Loving the drama Down Under

Posted by Bess: One of my favorite aspects of tennis is the narratives that emerge from match, to match, tournament to tournament, year to year and even over the course of a player's career. And, perhaps because tennis is such an individual sport, these narratives seem very personal.

You're not rooting for (or against) a team of people cloaked in matching uniforms, helmets and pads. You're rooting for the guy out there alone in a T-shirt and shorts, with only an occasional towel to hide the expressions on his face. Or the girl in the press conference, staring down a room of reporters who all want a piece of her, mere minutes after a crushing defeat.

The ultra-personal glimpse into these narratives is one of the best things about tennis. And following them is one of the most rewarding parts of being a tennis fan.

The past two nights have offered a wealth of drama. I won't be able to chronicle it all here because, truthfully, I wasn't awake to see it all. But a few of the story lines I did see play out include these:

• Two nights ago Hewitt took on Raonic. The Aussie fighter in the twilight of his career vs. the up-and-comer from Canada with his whole career seemingly ahead of him. The 5'11" Hewitt vs. the 6'5" Raonic (I swear he looked much taller on court).
  
  After Roddick gifted Hewitt with a shot at the next round, I mentioned that Hewitt/Raonic held little interest for me. However, it clearly held a lot of interest for Hewitt who rose to the occasion, toughing out a four-set win to reach the second week of the tournament for the seventh time. (Was I mistaken, or did Jim Courier say that was a record for an Aussie?)
  
  It's no secret I don't much care for Hewitt. But to see how much that win meant to him--he fell to the court as if he'd won a final, with tears in his eyes and disbelief on his face--I have to admit I appreciated his emotion. (Sorry, Deb and Whitney!)
  
  So... good on him. And good luck to him. He'll need it. Next up? Djokovic.
  

Last night offered a great dose of drama, as well.

• First, Kim Clisters vs. Li Na. The rematch of last year's final. I find them both to be immensely likable players. But for the sake of this possibly being Kim's last year playing, I was definitely rooting for her. I'll admit I had dozed off at the start of the match, but was rudely awakened to the slow-mo replay of her rolling her ankle. It seemed the injuries that plagued her all last season had come calling again.
  
  Despite scrambling up to finish the point, she quickly called for the trainer and got the ankle tightly wrapped. She lost the first set, however. And it took her winning a tiebreak in the second set... saving FOUR match points along the way... to take the match to the decisive third set which she won relatively easily.
  
  It's a moment worth cheering. What grit and determination!
  
  It's also a moment worth lamenting. One woman's magnificent win is the other's magnificent defeat.
  
  Take a gander at Li Na's press conference immediately following the event. (I'll post a clip as soon as I can find one.) You'll see the weight of squandering four match points come to bear on her. She couldn't even respond to the questions from a Chinese journalist and had to leave the room in tears.
  
  Heartbreaking! The triumph and the tragedy of one match.
  

• Finally, we have Berdych v. Almagro. I didn't see a whole lot of this match, but what I did see seemed highly competitive and entertaining. And the scoreline, Berdych winning 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6, indicates it was a great, close match. But what was so dramatic was the body-shot heard round the world.
  
  Late in the fourth set, Almagro and Berdych are both close to the net. Almagro has to decide where to aim the ball and aims it right at Berdych. It seemed a fair shot, and all the commentators I heard talk about it backed up Almagro's choice saying it was fair and not at all done with ill-intent.
  
  The shot hit Berdych's bicep and he fell to the ground. Almagro immediately stopped and walked to the net, raising his racquet in apology and checking to make sure Berdych was OK.
  
  Berdych was OK. But he was pissed! Cut to the end of the match, with Berdych the victor. They head to the net for the traditional handshake. Berdych refuses to shake Almagro's hand.
  
  It's tennis's version of the ultimate snub. Just about the rudest thing you can do to show your disdain.
  
  Well, the crowd started booing, loudly. And they kept it up. They wouldn't even let Berdych be heard during the on-court interview--they kept up with the booing throughout, especially loud during Berdych's answers.
  
  Check it all out here.
  
  Kind of loving the Aussie crowd for that one!
  
  Want the narrative to get even more interesting? Next up for Berdych is Nadal, Almagro's countryman and a stickler for proper etiquette. (Can you imagine what Uncle Toni would do to Nadal if he EVER refused to shake an opponent's hand? Yeesh.) Those Spaniards are a tight-knit bunch. I have a feeling Nadal's going to be pumped up to put Berdych in his place.
  
  And I'm instantly more excited about the next round.
  

Those are just three instances of drama. Three stories out of many written over the last two days. I'm sure I've left out other compelling narratives. Let me know what I missed!