“It was a dream,” said Ryan Sweeting. Ryan Sweeting, a tall Floridian who plays tennis for a living – and says he does make a living, $ 164,423 last year – walked onto the blue asphalt court of Rod Laver Arena and looked up and around. People. Everywhere people – 15,000 them. Staring at him. Of course they were also looking at the other guy, who happened to be named … [Read more...] about ONE MAN’S DREAM IS ANOTHER MAN’S VICTORY AS NADAL CRUISES ONWARD
Australian Open
IT’S HOME FOR THE AUSSIES BUT NOT SO SWEET FOR HEWITT
MELBOURNE — Where have all the Aussies gone? Or the Etruscans and Aztecs for that matter? Lost civilizations that I miss, but maybe the Australian tribe will yet revive and make us remember their might that caused fright, and bite that gave them ownership of the tennis world in the 50s, 60s and a slice of the 70s. Ancient history, I know, a time of wooden weaponry. But … [Read more...] about IT’S HOME FOR THE AUSSIES BUT NOT SO SWEET FOR HEWITT
READY OR NOT, HERE WE GO AGAIN — CAN ANYBODY BLOCK THE 1-2 PUNCHES OF MONOPOLISTS NADAL AND FEDERER?
Can’t even fully digest 2010 as 2011 springs into view, the 44th year of open tennis – or the 134th year since Wimbledon cranked up the original tournament. Everybody ready? Probably not. Not enough recuperation time during another ridiculously brief off-season as the years bump together like pigs in a pen. Life on the road resumes, and few are lucky enough to … [Read more...] about READY OR NOT, HERE WE GO AGAIN — CAN ANYBODY BLOCK THE 1-2 PUNCHES OF MONOPOLISTS NADAL AND FEDERER?
A SECOND ROUNDER TO REMEMBER, BETTER THAN MOST TITLE BOUTS
Why go on? The match of the tournament has already been played. I doubt that anything in the female precinct will top a second rounder sure to glisten and bounce about in my neural mush for years. That was Wednesday’s triumphant hello-again for the ex-champ Justine Henin, her 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), victory over Elena Dementieva, a fireworks display that lasted almost 3 … [Read more...] about A SECOND ROUNDER TO REMEMBER, BETTER THAN MOST TITLE BOUTS
OLD MAYBE BUT STILL RELIABLE IN CHASING AND CHASTENING THE KIDS
Puccini, the old Italian songwriter, would have loved Kimiko Date, the getting-older (but not noticeably) Japanese tennis player. Instead of his opera, “Madame Butterfly,” the tale of a Japanese lass betrayed by her American lover, Puccini might have created “Kid Butterfly,” the story of a world-cruising athlete who has not been daunted or betrayed by age. Remember “Float … [Read more...] about OLD MAYBE BUT STILL RELIABLE IN CHASING AND CHASTENING THE KIDS