Nastase Falls in Women's Tennis Benefit

"Get ready, son. You're playing your father today," tennis legend Ilie Nastase called across the net before taking on former Harvard top seed Arkie Engel '88.

Youth prevailed, as Engel defeated Nastase 6-4, 7-6 (9-7), at the Palmer-Dixon Tennis Courts last Saturday. The captivated crowd of 150 spectators was entertained by a man who has not lost his sense of humor or his love for the game.

The proceeds from the exhibition match went to the Harvard women's tennis team and the Romanian Society of Harvard (RSH). The tennis team will use its share to help fund its spring trip to California, while RSH plans to buy textbooks it will send to Romanian schools.

"Our key is to bring notable, talented people here [from Romania]," said RSH President Horiade Gavrilitza, who mentioned playwright Eugene Ionesco as a possible participant in the future.

Nastase is very conscious of the political changes in his homeland and wants to do as much as he can to help. The colorful former Wimbledon finalist flew to Romania last December to support his countrymen during their revolution for democratic change.

"I'm glad I was there [during the revolution] to see the changes," Nastase said. "It was different than watching it on the news."

But on Saturday, politics was the last thing on Nastase's mind.

The former U.S. Open champion came out of the locker room to the song "Eye of the Tiger." As Nastase and Engel began warming up, the song "Nasty" came on, and the crowd promptly cheered.

The two players were a contrast in style and appearance, as well as age. Engel hit his balls with heavy topspin, while Nastase hit his shots flat. Engel had a pink handgrip with white head tape, while Nastase used a plain racquet. And it was Engel who did most of the running around, diving and lunging for Nastase's well-placed shots.

The first set went down to the wire, as Engel and Nastase each had breaks. With the score 4-4, Engel broke Nastase's serve again and held serve to win the set. After the set, Nastase rubbed his rotund belly and looked upward.

"Settle down, young man," Nastase warned.

At one point, Nastase served with a lacrosse stick. Engel returned the ball, and Nastase quickly picked up his racket and served an ace.

"I liked the first one better," Engel complained.

Nastase again pointed to his mid-section. "It's the stomach," he said.

In the second set, both players had one break, forcing a tiebreaker. Nastase was up 6-5 in the tiebreaker, but Engel rallied to win it, 9-7. After the players shook hands, Nastase took time to sign some autographs before showering and heading over to a reception at Dillon Fieldhouse.

"To me, this day is very special," said Cristina Dragomirescu, the vice president of RSH and former captain of the tennis squad. "I idolized Ilie Nastase when I was young."

Nastase currently plays on the Veterans Tour for players older than 35--the "old boys," as he describes it. He says he misses the professional tour, but tries not to think about it.

"I really want to spend time with my family," Nastase said.

"His shots are still very, very good," said Engel, the 298th-ranked player on the professional tour. "His serve is very powerful."

In fact, it's nasty.