November 20 will see a showdown between 80s and current tennis greats.
Though they may have ruled the courts when mullets and headbands were the rage and wooden rackets were still the weapon of choice, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg will get back on the court to challenge each other in a singles and doubles duel.
Roger Federer and James Blake will have a showdown, before pairing up with the 80s legends for a Ten Point Doubles Tie Breaker.
Many tennis fans may have been disappointed that Rafael Nadal is not part of the lineup as originally hoped, but here’s to John McEnroe providing plenty of on-court excitement.
Back in the day, his temper tantrums, including screaming obscenities and throwing rackets won him both fans and critics.
He is the most vain, ill-tempered, petulant loudmouth that the game of tennis has ever known.
- The Sun, a British tabloid, 1979
Here is the lineup:
Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe - 1 Set
Followed by:
Roger Federer vs James Blake - Best-of-Three Sets
Followed by:
Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe and James Blake - A Ten Point Doubles Tie Breaker
The Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown 2008 takes place at 7pm, Thursday November 20, Cotai Strip, CotaiArena, Macau
Ticket prices have been set at MOP $980, MOP $780, MOP $480 and MOP $280.
Book tickets from www.venetianmacao.com
Crown Macau opened by James Packer and Lawrence Ho of the Melco - PBL Group
In my last post, I griped about not being able to attend the Crown Macau grand opening. Well my fortunes changed by the end of the week. My press pass was finally approved and thus I relay to you the events of Saturday night. I was in Hong Kong in the arvo, so it was a mad dash to get back Macau side. I raced from the ferry terminal across the bridge to Taipa only to be met by throngs of punters eager to rush through the doors to lay down the almighty (HK) dollar. For the life of me, I couldn’t find where I was to obtain the press pass. A maze of gridiron fencing corralled the thrill seekers on the sidewalks. I caught some of James Packer’s (Australia’s richest person) and Lawrence Ho’s (son of Dr. Stanley Ho) opening presentation replete with the requisite Chinese lion dance. Realizing I was going to miss the whole shebang, I further pursued finding the press pass. I was finally brought before a British gentleman by the name of Simeon. I’m going to sing a little praise here. It was a frantic scene in front of the Crown Macau during the opening. I can understand that my request for my press pass was not too high on anyone’s list of things to do. However, this overly competent senior VP from Ketchum PR took it all in stride. Despite everything else he was dealing with, he hand delivered my pass at the Regency Hotel and escorted me to the media area. (Top work. If you need high-level PR work, contact Simeon at Ketchum PR. Cheers.)
While in the Regency Hotel waiting for my press pass, I saw Dr. Stanley Ho for the first time. He strolled right past me with an entourage of about a dozen bodyguards. Dr. Ho’s corsage was about the size of my family garden, but with more expensive flowers. I also think that Bill Murray walked through the lobby too, though I’ll need someone to confirm that.
Now the event… Bit of a debacle. So the opening ceremony was held in a giant tent about 500 meters from the Crown Macau. It was erected on swampy reclaimed land. Apparently it was near-impossible to find one’s table at the outset of the evening and there was no air conditioning as I can attest. Given the warm, humid temperature the inner confines of the dastardly tent can be likened to a reptilian solarium. By the time I entered the tent with my press pass, near-on a quarter of the guests had left due to the oppressive conditions. I knew some proper invitees and joined them at one of the many free seats for the show. The show was vaudevillian mastery: Acrobatics and bewildering stunts choreographed to an impressive score. Some highlights of the Dragone performance include the breakdancing body contortionist’s solo act in the cage, Ghostbusters-esque Stay Puft Marshmallow Men, and the leaping, flipping, rolling crew of gymnasts. I was also thoroughly wowed by the artificial waterfall that controlled the location, quantity, and timing of the “released” water to display images and words. The waterfall literally rained women, umbrellas, the words Crown Macau, and the logo.
The private after party was the capstone to an impressive event. It seemed the after party was the only aspect that went off without a hitch. The outdoor terrace on the 25th floor overlooks the stunning Macau skyline. A dessert bar featured more chocolate than any one person should be allowed access. I spent the evening drinking Hennessy cognac and smoking Cuban Cohiba cigars, imaging that I was an actual invitee and not a lowly gatecrasher with a media pass.
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Without question, Mahjong is one of the most popular games in Asia.
Now, the World Series of Mahjong is turning the game into a star-studded tournament, with contestants from around the world recently competing in Macau for one million US dollars in prize money.
This year, 302 contestants from 15 countries battled it out for the title of "World Mahjong Champion", with the 1st place winner taking home a cool 500,000 US dollars.
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