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World Seeking Perfect Pitch Gazette The Four Tenors November 2008 Vol 2, No 2 of Tennis

DECORUM CENTRAL: Wimbledon’s Centre Court, where announcers do not shout. Photo by Art Seitz

By JOHN MARTIN WIMBLEDON -- In July, four- and-a-half minutes after the greatest match in tennis history, the All Club’s an- nouncer, Tony Adamson, stood at the edge of Centre Court to introduce the winner in proper Wimbledon fashion. For nearly five hours, Melbourne: Craig Willis Adamson had been watching Paris: Marc Maury from the end of the court where players enter and exit tennis’s most hallowed ground. Twice, after rain delays, he moved upstairs above the Refe- ree's Office to lean over a micro- phone in Room 325. From there, within the superstructure of Cen- tre Court, he announced the re- sumption of play. Now, Rafael Nadal was bent over in his chair, tears filling his Wimbledon: Tony Adamson Continued on Next Page New York: Andy Taylor

Page 2 World Tennis Gazette November 2008 At Wimbledon, Quaint Restraint; at U.S. Open, a Salute to Broadway

WIMBLEDON: Seated at desk microphone in Room 325, UN-WIMBLEDON: Seated atop Stadium, U.S. Wimbledon announcer Tony Adamson,68, prepares morn- Open announcer Andy Taylor, 34, left, introduces players ing greeting to spectators entering All-England Club. for night match; DJ Dieter Ruehle prepares to play music. eyes as he rubbed his cheeks. The crowd was still stand- pened — the heavyweight champion arrived and all hell ing and cheering. In a few moments Nadal would accept broke loose. the trophy, his treasure (plus $1,363,000 in prize money) After the match, Adamson explained that his voice for defeating Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. rose because he was “trying to be heard against a deliri- Suddenly, the crowd’s murmur rose to a roar. Nadal ous Centre Court crowd.” He insisted his response was was about to ascend the throne as the first new Wimble- not “un-Wimbledon” but a reaction to the tumult sur- don champion in five years. rounding him, including the tears of a security police- The Irish-born Adamson, 68, cleared his throat and woman who stood beside him weeping at the end of the began to speak in a voice that suddenly became a shout. heart-wrenching final. “And, the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s SINGLES CHAM- Tanned and silver-haired, Adamson ("Addo" to his PION FOR TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT!" friends) is in his first year as the Wimbledon announcer Adamson’s voice was now flooding Centre Court: after a distinguished career as a BBC correspondent for “RA-FAY-EL NAD-AL!!” tennis and golf. He is sensitive to his new employers’ "They knew the next announcement would be Rafa," wishes. Adamson said. "And I gave it pretty much everything, be- “They just want to keep it very ah, formal,” he said. cause, I mean, the atmosphere on the court at that stage, “They don’t like too much informality.” was absolutely electric." Unlike Wimbledon’s counterparts in Melbourne, Strictly speaking, Adamson’s excited, high-volume in- Paris, and New York, he said, “We are different, of troduction — understandable at the conclusion of this epic course, here.” match — violated Wimbledon’s standard of decorum. Different, yet a sovereign superpower in the world of Alone among the four major international champion- international professional tennis, a 52-week carnival ships, Wimbledon does not shout or dramatize its an- awash in marketed exuberance (“The Greatest Road nouncements. It does not introduce players with a voice Trip in Sports!” announces the USTA’s tournament ads, drenched in a welcoming smile or theatrical bonhomie. which feature a bus emblazoned with the words). To do so, noted John Rowlinson, the All England Surrounded by glitzy ticket promotions, VIP luxury Lawn Tennis Club’s Director of Television, would be to boxes, and catered corporate galas, the world's top tour- make a tennis match sound more like “the heavyweight ing tennis players play in the entertainers’ spotlight boxing championship.” which now bathes vir-

Rowlinson playfully tually all professional conceded that the time for World Tennis Gazette sport. such histrionics might Vol 2 No 2, November 2008 Nowhere is this come: "Maybe in a hun- A magazine for players, coaches, fans, and more apparent than in friends of tennis throughout the world. Each is- dred years!” he said with sue contains a story on a single subject with pho- the voices of the four an impish grin. tographs and supplemental material. The stories top tennis announcers. This was the fourth day and opinions are the sole responsibility of the Like operatic tenors of this year's Wimbledon. editor. To subscribe, comment, or make sugges- whose mastery of Ten days later, it hap- tions, email: [email protected]. Richard Osborn pitch and lyric distin- Editor: John Martin

Page 3 World Tennis Gazette November 2008 At Roland Garros, Speaking in Tongues, Sprinting to Microphones guish them from sounds and splashing their colleagues at them down into the lesser venues, they cavern of the sta- symbolize the final dium. There, dozens stages of tennis’s of technicians decades-long (including camera plunge into show crews) collaborate to business. meld throbbing music To be sure, and video shots of Wimbledon has dancing fans. One moved into the purpose, Taylor con- modern era by cre- cedes, is to keep fans ating a roof of awake at 2:30 a.m. in space-age materials five-set matches. for 2009. This year, Despite his mod- long after its rivals, est claim of being it stationed giant only one of a team, it video screens on is Taylor’s silky voice Centre Court, for which sets a kind of the first time dis- perfect pitch for the playing scores, re- quintessential mod- plays, biographies, ern tennis announcer, RINGMASTER: Surrounded by photographers, security guards and ser- and players’ results. vice staff on Chatrier Stadium court at Roland Garros, the someone who must But the All Eng- announcer Marc Maury, center, introduces Rafael Nadal as the 2008 adopt a tone that is land Club resists champion. Maury is an actor and athlete who speaks several languages. warm, informed, and, the call to expand above all, entertain- its announcer’s duties beyond welcome and the ing. weather. That is left to its three main rivals across the In Paris, Marc Maury is all that — and different. He globe. wears a dark suit and conservative tie, a uniform often Among them, the announcer with the boldest show found on box seat patrons at Roland Garros. business mandate is also the youngest. Andy Taylor, a A decathlon athlete turned movie and television actor 34-year-old morning radio personality from Sparta, Mis- (among his co-stars: Birgit Nielsen), Maury, 51, an- souri, presides at the brassiest of the four majors: the nounces international track and field events and has U.S. Open. broadcast from every Olympic venue for 16 years. When Taylor introduces players to the spectators, he “Acting helps me modulate my voice. I use a special embraces the words as if, in delight and wonder, he is speaking tone” to get the crowd’s attention, he said. After saying them for the first time: “So, please let’s give a this year’s French Open men’s final, Maury (pronounced warm Ashe Stadium well-come to NO-VAAAK JOCK- “maw-ree”) stood calmly on Chatrier Stadium’s clay, intro- OH-VICH!” ducing dignitaries while photographers and security Restraint? Taylor acknowledged a role for tradition agents swarmed about him. at Wimbledon. “It’s white shorts and, and pressed “Live announcing is unique” he said, “because when shirts,” he said “and that has it’s place.” you make a mistake, you know it right away.” But Flushing Meadows is meant to be an “exper- Maury could be forgiven for mistakes — slips of the ience,” he said. Taylor is the first to admit he is part of a tongue — but he made none, introducing players in team of engineers and artists who flood the grounds French, English, and Spanish, brushing up on his Chi- with music and commercials from speakers positioned nese, improving his German, and studying Russian. all across the National Tennis Center. Several times each day, he sprinted from Chatrier Sta- A heavyweight boxing analogy misses the mark. "It's dium to Lenglen Stadium and back (about a 100-yard Broadway," said Taylor, describing the tone of excite- dash each way), announcing matches on both courts. ment he aims to create as the Voice of the U.S. Open. His dream? Maury wants to interview the big winners Swiveling in his chair high above Ashe Stadium, he on court as matches end. “I hope we can do this one day introduces a reporter to three teammates who exploit a at Roland Garros,” he said. “It would add a lot.” sophisticated sound system: In Melbourne, Craig Willis, 54, performs some post- Dieter Ruehle of Los Angeles is the disk jockey; Tim match interviews — and more. During play, he slips into a Beach of New York, the control room commander; and court-level studio to broadcast on radio. (Note: Adamson Dean Munro of New York the audio engineer capturing appears on Radio Wimbledon). A burly veteran of radio,

Page 4 World Tennis Gazette November 2008 In Melbourne, Aussie Familiarity and an Expectation of ‘Darth Vader’

Willis also announces (“...maybe in 100 rugby and Australian years!”). Rules Football, so he is That said, Wimble- a familiar figure in his don’s respect for tradition country, often standing and restraint carries an before as many as enduring charm for the 100,000 howling fans fan who merely wants at the Down Under facts and prefers to avoid version of the Super strong emotions. Bowl. Early in this year’s Standing courtside fortnight, Wimbledon an- in Arena, nouncer Adamson lis- Willis employs an ele- tened to a reporter im- vated tone, suggesting personate Taylor’s deliv- that along with the eve- ery at Flushing Meadow. ning’s match, celebri- “Yeah, I love all that." ties — perhaps even Adamson said, "I love all royalty — might appear the, ah, but you see they at any moment. like to be understated "My purpose is get- here. I mean, that’s the ting the crowd into an way they like it. They like anticipatory mood," he you to be quite informal said. “Delivery conveys EXIT ANXIETY: announcer Craig Willis glances at and friendly, and even if importance." Justine Henin, who lost, 6-4, 6-0, to Maria Sharapova in January. it’s gonna rain, tell ‘em Willis's guiding He said some players see him as Darth Vader, fearful he will be at nicely.” premise, he said, is the microphone for what might be their final, career-ending defeat. Moments later, he “dramatic brevity.” Fans who do not always greet began work. “Good morning, ladies “Ladies and Gentlemen," he be- Hewitt warmly erupted in cheers. and gentlemen,” he said to a micro- gins, then pauses. "The idea is to Later, when the match ended, phone in his tiny workroom, sound- give them the feeling that something Willis shouted with a flourish: "The ing both friendly and informative. is about to happen.” man we call Rusty (Hewitt) -- he's “Welcome to day four of the One night last January, Willis through to the next round!" 2008 Championships.” spoke in a deep, resonant voice: Will exuberance some day infect Then, cheerfully, Adamson said: “Please give a warm Australian Wimbledon? Not in this century, if we “Now, I have the latest weather Open welcome to LLEY-TON HEW- accept the appraisal by the All Eng- forecast for you, which is pretty ITT!” land Club’s genial John Rowlinson good, I have to say…” From Sparta, Missouri, a Silky Voice Capable of Causing Spines to Tingle How did a morning radio per- tryout. Taylor, 28, clicked — big. sonality from Missouri wind up "There are certain people that center stage at the U.S. Open? have the ability," said Kantarian, The tennis-playing Andy Taylor "to send those tingles down ("My wife and I play; it's really pa- somebody’s spine or to make ’em thetic!") was brought to New York laugh or to make ’em cry. Andy six years ago by the USTA's im- just has a very natural way of presario, Arlen Kantarian. doing that." He put Taylor on a team that Now 34, Taylor keeps his day could, in the parlance of sports, job at KTTS Radio in Springfield, dictate play. It was tasked with WARMUP: Announcer Taylor introduces “Fah- near Sparta, where he lives with creating and performing entertain- breese San-tor-oh!” and “AND-dy ROD-dick!” his wife, Dionne, a photographer. ments that would cast a happy the voice of the wrestling, not the sleepy At the U.S. Open, Taylor ar- spell within Ashe Stadium. The voice, something in between," said Kantarian, rived early each morning to go on team now records and plays pro- "and when you hear it you know." the air in Missouri from a remote gram notes and commercials Kantarian heard Taylor at a Federation location, 1,096 miles away, sitting heard all across the grounds. Cup match in 2002 in Springfield, Missouri, at a computer and microphone "I felt we needed a voice, not and immediately offered him a atop Ashe Stadium. — J.M.