Greetings PeopleWell, if you faithful readers do not know who this picture is of - I am pleased to tell you. "Aussie" Kim Clijsters. The "Aussie" is because Kim had once been engaged to an Australian, but that did not go through. However, when she became engaged the Australians took Kim in as one of their own, therefore she has been known as "Aussie" Kim Clijsters. Even after the engagement was called off the Australians have welcomed her back to Australia with a smile and open arms. To Australia and even to me she will be forever be known as "Aussie" Kim whenever in Australia.
So, the match was good, but not great. I woke up in the middle of the first set. I apparently fell asleep during the beginning of the first match of Serena vs. Vaidisova. Not because I was bored, but because I did not get to bed until 4 AM MST the previous morning and then got up at 7:15 AM MST. With only three hours of sleep in the past 40 hours or so, I succumbed to the "sandman" of Colorado. I even made the effort to stay awake - I stayed off the couch, I stayed off my bed. I put a blanket on the living room floor, got a couple of pillows and then opened a can of Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and the next thing you know I was waking up in the middle of the Clijsters vs. Sharapova match.
"Aussie" Kim Clijsters at 11:45 PM MST waved goodbye to the Australian Open, to her fans, to Rod Laver Arena and to me (well I would like to think at least to me). Yep, I got a lump in my throat at that moment. Nothing was emotional when Kim talked, but just the moment and the reflections of the past remind me of her playing and the "splits", "slides" and "turns" we faithful tennis fans are going to miss from her and perhaps this will be the last that we ever see such "flair" on the women's side. Well, perhaps for a long while. The play was a bit better than when she played Hingis the night before, but the unforced errors were there. I rooted until the end, but the "glimmer of hope" was gone and I knew nothing to stop her from losing unless Sharapova could even play even worse than she has been doing since the start of the tournament.
To the rest of the world, Kim has "left the building". Goodbye "Aussie" Kim until the next major tournament of the year.
Well, a window of opportunity opened up so I immediately set the VCR and went to bed to wake up at 1:30 AM MST for the Federer vs. Roddick match.
I was dozing in and out of this match from the get go, so I decided to let the VCR record and set the T.V. timer since I knew I was fading to the approaching "sandman" of Colorado. Oh, the match was good from the beginning, since Federer was showing his style of playing whenever he takes the court.
I will have to watch this match later since the other men's semi's do not start until 1:30 AM MST. I have a big window tonight to catch some serious sleeping time.
Again, I really can not remember what I saw, but I do remember the commentary and the words yelled by Roddick at the end of the third set "G-- D---!" and then I think I heard that he threw his racket down on the court. Yes, I heard he got a warning, but I am not sure if it was for both outbursts or one. What was sad was that Roddick's parents were in the audience and for them to witness this sort of thing from their son in front of a live audience on court and TV is very, very unprofessional. Granted, I do not know how much of previous play in the match could of stirred that sort of emotional outburst. Yet, we faithful tennis fans know this is nothing unusual from Roddick.
I am once more glad that Roddick is out of the tournament, as well as Jimmy Connors. People, have you seen how many times the T.V. camera people have to get Connors reaction to almost every shot in any of Roddick's match? This is the only time that I feel "sorry" for Roddick. I would be mad if the cameras were on my coach for a quarter of the match and not to mention talking about my coach as opposed to me.
This, of course, I relate to my athletic career. When I am competing it is all about me and no-one else. Yes, very conceited, but in my own opinion I have earned the right to feel that way. So, that is why I feel "sorry" for Roddick.
Since I did not have time yesterday let me talk about Pam Shriver once more and her commentary during the women's match. Did you hear her talk about the "roof" and the "chair umpire"? Dang. Oh the roof is partially closed, did the roof close more? Did the roof open more? Is the roof open fully? With the roof comments was the shadow comments. Oh the shadow there, the shadow getting on the baseline, sideline, etc.
Then, "Is the chair umpire wearing a fleece jacket?" "Why is the chair umpire still wearing her jacket?" Come one. Who cares. We t.v. audience do not care. If Pam was so concerned about the umpire, perhaps she should go hug and hold the umpire to get the umpire warm. From all the comments about the chair umpire it sounds like it was her "life partner" or "girlfriend". Hah hah. Okay, only kidding, but I could of came to that conclusion with all of her comments.
Alright readers - one match tonight 1:30 AM MST. Whew!
Update 1/25/07 6:31 PM MST - Can you readers believe how the word "scratchy" has been used ever since the Sharapova vs. Chakvetadze match. Oh this was "scratchy". Let me be blunt. Her, Sharapova, play was anything, but "scratchy". I will be the first to say it "It fucking sucked. Especially the entire tournament of the Australian Open" "Scratchy" would be perhaps a set, or even a game, not the entire tournament. Anyway, this was something I noticed from the interviewer first said after the match, then mentioned in the press conference, then all the tv commentators and the rest of the world. This will be the last time I used "scratchy" in my blog. I did not even want to use it now, but I was forced to blog my opinion on this.
Until the next time
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
No comments:
Post a Comment