When the gates of the "Expo" complex in Tel Aviv opened for the first time on Sunday last week, you could feel the great excitement of the crowd in the air.
Rightfully so, after 26 years, Israel is finally hosting an ATP tournament, and not just one, one that Novak Djokovic is participating in.
But as with any event of this magnitude that takes place in the State of Israel, certainly one that has not come here for many years, the failures in the organization of the tournament once again fell on the hands of the organizers, and especially of Michael Mirlashvili, the Jewish businessman and owner of the Watergen company who put his hand deep in his pocket to land the The biggest stars in the industry.
Djokovic.
Everything is worth it for this moment, photo: Oren Aharoni
A whole week of preoccupations in the tournament has been drained too many times into one topic and it is the main one of all, the crowd experiences.
Those who bought a ticket and took part in the glittering event enjoyed every second they were inside the field and saw the games, but in the other moments it is very likely that they also had complaints about what went on there.
"They wanted to make good public relations for Israel, and in the meantime they did just the opposite," said one of the fans who came to see the semifinals on Saturday between Novak Djokovic and Roman Spiulin and between Marin Cilic and Constant Lestain, "How do you play without an audience on a holiday? Why Do you decide for the audience whether they can watch tennis on the holiday or not?".
Decide for the audience, photo: Oren Aharoni
When I asked one of the spectators before the final how much a ticket cost him, he replied: "I bought a ticket for NIS 900, the cheapest."
When I wondered how it could be, because when the cheapest prices were published it cost NIS 699, he said: "I know, but it really wasn't like that. I entered the website when the sale opened and no such price appeared at all. Everything started at NIS 900."
Symbolically, I ran into the same spectator even after the game ended, and when I asked if he got value for the price, he answered: "Definitely yes", and there is no better summary than that.
With all the problems mentioned here and surrounding this festive week of tennis, it is impossible not to take off my hat to Miralshvili, who gave the Israeli audience the opportunity to experience such a huge event up close and the tennis association that has only one goal in mind - to put Israeli tennis back on the map.
Ivitch also came to watch, photo: Oren Aharoni
the truth?
The road is still very long but as the cliché goes, even a road of a thousand steps begins with one step.
What we didn't have.
The senior tennis players come one by one to the Holy Land and embrace the audience who returns enormous love, viral videos of Nola having fun in Tel Aviv, and above all one promise by Miralshvili and the Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Troper that plants great hopes for a happy New Year's Eve in 2023 as well: "Next year - a tournament 500".
Next time will be better, photo: Oren Aharoni
were we wrong
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