Forty Deuce

The Mascot Is Still Retarded Though.

"I'll play mixed for sure. I'd definitely play if Laura's up for it. I like mixed doubles. I don't think it should be at every tournament but at the major tournaments it's a good thing. It's at the Olympics, so I'd go for it."

!!!

I know it's over a year away, but I'm already so excited for the tennis at the 2012 London Olympics.  Consider me one of those people who consider the Olympics a really really big deal.  I can probably chalk that up to the fact that I was an athlete in high school and the main sports I played (volleyball and softball) didn't have professional leagues.  As most female athletes know, the end all be all is the Olympic games.  So I put them on a bit of a pedestal.

But tennis in London for the Olympics?  This could either be crazy awesome or a complete clusterfuck.  As most know, the tennis event will be held at the AELTC less than a month after Wimbledon.  I mean, first of all, how the hell are they going to get the grounds ready, right?  I've heard that they intend to grow the grass alongside the WImbledon grass and then basically re-sod the active courts for the Olympics.  That sounds...interesting.  But perhaps the craziest thing that I've heard is that the grounds will be completely made over into "Olympic Themed" grounds.  Imagine Centre Court with completely different signage, no purple and green colorways, corporate branding, etc.  Did I just blow your mind?  It could, and probably should, happen.  I mean, it would be weird if the grounds basically *looked* like Wimbledon.

Here's a quick summary of the news out this week regarding the London Olympics.  First off, for those who are lucky enough to entertain the possibility of attending, here's the match schedule.  Second, the ITF and WTA have come to an agreement regarding point distribution for the event.  For whatever reason this was a big deal this week, the argument being that it ensures a full field because the players are now properly incetivized.  But hasn't tennis at the Olympics finally reached that stage of being a prestigious event in and of itself?  I honestly don't think any players were sitting on the fence debating whether they'd try to be there based on points.

Anyway, I'm stoked.  To me there is no greater honor than playing with that flag on your sleeve. 

(Pic: Getty)

Novak. Ana. Serbia FTW.

 
The International Olympic Committee has added mixed doubles to the Olympics in 2012.

That noise you hear is me screaming and doing the dance of joy.  This is basically Hopman Cup if people actually took it seriously.  Amazing.

Who do you want to see team up?

"Bitches In Tokyo"

This week, I threaten to beat up Victoria, we break down the ever complex Dinara/Zeljko situation, give props to Maria Sharapova, ignore the ATP, touch on the Olympics, and we all talk about the best and worst matches we've ever watched.

Oh, also?  Katie rules.

FD Podcast #5: Everything Is Average Nowadays 10/1/09

And if you missed it, my drunken tweeting after the jump:

Pic This: Team Russia making cute in Beijing

 

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.

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.

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)

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):

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Beijing: Order of Play for Thursday

OOP for Thursday.

Four notable matches that have me very excited. 

• Fed vs. Blake (will Blake's forehand and serve be on?)
• Dinara vs JJ (Ana's Avenger gets another chance to keep Ana at #1)
• ReRe vs. Lena D. (which ReRe and which Lena will show up?)
• La Monf vs. Nole (will Nole implode with impatience?)

Play starts at 4am ET/1am PT.  Bring it.

Pic This: Girls Gone Wild, Poland Edition

Well now I'm just sad all over again.

Dudes.  From a Serbian Croatian press report (rough translation from AI's Forum):

That she was right say the tears that came down her face when we turned off our cameras, after she announced she withdraws from the Olympic tennis event. It was in vain to turn on the cameras again – a silent and childish sigh, which represented a way to relieve the pain, because she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her biggest wish in life, paralyzed our wish to take advantage of the situation and take photos of Ana Ivanovic. With a lot of shame, wiping off her tears, she waved her hand when she was leaving, a way of showing gratitude for our comprehension. The thumb injury forced the most popular and beautiful inhabitant of the Olympic village to wait for another chance. “See you in London,” she said in front of the cameras, trying to find little consolation.

Sniff.  Sniff.

Beijing: Order of Play for Wednesday

OOP for Day 4.  Lots of fun stuff, particularly on the Ladies' side.

• Fed v. Big Bird Berdych (can Fed get his revenge?)
• ReRe v. Cornet (all right, Frenchie, let's see how you do against the Big Girls)
• David Headbandian v. La Monf (is David's form for real?)
• Dinara v. Zheng (will Ana's Avenger show up to avenge Baby Panda's SW19 loss?)
• JJ v. Cibulkova (can Mighty Mouse stop JJ again?)
• Blake v. Simon (will Blake lose hos cool against the frustrating Frenchman?)
• Ski Boots vs. Lena D. (come on, Caro!)

Unfortunately, matches start at 4am ET.  What to do, what to do?

Olympics Tournament Summary: Day 3

 
Well that was boring.  What fun is tennis when everyone you expect to win ACTUALLY wins? 

Roger, Nole, and Rafa all went through with ease.  Rafa disposed of an exhausted Lleyton Hewitt, who had been up past midnight finishing a marathon doubles match that ended 18-16 in the third.  Thankfully, Rafa's form was much better today.  Maybe he got a call from Ana telling him not to worry and that her hand was ok.

As for "upsets", my boy Paul Henri Mattieu (so cute!!!) ousted Kolya and Juergen Melzer knocked out weary Stan The Man Wawrinka.  Too bad for Stan.  The heat and humidity got to him.  In other bad news, Janko had to withdraw with an ankle injury against Olivier Rochus.  Poor Janko.  He needed a wheelchair to get to his presser:

As for the ladies, the Sisters Williams, JJ, Dinara, and Lena D. all went through with ease.  The big news was Agi Radwanska getting ousted by Frannie Schiavone.  Tough loss for A-Rad.  I she going through a bit of slump?  She got dusted by Caro last week in the semis of the Nordic Light Open.  That being said, Schiavone was a tough match-up.  She always has that little extra something when she plays for her country.

As for other "upsets", SKI BOOTS IN DA HOUSE!!!  Caro dismissed Dani H. 1 and 3 and Mama Bammer ditched Peppermint Patty, 4 and 4.  Seriously, who is going to come out of that top quarter?  I have to put my money on Bepa, but since everyone else I've picked has lost so far I fear I may have just jinxed the crying Russian.

Finally, in the only match I actually watched from start to finish, Zheng Jie had to dig down and fight hard to come back and beat Lloggostera Vives, 67 61 64.  That first set was a tough one and Zheng looked absolutely wiped out.  She was leaning against the back wall, doubling over for air, etc.  But she kept fighting and as it turned out, it was Vives who had nothing left in the tank.  Mondo Kudos (yes, that's an official term) to Zheng, who I find myself rooting for more each and every day. 

Air Quotes: On the Olympics.

"Usually when you expect the best, and when you expect something extraordinary, usually you get disappointed with something bad going on. But this was more than extraordinary."
-- Nole on opening ceremonies

"Well, for me, my whole life as an athlete, I've been working to win Grand Slams. As a tennis player, you never work to win a gold medal. But my gold medal is the only trophy that I really, like, want to show to people. It's my favorite thing that I have. So it's hard to say."
-- ReRe on whether she'd rather have a Grand Slam or a Gold Medal

"The problem is the humid, no? I don't know. The true, I didn't feel nothing, the pollution. That didn't affect nothing on me, no? The problem is the humid are very, very hard. I had to change the shirt every 10 minutes. So it's difficult. All the time, I have to put some product to the hands, try to change the towel all the time. So is extra work."
-- Rafa on the pollution and humidity

"I'm excited to be surrounded by, you know, the best athletes in the world. But also I'm here to play my tournament. So when it comes to, you know, my matches, I'm only focused on that. I'm here to play; I'm not here to be a tourist."
-- JJ on focusing on the tournament

"It's definitely different. Just the whole preparation, being in the village. Just, like I said, the inspiration I've gotten from meeting so many other athletes, being around so many great athletes from other sports. It's definitely different because you want to do something special. Instead of just proving yourself for your own sake, you want to prove yourself as a member of a team, as a member of the Olympic team, that you deserve to be here, and you deserve to be among all these other great athletes, because there are some out here that I'm so impressed by."
-- James Blake on the differences between the Olympics and Davis Cup

The internet is unanimous. JJ looks like a milkmaid.

I can't say it any better than the boys at Down The Line and Tennis Served Fresh said it.  I will only say this:  JJ has a super rad body.  Probably one of the best bodies on tour.  And Reebok hasn't been able to find anything for her that is flattering.  The skirts all flair out too much.

Beijing: Order of Play for Tuesday

OOP for Tuesday.  Some fun matches lined up:

• Rafa v. Lleyton
• Nole v. Rainer
• Kolya v. Matthieu
• Simon v. Canas
• Dani H. v. Ski Boots Wozniaki
• A-Rad v. Schiavone
• Nalby v. Massu

Now that I'm back on the Pacific Coast I'm looking forward to a night chock full of Tennis.  Let's hope the rain stays away!  Tennis starts at 10:30 ET.

Olympics Tournament Summary: Of bracket busters, near-misses, and Chinese ladies.

Well that was a full day of tennis.  Fed, Nole, and Rafa are through, as are the Sisters Williams, JJ, Lena D., and Dinara.  Nicole Vaidisova, though she looked fitter, was still dumped out Alize Cornet and Dani H. had a typical Dani H. stumble but was still able to beat good buddy Ai Sugiyama.

But though the day went mostly according to form it wasn't without surprises.

Bracket Busters:

Who didn't have high hopes for Muzza to make a run here?  The story was just too perfect.  A streaking player who would have to get past a player he has recently dominated and a player who he has never beaten.  I really thought it was going to be a storybook ending for Muzza.  Didn't know it was a Stephen King book though.  Different kind of ending.

And what to make of Kuzzie's loss to hometown girl Na Li?  Not much really.  I thought Kuzzie would have a good showing here simply because it seemed that she had finally gotten her form back in Montreal.  But let's face it, her US Open title aside, Kuzzie has consistently shown that she cannot perform in big matches.  Her early loss at the AO, semifinal no show at RG, another early round loss at Wimbly, and now a first round dump at the Olympics.  The girl simply overthinks on the court and crumbles under the weight of the moment.  It's really unfortunate because she has all the talent and game to be a true #1.  If only she could win a damn final!

And what of David Ferrer?  Currently ranked a career high #4, he got dumped out by a solid Janko.  This was a tough first round draw as Janko has been playing relatively well lately.  But I don't know if it's his movement or his head, but Ferrer is just not looking like the same player.  He's going for big shots at the wrong time and he's getting beaten off the ground.

Near Misses:

Rafa, to put it nicely, did not look good.  He was missing (which he never does) and he was missing BADLY.  Distracted by the prospect of Ana leaving Beijing?  Who else will he have long walks with in the Village to talk about...whatever those two would talk about?  Luckily he refocused and closed out the match in three sets.  Let's hope he plays himself into form.

And new medal favorite Agi Radwanska struggled to put away the pesty Yung-Jan Chan, 61 76(6).  That was close.  I was getting worried.

 

Chinese Ladies:

Let's give a hand to Zheng Jie, Na Li, and Shuai Peng, all of whom had to dig deep and fight to get through to the second round.  No doubt the hometown crowd was the difference in each very close match.

• Zie d. Szavay 46 63 75
• Na d. Kuznetsova 76(5) 64
• Shuai d. Navarro 75 76(2)

Take a picture. It'll last longer.

Congratulations to JJ, who begins her reign at #1 today.  JJ becomes the 18th #1 in WTA history and the second woman from Serbia to hold that ranking.  I know I've given JJ a lot of crap over the past few weeks about this, but in all seriousness, this is a great accomplishment.  Regardless of how this goes down in the record books, she should be extremely proud of the 52 weeks she has been able to put together.

All that being said, I hope she printed out this ranking sheet because it's unlikely she'll be sitting on top for more than a week.  Next week, on August 18, points earned from last year's Toronto tournament drop off.  JJ made the final there last year (300 points) and Ana lost in the first round (1 point).

JJ currently has a 112 point advantage over Ana.  So in order to stay ahead she has to gain at least 188 points at the Olympics.

Here's the point breakdown for the Olympics:
    Gold Medal - 353
    Silver Medal - 245
    Bronze Medal - 175
    Loser 3rd/4th - 135
    Quarterfinals - 90
    Round of 16 - 48
    Round of 32 - 28
    1st Round - 1

What does it all mean?  It means JJ has to play in the final in order to stay #1.  Given her form and her draw, I highly doubt that's going to happen.  So come August 18th, Ana will get back her #1 ranking and go into the US Open as the top seed.  Coincidentally, August 18th is also when Rafa will become the new #1 on the men's side. 

They are SO MFEO.

Notably, Kuzzie had a shot at the #1 ranking too but she lost today.  If Serena wins the gold (which I would put money on) she will become the new #2 and less than 5 points behind Ana.  That would be nice as it would guarantee that ReRe and Ana would be in opposite draws for the Open.

Phew.  Too much math.  C Note tired now.

Olympic Fashion: Hey Ladies!

Overall the Ladies are looking good.  My favorites are ReRe and Dani, though I have yet to see a nice clean shot of JJ's. 

Serena "I make this look good" Williams

Jelena "Who's #1 Now?" Jankovic

Venus "But it goes to eleven" Williams

Daniella "Supergirl" Hantuchova

Dinara "I let my play do the talking" Safina

Nicole "Yup, still crazy" Vaidisova

Elena "I'm Russian!!!" Dementieva

"Iron Woman" Ai Sugiyama

Caroline "Ski Boots" Wozniaki

UPDATED: Is Nole dissing Adidas AGAIN???

It all started at Queens.  Nole was unhappy with his Adidas shoes on grass.  Adidas couldn't get a proper grass court shoe to him in time for Wimbledon, so Nole wore blacked out Nike's.  A bit of a blow to Mr. Dassler's company, don't you think?

Well now it looks like Nole might not wear the boring black and white Adidas Olympic collection at the Olympics.  According to these practice pictures, he looks like he wants to keep the Serbian flag close to his heart and wear the official Serbian Kappa top:

The shorts are still Adidas (and I must say, props to Nole on his matching abilities!), so maybe he's just wearing the Kappa stuff for practice.  But given his propensity to mix and match, I doubt it.

But don't worry, Adidas.  At least he's back to wearing your shoes!

UPDATED: While you were sleeping (and by "you" I mean "I"), Nole made his Olympic debut in the boring black and white Adidas wear.  But maybe he'll rock the Serbia gear for doubles? 

Beijing: Order of Play for Monday

Here's the OOP for Monday.  With only nine matches completed from Sunday, we've got ourselves a very full plate.  For the most part, EVERYONE is in action.

One quick note:  With Ana's withdrawal, the top quarter is completely open for Agi Radwanska.  She's got a great opportunity to medal which would be great.

Play begins at 10:30pm ET.  Let's get it on! 

The pictures say it all: Baby Panda's puffy eyes.

I don't think I've ever seen her this disconsolate in any other presser.  The more I think about it, the more I realize how much the Olympics meant to Ana.  She played Fed Cup matches while ill in order to qualify, she altered her US Open Series schedule to focus on the Olympics, and even when she could have participated in LA to protect her #1 ranking, she still sat out.  And opposed to some players, she has publicly said that a gold medal would would mean just as much to her as a Grand Slam.

So yeah.  Sad. 

(Pics courtesy of Lana105 @ Tennis Forums Ana's Forums)

Beijing Day One -- Rain, rain, go away...

Rain washed out most of Sunday's schedule, with only a handful of matches finishing.  No surprises in the results, though Kolya's easy win over Ernests did surprise me a little.  The only result close to an upset was Tsvetana Pironkova's win over Marta Domachowska.  In "News Only C-Note Cares About", Ski Boots Wozniaki won her first round match.

As for notable matches that were suspended, Serena is a set up and on serve in the second against Govortsova.  Nikki V and Alize Cornet have split sets and are going into the third, and Dani Hantuchova is a up a set and a break on good buddy Ai Sugiyama.  On the men's side, Disco Tommy is down 5-2 to Seppi.

The entire evening session was rained out so Fed,Kuz, and JJ didn't get to their matches. 

UPDATED: Baby Panda escapes from Beijing. Withdraws. US Open in jeopardy.

FRACK!

Ana has withdrawn from Beijing due to that darn thumb and it's sounding much more serious than originally thought.    She may have to completely immobilize the hand with a cast, which will obviously affect her preparation and participation in the US Open. 

One issue of concern has been the fact that her camp has no idea what's wrong with her thumb.  They thought it was soft tissue related, but the thumb hasn't been responding to treatment and they started to think it might be a bone issue.  So this could have factored into the decision too.  It's hard to compete with all your effort when you don't know what the injury is.

Here's hoping they can figure it out and treat it before the US Open.  Is this another argument for tennis not being in the Olympics?  Look at how many players are choosing not to threaten their US Open participation by withdrawing.  The bottom line is that to tennis players, the Olympics aren't as big of a deal as Grand Slams.  They try to convince themselves it is, but when all is said it done, it isn't.  There's no way that Ana withdraws from a Grand Slam with pain in her thumb.  She would play as many rounds as possible, at a minimum to earn rankings points.  You don't think about tomorrow with Grand Slams.  But with all other events, you do.

Anyway, I'm bummed.  Not sure who to root for now.

UPDATED:  Ok, so this picture?  Kind of heartbreaking:

"It's one of the hardest moments in my career," she said. "I'm very, very disappointed."  This should put to rest anyone's doubts (including mine) that (1) the decision to withdraw was extremely difficult and (2) the injury is serious.  Baby Panda looks absolutely gutted.

UPDATED: From Ana's site:

Ana has been forced to withdraw from the Olympic Tennis Event due to the inflammation in her right thumb that has afflicted her for the past few weeks.

"This is the most disappointing moment in my career," said Ana. "A whole team of doctors have been helping me over the last 15 days or so but the improvement came too late. Yesterday I was able to hold my racket properly for the first time but I still have a lot of pain in my thumb. There's no way I can hit the ball.

"We did everything we could but we ran out of time. I will continue to have treatment from an osteopath and hopefully I will be ready for the U.S. Open.

"I would like to thank the medical team for their efforts, and for the many people who sent me messages of support. I'm sorry to all the people who were hoping to see me play at the Olympics, and represent my country there for the first time. It's so disappointing.

"The best way for me to get over this disappointment is to do well in New York."

UPDATED: According to her presser, the doctors have advised that she immobilize her hand.  So Baby Panda is going to be rocking a cast?  Sure, Ana will make the cast look sexy, but however will she hold Rafa's hand?

 

More Olympics Withdrawals

While we're waiting on JJ to make up her mind, more top players have withdrawn from the Olympics.  Tatiana Golovin is still experience pain in her back and withdrew from both singles and doubles and Ivan Ljubicic has also withdrawn.

Golovin's withdrawal should make life a little bit easier for Baby Panda.  Tati was a potential round 2 opponent.

UPDATED: Look at them now.

Isn't it amazing?  Two kids from a small war torn country, who randomly met when they were five years old, and who independently took up a totally random sport, now marching together at the Olympics as medal favorites.  If you want to hear the story of how they met, watch this.  It's remarkable. 

And an awesome excuse to post adorable pictures of Ana and Nole through the years. 

UPDATED: Video from Italian TV from their Adidas Olympic photo shoot.  I have no idea what they're saying but it's still cute.  If anyone speaks Italian, feel free to offer a translation in the comments!

Will she or won't she?

Jelena Jankovic may have to pull out of the Olympics with a calf injury she sustained on Friday.

From SI.com:

The Serbian said a sore right calf may prevent her from taking the court Sunday against Cara Black of Zimbabwe.

   

Regardless of whether Jankovic plays, she's assured of climbing from No. 2 to No. 1 in the new rankings Monday. She'll move ahead of another Serb, Ana Ivanovic, who has led the rankings since winning the French Open in June.

   

"Hopefully I will somehow be healthy and ready to play my best tennis," Jankovic said Saturday. "I don't know. I will see Sunday how everything will go. If I will not be able to do my best on the court, I will not go. I will not risk that."

   

Jankovic said the sore calf has forced her to curtail her practice routine. She said the injury stemmed from a torn meniscus in her left knee that bothered her at Wimbledon, where she lost in the fourth round.

   

"Because I had an injury on my left knee, my right leg was working so much harder," she said. "It was compensating. I was forcing the other muscles to work harder.

   

"I'm not in the best shape in the moment."

Let's make sure I understand this.  When #1 was on the line, she played both LA and Montreal with a relatively severe knee injury.  Now, she's assured of the #1 ranking on Sunday but she's thinking about withdrawing from the Olympics?

This is BS.  I don't know what's going on in JJ's head.  If she wants to stop the sound of screaming lambs, she needs to stop doing this crap and make rational, logical, sound decisions.

Order of Play for Sunday.

Here's the OOP for the first day of competition on Sunday.  Fed, JJ, Blake, and ReRe are on the slate.  Looks like Rafa, Ana, and Nole are scheduled for Monday.  Which of course means I will get zero work done.

Air Quotes: Citius, Altius, Fortius.

“We bother with the Olympics for the same reason that we continue to bother with life. We bother in the hope that they will get better and truer and not quite so relentlessly at odds with what we still like to think is the true meaning of sport. We go or tune in to the Olympics because — and curiously enough, on this occasion with the blessing of the spiritual leader of the oppressed Tibetans, the Dalai Lama — we know that we will see something that we will probably never forget and this is true even in the waiting and hoping that on some subsequent day or year it is not revealed to be a fraud.”

-- Journalist James Lawton, in response to the question, "Why do we bother with the Olympics"

"Special Olympics Outfit", my ass.

Remember that special Olympics outfit Ana was super worried about?  Yeah, here it is.  She needs to stop reading my blog.  She's taking this Baby Panda thing too far.

Really Adidas?  Really?  You have two of the premier tennis players in the world and you put them in that garb?  I suppose they had to make neutral colors for their Olympic collection so that anyone could wear them, but why did they even bother asking Nole and Ana to wear them?  I'd so rather see Nole look like a creamsicle than a Storm Trooper.

(Pics from Ana's Forums)

BREAKING NEWS: Lindsay withdraws from singles.

Whatever.  She's still planning to play doubles though. 

Come on, athletes, USE YOUR CAMERA PHONE!!!

Hmmmm.

I randomly stumbled upon this blog, which from what I can gather, is put together by a number of athletes and coaches from a US swim club that are competing in Beijing.  From one of the entries:

"We were eating yesterday (of course free McDonald's) and the entire DREAM TEAM walked in. I got too meet Lebron, Jason Kidd, Melo and Kobe. One hour later, I see Ana Ivanovic and Nadal just walking around the village!!!!!"

Dudes.  Count it.  That's FIVE exclamation points.  That means it's for serious.  That's in addition to this AFP report discussing their observations of Roger and Rafa in Beijing:

"The contrast between the two camps could not be more striking as Nadal joked with Ana Ivanovic and Tommy Robredo at Olympic Green while Federer stalked off to the showers."

It is still the official position of Forty Deuce that this is a totally innocent, yet rare, friendship between a WTA player and an ATP player.  But it is curious...