Davis Cup Court Gets the Old Heave-Ho

By Peter Yoon

Dec. 1, 2002 12 AM PT

It took five days for 13 specialists to construct the clay tennis court used for the Davis Cup final between France and Russia in Paris. And within hours of the conclusion of the final match today, the 350 tons of limestone and crushed brick will be broken up by a bulldozer.

By Tuesday the court must be turned back into an ice rink that earlier in the month was the site of a figure skating event.

More Davis Cup: On this day in 1991, France won the Davis Cup for the first time in 59 years behind Guy Forget’s four-set victory over Pete Sampras of the United States, giving France an insurmountable 3-1 lead. And France is close to another Cup, taking a 2-1 lead over Russia after Saturday’s doubles.

Trivia time: Who is the oldest active player in the NFL?

No French judges: Jamie Sale and David Pelletier will be skating with -- not against -- Olympic pairs co-champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze as part of the Stars on Ice tour.

“We like skating with them,” Sale said. “We won’t be competing as to who’s got the better number.”

Uh, not really: Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says Houston Rocket center Yao Ming reminds him of Shaquille O’Neal -- sort of.

“If Shaq were a little taller. And Chinese. And if his jokes were told, mostly, through a translator. And if he were only occasionally dominating and still finding his way in a new culture, on a new team, under a coach who is decidedly conservative in his use of new and occasionally dominating players. But I think you get the point.”

More Yao: Kawakami was thankful of one thing: “ ... Surely, oh Lord, please, Yao Ming won’t rap like Shaquille O’Neal.”

Pay to play: The U.S. Olympic Committee, in an effort to raise money, has turned to EBay.

Auctions are underway for two days of training with the Olympic luge team, batting practice with the softball team, diving instruction from gold medalist Laura Wilkinson and curling instruction from a member of the curling team.

What, no ski jumping?

Papal blessing: Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post speculates on what Pope John Paul II told New York Met catcher Mike Piazza when they met recently at the Vatican: “Actually, he said two things: 1) ‘Agghh, you should have whacked [Roger] Clemens.’ And 2) ‘Where did [Manager Bobby] Valentine get that stupid fake mustache? He looked like Father Guido Sarducci.’ ”

By the numbers: Tony Stewart won the Winston Cup title with 4,800 points, 312 fewer than Jeff Gordon’s winning total in 2001.

Looking back: On this day in 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the Disney World Open to become the first professional golfer to reach $2 million in career earnings.

Trivia answer: Minnesota kicker Gary Anderson is 43.

And finally: From Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Four Sacramento State footballers are caught spraying Pam cooking spray on their jerseys, but they are not suspended. The charges didn’t stick.”

-- Peter Yoon