On the occasion of this 28th edition, some of the players who have made the tournament famous have agreed to share their memories of the final. On Sunday 18 February 2001, Yevgeny Kafelnikov won against Sébastien Grosjean.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov: "I will never forget this victory
"Obviously, the first thing that stands out for me is that I won this final on my birthday. It's a very rare thing, and I'll never forget that victory. I beat Roger Federer in the semi-finals. Everybody knew that he was going to be an exceptional player. He was only 20 years old but he was already very mature. He had beaten me the week before in Milan, so this semi-final against Roger was like a revenge for me. And I wanted to prove that I could hold my own against young players. We all knew that Roger was going to spend some time at the top of the rankings, but we had no idea that he would stay there for so long.
Sébastien was a difficult opponent to play against. At that time, he was a Top 10 player. That year we played each other several times and he beat me, especially in the final in Bercy. But there, in Marseille, I was happy to add a title to my record because I was 27 years old and I knew that my good years were behind me. I really liked this tournament.
From the first time I set foot in Marseille in 1994, as a 20-year-old rookie, the welcome was always exceptional. It's a tournament where I've always felt very good and it was a priority on my calendar. I didn't have the time I wanted to get to know the city properly, but the hotel was great, the stadium was great, and then there was the sea. It was February, so I never got to enjoy it fully, but I loved looking at the sea. I found it very relaxing. My only regret is that I never got to go to an OM match: either they were playing away or I was playing at the same time as them!
Sébastien Grosjean: "Frustrated to have lost!
"It was a very special event for me, especially as it was there, in 1997, that I entered a main draw for the first time. I got a wild card because I finished as junior number one in 1996. It was a special moment: being at home, in front of my family and friends. And it was also a tournament I used to go to when I was younger. When you play tennis and you want to become a professional, you think of the Grand Slam, the French Open, and if there's an event in your city, you think of that tournament. That first match on the main tour is a great memory, something fabulous. So to reach the final was extraordinary.
So that final is also a nice memory, even if I was frustrated to lose. Kafelnikov was a great player, in great shape at the time, but still! There is that regret somewhere, but afterwards, each match, each Open 13, was special. The one in the final doesn't necessarily stand out. For me, it was really the opportunity to play in front of my family. Playing in front of your family is always very motivating. In fact, if I think about it, there were a lot of good moments, not just the final. I also think about winning the doubles in 2003 with Fabrice Santoro.
Today, the Open 13 Provence has become a must for the people of Marseilles and I always love coming back. We are happy to see a great sporting line-up, but it goes beyond that. It has become more than a tennis tournament. It is now a must-see event. Yes, there's football, there's OM of course, but there's the Open week!
