2011 Australian Open: Day 5

So. Exhausted. Australian Open Radio is alternately highly entertaining and exceedingly annoying.

• "First name Trinidad, last name Tobago?"
• Following Tomas Berdych vs. Richard Gasquet is absolutely maddening.
  

Can't Blame the Season for This One

So... Serena Williams just officially withdrew from the 2011 Australian Open. Not only is it a very early withdrawal, it is just the next chapter in an extremely perplexing injury story. She supposedly cuts her foot on glass in a restaurant and needs surgery for it (seriously, what kind of restaurants is she frequenting?), then provides conflicting information about the state of her injury. She's on crutches. She's on high heels at a red-carpet event. She's in a boot. She "pushed too hard" trying to get back into training and re-injured herself. How? Did her stitches split open? What exactly was cut by the glass?

I guess I was one of the skeptics out there when Serena was first injured, but I guess if she's withdrawing from all of these major events (including the WTA Championships), then there must be something serious going on. Why, then, doesn't she release something a little more detailed and forthcoming so that her haters don't have even more reason to hate?

25 Thoughts on the US Open

This is sort of a ripoff of Jon Wertheim's 50 Parting Shots, although it's only 25 thoughts and all of the thoughts are mine. And so:

1. Why is Arthur Ashe Stadium such a failure? Don't engineers exist in order to ensure that phenomena such as swirling wind bowls don't happen? Surely the budget for the construction of this stadium was enormous--the best minds and materials should have been available, and yet the result is a useless monolith. Good job.
   
   
2. I hope Caroline Wozniacki is not the next Kim Clijsters--friendly, engaging, and nice--too nice to win when it really counts. I don't really understand what it means to be "too nice to win," although I guess it sort of ties into a lack of true competitive spirit and power. This isn't to say that Wozniacki can't compete--she can--but everyone is still holding their collective breaths to see whether she can really do what she should be able to do.
   
   
3. Novak Djokovic redeemed himself and reworked his image in a big way in the later rounds. I've always seen him as a sort of whiny choker--and it will take a few more big matches before I am fully convinced otherwise--but in his win against Roger Federer in the semifinals he showed some real guts, and in the final against Rafael Nadal he showed not only deep fight but real sportsmanship and compassion. Despite the racquet-destroying anger he showed early in the first set, Djokovic actually crossed the net after the match to give Nadal a hug.
   
   
4. As annoying as the rain was, why haven't people embraced it as a part of the early September experience? For years the rain at Wimbledon was embraced with an exasperated sort of attitude, and some purists even felt that putting a roof over Centre Court was a destruction of hallowed tradition. I'm all for putting a roof over Ashe, although apparently it's structurally impossible, but why do people hate the rain at the US Open so much more than they do at Wimbledon?
   
   
5. If I were the betting type and tennis was a betting sort of game, then my money would be on Beatrice Capra never really making a significant statement again. Same for Melanie Oudin, whose star has probably already peaked. Even Ryan Harrison seems a bit iffy to me. Usually you can tell when a teenager is really going to make an impact (predicting Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka most recently come to mind), and their junior hype was never all that legitimately excited.
   
   
6. Everyone kept extolling the virtues of live streaming on USOpen.org, but it never worked for me. Not once. Sigh.
   
   
7. Earlier this year, David Nalbandian claimed that the only real difference between Federer and Nadal, and the rest of the ATP, was their mental toughness. Although I disagree with this statement--Federer and Nadal have amazing placement, pace, and shot selection--I was really re-impressed by Nadal's head throughout the tournament. Despite the losses he had suffered in the summer hardcourt season, I never really believed during any of his seven matches that he could possibly lose. He simply wouldn't allow it. Two years ago, when I watched Kei Nishikori vs. Juan Martin del Potro, I was impressed by Nishikori's attack and speed, but much less so by his inability to hang onto leads. Nadal knows how to make that happen, and very rarely does he ever let a match slip out of his control. When he does, it is an "amazing disaster." Hah.
   
   
8. Speaking of Nishikori, way for him to come back! His retirement against Albert Montanes--an entirely beatable opponent, particularly on hard courts--was a disappointment, but one can't ignore his win over Marin Cilic.
   
   
9. Do players really doubt the linespeople's calls this much, or is it just because they have the challenge system at their disposal?
   
   
10. I wonder about Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova. Supposedly they are major forces to be reckoned with, and they are--except they're not. Williams is consistently erratic, and Sharapova is generating unforced errors left and right. Reputation and an intimidation factor can go a long way in tennis, but when will everyone realize that the two's days may be over?
    
    
11. So CBS can't be bothered to air the men's final in full, so ESPN2 picks up the broadcast... with CBS's logo still on it. I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough on the dealings of TV stations to actually comment on this, but does anyone care about anything when it comes to this sport? The USTA bowed to TV pressures throughout the tournament in scheduling matches, but at the very end everyone just pulled out and left the USTA with a truncated acceptance speech from Nadal.
    
    
12. The wheelchair competition is inspiring, overlooked, and mostly a foregone conclusion.
    
    
13. Although Nadal is supposedly ahead of where Federer was at 24, and has already completed a career Grand Slam, I can't shake the feeling that he is simply not the Greatest of All Time. This is not a knock on him as an athlete at all--I am a huge fan and also respect his dedication and talent very much--but there is something about the high-energy style of his play that seems to detract from his status when compared to Federer's. That is, while I respect various styles of play, the cost-benefit ratio of Nadal's and Federer's respective styles seems to tip the historical balance in Federer's favor. Sure, part of it is their personalities--Federer never seems to panic or break a sweat, while Nadal is all about fighting as hard and as intensely as possible--but there is an inherent ease and smoothness to Federer's playing that Nadal will probably never achieve. Both are impressive, though, and perhaps what all this rambling means is that a GOAT is impossible to definitively anoint.
    
    
14. Hello, Tomas Berdych. Back to your old disappointing ways, I see. After a brilliant run to the Wimbledon final, all you've done is complain about lack of preferential treatment at the Washington DC event and lose in the first round of the US Open. Impressive.
    
    
15. As long as we're on the subject of talented disappointments: Ernests Gulbis seemed up, and then was down. He lost spectacularly in the first round, whining about inevitable and across-the-board factors like the heat. Seriously. As James LaRosa wrote, "If Novak can hang, so can you."
    
    
16. A little less disappointing, but another disappointment nonetheless was Richard Gasquet. He seemed to finally put two and two (or is it one and one?) together and fought his way into the fourth round, where several expert analysts picked him to beat Gael Monfils. Instead he loses in straight sets, despite his superior talent and his desperate need for a solid result. God.
    
    
17. Umm... Gael Monfils... What exactly is all the hype about him, anyway? Sure, he may be talented and athletic, but I simply don't understand how a professional athlete can insist on being so immature. If he wants to wow the crowd with tricks, he should have become a circus performer. If he wants to win matches, then he's going to have to figure out a way to grow up.
    
    
18. I'm not really sure what to make of Jelena Jankovic anymore. I would still love to see her do well and win something big, but she always finds a way to not deliver. Sure, she's talented, but she's so--what?--fragile. Is she committed? Does she believe? I feel like there's an air of complacency and "c'est la vie" about her that doesn't bode well for anything.
    
    
19. Is Ana Ivanovic back? Is she not back? Personally I don't care all that much anymore--her media-groomed statements about working on putting all of her practices together in matches are growing old--but one does have to notice that any other player who fell so ingloriously down the ranks would have been long forgotten. It really pays to be beautiful, huh.
    
    
20. If we are to believe Rafael Nadal (and history, I suppose), then Federer should not be considered done. And yet...
    
    
21. Being a moderate fan of Andy Murray can be pretty trying, more so than being a moderate fan of Gulbis and Gasquet. For one thing, I actually expect him to win and stay (gasp) positive, and it's always a huge letdown when he fails, again and again. A few years ago Brad Gilbert predicted that Murray would be the next (new) world No. 1. While that has not yet been proven untrue, I don't really see it being proven true either.
    
    
22. The Andy Roddick tirade has been discussed to death. Next, please. And by next I mean next story, next player, next success... whatever.
    
    
23. Why does everyone knock on "pushers" so much? Sure, it might not be interesting, and it seems BETTER somehow for a player to generate his own power and really go for the shots, but the point of tennis--no, of sport--is to find a way to win, within the rules. Some people do this with high-risk tennis, others do this by crafting points and using spin, and others do this out of sheer consistency. Who cares?
    
    
24. James LaRosa is my new journalistic discovery. He and Jon Wertheim should keep me occupied a good bit. Brad Gilbert is still abrasively awesome, and I live for Dick Enberg actually calling Daren Cahill "Killer" on television.
    
    
25. I love Rafael Nadal.

2010 US Open: Day 15?

Despite the extra day of rest that Novak Djokovic luckily got, I'm still not convinced that he's shaken his reputation for being a choker (Djok Choke--god, too easy). He really showed some toughness in overcoming match points against Roger Federer, but he probably doesn't have what it takes to be so tough twice in a row on such a huge stage. I hope, anyway. Plus he was never the fittest of guys... he's probably still tired and will have problems.

Can Djokovic really only have retired from nine matches in his entire career? It seems like a lot more than that. And why would four of those retirements have come in Grand Slams, of all tournaments?

Geez, talk about a short fuse. Djokovic was only broken for 2-3 and already he’s destroyed a racquet. Usually I’m not so offended by racquet-breaking as my mother is (who is unconditionally aghast), but this one seems excessive and premature to me. At least he received a code violation for racquet abuse. Perhaps it’s an indication of Djokovic’s understanding of the limits of his own body… he worked so hard to save all of those break points, and he knows that if he doesn’t keep it close early, the chances of him coming back are fairly slim. After all, despite the cool weather, he already seems to be breathing quite heavily… maybe he shouldn’t spend his breath on grunting. I hope I didn’t just jinx anything for Nadal.

Nadal is 108-1 when winning the first set in Grand Slams? Talk about mental toughness and finding a way to hang on and impose. He also seems to do better in this match when I am not watching.

Djokovic looks surprisingly like his father, I’ve finally noticed. I suppose the proximity of his son’s face to his own, courtesy of his shirt, really helps with the comparison.

Ah yes, Nadal’s “amazing disaster” comment from some time ago. I guess I should look into modifying my own speech patterns, as I’ve definitely said “amazingly bad” and the like in the past, and I am neither the world number 1 at anything nor with the benefit of an endearing foreign accent.

Nadal seems to be making more unforced errors than usual, though I guess it’s not as concerning as it usually might be, seeing as Djokovic’s (ugly) shorts are flapping in the wind.

Wait, except... what the hell is going on with Nadal? Maybe I should stop watching. I still have faith though. And here comes the rain! Great...

The commentators weren't saying anything too interesting, so instead I'm going to quote nadalnews:

# Rafa breaks and my ass feels drier

# My ass is wet, Rafa lost the second set and Nole is on fire.

Well, we all know how that ended, so here are a few pictures to bring it all together:




Good thing ESPN aired that CBS logo.

2010 US Open: Days 12-13

Why, oh why must the best matches coincide with my unavoidable travel plans, my complete lack of access to a TV, and spotty Internet? I guess it's okay that I was spared having to watch Vera Zvonareva pretty much blow Caroline Wozniacki away, when it was a great chance for Wozniacki to really prove herself and match or even better her previous year's result, but I still would have liked to see it. Sigh. I used to be a moderate Zvonareva supporter before it became clear that she would never truly outgrow her temper tantrums and her teary breakdowns, although I do have to admit that she's kept it together admirably for the last several months.

Things are not quite right in the tennis world now that Roger Federer has lost in the semifinals. I cannot warm to Novak Djokovic no matter how hard I try, and I really would have liked Rafael Nadal to have the chance to prove all of the naysayers wrong and go up against Federer on his favored surface. However, regardless of this semifinal result, I would have really enjoyed just seeing such a long, high-quality match. I mean, come on... "clinics" are amazing but fights are even better. Perhaps this "fight" will make things easier for Nadal tomorrow. Four sets, perhaps? Please, please. The combination of Nadal losing (not only the tournament but his chance at history) and Djokovic winning would just be too much to take.

Why am I rambling so much?

I know some people think that Kim Clijsters' interactions with her daughter Jada on the court comprise a huge publicity stunt, but I really disagree. This picture, in particular, while having all of the trademarks of a photo-op is just too beautiful and emotional to actually be one:

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/gallery;_ylt=As_8JW4Z0VXMPD7cNAmv9rY4v7YF#photoViewer=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cgetty%3A20050301%3Aten%2Cphoto%2C2c18867f79509d2bdce0ebe51767e5d5-getty-95927322jl319_u_s_open_day_%3A1

2010 US Open: Day 11

This post, now that I look upon it, has nothing to do with actual tennis but could possibly be more entertaining.

Why do commentators insist on pronouncing "Rafael Nadal" as "Raf-ee-ell"? Who on earth is named Raf-ee-ell?

I'm not sure what bothers me more, people assuming Nadal will play in the finals or people discussing how Fernando Verdasco may win their quarterfinal match.

The day session today is kind of boring--actually, everything today is kind of boring, including the weather, except the Nadal vs. Verdasco match later tonight. So for lack of anything better to do, I am watching the mixed doubles final. (However I am, by the way, in the process of writing other things.) Bob Bryan just challenged the "in" call on his own serve... I've never seen that before.

According to Daren Cahill's research, Mary Joe Fernandez's fastest recorded serve was 107 mph, compared to Pam Shriver's 102 mph. This is driving Pam mad, which is beyond amusing. Daren's fastest serve, by the way, was 127 mph, which I believe is slower than Venus Williams' fastest recorded serve. Hee.

Mixed doubles has a funny dynamic to it, complete with sexist overtones. I love it. I actually love doubles, but you don't really get to see or follow much of it usually.

"That's not very good to do it in mixed. It's a little unfair to the woman." -Pam Shriver on the chest bump

Hrm... the Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Mikhail Youzhny match is far from actually interesting, but I have to say I've sort of developed a soft spot for them based on their pre-match tunnel interviews (as pointless and awkward as they are).

I love it when Cliff Drysdale thinks it's appropriate to say things like "Now this Australian is gonna be all over me like a rash." LOVE IT.

The commentators keep comparing the attitudes of the Youzhny and Wawrinka camps:









Dear Brad Gilbert, Mikhail ≠ Michael.

This is what happens when temperatures cool down:


The scoreline suggests that there is drama going on in the match, but since it's not actually that interesting I decided to mix things up a bit and watch some wheelchair tennis. It can be pretty inspiring, although Shingo Kunieda vs. Ronald Vink was kind of a bland wipeout (6-0, 6-0). Although it was played on Louis Armstrong, the atmosphere of the US Open is just not there in these matches. There are fewer ballkids, the stands are pretty much empty, and of course there just aren't those highlight reel-worthy shots.

However, there were at least four fans on hand for Kunieda:

The man in the blue and white track jacket was so excited, he took pictures of his daughter shaking hands with Kunieda then asked the boy to take a picture of him shaking Kunieda's hand. During the match and immediately after it seemed like Kunieda had a bit of top-player haughtiness (which he is, but that attitude is not attractive or justified in anyone), but afterwards he seemed to soften up and have a lot of fun with the fans. Cute!

Cliff needs to learn what "delight" actually means.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/sep/10/roger-federer-us-open

2010 US Open: Day 10 (Night)

The wind continues into the Caroline Wozniacki vs. Dominika Cibulkova match, so much so that the match is taking ages and ages because no one can get their ball toss right. Pam Shriver is in odd form tonight, making awkward, rambling comments left and right. She harped on Wozniacki's ponytail for much of the first half of the match--her hair wasn't braided and it was blowing all over her face--and while Pam had a point, "hair" unfortunately became a major theme of the commentary. We saw a clip featuring her hairstyle from her playing days... heard a comment about how she has more hair than Daren Cahill... and even moved to Donald Trump, who was sitting in Wozniacki's box. His hair, incidentally, was not blowing anywhere.

"There's some product in there... he had a plan tonight." -Chris Fowler

Pam then forgot (forgot?) that Donald Trump's show is called The Apprentice. Umm. She also had a near freakout in the commentators' box about she hates the sound of wind blowing through the microphone.

Cibulkova is also having near meltdowns on the court, looking rather grumpy, smacking her racquet on the ground, and swinging practice groundstrokes between points and games. On a side note, why do commentators keep calling her 5'1 instead of 5'3?

Anyway, it wasn't particularly pretty, but Wozniacki got the job done 6-2, 7-5. Steady as anything, she is. I will be quite disappointed and surprised if she does not make it to the final. The consistency of her game should be just enough to drive Vera Zvonareva mad.

For some reason Wozniacki turned bright red in the post-match studio interview when they started talking about Donald Trump, maybe because she said that Donald Trump called her agent (instead of his agent calling her agent). Seems like a minor detail to me, but haha. Everyone also keeps trying to shift her focus on winning the whole tournament (which is still two matches away) and becoming No. 1, both of which seem like unnecessary distractions if you subscribe to the Rafael Nadal school of thought.

I'm not really getting the upset vibe from Robin Soderling tonight.

Ugh. Why did ESPN just advertise the Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando Verdasco match as "Nadal seeking first US Open final"?

Federer is really playing unbelievably in these conditions. He just zoomed through the first two sets, and John and Patrick McEnroe have (reasonably) assumed that he is going to win. So instead of focusing really on the shots themselves, they've decided to see how fast this match can end. ESPN put up a timer--which is usually reserved for unusually long games--to see whether Federer could serve out the second set in under a minute. Somewhere around the 50-second mark, both McEnroes started urging "Quick, quick!" Hahaha.

2010 US Open: Day 10

The problem with watching a Vera Zvonareva match is that you never know when she'll suddenly decide to have a meltdown. I thought there were a few danger moments during her match against Kaia Kanepi, but thankfully she kept it together long enough to play through the wind and win in straight sets. Not an entertaining match, though. I guess that's what Gael Monfils vs. Novak Djokovic is for, even if I don't actually really like either of them.

The best part was probably when Brad Gilbert (inexplicably) told Zvonareva to get her manager a new pair of sunglasses. Speaking of her camp, where was that hot guy/coach in her box?

Ooh, Rafael Nadal is up in the press box. I can't believe I missed the beginning of this. His slightly changed grip as an explanation of his improved serve is way beyond me--I mean I understand how important the grip and wrist are, but a slight shift resulting in over 10 mph? Gotta love that he made this change a few days before the US Open, of all times. No one is paying attention to the match as Chris Fowler and Brad Gilbert continue talking to Nadal, through the points, and a successful challenge by Monfils gets only a "It was the correct call" from Fowler (which I think is wrong too...). I'm surprised by how distracting I find their conversation, especially considering that I'm not even invested in watching the match. I'm so glad regular commentator etiquette is what it is.

Nadal insists that Wimbledon is the fastest still, despite critical reports that the courts there have been slowed down considerably in the past years. Hrm...

Apparently it is very windy today for about the tenth day in a row. ESPN can digitally map the direction of the wind, but maybe sometimes traditional is best.

Oh hey there, Daren Cahill

2010 US Open: Day 9

I am thanking the powers that be for ESPN live streaming, since the one so widely advertised on the official US Open website does not work on my computer. I am a little less thankful for some of the commentators, such as the ones who were calling the Bryans' doubles match earlier today, but all in all it is good company as I prepare to pack up my life.

The Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Sam Querrey match was epic, and not being particularly invested in the result I didn't have much patience for watching it. I am glad to see that Wawrinka won, though, because I kind of feel he's due for a good result after whatever it was that happened to him between last season and now. Also, if I am going to get ahead of myself and start looking at Rafel Nadal's future rounds, I think that it is probably easier for him to defeat (an exhausted) Wawrinka or Mikhail Youzhny (who has beaten him in the past, I know) than an in-form Querrey. I'm not sure though.

Are these crazy stats or what?

Venus Williams is taking an eon and a half every time she serves against Francesca Schiavone. I don't care about the result of this match either, so watching this is for purely entertainment purposes. Particularly entertaining are some of the really wild misses Venus has been making so far.

By the way, in one word, Venus' dress is trashy. What is up with that back area, paired with an incompletely hidden black bra? That pink is just not a good color for anything except maybe Nastia Liukin's leotard.

I cannot believe Brad Gilbert just said "Verdasco hot sauce." Good thing for Gilbert that he's totally lovable. Actually now that I look into it, it seems that this phrase at least is not a Gilbert original. Hrmm.

I am having trouble watching the Kim Clijsters vs. Sam Stosur match because it seems that Clijsters starts to lose every time I turn on the TV.

Okay, there we go, she won! Now I can rewind the match, thanks to FiOS TV (ugh, I feel like a commercial), and calmly watch the last set and skip commercials at the same time. Perhaps by the time I finish with this, Rafael Nadal vs. Feliciano Lopez will have started, which would be quite perfect timing.

How ironic that an ace should take match point after so many successive breaks that I lost count (or, in the words of Cliff Drysdale, "breaks galore"). Although Clijsters made a mountain of unforced errors in this match, I really liked how she kept her head in the match and never had an actual meltdown. Her match against Venus Williams in the semifinals should be interesting, since it's also always a toss-up as to whether the Venus of her full capabilities will show up. It's no secret that really want Clijsters to get through, but at this point I'm kind of feeling Venus. We'll see.

As much I love Nadal, I kind of feel bad for Lopez right now. Except, actually, not, because he does need to keep losing. Unsurprisingly Nadal is playing at the speed of a three-toed sloth.

2010 US Open: Day 8

This is kind of an uninspired post.

After the bust that was Kim Clijsters vs. Ana Ivanovic (not that I'm complaining about the outcome), Caroline Wozniacki vs. Maria Sharapova did much better, although not to the extent that people predicted. The match was a bit of a see-saw, with break points galore (not that much breaking though--I think Wozniacki was 3 for 12 and Sharapova was 1 for 9 or something). Sharapova did her bit by double faulting left and right, including a spectacular three in a row (which reminded me of club tennis, hah), and in most rallies it felt like a matter of time before she dumped a shot into the net. I'm not saying that she handed Wozniacki the match, though. Wozniacki induced those errors by being clean and consistent, and letting Sharapova get impatient and/or wait for a mistake to happen, which was bound to given enough time.

Anyway, the point is, throughout all the up-and-downness of the match, and the commentators' insistence that Sharapova is one of the greatest fighters on tour (which I don't contest, although it is worth mentioning that Wozniacki is a pretty good fighter herself), I never really got the sense that Wozniacki would lose. I didn't even really feel that she would lose the second set. She looked steady and inspired, and more than ever I couldn't really see how Wozniacki is criticized for being a pusher.

What makes this win even better for Wozniacki is that she can finally start to chip away at the criticisms that she has never defeated a top player, including Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic, and the Williams. Wozniacki and Jankovic have pretty similar game styles, I think, but at this point in their careers and seasons I think Wozniacki would easily come out on top. This could be tested, of course, if Jankovic hadn't eye-rollingly lost to Kaia Kanepi.

In other matches...

Why are Daren Cahill and the McEnroes talking about Roger Federer and Jurgen Melzer liking mustard, but no ketchup? And then something about hot dogs? I must have missed something.

2010 US Open: Day 7

This was never meant to be a collection of the weirdest things that are said during the broadcasts, but indeed that is what these posts have become.

The US Open reports that at the tournament's halfway point, "115,682 hamburgers have been eaten." I'm not even going to go into how gross that is.

"This is big folks, 115,682-plus hamburgers, and we're not EVEN TALKING HOT DOGS YET!" -Dick Enberg

All through this morning, people were predicting a tight match between Ana Ivanovic and Kim Clijsters, and I have to admit I was a little concerned that Ivanovic might somehow ride her recent wave of good results and really hand it to Clijsters. At the same time, though, I more reasonably thought that the players Ivanovic had defeated so far in this tournament were second- or even third-tier at best, and that her confidence issues would resurface against a top player.

(I can never really figure out what Ivanovic's problem is, anyway--she lacks confidence in herself now that she's won a Grand Slam? Whatever. I guess it's difficult for me to relate because I played tennis for something not to stress about, and not for, say, a living, but still.)

At first it really did look like it would be a competitive match. Stats-wise, Ivanovic was initially playing the cleaner match, and although I expected that the first break in the first set (for 1-3) would immediately wreak havoc with her game, Ivanovic promptly broke back instead. Things did fall apart after that, though, and in the end it was nowhere near close. How she decides to move on from here should be interesting, but I for one don't really see her ever getting back to the top of the rankings. Near the top, maybe, but not the top.

"I can stay with her in the beginning of those first few games where she was playing really good tennis, if I could just stay with her and kind of just, make her doubt once in a while." -Kim Clijsters

It would probably help Ivanovic to not read this quote, hah...

Rafael Nadal looked like some kind of traffic cop or something today, but he still adorably won. Actually, Gilles Simon is kind of adorable too, just in a different way.

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/photos/2010-09-05/201009051283704201342.html?glryid=2010-09-05/201009051283705427618

Actually, what has annoyed me particularly in the past several days is the whole commentary on Nadal's English. What gives, people? His English is fine. No one would ever mistake him for a native, but he is certainly conversational, and even knows how to understand humor and be humorous. For anyone who has really studied a foreign language (and that rules out most of the United States, so don't even try), mastering humor is one of the most difficult things. The timing, the word choice, even a grasp of what is considered funny in one culture but boring or even offensive in another--these are all nuanced things that no one can teach. In his whirlwind life as one of the top two tennis players in the world, Nadal has found the time and motivation to improve both his textbook and colloquial English.

Ugh. I'm not the only one who hates Justin Gimelstob, right?

I'm trying to figure out why John Isner vs. Mikhail Youzhny was scheduled for the night session on Arthur Ashe. Sure, Isner is a popular American, but really? Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray (tear), Ana Ivanovic/Kim Clijsters, and Venus Williams all played during the day. All hail the power of CBS?

2010 US Open: Day 6

"Do you think they were motivated by her inspirational speech, or the fact that she's a blonde 20-year-old who happens to be pretty attractive?" -Jim Courier, on the Yale football team and Caroline Wozniacki

Janko Tipsarevic did NOT do what Andy Roddick told him to do, which was to not waste this Grand Slam opportunity by losing in the next round--or, more accurately, "Don't f---ing lose [this] time." True, Gael Monfils is no slouch of a player, but Roddick is probably groaning somewhere on a couch right now.

Jelena Jankovic needs to find a way to start winning. She used to be someone who could beat both Williams sisters, but now she can't seem to get out of the early rounds of anything. There's no need to be so exasperated by the wind (which admittedly was out of control) when it's been blowing the whole match and affecting both players equally. Come on.

I don't even want to talk about Kei Nishikori.

Meanwhile, the bagels keep coming (it IS New York, says Jon Wertheim). Now it's time for some excitement: Caroline Wozniacki vs. Maria Sharapova, and Ana Ivanovic vs. Kim Clijsters! The Ivanovic resurgence needs to end in this round (at least for the tournament, she can resurge some more after the US Open). I used to be a fan, but right now her weird explanations for her losses as well as the incongruence between her level of play and her fist-pump-with-a-yell celebrations make me want to see her lose. Sorry, that's mean.

2010 US Open: Day 5

So I decided to check on the scores and saw that Kim Clijsters was down 0-3 to Petra Kvitova. WHAT? Thankfully just as I started watching, Clijsters started to find her game, and ran off with the last 12 games to win 6-3, 6-0. Geez.

Daniela Hantuchova totally choked against another choker, Elena Dementieva. Surprise! Whatever, I'm over them.

Why has Andy Murray virtually not existed so far?

I'm not a Venus Williams fan by any means, and usually I don't even find her clothing interesting (the French Open fiasco was a complete eyeroll), but I have to admit there is something that just draws me into her night outfit. The sparkles against black cloth are apparently designed after fireworks against a dark sky, and it really works well in this New York atmosphere. The shorts I could do without (and replaced with a skirt or a different pair of shorts, of course -_-), but all in all, pretty cool.

Serena Williams seemed awfully dressed up tonight for someone recovering from surgery to repair damage from major lacerations, although to be fair ESPN didn't really show her feet. Although like many others, I find her post-match demeanor often irritating and arrogant, and her sort of aloof commitment to the game frustrating, I have to say that she came off very well in the press box with John and Patrick McEnroe during the first set of Rafael Nadal vs. Denis Istomin. She was complimentary of various players, both men and women, and kept remarking that she wanted to learn a lot from Nadal's game, especially his footwork. The McEnroes keep discussing Nadal's improved serve as well.

"The girls now are so much bigger and stronger than I am... There are so many girls who are twice my size and height..." -Serena Williams

At least John and Patrick McEnroe had the sense to disagree. Hah.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a total Nadal fan and would like nothing more than to see him win not only this match but also the entire tournament, but I developed a sort of soft spot for Istomin during his tunnel pre-match interview. He seems kind of sweet and hardworking, and the way the McEnroes were biting into his game plan and style came off as a little unnecessarily harsh. I know he has various weaknesses, including going for too much to make up for his inability/refusal to come to net, but aw.

"I love how everyone calls him 'Uncle Toni.' I bet he walks away from everyone thinking, 'Why does everyone call me "Uncle Toni"? My name is Toni Nadal!'" -Daren Cahill

LOL. Truth.

Also, I'm pretty sure John McEnroe wikied Denis Istomin between the first and second sets. I had read the article on him early in the match, and then less than half an hour later I heard the same facts spewed out of John McEnroe's mouth... Denis Istomin was in the hospital for 3 months after a car accident on the way to a Futures event in Tashkent, and it was his mother who convinced him to come back to the game... Seriously, don't commentators have better sources of information?

The second-set tiebreaker, which is happening as I write this, is crazy. As I said, although I want Nadal to win this, I kind of want Istomin to win this set just to reward him for his efforts (he was up 5-1 in the tiebreak!) and to make things interesting. Except wait, no, the set just ended. Sigh. Poor Istomin.

"Nadal down 5-1 in the breaker, applauds opponent's winner. Then reels off six straight points. That, friends, is a champion.." -jon_wertheim

And so... inevitable. Into Round 3!

2010 US Open: Day 4

Kei Nishikori certainly has a way of needlessly dramatizing matches. A Jelena Jankovic without the resume (yet), if you will. I saw him start his match before I left the house to do some errands, came home and saw that he was losing even though he had been leading, then had lunch, drove to two doctors' offices, and came home again. I checked the US Open website for the match result and saw... nothing. Instead of the scoreline, there was a link that said "In Progress." How ridiculous, I thought, but indeed he and Marin Cilic were still going at it.

At least he managed to pull it out, showing that he has what it takes to dig deep even if he can be streaky and pays the price of high-risk tennis. お疲れ様！

Fast forward into the night session... I had a very good sense for when to turn on the TV, because even though I was not in the least bit interested in Novak Djokovic vs. Philip Petzschner, the moment I started watching the middle of the first set was quite amazingly interrupted by a fistfight in the stands. Djokovic was totally enthralled by it and I have to admit I sort of really wanted to see, but all ESPN could get was a few security guards in yellow.

"By the way that's not a Mini-Me sitting on the lap of Novak's uncle--Uncle Goran--it looks like he has a small version of Novak in his lap... but no that's just a very weird T-shirt." -Chris Fowler

"No that's Novak's father." -Daren Cahill

It takes a very special type of media professional to be able to focus on the identity of the shirt-wearer like that, rather than on the shirt itself. I wish I could find a picture of the monstrosity.

2010 US Open: Day 3

Ugh, when I said I like upsets I didn't mean Andy Roddick.

I suppose that a post about Day 3 wouldn't be complete without this video:

Never quite without drama, is she? I do feel for her, though. Evidently she was playing with a concussion in this heat, in a black dress, but really, it's always Azarenka.

2010 US Open: Day 2

Today has two themes: Close But Not Quite, and Black and Yellow. It's also a little late, so this is kind of an uninspired post.

First in the close-but-not-quite category is Kimiko Date Krumm. I actually had the chance to hit a little with her quite a few years ago, when she was still solidly in retirement, so by that alone she's totally awesome in my book. She had the misfortune to be matched against Svetlana Kuznetsova, whose game is completely baffling me at the moment, in the first round. At first it looked like she might have a chance, as she opened the match by breaking Kuznetsova's serve, but alas things did not go like that and she lost the first set. Date Krumm then won the second and sort of seemed to be hanging in there during the third, but despite breaking serve various times and having break points in other games ultimately could not get through. Sigh...

I really thought that Novak Djokovic might lose. That would have amused me greatly, since it's recently come to my attention that I like nothing but upsets that put my disliked players in their places and leaves the path cleared for my favored ones. Djokovic losing would have been even more entertaining than usual, because everyone knows that he literally cannot take the heat and this would have simply been one more bit of evidence to that end. But somehow he pulled through. Oh well, I guess that makes sense. (By the way, Daren Cahill or some other reports that Djokovic is 6-0 in Grand Slam matches when he is down 2 sets to 1. Huh?)

Even though I'm happy with the outcome, I suppose Rafael Nadal's match against Teimuraz Gabashvili (yeah, I Googled that, so what?) is another close-but-not-quite. Gabashvili really played Nadal and made him work for his win, but I guess in the end the scoreline just goes to show how Nadal plays when it matters most. 7-6, 7-6, 6-3. A couple of points here and there, and the match could have been an upset or a 5-setter. Now I'm waiting for Nadal to not make this entire tournament a close-but-not-quite.

Apparently the theme for the night matches on Arthur Ashe was bumblebee and Babolat:

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/photos/2010-08-31/201008311283294027872.html?glryid=2010-08-31/201008311283269942491

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/photos/2010-08-31/201008311283303162285.html?glryid=2010-08-31/201008311283269942491

2010 US Open: Day 1 (Night)

After Roger Federer's between-the-legs winner:

"Well he already has twins so he doesn't really have to worry about that..." -John McEnroe

"If a tree falls in a forest, does anybody hear it?" -Patrick McEnroe

Dear Patrick McEnroe, that is definitely not the question.

Also, who knew that Anna Wintour plays tennis every morning?

And yes, John McEnroe, you should Tweet. There.

2010 US Open: Day 1

Hrmm, hrmm. I really wish I could go to this year's Open, especially, since many of my friends recently moved to the area, but alas apartment-hunting and life-planning comes first. Conveniently, ESPN's coverage of tennis picks up just as I need to not be running around Flushing Meadows, so I can more or less keep up with everything in real time. Yeah, technology!

Anyway, the first disappointment of the day came in the form of Francesca Schiavone [6] def. Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-0. Normally this wouldn't be much of a disappointment, but a few days ago Jon Wertheim provided false hope by picking this match as the Blue-Plate Upset Special. Lies, Wertheim, lies. Oh well.

This was somewhat balanced by the reemergence of Kei Nishikori, who mysteriously disappeared after making the 4th round of the tournament in 2008. From what I saw on Slamtracker, he seemed to have a few ups and downs (he was up 3-0 in the first set before having to win it in a tiebreak), but sort of got a lucky pass when his opponent retired while down 2-5 in the second set. Unfortunately his next opponent will be Marin Cilic, which will be quite difficult...

Kim Clijsters, meanwhile, started with an 18-minute first set, followed by a streaky 7-5 second set. I guess all that matters in the end is that she wins the matches, but it was enough streakiness to convince 57% of online pollees that she will not successfully defend her title. I'm not particularly feeling it myself, but then again, I never really FEEL a Clijsters Grand Slam win. It's not that I don't like her--I do and I really do want her to win more major tournaments--but there's something about her that just makes me expect that she will fail to deliver when it matters most. I guess some reputations die hard.

The saddest match? Daniela Hantuchova [24] def. Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-4. I like both of them--in fact I have a free, large poster of Hantuchova on my bedroom wall--but I was really going for Safina here. It seems almost unreal that just a year ago she was ranked No. 1 in the world, but since then she's had injury after injury and has been struggling to find her form again. It's unfortunate that such a matchup had to happen in the first round, but that's tennis, I suppose. Keep at it, Safina!

During Andy Roddick vs. Stephane Robert, John McEnroe claimed that Roddick is a sure bet for the Tennis Hall of Fame. His reasoning? The credentials of those already etched in there. He does have a point... and therefore Roddick deserves to get his name in there... but Roddick is not Hall of Fame material. One Grand Slam, people!

As I write this, Robin Soderling vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer is in the fifth set. I would like nothing more than to see Soderling lose now, except maybe to see Rafael Nadal finally complete his career Grand Slam. Considering that Soderling is up a break, though, and Nadal in general, both seem slightly unlikely to happen. Sigh.

Also as I write this, the day's controversy has just happened. At deuce at 4-all in the fifth set, Gael Monfils may or may not have touched a ball that was called out. He's simply playing on, but Robert Kendrick's glare is not really having any of it. Ooh, drama. Even Patrick McEnroe can't tell. The crowd has suddenly started chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!," which for some reason Monfils is enjoying immensely. Lol.

A tidbit I learned today is that there is a heat index rule for women, but not for men. What? If the heat index goes over 87 (degrees?), then if a women's match goes into a 3rd set the players are allowed to take a 10-minute break before the last set. There is no equivalent rule for the men, even though they play five-set matches. Why? And while the US Open is the only Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to both men and women, I feel like rules like these sort of nullify arguments that the purses ought to be equal. Heat is dangerous to both men and women, no?

By the way, this year's official US Open website is quite annoying to navigate. All of those scroll-over tabs? No thank you. ESPN also has developed an annoying habit of flashing its full-screen logo when it cuts between cameras on the same court.

2010 Australian Open: Men

On the men's side, the few things that I noticed were that Novak Djokovic lost a 2-sets-to-1 lead (with a physical complaint, as usual--I believe this time it was the stomach), Roger Federer almost lost to Nikolay Davydenko (that would have made things INTERESTING), and Rafael Nadal retired against Andy Murray with a knee injury, down 2 sets. It seems that this happened at the beginning of the third set and that Murray was actually outplaying Nadal for two sets, which makes for pretty interesting tennis. On the other hand it seems that Nadal's physical problems (actual) keep coming, and everyone is wondering how long his body will last. Changing his style of play is pretty much out of the question at this point in his career and training, and one can only hope that the ATP/WTA comes to its senses soon. This latest injury will have him out for 4 weeks, and it's frustrating to watch. I would really love to see Nadal win the U.S. Open sometime, but before that I just want him back to his agressive, healthy self. But all of this just highlights how special Federer is, who is so light on his feet and evidently almost immune to injury (no jinx, please).

Anyway, tonight (or rather tomorrow morning) is the men's final, and I really want Murray to take it. Logically I think that Federer will probably take this in 4 sets, but Murray has beaten Federer several times before and is also better rested coming in... so I'll say Murray in 4. 5, maybe? I don't know... I don't actually see the upset happening, but anything is possible and one can hope. Murray has to have his Grand Slam breakthrough sometime, right? x(._.)x

Also, speaking of men, I followed a little bit of Shingo Kunieda yesterday. Usually there's one hugely dominant player who sweeps all of the Grand Slams, but last night he was at least tested en route to a three-set win. Wheelchair tennis isn't the most exciting, but it's definitely inspirational and intriguing.

EDIT: Not this time, Murray... not even close. But his tears at the end endear him to me a lot.

2010 Australian Open: Women

Being unable to watch any tennis has severely hampered my ability to, well, formulate opinions on any of the matches. Up until now I've consequently followed everything very peripherally, noting only that the Chinese seemed to have a very good time at this tournament. This didn't really do much to heighten my interest, though, because Na Li took out Caroline Wozniacki, who was the only player left I cared about by the time the quarterfinals (or was it even before then?) rolled around. It got slightly interesting when Li really took it to Serena Williams in the semis, but as usual Serena found a way out (actually she almost lost to Victoria Azarenka in the quarters, and probably would have if a) Serena weren't Serena and b) Azarenka didn't have a tendency to headcase out in three-setters, especially with a lead). On the other side Justine Henin marched her way to the finals, completely demolishing Jie Zheng in the semis.

As long as we're talking about Chinese tennis players, can I digress? These two players need to start going by Na Li and Jie Zheng all the time, and not half the time while they try to assert their country's linguistic traditions by going by Li Na and Zheng Jie. Look, it's do as Romans do, and the fact that both of their names sound equally likely as first and last to foreigners without exposure to Chinese only complicates things more. This actually goes for Yu-Na Kim as well. Someone needs to tell international athletes that first names go first and last names go last, because other than creating unncessary confusion it's just a blatant disregard for international conventions and blind stubbornness. Anyway.

It's hard to believe that Serena and Henin have never played each other before in a Grand Slam final. Actually I don't really understand how that works (have they always somehow ended up on the same side of the draw?) but this should make for some interesting tennis. I'm not much of a fan of either of them, but I think all considered I have to throw my support to Henin. Whether she'll win is hard to say... but I think that she has a good chance. She comes in fresher than Serena and is more consistent, with none of the boredom that usually comes with the word. This will be a great match to watch--a lot of athleticism without any of my personal stake--too bad it airs at 3:30 AM EST. Right. Bottom line: Henin in 3?