I'm crushed over this. What's the point of coming back from two sets down just to lose in overtime? I don't know how ready Safin really is for retirement, but I'm ready for it. Grr.
The other thing I have to get off my chest is James Blake. That might not have come out right. All right, kids, heads out of the gutter. Seriously, so he loses in straight sets to someone who's never played in a major before! This guy he loses to, Mayer, doesn't even have a cool name like Maximo Gonzalez! No one's surprised to see Blake, or any other American, fall on their face in Paris. But what Blake had to say about it really was somewhat intriguing. In a bad way.
In case you missed it, Blake said the reason Americans don't do well at Roland Garros is because it isn't a priority. Apparently, they are more focused on their strengths -- the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.
Really. So ... when was the last time an American even sniffed an Open or Wimbledon trophy? Maybe in the locker room when Blake was passing Roger Federer. Ooh. I'll always think of Blake as an underachiever, but I've always respected him as an intelligent kind of guy. But to me, this goes down in the "Grass is for cows" comment from ol' crazy eyes Marat. Look, if you suck on clay and you don't know why, then just say that. Don't say that you and Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish don't care, and that you're warming up to lose in the quarters to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Really disappointing from Blake.
I can't leave with all this anger. So, let's end on a good and sad note. Fabrice Santoro also lost today and has played his last French Open. Despite the fact he's never won a Slam and never will, Santoro is a class act. He's shown us that you don't have to bludgeon a ball to play high-quality tennis. Although, in retrospect, it was the heavy hitters who had him for lunch all the time. Regardless, fare thee well, Fabrice. I shall cheer for you.
There. That's better.
4 comments:
Hey Naf,
I'm definitely not a Blake apologist but I just read the interview and I don't think he was being as sour grape-y as it sounds. I think he's saying that the preparation to play on the red clay is a lot different than that for grass and hard courts (duh). And that his particular group of American tennis playing friends have a much better chance on those other surfaces...SO they don't spend too much time trying to conquer the details of red clay play.
Or he's just mad he lost.
I'm many matches behind on my DVR tennis viewing. Just watched Sharapova vs Petrova. I didn't miss her at all, her and her mother-of-the-bride dress.
Maximo Gonzalez should be a wrestler.
I didn't think Blake was sounding bitter over losing, yogahz. I thought he seemed to explain away his results on clay. It's a Grand Slam! There's no "I don't focus on the French!" It's not like he has so many that he can choose. I'd take what I could get if I were him.
Rowan. You and your wrestling.
Oh, and yogahz: That comment about Petrova's dress was wrong (as in right!). I could not figure what it was about that dress I didn't like. I thought it was her figure. But you hit it right on the head.
Mother-of-the-bride. LOL
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