Monday, August 13, 2001
Tennis Masters Notebook
Kuerten thanks his father figures
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — The fans Sunday were decidedly in Patrick Rafter's favor. Then Gustavo Kuerten's final shot hit their hearts.
After the on-court festivities finished, Kuerten sheepishly took the microphone asking to say one more thing:
“I beg your pardon ... but in Brazil, this is Father's Day. I was young (when his father, Aldo, died), and I didn't miss my father. But (that's because) I had my brother (Rafael), who is a great father to me. My coach (Larri Passos) was like a father, and my mother (Alice) was like a father. And my father is still with me, inside, so it's like I have four fathers. And this is for you.”
In the stands, hearts melted. Rafael Kuerten and Passos were in attendance, and the speech had Passos in tears. When Kuerten came off the court, Passos was waiting with a hug and kiss.
Kuerten, 24, lost his father in 1985. Passos has coached him since 1989.
“I was so focused, I didn't remember it was Father's Day today,” Passos said. “It's a great moment for me. I owe to him 12 years. I love him like my son.”
FAST FACTS: Kuerten, from Brazil, is the third South American to win this tournament. The other two were from Ecuador: Pancho Segura (1942 and '44) and Miguel Olvera ('60).
This is the 35th time in tournament history the top seed won.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance for the event, including the seniors and qualifying tournaments, was 165,871 — down nearly 4,000 from last year. The record is 186,551 in 1993, but there were more first-week sessions then. The record for the current number of sessions is 171,877 in 1999.
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Tennis Masters Notebook
