UNITED KINGDOM: AUSTRALIANS GATHERED IN LONDON BARS GIVE REACTION AFTER WATCHING PAT RAFTER LOSE THE WIMBLEDON MENS SINGLES FINAL

Record ID: 338322

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: AUSTRALIANS GATHERED IN LONDON BARS GIVE REACTION AFTER WATCHING PAT RAFTER LOSE THE WIMBLEDON MENS SINGLES FINAL
  • Date: 9th July 2001
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (JULY 9, 2001) (RVN - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE VIEW SHOWING SIGN TO THE DOWNUNDER BAR 2. CLOSE UP 3. SIGN SHOWING AUSTRALIA HAVE WON THE RUGBY UNION TEST AGAINST THE BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS AND THE FIRST CRICKET TEST AGAINST ENGLAND 4. WIDE VIEW OF PEOPLE DRINKING AND WATCHING THE MATCH 5. CLOSE UP OF DRINKING 6. SCREEN SHOWING PAT RAFTER 7. CHEERING AS RAFTER WINS A POINT 8. SCREEN SHOWING THE MATCH IN THE FIFTH SET 9. CLOSE UP OF FAN SHOWING TENSION 10. PEOPLE LOOKING NERVOUS AS RAFTER FACES MATCH POINT AGAINST HIM 11. QUIET REACTION AS RAFTER LOSES, THEN GENEROUS APPLAUSE BREAKS OUT 12. SOUNDBITE (English) REPORTER: "Are you disappointed with the result?" TENNIS FAN, BERNIE FROM SYDNEY: "Disappointed of course, but Rafter played well and Ivanisevic played well as well, so it's good for tennis, and Rafter made it there, so that's good enough." 13. SOUNDBITE (English) REPORTER: "Are you disappointed with the result?" TENNIS FAN, MELISSA FROM SYDNEY: "Of course I'm disappointed, I wouldn't ever say I wasn't, but I think that Goran came from somewhere, he had it in his heart, he was in there, he was going to win, he felt that god was on his side, obviously he was. But you can never fault Pat Rafter for his sportsmanship. He was very lucky to get through the Agassi game, he was there and I'm very proud to be an Australian at this time, especially after the (cricket) Test and the rugby, it's fantastic." 14. WIDE VIEW OF THE BAR Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA2750XMHMQ981SR1MTUPR9VPFL
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Australians gathered in London bars on
    Monday (July 9) to watch Patrick Rafter lose the Wimbledon
    men's singles final in five thrilling sets to Croatian Goran
    Ivanisevic.



    Australians had been enjoying a weekend of
    celebrations after their rugby union side had beaten the
    British and Irish Lions 35-14 in Melbourne on Saturday (July
    7) and then their cricket team had overwhelmed England in the
    First Cricket Test at Edgbaston on Sunday (July 8), so
    confidence was high that Rafter could complete a sporting
    treble.

    However, Rafter lost his second successive Wimbledon
    Final, despite being cheered on by thousands of Australians
    inside the Centre Court and around the country in pubs and
    bars.

    Despite their disappointment, many of the fans were
    gracious in defeat.

    "Disappointed of course, but Rafter played well and
    Ivanisevic played well as well, so it's good for tennis, and
    Rafter made it there, so that's good enough," said Bernie from
    Sydney.

    Another Sydney resident, Melissa, said:
    "Of course I'm disappointed, I wouldn't ever say I wasn't,
    but I think that Goran came from somewhere, he had it in his
    heart, he was in there, he was going to win, he felt that god
    was on his side, obviously he was. But you can never fault Pat
    Rafter for his sportsmanship. He was very lucky to get through
    the Agassi game, he was there and I'm very proud to be an
    Australian at this time, especially after the (cricket) Test
    and the rugby, it's fantastic."

  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register