Interview with Jesús Galán, president of Madpoint
My watch hands say it is ten past ten when i finally reach my friend and president of Madpoint Jesús Galán. I have been trying to reach him since nine thirty, and when he finally answers the phone he happens to be in the house of his friend Auxiliadora Fuentecilla, a neighbour in the area of Pan Bendito, a humble neighbourhood in the Southern part of Madrid.
“I have dropped in to see my friend, she is feeling really blue”, he says. Her boyfriend has just dumped her. He is a professional expert in carpet mite cleaning and lives in Parla, even further south than her exgirlfriend, and close to the industrial area where he works. “He has taken the decision precisely now, right when I have obtained my B24 driving license to visit him there”, whines Auxiliadora. To make matters worse, the girl had had to close the premises where she used to sell esparto grass sandals, “all because of the damned crisis and for the unfair competition of synthetic materials”. Now she is forced to tighten her belt and thus has even given up two-layer toilet paper: “the new one is not so soft and scratches more, so it is better for wiping off certain leftovers”, Jesús explains to me, defending the drastic decision taken by his friend.
Delicate as the moment seemed, with Jesús absolutely devoted to caring for his friend, I dare to unveil to my dear President the purpose of my call: I want to interview him for the web page of MTO 2010. At the end of the day, he is the President of the organising club and he is a key man in the tournament. Jesús, so humane, takes a break in the unpostponable tasks that take up all his time, day after day, and gladly agrees to answer my questions.
Jesús, your arrival to both Madpoint and the GLTA is fairly recent. What pushed you to becoming a member of Madpoint? And what was your first GLTA tournament?
A friend of mine, who was already a member of the club and who knew i love tennis, took me there. As for my first tournament, it was the Smashing Valentine 2008, in Eindhoven. It was an unforgettable experience, and since then I have returned year after year.
What was it that made you get involved so much in this world? Is it the tennis side of it, the social side or a mixture of both?
It has all happened progressively. I entered this world because I was yearning for taking up tennis again, after 12 years without even holding a racket. Once inside, you get to know many people and the social part acquires importance, never forgetting that the illusion everyone puts on pushing this type of project ahead is contagious. To sum up, it is a mixture of both that pushes me to continue ahead.
When and how did you start to play tennis? Have you taken part in tournaments outside GLTA? Tell us about the results.
I started when I was 13, by myself, after watching Monica Seles win her first Roland Garros. I have taken part in few tournaments outside GLTA… and I believe the results are not good enough to be told here!
Let your imagination fly: after playing against you, what do you reckon your opponents think of your skills?
I believe people think I am a reeeeeal pain.
Try to define your game.
It is the opposite of what I would like it to be… It is a reeeeeal pain.
Sometimes you play the drive with both hands, and others with one. Have you finally reached an agreement with yourself over what is the best way for you to hit the drive? Hahaha.
I am afraid I will never reach that agreement! It is more efficient with one hand, but I learnt it with both…
Short questions
What GLTA player against whom you have never played would you like to play against?
Roman Pavlicek
If you could choose any professional player to teach you a shot, what player would that be and what shot?
Any shot from the back of the court by Monica Seles. If not, I would not mind Fernando Verdasco to teach me whatever he wants!!!
A scenario that gets on your nerves.
On a tennis court? Felling that my arm is stiffened.
A situation that immediately gets to you emotionally.
The desire to better oneself.
A virtue you admire in someone.
Spontaneity.
Tell us in two lines how you imagine your perfect life within 20 years.
Injury-free, in full shape and playing tennis.
Is it true that you systematically lie about your age to appear younger than you really are?
I am not lying when I say I will soon turn 25…
Be honest: if you rubbed the lamp and the genie offered you one of the following three wishes, which one would you choose: having long and silky hair, measuring 1.85 or having beautiful feet?
Feet more beautiful than mine? I doubt it…
NB: all characters mentioned in this story are fictitious, but for the interviewee. Any resemblance with reality is surely something more than a mere coincidence… |
