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Haase: It_Ñés not all glam on tour


 

Originally published on: 16/04/12 00:00

If you’ve been salivating with thoughts about the glamorous life on tour of late, allow Robin Haase to tell it like it is, or certainly how it can be.

Writing from the comparatively ultra-glamorous Monte-Carlo Masters on Monday, the 25-year-old Dutchman took a swipe at last week’s Grand Prix Hassan II, an ATP 250 tournament in Casablanca, after enduring a rocky stay at the event.

In a blog on his website, the world No.55 vented about dirty bathrooms, toilets and terrible traffic in the post about the Moroccan tournament, where he was defeated in the first round by world No.752 Lamine Ouahab in the singles. He was later defeated alongside partner Jean-Julien Rojer in the semi-finals of the doubles event, having held a match point, but it was the condition of the tournament's facilities that really got under his skin.

“The world of tennis is often regarded as ‘glitter and glamour’, however the tournament of Casablanca is definitely conflicting with this view,” begins Haase. “The hotel and food are good but that’s all for the positive side.

“At the tournament, the bathrooms are so dirty that you want to keep your clothes and shoes on when taking a shower,” he wrote. “Some players don’t shower at all and decide to take one at the hotel in the evening. If the showers are that disgusting, I hope you can image yourself how the toilets are. Some players even take their own toilet paper with them…”

To make matters worse, Haase also revealed that some of his belongings were stolen at the Casablanca event, but, says the Dutchman, "fortunately not my computer or other valuables, which did however, happen to other players.

“I didn’t even mention the traffic, because if I would, my family and friends would not let me play the Casablanca tournament again,” he added.

This year’s Casablanca event was won by Spaniard Pablo Andujar, who returned to win the title for the second year running.

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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.