U.S. Open

Got to spend Friday at the Open. It's my favorite day to go, because there are still plenty of 2nd and 3rd round matches featuring top players being played on side courts and enough of the cinderellas are still alive to watch someone's dream come true.

Spent most of the day watching an absolutely thrilling match between 14th seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy and 21st seeded Shahar Peer of Israel. The 19 year old Peer tore through the first set 6-3, breaking the veteran several times. Peer's powerful passing shot seemed to stun Schiavone early. Peer had a 4-0 lead in the second set before Schiavone found herself and came back to force a tiebreaker, which she won easily, 7-3. She then took flight in the final set, breaking Peer's serve 2 out of 3 times to take a 5-1 lead. She had set point 3 times, seeming to have every opportunity to put Peer away and move on. Instead, Peer won 4 straight games to tie it at 5-5 in the set. Both held serve to force a 2nd tiebreaker and this time Peer handled Schiavone easily, 7-3, winning the match, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3). It was easily the best tennis match i've ever seen live, and between two women on court 4 in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The other highlight was seeing Arvane Rezai, an Iranian immigrant to France who is playing in her first professional tennis tournament. Earlier in the day she beat 20th seeded Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 6-1, to move on to the 4th round! I missed that, because of the epic battle between Peer and Schiavone, but was later able to catch Rezai in a women's doubles match against Jelena Jankovic, which she lost badly, but had a great time playing in. All four players were simply enjoying themselves, laughing, joking, and smiling. And only 100 or so spectators looked on from benches right at the courtside.

Why did I care about seeing Rezai? Well, she lacks corporate sponsorship and her family couldn't come see her play, because they're Iranian. Immigration wouldn't let them in the country. So I went and cheered her on.

I'd rather see these minor players live out a dream in front of 500 or 600 people than sit in the big stadium and watch the superstars. That said, I've got my tickets for the Men's Final.
 
Wow

Awesome story Lime ! I would loved to have seen that. I agree; watching tennis is an intimate setting is rewarding. I've been to the La Costa Acura tourney a few times and the seating is great '

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Yep. Twas a bit sad but everyone has to go sometime. Thought Becker handled it with class, giving credits to Agassi and letting him be the complete center of attention.
 
The end of an era.

Sigh ..........................................

8 Grand Slams - 7 Runner Ups

A Career Golden Slam (Gold Medal) one of only five players to have won all four Grand Slam singles events during his career

60 Titles (17 Masters Series finals)

Finalist at the US OPEN at 35 years of age

Won A singles title at 35 (Los Angeles)

NUmber 2 All Time Money List
 
Alright

Blake was down 5 - 3 in the 3rd set and just won it too force a 4th against Federer

(Whoo hoo!)

Pretty good tennis
 
I have very little to add to this conversation, but I did happen to catch a bit of a match the other day (Jane's dad was watching.)

I've got to say, I was honestly getting into it, and if I were following the sport better I'd be watching the open right now.

It seems like a game I could get into playing too.
 
It's never too late to start tennis; you can be 3.5 ing it in 6 months... That's not a horrible level of competition. It is great for the heart, the body, the mind .. it is a sport you can play forever !
 
It did get interesting

But Blake will never win the big one; nor will Ginepri ........

But it makes for good tennis

I played doubles tonight and we were down 3 - 4 in the 2ns Set and came back and won 7 - 6 (8 - 6)

I'm here too inspire
 
I am inspired. Now if I could funnel some of that inspiration to my friends. So far the only tennis partner (or opponent for that matter) that I can find is my best friend (a golden retriever). We play tennis, although it is a much bastardized version of the game. Basically it entails (no pun intended) me smacking the horsepucky out of a tennis ball with a racquet. If he finds it, he wins the set. If he doesn't find it, the game is called and we all go inside and enjoy a beer... or a dozen.
 
Yeah I agree John I think Blake has a ways to go. I think we are going to see Federer and Roddick in the final. And I don't know who I would like to win
 
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I do not like Roddick (he is a kook) but do not want to see Federer continue to win more slams. Roddick is our only hope

He just won at Cincy so, maybe Connors is doing him good as a head doctor. Nadal was ousted (Wow), Hewitt and Safin are gone ......

Go A Rod !
 
I don't care for Roddick just don't really like the way he acts off the court. He is like the sad little rich boy that dosen't get his way so he bitches. But he is a good player. He can hit that ball hard. I would like to see him win. an American winning at the US Open is always a good thing. As for Federer I like him he is a good player but I think he need to lose once in a while. I will have to say the guy I really like watching even though he lost and it was one of the best games in a long time was Bandatis (I know I got that one spelt wrong) I think he will be a very good and energetic player.
 
Blake will never win anything. Why? Because he doesn't believe he can. Deep down inside he doesn't believe he's good enough. There's respect, there's flattery, and then there's just plain "I am not in the same stratosphere as this guy". After the match he said, "To be down a break to the greatest player in history and still believe you have a chance tells me a lot about who I am." In other words, "I have no chance of beating Federer. Even if I did have a chance, right before I took advantage of it, I would remember that Roger Federer is the greatest player ever to live and screw it up. He is better than me. I am not better than him. He is the greatest." Dude Blake, get an edge. Say something, anything, that might make one person possibly maybe dislike you. Both him and Roddick want to be liked soooooooooooo much. I get the feeling we're never hearing who they really are.

Speaking of Blake, I heard that Vincent Spadea wrote a book and goes off on Blake in it. Anybody read this?

I like Federer. I mean did you see that match. Blake hit maybe 30 outright winners that came BACK. And not just came back like sitting ducks. But came back like a foot inside the baseline. And hard! Federer is so freaking good. It's shaping up to be a Roddick-Federer final. I want to say that it will be interesting. But in reality that means two things: 7-6,6-3,6-1 Federer. And 637 cutaways to Jimmy Conners.
 
ha ha

Great post ! Totally agree.

These guys have already submitted to Roger. Roddick's chance is now; not next year or the year after ...

Sunday

I love Spadea:

Turned Pro in 1993

$4,237,859 in earnings

1 Title

-

Check out his page: it's rockin

http://www.vincespadea.com/
 
I totally agree with you guys I caught that in his interview as well and I had to go did he really say that. If you don't have th confedence to compette you wont.
 
Federer's the best player of his era. It's no surprise Blake and others are intimidated. It's not about Blake's head, it's about Federer's complete domination of the sport. If you look at the ATP rankings, Federer has more than twice as many points as any player other than Nadal and he's got about 3,000 points on him. Federer's only played in 18 tournaments to achieve that ranking while other players have played in as many as 27 or 28. He's superman right now. Anyone other than Nadal beating him is a legitimate upset.

That said, I'll get to see him play live in the finals on Sunday unless a miracle happens.
 
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