Why I'm in Chile: A Story of Tennis, Travel and Love

Let's begin in 2004. Melbourne on my round the world trip. Wandering round the grounds of the AO, not during the tournament, outside courts being played on by who knows who, main stadium was being set up for a rock concert when I went and looked. From New Zealand I flew to Chile, met a girl on the plane, and went clubbing her with that night. There I met another girl, danced, kissed, had a romance for over a week, before moving on. Finished my round the world at the Athens Olympics where I saw Federer, Henman etc. Fast forward to 2005 and my Chilean girl and I decided to live together in Spain. I went to Madrid Masters while I was there (when it was Autumn hard court tourny), we saw Nadal, Coria, Gonzalez and Rusedski lose to Karlovic 7-6 6-7 6-7. But what we always remember most was seeing David Beckham, who played for Real Madrid at the time, in the crowd near to us, and how I didn't manage to get a good photo! She wasn't too happy about the very blurry photos. Earlier that year, I went to the 2005 Wimbledon, seeing Roddick, Hewitt etc. When I flew back to Madrid and kissed my girl, speaking Spanish to her, it all felt very wierd. I felt like I was living a double life, or an unreal one. She kind of had to get used to the fact that sometimes she would lose me to the tennis on the TV, not very often but now and then.

In 2006 we got married in Aranjuez near Madrid, had out first daughter born in Spain, before moving back to my home country of the UK. Went to Wimbledon with her once by queing up for the outdoor courts, it was a stinking hot day, the day of Murray's first match under the roof I think, but we were listening to it on the radio driving home, as we had gone with our young daughter so did not stay late. I've been a couple more times since with tickets from my club. I also been to the World Tour finals so many times as well, seen all the top players, Federer-Nadal match where Federer blew him away (rare experience) was an hour to enjoy, also saw semis and final one year (Federer beat Tsonga).

Looking back on it what really took my interest in tennis to the next level (ie properly following the tour outside of Wimbledon, going on forums, trying to find ways to watch more regularly more than the little shown just on the BBC, eventually signing up to a tennis club in 2011) was the 2008 Wimbledon final, which I saw on TV. And also the 2009 AO final. I was in California at the time and I had to go to bed at 10pm, set my alarm for 1am, watch it until 5am, and then go back to sleep. It was worth it. Sets 2-4 of that match are as good as I've seen. Reading the thread of that match from BBC 606 linked to the main BBC sport site was the first time I got into forums.

I wanted to see a slam semis and final so I went to the French Open, as you can buy tickets online if you do it the hour they go on sale. It was the year of the Monday final, 2012 I think, Nadal beat Djokovic. It wasn't the best year for semis and final, I wish I had gone in 2009, 2011 or 2013 instead, those years had better matches in the final stages. The annoying thing was I booked a non-changeable, non refundable Eurostar for the Monday afternoon because I checked and it had been many, many years since we had a Monday final. My brother and my mate caught the Eurostar but I stayed for the Monday's action, an anticlimactic finish ended with a Djoko double, and I ended up having to wing it with various trains and a ferry to get home, as a last minute Eurostar ticket is not so cheap! I also took my wife and daughter to Paris once, but that was an entirely separate trip when we mostly went to Disneyland!

Not sure I'll be going to many of the big tennis tournaments any time soon, as 8 years in England was quite enough for my wife, and the 4 of us (we now have a son as well) moved back to live in her home country of Chile this January. I have been so busy - relocating a family to another country, there is so much to do. The AO rather passed me by, I did watch Federer-Nadal as I don't miss those and the final, but that was about all. I am trying to catch 30-60 mins of Indian Wells per day now that I'm settling in.

When we went to sign up for internet and telephone, she threw the cable TV into the discussion, but I said we can't afford it. So she said she would just pay it herself. That's worked out quite well, especially since I don't have a subscription to Eurosport, Tennis TV or Sky (might not work here anyway, maybe with a hide your VPN device) and so I am sitting here right now watching Nadal Dolgopolov in HD. I live about 2 hours drive from a tournament in Chile. No chance to go this year, while the tournament was on we were trying to find a place to rent and get our possessions through customs, I didn't even take 5 mins per day to check the results, still don't even know who won the tournament. Maybe next year I can go and send you a report.

As for playing tennis, I checked with a club near where I live in Chile and it was like 2x the price for the same facilities and size vs what I paid in the UK, tennis (and golf) are well known as more for the richer set here. I cannot afford that, but when I have more time I can look for a cheaper club, or perhaps go back in a couple of years if we are doing really well.

By the way with the French Open I have now been to all 4 slams as I also walked past the US Open grounds in 2001 when the tournament wasn't on and it was all shut and locked up. What do you mean that doesn't count? It counts I tell you.

Well, once things calm down here maybe I can try and get back to posting a little more on the forum. I will probably tend to post in the night as seen by UK hours. Hope you're all well.

Cheers HB, nice life story.  I hope your relocation will go well and you will settle happily.

And I also hope you will stick around the forum and add some life to it during "American hours".

You can always talk to me and SB in the pacific time zone. If the club you are at is too expensive do what me and my dad in Iran, we built our own court on the cheap, a damn fast court too. Good luck in your relocation at least you have a lot of nice beaches there to keep you distracted.

Fantastic little tale HB, makes me want to quit my job, dump my girlfriend, and tour the world looking for wine, women and song. Alas I don't actually drink, and can't sing, while I'm pretty happy where I am...

Best of luck mate. Seem pretty happy with your lot. Seen the world, Wife that loves you (well she must, to have lived in England for eight years), 2 kids and a pad in South America. Hope you enjoy this next chapter of your life, and do post every now and then, even if only to brag.

@HB... watching Haas v Nishikori 4-2 Ad second set and a net cord to make it 5-2, your story is very heartwarming,

Your girl/wife loves you as much as you love Tennis, and perhaps more.  Post when you can. Say hello to your family in Chile, from your extended Tennis family on the Internet.

And Haas wins, so two veterans in the 4th rd.

Post when you can. We look forward to the next chapter in the HB saga.

kingraf wrote:... dump my  girlfriend, and tour the world looking for wine, women and song...

@KR.. a walkabout would do you nicely.

This was a joy to read. You're living the dream! Like kingraf, in many ways it makes me want to burn it all to ashes and start again.

I don't blame you for having had quite enough of Blighty. Hope you're continuing to settle in well - don't stay a stranger, eh? Have always enjoyed your posts and viewpoints.

Travel is good, maybe more people should do it.

Living in a foreign country though..that is not for everyone, and maybe not for most. There are a lot of challenges and things will be harder and you will have less money and less free time. At least in the beginning.

Yes it has rained here for 10 minutes in 2 and a half months, yes I have a detached house in the countryside (renting) that I could have never afforded in the UK, yes there are a lot of good stories to tell.

Then again...
Today I was in the bank for an hour because that's how long the queues are and not open on Saturdays. We have piles of rubbish in our garden because they keep saying they are coming the next day to take it away and it's BS. When I got my possessions through customs they tried to rip me off and I have to fight that. That was just some of the easy stuff, I could tell you another 20 things, some of them worse. My 10 year old used car cost double that of the UK. I had to give up my pension and bonuses to be allowed to work here. I am not trying to brag here, or imply that I have a better life than some. It is certainly more interesting as story than some, but that does not necessarily mean better. Many people if they are honest would rather have a more boring life watching TV and browsing the internet in the evenings. More releaxing and less stressful than my life.

Hi HB - good to hear from you. Glad to hear the about the good things that are going well. Hope the not-so-good things improve, or at least are tolerable.

Please see it from a different PoV.

Henman Bill wrote:Today I was in the bank for an hour because that's how long the queues are and not open on Saturdays.

Living in the US, there is a iApp for banking. Consider the long queues as an opportunity to become the next millionaire.

Henman Bill wrote:We have piles of rubbish in our garden because they keep saying they are coming the next day to take it away and it's BS.

Consider offering private services for such rubbish removal and recycling. Some of the newly-minted Chinese billionaires have gotten there by recycling paper waste generated in the US.

Henman Bill wrote:When I got my possessions through customs they tried to rip me off and I have to fight that. That was just some of the easy stuff, I could tell you another 20 things, some of them worse. My 10 year old used car cost double that of the UK. I had to give up my pension and bonuses to be allowed to work here. I am not trying to brag here, or imply that I have a better life than some. It is certainly more interesting as story than some, but that does not necessarily mean better. Many people if they are honest would rather have a more boring life watching TV and browsing the internet in the evenings. More releaxing and less stressful than my life.

A long time ago, when I used to travel to South Asia, the Customs person would expect me to buy a bottle of scotch from the Duty Free Shop and hand it out, otherwise I and my possessions would be "searched" and underwear from my suitcase would be strewn across the Customs desk.  

I am a bit surprised about the financial compromises you have had to make, though.

Hopefully access to Tennis matches takes some of the edge off.

So just going online to see when tickets are on sale for the annual tennis tournament here in Chile only to find it's no longer on the schedule. Rather poor timing. I was in Chile in Feb 2014 and could have gone then, but I was really busy at the time, having just moved here. I was only in Chile in Feb 2008 during the tournament, but again didn't make it. Was definately going to go this year and then they've cancelled it. Meh.

At least I took advantage when I lived in Southern England, with all the tournaments I could reach from there. Now I've just found out my nearest ATP tennis tournament is not 2 hours away as I thought but 1000 miles away in Buenos Aires.

Quito, Ecuador takes the slot. At 2800 m above sea level, it may be the highest ATP currently, or even ever (one for Laver Fan?). That could have an effect on some players.

Nice post Henman Bill and hope you find settling easy and seemless. I thought it was tough for mew relocating from Edinburgh to London but that is nothing compared to your upheaval. Carry on posting as your posts are always meritous in value and hope the move goes well for you.

Challengers - one in April in Chile, won by Thiemo de Bakker this year, less than an hour drive away. Going to have to settle for that.

Futures events do exist: there is one going on in Chile this very week.

Nothing WTA in Chile that I can see on the calendar, or ever remember.

Thanks CC, it was quite a stressful move. Moving country is easier when younger, harder with kids. We have settled in now though. Life is general is good, just the actual moving part can be stressful and time consuming.

Tell me about it HB. Best of luck to you and your family.

Henman Bill wrote:Quito, Ecuador takes the slot. At 2800 m above sea level, it may be the highest ATP currently, or even ever (one for Laver Fan?). That could have an effect on some players.

Yes Quito is the highest official ATP. There have been exhibitions at higher levels, some being more of publicity than Tennis.

PS: Mt. Everest is 8,848 m from sea level.

Geez, 2800m. The EPO levels you'd have.

2800m is extremely easy to adjust to even if you fly in from sea level. Even if you then go walking around straight away rather than take a day's rest in the hotel, still pretty easy.

But it is enough of an acclimatization challenge to have an effect on a player's performance in a high level sport? Yes.

Simply put, a player whose flight is 3 days before their first match have an advantage against a player that flew in the day before.

THis is a problem for the tournament in encouraging players to attend, since attending it will add 1-2 days to your schedule compared to another tournament, either that or you risk flying to South America just for one match because you're not acclimatized.

Always wanted to visit Chile. The home of Con Carne and Pretzel's.