UBarbara Steur wase-Amsterdam uthi unolwazi olunzulu uma eyibona. I-US Open eNew York isafaneleka, ngisho nangemva kokuba idola likhuphuke ngesonto eledlule lafika ezingeni eliphakeme kakhulu uma liqhathaniswa ne-euro cishe ezinyangeni eziyisikhombisa.
“Kithina, kusathandeka ukuza lapha,” kusho uSteur, umeluleki wezentengiso wenkampani yabameli i-Baker & McKenzie e-Amsterdam.
Abalandeli base-Europe abafana noSteur, ojwayele ukuthutheleka ku-French Open kanye ne-Wimbledon, baya ku-Grand Slam yokugcina yonyaka eNew York. Bathola "imali eningi kakhulu," kusho u-Andrew Chmura, umnikazi weGrand Slam Tours eStowe, eVermont. Umthengisi wamaphakheji wethenisi uphokophele kwi-Open engcono kakhulu emlandweni wayo weminyaka engu-17 ngemuva kokudayisa. Ukubhuka kwalo nyaka okuvela eYurophu kukhuphuke ngamaphesenti angama-50 uma kuqhathaniswa nonyaka odlule, kusho uChmura.
Abantu baseYurophu e-Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre bebengakhonondi ngemuva kokuthi i-euro ithinte u-$1.4385 izolo, izinga eliphansi kakhulu kusukela ngo-Jan. 22. I-euro ibisakhuphuke ngamaphesenti angu-6.5 uma iqhathaniswa nedola kusukela ngonyaka odlule i-US Open.
“Khohlwa iLondon noma iParis; i-US Open iyiGrand Slam yonyaka,” kusho uStefan van Buuren, 25, umdayisi wezabelomali e-SNS Securities NV e-Amsterdam. “Kuyithenisi ephezulu edolobheni eliphezulu.”
Ukuqiniswa kwedola akuzange kuvimbe uVan Buuren ukuthi asebenzise u-$4,000 ohambweni lwezinsuku ezine ku-Open nabangani ababili ngethemba lokubona umdlali amthandayo, umpetha ovikelayo uRoger Federer waseSwitzerland.
Irekhodi Lababekhona
I-Chmura's Grand Slam Tours yayithengisa amaphakheji ezinsuku ezine ku-US Open, okuhlanganisa isidlo sakusihlwa nabake waba ngompetha uRoy Emerson noFred Stolle kanye nezihlalo zasenkantolo kuze kufike kumaseshini ethenisi amahlanu, cishe ngamaphawundi angu-1,200 ($2,140), ngaphandle kwezindiza.
Isonto lokuqala le-Open labeka irekhodi lababekhona abalandeli bethenisi abangu-423,420, kusho i-US Tennis Association ngoSepthemba 1. Ingqikithi yababekhona kulo mcimbi wamasonto amabili ingase ifinyelele irekhodi labangaphezu kuka-720,000 kusukela kwabangu-715,587 bangonyaka odlule, kusho i-USTA.
Izinga lokushintshisana akukona kuphela okuletha abantu baseYurophu eNew York. Umbango phakathi kukaFederer noRafael Nadal waseSpain nawo udala intshisekelo, kusho uLars Kappen, ongumnikazi nomqondisi weSports and the City, okuyisikhungo esizinze e-Amsterdam esidayisela amabhizinisi amaphakheji ohambo.
UNadal, owehlule uFederer kowamanqamu amathathu elandelana kuFrench Open, unqobe abaseSwitzerland eWimbledon kumdlalo wamasethi amahlanu owathatha irekhodi lamahora ama-4, imizuzu engama-48. Kudonse ababukeli abayizigidi ezingu-13.1 ekusakazeni kweBritish Broadcasting Corp., noma amaphesenti angu-47.6 ezilaleli zethelevishini, ngokusho kwe-BBC. Lokho kuyinani elikhulu kusukela ngo-1992 kowamanqamu weWimbledon phakathi kuka-Andre Agassi noGoran Ivanisevic.
'Okuthile Okusha'
Lokho kuqhudelana, kanye nokuvela kompetha be-Australian Open uNovak Djokovic waseSerbia kukhulise isasasa, kusho uKappen.
“Izinkampani eziningi zase-Europe sezivele zijabulisa amakhasimende emiqhudelwaneni yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo,” kusho uKappen. “Ithenisi yinto entsha.”
UMichael Gerrart waseScotland uthe akakuboni ukuthengiselana: Iphawundi laseBrithani lehle ngamaphesenti angu-11.9 uma liqhathaniswa nedola kusukela ngonyaka odlule. Usebenza e-United Nations futhi ukhokhelwa ngemali yasekhaya.
“Amanani aphakeme kakhulu kulo mqhudelwano,” kusho uGerrart, emi eduze kwedokodo lapho ingilazi kabhiya we-Heineken ibiza u-$7.50.
I-USTA ilinganisela ukuthi amaphesenti angu-48 esixukwini avela ngaphandle kweNew York, eNew Jersey naseConnecticut, kusukela kumaphesenti angu-25 eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili edlule.
Inani lobuso lamathikithi e-US Open lisuka ku-$22 endaweni yokuhamba ukuya kokufika kokufika kokungu-$800 esihlalweni esiphambili kumdlalo wamanqamu wabesilisa. Ukudlula phansi eWimbledon kubiza u-20 pounds, kanti amathikithi omdlalo wamanqamu wabesilisa ngonyaka ozayo azobiza u-100 pounds.
“Kushibhile kakhulu kithi lapha ngenxa ye-euro,” kusho uBerta Jorro oneminyaka engu-31 ubudala, osebenza emnyangweni wezabantu eBanco de Espana eMadrid, ngenkathi edlula enkundleni yokudla ngaphandle kwaseLouis Armstrong Stadium. “Siyayithanda iNew York. Sikubonile emafilimini. Kushibhile ngenxa ye-euro. Senza imali eningi uma siyothenga.”
