'It's gonna be OK.'

POSTED BY BESS: Day three of Wimbledon 2013 was a doozy, to put it mildly.  Mary Joe Fernandez called it Wacky Wednesday. The Twitterverse dubbed it #Wimbleweird.

• Seven withdrawals, many due to slips and falls on the grass, including a few top talents. Azarenka, Tsonga, Cilic, Isner, Darcis (STEVE! The guy who beat Nadal), Stepanek. Who am I forgetting? Wild. 
• Seven former number ones took the court; all lost.
• #3 seed Maria Sharapova lost to #133 in the world. 
• And late in the evening (at least when I finally got to watch it), #3 seed, 7-time and defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer lost to #116 in the world, breaking his streak of making it at least as far as the quarterfinals in 36 consecutive majors. A NINE-year record.

I mean.

It was crazy.

Players voiced their incredulity. Commentators struggled to make sense of it. But in the wee hours of this morning, as I watched the Federer post-match press conference, the voice of a tennis legend, yes perhaps the GOAT, put it all in perspective.

When asked how his fans should feel after watching his incredible quarterfinal streak broken, Federer quickly replied (and I paraphrase because it was late and I wasn't taking notes), "It's gonna be OK. I'm gonna be OK."

Yes. It will be OK. And hopefully order can be restored to the All England Club today.

But it *was* a bit insane.  And yes, wacky. Weird.
Wonderfully so.

After all, it's Wimbledon. It doesn't get bigger than this.

In the midst of all the shocking withdrawals/defeats, a whole host of lesser known players had banner days they'll remember forever--for all the right reasons. If you missed Dustin Brown (who?) beating former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, you missed a talented, entertaining, gutsy player make the most of the best opportunity his chosen sport has presented to date.

Brown was brought to tears on court after winning. And soon after, he delivered a compelling and poised post-match interview in which it was clear just how much this meant to him. Just great stuff.

Will he be a factor in this tournament or any in the future? Too soon to tell.  But the possibility is there.

And either way, it'll be OK.

What a crazy day!

Posted by BESS: I was just asked (by Dave) if I had lost interest in blogging. :-( That is not the case. However, yesterday was not only a crazy day in tennis... it was a crazy day at home with my computer acting like I had killed its mother in the midst of me trying to get something done for work. So I was running between tennis, working and trying to convince my computer that I don't hate it... while simultaneously hating my computer's guts.

I still blame James Blake.

However, I seem to have nursed my computer back to its old self (not saying much) now, so I'll take advantage and try to get caught up on blogging.

Hi. Lots to discuss! Yesterday was just a nutty day in tennis. After nearly two days of washouts, the U.S. Open had some catching up to do. It was a packed schedule--so packed that some of the match-ups really got very little airtime. On court yesterday: Nadal, Federer, Roddick, Isner, Murray, Serena, Wozniacki and more! Oh my. Not often the world's top four men + two dangerous Americans plus the women's statistical #1 and true #1 all take the court on the same day. It was a sight to behold. Oh, and Kim Kardashian was in the house. So you know it was major. (But I refuse to boldface her name.)

I feel for the tournament officials. They have no control over the weather. And without a roof over any of the courts, they have no alternatives. They also have oodles of people they're trying to keep happy--players, ticket holders, networks, sponsors, etc. What a headache this has been for them.

In the midst of trying to get all the matches played yesterday, and based on strong opinions from Roddick, Murray and Nadal, they made the decision to move the men's final to Monday (for the fourth straight year!). This gives the schedule a little breathing room which means the men won't have to play four straight days in a row. And there's a little wiggle room in case it rains again. Which it very well may do.

It's a smart move. But a Monday final is no one's idea of fun. I well remember last year's debacle... racing home early from work only to discover that my local CBS affiliate (which hadn't planned to air tennis that day, I know) was opting to show Dr. Phil during the first hour of the match. DR. PHIL!!! I'm sorry, but WTF? They then cut over to tennis, only to cut away again when Monday night football coverage had to start. Leaving us all to finish watching online.

It was, uh, not good.

Hopefully, with as much advance notice as they've had about this year's Monday final, the networks can get a plan in place so these things don't happen again. But I'm already bracing for Dr. Phil 2.0. It's times like these I really should just buck up and fork out the money for the Tennis Channel.

Also complicating matters yesterday? Louis Armstrong stadium (the second largest on the grounds) was deemed unusable due to water seeping up from underneath the court in one spot. So they had to scramble to find suitable courts for the Roddick/Ferrer and Wozniacki/Petkovic matches. But so many other matches were being played that it wasn't easy.

They both ended up playing on Court 13--with just shy of 600 seats for fans and no permanent cameras. Numerous people have said it's like seeing [insert major rock star here] in your local bar. A great opportunity for fans with grounds passes that day. While the fans raced to get seats, ESPN2 had to scramble to get camers out there to show some of the action.

Mind you, Roddick hadn't played outside of Arthur Ashe stadium in nine years! So Armstrong stadium was already going to seem like a novelty for him. Court 13? Just funny. Here's a great article about how it all went down, which paints an almost nostalgic feel about the whole thing.

It's a fun read, but it really skims over the drama of the water on Armstrong, which is just fine by me. But since loyal reader Vernon brought it up, I'll discuss here and will await Dave's chastising, pro-Roddick words...

So they're finally starting play after two delayed days. And out on Armstrong they're two games into the Roddick/Ferrer match. That's when Roddick noticed water behind the baseline and called the chair umpire over to look. They in turn called the tournament director. And they all stood there trying to figure out what could be done. With another delay in the offing, the players were justifiably frustrated. At first, Roddick and Ferrer seemed resigned to waiting and left the court.

Thinking they had the problem fixed (after using towels, vacuums and blowers on the spot), the tournament officials called the players back out. Alas, while the players were re-emerging, more water appeared. That's when Roddick started to get pissed. You can see it here.

And there's another clip somewhere of them back in the tunnel again, awaiting a solution. To his credit, Roddick's plea was just to let them play--wherever they had to. But his demeanor says, "You guys are all idiots, just let us play." Vintage Roddick.

I understand this must have been hugely frustrating. I just still maintain that Roddick doesn't have to be quite such a **** about things. And my feelings about that were affirmed much later in the day, watching Federer's on court interview after winning his match. His response to repeated questions about the weather and the scheduling changes and the court issues was calm and professional. He didn't take the bait the reporter was clearly offering. He was reasoned and diplomatic and dignified, all while making his points. Vintage Federer.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... Roddick can be completely entertaining, and he keeps things interesting. But it's often at the price of looking like a jerk. I'll take Fed's way any day. [Cue Dave's impassioned response.]

But enough about that. Let's talk about the tennis! Stay tuned for more on that...

For now, a palate cleanser of sorts. Check out this clip of Novak Djokovic having a dance-off with a fan who's been entertaining the crowds by dancing in the upper deck of Arthur Ashe stadium during changeovers. His performance last night earned a big smile from Federer when it was shown on the jumbotron.

Babyfaced assassains

Posted by BESS: Apologies for neglecting the blog. I have, indeed, been watching tennis. But I've also had a lot of cooking, subsequent cleaning and socializing to do. That done, I'll now return to thrilling you with my US Open recaps. (I'll just assume our one reader is thrilled.)

My good friend Jeff Winker is at the Open this weekend. This is particularly heartbreaking for me because the one and only time I attended the Open was with Jeff and his beautiful wife Heather. We had a fantastic time, and they got to meet--and stay with--my grandparents and great-aunts. All of whom are now deceased. In fact, Jeff's first email to me from the 2011 Open included this comment: "Alas, no Roma." (My grandmother.) Alas, indeed.

But I'm glad Jeff's having some fun, and I appreciate the opportunity to live vicariously through him over the weekend. Here's some of what he's been observing:

• First, here's the view from his baseline seats for Isner-Ginepri. His takeaway from this match was "Isner -- even taller in person. But slow."

• Jeff was then watching the Murray-Haase match. Jeff's a fan of Murray (I know, inexplicable), so I emailed him when it appeared Murray was down for the count. I asked what was up with his boy tanking and Jeff's response was, "He looks terrible. Like he just got off the plane, walked into the stadium and it was already the second set. Maybe he stopped at Carnegie Deli on his way in." Murray would go on to win the match, however.
  
  Jeff did comment that Haase looked "legit," though. I remarked that Haase's 'fro was more legit than Andy's, as well as his tennis. Jeff's response? "It's very powerful hair." That's the best hair-related phrase since my co-worker Derek brilliantly used the phrase, "Her hair looks like Las Vegas" to describe the hair of someone important at work. Who shall remain nameless.

• Jeff then moved to the nosebleed seats in Arthur Ashe stadium to cheer for Kansas City's own Jack Sock. A few notes, here. Jeff now lives in KC. And despite all the talk about Sock being from Nebraska (which he is) he actually plays in KC now. So evidently there are a few areas claiming him as their own.
  
  Jeff then shared this observation: "Arthur Ashe stadium may be the worst place to see live sports I've ever been to." As far as the nosebleed seats go, I'd have to agree. It's like climbing a ladder to get up there! But Jeff, Heather and I also had great seats in Ashe for a day session (when I got to see Andre play!) And from those seats I thought the action was great fun to watch. And the atmosphere is, indeed, electric. So the key is to pay up the wazoo for good tickets if you're going to be in Ashe. Otherwise you might as well be on one of the smaller courts with closer seats for less money. #tip

• The next day, Jeff got to see the match Berdych pulled out of. As well as Federer's match. And "awesome" mixed doubles (SQUEE! the name of our blog!) with Jack Sock/Melanie Oudin taking on Bob Bryan/Liezel Huber. Sock/Oudin pulled it out in a tiebreak, prompting Jeff's friend Barry to nickname them the "babyfaced assassains," which I love! Do you agree the nickname is apt?
  
  Here's Oudin:

And here's Sock:

• Today Jeff is in Ashe and got to watch Rafa play. He promised to alert me when the shirt came off. And he did. Good job, old friend. This is the same guy who made me give back his sports goggles many years ago when he discovered that I was just using them to check out Brooke Shields' hair... not to watch the match. Glad he's come to understand what's really important to me. :-)

I hope you're all having as fun a weekend as Jeff is at the Open. And that you're not as bored as Dave claims to be. Despite this post from just mere days ago...

USA! USA! USA!

Posted by DAVE: Looking ahead in the men's draw, the only two matches that interest me are Ginepri v. Isner and Roddick vs. Sock. All four Americans. Woot!

Used to dig Ginepri and his game. Isner reminds me of early-career Davenport; tall and powerful, but sort of awkward and with questionable body language. Roddick is, well, Roddick; what's not to like? (Rhetorical question.) And Sock? Don't know a thing about him, other than he's 18 y/o, last year's junior U.S. Open champ and a Nebraska native, like Roddick. But what kind of player has the last name Sock? Why not Shoe? Or Racket? Or even Wristband? I'm intrigued.

Go USA!

Goodbye, Irene. Hello, U.S. Open fans!

Posted by DAVE: Spent most of yesterday moping because Arthur Ashe Kids Day got canceled. But, Irene's gone now, and I'm thrilled that the Open is underway. Let the sleep deprivation begin!

Bess and I traded messages last night while filling out our draws. For the record, she was trying to watch the VMAs at the time. (Am I the only person who missed the Britney tribute?) And I was coming off the high of playing two hours of table tennis (the real deal, not this Wii crap) and consuming far too much Diet Coke. Maybe it was the distractions, but she and I both struggled to complete our brackets. Like Isner-Baghdatis. How do you possibly pick a winner in that one? Or how far should you take Roddick, a sentimental favorite who's headed out to pasture? And, honestly, wouldn't it be nice to see Federer pick up another crown, before his luster begins to fade, too? (Or maybe it's already fading?)

The women's draw was even worse. Why couldn't Wozniacki take it all this time? And someone like Dushevina could easily make a run, too. Of course, there's Venus and Serena. (groan) And wouldn't we all like to see Ivanovic or Jankovic pull it together for once?

In the end, I went with Djokovic and Sharapova. Bum shoulders or not, these two have shown true determination this year. Djok's results have far outpaced Maria's, obviously, but they're both great champions. Wishing the best to both of them, as well as whomever you picked to win it all. On with the Open!

Preparing the gauntlet for the throwing down

Dave is right that I adore Rafa. But if you assume I adore him solely because he's a sultry Spaniard with one really big muscle (I'm referring to his left bicep, sheesh), you would be mistaken. It's that, yes, but also how he competes--as if every point were match point--and how awe-inspiring his tennis and athleticism can be. I want to compete in life like he competes on the court! (I also want to get paid in life like he gets paid on the court, but that's neither here nor there.)

So here's hoping the upcoming fortnight treats Rafa well. I, for one, am hoping for another Fed/Nadal final in two weeks time. We shall see.

On the women's side, I often have trouble picking a favorite. Whereas the men's side has been clearly dominated for the past 4-5 years, the women have been a little all over the place. And with Kim Clijsters out with an injury (or maybe just too ashamed of her new haircut?), I'm at a bit of a loss. I'll likely root for Maria Sharapova to finally break back after injuries, surgery and some tough months of competition. But there are a lot of great stories I could get behind. Let's see who starts to truly impress next week!

Speaking of next week, the Wimbledon draws came out today. And while everyone's talking about the crazy first round match-up between Isner and Mahut (who played the longest match ever -- in the whole history of anything -- in the first round here last year), I'd like to focus on another first round match I find particularly heartbreaking.

James Blake vs. Marcos Baghdatis.

Why, tennis gods? Whyyyyyy!? (Invoke the Nancy Kerrigan intonation.) I love them both, I root for them both, and now... one's guaranteed a loss in the first round.

Plenty of people I don't care about will win matches and advance to later rounds that I also won't care about. But either James or Marcos is packing up and shipping out of London in a mere 72-96 hours.

It's a cruel sport.
Yet I cannot look away.

And with that, I'm off to fill out my Wimbledon brackets so I can take Dave down this year*.

*Dave is totally gonna win.