Australian Open '12: Point By Point Coverage

[acre]

Well, I got up latish and thought I'd do an app-oximation of "B-eakfast at Wimbledon" and enjoy the match. I knew I could avoid the -esults easily enough, and I had a f-iend stopping by who doesn't follow tennis but who would happily b-ing me some tomato juice fo- a Vi-gin Ma-y(I don't d-ink, and even if I did, Mimosas a-e sac-ed to Wimbledon).

But 1st the little sto-e had no tomato juice (hmph), and then once my ritual got killed I let the -esult sneak in, and well ... wouldn't have been wo-th getting all settled in fo- anyway, now would it? Bam, bam, Slam's done. Pleased fo- Aza, wish it had been mo-e competitive, but I'm fine with the champ.

Now what to do tomo--ow? I'll be shocked and amazed if that's not a match wo-th watching, at like, 9-10am w/o knowing the final. I like/need the suspense but not at 3:30 in the fucking mo-ning. But-but-but if I go out to buy suitable libations what do you bet I hea- what happened anyway, and then whe-e's my fun. Guess I'll just see how it goes, how I feel.

Yeah, I don't think Agassi's book opened up anything about the overall drug testing scene. It was just a way to shove in a bit mo-e potential scandal(buy my book!), and I don't think he thought, o- ca-ed, what the impact might be on tennis and testing in the big pic. Not to mention it was a "rec-eational" d-ug, not a PED.

I have no expe-tise, but it has always been my imp-ession that tennis is one of the most highly tested spo-ts, with the full willing coope-ation of the playe-s. That's what I hea-, and it's definitely what I'd like to think.

[printwhore2012]

It's not that players are not tested often, it's that some of the top players (Federer, Nadal, Serena, and ilk) have missed more than fifty percent of mandatory OOC testing (out of competition, i.e. random tests), the WADA doesn't test for specific substances that are popularly in use (HGH, PRP) and IOC testing is at a fixed schedule. So basically, a player could be doing HGH right now and he or she would not get caught because WADA and ITF are not testing for it. A guy playing the Australian Open could be injecting HGH right this second and he would not get caught by the tests. All 256 players in the men's and women's draws at this year's AO could have taken HGH the whole time they were in Melbourne and none of their drug tests would come back positive.

To me, the metaphor is like having a very high tech security system for the front door while the windows and back door are wide open. Admittedly, the new test for HGH for longer periods only came about last year, but if WADA is committed to the sport, they should be doing it.

Anyway, thanks for the input from Agassi. I hate that Rios got a lot of flack for calling Agassi out on his drug scandals back in the day, only to have Andre come out and admit to some of them later.

[acre]

I don't necessa-ily thinkyou- analysis is w-ong pw, but I would just hate to think it's -ight. I honestly don't believe that that is the thought patte-n of a 'Fed, a Nadal, a Se-ena, etc. I think they all genuinely -espect and hono- the game, and want to win being the best they can be, w/o chemical asssistance. Look at the -eve-ence Fed has fo- Lave-, fo- the histo-y, I since-elyy believe he wouldn't feel entitled to his wins if they we-en't clean. As to missing 50% - I[ve lea-ned something about that following figu-e skating, and some of those tests, and thei-timin a-e just fucking obnious. Like wake you up out of a sound sleep and :hello, piss NOW" Yeah, it's pa-t of he deal, but om it's a pain in the ass.

Wake me up out of a dead sleep and let's see how coope-ative I am. (hint, not so fucking ve-y)
Also with my unva-ying Fed-focus ... obviously tennis means the wo-ld to him, execpt ... not as much as Mi-ka and the gi-ls dol I culd see him coming to a point whe-e he just said fuck it ... the twins a-e c-anky, Mi-ka is st-essed, and no thank you my family comes 1st now'''

And I don't think Nadal would eve- da-e refuse, fucking Uncle Toni would kill him.

[GrandSlamGuru]

Wow, I didn't realize that Wozniaki will fall to 4th place when the new rankings come out.

Hello? Is anybody there? Hmm, methinks I'm the only one up and watching the men's final. I'm sure to doze off at some point but hopefully not for long. To the couch...

[falafaclese]

Tight match so far. As expected.

[skyz]

Pretty flat match so far. Too many errors from Rafa and Nole came out sluggish. On now from the 3rd has Novak dialed in. The crowd seems completely out of it too, unfortunately. Doesn't feel quite like I expected it to feel. Just weird. And fucking long. Ugh.

[falafaclese]

Yeah, it's actually not so entertaining.

[oopssorry]

I wake up and watch the match for three minutes, and I'm already irked.

[oopssorry]

So -- a fifth set. A bit fun to not know what to expect.

[falafaclese]

Maybe this last set will be better . . .

[chocula]

Just had to sign in to see if anyone is watching this insane match, and to share how my Rafa enthusiasm caused a minor neighborhood kerfuffle.

I live in a townhouse, and the family in the adjacent townhouse is Serbian. They are actually good friends ours, but when it comes to tennis, well, let's just say we "disagree slightly". During that 4th set, our somewhat exaggerated dueling cheers and groans tonight had reached peak volume, and we managed to set off both house alarms.

We both called the alarm companies to stop the police from coming, but apparently, one of our other neighbors heard all the yelling and screaming, and then the alarms, and called the police anyway.

My neighbor and I just spent the last 10 minutes explaining to the police that the whole thing was because of a tennis match. I have never been so afraid of being arrested, not because of the arrest itself, I can deal with that, but because I'd have to miss the rest of this match!!!

[mooncreek]

I woke up about an hour ago. I would have taped the re-airing but I think I'm better off just sticking with the live and forget all about that.

Rafa is as mentally fatigued as Novak is physically fatigued. He's just not thinking clearly, which is a pity because he's actually hititng the shots well.

[chestylarue]

I think I am going to curl up into a ball and cry for a week. Congrats Nole fans. Your man is owns Rafa. 7-0 in straight finals. Both dudes put an a great show. I am proud of Rafa in this loss but he is going to rue that missed bh in the 5th for ages

[skyz]

I'm exhausted having watched this whole match, except when I turned it off at 4/2 in the fifth. Only to come back at 4-all and just...wow. Crazy. Awesome win for Novak and it's gotta be devastating for Rafa, but he fought like hell.

[mooncreek]

Rafa in 2012 AO is Roger in 2008 Wimbledon and 2009 AO combined.