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No More Preparation – It’s Game Time!
It was all smiles for my dad and I today as we marched into The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with our grounds passes for Day 2 of the US Open! He let out a few childish giggles as he relished in what truly is his favorite holiday.
That’s right. Christmas is to small children as the US Open is to my father.
A lot of that rubbed off on me, I have to say. It was fantastic getting an up close and personal look at what I’ve been writing about for two months now. And let me just say – we got a LOT of good looks out of those grounds passes.
As I’ve said before, (“You Don’t Have $350 For a Seat at Arthur Ashe??”) you don’t need those fancy, shmancy tickets to see some of your favorite players on the court and off, (as was the case today – I’ll get to that in a minute).
We saw two fantastic matches at The Grandstand. The first was twelfth-seeded Ana Ivonovic versus 17 year old Ukrainian qualifier, Elina Svitolina. Svitolina put up a good fight and was exciting to watch, but Ivonovic and her powerful, two-handed grip took the match at 6-3, 6-2.
Check out our awesome seats!
It was GREAT because moments later all of those empties were filled for the next match, which was Jo Wilfried Tsonga, fifth seeded, (who I listed as someone to keep a close eye on in “What Will Rafa’s Withdrawal Mean?“) versus Slovakian qualifier, Karol Beck. It was an exciting match. Tsonga took the first two pretty easily at 6-3, 6-1, but the their set got pretty thrilling when it went into a tiebreak at 6-6, Tsonga eventually taking it 7-6 (2), (when he did the “Jo Willie” signature victory dance).
Beck had a bad habit throughout the match of letting game after game after game get to deuce and have the advantage bounced back forth before letting it go to Tsonga. It seemed like it was always slipping through his hands – which it did entirely in the third set tiebreak.
Tsonga on the other hand was on fire, with one serve that clocked 137 mph. The most fantastic thing about his serve, however, is the fact that he throws it up so high and so far behind him, that you almost think he might collapse backwards at any moment while trying to strike the ball. Instead he does the opposite and manages to slam it with incredible force.
After the match, we strolled around the food court and eventually made our way over to the practice courts. For those of you who have never been, there are five practice courts way in the back corner of Billie Jean, behind Arthur Ashe. Three sides are lined with incredibly tall shrubbery making it impossible to see through, the other has a small opening with a few bleachers set up. If you get to that opening at just the right time, you can see all the biggest names of the tourney practice only feet from you.
Well. This is where I must disclose some personal information. I do not mind admitting that I have developed quite the crush on Novak Djokovic over the course of this blog journey, (See my profile on him at “Djokovic the Djoker“).
Here’s some proof of my crush.
It is love.
Okay, not literally. BUT I had absolutely no expectation of seeing him in person, (hence this photo) even though I knew he was playing at Ashe at 7PM. However, fate, (which is trying to force us together) led me straight to the practice courts just half an hour before he was scheduled to arrive. The word hadn’t quite gotten out yet, so I got a great spot up against the fence, and watched at 4:45 as he entered the court. 
Unfortunately, the players practicing at the time were running late, so he didn’t stay long. But he did take the time to stand behind Caroline Wozniacki and act as her ball boy. I don’t mean he just threw some balls back to her hitter – he fully took on ball boy mode, with the straight back, open palms, then hands behind his back. He winked, (right at me) the crowd let out a hearty laugh, and I sighed thinking, “What a Djoker”.
We got to see Andy Murray come by the practice courts as well, (his hair is WAY redder in person). Serena was set to come on at 4:45 but by 5:45 when we left, she still hadn’t appeared. Bummer.
Practice courts are definitely the way to go after you’ve seen the best matches of the day, (if you only have a grounds pass). I’m not sure everyone would agree with this, but it’s really thrilling to see the big names so close! I loved it.
Anyway – I had a fantastic time. For those of you headed out to Flushing in the next two weeks, have a blast. For those of you watching at home – get ready, because I’m betting that the men’s singles will be a fight to the death this year.
Signing off for now. Thank you to everyone who read, commented and shared this blog. It’s been an honor to “Prepare” you for this great tourney.
Posted in About Me, Ana Ivonovic, Andy Murray, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Events, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Karol Beck, Novak Djokovic, Players, Serena Williams, The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, The Grandstand, US Open
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No More Preparation – It’s Game Time!
It was all smiles for my dad and I today as we marched into The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with our grounds passes for Day 2 of the US Open! He let out a few childish giggles as he relished in what truly is his favorite holiday.
That’s right. Christmas is to small children as the US Open is to my father.
A lot of that rubbed off on me, I have to say. It was fantastic getting an up close and personal look at what I’ve been writing about for two months now. And let me just say – we got a LOT of good looks out of those grounds passes.
As I’ve said before, (“You Don’t Have $350 For a Seat at Arthur Ashe??”) you don’t need those fancy, shmancy tickets to see some of your favorite players on the court and off, (as was the case today – I’ll get to that in a minute).
We saw two fantastic matches at The Grandstand. The first was twelfth-seeded Ana Ivonovic versus 17 year old Ukrainian qualifier, Elina Svitolina. Svitolina put up a good fight and was exciting to watch, but Ivonovic and her powerful, two-handed grip took the match at 6-3, 6-2.
Check out our awesome seats!
It was GREAT because moments later all of those empties were filled for the next match, which was Jo Wilfried Tsonga, fifth seeded, (who I listed as someone to keep a close eye on in “What Will Rafa’s Withdrawal Mean?“) versus Slovakian qualifier, Karol Beck. It was an exciting match. Tsonga took the first two pretty easily at 6-3, 6-1, but the their set got pretty thrilling when it went into a tiebreak at 6-6, Tsonga eventually taking it 7-6 (2), (when he did the “Jo Willie” signature victory dance).
Beck had a bad habit throughout the match of letting game after game after game get to deuce and have the advantage bounced back forth before letting it go to Tsonga. It seemed like it was always slipping through his hands – which it did entirely in the third set tiebreak.
Tsonga on the other hand was on fire, with one serve that clocked 137 mph. The most fantastic thing about his serve, however, is the fact that he throws it up so high and so far behind him, that you almost think he might collapse backwards at any moment while trying to strike the ball. Instead he does the opposite and manages to slam it with incredible force.
After the match, we strolled around the food court and eventually made our way over to the practice courts. For those of you who have never been, there are five practice courts way in the back corner of Billie Jean, behind Arthur Ashe. Three sides are lined with incredibly tall shrubbery making it impossible to see through, the other has a small opening with a few bleachers set up. If you get to that opening at just the right time, you can see all the biggest names of the tourney practice only feet from you.
Well. This is where I must disclose some personal information. I do not mind admitting that I have developed quite the crush on Novak Djokovic over the course of this blog journey, (See my profile on him at “Djokovic the Djoker“).
Here’s some proof of my crush.
It is love.
Okay, not literally. BUT I had absolutely no expectation of seeing him in person, (hence this photo) even though I knew he was playing at Ashe at 7PM. However, fate, (which is trying to force us together) led me straight to the practice courts just half an hour before he was scheduled to arrive. The word hadn’t quite gotten out yet, so I got a great spot up against the fence, and watched at 4:45 as he entered the court. 
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Unfortunately, the players practicing at the time were running late, so he didn’t stay long. But he did take the time to stand behind Caroline Wozniacki and act as her ball boy. I don’t mean he just threw some balls back to her hitter – he fully took on ball boy mode, with the straight back, open palms, then hands behind his back. He winked, (right at me) the crowd let out a hearty laugh, and I sighed thinking, “What a Djoker”.
We got to see Andy Murray come by the practice courts as well, (his hair is WAY redder in person). Serena was set to come on at 4:45 but by 5:45 when we left, she still hadn’t appeared. Bummer.
Practice courts are definitely the way to go after you’ve seen the best matches of the day, (if you only have a grounds pass). I’m not sure everyone would agree with this, but it’s really thrilling to see the big names so close! I loved it.
Anyway – I had a fantastic time. For those of you headed out to Flushing in the next two weeks, have a blast. For those of you watching at home – get ready, because I’m betting that the men’s singles will be a fight to the death this year.
Signing off for now. Thank you to everyone who read, commented and shared this blog. It’s been an honor to “Prepare” you for this great tourney.
Posted in About Me, Ana Ivonovic, Andy Murray, Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, Events, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Karol Beck, Novak Djokovic, Players, Serena Williams, The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, The Grandstand, US Open
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What Will Rafa’s Withdrawal Mean for the Men’s Singles Competition at Ashe?
Twelve days before the beginning of the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam tourney, the tennis world was shocked by Rafael Nadal’s decision not to play.
The former ATP number one and current number three has watched his season decline since winning at Rolland Garros in June. Consistently, it became clear that Rafael was not in proper form, and fans and players alike began to wonder what his US Open fate would be. (Read more @ “This Just In: Rafa May be Out.”)
The question has been answered. Many believe we will not see Rafa again until the Australian Open in 2013. He told Sports Illustrated, “I will compete when my knee says I am ready to compete. I don’t want to go on court with bad feeling because then it is terrible.”
Now, no one can say for sure that Rafael, (had he been in good condition) would have even made it past the first round. Upsets happen. You just never know. Still, it is more likely to assume that he would have made it pretty far when you look at his track record. Perhaps he would have faced Federer in the finals, or his rival Djokovic. Would anyone be particularly surprised? The top three players are a bit of a trio, rotating around, constantly winding up across the net from one another.
No one can be expected to fill the triad right away, but the question on everyone’s mind has become: If Rafa did “free up a spot,” so to speak, then who will fill it? Let’s look through my top-three most likely candidates.
Andy Murray:
The Brit doesn’t have a single Slam title under his belt, and yet he was able to come out victorious in showdowns with both Djokovic AND Federer at the Olympics this month, taking it all and walking away with gold on his home turf. The ATP number four has a great chance of making the finals. Throughout his career, he has defeated Federer in nine matches, and Djokovic in six. Who’s to say he couldn’t finally succeed at a Grand Slam?
Juan Martin del Porto:
The 23 year old Argentinian has been commanding a lot of attention lately. At the 2012 Olympics, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the battle for bronze. At the beginning of 2010 he got as high as number four in the ranking, now number nine – nothing to sneeze at. In 2009, he defeated Rafael at the US Open to make it to the finals with Federer, where he ultimately walked away with the trophy. It was his first and only Slam title, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t take it all this month.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:
The 27 year old Frenchman is number six in the world but hasn’t yet had his moment to really shine. Like Andy Murray, he has never received a Grand Slam title, but was a quarter-finalist in the 2012 French Open and 2011 US Open, and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon 2012. He’s done well in the past on the hard courts at the Australian Open, (finalist ’08, quarter-finalist ’09, semi-finalist ’10). He’s known for the same “electric” style of play attributed to Nadal, with a powerful serve and impressive agility for his 6’2″ frame. He is without a doubt the underdog, but is certainly a player to watch this month.
It truly is anyone’s guess when it comes to the US Open and who would ever take Nadal’s place. Rafael is a player unlike any other and his ferocity and entertaining play will doubtlessly be missed. Regardless of the tourney’s outcome sans Nadal, our fingers should be crossed for him to return in 2013. The great Roger Federer, 31, has his seasons numbered at this point in his career. It would be incredbily sad to see a young, potential “greatest” such as Rafa out for good so soon, especially when we may not be seeing Roger Federer for too much longer.
Either way, the show must go on. Take you picks and tune in August 27th to see it all begin.
Posted in Andy Murray, Australian Open, Events, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin Del Porto, Novak Djokovic, Players, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rolland Garros, Sports Illustrated, US Open
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What Will Rafa’s Withdrawal Mean for the Men’s Singles Competition at Ashe?
Twelve days before the beginning of the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam tourney, the tennis world was shocked by Rafael Nadal’s decision not to play.
The former ATP number one and current number three has watched his season decline since winning at Rolland Garros in June. Consistently, it became clear that Rafael was not in proper form, and fans and players alike began to wonder what his US Open fate would be. (Read more @ “This Just In: Rafa May be Out.”)
The question has been answered. Many believe we will not see Rafa again until the Australian Open in 2013. He told Sports Illustrated, “I will compete when my knee says I am ready to compete. I don’t want to go on court with bad feeling because then it is terrible.”
Now, no one can say for sure that Rafael, (had he been in good condition) would have even made it past the first round. Upsets happen. You just never know. Still, it is more likely to assume that he would have made it pretty far when you look at his track record. Perhaps he would have faced Federer in the finals, or his rival Djokovic. Would anyone be particularly surprised? The top three players are a bit of a trio, rotating around, constantly winding up across the net from one another.
No one can be expected to fill the triad right away, but the question on everyone’s mind has become: If Rafa did “free up a spot,” so to speak, then who will fill it? Let’s look through my top-three most likely candidates.
Andy Murray:
The Brit doesn’t have a single Slam title under his belt, and yet he was able to come out victorious in showdowns with both Djokovic AND Federer at the Olympics this month, taking it all and walking away with gold on his home turf. The ATP number four has a great chance of making the finals. Throughout his career, he has defeated Federer in nine matches, and Djokovic in six. Who’s to say he couldn’t finally succeed at a Grand Slam?
Juan Martin del Porto:
The 23 year old Argentinian has been commanding a lot of attention lately. At the 2012 Olympics, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the battle for bronze. At the beginning of 2010 he got as high as number four in the ranking, now number nine – nothing to sneeze at. In 2009, he defeated Rafael at the US Open to make it to the finals with Federer, where he ultimately walked away with the trophy. It was his first and only Slam title, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t take it all this month.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga:
The 27 year old Frenchman is number six in the world but hasn’t yet had his moment to really shine. Like Andy Murray, he has never received a Grand Slam title, but was a quarter-finalist in the 2012 French Open and 2011 US Open, and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon 2012. He’s done well in the past on the hard courts at the Australian Open, (finalist ’08, quarter-finalist ’09, semi-finalist ’10). He’s known for the same “electric” style of play attributed to Nadal, with a powerful serve and impressive agility for his 6’2″ frame. He is without a doubt the underdog, but is certainly a player to watch this month.
It truly is anyone’s guess when it comes to the US Open and who would ever take Nadal’s place. Rafael is a player unlike any other and his ferocity and entertaining play will doubtlessly be missed. Regardless of the tourney’s outcome sans Nadal, our fingers should be crossed for him to return in 2013. The great Roger Federer, 31, has his seasons numbered at this point in his career. It would be incredbily sad to see a young, potential “greatest” such as Rafa out for good so soon, especially when we may not be seeing Roger Federer for too much longer.
Either way, the show must go on. Take you picks and tune in August 27th to see it all begin.
Posted in Andy Murray, Australian Open, Events, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin Del Porto, Novak Djokovic, Players, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rolland Garros, Sports Illustrated, US Open
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This Just In: Rafa May Be Out.
(Please note the UPDATES at the bottom.)
Rafael Nadal has been keeping quiet about whether or not his knee injury, (continuing tendinitis) will keep him out of the US Open in two weeks. But it’s not looking great.
Nadal’s season started out just fine. He breezed through the Australian Open before falling to Novak Djokovic in the final – not without a fight, however. The match lasted five hours and 53 minutes, making it the longest final match in Grand Slam history.
Nadal faced Djokovic again at Rolland Garros in May, but this time Rafael came out victorious. He won his seventh French Open title, surpassing Bijorn Borg’s record of six. The 26 year old ATP number three in the world was playing at his best.
Then – things got a little weird. At Wimbledon, Rafa was knocked out in the second round by Lucas Rosol, ranked 100 in the world. Nadal hadn’t failed to advance past round two in a Grand Slam tourney since he was a teenager – and he had won Wimbledon only two years prior. But everyone has their bad days – Rosol even saying, “Nadal is only human.”
The world expected Rafael to rest up for the Olympics, as he was in line to bear Spain’s flag in the opening ceremony, but not two weeks after Wimbledon, he announced that he would not be able to participate. It was made clear that the tendinitis was to blame.
It was also the cause of his absence at the Rogers Cup in Toronto and the Cincinnati Masters last week. Not only do these tournaments help to secure a players ranking, they assist in keeping them agile and in shape for the Grand Slams – i.e. the US Open. When Rafa was nowhere to be found, many became anxious, including ATP number one, Roger Federer, that he would not be prepared. (Tennis.com)
“I can’t believe he’s been out that long. I thought the Olympics, okay, that’s fine. That’s a personal choice. I thought for sure we would see him in Toronto, but now he missed Toronto and Cincinnati. It’s very surprising…So I’m sad for him. I hope he’ll be back for the US Open.”
It doesn’t seem like anyone would be safe counting on Nadal’s participation at Arthur Ashe this month. No formal statement has been made by Nadal since the Olympics, but as opening day in Queens draws nearer, the world has been abuzz about whether or not the 2011 finalist will be strong enough to compete.
Nadal made headlines last year in Flushing Meadows by making strong statements about the conditions of its courts. Throughout the tourney, pros were told to continue play, even when many believed the courts were too damp to ensure safety. Nadal was quoted as saying, “It’s the same old story, all you think about is money,” suggesting that the organizers cared more about the schedule than the well-being of the players.
If Nadal were to sit out of any tournament to protect his knee, you could probably assume it would be the US Open, since he publicly questioned its security last August before his tendinitis even flared.
Regardless, a decision must be made soon. It is likely we will hear a yea or a nay from the Spaniard by the end of the week.
UPDATE:
On Wednesday morning, August 15th, Rafael Nadal announced that he will NOT participate in the US Open.
On his twitter, Nadal wrote: “I am very sad to announce that I am not ready to play the US Open in NY. Thanks to my fans for their support and especially, the New Yorkers.”
Wow, wow, wow. It must be worse than he is letting on. As previously noted in the blog entry, “You Have to Look Beneath the Surface, or Do You?” I went into detail about how hard courts are historically the worst on a players joints. Nadal dominates on clay, but even though he won at Ashe in 2010 and was a finalist last year, he is probably making the best decision by avoiding the DecoTurf.
Wishing the 26 year old lots of luck and a speedy recovery.
Posted in Australian Open, Bijorn Borg, Cincinnati Masters, Events, Lucas Rosol, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Players, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rogers Cup, Rolland Garros, US Open, Wimbledon
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