Around the World with Mr. Ed (April 21, 2001)
by Ed Toombs



This week Mr Ed examines the economic troubles that are starting to bedevil pro tennis. We then hop back to courtside to appreciate the surprising play of Marlene Weingartner and Guillermo Coria, who left a trail of bedeviled opponents in their wake this week.

Tennis feeling the economic crunch
Real life economics are creating woes for many companies as well as ordinary people these days, as effects of a global slowdown are being felt. Now the facts of financial life are catching up to tennis.

The first signs of trouble appeared late last year. ISL, a Swiss-based sports marketing firm had earlier in the year signed on as the sponsor of the ATP's elite events, the Tennis Masters Series (TMS) tournaments. At that time, ISL had agreed to pay the astonishing sum of $1.2 billion to bankroll the TMS, promising to find a series of high-profile sponsors to contribute that amount.

Some high-profile sponsors were lined up at the start, including Mercedes-Benz, Newsweek and Fila. But since the early months of the arrangement, few additional companies have stepped forward. Although no official numbers are known, Tom Tebbutt reported in the the Globe and Mail this week that, according to rumour, ISL has sold "less than half" of the sponsorships it expected to provide for the Masters Series. And the badly mismanaged ISL is now seeking an equity partner just to stay afloat, as its paren t company is fighting to stave off bankruptcy proceedings.

Most observers feel that a settlement between the ATP and ISL, as well as other sponsors the ATP has hurriedly signed on, should provide enough funding to allow the TMS to continue through 2001. After this year, however, the financial future of the series is clouded.

The one TMS tournament that was not affected by the ISL collapse was the Miami event, which has a separate title sponsor. Unfortunately that sponsor is the mobile phone manufacturer Ericsson, which is having serious problems of its own.

In recent days Ericsson announced disastrous financial results, and has felt obliged to lay off over 15,000 workers. Ericsson not only sponsors the prestigious Miami tournament, but also a popular series of Challenger events in Latin America known as the Copa Ericsson. Organizers are crossing their fingers and hoping that Ericsson's difficulties will not force it to reconsider its involvement in tennis sponsorships.

Like tennis players desperately trying to fend off match point, more than one tournament director will likely be working overtime over the next few months to keep their events afloat.


Weingartner wows 'em while Coria keeps climbing
The 21-year-old Marlene Weingartner, a German player who holds down the 60th spot in the rankings, was the surprise of the WTA competition in the genteel southern metropolis of Charleston this week. She accounted for three higher-ranked players, including two seeds -- Meghann Shaughnessy and Amanda Coetzer -- before being overpowered by Jennifer Capriati in the semis.
Weingartner is a slender player who relies on placement and consistency. While she may not turn out to be the female reincarnation of Boris Becker, she is living in his apartment. No, Marlene has not replaced Boris's estranged wife Barbara in Becker's life. According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Weingartner inhabits the residence in which Becker lived as a young boy.
The precocious success of 19-year-old Argentine Guillermo Coria, who reached the final four in Monte Carlo this week, should come as no surprise to Mr Ed's loyal readers. This column has sung his praises as early as 1999, when he was the brightest light on the junior circuit.
This was the first chance a worldwide television audience had to see the stylish Coria at work, and the youngster gave them quite a show, even in his 6-4 6-2 loss to Gustavo Kuerten in the semifinal. The small, swift "Mini-Moya" (so called because of his facial resemblance to the Spanish star) notably impressed with his "soft hands": he continually befuddled his opponents with perfectly feathered drop shots.
On several occasions in Monte Carlo, Coria performed a variation on the drop shot that has rarely been seen before. The Argentine drew his racquet back as if to perform yet another drop shot, causing his opponent to sprint like a madman toward the net. But the wily youngster instead drove a deep, hard slice past his totally confused adversary.
With creative plays like the "fake drop shot", little wonder the Argentine press calls Guillermo Coria "El Mago" ("The Magician").


You may read previous Mr. Ed columns by clicking here.

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