Monday, 14 September 2009
Anyone for tennis?
Tennis took a bit of a front seat in the Chicago Addick household this weekend. Late last night I tried desperately to stay awake to watch Caroline Wozniacki play Kim Clijsters in the US Open women's final. I have had my eyes on Wozniacki since she won Eastbourne and then the Pilot Pen in New Haven we recently attended so I had a good feeling about the 19-year old Dane and got very decent odds on her winning at the beginning of the tournament. However Clijsters' experience was too much and she deservedly won the tournament in a feel good moment for tennis after Serena Williams embarrassed the sport with her tirade the night before. I hope the USTA stuff the book down her throat.
Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a brilliant semi-final on Sunday evening, Federer's penultimate point being an outrageous back-through-the-legs shot hit low and hard leaving Djokovic shaking his head in awe. The man is a genius and he plays the Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro in the final tonight. By the way I also backed Federer and Clijsters in a double.
Earlier to get us in the mood for all of this, yesterday afternoon we took a gander at the International Beach Tennis tournament held at Horseshoe Bay and a lot of fun it was too. We have often considered playing weekly beach tennis on a Saturday but a combination of my laziness, my other half's pregnant condition and the searing heat meant we have decided against it.
Beach tennis is played on a standard beach volleyball court using a slightly depressurized tennis ball and a paddle racquet. Similiar scoring exists but with no advantage point at deuce and no second service. Beach Tennis originated in Aruba but it is widely played in Italy, Israel and other Caribbean Islands. The Americans snagged it from Aruba but insist on using tennis racquets and not paddles.... those yankees just can't play to the same rules as the rest of us can they?
Anyway it was the reigning World Champions Alex Mingozzi and Matteo Marighella from Italy who won the men's final on Saturday but yesterday escaping the rain showers it was the turn of the amateurs and a few mates played too whilst we stood and supported from the sidelines. ¶ 07:47
Tennis took a bit of a front seat in the Chicago Addick household this weekend. Late last night I tried desperately to stay awake to watch Caroline Wozniacki play Kim Clijsters in the US Open women's final. I have had my eyes on Wozniacki since she won Eastbourne and then the Pilot Pen in New Haven we recently attended so I had a good feeling about the 19-year old Dane and got very decent odds on her winning at the beginning of the tournament. However Clijsters' experience was too much and she deservedly won the tournament in a feel good moment for tennis after Serena Williams embarrassed the sport with her tirade the night before. I hope the USTA stuff the book down her throat.Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a brilliant semi-final on Sunday evening, Federer's penultimate point being an outrageous back-through-the-legs shot hit low and hard leaving Djokovic shaking his head in awe. The man is a genius and he plays the Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro in the final tonight. By the way I also backed Federer and Clijsters in a double.
Earlier to get us in the mood for all of this, yesterday afternoon we took a gander at the International Beach Tennis tournament held at Horseshoe Bay and a lot of fun it was too. We have often considered playing weekly beach tennis on a Saturday but a combination of my laziness, my other half's pregnant condition and the searing heat meant we have decided against it.
Beach tennis is played on a standard beach volleyball court using a slightly depressurized tennis ball and a paddle racquet. Similiar scoring exists but with no advantage point at deuce and no second service. Beach Tennis originated in Aruba but it is widely played in Italy, Israel and other Caribbean Islands. The Americans snagged it from Aruba but insist on using tennis racquets and not paddles.... those yankees just can't play to the same rules as the rest of us can they?
Anyway it was the reigning World Champions Alex Mingozzi and Matteo Marighella from Italy who won the men's final on Saturday but yesterday escaping the rain showers it was the turn of the amateurs and a few mates played too whilst we stood and supported from the sidelines. ¶ 07:47
