06/30/2020 - 15:41
- Clarín.com
- sports
To speak of Argentine tennis is to speak of Guillermo Vilas, the man who made the sport of racket popular in our country and who made his talent shine on courts all over the world. For this reason, the Argentine Tennis Association gave him a very special pamper: he was named Honorary Captain of the Davis Cup and World Ambassador of Argentine Tennis, two positions that the Mar del Plata will carry for life. The announcement inaugurated the path to the centenary of the AAT, to be held on September 2 of next year.
"I accept and appreciate it, no matter if it comes sooner or later in my life, what matters is that they remember. I always tried to behave well while representing the country, doing my thing or for the Davis Cup, a competition that I loved. No they are the irony of fate, for me it is more than symbolic and I value it for the respect with which these distinctions grant me, ”said Vilas, who will turn 68 in August.
"I always tried to behave well while representing the country, doing my thing or for the Davis Cup, a competition I loved," said the Spaniard, who wore the official Davis jacket with his name stamped. AAT Press Photo
The initiative to celebrate with these two appointments the greatest player in the history of Argentine tennis began as a project presented on July 25, 2018 by journalist Eduardo Puppo, within the framework of the recognitions of the Argentine Tennis Hall of Fame , and was immediately approved by the AAT Board of Directors. But since Vilas has been based in Monaco since 2017, the Association decided to wait for his next visit to perform a ceremony at the height of the circumstances.
However, in the midst of uncertainty about the coronavirus pandemic, the organization chaired by Agustín Calleri decided to symbolically make the appointments public from a distance.
"The tennis players who currently head the AAT know the importance of this type of recognition and consider it an honor that, although he was unable to physically occupy these appointments at the time, we can value Guillermo in the way he deserves. It represents a great responsibility for our management and he endorsed the appointments with total humility, "reflected Calleri.
The great Willy received the diploma at his home in Monte Carlo with special recognition from the Argentine Tennis Association. Photo: AAT Press
He added: "He is the Argentine tennis player who has played the most series and the most Davis Cup matches he has won to date, enough achievements to support our decision. The AAT underlines his indispensable contribution to the development of our tennis, something that no one can question."
Vilas - who received the official Davis Cup jacket in Monaco with his historical number of representation and debut year (No. 22/1970) and the corresponding Hall of Fame diploma as Ambassador and Honorary Captain - debuted in the Davis Cup in March of 1970, in the quarterfinal duel of the American Zone against Chile that was played at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis.
He fell in his first game against Patricio Cornejo Seckel and defeated Jaime Fillol in the second. He was 17 years and 215 days old and became the youngest Argentine player to play a match in that competition.
The jacket that came to Monaco has recorded its historical number of representation and year of debut (No. 22/1970). AAT Press Photo
Throughout his career, he played 29 series - no compatriot played more than him - and accumulated several personal records. He is the player with the most total wins (57), most singles games won (45), and most years as a team.
Along with José Luis Clerc, he was responsible for leading Argentina to its first final in 1981, in which they lost the title by falling 3-1 to the United States in Cincinnati.
In his professional career, he garnered four Grand Slams - Australia 1978 and 1979, Roland Garros and the US Open 1977 - and reached the second echelon of the world ranking. I don't know
A true icon of Argentine tennis, which received a deserved recognition at a distance. I don't know