tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222292102024-03-07T04:19:48.745-05:00Tennis With AttitudeNice match.
Yeah, right. Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.comBlogger548125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-57432850515587698492024-02-17T13:38:00.003-05:002024-02-26T13:53:57.311-05:00TWA Podcast! Seriously! <p>I can't even believe I'm actually doing this, but I made a podcast episode for <a href="https://soundcloud.com/twa-podcast/twa-podcast-episode-1-final-v2?si=fedf82e1ab514152b1035bc2303eae0f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing">Tennis with Attitude</a>! After only more than 500 posts and (ahemahem) years! This is something I've been thinking about for a little bit now, and it was fun to finally do it and go through the steps to create and publish it! Lots of exclamation points but I'm a bit stunned myself at this point! </p><p>OK, so there's only one episode right now and not sure when the next one will be. But I referenced several stories/previous posts in the episode, and the links are below. Happy listening and only tell me how you feel about it if you like it! </p><p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/twa-podcast/tennis-with-attitude-the-podcast">Here's the podcast: https://soundcloud.com/twa-podcast/twa-podcast-episode-1-final-v2?si=fedf82e1ab514152b1035bc2303eae0f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing</a></p><p><b>Some of my favorite past posts</b></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2006/02/ahem-offseason.html">The first one, in which I apparently jumped right in</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2006/04/taking-our-game-south.html">I wrote about traveling to my first tournament</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2007/08/100th-episode-of-twa-one-where-naf.html">My 100th post</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2008/07/league-watch-hail-queen-of-third-set.html">Sometimes I post about my league matches</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2008/08/league-watch-on-why-im-retiring-my.html">Some middle-aged lady threatened me the first time I played USTA sectionals</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2009/10/coach-swap.html">Coach Swap! In which I envisioned Venus Williams being coached by Dinara Safina's guy</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2014/11/on-court-antics-90-experiment.html">When my son gave me his action figure to go play 9.0 tennis</a> (I'm almost done with this list)</p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2016/11/therapy-with-twa-rage-edition-featuring.html">When T**** got elected</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2016/10/this-week-with-twa-rage-edition-vol-i.html">Steve Simon has sucked for a while</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2016/10/this-week-with-wta-rage-edition-vol-ii.html">Maria Sharapova and meldonium</a></p><p><a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2016/07/scenes-from-heathrow-airport.html">When everyone lost at Wimbledon 2016</a></p><p><b>Plus:</b></p><p><a href="https://tennishead.net/aryna-sabalenka-leads-players-not-happy-with-facilities-at-wta-finals-in-cancun/">The photo I took at work ended up in Marketa Vondrousova's Insta</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-40539076375793070372024-01-31T10:27:00.003-05:002024-02-17T12:17:30.493-05:00Australian Open '24: The Final that Wasn't (thank the lawd)<p>You know damn right that I stayed up until 2 a.m. to watch the final point of the Jannik Sinner/Novak Djokovic match. And watching Djokovic get practically blown out (Sinner just blinked in that third-set tiebreaker) was worth the four pots of coffee I needed to survive the next work day. I know that theoretically, we're living in a great moment of tennis history, having had witnessed three greats at work in the game at the same time. And we all know where I stand on the GOAT debate between the them. I mean that ass alone has got to be the best thing that has filled out a pair of tennis shorts in a minute. Still. I never disliked or rooted against Federer (maybe a smidge when he played Rafael Nadal) and that's because he is a classy person. He wasn't overly humble to the point of ridiculousness. No. Fed knew how good he was and was forthright about it and it was never at the expense of someone else. Same with Nadal.</p><p>Djokovic? He can be a bit of a dick. Sorry, it's true. <a href="https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1748923568283439228">Goading the crowd</a> while blowing out the entirely uncontroversial Adrian Mannarino? Why?? There was last year's U.S. Open, stealing Ben Shelton's phone celebration (which, you have to give credit to a 20-year-old for even understanding the concept of a landline) and using it against him when he beat him. (And then the discourse became about <i>Shelton</i> and his manners. You can't make this up.) He beaned a line judge in the throat in another U.S. Open and threw COVID parties at the height of the pandemic. He used his refusal to get a shot as some sort of rallying cry/pity point. At the same time he does this, he goes on about how much he just wants to be loved and admired. Djokovic breaks out the violin when talking about how fans don't like him and just like the vaccination situation, he uses his own actions as the fainting bed he takes to, wondering why he is not universally loved. Does anyone remember that scene in I Heart Huckabees, when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJNVwpjU2RY&ab_channel=LloydChristmas">Naomi Watts' character is having a breakdown</a> and can't decide whether she wants attention or to be left alone?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1374" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0hrpqivohu46-rTrfJ_J8Mvyf1Jl0yf4pgGnbiQfSVK1B-0Cgewbls1U5cHCBD1xqZj0NHJxpVZpb33oSL77XAC2RpMIGXQdEo6SIq4FEiif9b2CGragZA7Nn6XlQL0pfAeMbatSkk3GwWo2_2_zwL0Ycz7aF_hAEHwzjC8yYphQJ7uU2IwaLg/s320/Snip20240129_3.png" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWnk0L8OghMwPsCqy5ym-fgBrHHO3A1Z4KElZPTWgZdBlAxm4frctt_Wk8vgIGYuQo1Qdjt9q4My68uZz-DQG2pohbmu-XssHuUvkAmiCs4VbkGN-mCBsH5uzcxqbMn2WgELwVuIGjS8PCbbmmCTrWSg8pSXTV4HKc-dPd1Ysa1BZuOblFZQkoA/s1440/Snip20240129_1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1440" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWnk0L8OghMwPsCqy5ym-fgBrHHO3A1Z4KElZPTWgZdBlAxm4frctt_Wk8vgIGYuQo1Qdjt9q4My68uZz-DQG2pohbmu-XssHuUvkAmiCs4VbkGN-mCBsH5uzcxqbMn2WgELwVuIGjS8PCbbmmCTrWSg8pSXTV4HKc-dPd1Ysa1BZuOblFZQkoA/s320/Snip20240129_1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p>Anyway, that's Djokovic.</p><p>But the men's draw had another problem, and it has been festering for a couple years now, and that is Alexander Zverev and his allegations of domestic abuse. They have been following him around for a long time although for some reason, the ATP leadership and also the talking heads of tennis have been supertightfocused only on his game and not that his girlfriend <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/alexander-zverev-domestic-abuse-allegations-olga-sharypova.html">accused him of beating him up when he was at a tournament</a>. That's not even the one <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/39386940/alexander-zverev-assault-trial-domestic-abuse-charges-know">he's on trial for in May</a>. And one of the most violent and discomforting things I have ever seen on a tennis court was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD-FkGeeR-U&ab_channel=GuardianSport">Zverev whacking the side of an umpire chair because he was mad about a line call</a>. I mean what the what</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyLWcTYgbqGPcL77PPtFu0PbUzCCmvoIZu6O-iNnX6srG2n-h5z4gf3QualgWT3obYwzkXxVjp-xRj6ofMFXIORucdK7EgHhDXJ7V8WQHp0py8BDz9Cb1OPggEoKOF9RNDMQc7wYnUFR17GXJ9u42FagOqLxVDXYLAUoi-r54nyXsbCxwejPp1w/s1354/Snip20240124_8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1354" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyLWcTYgbqGPcL77PPtFu0PbUzCCmvoIZu6O-iNnX6srG2n-h5z4gf3QualgWT3obYwzkXxVjp-xRj6ofMFXIORucdK7EgHhDXJ7V8WQHp0py8BDz9Cb1OPggEoKOF9RNDMQc7wYnUFR17GXJ9u42FagOqLxVDXYLAUoi-r54nyXsbCxwejPp1w/s320/Snip20240124_8.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>There is one big problem here that has led to other offshoot problems. That is that the ATP doesn't have a policy regarding domestic violence. If it makes more sense to think of it as a code of conduct, do that. Most anyone with a job is expected to live up to standards outside the workplace. Look how many people lost their job after George Floyd. (Would be interesting to see how many of them got it back ...) Because there's no rules governing this in the ATP, Zverev has been allowed to be named to the player's council AND continue playing tennis in public in front of people. This dude almost won the Australian Open. Incidentally, I do not root for or against Daniil Medvedev. I am neutral on him even after that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JzLthGcTKE&ab_channel=TennisInstinct">post-match speech in New York</a>, although I have to say I edge towards his brand of chaos. But I was on my knees during that Medvedev/Zverev final begging Medvedev to come up with something -- probably like the ATP powers-that-be were. Except unlike me, they actually could have done something about it. Who knows. Maybe they are intrigued by the idea of Zverev playing an exo in prison, like Johnny Cash performing in Folsom?</p><p>OK, I guess it's time to focus on the winners. After Djokovic/Sinner, the thing I hoped for most for Jannik was that he had enough in the tank to go get the title he deserved. For all the smack I talk about Djokovic, he is the best in the world and there's a reason. But I think what sets Sinner apart from the field, or at least what did in this tournament, was the belief in himself. I mentioned earlier how ridiculous Andrey Rublev looked for celebrating a round one win. Well, in that final, when Sinner won the third set from Medvedev, he didn't celebrate. He took a deep breath, like he had been working hard, and that he had just finished the first half of his shift. That's the energy. He's indefatigable. And poor Medvedev. I really thought that year that Nadal left him in the dust after Medvedev had a two-set lead was a once in a lifetime disappointment. Turns out that for Meddy, it's not even once in a decade. 😬</p><p>And then there's Aryna Sabalenka. I remember a couple years back on Twitter, I was chatting with this tennis fan who had just had it with Sabalenka. She was done rooting for her. Too many mistakes. Going for stupid shots at the worst point. Does she even know where she is in the court when she's going for those shots? Why can't she serve? Making wayyyy too many mistakes. I didn't disagree. I could understand the frustration. You're watching someone who has the talent and power to beat just about anyone out there. And she beat herself before the opponent even got a swing at her. If Twitter weren't such a hellscape, I would ask that tennis fan how she felt now that Sabalenka is a two-time Slam winner and that she seems to have stopped shooting herself in the foot. For the asterisks crowd that's going to ask about her draw and the fact that her opponent in the final, Qinwen Zheng, was a newcomer to the big stage. She was just dominant this tournament and if her opponent had been Iga Swiatek, not sure the result would have been much different. Having said that, I'd say that she'll still have to work harder against folks with some court IQ, like Swiatek, especially on, uh, different surfaces. Like clay.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-90869689255622880652024-01-14T12:03:00.000-05:002024-01-14T12:03:09.278-05:00Australian Open '24: Here We Go (A Day Early)<p>You know what we don't talk about enough? How hard is it to find a printable draw for a Slam. I mean I thought I had finished the women's draw just in time for the Australian Open to start (early!). Then I looked at it and asked myself, "Is Sabalenka not playing the Open all of a sudden?"</p><p>So no draw right now. But I have seen enough to know that this tournament will be too much, even without Rafael Nadal who had to withdraw due to injury after playing three really good warmup matches.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6ZrspaiG1e8ngowxpBgYXTmozOhCkt0cm11Q_LJvLl5bIjvMKvf-6SXoFoJTPc3Io86aOvP_nu9p8KI_7018mG3HPGpn89nvy5sNBqiaLpQsgEOB4ya_Tj3SF4hjA96mvDlEii0i3BwEsWoxvvua7u0_6Er_0tM1IayjRDRuge1kGtKcfjztDQ/s1000/Snip20240114_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1000" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6ZrspaiG1e8ngowxpBgYXTmozOhCkt0cm11Q_LJvLl5bIjvMKvf-6SXoFoJTPc3Io86aOvP_nu9p8KI_7018mG3HPGpn89nvy5sNBqiaLpQsgEOB4ya_Tj3SF4hjA96mvDlEii0i3BwEsWoxvvua7u0_6Er_0tM1IayjRDRuge1kGtKcfjztDQ/s320/Snip20240114_1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>So far, looks like the match of the tournament involved Andrey Rublev digging out of a five-setter against Thiago Seyboth Wild, who made a splash last year at the French Open. I just finished watching this one and I don't think I've ever before seen someone develop bags under their eyes as a match continued like Rublev just did. I honestly don't understand what his problem is. He's got a great game and absolutely no consistency. My guy is ranked number 5 at a major and is collapsing to the ground after just winning the first round? It's not good. </p><p>Having said that, there are a ton of good early matches. Danielle Collins v. Angelique Kerber? Shelby Rogers v. Emma Raducanu? Adrian Mannarino and Stan Wawrinka? Looks like an early start to my wrecked sleep schedule! Woo! Related: Siri, find me a job where I can take four two-week vacations a year and still get paid.</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-90025525514059139832023-06-03T10:58:00.006-04:002023-06-03T10:58:56.911-04:00French Open 2023: Festivus Comes Late<p>It's been a while. What can I say? I haven't been busy enough to watch tennis, but I have been too busy to write about it. Which is kind of sad because I've had a lot of thoughts -- about <b>Rafael Nadal</b> not being at the French Open this year, about <b>Carlos Alcaraz</b> already being the top seed and world No. 1(!), <b>Aryna Sabalenka</b> finally harnessing her game and power to be a real contender in Paris -- and basically everywhere I think, about the lob I just saw <b>Taylor Townsend</b> run down to keep a doubles point alive and then single-handedly won the point herself (yes, I am aware doubles is a team effort, but did you even see this?), lots of thoughts, beautiful thoughts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2unxRDgLhiUqRV_Z5mknEpzWu_mDSmY1kEVGG4n56Lb4dDlly_z8gO6i8wYiAilcXXnKl5TjkfijHtmkzKEcFnvb0jgUittgwSPrKoMNQs1ppOlGD38Ve3z6Psx969IEf0z-Kmhy2zI9juXW9K7kCGHWAVW6RUH64DVy7SZGCZrbj9yDUhM/s1322/Snip20230603_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1322" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2unxRDgLhiUqRV_Z5mknEpzWu_mDSmY1kEVGG4n56Lb4dDlly_z8gO6i8wYiAilcXXnKl5TjkfijHtmkzKEcFnvb0jgUittgwSPrKoMNQs1ppOlGD38Ve3z6Psx969IEf0z-Kmhy2zI9juXW9K7kCGHWAVW6RUH64DVy7SZGCZrbj9yDUhM/s320/Snip20230603_1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>But the thing that caused me to dust off this blog was not even a recent development. It was one thing that has always annoyed me, and the perfect analogy to describe my beef.</p><p>During every Slam, someone has to get on Twitter to talk about how five sets is too much tennis. I usually jump right in, especially when people start laying out their arguments. I usually drop in to tell them that there are a certified megaton of other sports available to watch if watching two (or four) athletes duke it out isn't quite their jam. No one ever takes me up on it because they come back every. single. TIME.</p><p>Last night, someone posted that there's a lot of throwaway tennis in five-setters. I responded (and by the way, I know it's useless. No one has ever been able to articulate their concerns with five-setters beyond their general boredom and it's not going to happen on social media, but I can't help it) by saying you could say the same about three-set matches. The person just responded, "no." </p><p>Sorry, girl, but: yes. The nature of the scoring of tennis means that there is "throwaway" tennis in almost every match. (And I am assuming "throwaway tennis" are the points that don't end in sizzling winners bouncing off lines.) There are points you play just to slow things down, or speed things up, or try to get your opponent tired, and that is not always attractive tennis. But it is part of the game. It's called strategy. And honestly, it's almost as if none of these people have managed to stress-clean their entire house while watching a Rafa/Medvedev French Open final! </p><p>So anyway, I woke up the other morning with the perfect analogy for this debate. It's like watching a boxing match. I'm not much of a boxing fan, but my dad was, and so I watched quite a few matches. Boxing is a timed sport, so you can predict when it will end. But what if you wanted to shorten it? Where do you start? At the beginning? When it's "boring?" Hi, you need the "boring" stuff to get to the good stuff. </p><p>What about chess? Now, I would never watch a game of chess, but it is like tennis in that it's a game of strategy. So is it boring to watch players try out tactics on each other? You wanna just skip to the part where they're both going toe-to-toe? If so, maybe just push for a spirited round of rock-paper-scissors. Or maybe sports betting -- seems like you just want the result, not the battle. Or not too long of a battle. Or just the good parts of the battle. </p><p>You see how silly that sounds?</p><p>Another grievance to air: Beefing with players who are from a war-torn country. Sabalenka had to play a Ukrainian player in her first round -- <b>Marta Kostyuk</b>. Kostyuk has been vocal about all her family has lost in the war, and has not been shaking hands with Russians or players from ally countries with Russia (like Sabalenka, a Belarussian). Before their match, Kostyuk said she wished Sabalenka would say more about the war because she has a microphone. Sabalenka is like, "My name is Been-it and I ain't in it." This whole back-and-forth reminds me of when Trump was elected president in the U.S. It turned out that qwhite a few American players were Trump supporters and that felt like a slap in the face. I definitely didn't want to hear <b>John Isner</b> talking about how he wanted MAGA-man to see him win a major. </p><p>Still, I think you have to pick a side. I mean, do you want players talking politics or not? Whatever your answer is, you need to be consistent across the board. The question isn't whether you agree with what they're saying, it's whether you think they should use their advantage to make a difference. I think it's worth a couple Muhammad Alis and Colin Kaepernicks if we also have to get an Isner in there. It is what it is. But then, just because you've settled on your answer doesn't mean you then get to push Sabalenka around because you want her to talk. Does she want to talk? No? OK, then. Respect players for their own stances and move on, even when it's murky. Because maybe you're like <a href="https://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/badosa-wishes-sports-and-politics-to-be-separated/"><b>Paula Badosa</b></a>, who thinks politics has no place in sports. Maybe you're more like this player who looks and sounds suspiciously like <a href="https://supersport.com/tennis/wta/news/2e9f4e2c-12d4-4813-b39a-79ae363df57e/italian-open-must-offer-women-equal-pay-before-2025---jabeur">Paula Badosa</a>, who thinks women should be paid the same as men. It's confusing, OK?!??</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-3198599251170397102022-10-11T09:41:00.001-04:002022-10-11T09:41:12.882-04:00LEAGUE WATCH: Mission ... Probably Possible<p>Sometimes, the work you do doesn't reflect in tangible benchmarks. You're not paid what you think you should be. You've still not lost those pesky 10 pounds. You studied hard for that test and you didn't get 100. </p><p>I had been feeling pretty good about my game towards the end of last year. I won a doubles tournament with a good friend and was playing better league tennis. I wasn't always winning, but I was thinking through situations on court a lot better and it turned sets that could have been 1-6 into 5-7. No, not victory, but progress. That's good effort that can be built upon, so it's worth it. Right?</p><p>OK, sure. But sometimes, you do want to know what those tangible benefits are, and it can be difficult with USTA league play. Going from the league website alone, you can only guess how your rating is looking. But there is this other tool. Someone at the courts told me a while back about this website you can use to get a more specific rating, but when I tried to use it, I didn't get a rating because I was only playing mixed doubles, or something like that. But I knew other people who visited <a href="https://www.tennisrecord.com/index.aspx">TennisRecord.com</a> and were able to get a better read on their ratings. </p><p>(If you're a tennis player and you clicked that link, I'll wait. I know you just checked yourself, the person you played last week, your first doubles partner, your rival in that one tournament. Just enjoy it. There's a lot there -- win/loss streaks, how often you've been bageled -- just have a ball.)</p><p>Anyway, at the beginning of the year, when I was (still) making resolutions, I was puzzling over my tennis goals. Last year, my goal was to win at least 50 percent of my matches, and when I went back to the USTA site, I realized I'd missed it, going 7-10 for the season. But I definitely ended the year stronger than I started it, so I felt good about myself and decided to set my goal for 60 percent. </p><p>Then it occurred to me to check TennisRecord, just for giggles. I was pleasantly surprised for a moment to realize that my results were now registering a rating on the site. Then I realized what I was looking at.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheZKPbTFQkZhajyKzoMB2fGzA8Tw_xQboX8XBhh7Qm5INKv67Xog0Ste6dTwAs4nLpwPDgLAVZLhVXs1Url3GR-JdlMI42jWLmcAhjqyn4mAeOj-s7MkIXLalUq0m7RRJVHRORkqSSuXE-HCBF4HvOm0nL5NcW5IZ7V2EaaQxG_wEskbIV-hE=s506" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="506" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheZKPbTFQkZhajyKzoMB2fGzA8Tw_xQboX8XBhh7Qm5INKv67Xog0Ste6dTwAs4nLpwPDgLAVZLhVXs1Url3GR-JdlMI42jWLmcAhjqyn4mAeOj-s7MkIXLalUq0m7RRJVHRORkqSSuXE-HCBF4HvOm0nL5NcW5IZ7V2EaaQxG_wEskbIV-hE=w320-h204" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I was barely a 3.5? What the what. Here I was, if I'm being honest, living in some delusion that my improving results were moving the needle for me and that maybe one day, I'd return to being a 4.0. I felt like that was going to happen soon. Meanwhile, if this site was right, I was a couple blowouts away from being a 3.0! </p><p>I don't know about you, but nothing motivates me like a visual. I realized it wasn't enough to aim for winning a slight majority of my matches. I needed to run the tables if I wanted out of the red. But the thing you don't want to do is think about running the tables.</p><p>Because then you start swinging and hitting the fences on your second return of the game. You toss in some double faults. Your feet are basically rooted to the ground as you refuse to get into a hitting position. Not me, you understand, but in general. Of course.</p><p>When I made this discovery, league play was just beginning, and again, despite the rating, I felt good about my game. Then I played my first match against a familiar opponent, one who had beaten the everlovin' crap out of me in the previous season. At first, I bemoaned my fate -- I just wanted one easy win to get under my belt. Was that so much to ask? </p><p>My request for a different opponent went unheeded, so I had to get out there anyway. And much like our previous matches, it was tight, with long points and multiple-deuce games. In this match, I was feeling that familiar tightness and I told myself not to go for any crazy shots and to focus on keeping the ball in the court and as deep as possible. Crazily, it worked and I won the set in a tiebreak. The second set was easier and just like that, I'd avenged a loss -- something I hadn't done in a long time. I played it off pretty cool after the match, but I screamed like a 14-year-old girl in a Harry Styles concert when I got in my car. </p><p>The next match, I lost, but in a tiebreak. Late errors dogged me again and my opponent's serve got nearly unreturnable towards the end, but I was getting better at using my defensive skills to wear my opponents down a bit. This came in super handy in the next match I played. I lost the first set 6-4 to this younger player with possibly the weirdest serve motion I've ever seen, and then ran out to a big lead in the second set. At some point during this match, I realized that the most consistent thing about my game is my speed and that I should use it. I began to chase down more of her shots and making her hit one more shot. I decided in the moment that I was a wall and that nothing was getting past me.</p><p>On the changeover, my opponent looked at me and said, "I'm trying to figure out if we're the same age." </p><p>Me: "Hm."</p><p>Her: "What year were you born?"</p><p>Me: tells her</p><p>Her: "What? Oh my goodness!"</p><p>Because I was older than her. And I wasn't tired yet. But she was. I won the second set and won a rather uncomplicated tiebreak. </p><p>And it was this match that made me think I might be turning a corner. I was not having meltdowns late in matches, it seemed. In fact, I was starting to win games that I normally would have lost due to frustration. Often, I'd get down 0-30 or 0-40 on serve games and start getting negative. I don't want to sound woo-woo, but I think my meditation practice really helps here. At that low point, I've been able to stop and breathe and regroup. I recently had a match outside of league tennis where I was down on my opponent's serve 0-40 and turned it around to win it deep in the first set. </p><p>It's not that I don't get nervous or frustrated anymore, but I took those feelings, and instead of pretending they weren't there, I acknowledged them and determined to breathe through it as best I could.</p><p>So yeah, maybe a little woo-woo. I'm also still losing some matches, including one last Thursday that I am still angry about. Overall, though, this next level seems to be here to stay. Wanna see another visual?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfzRd3Gfbx2oD0uEXN_cNxag2fq1Z1Xidq8VVfreRhcxW_hcTMc-d0n32C_CLSSJAo1ULQCNO6zNtpJbv2IBZkl6uVnMJHO1_K7xcofrMjz2p8ucHTDhUk120GhAPIn6GTarzBrgLxoTZqfKppuzMQm92X2WGksQlLKzxNbG4DLQzlm9ZvZU/s420/Snip20221010_3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="420" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfzRd3Gfbx2oD0uEXN_cNxag2fq1Z1Xidq8VVfreRhcxW_hcTMc-d0n32C_CLSSJAo1ULQCNO6zNtpJbv2IBZkl6uVnMJHO1_K7xcofrMjz2p8ucHTDhUk120GhAPIn6GTarzBrgLxoTZqfKppuzMQm92X2WGksQlLKzxNbG4DLQzlm9ZvZU/s320/Snip20221010_3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-4860563402185553562022-09-07T08:56:00.004-04:002022-09-07T09:11:33.292-04:00Tennis Has a Confidence Problem<p><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US">So I'm watching the first round of tennis at the U.S. Open on TV and there are these spectators are positively yelling at this poor player, telling her where to serve and where to stand. What in the world. Where do these men, who are unshaved and sipping out of a cup they paid $20 for, get off?</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US">It's the U.S. Open, so even though it's early afternoon, you have to at first assume that this is some drunken spectator. (It </span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US">is</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US"> New York.) But it's the player's coach. He's just yelling like a maniac. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" color="windowtext" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US">The Open is testing out an on-court coaching system. Why? I ... yeah, I don't know. But I think it's because tennis has a super-low self-esteem issue. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:lang="EN-US">Is there another sport that works so diligently to attract people who will never be interested in it? I can't think of one. When I was a kid, my dad watched baseball games that lasted for days, I think. Nine innings?! No one scoring?!!??? TF? To this day, baseball hasn't timed their games to fit my schedule. Where was I during these games. Playing Super Mario. Because why?</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{189}" paraid="84004779" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Hockey. I don't understand hockey. They understand that not everyone is in. Oh well.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{195}" paraid="385960928" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Football and soccer. What is off-sides? Never mind; I've already checked out. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{201}" paraid="1883106203" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Golf takes all day. The only real concession golf has made in 300 years of history (an estimation) is to allow us normal people to just play nine holes instead of 18. If it doesn't have Tiger Woods, they are playing 18 holes. You're either in, or you're watching Netflix. Golf is OK with this.</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: WordVisiCarriageReturn_MSFontService, Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><span class="SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space: pre;"> </span></span><br /></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{207}" paraid="1240338084" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">But boy, tennis. One thing tennis will do is try to change to fit the relationship. It won't work, but I feel like tennis must be a Virgo. It's happening, dammit. One way or another. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{213}" paraid="1355965764" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Seriously, the lack of self-esteem is staggering. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{219}" paraid="432044351" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Every sport has its thing. The thing that sets it apart from others. Tennis has (had) that too. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{225}" paraid="697122441" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tennis has best-of-five sets for mens matches. These matches can take 40 minutes (a Nick Kyrgios marathon) or five hours. And you are either in or you are out. Or, if you are tennis powers that be, you are shortening doubles matches and taking away ad points as if they are playing in your local USTA tournament. Some people are happy to spend five hours watching baseball and some are happy passing the same time watching tennis. They call those people </span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">fans</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">. In singles, all Slams now play a tiebreak if the fifth set gets to 6-all. I don't like this. I get it. But again, I ask myself: What other sports contort themselves to give fans what they are not asking for? The players don't ask for this stuff!</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{235}" paraid="121074472" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">And now the coaching from the expensive seats. I'm not even sure what they think this will achieve. But it, like most rules in tennis, is already not being consistently enforced. The players allegedly can only receive guidance while they are on the same side with their team. So why did I watch Nick Kyrgios violate that, and several other rules (swearing, busting racquets), last night, without much of a peep from the chair. </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{245}" paraid="1567499313" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Can I tell you why I like to play tennis? I like tennis because I don't like people yelling at me while I'm trying to do something. That's why I left journalism.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{b76fdc69-efa7-4dcd-9436-34698b105d31}{251}" paraid="762438023" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">One time, I got into an argument during a tournament because I was calling work to tell them I was going to be late because I had to finish kicking my opponent's butt in a tournament. It was a Saturday, so my boss was cool with it, but my opponent turned out to be a teenager. Her dad was watching and wanted me defaulted -- </span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">"What if she's calling her coach?"</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I'm in journalism, dude. Do you know what I'm paid? Less than anyone in this tournament, trust. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{6}" paraid="460219377" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">But anyway. Another reason I like tennis is because it's roughly 99.98342128 percent mental. You can spend hours on court working on your shots, but in a tight moment, you can also melt down mentally and all that practice means nothing. That's horrible if you've ever experienced a mental collapse despite feeling like you were the better player. It's horrible, but man, it propels you. You are back on those courts the next damn day. Determined that it'll never happen to you again. (And it won't. Not like that. If your serve lets you down the first time, it'll be your volley the next. And you run straight to the practice court with a pro, or you book the ball machine. Because that won't happen to you again. And it won't. Not like that. Next, it'll be your footwork.)</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{12}" paraid="429807229" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">It's occurring to me now that I like tennis because it's something </span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"> can do. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{22}" paraid="1916832558" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tennis is like a puzzle. Not everyone likes puzzles. They can be tedious, take forever, require intense concentration. If you were a puzzle fan and opened a puzzle box to find it already assembled, you would be disappointed. If you were a tennis fan and you came to watch your fave play, only to learn that they are an automaton who only knows how to win if someone is telling them what to do, you would be disappointed. You want to see the sausage being made, not the thing fully formed, untested. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{28}" paraid="44231736" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Look, I know what tennis is doing. It knows that they casual observer is here for Serena Williams' farewell tour and hoping they stay for the second match on Ashe. Next year, they'll do Roger. And in a few more years, they'll do Venus (and I will be truly be leveled on that day). The casual hookup folks are not staying. I promise. My socials light up with tennis mentions when the big names make a run and then those people don't care about tennis ever again. Like if Mike Tyson decided he was going to box again, I'd watch it. And that's all the boxing I'd watch until the next time Tyson decided to fight again. Boxing is not my thing, and frankly nothing that relies on arbitrary opinions of "judges" I don't know who use methods of scoring that eludes the public, is not going to do it for me. Looking at you, figure skating. Every four years.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{34}" paraid="2085317658" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">But anyway, they're not coming back. I'm OK with this. I get a little snippy about the bandwagon being crowded, but whatever. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{40}" paraid="191769264" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tennis is not OK with this. It tries so hard. THEY ARE NOT COMING. AND IT IS OK. Maybe give those of us who have been watching tennis for certified decades a thought. If I watch a Slam in which a player is being directed to their first major win by their coach on every other changeover, I will lose it. Let's not even go there about the lack of diversity in coaches. Let's also not even consider the fact that not everyone can afford a coach and one who can gets a huge advantage because they can feed their player stats in the moment, straight off ESPN. That isn't fair. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{46}" paraid="343866719" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tennis is tennis. Let it be. Let players figure it out on their own. I have two kids. When my kids figure out something on their own, the light that comes into their eyes? You can't replicate it. When I figure out about 40 minutes into a match that my opponent has trouble moving side-to-side? You cannot replicate that light-bulb moment. It changes everything.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{52}" paraid="1713266130" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">As a fan, watching players win on the biggest world stages because someone is telling them how to win is like unveiling the Wizard of Oz. </span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{58}" paraid="68916281" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">I don't make the rules. Obviously not. Because if I did, rule No. 1 would be to stop tinkering tennis for people who don't care about tennis. They're definitely not doing it for the people who do.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{64}" paraid="1419750318" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Rule No. 2 would be Rafa Nadal's ass, especially after he's played a set and his shorts are all clinging to it. In as many places as possible.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW258730350 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW258730350 BCX0" paraeid="{4e7c5ce8-06fa-4632-9cf6-297e5941cb63}{70}" paraid="1727010059" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">But I don't make the rules.</span><span class="EOP SCXW258730350 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Times, Times_EmbeddedFont, Times_MSFontService, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.3458px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-57564496356248408142022-02-02T08:15:00.000-05:002022-02-02T08:15:42.251-05:00Now That Was a Wrap! (Australian Open 2022)<p>As I was saying, the Australian Open didn't need Novak Djokovic, which is what made their decision to try to accommodate his mess made no sense at all. </p><p>Just look at how this tournament turned out. The women's side had some great matches in the fourth round on and the reemergence of familiar faces (Amanda Anisimova, Alize Cornet and Simona Halep). Plus Kaia Kanepi. I don't know how she does it. She picks a slam, shows up, and as the kids say, chooses violence on seeded players for a good week. The women's game is full of solid players who can win a point in any variety of ways and we're lucky to witness it. And this is mostly without two of the young stars who have already made their presence felt -- Naomi Osaka (who did come to the Open) and Bianca Andreescu (who didn't). So who knows what will happen when/if they are at the top of their games again. But what we have now is Ash Barty. With the early-morning match times here in the States, I didn't get to see much of her because she was wiping her opponents off the court in straight sets and with little consideration for mercy. Surely, you think, she'll have trouble with Jessica Pegula, who upset Maria Sakkari. Surely. (6-2, 6-0). OK, but Madison Keys, who racked up a warmup tournament title and had been serving well and hitting terrifying groundstrokes all over the place? Surely this matchup would be concerning to Barty. (6-1, 6-3). The last American standing was Danielle Collins, <a href="https://twitter.com/kerber_IN/status/1484792330641158144">whose cackle went viral</a> during the tournament while her game carried her through a few three-set tussles in the last two weeks. Even that was more of a challenge borne more of Barty's nerves, I think. And I've never seen her more fired up after a win. </p><p>And don't get me started on that men's final. Seriously. I had an errand to run and left just before Rafael Nadal was broken for the first time. When I came back, he was in real trouble in the third set and I was glad I'd missed most of it because I didn't want to see him go out like that. And I didn't see him go out in any way. That was an unbelievable final and I hope it shuts down the five-set haters forever. No, not every five-setter is this good, this dramatic, but there's nothing like it in all of sports. I see matches like that, and consider that I'm old enough to remember that tennis commentators predicted that Nadal would not be able to have a lengthy career due to his hard-charging style. Listen, that ass is built to last. But we'll get back to that ass in a second.</p><p>First, Daniil Medvedev. Have I mentioned he's like watching Gumby play? The swings, the body contortions. Gumby used to slide around pretty fast, and that tracks too because he can run everything down. He's a tough guy to beat and Nadal had to do take the scenic route to take Medvedev down -- just by wearing him out. Even worn out, I was worried at 5-all in the fifth. So was Nadal. </p><p>Second, of course, it was tough to listen to his takeaway after the match. He was really disappointed by the crowd response to him, which is ... confusing? I don't know how familiar Medvedev is with the guy he played against, but he is actually pretty popular and a fan favorite. So getting mad about people supporting Nadal over him is probably understandable in the moment, but not something to take personally. The other piece of this is how much energy Medvedev puts into trolling the crowd. He makes a real effort at it. Does that translate into making yourself a crowd favorite? I'm trying to think of a situation where that happened and am failing. John McEnroe, maybe? But he didn't seem to need the crowd on his side and it was never clear that Medvedev did either. His post-match comments <a href="https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1487828593187209216">were just a lot</a>. </p><p>I didn't even get to Nick Kyrgios winning a major on his home soil and being a bigger audience troll than Medvedev in the process. Congrats to him and Thanasi Kokkinakis for prevailing in the all-Aussie final. </p><p>So it was a great tournament, and no one needed you-know-who to make it memorable. I often wonder what I would do if I got a chance to travel to the Australian Open. It's obviously be great to be in a crowd and feel that energy. But sometimes, I dream bigger. What would I do if I were on a post-match stage with a man who just made tennis history and has a world-renowned backside? I'd probably be fine and be able to hold it together. Or I'd have to just take a small </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMccYZzYEtSaD3ZPQzWffikGw_GJQr6gZni4R4zvODH3of2Igkym2M180YstLPYaVMkKIeCd6D3JZYQm2WW584j89oikuWETbp8CUkZvzVXh_jG_-CbfHhulTG4dlVRlzLOcZFlRlHL02IMwvU9WAkMpnoHD6IWILOmS6fuawrOnUn9JMuclk=s1732" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1732" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMccYZzYEtSaD3ZPQzWffikGw_GJQr6gZni4R4zvODH3of2Igkym2M180YstLPYaVMkKIeCd6D3JZYQm2WW584j89oikuWETbp8CUkZvzVXh_jG_-CbfHhulTG4dlVRlzLOcZFlRlHL02IMwvU9WAkMpnoHD6IWILOmS6fuawrOnUn9JMuclk=w405-h244" width="405" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>OK, she wins. She wins!</p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-60684186609511202322022-01-10T08:03:00.003-05:002022-01-10T08:03:39.092-05:00But Why?<p>Where do I start? With the nerve of this dude? The apparent ineptitude of his team? With the frustrations of a country who has (by and large) followed the rules, only to watch an athlete try to bypass those same rules? Tennis officials?</p><p>Yes. Let's start there. </p><p>I am sorry I can't type this any louder but the biggest takeaway here is that TENNIS DOES NOT NEED NOVAK DJOKOVIC, A WALKING HEALTH RISK, AT A SLAM IF HE'S A WALKING HEALTH RISK. And based on the last two years of my experience with how selfish people can be in the midst of a pandemic, you know that if you're someone who is going to claim a medical exemption to avoid a vaccine, then you are also the type of person who will forget his mask and will forego social distancing as well. Why did Tennis Australia think tennis needed him to play in this situation? Why is this dude worth the risk? The answer is that he isn't. </p><p>Djokovic claims to want to be loved and then does exactly what you would do if you wanted to be universally hated. He's not doing what's good for the game -- he's doing what's good for him. And putting himself at risk by refusing to get vaccinated isn't even good for him, not in the long term. Djokovic just needs to grow up. </p><p>Now, Djokovic is in limbo right now, awaiting a court hearing to determine whether he can stay, and all the information about his case is coming out. Probably the best overview of the situation is <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCRosAtkins/status/1479355722311909378">here</a>, but there are three things that I will always hold true regardless of how things shape out here:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This is Djokovic's fault. He should have gotten vaccinated if he wanted to chase history.</li><li>This is the tennis authorities' fault. This is a pandemic and the safety of everyone involved in these events should be paramount. Trying to find a loophole for your dimwit No. 1 player instead of making him get vaccinated shows how little they care about everyone else.</li><li>If he plays -- and even if he wins -- this will have been a disaster. An entire, avoidable, useless, disaster. Especially if he wins. Some of us live in places where people in power are urging people to pretend this pandemic is over even though it obviously isn't. And we wonder why this isn't over yet. </li></ul><div>OK, so. </div><div>There is actual tennis going on and it is good! Ash Barty is in good form, Naomi Osaka is looking good, Simona Halep is pushing people around on the court again. Most is right with the tennis world.</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-27835219054037305932021-10-22T09:05:00.001-04:002021-10-22T09:05:24.581-04:00LEAGUE WATCH: When You Accidentally Figure Something Out<p>I'd been feeling so good about my game this summer. I had a bumpy start to the season, but I joined a singles league in addition to league, and was playing at least weekly. It felt like my game and confidence was starting to settle into another level. </p><p>The last match I played before league started was in mid-July in Florida and it was at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Yes, this was a very bad idea. I was in full control of the first set and about to win the second when the heat began to weaken me. Observation: It's kind of bizarre to be so heat-affected that you can watch your mind leave you. Like, you understand that you're not thinking straight and there's nothing you can do about it. I came back and won, and felt good about that, and then didn't play until my first league match of the season - some ten weeks later. I don't know why I thought it would go well. </p><p>It went so badly that I signed up for a one-day tournament to get in some matches. I met a bunch of cool tennis women (one of whom almost definitely rope-a-doped me in our match) and managed to knock off a good amount of rust. So when it was time for my next league match, I felt like I wasn't back to summer form, but I was close. </p><p>When I got there, my captain told me I was playing first singles. Let me say how grateful I am for my team and their short memories. Bless them so much.</p><p>My opponent had a similar game to mine, I realized. The only advantage I had was that I was a bit faster and able to run down her angled shots and flat forehands down the line. And nearly two hours later, when I stood at the baseline to serve out the match, I noticed that everyone from both teams were watching -- we were the last ones on the court. Usually, when everyone's watching like that, the match is hinging on your result. </p><p>So no big deal. Still, and unrelated I'm sure, I was down 0-30 quickly, and the nerve wave came. <i>It's just a league match,</i> I tried to tell myself. <i>You're doing fine. Just keep going. Your daughter's fine. </i>(My kids tagged along and were waiting to leave as soon as we got there.) But none of those fake-outs worked. My heart was still pounding, my hands were still shaking, I still had the urge to drop everything and leave. </p><p>And then I figured out why I do meditation in the first place. Seriously. Right there at the baseline. </p><p>I do some general sports writing on the side sometimes and wrote about <a href="https://www.stack.com/a/three-ways-to-incorporate-mindfulness-into-your-tennis-game/">how to incorporate mindfulness</a> into your tennis game, and in my research learned a bit about meditation. And with some other upheaval in my life, I thought: Why not? I use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/GreatMeditation">Great Meditation</a> on YouTube right now, and there's one common device many of these routines use. It's identifying the hard feelings and letting them wash over you for a minute or two before using breathing to manage them. And I swear, standing at the baseline, I realized that I wasn't supposed to talk myself out of feeling this way. I was supposed to manage it. So I stood there, everything jangling in me, and let it be. Then I took a deep breath, and kept going. It almost felt like using the nerves as fuel towards the end. It was there, but I was able to think about how I was going to win this game and get those kids home already. It's hard to explain. I was still jittery, but also clear about what I wanted to do and was able to execute. And I won that game. </p><p>So I'm going to go ahead and endorse meditation as a good habit, tennis or no. The thing is, you can't control the result -- of your match, of your situation -- but you can control your response to it. </p><p>That feels like a good place to close.</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-19961669037375029552021-09-11T15:53:00.004-04:002021-09-11T15:59:30.510-04:00U.S. Open From the Couch: I Don't Know Who's Going to Win and I Don't Care<p> The thing that cracks me up about Novak Djokovic is the dichotomy. The man nakedly wants to be loved by a crowd, seems to crave it to the point that it throws him off if he feels he's being rooted against. Yet, on the cusp of history last night, in front of a crowd who loved him (for now), he needlessy chimes in on the Stefanos Tsitsipas bathroom controversy -- in support of Tsitsipas! OK, look. What Tsitsipas was doing was gamesmanship. You can do it, and as Djokovic noted last night, the rule is unclear. So why not just slide right through that loophole? You can. You definitely can. And then you have to be OK with what it says about you.</p><p>My mouth was sort of hanging open after that sidebar in Djokovic's post-match interview, and then he started talking about how great a person his opponent is! </p><p>A CHOICE.</p><p>Alexander Zverev has been accused of physical and emotional abuse by a former girlfriend (<a href="https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/alexander-zverev-domestic-abuse-allegations-olga-sharypova.html">writer Ben Rothenberg broke the story</a> not once, but twice) and we have known this for months now. Again, you can align yourself with Zverev as an ally, someone who can vouch for his character. You can do that. But you have to be OK with what that says about you. Listen, there's credible evidence against the guy and he's fortunate because he happens to play in a sport whose governing body is a model for how to look the other way. <i>What can we do,</i> they say. <i>Our rules don't cover it.</i> </p><p>So a young tennis player's dad/coach is routinely crossing the line of abuse, and yeah, we see it and yeah, it makes us feel weird, but what can we do. <i>She's an excellent player. </i>Just off the top of my head I can think of <a href="https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/08/17/Mary-Pierce-reveals-fathers-physical-abuse-in-SI/5589745560000/">Mary Pierce</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/sport/jelena-dokic-unbreakable-abuse-father-spt/index.html">Jelena Dokic</a>. You can probably <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1653655-the-5-worst-tennis-fathers-of-all-time">think of a few more</a>.</p><p>That's part of the problem with tennis in general (the ATP and the WTA are two different entities) because without a definite charge or investigation, Zverev's case can stay in the gray space and leave tennis commenters unsure of how to talk about him. Even if they know the abuse is happening, even if it's happening to minors, what're you gonna do. </p><p>Djokovic, for all the dichotomy, picked at least the best place for it -- a stadium likely full of fans who follow tennis once a year, and perhaps only on that very day. But the rest of us have long memories, bud, and we're still trying to get over the COVID Open tournament he held. </p><p>So for that reason I say: I don't know who's going to win and I don't care. (I don't have a problem with Medvedev, but I am fascinated by his Gumby-like game. How is he doing that?) The thing is, I feel the same about the women's final, and for completely different reasons. </p><p>I have no idea what's going to happen between Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu, both of whom I clearly expected to make the final. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHef7hK_QSWFvAQEHrax0pM6olpR9E9G-jbuejkPmWkLYq0Uj7_fMaeBV0tBWT5tmNxlaMRU-rcCz3qjJ1Uk7tfNRUepiTKNJtMf7Y1oQGDkdj-Tx2BNpBvdZWjjJOJ4GzPCO4Xg/s498/jimmy-mcnulty-the-wire.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="498" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHef7hK_QSWFvAQEHrax0pM6olpR9E9G-jbuejkPmWkLYq0Uj7_fMaeBV0tBWT5tmNxlaMRU-rcCz3qjJ1Uk7tfNRUepiTKNJtMf7Y1oQGDkdj-Tx2BNpBvdZWjjJOJ4GzPCO4Xg/s320/jimmy-mcnulty-the-wire.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p>The difference is that this is a good story. (Speaking of dads, Leylah's dang near melted my cold heart when he talked about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43WKYbysPFY&ab_channel=TSN">what it meant for his daughter to play for Canada</a>.) Honestly after Raducanu's retirement at Wimbledon, in which she acknowledged dealing with nerves, I wouldn't have expected her to follow up with a run to the final of the next major. And Fernandez? I mean, I felt like she had a nice draw to make it to the third round. Clearly she felt otherwise. </p><p>If I had to choose, I'd have to give Fernandez a bit of an edge. Her draw has been a LOT tougher. Plus Raducanu had to go through qualifying. And I think Fernandez has the ability to vary her game when things aren't working. But I'm excited to see it anyway. It's a pleasant surprise, and a show of the true depth of the women's game. </p><p>All right, I gotta go make popcorn and watch this. </p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-88257867262056492822021-09-04T14:41:00.000-04:002021-09-04T14:41:14.042-04:00U.S. Open From the Couch: We Don't Have to Encase Naomi Osaka in Bubble Wrap, OK?<p>Man, who told me to go onto Tennis Twitter (TT) yesterday during the Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez match? To be fair, I think it surprised a lot of us in at least two ways. First, as talented as Fernandez is, I was not really expecting her to take a set off Osaka, let alone two. Careful observers pointed out that Osaka has had a lot of difficulty with left-handed players, and ... OK, that tracks. Still, Osaka looked like she was playing herself into form, and in her second-round match against Marie Bouzkova, she was making devastating shots and angles. She was looking good! </p><p>The second thing that surprised me is how Osaka reacted to the second set getting competitive. I think I literally gasped when she threw her racquet for the first time. And then I rolled my eyes because I knew what was coming on TT, and yeah. Actually, the commentators beat them to it by pointing out that it was this vaunted court where Osaka won her first major and a reminder that it was, uh, a tense situation. It took 10 seconds for people to start the comparisons to Serena Williams' racquet abuse in the 2018 final. So let's take this on first, because I have a lot of thoughts and am trying to weave them into one piece because I don't feel like separating it into two or three, and also Twitter is not the place for the nuanced situation that this is. So.</p><p>Yes, Osaka maybe should have gotten a warning. But she didn't. The only reason she didn't is because there were two different match umpires in 2018 and last night. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/10/serena-williamss-loss-is-not-about-racism-or-sexism-its-about-bad-rule/">I wrote about this in 2018</a> and was accused of gaslighting, of being a racist, a sexist, and I'm sure I'm missing something. I left a Facebook group over that piece. But anyway. Here we are. Two umpires saw the same violation and reacted differently. As I said in 2018, I don't care a lot about racquet abuse. It's a racquet, and what's more, it's <i>your </i>racquet. If you took your opponent's racquet and smashed it into oblivion, well, sure, now you have a point. </p><p>It's also worth noting that the 2018 debacle unraveled a bit more differently. I won't waste digital ink here, but the first thing that happened there was that Carlos Ramos called Serena's coach for match coaching, which is not allowed, and I feel a little more strongly about this one, because it's what sets tennis apart from other sports. I'm going to leave a pin in that one for today. Then things went more and more sideways from there. Her coach was, by the way, signaling. That's a fact. But that doesn't matter as much either because there is one other factor that made those matches different, and that is how Naomi Osaka managed her own anger.</p><p>The reason that Fernandez was able to truly enjoy the fact that she had just beaten the third-ranked player in the world on a large stage is because of the way Osaka managed her anger. Fernandez deserved to enjoy her moment because she earned it -- she played well and didn't quit when she was down. The reason we, as fans, could really get to appreciate her performance is because of the way Osaka managed her anger. We're going to get to the anger, but the management make the comparisons moot in my mind. Meaning, I don't want to hear the comparison because it's not there. I don't want to see the footage of Serena talking about how her situation in 2018 might make it easier for women to be angry on court. The comparison is not there. </p><p>Listen, you have to take responsibility for your actions in general. If you're a functioning adult who is accountable to others, you do. Anger does not have to be a train you hop on whose destination is unknown, but you are along for the ride and oh, well, who knows where it will take us. Anger (at least about a tennis match) is manageable and Osaka did unto others as she would have probably liked it done unto her. I don't want to give her cookie over this or anything, because functioning adults do things like this all the time. They blow off steam, realize they messed up and apologize and try to correct. Now, Osaka did look at times like she was not going to throw her racquet but that she was going to throw that match. I mean the first couple games in that third set, I was like, whoa, this is worse, Naomi! But she corrected and she might not have fully recovered, but she held on to play a match I feel she'll be proud of later, even though she didn't win.</p><p>The last thing here is how her anger was discussed by the commentators, on TT and on TV. Something nipped at me about this last night, the way the commentators linked her outburst to her mental health struggles. Today, I know what it is, even though I'm not sure I can give it the best words. Anger, and throwing a racquet (that belongs to <i>you</i>) is not indicative of a mental health problem! What the hell, people? Conflating these things makes it harder to talk about mental health, because now a (fairly) normal reaction to frustration, performed by a person who was brave enough to share her mental health struggles with the world, becomes something truly, like, gross. It's like coddling to do this. It's like treating Osaka like a fragile baby who can't handle life. That's not what the racquet toss was. It was a legitimate show of emotion. It would be one if Rafael Nadal had done it and it's one in this case. Full stop. </p><p>This actually reminds me of how the commentators talked about Osaka's commitment to talk about black people being targeted by the police last year. Some insisted on tying her stellar play then to her social stance, which to me felt like, welp, OK, weird. But this is very similar and this one bothers me more. The thing is that those things are separate and a racquet toss isn't a sign of a mental breakdown and everything she does does not have to be seen through the prism of mental health struggles.</p><p>Naomi Osaka is more than her mental health. Maybe respect her enough to treat her as the whole individual she is. How about we try that? I guess that's what I'm saying.</p><p>Having said all of that, Osaka did indicate that she is struggling mentally on the court in the post-match conference. To my ear, it sounds like she needs to find/rediscover her love of tennis and for our sake, I hope she does. Her sister has already retired from the game and I could see her doing it, too. If she decides she'd rather climb Mt. Everest, then teach high-school biology for the rest of her life, I mean, I'll personally be crushed, but if that's where the love is, that's where she has to go. I do think she'd be a really good teacher.</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-38704193710587782452021-08-30T10:08:00.002-04:002021-08-30T10:08:19.574-04:00U.S. Open: From the Couch<p>If you had asked me to predict one month ago what I'd be doing today, I would have told you that I'd packing for my trip to New York this coming weekend, ready to return to my country's Slam in the best city in the world. (I would have been very excited, thus the excess. But I'm not wrong.)</p><p>If you'd asked me a week later, as COVID cases spiked in Florida while the U.S. Open was announcing plans for a full house -- without proof of vaccination to enter the grounds -- well, it became clear that I was probably not going to make that return trip. And I didn't. And I'm bummed about it. It didn't feel worth the risk, and even now, knowing they reversed course on the vaccination proof, it still feels dicey. I hope it works out for everyone, including my buddy Lewis, who's covering the event this year, and was at the ready to secure tickets for me. Like I said last year, Lewis, maybe next year.</p><p>Anyway, dammit. Let's take a look at these draws:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Women</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSsbdSv1ayXxB0lA6O7BuHwk6Fk_1HnqXwxWyp4JzVea8wnVWL5XEie1Bjg9EyE2TvLlfF0P7LYNvEptiJHUnBbpa3KRS3apG86QystO2w6N3UfsLSY2XoEAA1aoiN-uyVbJcPw/s2048/IMG_3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSsbdSv1ayXxB0lA6O7BuHwk6Fk_1HnqXwxWyp4JzVea8wnVWL5XEie1Bjg9EyE2TvLlfF0P7LYNvEptiJHUnBbpa3KRS3apG86QystO2w6N3UfsLSY2XoEAA1aoiN-uyVbJcPw/w400-h300/IMG_3303.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCVEyMl8XqM5xAJRa0h-7Nlz1KSjyZ9f4iTx0KC2ARGbqBSFml15qmNnes_lA4s8ebhPfTP6Tp0WVz69FCghOHiGgchZqOb34RZwFGum7nJIvpX0pQHWxCyyfgU-TY4gjE-QG0g/s2048/IMG_3304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCVEyMl8XqM5xAJRa0h-7Nlz1KSjyZ9f4iTx0KC2ARGbqBSFml15qmNnes_lA4s8ebhPfTP6Tp0WVz69FCghOHiGgchZqOb34RZwFGum7nJIvpX0pQHWxCyyfgU-TY4gjE-QG0g/w400-h300/IMG_3304.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*: denotes "Wow, this is a first-round match?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">?: denotes "Oh, so did you see where ...?</span></p><p>This women's first-round draw almost certainly means I'm going to be very sick today and tomorrow and unable to report to work. It turns out I'll only have energy to grip my remote and switch between matches. *cough*</p><p>Among the highlights: Danielle Collins v. Carla Suarez Navarro, a battle of two players coming back from medical challenges, although Collins definitely has the edge. But could be an emotional one. </p><p>Simona Halep v. Camille Giorgi: You know, a nice, easy match to start for Halep.</p><p>Madison Keys v. Sloane Stephens: This is a first-round match. Yes, the same two who played in the final just a few years ago. OK, then. Confused, but watching it. Obviously.</p><p>Alize Cornet v. Ons Jabeur: LOL, popcorn, please, along with tall glass of drama!</p><p>OK, so Coco Vandeweghe. First of all, <a href="<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Vandeweghe being her petulant self and refusing to do a proper warmup. No idea how she didn’t get defaulted for this. <a href="https://t.co/SFxQg40Biu">pic.twitter.com/SFxQg40Biu</a></p>&mdash; Gigi (@Prinznutella7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Prinznutella7/status/1425566559351754771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>">that ridiculous warmup </a>a few weeks back and <a href="<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/As4wbSVX0h">pic.twitter.com/As4wbSVX0h</a></p>&mdash; CoCo Vandeweghe (@CoCoVandey) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoCoVandey/status/1425898058735304707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>">her ridiculous explanation for it</a>. I don't know. </p><p>But then did you see where she managed to pull in Sania Mirza as a doubles partner? It's always good to see Mirza on the court and I hope that other players remember her? Like, she can do better than Vandeweghe, right?</p><p>Also, just wanted to note that Sara Errani is still in these streets!</p><p>As far as the draw itself, Ash Barty has been looking pretty dang unbeatable this summer after stumbling at the Olympics. Who's going to beat her here? It's hard to imagine anyone in her half being a big problem if her form holds up. Petra Kvitova hasn't looked solid this summer. Bianca Andreescu won the Open already, but also struggling to regain her game. The bottom half, though? Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka are the standouts, and I sort of think Sabalenka is about ready for her breakthrough. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Men</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih26V7hym6aX5F9W2O7YofIcECJfMzgfKPGYOQkrKueFPWwCrffo16refPFoKBZoAj8fUPkCsnmBnNvg9w7219PdXPuKuQ0P0lsVsc104bjM4EHFL0LJyvfKI69yCB8T90B1GRyA/s2048/IMG_3305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih26V7hym6aX5F9W2O7YofIcECJfMzgfKPGYOQkrKueFPWwCrffo16refPFoKBZoAj8fUPkCsnmBnNvg9w7219PdXPuKuQ0P0lsVsc104bjM4EHFL0LJyvfKI69yCB8T90B1GRyA/w400-h300/IMG_3305.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZLCCWJshpmbd8U4RB0GNd0EmEsresqeFxXGqM4rNc9TxzhxrjwEsfU6rZrm5Jbu3oKsqSWuS7FRiatlCc8B3wfp4lQ9Rrc-6zgejLBNLReFeCDDeIZ-XrdSWHuZDIQX3H58DUg/s2048/IMG_3306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZLCCWJshpmbd8U4RB0GNd0EmEsresqeFxXGqM4rNc9TxzhxrjwEsfU6rZrm5Jbu3oKsqSWuS7FRiatlCc8B3wfp4lQ9Rrc-6zgejLBNLReFeCDDeIZ-XrdSWHuZDIQX3H58DUg/w400-h300/IMG_3306.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*: denotes "Wow, this is a first-round match?"</span></p><p>Phillipp Kohlschreiber, man. Takes a licking ...</p><p>I believed in Andy Murray before it was cool and you never know. </p><p>Congrats to Roberto Bautista Agut, whose No. 18 seeding gets him a first-round against Nick Kyrgios. You know, just to ease into the tournament</p><p>I'm not going to lie, man: I'm a little annoyed about Novak Djokovic's chances, especially with the absence of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. But there's enough young talent left to suggest that he could still be pushed around by the kids. Djokovic is walking around talking about his confidence level being through the roof, which may be true, but it's not going to be easy to claim a men's record-breaking Slam total. This blog is a Rafa stan account, so I don't want to see it, but I am still prepared for this eventuality: </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrwjHpNr2KPxqBrnNbXpzwBgp8SZsNbYwHLNI3Bg_zGpJZhH5Udfdv10frF638Q8WKZDxERVz42kfSrf6xuVxtMQGhhyphenhyphennYhnqwmgkjzDmQWEsWli9fF45p-7NSATXcV45MHd0YQ/s2048/IMG_20210816_234135538.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrwjHpNr2KPxqBrnNbXpzwBgp8SZsNbYwHLNI3Bg_zGpJZhH5Udfdv10frF638Q8WKZDxERVz42kfSrf6xuVxtMQGhhyphenhyphennYhnqwmgkjzDmQWEsWli9fF45p-7NSATXcV45MHd0YQ/s320/IMG_20210816_234135538.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Still, there are opportunities for others to slide in: Alexander Zverev will be a tough opponent for Djokovic potentially in the semis, and Matteo Berrettini before that, in the quarters. I actually almost picked Berrettini in this one -- I think having faced Djokovic in the Wimbledon final and coming closer than most, it might help this time around. </p><p>Daniil Medvedev's game has been spotty since his run at the U.S. Open a couple years back, and his draw looks good for another (don't judge me for my heart wanting to see Cilic do some damage, but then facing reality). He did OK during the U.S. Open series, after all. </p><p>Stefanos Tsitsipas. He's been taking some rough Ls lately, and some of it looks like he's blinking at the finish line. So I don't know about a major for him right now, although his game is close.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbzBsMUc-YbMYk0QFSx_NodAyENN7Djmrae_SIfJ8cnRWua0uy-M5XvCYwPTOAVfJGQ0ersrVbM-UpgDn9TbH-jBGA2u2NecctMEwcZuI1lGxZ36uTviJv96_e-MfDDG5TE0y0w/s2048/IMG_3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbzBsMUc-YbMYk0QFSx_NodAyENN7Djmrae_SIfJ8cnRWua0uy-M5XvCYwPTOAVfJGQ0ersrVbM-UpgDn9TbH-jBGA2u2NecctMEwcZuI1lGxZ36uTviJv96_e-MfDDG5TE0y0w/s320/IMG_3303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8iVPOzwgMAs5GQFwVoISC38r_Nn7H8xZDodw4JOgudTHgDrvrwDjtF3tkK299ethe2WVjWxnE4akkRm4A8e1tvdZNxAWPrr5joDocxrx8HLzlsgb9rbzfcwjz_stBfz8OCvxdA/s2048/IMG_3304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8iVPOzwgMAs5GQFwVoISC38r_Nn7H8xZDodw4JOgudTHgDrvrwDjtF3tkK299ethe2WVjWxnE4akkRm4A8e1tvdZNxAWPrr5joDocxrx8HLzlsgb9rbzfcwjz_stBfz8OCvxdA/s320/IMG_3304.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-90574120872354368342021-07-15T08:46:00.000-04:002021-07-15T08:46:06.337-04:00Wimbledon '21: It's True, Tho<p>At the risk of inciting hate, I'm going to posit that the best Wimbledon final was the women's doubles. Not only did it feature one of my favorite unorthodox players, Hsieh Su-Wei, but it was against one of the best doubles players around, Elena Vesnina. And it had drama! We're talking match points saved, then a third no-tiebreak (yes!) set where Hseih and her partner Elise Mertens were having to break at 6-7 to continue the match. Just amazing stuff. Whew. Just the all-court points of it all? I remember when I was starting out playing tennis, and even in pro tennis, it was all about all four players getting to the net. Now, everyone's scrambling all over the court, working all the angles. It's one of those progress moments that make you proud.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I was playing during the women's final but managed to catch some highlights, and I know it isn't ideal, but there should be some kind of award? Observance? Something for players like Ash Barty who build a lead in a match, promptly surrender it and then come back in the end to win. I mean, it's maddening if you root for her, but it does make for great tennis, which makes you wonder if that's why she does it? To keep things spicy? I don't know. It's just a lot to watch. It is entertaining, though.</p><p>I really like Barty's game and I find it a miracle that Karolina Pliskova made it to the Wimbledon final, based on her generally poor court coverage. But it is Wimbledon, and a big serve and crushing groundstrokes can get you places. I just feel like Pliskova's game is made for the U.S. Open more than any other major, but go off, girl! </p><p>Back to Barty. So she made some comments after the match that made me do a record-scratch. Apparently, her team knew that her hip injury from the French Open supposedly required two months of rest ... <a href="https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wimbledon/2021/wimbledon-2021-it-was-a-miracle-i-could-play-wimbledon-ash-barty-discovers-scale-of-her-hip-injury-a_sto8413446/story.shtml">and they didn't tell her until after she'd won Wimbledon</a>? </p><p>... this feels exploitative? </p><p>There hasn't been much more said after she first said this. But yeah, this doesn't feel positive, unless she literally pays her team to not tell her bad news. Or if the time she had to take off after the pandemic due to travel restrictions played a role in soldiering on. But I don't understand how you don't tell Barty about the risks of playing if you know she has a serious injury. I mean, congratulations, but yikes?</p><span><!--more--></span><p>Least surprising of all the finals results was Novak Djokovic raising his 20th Grand Slam title. I saw this coming and mused about it, and even to myself, the founder and publisher of Tennis With Attitude, my comments felt petty. They might actually be petty, but at least I'm not alone, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1459730/Novak-Djokovic-Roger-Federer-Rafael-Nadal-Wimbledon-tennis-latest">because a reporter asked him this to his face</a>!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfq2BOFcOxFJiPOSHAM0bPm7jqQPMZWWuk6n6giZ-2a2fNE8el1g4lOy-2EsP6xyA1XOZkWXWdF5dKygQ8Dz7qQIM1Itr1zQKxWS1Ft26K_sng3tV8C1hsJqRWJrd302oZTAvlw/s320/tenor-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfq2BOFcOxFJiPOSHAM0bPm7jqQPMZWWuk6n6giZ-2a2fNE8el1g4lOy-2EsP6xyA1XOZkWXWdF5dKygQ8Dz7qQIM1Itr1zQKxWS1Ft26K_sng3tV8C1hsJqRWJrd302oZTAvlw/s0/tenor-1.gif" /></a></div><br /><p>My personal opinion: Djokovic seems to want to adulation almost too much. Did you see the look on his face on that last changeover in his final with Matteo Berrettini, when the crowd was cheering the underdog on? Dude, calm down. They paid for a whole match and they want five sets! Also, they don't like you a lot, but the racquet giveaways to kids are a good start. </p><span><!--more--></span><p>Last thing: No one -- no one! -- has ever had more alarmist tennis coverage over the years than Yahoo! Sports. It's always a disappointment and usually so alarmist that I don't click, but I had to do it on this one because I wanted to see how crazy it was, and it. did. not. disappoint. Whew buddy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpseS3ur14S74dTdzxZUemxDVNMZ_OeGbesyEVoS28WDzc0bdhu_9OGoy_7SDKpTebHp7_IwLMb45BlUtS-4HIxv-GJb7JHN3v02lLU7xYloG8Z0vQzdeGrAn5ngpga6sNZJmimQ/s588/Snip20210714_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpseS3ur14S74dTdzxZUemxDVNMZ_OeGbesyEVoS28WDzc0bdhu_9OGoy_7SDKpTebHp7_IwLMb45BlUtS-4HIxv-GJb7JHN3v02lLU7xYloG8Z0vQzdeGrAn5ngpga6sNZJmimQ/s320/Snip20210714_1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1iX8Fl4uSVKkhnGdbcP89Z63L8Z1QNVhKFLbQ4V5A1dpUssghbHaSVgWmnIqcQpsOKb9gEB_QWQh4ZVkHzWW3JGTnOcVRaYyLQRZKoSBN5GJJoH7bAI43BU189moUUC5ZIzV5g/s2048/Snip20210714_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2048" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1iX8Fl4uSVKkhnGdbcP89Z63L8Z1QNVhKFLbQ4V5A1dpUssghbHaSVgWmnIqcQpsOKb9gEB_QWQh4ZVkHzWW3JGTnOcVRaYyLQRZKoSBN5GJJoH7bAI43BU189moUUC5ZIzV5g/w353-h200/Snip20210714_2.png" width="353" /></a></div><br /><p>The photo choice. The headline. The "blow" that Serena certainly doesn't care about. It's full-blown asinine and I'm sure they'll be back at it tomorrow.</p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-73307614058370678412021-07-06T09:24:00.004-04:002021-07-07T08:23:53.801-04:00Wimbledon '21: The QuartersI just heard the term "Manic Monday" as applied to Wimbledon's second Monday of the tournament for the first time. I'm sure it's been used before but man was it true yesterday. There were so many questions.<div><br /></div><div>How did Paula Badosa manage to lose that match, especially that first set? </div><div>How are you Karen Khachanov on grass and having trouble holding serve?</div><div>Is Aryna Sabalenka intentionally injecting drama into her matches just to see if she can come out of it?</div><div>Who is more adept at opening his mouth and removing all doubt: John McEnroe or <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1458985/Piers-Morgan-John-McEnroe-Emma-Raducanu-Wimbledon-2021-Twitter-news-latest">Piers Morgan</a>? </div><div>And finally, do you like roller coasters? Then you loved Andrey Rublev and Marton's Fucsovic's match, right? My favorite thing from the Internet yesterday was that "Call the ambulance" meme featuring these two. I cried. But I didn't like it, so it's now swept away in the flood that is the Twitter feed. Anyway, it was funny.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, the quarters are underway and so far, Karolina Pliskova is locking down her spot in the semis and Daniil Medvedev is having a slow start to the continuation of his Round of 16 match. Pretty slow -- down 2-4 in the fifth, so. </div><div>Of the matches coming up, I'm excited for Ons Jabeur v. Sabalenka, about to commence shortly. Jabeur earned the OG tag when she puked on court before upsetting Garbine Muguruza. Sabalenka can basically run the table in any match because of her power, but she's not yet put it all together at a major. This one could be dicey. This has to go three sets, right?</div><div>I think Ash Barty is a lock for her quarterfinal. Aja Tomljanovic looked good most of the tournament and against Emma Raducanu in her previous match. (Sidebar: OK, am I the only one who would also be trying to catch my breath after long, tortured rallies against a veteran player? What is this drama?!) But Aja has struggled in just about every other match. Barty in straights.</div><div>I would love to say Angelique Kerber is an easy lock for the semis, but I am literally still wondering how Karolina Muchova even won her Round of 16 match. So who knows.</div><div>Whoa snap, Medvedev is already out! Well then. </div>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-92216574602274184902021-06-29T10:27:00.000-04:002021-06-29T10:27:13.974-04:00Wimbledon '21: Off-Road Pre-Current View<p>I filled out most of my women's draw on a plane yesterday. Not to London, sadly, but on a well-deserved vacation nonetheless. I went through this practice knowing that it might have turned out the way my French Open draw turned out. </p><p>I didn't get to finish the draws until Monday morning and in the spirit of full disclosure, I was already watching Wimbledon, rooting for Monica Niculescu to make it more of a match against Aryna Sabalenka (she kinda did). So it would have been easy to pretend that I had perfectly predicted the first-round winners, but I am an honest woman. And I'll own what I really thought was going to happen even though my version of reality had already been imploded.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVemKxI2f1BO7GOt59gfo2f1r66ZTTjhep4ilN1NrR6dBicKt90OZ5585L7S-wTVnFMzo4TBdjy8Z_ua4gAg4_le30wsPWIik8pwv6gPxrJnb6CU6ewdvRERrXcRXnUSUDFOuiQ/s2048/IMG_20210628_143607711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVemKxI2f1BO7GOt59gfo2f1r66ZTTjhep4ilN1NrR6dBicKt90OZ5585L7S-wTVnFMzo4TBdjy8Z_ua4gAg4_le30wsPWIik8pwv6gPxrJnb6CU6ewdvRERrXcRXnUSUDFOuiQ/w400-h300/IMG_20210628_143607711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhH8dK3QlWYDFoYCL2aMMiXzXt_UhamjocOp8SNg_EcKJqnE8xQfoab-tYj3BFm8a6T1RmT1vKAkfBYQwJvWQk8qoBggeAWizAgi_fEpfxiIy4SIbHIOfmotDF5xaR0IehLE21A/s2048/IMG_20210628_143623091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhH8dK3QlWYDFoYCL2aMMiXzXt_UhamjocOp8SNg_EcKJqnE8xQfoab-tYj3BFm8a6T1RmT1vKAkfBYQwJvWQk8qoBggeAWizAgi_fEpfxiIy4SIbHIOfmotDF5xaR0IehLE21A/w400-h300/IMG_20210628_143623091.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>But here we are. What can I say? I keep forgetting that Sloane Stephens likes to lure us into underestimation and then she shows up at Slams and beats a former Wimbledon champion. </p><p>And then there was the men's draw.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IyaQWIH02txPvlpgnhg7-himQNvCfIBFFllKl3gqmAdwpXbcI8WGxnmaWrb6pk8qrLFSYpd0KB3_kTovViV5YpZQiQ39ez60pkE6HyVLLzbWEso8gcZCjy_UfsDHkb7SjJgkSA/s2048/IMG_20210628_143440737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IyaQWIH02txPvlpgnhg7-himQNvCfIBFFllKl3gqmAdwpXbcI8WGxnmaWrb6pk8qrLFSYpd0KB3_kTovViV5YpZQiQ39ez60pkE6HyVLLzbWEso8gcZCjy_UfsDHkb7SjJgkSA/w400-h300/IMG_20210628_143440737.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6U4hNaDOFEkBsZtvqOmY4bIz6Lwq41CYVI4UVFaiyu4VEuFt7yIDUga3NW-TlQ9TTETa5tcCkbAHGjzz8_C833YwbIqxApCOI1nqpCVNyirXsZk3aKeSc8pI3LMt1L1d3eknJA/s2048/IMG_20210628_143517528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6U4hNaDOFEkBsZtvqOmY4bIz6Lwq41CYVI4UVFaiyu4VEuFt7yIDUga3NW-TlQ9TTETa5tcCkbAHGjzz8_C833YwbIqxApCOI1nqpCVNyirXsZk3aKeSc8pI3LMt1L1d3eknJA/w400-h300/IMG_20210628_143517528.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>What can I say? I'll always show my work, even if it's a little wonky.</p><p>Let's talk about what's left, then. Like Frances Tiafoe. Does he actually have a shot here? Or did Stefanos Tsitsipas have a bad day? It seems a little odd to me to that the French Open runner-up never bothered to change his game much when Tiafoe's obvious play was attacking the net. And Tsitsipas just ... let him. Will others do that? It's possible, because the high seed left in that draw is Roberto Bautista Agut. I'm just saying.</p><p>So what can Tiafoe get away with here?</p><p>Same applies to Sloane, I guess, but I'm even more curious about Sabalenka. The only reason I picked Maria Sakkari for an upset in the fourth round was because Sabalenka has these great run-ups to majors and then probably the nerves get her. She can totally beat Sakkari -- Sabalenka's game is pretty overpowering -- but the stage might get her. Heck, it almost got her in the second set of her first-round match. But if she's going to have a breakthrough, it feels as if the best place might be on a surface where shorter rallies are more the norm. </p><p>So, now I'm all caught up, back to sneaking tennis scores while poolside with the kids. Things could be worse. </p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-36789191976433126322021-06-18T07:49:00.001-04:002021-06-18T07:49:04.730-04:00French Open 2021: That Was a Ride!<p>As usual, that French Open went just the way I personally had telegraphed it. In fact, I'm going to live on the edge and just suggest (as many players do now anyway!) that there be no warmup clay-court tournaments. What's the point? These are the tournaments where players get practice and develop their form, hopefully in time for the big one. And they do! Aryna Sabalenka looked great coming in, as did Ash Barty and Iga Swiatek. Coco Gauff. And then what happened. Honestly, like the same thing that happens every year at the French Open with the women. With the men, either Rafa or Djokovic and with the women? I don't want to call it a crap shoot because what results isn't crap.</p><p>Anyway, some observations:</p><p>1. I didn't get too much into the Naomi Osaka dustup because mental health isn't really my subject of expertise. I can say that I think she mishandled the rollout of this policy to not participate in press conferences and that her team should have helped her out a bit more. I don't know what that looks like, but it shouldn't look like a 22-year-old standing by herself trying to change the bones of tennis without proper support. (I'm assuming the lack of support by the lack of preparedness for the blowback she received. I don't think Osaka's plan was to break this news, play one match and go home.) </p><p>But if you believe that mental health is a part of the whole health of a person (most people do not even though your brain is super important to how you move through this world and definitely to how you play tennis), then the Slams should have thought about whether they could be doing something different instead of fining her $15,000. And to have the nerve post-tournament for officials to say they tried to work with her? Also, I think I missed Roger Federer's fine when he announced after a tough match: "Yeah, I actually feel OK, but I don't feel like playing *this* tournament any more. I'm going to pace myself for Wimbledon. So long!" It's the same thing! Two players looking out for their wellbeing. Only one launched a thousand think pieces. </p><p>Osaka also announced this week she wouldn't play Wimbledon either -- along with Rafael Nadal this time. So I look forward to a dozen more think pieces about one of these withdrawals. </p><p>2. The idea that Novak Djokovic could be closer to catching Serena Williams' Slam titles than Rafael Nadal or Federer actually bothers me. It makes me wonder what being a GOAT means. Years ago, when Rafa and Fed were running up their numbers, I was happy to let the final figures determine who was the best between them, but Djokovic's ascendance made me realize something. I don't really root for Djokovic. It literally takes him playing a MAGA player for me to get invested. The subject of his popularity came up during his French Open final, where I believe Jim Courier noted that he wasn't as well-loved as Nadal or Federer and Mary Carillo answered: "Not in Serbia." Well, congratulations. I would hope my own people would root for me. It's everyone else that would really be nice. </p><p>I guess I'm saying all of this to say that it can't just be the numbers that determine the GOATs and I freely admit I'm moving the goal lines for Djokovic. </p><p>3. So I hear Barbora Krejcikova won the singles and doubles for the first time since Mary Pierce in 2000. Looks like it's time to bring back one of my all-time favorite GIFs: </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi3vyWv-WmlTciXCdNzYl9Kdqz6-ZoqkvqsFx2R48_cYPNK0b2l3GHdLq4Xiuaa6Ry3ZbZVTwXVvEY3-xwOHec1Bmq6dkWaT2TH0PtW0ZtEsmMV7YxTCSssulqZg4vHLywkYg2g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="112" data-original-width="200" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi3vyWv-WmlTciXCdNzYl9Kdqz6-ZoqkvqsFx2R48_cYPNK0b2l3GHdLq4Xiuaa6Ry3ZbZVTwXVvEY3-xwOHec1Bmq6dkWaT2TH0PtW0ZtEsmMV7YxTCSssulqZg4vHLywkYg2g/" width="320" /></a></div><br />(Believe she won that point.) <p></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-69453087168905305702021-05-29T17:59:00.001-04:002021-05-29T17:59:22.221-04:00French Open 2021: The Men<p>I hate to say that the men's draw was boring as hell to fill out. But I checked my email about 30 times throughout. I mean, it shapes up, but man, who are these first-round people?! </p><p>Actually, though, when you look at it, it's kind of cool, the way they split it into the old-man half and the youngster half. I wouldn't have thought of that!</p><p>Anyway, the draw and legend:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnCdEYXGZnO2792iCKUIGwjcdHo3De_6hptlyvK551bcpTH3Vw2WuhbrMTafxl1DR6Wc7F_BN11u5VGWo9Qeesjul9F8Qz7nDZJ-fFKnKEAPjkJuaX2apMPhTg6hbemkr4iEP2g/s2048/IMG_2965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnCdEYXGZnO2792iCKUIGwjcdHo3De_6hptlyvK551bcpTH3Vw2WuhbrMTafxl1DR6Wc7F_BN11u5VGWo9Qeesjul9F8Qz7nDZJ-fFKnKEAPjkJuaX2apMPhTg6hbemkr4iEP2g/w400-h300/IMG_2965.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_cxUdOw598Uq46cIQJfAprfCQz1Rg5c-2dF0DmlCDDzTFC7b1RFl8kw5jPaXAoU9bxzg1tdvoDW_1efuBd3coeBPZEc-RD2ITli-qdB3m7hxr7K_QIcwDfZb9JMrB9Blx79fWQ/s2048/IMG_2966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_cxUdOw598Uq46cIQJfAprfCQz1Rg5c-2dF0DmlCDDzTFC7b1RFl8kw5jPaXAoU9bxzg1tdvoDW_1efuBd3coeBPZEc-RD2ITli-qdB3m7hxr7K_QIcwDfZb9JMrB9Blx79fWQ/w400-h300/IMG_2966.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Legend</h4><p>Happy face: There aren't a lot of things I am 100 percent here for, but I am always 100 percent here for watching Tennys Sandgren lose. </p><p>Cane: Oh my goodness, here we are in May of 2021 and we have a first-round match with Phillipp Kohlschrieber and Fernando Verdasco. I'm impressed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgermy5sDy__hi1v6tNxcg6K_I170i-Eq2C0BIkU7rer0lvE8zuY4xFXY8Jv1sj713m5SWoiTs1WSM9rQ6KJ0mERq90EnNgjbcwTu-gnfZzlXRfJ_vB7XZG9ecZiQya9xe-zAlC_w/s640/0mKXcg1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgermy5sDy__hi1v6tNxcg6K_I170i-Eq2C0BIkU7rer0lvE8zuY4xFXY8Jv1sj713m5SWoiTs1WSM9rQ6KJ0mERq90EnNgjbcwTu-gnfZzlXRfJ_vB7XZG9ecZiQya9xe-zAlC_w/s320/0mKXcg1.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-55368140897369818472021-05-29T17:43:00.001-04:002021-05-29T17:43:06.187-04:00French Open 2021: The Women<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, I had a lot of fun filling out the women's draw. Here it is -- and a legend! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiNRrlVPoy9pyIiKokRYm28-fAZ0hA_rzF8JgIJWf90kdi0_KpAzLG5OnLH1JRBI6z0mJ6Uz6YqhlwsCii0hdFyhqBqxkwXfo1Ney9tGm27y7BrlW1Q4HK1gM-bH83QbuqERiHg/s2048/IMG_2968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiNRrlVPoy9pyIiKokRYm28-fAZ0hA_rzF8JgIJWf90kdi0_KpAzLG5OnLH1JRBI6z0mJ6Uz6YqhlwsCii0hdFyhqBqxkwXfo1Ney9tGm27y7BrlW1Q4HK1gM-bH83QbuqERiHg/w400-h300/IMG_2968.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbd7AWB29mCdnPjjId7nHXwGGtThsbgKH3g7kzeq64A4TtRtyZLNqHvecLIVRxk6hsNz9QR-E_XhlQEy1-dnzbfyR3pP5CHO1Hs9-qrcaFUDOjwOOOiqETtV5zIHiZAaBx8zJgg/s2048/IMG_2969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbd7AWB29mCdnPjjId7nHXwGGtThsbgKH3g7kzeq64A4TtRtyZLNqHvecLIVRxk6hsNz9QR-E_XhlQEy1-dnzbfyR3pP5CHO1Hs9-qrcaFUDOjwOOOiqETtV5zIHiZAaBx8zJgg/w400-h300/IMG_2969.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Legend</h4>*: How are we getting this match in the first round?! <p></p><p>(sad-face emoji): I don't know. Given Venus' recent results, not seeing this year being that breakthrough into the second round against a seeded player. Sigh.</p><p>!: OK, yes, Sofia Kenin is ranked fourth, but is having a bit of a rough time of it. She gets Jelena Ostapenko in the first round? Where she gets an opportunity to develop a rhythm as the match continues, no doubt. Yikes!</p><p>Plus, Azarenka vs. Kuznetsova right out the gate?! </p><p>(squiggly-face emoji): Kaia Kanepi and a seeded player in the first round. LOL</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-10573480879912743182021-05-29T13:42:00.002-04:002021-05-29T13:42:49.684-04:00The Evolution of My Thinking on Osaka's Press Policy<p>Me, ten minutes after reading <a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1397665030015959040/photo/1" target="_blank">Naomi Osaka's tweet </a>about ruling out press conferences at the French Open: </p><p>"This feels like too much. Her press conferences are usually pretty boring anyway."</p><p>Twenty minutes later: "Not allowing journalists access is pretty dangerous ground to stand on. I hope she's thought this through ..."</p><p>Twenty-two minutes later: "Social media is much worse for mental health, amirite?"</p><p>Thirty-two minutes later: "How many times, Naf, have you said yourself how wild it is to have to answer for a match immediately after playing it?"</p><p>Thirty-five minutes: *<i>Remembers when <a href="http://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2020/09/us-open-in-coronavision-did-not-see.html">Rennae Stubbs asked Osaka</a> about which dead black person's name she would wear on her mask in her next match and winces*</i></p><p>One hour: "Maybe this will force the media to actually work to write their stories. How many times do they ask stupid questions, get a stupid/weird/confusing answers and turned it into a viral headline on Twitter?"</p><p>Social media really is a cesspool, but if you can use it as a tool to bypass a process that is damaging to your mental health, then I'm with Don Draper: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLNYUmSj6WxZLTzBSXo0FeREIRZuK4-i_h-0TVTTPVA5w_IV1RBddbMAoekcIOvsyZR-Vbbjqa5Wqddfkc5txI05Oakqhd4bqK0Rh7HMKmkvjJTY6BIK0s4y1FrpXj0RONEOD9w/s500/madmen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLNYUmSj6WxZLTzBSXo0FeREIRZuK4-i_h-0TVTTPVA5w_IV1RBddbMAoekcIOvsyZR-Vbbjqa5Wqddfkc5txI05Oakqhd4bqK0Rh7HMKmkvjJTY6BIK0s4y1FrpXj0RONEOD9w/s320/madmen.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Meaning, "here, fine me! I can afford it!"</p><p>I didn't get here right away. I'm being honest -- that was my process. But what made me take a step back from my perspective as a journalist was this line: "We've ... been asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me." </p><p>I mean, this is 100 percent 2021 energy, first of all. But second of all, she's not wrong. The crazy part is that the journalists don't even mean to do this most of the time. Many of them are asking questions off the top of their heads, making observations based on their limited knowledge of the sport and its strategies. The stories that come out of press conferences aren't about <i>how</i> Osaka beat someone like, say, Serena Williams. It's about the drama around them. The truth is that sports journalists in general get away with a lot of laziness. They use these press conferences for a nugget they can use to carry a whole story instead of being a student of the game and using that knowledge to write compelling stories. I swear, I haven't seen a damn thing about Phil Mickelson winning the PGA Championship on Twitter, but I have seen Brooks Koepka rolling his eyes at some dude I've never heard of. That's what I mean. Viral, but lazy. I have said this for years: If tennis writers actually wrote about tennis and not about the random stuff said in post-match conferences, there would be more tennis fans. </p><p>I assume Osaka is not bypassing all media interviews. I bet she'll sit down with the reporters she knows who do the work. And let me be clear, I am all about drama in tennis, but not at the expense of someone's wellbeing. So I'm about this new policy and would like to give props to Venus Williams for starting it all a couple years ago. </p><p>Side note: I'm sitting here trying to think of anyone who has done so much with her status as a top-tier player, things no one asked her to do, things that could change the game for the best. I don't think that I would have ever seen a "Black Lives Matter" sign on a tennis court in this country if Osaka hadn't said something. Why would the tennis powers that be have done that without prompting? Osaka has come to the conclusion that not everyone is going to like what she does, so she might as well follow her heart. It usually takes most people a lifetime to figure that out. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tennis with Notions!</h4><div>Hi, I found my dress-in-progress! I, uh, had forgotten that I had to do some recutting. But at least I'll have something to multitask with during the French Open! (Draws coming!)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuyCh8_Cs7G6ww9KK6hqVKWtz_nuFMchzfERCJSeE42bENSkyMlAUjf6C7C_bQAuRPKrWj7eaUKAFjc11g1OJAYiHXfYi3gkdFgpPmT6rY3Cwdkqynu5B6hC4ve3q_8nb-1X_aA/s2048/IMG_2963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuyCh8_Cs7G6ww9KK6hqVKWtz_nuFMchzfERCJSeE42bENSkyMlAUjf6C7C_bQAuRPKrWj7eaUKAFjc11g1OJAYiHXfYi3gkdFgpPmT6rY3Cwdkqynu5B6hC4ve3q_8nb-1X_aA/w400-h300/IMG_2963.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-17411362566464895352021-02-11T08:57:00.001-05:002021-02-11T08:57:51.030-05:00Aussie Open: Go to Your Rooms! No, Seriously<p>Part of me thinks it's pretty noble, trying to play an international tennis event in a pandemic. If they can have the Super Bowl, right? </p><p>Even if the event goes off without a hitch, there are players who aren't going to have fond memories. Several players had to lock themselves in their hotel rooms for two weeks of hard quarantine after a case arose on a flight to Melbourne. First, let me congratulate Australia for taking a pandemic seriously. Not everyone has. (In America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just recently issued a mask mandate on public transportation and flights. We're almost a year into this thing and that would have been useful advice about a year ago.) A few players who flamed out early are blaming this hard quarantine -- they literally couldn't leave their rooms to practice -- and yeah, it's a tough situation. You can't bend the rules for one group and not the other, but on the other hand, these people came here just to play in a tennis tournament and they're not being allowed to practice? You can see both sides of it and there's no easy answer -- except to not play a Grand Slam right now. Obviously, no one is going that route.</p><p>This quandary has led to several early-round losses that are a surprise -- Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka among them. Both directly cited the quarantine as a problem. Then again, so did Tennys Sandgren, but ... well, I don't know how else to say this, but when you don't exactly have a reputation for being very good, claiming that quarantine hampered your prep sounds more like an excuse than a real reason. </p><p>But presuming no one gets sick, I am here for this version of the Australian Open. I just need to retrain <i>my</i> body for this tournament. You know, staying up until 3 a.m. in the early rounds to watch Novak Djokovic get pushed to the limit by Frances Tiafoe, then chugging copious amounts of coffee to achieve baseline usefulness at work. I just need, like, one more day to get adjusted. </p><p>I never did get around to doing predictions for this tournament, but I realized that the first Slam of the year usually is a waste when it comes to forecasting. Usually, the one thing you can predict is early-round drama in a Stan Wawrinka match and that thing had more twists than fame achieved via TikTok. (I told you I've had no sleep.) I mean how do you come from the brink of defeat to force a tiebreak, gain a huge lead in the tiebreak and then just drop the tiebreak? Well, at least it was entertaining? </p><p>It wasn't as entertaining watching Venus Williams last night. And everyone here knows Venus is my girl. But there is persistence and there is stubbornness. If you can barely walk on a tennis court, where's the nobility in saying, "Hey, at least I finished the match?" when you are not mounting a real challenge? Sure, her movement seemed to loosen up after rolling her ankle, but it was never enough to play the way she did in the first round. Where's the wisdom in risking further injury? I always wonder if she does things like this because she knows she's going to retire soon, but I've had this thought for three years, so I'm thinking sheer stubbornness. And also, like, where did Sara Errani come from again all of a sudden? </p><p>Speaking of throwbacks, I just finished reading this Stephen King book called <i>Revival</i>. Pretty good book. The premise is that there's this guy, Jamie, who keeps running into this other guy throughout his life. Jamie refers to this person as his fifth business, as a person who isn't part of your everyday life, or even someone you randomly encounter in a coffee shop. No, this fifth business person's role is to simply bring drama to your doorstep. Kaia Kanepi is the fifth business for top-tier women's tennis. There you are, being Sonia Kenin, the Aussie Open defending champ, and you walk into your second-round match to encounter a very unseeded player. Sixty-four minutes later, you're done, having lost to the woman who has snatched the likes of Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, Sam Stosur and Justine Henin out of tournaments at the height of their games. Kanepi is 35, so she's developed a bit of a reputation for this kind of drama, and no one knows what's happening at this tournament anyway, so it does feel like this is a good time and place for fifth business-y antics.</p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-61891953622040458822021-02-05T08:00:00.004-05:002021-02-15T19:29:19.245-05:00Therapy with TWA: The Opponent<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Sometimes, after a tennis match, I’m approached by opponents or match observers who tell me that they liked my serve, my groundstrokes, my defense, whatever worked that day. And for most of my nearly 20 (!) on court, I have poo-pooed those compliments, even taken the opportunity to point out my flaws. I’ve thought that my tendency to do this was due to this voice in my head that said that I wasn’t very good and that any good shots were a result of luck. Recently, I came to realize that that voice didn't originate in my head, but it was nestled there, pretty deeply. <br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>That voice came from someone who has been saying for years that there’s something not quite right with my forehand, that my second serve is weak and no different from my first, that I don’t have enough topspin on my groundstrokes. I believed these things about myself despite all the evidence otherwise -- regularly having to restring my racquets because of all the topspin I was hitting, what others said about my game and winning matches (sometimes). That commentary from that person – a real person – has been running on background loop in my brain ever since I started playing tennis and it’s part of the reason I can’t take a compliment. I thought, for years, that there was something not quite right about me -- on the court and off. <div>This person wanted me to be a carbon copy of him and if I wasn't doing it his way, then it wasn't right. I was deemed unteachable -- because I'd rather not be told what to do after every. single. point. He'd give me lessons and stopped because I questioned some aspect of the practices we did -- I was branded "uncoachable" and he actually told other people this, <i>while I was playing</i>. I could hear him on the sidelines, mocking my groundstrokes, my net game. Once, I played a match against this person's doubles partner and after I lost, he virtually ignored me at court side, ran to her to tell her how great she was, and spirited her away. I left the court alone and humiliated. It has taken years to acknowledge that first of all, that hurt, and second, that this person wasn't always right -- and he wasn't right about me. </div><div>It’s going to take a long time to silence that voice because even though I’m removing that person from an active role in my life, I have actually believed these things. So now I have to unlearn them and that's not going to be easy. A few of weeks ago, I played in a round-robin event with 11 other women, and when one told me I was a strong player, the criticism from myself about myself came out so quickly that it didn't make sense. It was embarrassing.</div><div>So anyway, I have been trying to teach myself to believe in my abilities and that came in really handy in a recent match. Anyway, our opponents started slowly and we started fast. I had my kids with me and after the first set, I was optimistic that I'd have them home pretty quickly. You know what happens when you start looking ahead. Of course, the second set was a dogfight and for a stretch there, no one could hold their serve game. </div><div>There was a point where I'd made a really dumb unforced error at a key stretch of the game. I was about to fall into the <i>you never win the close ones </i>mindset when another thought planted itself: Y<i>ou can stop doing stupid things right now at this very moment. You can do that anytime you want.</i> I admit, I took myself aback here. Whoever this was sounded very smart and someone I should get to know. And she calmed me down, even as we advanced to a tiebreak. And I found myself standing at the baseline, serving for the set, which is never a situation I like to find myself in, especially because I think I might have hit somewhere around 10 double faults that night. But I stepped up and hit two solid serves to win the match. It only took about two hours! </div><div>Why am I saying this. Sometimes, as a writer, if you don't tell the truth at top of mind, you become unable to say anything else. Also, this is a tennis blog. The head game is approximately 92.54233 percent of tennis and if your mental game is off, well, so goes everything else. In addition to that, something tells me that I'm not the only person who's had someone in their lives who spews negative toxins with no regard of where it lands. I'm here to tell you that you are really good at what you do. People who take the time to attempt to dismantle you do so because it's easier than taking out their own garbage. Just remember that.</div><div>The other thing is that removing this person from my life has sort of taken the priority right now, so my dress project is in a box somewhere, and I don't know where that box is yet. I'm settled enough to watch tennis clips on YouTube and still trying to decide if I think Pandemic Slams are a good idea. I'll probably have a better idea of that by this weekend, when I'll post my picks (assuming the tournament happens). </div><div>So, uh, rather belatedly, Happy New Year!</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-11103970285798732632020-10-21T08:48:00.001-04:002020-10-21T08:50:12.973-04:00TWA Hodgepodge!<h4 style="text-align: left;">Hodgey</h4><p>If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I stan pretty hard for Rafael Nadal and especially for his sexy ass. His record at the French Open is nearly unblemished and it's crazy, because every year, he shows up at Roland Garros acting like it's just not gonna happen this year, friends. </p><p>This year, he showed up having lost in the final of a warm-up tournament to Diego Schwartzmann, who is a problem on clay to say the least. Then, because of the pandemic, the French Open was held a good four months later than usual and in colder temperatures. So Rafa showed up to the Open, with Schwartzmann in his piece of the draw, and says, in essence: 'This year is gonna be tough -- these tennis balls are trash and it's cold.' </p><p>The other person I stan hard for is Venus Williams, so I don't have a lot of hope left in my wishing well, in this the 3,854th day of 2020. So it was hard to watch Rafa at first for this tournament, because I was thinking he was going to struggle. But I forgot that Rafa is always most down about himself and it's usually for no reason at all. But, my goodness, what can you say about Nadal's play during this tournament that hasn't been said? Who does that to Novak Djokovic in a major final? And who didn't half expect one of those moments that Djokovic produced that return when he was on the robes against Roger Federer in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azQemcdCwH4&ab_channel=%D0%9E%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BD%D1%96%D1%80">2011 U.S. Open final</a> that turned the whole match around? Because it wasn't even that Djokovic looked that bad. </p><p>I'm just saying, I saw it and I was more than impressed with Rafa, the least likely to have a long, prosperous career, according to all the tennis pundits in the early 2000s. To be fair, many of them were looking at Federer when they said this. </p><p>And I've said this before, but I am looking forward to all hands being back on the tennis deck, especially for the women. The WTA is building quite the stable of players who will be mixing it up for at least a decade to come. Where does Iga Swiatek fit in there? I mean, based on the way she spanked Simona Halep in the first week, I'm going to say pretty high up there? I would say between Naomi Osaka/Bianca Andreescu and Elina Svitolina. So, anyway, the French Open was good. I'm glad there were no major outbreaks. Maybe if everyone acts right, we can get a full Slam with all healthy hands on deck in 2021. Don't laugh. It could happen ...?</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Podgey</h4><p>In my corner of the world, rec tennis has resumed. I'm playing some league matches and, well, the rust is obvious. I've also found my way back onto the ball machine at my local courts, so it's just a matter of time. I hope.</p><p>My Martina dress project is still on and I thought that creating the pattern from scratch would be the hardest part. Once that was done, all I had to do was cut it into fabric and voila! Right?! Right?? So to do this, I held the bodice up to my body. I knew I didn't want it as short as Martina's dress, but flattering still. So I added two inches to the skirt, marked my fabric and began cutting. </p><p>I didn't even notice it at first. Instead, I held up my handiwork like that monkey holding Simba in The Lion King. I was just as proud of myself, too. Then I began translating the darts onto the fabric. I was about to cut the back piece out when I took another look at the front. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBWYF5o6bPdQxWl-BUj0zXqrZb-JrDOXF0ZcaoR-PnGCBm3By8H1GZGDDN6IfzONHR8fmow8Y8USBfG3TMxIpK20HSuc2NlvX7THygiDnfAy-9btd6jVtKfAmlqCDCfL8lKKSGw/s2048/IMG_4814.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBWYF5o6bPdQxWl-BUj0zXqrZb-JrDOXF0ZcaoR-PnGCBm3By8H1GZGDDN6IfzONHR8fmow8Y8USBfG3TMxIpK20HSuc2NlvX7THygiDnfAy-9btd6jVtKfAmlqCDCfL8lKKSGw/s320/IMG_4814.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Then I sized it up against my own body again.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5jQHD__9JbsBGRIszqGbk-DO37opFyMIhhK6akL8Dx0fz-SkS4QX91ENqDusJ45gr6rUdO89gq4CnGdm5tF-wt5uygUhdpKUX8-7AKDzSFou1aP1FIjBn2u9LfT0wWd97bMRTQ/s2048/IMG_2054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5jQHD__9JbsBGRIszqGbk-DO37opFyMIhhK6akL8Dx0fz-SkS4QX91ENqDusJ45gr6rUdO89gq4CnGdm5tF-wt5uygUhdpKUX8-7AKDzSFou1aP1FIjBn2u9LfT0wWd97bMRTQ/s320/IMG_2054.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div>So my measurements were a bit off. As I've said before, anything involving numbers is going to be a situation for me. I thought I'd have a lot of time to get through this draft dress before tackling the real one (if you are reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, <a href="http://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2020/05/twa-and-notions-how-to-make-pattern_9.html">refer here, please</a>), but it looks like I'm going to have to *gulp* set a goal. I think I'll try to finish this before Election Day here in the States, because I have no idea the sort of condition I'll be in when that's over. Best to do something positive in that time.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">More hodge than podge</h4><div>I've been writing some articles about tennis for STACK.com, which is aimed at young people trying to become better at their sport and older athletes trying to expand their game. My first article (<a href="https://www.stack.com/a/three-ways-to-incorporate-mindfulness-into-your-tennis-game">read here!</a>) is about mindfulness and tennis and I have a quick real-life story about it. So I was playing a match a couple of weeks ago against a really annoying opponent. The person who wants to swap recipes and family trees on changeovers. The one who repeats your serve score -- and gets it wrong, then argues with you about it. The one who, as your game gradually deteriorates, says things like, "That was a nice try, though." Also, she had a good, solid game. Anyway, I was down a set and significantly down in the second and a pattern began to play out where I went up at least 30-love on my serve, and then lost the game. I'm at 40-0, and in about a minute, it's deuce, and I thought to myself, "I'm about to do this again! Why can't I hold my serve?!" Then I stopped and reminded myself that what happened earlier in the match was the past and how I perform for the rest of this game is up to me -- it's not written in the stars. I needed to remember to play the one game before me at that moment. </div><div>The crazy part is that it worked. Mostly. I won that game and ended up in a second-set tiebreaker, and things didn't go great there. But what I did to get out of that hole is a form of mindfulness. I'm just sharing that so you understand that even if your match is going by quickly, you still have the time to exercise mindfulness in a meaningful way when you're on court. </div><div><br /></div><div>All right, I've got some fabric-measuring to do. Whoop!</div><div><div><br /><p></p></div></div>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-54023498721925995122020-09-27T10:21:00.002-04:002020-09-27T10:21:46.399-04:00French Open in 2020: I Know, I Know<p>My enthusiasm well for pro tennis is back at sub-zero, so.</p><p>Part of this is because I'm watching this Venus Williams/Anna Schmeidlova match, a match in which Venus started out 4-2 up. Now she's a set down and also a break. Venus still has game and it's too bad that she's not connecting at the right times. I mean, she could still come back, but she's 1-7 this year. Not that records mean much in a year like this.</p><p>There are a few fans scattered in the stands and their scattered applause is a sight better than the piped noise at the U.S. Open and other sporting events. There's something to be said for silence, especially in tennis. You can hear the way the ball is hitting the strings, the sheer effort from the athletes. Music and piped noise was always a bad idea and needs to go. Even small crowds are better, but they don't capture the suspense of that second match point Venus just saved. And if the regular French crowd had been there to watch Venus argue this line call with the umpire, they'd be raining boos on her. So, again, maybe this is good.</p><p>Welp, Venus just lost. The Carolina Garcia/Anett Kontaveit match has a lot more people in it. Kei Nishikori is back in action. Victoria Azarenka's continuing her run. I'm trying here. Give me a few days? </p><p><br /></p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-52012193805537496672020-09-18T08:43:00.005-04:002020-09-18T08:45:46.907-04:00U.S. Open in Coronavision: OK, So, It Wasn't BadBefore this tournament began, I questioned the wisdom of holding this tournament in one of the few countries that do not yet have this pandemic under control. I wasn't sure if I'd watch it with the same vigor as I would in normal times and I wasn't convinced it would last the full two weeks, especially with the early hullabaloo with Benoit Paire.<br />
My willingness to watch started slowly, even with Venus Williams losing at the first hurdle (I mean, <i>gurl</i>). But as the draw shook out, there were some great match-ups and before I knew it, I was in -- checking scoreboards at work, firing up the laptop at home (including once eschewing a writer's group Zoom call that I still kinda feel guilty about) and genuinely entertained by the few late-night matches this tournament had to offer.<br />
I wondered, and still do, what this tournament would have looked like with the full and capable cast -- Nadal, Halep, Andreescu, Federer. I thought that whoever won would have an asterisk next to their name. I don't think that's true now and it was actually unfair to suggest this.<br />
Those who sat this one out did it for good reason and those who chose to negotiate the risks to play the U.S. Open did it for good reason. These decisions really are reflective of what we're all navigating every day, right? We're trying to protect ourselves and our loved ones and trying to be responsible and also trying not to go insane in our living quarters. That good reason looks different to all of us and nowhere was that more clear than the draws we got at the U.S. Open. This is as true-to-life a scenario we'll see in professional tennis, where even millionaires are left making the same choices as you and me -- do I go back to work? How? Is it safe? Is everyone else being safe? It's kind of wild when you think about it.<br />
Anyway, sorry. About the tennis. It was good! It was great for young Americans. I once saw Shelby Rogers play live at a <a href="https://tenniswithattitude.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-first-fed-cup-tie-in-pictures-some.html">Fed Cup match</a> (warning: if you're missing crowds, don't click this link) and I was underwhelmed. Well, she has completely revamped her game, cracking the hell out of her groundstrokes and mixing up her shots. I always thought her forehand swing looked a little funky, but as with any tennis swing, you do it long enough and it will begin to work for you. I actually missed that she'd beaten Serena Williams this summer already as well. And there was Jennifer Brady who seemed to me to always be on the precipice of a breakthrough in Slams. I mean, she beat the sauce out of Angelique Kerber and I was really concerned for Naomi Osaka during their semifinal for a minute.<br />
That Victoria Azarenka v. Serena match? Did not see that result coming, but this is 2020 and we can say that about everything at this point. Seriously, that was some great tennis, and I'm not 100 percent convinced it was an injury to Serena that lost her that match. I really think she's got a mental block around this 24th slam title. Because I didn't think Azarenka did anything much different to turn the match around -- Serena gave an inch and Azarenka took a mile. It's not like she doesn't remember how to win.<br />
(MINI RANT COMING) I would like everyone to stop talking about women who are mothers playing each other now, please, NOW. Neither of these amazing athletes referenced about, and not Tsvetana Pironkova, either. <i>I</i> have <i>never</i> heard any commentator on any channel anywhere ever say that a Federer vs. Djokovic match was a battle of the dads. And I wouldn't care. Listen, I'm a mother. I get that we do it all. This isn't news. We are not gathered around our computer screens to observe them giving out tips for diaper rash. They are there to work and we are watching them work. So stop it. Just NO MORE (end of MINI RANT)<br />
Whew. I feel better. Anyway, Naomi Osaka is the bomb and is still socially super awkward and I love it. I know I just mentioned Serena giving an inch, and I think the same happened with Azarenka in the final against Osaka, but the difference in the final was that Osaka's level went way up. Azarenka didn't tank, she just leveled out. She wasn't this solid when she won the U.S. Open in 2018 and she was never even really in trouble in that final. She has matured and what I personally am waiting for is to see her at her best against Bianca Andreescu at hers because that rivalry is the future of women's tennis and it's going to be amaze-balls.<br />
Speaking of the future of tennis and why that phrase is overused, let's move on to the men's final, in which one of the participants, Alexander Zverev, noted that it would be a great match because it would be a showdown of the two best players in the world.<br />
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So Zverev has a history of his mouth writing checks that he can't cash. But. He came out on Sunday and quickly took two sets off Dominic Thiem, who I was rooting for, but I wasn't feeling invested. (I mean, if we're speaking freely, it has been a while since I've seen a legitimate ass on a white guy. Thiem's ass is, like, solid.) The thing is, I was watching and thinking, what is Zverev really doing here that is so special? I felt like I've seen Thiem play that well, and even better, before. Sure, a lot of it can be the heaviness of the moment -- both were playing for their first major title. Well, that question got answered when Thiem came back and forced a fifth set.<br />
OK, so, if you're a tennis player or are playing league tennis, this fifth set might have been particularly gratifying. You know how you start decelerating through your shots as you approach the end of a close match? How your legs stop moving and you're mentally shouting at yourself to come on, just get the second serve anywhere, <i>anywhere</i> in the box? That was the fifth set of the men's final and it's just good to know that even when you become a professional, you are still prone to figuring out how to finish a match with your racquet wrapped around your neck. So, in that sense, knowing that anyone can and will choke makes me feel better in general.<br />
But really, Thiem did come back and earned that win. He got a lot of help from Zverev, but he did it. And I did not expect to feel bad for Zverev, but when he gave his speech, I may have teared up.<br />
Having said all of this, yes, this is a nice preview of the future of men's tennis and once both of them have mastered their nerves, we'll be in for treats. However, I could not believe my ears listening to commentators actually talking about the future being now and openly asking if this is the beginning of a shift. Hi. Two-thirds of the most dominant men in tennis right now did not play this tournament. When they do play tournaments, they usually win them. One of those men won this same tournament last year! What? No, it's not a shift yet. It'll be a shift when Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are legitimately standing in their way of a Slam -- and they bypass them. Just to clear that up because there appears to have been some amnesia happening.<br />
OK, so that was more than I expected to have to say. It was good. I'm glad the players who came were able to bring back some semblance of normalcy to their lives. (Except for Kristina Mladenovic. Is she ... still sheltered in place?)<br />
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<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22229210.post-57188777798574300372020-09-10T19:59:00.002-04:002020-09-10T20:00:36.230-04:00U.S. Open in Coronavision: Did Not See This Coming<p>I should have known my lack of enthusiasm wouldn't last during the U.S. Open. There's always something coming down the pike that sucks you in. I'm not sure which storyline is the most intriguing, so please, help me decide.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">It's Like, a Pandemic</h3><p>Obviously, it was risky to continue on with the Open given the circumstances, and it was too risky for the likes of Rafa Nadal, Ash Barty, Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu and a bunch of others. Maybe they saw something others didn't. Like this situation with Benoit Paire testing positive for coronavirus shortly before play was to begin. These tennis players had been together in a bubble already for two weeks, playing the Cincinnati tournament in New York just as a precaution. Of course, the new problem with someone suddenly testing positive is figuring out who they've been in contact with. </p><p>So here's, in a nutshell, what happened: Kristina Mladenovic was determined to have close contact with Paire, and although she was allowed to play singles, she and her doubles partner Timea Babos -- the top-ranked team -- were pulled from the draw and Mladenovic was made to quarantine. It is worth noting that Babos left the country before anyone could tell her she had to quarantine in place. Adrian Mannarino, also shown to be exposed to Paire, was allowed to play his match the day before Mladenovic was taken out of the doubles draw. Daniil Medvedev is still in this tournament and was shown to have been exposed to Paire. So I don't get it. But this <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/sports/the-us-open-virus-quarantine-chaos.html?searchResultPosition=1">New York Times story</a> lays it out pretty well. </p><p>It would seem, then, that there is some inconsistence in how these decisions are made and when. Apparently, the USTA worked with NYC and state health officials before working with the county in which the players are staying. And then, the other day, I read that the French Open is wanting to have a similar player bubble AND spectators in the stands. So yeah. Should go GREAT.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Conspiracy Theory Tennis Twitter</h4><p>Novak Djokovic had one job. And it was a pretty easy one, because (and I am not trying to be rude) there were zero Grand Slam winners in the top five seeds of this tournament. All he had to do was go out there and be Novak Djokovic against players who definitely are not him. And then he hit a lineswoman in the throat with an errant ball struck in frustration. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE4saXtHQ3VpbzealY95igc_S0eiiEzNtlnmfcZSMkLr63ox460Vu6vrbAHYLGdriWvJ3wQ2NmW3AQGba2wzSSgaUcFD3ejSxPiyBtnMDC_O2C9g4BpGnfXEUp86LzzcGigIvXQ/s1178/Snip20200910_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="1178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE4saXtHQ3VpbzealY95igc_S0eiiEzNtlnmfcZSMkLr63ox460Vu6vrbAHYLGdriWvJ3wQ2NmW3AQGba2wzSSgaUcFD3ejSxPiyBtnMDC_O2C9g4BpGnfXEUp86LzzcGigIvXQ/s320/Snip20200910_1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I mean, that expression? That's most tennis fans about Novak Djokovic, who talks constantly of wanting to be liked, but then creates a super-spreader tour event and then tried to talk his way out of consequences by saying, "hey, she didn't go to the hospital ..."</p><p>He did apologize. This is true, and it was a full apology. He accepted his punishment and left. But then tennis' version of Q-Anon decided that this incident needed further examination. Some theorized that the lineswoman hit the deck intentionally and overreacted to get Djokovic in trouble. Have you ever been hit in the throat without having the opportunity to protect yourself from impact? Me neither, but it probably hurts. What can I say? Twitter is a cesspool.</p><p>Also disappointing were <i>some </i>commentators suggesting that the problem was the presence of linespeople in the first place, because they aren't on all courts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLxkcmIInLVDg-ji0fqXQN-oQ2SuOUY5zW-CWx0hWy2GlORgtzuea2V15ukJ2OENIgly434CAVSSgV5wlahNbr2eWJ-MzxXuMmnVzqwLSK8fLC5McQLNEixNkHpOHXMlYaYX9ag/s1186/Snip20200910_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="1186" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLxkcmIInLVDg-ji0fqXQN-oQ2SuOUY5zW-CWx0hWy2GlORgtzuea2V15ukJ2OENIgly434CAVSSgV5wlahNbr2eWJ-MzxXuMmnVzqwLSK8fLC5McQLNEixNkHpOHXMlYaYX9ag/w500-h118/Snip20200910_2.png" width="500" /></a></div><p>Had to be Brad Gilbert.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">How to Talk About Racism</h4><p>The shooting of Jacob Blake may have rendered our lawmakers into a malaise, but at least athletes had something to say about it. This is a crazy thing to be typing, by the way. It's not normal to understand, as we all do, that something is deeply wrong with policing in America and to do nothing about it, especially when you are among the people who can do something about it. </p><p>When the Milwaukee Bucks said, "aw, hell naw, Karen" and refused to play until someone did something, it started an unbelievable cascade of players sitting in protest, from men's and women's basketball, to BASEball (emphasis mine, because, like, what?), to tennis. In the bubble, Naomi Osaka refused to play her semifinal, prompting the entire Cincinnati tournament to pause. </p><p>Osaka showed up to the U.S. Open with the goal of highlighting the stories of black people who died at the hands of police, or people playing police, as was the case with Trayvon Martin. She did this by displaying their names on her mask. Where her mouth is. And of course, what she's doing is just powerful, but it's clear that some white people don't know how to talk about it. During her match against Shelby Rogers, Chris Evert noted that perhaps Osaka's renewed resolve in highlighting racial injustice was translating into her game. This made my head hurt for a moment, but then at least Cliff Drysdale immediately said, "I don't know about that," and the swelling went down. Then after Osaka won, she had a post-match interview with Rennae Stubbs, who is an astute observer of the game. After some talk about the game, she noted, in a rather light and casual tone, that she had incorrectly guessed which name would be highlighted on Osaka's mask on this night, like she had missed a question in JEOPARDY! during a bar's game's night, and I don't remember what happened next, because my head came off my body in an explosion. This isn't a game. These are dead black people who didn't have to die and my god, woman, ask about the person if you want to do this right! Gah!</p><p>I stayed with the match long enough for another interview with Osaka, who was presented with a video of Martin's mother and Ahmaud Arbery's dad thanking her for using her platform to highlight their children, and just like that, I was bawling. It was a beautiful moment and opened the door for a conversation about why she was doing what she was doing.</p><p>That's when I had a mini-revelation (well, after I roasted Stubbs and Evert on Twitter). This is literally new for a lot of white people. They are only now coming to understand what it's like to be black in America. Sure, you can ask why this is new to people and that's a different and longer conversation, but there are many who really don't know how to have this conversation. They want to help, and learn, and grow, and they have empathy for others. But when it comes to talking about race and racism, it can get awkward, I think. And sometimes, they'll say the wrong thing because they don't know how to say something substantial, or what's acceptable or they're nervous about saying the wrong thing. And then they imply that taking a stand against racism is good for a tennis game, or they maybe don't want to ignore the mask on your face but aren't sure how to address it. I'm just saying that we've (I've) gotta show some grace here, I think. There's going to be a lot of stumbling and fumbling around white people talking about racism and yeah, it's past time they did it. They're obviously not going to get it right. </p><p>But at least they're not ignoring the issue. Which is better than our own government.</p>Nafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13980920774218677051noreply@blogger.com0