Courting tennis circuit's young women

Sam Stevens with his photographs at the Classic tennis tournament. Picture / Martin Sykes

Sam Stevens is one of professional tennis' biggest fans.

So big he's amassed a collection of 750 photos - and rising - of himself with each player in the women's tour. Most are autographed, too.

His collection has, for the second time, drawn the Californian to Auckland for the ASB Classic, where he hopes to include some of the tour's newer players.

"It's a real fun hobby. It's like the joke I make: I'm 76 years old and running all around the world chasing young women. Only when I catch them, all I can do is get my picture taken."

The retired musician - who still plays tennis and competed in senior tournaments until a year ago - started his hobby by accident.

In 2000, while working at the gate of Southern California's prestigious Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Mr Stevens got his photo taken with Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce, the then reigning world champion and fifth-ranked player respectively.

"I showed the pictures to all my friends. It became fun, so next year, I thought I'd get some more players."

He is missing just nine of the top 200 women's players now, but when he started out, he didn't have a plan nor a system. He would photograph juniors and male players as well, but found it easier to just concentrate on the women's tour.

A system was devised where he would take the photos, print them up as 8x10s, and then get the player's autograph.

"Then I started going to other tournaments further and further away."

Mr Stevens estimates he attends 15 tournaments a year - "at least" - with half of those overseas. His quest to further his collection has seen him in places such as Berlin, Prague, Paris, Rome and Melbourne, his collection and unsigned photos always in tow.

The trick to get a photo and autograph is to get in before they play - ideally during practice sessions - and pray they win, he said.

"Because after they play and they lose, they're in no mood to stand and have their picture taken."

Getting in early applies particularly during the grand slams.

"You walk over to the gate as they're coming out and there's about 200 kids there wanting autographs. I can't even get close. I learnt early on that's not the way to do it."