新血
2010年八月二十七日 Sarah Unke寫、Ryan Li譯
星期五的十一號球場最後一場比賽由美國選手Ryan Harrison在資格賽最後一輪擊敗巴西的Ricardo Hocevar晉級美國公開賽的會內賽。來自路易斯安納州的Harrison在波勒提耶里網球學院受訓練，他獻給全場觀眾一場逆轉勝，從落後一盤開始追趕，到第三盤以一個及時的破發結束這場比賽。在賽末點時，看台上的孩子們已經擺好姿勢，拿好大球與筆記本，而當Harrison發出一記再見ace之後，他們向球場大聲歡叫，向Harrison要簽名和身上的紀念品。
而Harrison乖乖照辦。他彎腰準備收拾他的球袋時，張大眼睛企盼的小孩們叫著要他的球拍。所以他將一支球拍遞給人群，而自然是最高的那個小孩搶到帶走了它。接著他開始簽名，簽在網球上、筆記本上、票根上，還有人的手上。當其中一個小孩拿不出什麼讓他簽時，他從他口袋中掏出一個球簽了名給他。之後他從球袋中掏出一串護腕，打開、簽名，一一丟向群眾。
當他的球袋可說被劫掠一空之後，他終於把球袋收起來，但在把他濕掉的球衣脫下，交給人群中的一個小孩後才離開。最後他終於穿著乾淨的白球衣、背著球袋走出場，還兩次回身向他的球迷揮手。
然而事情還沒結束。出場後他跟人群之間沒有屏障，瘋狂的球迷們抓住他猛拍照。又花了五分鐘的時間，Harrison才能從人群中突圍，跟他同在波勒提耶里網球學院受訓的十六歲弟弟Christian擁抱。
美國的球迷們似乎渴求一個年輕明星球員。而今天剛剛進入美國公開賽會內賽的Harrison很高興地滿足他們的渴望。
這場比賽的賽末點
Match point, Harrison vs. Hocever
Young Blood
August 27, 2010 (7:21 P.M.) -
Court 11 was packed Friday as American Ryan Harrison defeated Brazilian Ricardo Hocevar in qualifying to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open. Harrison, who is from Louisiana but trains at the Bollettieri academy, fed off the crowd to come back from a set down and had a timely break in the third to serve for the match. On match point, the children in the stands stood poised with jumbo balls and notebooks, and as soon as Harrison aced his opponent, they stormed toward the court to beg for signatures and swag.
And oh, did Harrison oblige. He bent down toward his racquet bag to pack up, and the children, big-eyed, screamed for one of his racquets. So he held one up above the crowd (the tallest kid, naturally, walked away with it). Next he started signing tennis balls, notebooks, receipts and peoples’ hands. When one kid didn’t have anything for him to sign, he took the ball out of his pocket and signed that. Next he plucked packages of wristbands from his bag, ripped them open, signed them, and threw them into the crowd.
When his bag was virtually ransacked, he packed up. But he didn’t leave before taking off his wet shirt and handing it to a kid in the crowd. He finally walked of the court in a clean white shirt with his bag over his shoulder, turning twice to wave at his fans.
But that wasn’t the end. Once off the court, there was no barrier between him and the crowd, who madly grabbed him to snap pictures. It took another five minutes until Harrison broke free to hug his 16-year-old brother, and fellow Bollettieri academy trainee, Christian.
American fans, it seems, are starved for a young star. And today, Harrison, who qualified for his first U.S. Open, was happy to humor them.
—Sarah Unke