Some great tennis was played in Rome over the course of the past two weeks as the Internazionale d’Italia (the Italian Open Tennis Tournament) took place at the Foro Italico, just north of Rome’s city center.
The Foro Italico, a sports complex designed in the 1930s under the reign of the Fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a track, tennis courts and a soccer stadium. Mussolini built the sports center to encourage young Italians to keep both bodies and mind fit (and faithful to the Fascist regime). As such, the track and the tennis court were embellished with colossal marble sculptures of athletes who preside over all athletic efforts while showing off their fine physiques.
From 5-20 May, the clay courts hosted some of tennis’s most talented players. Their sheer athleticism, combined with tenacious and strategic play, provided Roman spectators with exciting afternoons and evenings. Rafael Nadal continued his record-breaking streak of clay court victories, while women such as Amelie Mauresmo, Serena Williams, and Svetlana Kutnetsova offered an admirable display of physical virtuosity and mental focus. Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic came out on top of the men and women’s tournaments, but there were other winners on display as well: tournament sponsor, Fila, cut a bella figura by providing stylish ball girls – complete with sporty purses and midriff-baring polo shirts – for the final matches.
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