Tennis Talk 2010

[lt]

only reason I'm sure of this was the striptease afterwards

My favorite moment of yesterday's doubles match of France vs. Argentina was Llodra pointing to his cheek for Clement to kiss it. Which he did. By going on his tiptoes. So cute.

I was pretty happy/surprised to see that I was as excited to see the guys on the French bench as I usually am to see the guys on the Spanish bench.

But damn, damn damn that the final is against Serbia--in Serbia. Blah! Was hoping for France vs. Czech Republic.

I'll be back to rooting for Argentina next year if France does win the final and if JMdP is healthy enough to compete and Nalbandian stays healthy. I want him to have a Cup so badly.

[lt]

Awwww, the Wozniacki family is so damn cute. I was reading Caroline's Twitter and she mentioned her brother being on Dancing With the Stars so (of course) I had to find it. Here you go.. He looks all adorable in his practice session but looks like a deer caught in headlights during his performance. Although I have to agree with the judge (for the only english spoken) that he does indeed look like Christopher Reeve. And Caroline looks so proud!

[falafaclese]

Good looking guy. You're right, he looks completely uncomfortable during his performance. That must be nerve-wracking if you're not a natural dancer. He seems as smiley and laid back as Caroline is.

I was glad to see that the U.S. won their relegation match yesterday. I saw part of Mardy Fish's match, but had to leave to go play a match right when they were at 5-6 in the fifth set. Over all, it seemed like an entertaining match, but I only saw bits and pieces of it.

[falafaclese]

I've been following Serena and her hitting partner Sascha on twitter for some time. Serena is often hawking something or other, but sometimes she'll just talk. I don't know why I'm so intrigued by the two of them, but when they get into tweeting back and forth to each other it amuses me for some reason. They seem to enjoy each other. Most recently, Sascha was flying cross country to California with Serena's dogs, and apparently threw up during the flight, and somehow let the dogs escape from their bag. He often sounds frantic.

[lt]

and somehow let the dogs escape from their bag.

I fly with my cat when I go on my long business trips. I used to take a seat all the way in the back (this is on the commuter jets that sit 50 people) and I'd open up the top of her carrier and give her pieces of whatever delicacy Continental saw fit to feed us. She'd have her leash and collar on so I wouldn't worry. Well, once (years ago) I had put her snap-and-release collar on and she tugged so hard that she snapped it open and she went TEARING down the airplane. From my vantage point it looked like people were riding a roller coaster. Row by row everyone's arms would go flying in the air as my little angel (!?!) went running between their legs. I went racing down the aisle and caught her just as she reached the cockpit. Oy. Now I don't open her carrier and she wears her harness instead of a collar.

[acre]

Here's a total digression from anything current, but I just wanted to talk about it. Probably some others of you get/watch the classic tennis matches that are occasionally shown on ESPNC (and I think TC)? I don't watch them all by any means, but am now enjoying the 88 Aus semi between Chris and Martina.

After a few minutes at the start I remembered that Evert won, cause it was Steffi's Grand Slam year, and I remember she beat 4 different opponents. What I hadn't remembered was how incredibly well Chris played this match! At times it looked like a mismatch instead of a tight rivalry. Well, I haven't watched to the end yet, there could be ups and downs. She had such beautiful strokes too, just pure, and of course Navratilova is the best serve-volleyer .... lots of fun, with the opposing styles.

I also started to think about how their games might hold up today. I actually think Evert would do better, based on style/approach, not intrinsic talent or anything, cause it's just so hard to do much S-V today with all the power and speed. But maybe not, Martina clearly has the talent and athleticism to excel at about anything. Evert too, but she's not quite the athlete Martina is, and would be one of the smaller women out there today for sure, and Henin aside that's an obstacle. I saw Chris up close in person, in street clothes, some years after she retired and if you didn't know who she was, you'd never give her a second glance or dream that she could possibly have been one of the world's best athletes. Somehow with like Serena and Venus, I think you'd have an idea!

Naturally, their games would only be competitive at the very top if they'd come up during the same time as today's players, with the same technology and everything else that goes into it. But even their 88 games look to me like they'd still make a decent living as players today. I could be looking through rose-colored glasses, but I'm enjoying it anyway.

Now give me the 88-90 Edberg-Becker Wimbledon's and I will be really happy. Those are the matches I most regret not having available in terms of what I've watched over the last many years. Eh, who am I kidding, I'd love a bunch of Steffi's stuff too, and the 84 Wimb where McEnroe crushed the detestable Connors and, and, and. But most of all those Wimbledons.

So if anyone else likes digging around in the vaults and talking about older stuff, I'll be happy to engage. I don't get Tennis channel, but if a classic match involved one or both players I particularly liked my memory is generally pretty good.

[breezybee]

Acre - I also love watching the classic matches although ESPN's idea of "classic" is sometimes a little odd. I do not want to see Federer beating Roddick from 2005. This weekend I watched a matvch from 1985 - McEnroe vs. Lendl. I'd forgotten what complete and total asses both of them were. Great tennis though. I'm actually really excited about this weekend. On Sunday is the 1974 women's US Open final - King vs. Goolagong. I don't think I've ever seen it.

[acre]

Yeah breezy though McEnroe was a favorite of mine, it was very much based on his game, not on his behavior. I mean, all the "You can NOT be serious" stuff is funny now, but he was a jerk a lot of the time. I just tend to like serve-volleyers, and he could really be a genius with that racket. But damn, he made it hard to root for him. Never could get into Lendl, but I'm not sure he even wanted fans. He just wanted to beat the shit out of his opponent, collect the check and get the hell out of there.

And I'll agree, even my Federer adoring ass does not see a 5 year old straight sets win as a classic. Not that I wouldn't watch it, but classic, seriously? I mean, I had to look up what Slam it was, and how the sets went, so it certainly didn't imprint itself on my mind as a special match.

[roseha]

I should take a look at some of these!

I do have some old Edberg matches on VHS, I keep meaning to see them and see if they are still in one piece.

I also had the wonderful USO final where Hana Mandlikova beat Martina, but I lent it to a younger friend who had never seen Hana. He was quite impressed. I'm not sure I got it back though

[lt]

Never could get into Lendl

For some inexplicable reason I loved Lendl during my Boris Becker-love stage. Who knew that my Agassi love would actually be a step up from the previous crushes?!? I guess I just have to admit that I've got rotten taste.

Speaking of Lendl and John McEnroe (and Agassi and Sampras), they are doing an exo in MSG in February. Tickets go on sale in four minutes.

[acre]

Oh, I'd forgotten that Mandlikova-Navratilova match. Hana was just ridiculous in the start of that match, hitting what appeared to be impossible shots, making everything. She had a letdown(not surprising given who it was) but I was so glad she won the match in the end. I just felt that level of play deserved to be rewarded, even if she couldn't sustain it throughout.

And, of course whoever wins obviously "deserves" it, I mean if you win you're the rightful winner, no? I'm leaving out any truly egregious errors in officiating, which do happen, but not that often. And defaults etc, you know what I mean - a regular tennis match, you win, you earned it.

[oopssorry]

My much-needed hiatus from tennis keeps getting derailed! Non-tennis-fan-friends talking about Mardy Fish this past week-end, and then finding this and thinking of you all: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_wertheim/09/22/mailbag/index.html

So cute....

[breezybee]

I'm watching the Del Potro/Rochus match. Nice to see Del Potro playing again. That forehand down the line looks a sharp as ever. He's not moving around the court particularly well but given it's his first match in 9 months I'd say not too shabby.

[mooncreek]

Good to hear that. Rochus was never going to be an easy match for his first back but it sounds like at least the wrist is okay.

[breezybee]

Good to hear that. Rochus was never going to be an easy match for his first back but it sounds like at least the wrist is okay.

Well, it would have been better is Del Potro had actually won but it did look like the wrist is ok.

ETA - Too much cuteness.