Britain’s Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman brought Wimbledon to tennis-loving Romanians on Monday evening, while the Bucharest weather delivered a master stroke _ a thunderstorm.
“If it’s raining it must be Wimbledon. Once rain stopped my match at Wimbledon ten times,” tennis legend Ilie Nastase quipped before guests temporarily dashed for cover
The evening, one of the hottest of the year, saw about 140 guests turn out in the traditional all-white dress of SW19 and mingle on the manicured lawn which featured a miniature tennis court. Nobody got out a racket at that point, but combined with the Wimbledon mauve and green lights around the garden, it added to the vibe.
Waiters served Pimm’s and strawberries and cream Wimbledon-style, while guests watched a game live_ more than 3,000 kilometers away_ on a giant screen.
Once the rain had stopped, Nastase, nicknamed ‘Nasty’ in his heyday, entertained a crowd of Romania’s retired sporting stars, diplomats, deputy Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu, and members of the British and Romanian business community.
Recalling his grueling 1972 final against US player Stan Smith, Nastase said despite the 4–6, 6–3, 6-3, 4–6, 7–5 loss, it was still his favorite game at Wimbledon ever. “We played five hours and we didn’t (even) have chairs. They put the (players’) chairs in ’73,” he said, looking sharp in an England tracksuit.
Nastase, now 78, may have hung up his racket, but his memory is sharp, his wit as scandalous and risque as it was when shook up the staid tennis world with antics, jokes and magnificent lobs in the ’70s.
Back then, the ‘bad boy’ from the Eastern bloc was christened “Nasty” by the media over his on-court behavior, which included tantrums, and run-ins with officials, combined with a brilliant, effortless natural skill and ability to entertain. He was ranked world No. 1 in singles from 23 August 1973 to 2 June 1974.
Last year, a documentary about the impact he had on tennis was included in the selection of the Cannes International Film Festival.
Though one of Romania’s undisputed top names beyond tennis, there were also a raft of other Romanian sporting super stars at the reception: Olympic gold medalists, Camelia Potec, a retired swimmer, retired marathon runner Constantina Dita, and retired middle-distance world and Olympic champion, Gabriela Szabo.
The event was hosted by Maria Tudor of Modern Owners who staged contests where guests tested their tennis skills with a racket and ball on a stage as Wimbledon rolled live in the background.
