Friday April 4th, 1978

What a night! I was a linesman at the Ashe-Pasarell match and it was amazing. Ashe won the first set with just a single service break, winning 6-4. It was looking like a walk over when Pasarell caught fire in the second. Down 3-1, he started hitting the lines and Ashe time and time again could only say 'too tough'. These guys really went for it, you wouldnt know it was an exhibition. It is the twillight for both careers but both played like lions. Pasarell won the second 6-4 at a set all the crowd was equally split and Reed Gym was as noisy as Forrest Hills. There was an electricity and that milked even more out of these great players. Ashe held serve and and then got his break late in the set and won 6-4. It was a 2 hour match and then they stuck around to talk to the people and when it thinned out a bit they returned to the court and let people hit with them!

I hit with Ashe for a few minutes...he put every ball about 3 feet in front of me and made me look like a pro even though I spraying balls everywhere. At one point I got cocky and unleased a hard forehand. Ashe looked as though he was going to smack it back at me but hit a drop shot that barely cleared the net. I immediately felt humbled. Ashe had a smirk on his face, he wanted to send me a message. I got it.

I took them to a reception where we ate cold cuts and beer and it got a little tiring. Pasarell talked about his record singles match of Wimbledon with Gonzales. Ashe talked about winning Wimbledon and the feud he had going with Connors and how he had to push that poison out of his mind so he could concentrate. He said meditating at the crossovers kept him in the match.
I hung on every word, it was such a fun night. I got them on the 10:55 flight to SLC. Ashe was heading home to New York to see his wife.

When I got home, Mom and Jerry were waiting up. Jerry saw me hitting with Ashe and asked what it felt like to hit with a Wimbledon champ, all I could say was thrilling. Brenda wasnt home when we got there and made it in at 11:45. Mom grounded her on the spot and she got a scolding which made her mad. I dont know whats got into her lately...she has this new boyfriend and seems to go out of her way to break all the rules.

Im heading to bed, but It may be a while before I sleep.

Thursday, April 3, 1978

Went to all the classes, studied and Im going to be okay. I think things got off to a bad start at the semester, I had played my heart out and finished 8th on the team ladder, I was just a practice player on the team, that took all the wind from my sails. I think the letter I got back from Mr. B. helped a little, he told me to quit crying and go to class. Saying I can always get back on the team, flunking out I wont have a chance. Of course he was right but its taking this much time to sink in.

It was an amazing night. I went out to the airport and picked up Charlie Pasarell and Arthur Ashe. They got off the plane looking like investment bankers, I introduced myself and then we waited for their baggage. Both were very quiet and subdued. We got loaded up in the car...I borrowed my Mom's and I took them to the hotel. Ashe sat by me and Pasarell...long legs and all sat in the back. They talked about the season, about the tournament season. Both were coming in from Dayton where Ashe had just lost to Brian Gottfried in three sets. Gottfried is one of the hottest players in the world right and although he won second set, said he didnt have it down the stretch. Ashe asked me where they were playing, court surface, and about Idaho. I told him it was a rubberized mat service and that I had hit on it and it was fine except dead spots at the seams. I told them that we had a sell out and that this was the first pro match ever in Pocatello. Ashe said thats why they decided to come out to raise some money for local tennis and bring pro tennis to places they'd never seen it before.

We drove on and Pasarell asked I was a college player. I told them I was on the ISU team and taught summers at Frank Brennan's Camp in Pennslyvania. Ashe had a smile on his face...and said "Oh, I know Frank, he strings my racquets when Im in New York." Ashe told me that FXB has strung for him at Orange, U.S. Open and the Masters. Pasarell said that he had met FXB a few times as well. They talked about the Riggs match and how well BJK played under pressure. We were buddies from then on. I told Ashe that I would be seeing him at the Washington Star in July, that FXB and I go to that tournament every year.

I dropped the guys off at the Cotton Tree Inn, I told them about the Sandpiper and that we lined up a dinner for them at 9:30. I went over to the Piper and Hall was sitting at the bar and we had a beer a few minutes later the they guys showed up for dinner. We let them eat in peace...afterwards they came over talked a few minutes but Arthur wanted to get back to the room and call his wife...Charlie teased him about being a newlywed. They took off and all the friends at the bar thought we were pretty cool to have Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell as friends.

I went home and studied for a couple more hours. Jerry was up when I got home watching TV and mom was sound asleep in the lazy boy. I spread the books out on the table but couldnt get much done because Brenda was on the phone talking to some guy, so I went downstairs and went to bed.

The match is tomorrw and another volunteer will handle driving Ashe and Pasarell around because I have classes. The match is at 7:00...Arthur and Charlie will fly out after that, both are anxious to get out because Ashe has a tournament but wants to go home for the weekend before that gets underway next Monday.