tent is three or four times the size of the restaurant. It's a small little country, with all the meanings the expression encompasses.
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