Свежая публикация к 75-летию Ленсдорпа
Renowned South Bay tennis coach Robert Lansdorp celebrates 75th birthday with legends of the court
By Nick Green, Daily Breeze
Posted: 11/17/13, 7:46 PM PST | Updated: 26 secs ago
TORRANCE >> More than 100 former students and friends came from as far away as Japan and New York to celebrate the 75th birthday of their renowned one-time tennis coach, Torrance resident Robert Lansdorp. His career instructing elite young prospects is now approaching its fourth decade.
Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova put in a brief appearance Saturday night at the party at Torrance’s West End Racquet & Health Club, jokingly asking for a free lesson, a request presumably prompted by her slip from atop the world’s player rankings last year.
And the likes of former world No. 1s Tracy Austin and Lindsay Davenport came to pay tribute to Lansdorp, an opinionated, outspoken coach with an irascible, demanding reputation, but a man beloved for his ability to extract the best from talented proteges, including no fewer than five Grand Slam champions.
“He was like a second father to me,” said Palos Verdes Peninsula native Davenport, whom Lansdorp coached for seven years before she went on to win three Grand Slam titles. “We were super close. He was really gentle with me.
“I don’t think I ever would have accomplished anything without him,” she added. “There’s no one like him. He’s cantankerous and he acts cranky, but a lot of it is a show and once you get past that you can see who he is deep down. But he’s not afraid of anybody. He’ll tell you like it is because he doesn’t care if you don’t come tomorrow and your parents stop paying him. He would give it to you straight, but it was always great to hear the truth.”
Lansdorp, who revels in his maverick reputation, has long been a fixture on South Bay tennis courts, sometimes wearing out his welcome with the country club set and moving on. Lansdorp once coached at West End — his daughter Stephanie still does — and more than one former student Saturday pointed to a court where they recalled enduring punishing ground stroke repetitions that developed championship-level endurance, stamina and consistency.
These days Lansdorp still works with youngsters in the relative anonymity of Rancho Palos Verdes four days a week, despite a variety of ailments.
“Some days I feel like retiring when the body doesn’t feel that great and then once I get on the court and I start working with these kids I get into it,” he said, adding he is still searching for an elusive sixth Grand Slam winner.
“I’m trying,” Lansdorp said. “It’s always hard work and I don’t mind working hard. And it’s the hard work of the kids (that matters) so maybe it’s still possible.”
The hard work Lansdorp demanded is a constant refrain from former students like Austin, who at age 16 became the youngest-ever U.S. Open champion.
“Robert was a big part of my success,” said the Rolling Hills resident. “I needed a coach who was going to work me hard and he was obviously a taskmaster.
“It instilled confidence in me that he thought there was always something more that I could give, that there was more I could improve,” she added. “You know he’s doing it to make you tougher, to make you stronger, to make you mentally tougher. I think he’s the best coach to teach ground strokes in the history of the game.”
Lansdorp didn’t hesitate to use a little tough love to teach his young charges the commitment they needed to succeed.
Tennis broadcaster Justin Gimelstob, a former pro, who lived with his coach and his family in their basement for several years, remembered when Lansdorp found out he had lied about sneaking out of the house one night on a date.
“He picked me up by my shirt — I was probably 16 (years old), 160 pounds — and he held me up and said, ‘Get out of my house,’ ” Gimelstob recalled. “I went down, packed all my stuff in my car, my little sports car. It probably took me seven hours.”
Then Lansdorp relented, allowed him to stay and proceeded to extract punishment from Gimelstob on the court in pain and sweat.
Yet the loyalty and respect Lansdorp’s approach has engendered from his former students was on display Saturday in Torrance.
And when the guest of honor was led blindfolded to his surprise party, he was clearly touched by the outpouring of affection, even managing to (mostly) keep his well-known proclivity for uttering expletives largely in check for the occasion.
“I thought it was just going to be another birthday and didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “I said, ‘Are you taking me to a nudie bar or what?’
“This is so unbelievably great. I haven’t seen some of these people for years.”
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