6 months Ago
A Fall and a Famous Fan
Griekspoor provided fans with a scare in the fourth set when he slipped and fell on the clay court. "I don't even remember exactly what happened, but it gave me a bit of a shock," he said. "My wrists and my ankles, I felt that right away, but thank God everything was fine. No pain afterward."
Among those cheering Griekspoor was the Dutch N.B.A. player Quinten Post — a star for the Golden State Warriors — who had flown to Paris with his girlfriend. Post was only able to stay briefly, but he wanted to get a picture with Griekspoor. "He texted me after — his girlfriend was sick," Griekspoor said. "We've kept in touch. I'm a big basketball guy, and I've always been a Golden State fan. He had a great season. Hopefully we'll get that photo some time soon."
No Coach, Just Brotherly Advice
Without a coach at present after former Dutch captain Dennis Sporrel "moved on", Griekspoor is getting help from his brother, Scott, during the French Open. "Scott plays a little bit of tennis as well, so it's really good to have him here," Griekspoor said. "He has two little kids and a job, so is unable to travel much."
Asked whether he thinks of himself as a good coach, Griekspoor laughed and said: "Maybe I'm a better coach than player. I sense the game well, especially from the sidelines — even when I'm playing. It's just not always easy to do what I see."
Griekspoor also discussed the fact that he may approach the Swedish coach Mikael Tillström again; he reached out to him last year, when the coach was still working with Gaël Monfils. The time might be ripe now that the two have broken up — but, Griekspoor hesitates. "From what I have similarly seen, maybe he is a little too negative for me. He isn't a positive person, he does not look like, but I would have to very much look more."
Griekspoor will be back on court in Paris on Thursday.
