A Winner for Macau

When Pete Sampras invited Roger Federer to play at his Beverly Hills home early this year, they hit a couple of balls in the backyard, then played a few points and then some sets. It turned out, thankfully for Sampras, a pretty close match and he was so thrilled with his hissing slices that he came up with the idea of a tennis showdown.

When Pete Sampras invited Roger Federer to play at his Beverly Hills home early this year, they hit a couple of balls in the backyard, then played a few points and then some sets. It turned out, thankfully for Sampras, a pretty close match and he was so thrilled with his hissing slices that he came up with the idea of a tennis showdown. While the balding Yankee who once played like god has lost twice to the Swiss whose forehand is better than the Almighty, in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur, the most excited place is a tiny peninsula in South China Sea 8211; Macau 8212; where the last match will take place on November 24. The clash of the titans will take place, appropriately, at a plush, air-conditioned, indoor stadium in the largest building in Asia 8211; The Venetian Macao, a gleaming combo of resort, luxury hotel and casino spread across 10.5 million sq km.

Macau was known as the Las Vegas of the East, the glitzy gambling den of Asia 8211; and it still is 8211; with the ka-ching of the slot machines, the wheeling of the roulette and the deception of poker. But with the Olympics 2008 happening next door in China, Macau is searching for dollars in sports.

This former Portuguese colony, which is now a specially administered region of China, is not exactly known to be a sporty nation 8212; or an agricultural or an industrial one at that. If it needed a gilded attraction to lure in the uber-rich, the glitterati, the businessmen who want to talk shop under golden ceilings, shop for every designer label, gamble on the world8217;s largest casino floor and spend the evening in a faux Venetian canal, with a gondolier serenading them, then Macau got it in The Venetian that opened in August. The hotel is spread over an area that could cover 56 American football fields, houses 3,000 suites and a casino that includes approximately 6,000 slot machines apart from the 800 table games.

Nestled in the heart of the resort is the Grand Canal Shoppes, spanning one million square feet of retail space that shelters over 200 designers from Roberto Coin to Fendi. The amphitheatre that can accommodate over 1800 will soon have customized Cirque Du Soleil shows especially for the resort.

But this Saturday, entertainment will be watching Federer bend down, lift the golden orb and spin it into the air and then in one arching motion hurl it to Sampras on the other end. No wonder the showdown is set to attract the largest audience for a tennis match in that part of the world and one of the biggest ever in Asia.

Outside, along the streets of Macau is the crowded market place of Sanmalo, a little further away, on a small hill, stands the ruined faccedil;ade of St Paul8217;s, a 16th century Portuguese cathedral that was the largest in Asia at that point of time and was destroyed in a fire. On the other side of the city is the 15th century Templo de A-Ma dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. But every November the quiet streets are transformed into race tracks, and Macau into Monaco, and gamblers give way to FI fans, for the Macao Grand Prix, with cars and bikes speeding past the casinos and people munching on pork chop buns. This December, for the first time, A1 Grand Prix cars will drive on the demanding track of the Guia Circuit at the Fisherman8217;s Wharf. The circuit will also play host to Motorcycle Grand Prix that will have riders from Europe, America, Asia and the Pacific.

While wagers will rule Macau forever, the sporty new makeover of this region of a little over 500,000 people spread over just 29 square km makes it the Monaco of the East. But it is not just racing. In October, the city played host to the second Asian Indoor Games which saw many Indians climbing the winner8217;s podium. The same month its first ever NBA event had a packed house of 15,000 screaming, basketball fans as Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and the Chinese men8217;s national team dribbled, passed and made shots.

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The basketball court transforms into a concert space for bands like Black Eyed Peas, and will now disguise itself as a tennis court for the showdown between Federer and Sampras. Meanwhile, we will let the champions enjoy the Venetian stay on the Cotai strip, with its Italy-meets-China charm, its gondolas and streetmosphere entertainers.

Getting there:

Take a direct flight from Delhi to Hong Kong. Will cost Rs 27,000 in Singapore Airlines and Rs 25,000 in Cathay. Take a ferry from Hong Kong to Macau.