Forty Deuce

US Open Order of Play: Day 1

The US Open kicks off tomorrow and new world #1 Rafa Nadal is on the slate, as well as former #1 JJ, Beijing gold medalist Lena D., and prank partners Lindsay D. and Blake.

Interesting matches:

• Rafa vs. Phau (apparently Phau is ridiculously quick on the court)
• Lindsay vs. Wozniak (a quality opponent to test Lindsay)
• Peer vs. Na Li (Can Na keep her level up after Beijing?)
• Wawrinka vs. Bolelli (It's a shame one of these guys has to go out early)
• MaKiri vs. Pazcek (two spotty players who could make solid runs to the third round)
• Safarova vs. Cirstea (can Lucie keep her momentum up?)

Game on, people. 

Nike Party Pictures: Is Masha doing for Nike what Sharon Stone did for Gap?

Nike shut down a block in NYC at their 21 Mercer shop on Thursday night and invited their really good but kinda slumping players for a block party.   No word if Bloc Party was invited.




I've said it once and I'll say it again.  Rehab is doing Masha GOOD.

Mrs. Seal designs a shirt for the US Open. Cute!

This is a limited edition shirt designed by my second favorite leggy European blonde (Cat Deeley is #1).  Adorable!

If you live in NYC they are only being sold at the US Open store in SoHo.

(Pic from USOpen.org)

Pic This: "How does this work?"

Ski Boots skis into the Finals at New Haven.

Caro defeated a hobbling Alize Cornet today 75 64 to reach the finals at New Haven.  She'll play the winner of the Momo/A Chak crazyfest.  This is probably a blessing in disguise as Cornet now has to heal up for her US Open run.  Here's hoping that Ski Boots isn't peaking too early and comes into the Open mentally and physically tired.  Either way though, she'll have confidence! 

In sad news, Tabasco lost to the Sockless Wonder, 60 16 63.  Ugh, whatever Marty.  Go back to your Deal or No Dealfriend.

Flashback to 2007: Baby Elephant dresses like my mom. Same hair too!

A fun little look back to a USA Network feature on Ana during last year's US Open. 

I use the "You can compete, you can be competitive and still be a good person" all the time.  I even say it with an accent.  For whatever reason it makes me giggle to myself.  I'm weird.

UPDATED: The Grapple in the Apple

Rafa's humility is adorable.  You just want to pat little Mowgli on the head sometimes.

UPDATED: According to Rich at DownTheLine, both Roger and Rafa were wearing their new on court gear at that event.  Ok, Fed's getup doesn't look THAT bad.  I still don't like the smoke colored shorts though.

US Open Fashion Update: Rafa and Ana coordinate, both rocking orange.

So Rafa becomes #1 and he decides to start covering his arms?  I am so not ok with this.

As for Roger, I sure hope this looks better on TV.  Because the mockups look horrible.

JJ will be rocking this sunshine yellow Reebok number:

I like the color, but what is that sash around her waist?  Oh well.  Let's just be happy she wisely abandoned that milkmaid from the future look.

Last, but never least, Ana is allegedly wearing this version of her Wimbly dress (which I should note she abandoned after her first round win):

Meh.  I'm not a fan of that petal dress.  I like what Nike and Adidas are doing with orange though.  I love orange.

But I will give Adidas a pass on that dress because the matching shoes are AWESOME:

I love the Barricade Vs.  It's a great shoe and for the record, they really do squeak a lot on hard courts.  But what makes this shoe special is the the pearlized rendering of Ana that's on the shoe (you can't see it in the photos):

I've already placed my order.  Adidas claims you can only get them at the Adidas store in NYC right now but I found them at Tennis Express for $105, no tax!

Air Quotes: Move over, Triumph, there's a new dog on the block.

"At this point, he deserves his own agent and a manager."

    -- Maria Sharapova re her now famous scene stealing dog, Dolce.

Hee.  I actually LOL'ed the first time I saw it.  Some of Maria's facial expressions are money.

Ski Boots Watch: Kickin ass and taking names.

I'm telling you, my girl Ski Boots is getting ready for a good run in Flushing Meadows.  She had her biggest win today, destroying Mono Bartoli 64 60 today.  She'll play Feivel in the semifinal tomorrow.  On the other side, don't look now but Momo may be finding some form.  She beat Agnez Szavay in straight sets today, which, given Szavay's form this year isn't that big of deal I suppose.  But nevertheless she's advanced to the semis and will play top seeded A Chak.  That'll be quite the test for her.  But the runs by all four semifinalists has to be taken into account as we look to the US Open.

I'm calling it now.  Caro will beat JJ. 

On the dudes' side, the semis will see Tabasco, Cilic, No Socks, and Croatian qualifier Gregorc.  Go Tabasco!  Keep the hotness alive in New Haven!

Gold Medalists and Grand Slam Champs: Like PB & J

All Around Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin is going to do a photoshoot with Maria Sharpova.  Apparently Masha emailed her and Nastia was stoked:

"When she got an e-mail from Sharapova inviting her to do the shoot, it was about as big as winning the gold medal," said her agent, Evan Morgenstein. "Nastia really looks up to her."

Hmmm.  Why would Nastia look up to Masha?  Both born in Russia.  Both moved to the States.  Both are coached by their dads.  Both are intense non-smiley competitors.  Both achieved ultimate success in their respective sports before age 20.  Yeah, I don't see it at all. 

Oh no wait.  They're both blonde!  There it is.

And how about that Michael Phelps guy?  Well, not surprisingly, he's a big Rafa fan:

dpa: Are there any athletes that you idolize, that you would want  to have your picture taken with? 

Phelps: Actually I walked up to Rafael Nadal. And he is probably  my favourite tennis player to watch and I walked up to him and I was like: I just want to meet you and don't want to take a picture or anything, I just want to meet you. And I told him: 'I watch you all the time when you play tennis and I love watching you play tennis. I told him good luck, that is probably the only person.

Dominant.  Intense competitors.  Never say die attitudes.  Physically gifted.  Projecting much, Michael?

But really, the whole point of this post was to give me an excuse to say one thing:

Nastia was robbed, people.  ROBBED!

Phew.  Out of my system now.

Brad and Mary: On Andy, Serbs, GOATs, and American xenophobia

In this month's Inside Tennis there is a fantastic round table discussion with Brad Gilbert and Mary Carillo on various topics generally related to the US Open.  Topics include the state and future of American tennis, the popularity of tennis in America, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Maria, Venus, Serena, GOATs, rivalries, and the importance to Americans to have a top American player competing for titles.

Now, I'm a big fan of straight shooters.  I don't agree with them a lot of the time, but I respect their candor.  Like them or hate them, BG and MC are straight shooters.  I agree with MC way more often than I agree with BG, but I really loved this round table discussion and I encourage everyone to read it.  Lots of food for thought.

Some of my favorite exchanges:

IT: This year, watching Andy lose to Philipp Kohlschreiber in Australia and to Janko Tipsarevic at Wimbledon, he was busting his ass, fighting like hell, trying to add variety, but he may not have the skill set to consistently play with the top-three guys.

MC: He knows that. His candor when he loses — he knows he’s not getting it done. He’s worked very hard, but does he work on the right things?  I honestly thought that when Connors was working with him he would develop a much different way to handle the court. Court management was a hallmark of Jimmy’s game, how to keep your court small and the other guy’s big. It’s got to be rough for Andy because it’s not like he’s not working.

It's pretty obvious why I like this exchange: I agree.

MC: Who do you say are greats? Are Venus and Serena all-time greats?

IT: Obviously, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Margaret Court and Chris Evert are in the top five, and if you go top 10, you can throw in Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong...

BG: Maria is only 21 and has five to six good years left.

MC: Venus and Serena are two of the best of their generation, but they aren’t in double figures yet [Serena has eight Slam titles; Venus seven]. I honestly thought they would take over and we would have twin tigers.

BG: They can get to 20 combined, and that’s a hell of an accomplishment.

MC: A great accomplishment, but Steffi had 22 by herself, so that “all-time great” conversation is different.

BG: Because we’ve had periods where one or possibly two women dominated. It’s so much better when we have up to eight players who can win a tournament. It’s much more interesting.

IT: Maybe back in ‘02, ‘03, when Serena was winning everything and Venus was reaching all those Slam finals, too much was expected of them  — that they could win 15 or 20 Slams each. You look at Venus and some days she’s world-beater and other days she’s technically breaking down. It’s not   like she has the cleanest game in the world.

MC: Not at all, but what are you saying: that we should expect Pete and Roger to do that and not Venus and Serena? Why aren’t women expected to do that?

IT: Some are. I’m talking about where the bar should have been set for Venus and Serena specifically. Maybe it was set too high. Plus, the contention that they should be winning everything they enter downgrades the games of some of their elite competitors. Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are very good.

MC: I thought they were going to have ownership of the tour.

BG: Venus and Serena are doing a great job. They’re complete and happy people, and that’s more important. If they had total obsession they might have burned out and might not be happy people. They’re active in other things and are still good at what they love.

MC: Aren’t you happy that Roger, Nadal and Tiger dedicate themselves that much?

BG: Not everyone can be that way.

MC: I’m glad they want it that much.

BG: I haven’t second-guessed them for one second. Everyone’s   different.

MC: Are you glad that Steffi was Steffi?

BG: Yes, but not everyone can be Steffi.

MC: I’m not questioning their lives. All I’m saying is what   I thought was going to happen.

I found this exchange interesting for a few different reasons.  First, I found it surprising that Brad Gilbert, a guy who is known as a great motivator who can push people to be better, who is so unforgiving when good players lose, actually has a fatalistic view of success and greatness.  I physically blanched at his "Not everyone can be that way" comment on dedication.  I completely disagree.  I think everyone has the capacity to dedicate themselves fully and commit to greatness.  Whether or not you achieve it is a completely different issue, but you can pour everything into it.  If you can't that's your fault.

Second, I'm 100% with Mary on her "disappointment" with Venus and Serena.  I don't mean disappointment in a "you have failed" sort of way.  Clearly they are great champions who have achieved so much.  But when they came up, I really did think they were going to dominate tennis and change the way it was played.  And it would have been so great for American tennis if they did.  They haven't failed, but I guess I expected more from them and hoped more for them. 

Last, I like that Mary called Brad out on the different level of expectations placed on the men as opposed to the women.  Why is that Roger loses a few matches and everyone is up in arms because he is not living up to expectation, but when Venus and Serena lose people tend to give them a mulligan and just pat them on the head and let them live their lives.  Why can't we call them out on it? 

IT: So how do you explain Serbia? There’s no real explanation other than the standard “They’re more hungry” thing. You have three elite players, all of whom came from middle-class backgrounds.

MC: And the poor Russian women are so tired of it. They really want to kill them.

BG: That’s a little misleading. Jankovic went to Bollettieri’s; Djokovic went to Nicki Pilic in Germany; and Ivanovic went to Switzerland. Had they stayed in Serbia would they be this good?

IT: No, they would be like Tipsarevic, who stayed in Serbia and is ranked No. 45.

I just liked that they called Tipsy out. 

2008 US Open Draw: "New York I love you, but you're bringing me down."

The US Open draw has been released.  Here is the women's draw.  This draw is bullshit.

All you need to know: Dinara and Ana are in the same quarter, Serena and Venus are in the same quarter, and all four are on the same side of the bracket.

If JJ cannot win here, she will never win a Slam.  Mark my words.  There are cake draws, and then there is what JJ got.  The draw simply doesn't make sense.  Ana (1) gets Dinara (6), Serena (4) gets Venus (7), Kuz (3) gets Lena (5), and JJ (2) gets Bepa (8).  If the seeds generally hold, all JJ has to do is beat Lena (a potentially tough task, I know) and then outlast whoever comes out of the other half.

I have to run and I might post more about this later.  But based on a quick glance, this draw sucks donkeys.

UPDATED: Meet Wang Chen: The Ana Ivanovic of Table Tennis.

This is Wang Chen.  She plays table tennis for the States.  And she frickin' RULES.

For whatever reason, whenever I turn on USA or Universal HD, they're showing table tennis.  And more often than not, it has usually been a Wang Chen match.  So it is by pure serendipity that I have discovered this awesome talent.

Her backstory is fantastic.  She was born in China and was at one time the #4 ranked player in the world.  But she was never chosen to play for China at the Olympics because numbers 1 through 3 were also from China so she was passed over twice. She eventually emigrated to the States in 1999 and started teaching table tennis at a club on the Upper West Side for $40 an hour in order to make ends meet.  The club was owned by a holocaust survivor, Jerry Wartski, who had become a successful business man in New York.  He eventually renamed the club Wang Chen's Table Tennis Club, which is apparently very popular in NYC (McEnroe plays there), and convinced her to come out of retirement and try to make the US team.  She did and now, at age 34, she's come home to China to represent America.  Apparently she walked in the opening ceremonies with a Chinese flag on one cheek and an American flag on the other.

And she's having a fantastic tournament.  Wang Chen won her Round of 16 match last night and is now the first American to ever make it to the quarterfinals at the Olympics.  After she won she dropped to her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. 

Now I know what you're thinking.  You're reading the headline of this post, you're looking at the picture, and you're going "huh?"  First of all, shame on you!  Second, what I mean is that she has the same style of game that Ana has.  She plays a fairly aggressive style of play wherein she works to try and set up her big forehand kill shot.  It's a really cool thing to watch.  Or as it's described:

A right handed shakehand attacker, Wang Chen uses inverted rubber on the forehand to loop and short pips on her backhand side to drive the ball.

Yeah, I have no idea what that means.  But how about this quote from Wang:

She made the junior national team when she was 13, quick by Chinese standards. “The coach already liked me,” Wang said. “I had long arms, long legs and a good serve.” (Now 5 feet 10 inches, Wang is one of the taller female competitors.)

Sound like someone you know?

Anyway, if you get a chance to watch any of her matches you should do so.   She's such a great story and I hope she can make it to the semis.  She has a great chance as the draw has allowed her to avoid the Chinese players, who she admits are "unbeatable".  She plays a woman from Singapore on Thursday night.

Sigh.  I love the Olympics.

UPDATED: Unfortunately I jinxed Wang Chen and she lost today.  But that's ok.  She still made history and she seems really ecstatic.

Forty Deuce: Presented by Rolex. Nice ring to it, don't you think?

And so Ana's attempt to displace Masha as the #1 marketable female tennis player begins.  That's a billboard that Rolex will be placing (sans Ana logo) at the Shea Stadium/Willets Point train station in Flushing Meadow.  It will be visible to all spectators walking towards the Billie-Jean King USTA National Tennis Center.

Can I just say that I FLOVE that watch?  I love that Ana didn't choose some dainty bracelet Rolex.  For those keeping score at home, that's the Rolex Daytona men's watch.  It retails for around $15,000 and it's beautiful:

That is a hunk of a watch but she pulls it off.

I'm tempted to start putting ads on this site and just putting all the revenue I generate (so like, 15 cents a day) towards that watch.  I lurve it.  Between this watch and my very good chances of winning the diamond Masha camera, I would be the most blingtastic and awesomest kid on the block. 

I would also get the crap beat out of me everyday.  I'm ok with that.  Beauty is temporary, Rolexes and diamonds are forever.

JJ simply refuses to leave the spotlight.

 
Not be outshined by a non-playing Masha, JJ has done a shoot for Serbian Elle magazine.

She looks good.  Then again, she doesn't look like herself.  Photoshop much?

(Pics from www.jj-jankovic.com)

Breaking News: Is Dani Hantuchova...SMILING???

Is there a better more heartwarming sight in tennis better than Daniella Hantuchova full of joy and smiling?  I think not.  Dani H. gutted out a three set win, 76(6) in the tiebreaker over Govortsova today in New Haven.  In fact, it was a good day for headcases on the Ladies' side, as Dani, A Chak, and MoMo all made it through.  Cirstea, Cornet and Ski Boots also won.  Congrats to Ski Boots!  You're top 20 now, baby.

For the men, Dr. Ivo and Robby Ginepri crashed out but otherwise the draw held true to form. 

Masha schills Canon, won't let you forget she has a bum shoulder.

Masha won't be competing at the US Open, but that won't keep her away from the Big Apple.  She's there doing a bunch of promotional activities and today she was debuting some $12,000 Canon camera that's encrusted with diamonds.  Maria however, defender of the proletariat that she is, somehow got Canon to just give these suckers away!  Well, at least 5 of them. 

See?  Who says tennis is a bourgeois sport?

I'm not gonna lie.  I totally entered to win one.  It has diamonds on it people!

   

Arizona is doing our Masha some good.  Girl is looking fantastic.  The dress?  Eh, not so much.  It looks like a Project Runway challenge gone wrong.

Auf Wiedersehen!

(Pics from Tennis Forum)

Pic This: I want my old Sveta back.

What happened to my dreadlocked, acne prone, braces wearing, Sveta?  I love that Sveta.  Cuz that Sveta be CRAZY.

Blake puts salami on Lindsay's pillow. Everyone laughs.

First, I have a confession to make.  I'm not really a James Blake fan.  I respect him a lot for all of the adversity that he's been able to overcome, but I just don't like him as a tennis player.  I don't like his go for broke game, I don't like is placid demeanor on the court (seriously, just ACT like you care), and I don't like his propensity to whine after he loses.  It's lame and he's better than that.  Also, I hate practical jokes.

Ok, on with the story.

If I were an athlete at the Olympics, I would want my preparation to be 100% for each match.  I would want to be well rested, calm, almost zen-like.

So it annoys me a little bit that James Blake was too busy depriving Lindsay Davs of sleep to focus on his tennis.  Even more annoying that he's doing it to Lindsay, who clearly needs all the rest she can get:

Apparently Davenport, who lost in the Olympics doubles quarterfinals, didn't get a lot of sleep in Beijing either.

"I had to stay with the guys," she said. "The first night, I had to share the bathroom. James [Blake] went to the bathroom like three times in the middle of the night, turning the lights on. The next night, I was like, 'There is no shot I am staying here. I'm getting the bedroom with my own bathroom.'

"Then they started playing practical jokes on me. They eventually got me to leave. The last few nights, I went back to the hotel. James put salami in my pillow. He was throwing stuff in the toilet. They were so bad. So bad."

She laughed. She didn't sound too upset.

"We had a good time with it," she said.

Nice to see that James, at 28 years old, is still rocking the frat guy attitude.  There's nothing more charming than a 28 year old frat guy.  In my circle of friends, we call them "douchebags".  It's a technical term.

Thumb Watch 2008: Lookin' good.

Here's your injury update, from the Baby Elephant's mouth:

I’m in New York practising for the US Open. Preparation is going quite well. I am slowly finding my form again after what has been one of the most difficult months of my career.

I made an unexpected trip to Australia for treatment on my thumb. It felt a little strange to be there in the middle of the season – usually I only visit during the off-season. But I tried to make the best of the situation and enjoyed visiting my favourite country.

My doctor there has travelled to New York with me because I am still receiving treatment. But it’s going well and I am confident I will be fit for my opening match here.

I’m looking forward to taking part in Kids Day again on Saturday and feeling the excitement of the year’s last Grand Slam.

Well the thumb seems to be doing well but I'm still skeptical that she'll be able to find her form for the Open.  It's her least favorite tourney, the surface speed isn't great for her (it's a bit too quick for her strokes), and she'll have to play her way into form, which is always dangerous on a quick court.  And let's not forget.  Ana has only played 5 matches since her win at RG, and only two on hard courts.

I don't know, folks.  I have visions of a Wimbly repeat.  But we'll see when the draw comes out on Friday.

US Open 08: Let the withdrawals begin.

Two fan favorites have announced their withdrawal from this year's US Open due to injury.  Lleyton Hewitt is out due to hip surgery that took place last week.  Apparently you can't recover from hip surgery in two weeks to compete in one of the most grueling sporting events in the dead of summer in New York, no matter how many "Come ons" and lawnmowers you throw in there.  Go figure!

Perennial tease Tati Golovin is also out.  I have an idea, Tati.  How about you pull out of all your tournaments now and just tell us which ones you ARE going to compete in.  It's ridiculous.

So any guesses as to the next withdrawal announcements?  Of course the biggest name on the bubble is Baby Elephant and the Curious Case of the Bum Thumb.  Lindsay is another possibility, though she is playing doubles this week in New Haven.  As for the men, I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that is seriously injured.

Pilot Pen: Strugglers in, hotties out.

Yale:  It's not for hotties. 

Bartoli and Momo struggled but won in their opening second rounders.  MaKiri and Gisela Dulko however are out, MaKiri getting outwitted by the ridiculously annoying junk baller Monica Niculescu and Dulko losing to Flava Flav Pennetta.  In somewhat encouraging news, Agnez Szavay won her three setter over the solid Sara Errani.

As for the boys, Dr. Ivo won his match against John Isner (that's over 13 feet of tennis player!).  But continuing with our "Yale hates hotties" theme, Simone Bolleli lost to a dude named Fabio.  No, really.

Na Li bears the wrath of billions for trying to teach them the rules of the game.

Ok, I'll give you a mulligan on this one, China.

Na Li is apparently getting crap from Chinese bloggers for yelling "Shut up!" at the Chinese crowd during her semifinal loss to Dinara Safina.

"The yell came as Li lost a critical set point shortly before losing the match to Russia’s Dinara Safina 6-7 (3), 5-7, ending China’s hope to win a silver or gold medal in singles tennis play. The incident, now dubbed as “Shut-up Gate” in online chat rooms, provoked wide accusations of Li trying to distance herself from her Chinese identity.

“Can’t she just speak Chinese? She thinks she’s so Westernized just because she plays a bourgeois sport,” is typical of the barbs bouncing around cyberspace in the last few days.

Although Li has admitted that the shout came from her frustration over losing control of the game, some angry netizens remained skeptical and skewered her for failing to accept the audience’s good will.

“You can’t expect everyone to understand the rules of watching a tennis game,” one sports blogger wrote. “What we can do as Chinese is to cheer as much as we can whenever we see our players competing. What’s wrong with that?”

I watched the match and yes, the crowd was rowdy.  But no more than a typical Fed Cup match.  Was it classy?  No.  Did it show they weren't he savviest of tennis crowds?  Yes.  But I don't think it portrayed Chinese fans as being disrespectful.  If anything, throughout the tennis tournament, they seemed so excited and enamored by the quality of tennis they were seeing.  I thought it was great.

But behavior like this is only acceptable when you're first learning about the game.  The Chinese crowd now do have a responsibility to learn the game and the traditions and respect them.  Because the game is bigger than them and it is universal.  Cheering when someone misses a first serve is bush league.  Booing the supporters of another player, no matter how partisan or patriotic the crowd, is not sporting. 

So I guess my point is that there comes a point where innocence turns into ignorance and the latter is much uglier.  I hope the Chinese were able to see something awesome at the Olympic Green Tennis Center last week and that it encourages them even more to get into the sport of tennis and become more knowledgeable. 

"Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it."

The Serbian press (so take it with a grain of salt) is reporting that Nole has hooked up with Leryn Franco, a javelin thrower from Paraguay. 

Apparently she was at every one of his matches in Beijing and they took this pic in the Village together:

Question #1: Since when do javelinists (javeliniers? javeliners?) look like this?  I'm sorry, I refuse to live in a world where javeliners look like this:

Question #2:  What happened to Jelena, his super sweet looking Serbian girlfriend of many years?  I thought they were so cute together and she's adorable.  Plus he's been with her since his first title. 

Please Nole, don't be that guy.  Don't "upgrade".

(Pics from Yahoo!, Great Tennis Photos, and Nole's site)

Woz Watch: Show us your O face.

Caro makes the BEST faces when she's playing.

Having won her first title only two weeks ago in Sweden, flying immediately to Beijing to play for Denmark, Ski Boots is back in action at the Pilot Pen tourney in New Haven.  Considering the US Open starts in less than a week, I'm thinking Caro probably should have taken a break.  But hey, what do I know?

At least the tour is doing their best to make it easier on her.  Caro drew a tough first round match against Montreal finalist Dominika Cibulkova (who also played in Beijing last week).  But after Caro took the first set 76, Cibulkova retired early in the second set.  What is up with her?  She retired match point down against Ai Sugiyama in LA, makes a run in Montreal to the final after playing a number of tough 3 setters, and then retires in New Haven.  Then again, Cibulkova shouldn't have been playing either.  She's played a tough hard court season (back to back to back to back tournaments).  She didn't need the hard court warm up before the USO.

In other New Haven news, Feivel beat Nikki V in a rematch of their first round Beijinger, Sorana Cirstea (another young player I like) beat Alla Kudrywhatever, and Fosters Dellaqua beat Virginie Razzano.  Peppermint Patty also made it through.

The guys are also playing in New Haven, and Fernando "Tobasco" Verdasco is the top seed.  Crazy Little Elf wisely withdrew to rest up and prepare for the USO.  The only surprise in today's first round matches was Arnaud Clement's presence.  He played the bronze medal doubles match on Saturday and he's in the States playing today.  Crazy Frenchie.

Pic This: Yeah, you're right. Tennis doesn't belong in the Olympics.

In response to Jon Wertheim and Steve Tignor, and all the other idiots (you know who you are):

 

 

I have a confession to make. I love towels.

So, random piece of trivia about me.  I love tournament towels.  I don't know why, I just do.  But I'm also very superstitious about them and I only buy them if my favorite players make the finals.  It's a good luck thing and so far it's worked.  I have an Australian Open 08 towel (Nole, Maria and Ana) and a RG 08 towel (Ana).  I couldn't find a towel at Indian Wells so I bought Ana's racquet an hour before the match.  Again, it worked.

So here are the US Open towels for this year.  They're so bland looking but if Baby Elephant (yes, we're back to Elephant) makes the semis (which will be a miracle) I will have to buy one.

Is it really necessary to make one towel for boys and one for girls?  AO doesn't do that but all the other slams do.  I'm sure it's just a marketing thing but can we stop with the pink?  It's kind of lame.

Your New World No. 1

Make sure you watch the interview at the end.  Oh, Rafa.

And, since Ana has regained her #1 ranking on the women's side, here's a flashback to her as well.  Dear Lord how times have changed.

"Candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

Juan Martin del Potro, or "Little Crazy Elf" as the kids over at TennisWorld like to call him, is quietly tearing through the depleted hard court fields.  He's on a 19-match winning streak and this is his fourth straight title, backing up the title he won over Andy Roddick last week in LA. 

And as for Andy Roddick's huge "I need to stay home and prepare for the US Open" gamble?  Not looking great.  He lost in the quarters of DC to #3 Serb Viktor Troicki.  Great win for Troicki but seriously, what is up with Andy?  This can't help his confidence.  He's admitting that he's not serving or hitting his forehand well.  Hmmm....might want to fix that before you get to NYC.  Things are definitely not looking good for him, especially considering the form of the top players who did participate in Beijing.

As for the Ladies this week, short Russian on the totem pole Nadia Petrova continued the run of Russian dominance on Sunday at won both the singles title and the doubles title in Cincy.  Nadia beat another Russian, Maria Kirilenko in the semis, and then outclassed the classy Natalie Dechy in the final.  Congrats, Nadia.

Is Bronze more precious than Silver? Seems it.

It seems to me there's an argument to be made that in head to head competition sports (as opposed to "race" or "field" sports), athletes have a much better time accepting the bronze as opposed to the silver medal.  Why?  Because you actually have to WIN a match to earn a bronze medal, as opposed to losing and being relegated the silver.  Case in point?  Check out these pics:

Perhaps the silver celebration occurs when you win your semifinal match.  But it still must leave a bitter taste in your mouth because you lost (think about Mardy Fish).  Both Nole and Bepa seem so happy!

Medals for Everyone! The Sisters Williams get doubles gold.

Isn't it a better world when the Sisters Williams are smiling on Championship Sundays?  The duo destroyed their Spanish opponents in the Gold Medal match 62 60, meanwhile, Zhang/Zheng took out the Sisters Bonderenko to take the bronze.

All in all, I'm really happy for Roger, Venus, and Serena walking away from Beijing with gold medals, even if they're doubles.  Interesting how it all worked out.  They all got dusted on the same day and all turned around to win gold in doubles.

The Russians are coming, the Russians are comi.....oh no wait. They're here.

Congratulations to Mother Russia on the sweep of the Ladies' Singles medals.  Lena and Dinara weren't surprises (though most probably thought their medals would be switched), but big ups to Bepa, who was a last minute addition to the Russian team when Masha pulled out with a shoulder injury.  She also benefited from being in Baby Panda's quarter of the draw, which was obviously weakened signficantly when she withdrew.  But all credit to her for keeping her composure (most of the time) and fighting her way to the bronze.  I really thought she was going to collapse against hometown favorite Li Na.  She came close (she won 60 75), but she pulled through. 

She definitely owes Masha a $5 Starbucks card.

Storybook Endings: Rafa and Elena win Gold

And just like that, it's over.  The Olympics, at least as far as tennis is concerned, is over and we can all go back to our regularly scheduled programming, namely, getting stoked for the US Open.

But before we leave the five ring circus, let's take a moment to really congratulate Rafa and Elena, Olympic Champions.  For Rafa, seriously, can his year be any more poetic?  After toiling away and waiting in vain to become #1, Rafa is doing it in style.  First he destroys Fed at the RG final, then he beats Nole on grass in the Queens final, of course we then have the GMOAT at Wimbledon, he turns around to win Toronto, and then he comes here, to Beijing, and on the Sunday before he is about to ascend to the #1 ranking, he wins a gold medal.

Come on, Rafa, you're embarrassing us all.

As for Lena D., she actually SERVED OUT A MATCH FOR THE TITLE.  What better way for her to overcome her serving yips, her mental frailty, her "Chokementieva" status, and come through against not only a fellow Russian, but the hottest player on tour right now.  Don't get me wrong, when all was said and done, Elena wasn't playing the Dinara that has dominated the tour over the past three months.  Dinara hit 17 DFs and once her serving yips got into her head you could see her will to win diminish.  But watching Lena D's game, it always shocks me that she's not a top 3 player.  Those groundstrokes are just lethal.

Next stop, City Hall!

Roger and Stan have won the gold medal in men's doubles.  They also win the gold for most hilarious, dorky, slightly gay celebration:

Seriously.  Their foreplay needs more imagination.   Is Fed role playing?  "I'll be the medic, you be the wounded soldier."

Congratulations to both but in particular Roger.  He needed this, he wanted this, and he appreciated this:

Gosh darn it!  I think Losing-all-the-time-Fed has worn down my animosity and now I actually want him to win (at least get to SFs, not titles necessarily).  It's a weird, strange, unfamiliar feeling that makes me feel like less of a person (if that's possible).

In the bronze medal match, the Brothers Bryan beat Clement/Llodra.  Suck on that, France!

Nole recovers from heartbreak, takes the bronze.

At the start of the bronze medal match I was worried because neither player was playing with any intensity.  sure the level of play was fairly high, but they both looked like they were playing an exhibition.  It wasn't until a few games into the second set that the intensity picked up and both players started to play as though they wanted that bronze medal.

That has to be a really tough thing to accept as an athlete.  You lose your chance at a gold, the pinnacle of achievement, and then you have to turn around and play a match in order to "win" the bronze.  You have to convince yourself that you actually want the bronze medal, which for elite athletes, especially tennis players, is particularly ridiculous because the way tennis tournaments are, there is no third place.  Third place is a stat, it's not something you strive for.

So kudos to Nole for recovering from yesterday's loss to Rafa and beating James Blake for the bronze.  The second half of the second set was very high quality.  Great rallies, great movement from both, and great intensity.  And in the end, Nole's celebration was fantastic.  I was actually worried that he'd tone it down with Blake across the net and it being a bronze medal.  But I actually think that would have been wrong.  He needed to show everyone, including himself, that this bronze medal meant the world to him.  And he did.

Congrats, Nole!  Well deserved.  It's great to see you with a smile again.

Thumb Watch 2008: Thumbs up Down Under.

 
From Ana's site:

Ana has been receiving treatment on her right thumb from an chiropractor/osteopath in Sydney over the past week. She has responded well to treatment and has had several successful practice sessions.

Barring any complications, the 20-year-old expects to be ready to compete in the U.S. Open, which begins in New York on Monday 25 August.

I'll believe it when I see it, but this is encouraging. 

Olympic Doubles: The Shawshank Redemption

A lot of the big tennis stars who crashed out early are still in Beijing looking for some hardware, but more so, redemption.

The best story (and pictorially, the most awkward)?  The rise of Fedrerinka, the tasty Swiss pairing of Stan the Man and The Mighty Fed.  They've made the gold medal match by dispatching, on the same day, the chest bumping Bryan Brothers and the other favorite duo, the tempestuous Indians, Paes/Bhupati.

They're pretty excited about it:

It's been an odd feel good story, as we've been able to see Fed loosen up and and actually smile and have fun on the court.  Let's face it, the guy deserves an Olympic medal and I'm glad he's going to get one.

On the Ladies side, the Sisters Williams beat the Sisters Bonderenkos today in three sets, propelling them into the gold medal match.  Good on them.

Davai Russia!

It was a battle of Russians in one semifinal that saw Lena D. dispatch Casper the Crying Ghost.

This semifinal was of very high quality with great hitting from both players.  Good on Lena, though.  She's had a very solid year so far and now she'll get a chance to avenge her RG collapse against ...

What a nervy match.  Neither Dinara or Li Na played particularly well.  Dinara threw in DF after DF and every time you thought Li would would stop up and take advantage she crumbled, throwing in UFE after UFE.  To be honest, it was a hard match to watch, which was unfortunate. 

That being said, it was understandable.  Because the Dinara/JJ match was postponed a day, Li had a full day and a half to think about her incredible win over Venus.  As for Dinara, she may have to take the mantle of "Iron Woman" from Ai Sugiyama.  She was on court yesterday for over 2 hours against JJ, then had to turn around 3 hours later to play her doubles match, which saw her on court until 3am local time.  A little over 12 hours later she had to take the court for this SF.  So kudos to her for getting through.

But a great tournament from Li, who took out Kuzzie and Venus on her way to the SF.  For her to take the gold she would have had to go through the top 3 Russians anyway.  A tall task for a player that's just now finding her form after injury.

Anyway, no shocker here.  I'm rooting for Safina.  But whoever wins it'll be a feel good story.  Lena deserves some redemption and with her play the second half of this season she deserves a title (she's been derailed twice now by Safina, at Berlin and RG).  And Safina deserves the gold for her play over the past three months.  No one can argue about that.

Dinara in 3.  And for the record, I am rooting for a Russian sweep.  So go Casper!

Pic This: It wasn't the GREATEST week for Serbian tennis, that's for sure.

From this:

To this:

This:

To This:

This:

To This:

And this:

To this:

UPDATED: The Bull will not be denied.

First off, it was a fight to the finish and if you can't tip your hats to both players for their displays of athleticism, fight, and skill, then you're simply not a tennis fan. 

But in the end, despite the fact that Nole was stronger in the second and third sets, Rafa would not be denied.  Who can explain that botched overhead on match point to give Rafa the match?  Was an easy overhead?  Absolutely.  But you factor in an off the charts retriever on the other side of the net, match point, the semifinals of the Olympics, and a young 21 year old with a small country literally on his back, and it becomes an extremely nervy one.  I can't fault Novak for missing it.  I also can't blame him for leaving the court in tears. 

That's the Olympics, folks.  That's why tennis should be there.  Have we ever seen Nole cry after losing big matches?  Nope.  This one obviously meant more to him than any other match he played.  He's absolutely gutted.  To lose that big of a match like that?  I don't know how he's going to recover for tomorrow's bronze medal match.

And as a quick sidenote, on a day that saw some questionable sportsmanship in the other semifinal, I was particularly impressed with Nole's hug of Rafa after the match.  He could have just shaken his hand and walked off the court.  But the embrace, in light of how he was feeling, was touching and sporting.

UPDATED: Pics of the hug.  Heartbreaking.

 

For shame, Barry Watson. No Seventh Heaven for you!

First, let me just say this.  Fernando Gonzalez looks like Barry Watson.  There's no way around it.  And Barry Watson has always creeped me out.  Something about him looks skeletal.  I think it's the nose.

Anyway, Gonzo beat James Blake today in a thrilling three setter that saw the last set go 11-9.  It was a tough loss for James, who just yesterday ousted The Mighty Fed in straight sets.  But what's pissing off James isn't the loss in and of itself, but a disputed point wherein Gonzo showed his true non-sportsmanlike colors.  From ESPN.com:

The incident that upset Blake occurred with Gonzalez serving at 8-9 in the final set. On the first point, Blake hit a backhand passing shot long but contended the ball ticked Gonzalez's racket before landing, as TV replays confirmed.

Blake appealed in vain to the chair umpire, and said Gonzalez should have conceded the point. He went on to lose the game to make it 9-all.

"Playing in the Olympics, in what's supposed to be considered a gentleman's sport, that's a time to call it on yourself," Blake said. "Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn't call it."

Gonzalez said he was uncertain whether the ball hit his racket.

"I didn't feel anything," Gonzalez said. "I mean, it's just one point. There is an umpire. If I'm 100 percent sure about it, I mean, I will give it. But I'm not sure."

Let me be clear.  Gonzo's cheating didn't cost James the match, much like Justine's infamous "Hand" incident didn't cost Serena the match.  In fact, Blake is retarded for letting it affect him as much as it did.  But it's still a horribly unsportsmanlike thing to do and I am a big fan of classy sportsmanship.  Replays of the incident clearly show that the ball hit Gonzo's racquet with enough pace that any world-class tennis player would have felt it.

I guess if you're busy staring at your Olympic medal you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror.  This isn't going to sit well in the locker room, that's for sure.

"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers."

   
Ana's Avenger vanquishes yet another contender for the crown.  Showing no mercy, she left the evil Red Milkmaid in shambles.

What can I say.  Mess with the best, die like the rest.

I only watched the last set of the match, but it was very similar to JJ's matches against Ana.  JJ simply doesn't have the weapons to beat big hitting players who have good mobility.  She can beat you with placement, but that's only if you play passively.  But if you attack the ball, much like Dinara and Ana can do, JJ can't do much and she is at the mercy of her opponent.  If you can keep your nerve with her and your patience, she's pretty beatable, especially when her movement is (allegedly) compromised.

Masha rehabs shoulder, powers down The Robot

Our non-fancy-dress-at-the-US-Open-wearing friend Masha is currently holed up in Arizona rehabbing that pesky right shoulder of hers.

But it's not all sweat and tears.  Masha has taken the time out of her busy schedule to explore her inner artist.  Here, in honor of Beijing and the Chinese buddhist philosophy which emphasizes the importance of balance or, as most westerners know, Yin and Yang, Masha poses in front of ancient, beautiful, natural rock formations, while doing The Robot.

Nature meets Technology.  The Past Meets the Future.  Diva Maria meets Dorky Maria.

Pova:  Artistic Genius.

(Pics from MariaSharapova.com)

Beijing: Order of Play for Friday

 

OOP for Friday.  A few interesting matches but let's face it, it's all about two.

Rafa v. Nole

How badly do you think these two want this?  It's a shame that one of them is going to have to play for a bronze medal because with all due respect to Blake and Gonzo, this is the Gold Medal Match.  While Nole is the favorite over Rafa on hard courts, he was up until 1am finishing off Monfils in a grueling 2+ hour three setter.  How much will have have left in the tank?  Can he repeat his performance in Cincy?  I'm going to have to go with doubtful.

It's ok, Nole.  If you squint real hard the bronze totally looks like gold.

JJ v. Dinara

Two Drama Queens.  One who embraces it.  One who tries to bury it.  Which will prevail?

You're an idiot to bet against Dinara.  There is no hotter player on tour right now and she just has that look about her.  Calm intensity.  Purpose.  Balance.  The gold medal is hers for the taking and no one will disagree that she absolutely deserves it.

But come on.  This is JJ.  Doesn't this look like the perfect JJ script?  Annointed #1 for the first time this week, hobbling on a bad knee, pulls out of the Opening Ceremonies with a bum calf, talks about withdrawing from the tournament all together, and then going on to win the whole thing, beating the hottest player on the tour in the process.  It's so...JJ.

But JJ's theatrics wear thin on me.  So I'm going for my Russian Robot.  Ana's Avenger will appear and once again, as she has always done, stop and beat back those who attempt to encroach on Ana's #1 ranking.   Come on Dinara, save Baby Panda!

Pic This: I hope Fed bought him a drink first. Be a gentleman.

Olympics Tournament Summary: Day 5

Death, Taxes, Rafa, and Nole.

The only things we can count on anymore.

To call it a rough day for the favorites would be an understatement.  Roger, Venus, and Serena all played error-full tennis and deserved their fates.  But let's face it, their losses hurt the Olympic tennis. 

I haven't watched Roger's match yet but from the little pieces I've seen he looked utterly lost out there.  Nothing was working and unfortunately for him, the aggressive, go for broke James Blake showed up and he was on, absolutely crushing forehands and serving well.

Luckily the Rafa/Nole showdown is still on the books for tomorrow, with the winner being the HEAVY favorite for the gold.  Rafa destroyed Melzer while Nole had to deal with La Monf, who I have decided is the most frustrating player to watch on the men's side.  I hate his defensive pusher game.  All credit to Nole for not losing his patience and getting sucked into it.  He had some fantastic net play today, which was huge for him as it allowed him to shorten points and not let Monfils retrieval skills dominate the game.

 

As for the ladies, I am reminded of my favorite quote from Bud Collins after the French Open: "I have watched enough tennis to know never to count out the Williams sisters.  I also know you should never count on them."

How many times have we seen both Venus and Serena absolutely demolish the competition in the early rounds, and then get hit by a complete mack truck in rounds three or four?  How can we explain it?  How can they explain it?  Of course Serena had a much tougher task against Elena D., who is proving to be quite the Olympic competitor, but she was a set up and couldn't close it out.  Venus' loss is a bit easier to take.  She's never a favorite outside of SW19 anymore, this was her first tournament since Wimbly,  she was playing a resurgent Na Li on her home court, and it was a closely contested 75 75 match.

So at least one of the semifinals is set.  It will be an all Russian affair between Lena D. and Bepa.  Could we see an All-Russian sweep of the medals?  It seems appropriate.

The ladies will have a break tomorrow as the last match of the day (and the most anticipated), JJ vs. Dinara was suspended at 1am due to rain.  They will play tomorrow and the women's semifinal will be played on Saturday.  Na Li has to be rooting for JJ.  In what is a completely weird statistic, Na Li is 4-1 against JJ and all four wins have been on hard courts.  And we all know how the Chinese dominate the Serbs for whatever reason.

Air Quotes: Ah, well that explains it.

"He even went 0 for 4 on replay challenges."

-- Bob Costas, re Roger Federer's poor performance in his loss to James Blake in the quarterfinals today.

Gold Medal boogie boarding match currently taking place on Center Court.

It's 2am PDT and 5pm Beijing time.  Play is currently rained out.  I am awake. 

There's a hell of a lot of wrong going on right now.

How am I entertaining myself?  A tall boy of Bud Light doesn't hurt.  A Tivo full of Baby Panda's old matches is quite nice.  And a bag of sunflower seeds?  Money.

But best of all?  Drunkenly searching YouTube.  YouTube is why the interweb was invented.  Thanks, Al Gore!

This video, in particular, is keeping me very entertained.  It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to deduce how I stumbled upon it:

Air Quotes: Is the true, no?

"Always win a trophy than beat the No. 1."

-- Rafa in response to the question of what means more to him, winning the gold medal or beating Fed.