Tough challenge awaits tennis players in Andorra

Twelve years have passed since Malta won the last tennis gold medal in the Games of the Small States of Europe.

It was June 1993 when an ecstatic crowd at the Marsa Sports Club stood up to applaud Helen Asciak and Carol Curmi and male counterparts Gordon Asciak and Chris Gatt. They had topped their respective doubles tournament, the women's pair for an impressive fourth time in a row.

Indeed those were memorable moments in the history of our tennis but since then no other player has managed to position himself on the highest step of the podium for Malta in GSSE competitions.

In the next five editions of the Games, tennis yielded three silver medals and eight bronze for an overall tally of 21 since 1985.

In Andorra next week, Dusan Janicijevic's team will attempt to finally end this wait as they carry the hopes of a nation in the high-altitude indoor courts at La Massana's L'Aldosa Sport Complex.

Janicijevic has a relatively new squad at his disposal with Serbia-born Boris Pasanski, 21, and 16-year-old Daniel Ceros the two male players in his selection and GSSE veteran Lisa Camenzuli flanked by young Steffi Pace in the women's competitions.

Officials described the squad as the best selection possible to represent the country even though Pasanski still has to clear his position with the GSSE International Executive.

It is difficult to predict how far the team can go in Andorra, Janicijevic said.

Camenzuli, winner of two silver medals and five bronze since her debut in Iceland '97, had a difficult build-up to the Games after struggling with a string of injuries the past few weeks. She is expected to be fully fit for the tournament though.

"We had a couple of hitches to deal with but overall I'm happy with the preparation of the team," the coach said. "All of them worked very hard during training and showed great motivation. We had a few injuries to contend with but in Andorra they will all be in top shape.

"Lisa's build-up was hampered by a shoulder injury but like Daniel and Steffi she showed great motivation. Boris is a quality player as well. No doubt, the team will be in optimal form in Andorra."

Fifth showing

Camenzuli will be looking to secure another place on the podium.

The Andorra Games are her fifth consecutive participation. In her first showing in Reykjavik she won bronze medals in singles and doubles with Curmi. Since then Camenzuli always returned home with a medal hanging around her neck.

Janicijevic admitted that his players will be in for some tough time as the level of competition in Andorra will be different when compared to what his players are used to in the domestic scene.

"This is going to be a very difficult tournament for us," the coach said.

"First of all we are going to play in unfamiliar conditions. Playing indoors makes a huge difference as the ball travels at a much higher speed than outdoors.

"Besides, from what we've seen this year, the level of other GSSE participants has improved considerably. Luxembourg, just to take an example, have two players in the top 100 in the world, Claudine Schaul and Gilles Muller.

"They play top level tennis consistently and that puts them in a good position to win the top honours yet again.

"With such players in the draw, it's going to be hard for everyone to advance to the last stages. But, if my players give their 100 per cent I'm sure we'll win a medal and I would be happy with that whatever the colour."

Janicijevic is a respected coach in his homeland Serbia. Since his arrival five years ago he made available all his skill and technique to see the players improve. Players of a certain calibre were also invited here for the pre-season.

Jelena Jankovic, ranked as high as 18 in the world and having figured at the French Open this week, was one of the foreign players who spent a week-long training camp with Maltese players who benefited from her experience. But the local game needs to work on other aspects to reach higher levels.

"I think that our players lack experience and perhaps this comes because of a shortage of play in international tournaments," he said.

"They need more time abroad... competing in the Challenge Tour would give their career a tremendous boost but that looks very difficult at the moment.

"The ideal situation would be to hold international tournaments here during summer. We've got excellent weather and the clubs have ideal facilities. I'm sure there will be an encouraging response from abroad and that gives our players the chance to test their wits against different opponents."

GSSE tennis facts...

¤ Tennis did not figure among the sport in San Marino '85 but it made a showing in the second GSSE in Monaco.

¤ Monaco '87 were the Games that broke the ice for the Maltese as Helen Asciak and Carol Curmi combined perfectly well together to beat the Luxembourg pair for a gold medal in the doubles. For Asciak and Curmi it was the start of a truly 'golden' era in the GSSE doubles competition. They went on to retain the title for the next three editions making them the most decorated performers for Malta at this level.

¤ There were three occasions when tennis players representing Malta won three medals in different GSSEs. These were - Andorra '91, Malta '93 and San Marino '01. The best performance was the one of 1993 when two golds and a silver medal were won. Curmi and Asciak won the women's doubles title and that was complemented by the men's doubles title thanks to Gordon Asciak and Chris Gatt. Curmi made it all the way to the final in the singles but lost to Monaco's Gagliardi 6-2 6-2.

¤ Gordon and Helen Asciak must have established a unique record in 1993 by becoming the first husband and wife to win gold in the same sport in the GSSE.

¤ In terms of gold medals won in ten GSSE editions, tennis is third in the all-time Malta charts. Judo tops the list with eight golds, followed by athletics on seven. So far there has been five gold medals in tennis, all in doubles events.

L'Aldosa Sport Complex - La Massana

Height: 1,230m above sea level.

Capacity: 1,250 seats.

Facilities: Three indoor hard courts.

International events: '91 Games of the Small States of Europe.