Fasion Police, Melbourne edition

POSTED BY BESS: And now for the perennial discussion of the most pressing tennis matter at hand... the fashion.

I know it's the Aussie Open, but I'm not sure I've ever seen so many day-glo brights at one time. It's like an '80s party, but with 2015 "shoe technology." 

Serena's backless Nike kit

Serena was interviewed by Mary Joe the other night, and she said all the Nike athletes are in bright colors. That explains a lot, since there are a swoosh of Nike athletes in the field. (See what I did there?) 

Here's what I don't get. The sportswear companies know the top 128 men and 128 women are all converging on the same tourney. If you're Nike, you must know players wearing your gear are going to be playing back to back to back matches on TV--and often playing each other. So why are so many of them wearing the same exact same kits? 

I get that there's cost effectiveness in producing just a few styles. So come up with a few for the season but then make those limited styles in a gang of colors. Maybe add a stripe here, change a fabric there. Allow for a little individuality in this individual sport. No? But why not?

It doesn't seem that hard to help the players avoid feeling like they just showed up to prom and all of their closest friends *and* worst enemies are wearing the same damn thing. 

To the uninitiated viewer, those early rounds must have looked like the same two players out there for 12 hours straight. I did witness two back-to-back matches featuring one player wearing the Adidas purple outfit and the other wearing the Nike pink/white get-up. It just seems odd and unnecessary. 

Clearly there's a whole lot about outfitting tennis players that I don't understand. 

Getting down to the specifics, this is not my favorite look:

But it was *everywhere* the first two nights. When paired with pink shoes and pink sweat bands, as I witnessed one player doing, it was like an ad for Love's Baby Soft. {shudder} Certainly we can do better than this.

Now, Serena's Nike dress is completely distinctive, being backless, and all (see photo at top of post.) As is Sharapova's (one of my faves, see photo at bottom of post.) They are premier athletes, so it seems to make sense that they have very distinctive looks. But must the rest of the players be left looking like an army of neon Garanimals?

Interestingly, after I had drafted this post, Maria tweeted photos of three women wearing her MS Nike line. Confusing, since they're all wearing the same outfit (is the line just one kit?) and the kit looks nothing like Maria's signature look for this tournament... but it does somewhat resemble Serena's look. Agree? So bizarre.

Oh - and, thoughts on Caro's Adidas number, dubbed "The Barricade?" (First, it has a name?) Her looks are typically a bit edgier, so this one has thrown me for a loop in all its muted glory. I don't hate it. But I don't love it.  

Woziacki's yawner of a dress

Finally, the men. Their fashion matters, too! It's just typically not as fun to discuss. 

I feel like there was more variety in the men's kits, especially in the early rounds, but maybe that's just me being distracted by all the five set matches they played! 

I'm not a big fan of Federer's lemonade ensemble (my name, not his.) He's typically hard to fault but this one just doesn't do it for me. Rafa's bright pink is fun, but all the neon yellow accessories are a bit much. Pretty sure Stacy and Clinton would have told him to "edit" his look before hitting the court. (Not that Rafa would have listened.) 

And then there's Kei Nishikori, in what might aptly be described as the UPS Power Pro Series:

No one else is really standing out for me at this point, but I can't say that I've seen everyone play, so I'm likely missing a few obvious Fashion Police candidates. 

I'm sure Dave has some thoughts.

DAVE WEIGHS IN: First things first. Bess, you stole my reference to the 80s!

Secondly, I haven't paid as much attention to fashion this tournament, as in past Slams. That may be because, as Bess (and Serena) noted, all of the Nike-sponsored female athletes have been wearing the same dress. YAWN. 

Pretty much everyone agrees this is an A+ look.

But, hold it, is that really true? I've only caught one of Sharapova's matches, but she was wearing this flawless Nike dress. Still in the pink family, but not the standard-issue Nike dress I have seen Serena and the others wear. Maybe I'm missing something? Or losing my mind due to the sleep deprivation that comes with trying to hold down a full-time job plus watch live tennis that's on at such ungodly hours back here in the States.  

Regardless, I don't mind all of the pink dresses, nor the sense of unity. Maybe it's subconsciously helped me focus more on the action than the fashion, at least in the case of Nike-sponsored women.

As for the men, do we really consider what they wear fashion? That's a stretch, in my opinion. I'll comment solely on Fed's outfit, solely because it was so bright and distracting. And roughly in the same color family as tennis balls, no doubt making it, at times, difficult for the opposing player to follow the ball's path. All of that strikes me as being a bit much, especially for a soft-spoken, gracious champion like Fed.

Then again, this isn't Wimbledon! Let them wear all the crazy colors they want Down Under. Just please, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, don't ever bend your rules. I love Wimbledon's strict dress code, and the sense of tradition and honor.  

TENNIS FANS: Anybody want to talk fashion aces and faults from the 2015 Aussie Open? Opinions run the gamut, for sure. Feel free to put us in our place.

A love letter to Maria (and Alexandra)

Sharapova after a tough win.

POSTED BY DAVE: My Australian Open is complete, thanks to a gutsy second round match between Maria Sharapova and Alexandra Panova. Sharapova pulled off a victory, by coming back from way down in the third set -- and also by holding off two match points near the end. This is why I love tennis! Thank you, Maria, and thank you, as well, Alexandra.

Both of these women played such high-caliber tennis, including on crucial points. It truly is a shame, especially for Panova, that there couldn't be two winners. I have a hard time imagining that the final will be as exciting or close as this match was. However, if it is, and if Sharapova is in the mix, my money is on her. (But that should come as no surprise to Bess.)

Who else will earn aces from me in the second round? Read on.

Women

• Excited about the Keys/Dellacqua match-up! Should be high-intensity, and, I hope, high-drama.
• Excited about Wozniacki/Azarenka, too. For obvious reasons.
• Koukalova has the best shot in her quarter of the draw, now that Ivanovic has made an early exit. Expecting good things from her in 2R.
• Would love to see all of the American women move forward to 3R. I'm especially pulling for Venus, my sentimental favorite, and McHale, who I believe will ultimately make it to at least the round of 16.

Men

• Really liking the looks of Nieminen, Karlovic and Wawrinka. Something tells me all three will breeze through to 3R.
• Looking forward to Young-Raonic. Hoping for a highly athletic and extremely close match.
• My sentimental favorite is Hewitt. Wasn't his biggest fan years ago, and, to be honest, wasn't really a fan, at all. But, I've enjoyed watching him the past few years, and admire how well he is playing at this late stage in his career. I also like how he carries himself now in interviews -- mature, gracious, grateful.

BESS REPLIES: Despite a barrage of texts from Dave (barrage = seven), I slept through that third set of Sharapova/Panova. Drat! Clearly I missed a(nother) great Maria comeback. Just when all hope is lost, Maria wills it back into existence. Congrats to Maria!

A few aces and faults from me:

Aces

Dave had to complete his brackets on
(wait for it...) paper! Hence my abacus joke.
Also, please note that the purple eggplant is our
chosen emoji to signify goodness/happiness.
Not sure why.

• Baghdatis won again! In the process, he took out the 20th seed, David Goffin. Nice work, Marcos.
• An ace to Andy Murray's barber. The closer-cropped cut is a definite plus.
• At the risk of self-promotion and conceit, I'm going to give myself an ace for my 50 correct predictions in the first round of the ATP bracket challenge. Pretty sure that's one of my best first rounds ever. Feelin' pretty good... for the time being. 
• Upcoming matches I'm excited to see:
• Looking forward to seeing Rafa in action again tonight to make sure that first round performance wasn't a fluke. Yes, I'm still reining in my optimism a bit. Protective measures and whatnot.
• Tomorrow night there's a host of U.S. women in action - looking forward to seeing all of them. And while I appreciate the up-and-coming among them, I'm rooting for Venus most of all (sadly she would have to beat American Lauren Davis to advance... )
• Tomorrow's Jerzy Janowicz/Gael Monfils match could make for an entertaining highlight reel.

Faults

• Sorry to burst Dave's bubble and totally bummed to report that Christina McHale already lost her second round match. That 12-10 third set victory in the first round may have taken too much out of her.
• An XL, rosy-hued fault to that Pepto Bismal pink Nike dress worn by so. many. women. in round one. More on that in a subsequent post, but I am not a fan.
• A definite fault to me for snoozing while Maria willed herself to win her second round match. If only I could channel her sheer will and dogged determination into staying awake. As it is, I'm just channeling #tired. And it's only day three! Fault, fault, fault.

TENNIS FANS: Who are you keeping your eyes on, during 2R?

Wait, don't I play tomorrow?

Posted by Dave: How can you not love Sharapova? I mean, yes, she's talented and beautiful and all. But she's also so down-to-earth and funny. When asked immediately after beating Makarova how she felt about playing Kvitova in two days' time, she snapped back, "Wait, don't I play tomorrow?" She's so ... affable. Love that about her. Reminds me of Agassi. Never takes herself too seriously. (Are you listening, Serena?)

For the record, I'm officially on the Sharapova bandwagon now. (I'd really thought this was Wozniacki's time to finally capture a Slam. Clearly, I was wrong. Props to Clijsters, who I also greatly admire, for keeping Woz on the defensive and out-of-rhythm; seemed Caroline could never get into a solid groove. But what is with Clijsters' new hairstyle?! Sorry, I digress.) I wouldn't have expected Maria to sustain such intensity and focus this early in the season. It's just like the old days! Can she keep it up, especially in the next round against Kvitova, whose star has risen so fast this past year or so? Who knows. But it will be fun watching.

Now is that match today ... or tomorrow? I can't remember.

Action + Fashion

Posted by Bess: So it's been a fun two days at the 2012 AO.

Two nights ago I got to watch:

• Sharapova pull out a tough win from a set down. Gutsy! Good for her.


• Hewitt take a set off of Djokovic. Say what you will about Hewitt, but anyone who takes a set off the Djoker these days deserves a little bit of praise. It was the first set he'd lost this tournament.

And last night I got to see:

• Azarenka defeat Radwanska. I don't have a lot of stake in either player, but I was rooting for Azarenka. I developed an appreciation of Radwanska as well, though. An entertaining match with an inexplicable second set.



• A tough match between Clijsters and Wozniacki. The final few games of this match reminded me of all the reasons I love Clijsters as a player (not just as a person.) I'm so happy for her. And happy I was awake to see some of it!



• A terrific performance by Nadal, coming from a set down to beat Berdych in four. The end of that match reminded me of all the reasons I love Nadal as a player. It was a great reminder of the days in which he seemed invincible. Several of those "gets" were just incredible. Such fun to watch.

What I didn't see was Federer beating Del Potro handily (a disappointing performance by JMDP for sure.)

That sets up a Federer-Nadal semifinal. Must see TV. Another four-alarm match for me. Can't wait!

The Sharapova and Clijsters wins also creates a dilemma in terms of who I truly root for from here on out. I want them both to win!

But, finally, let's end on a light-hearted note. A round-up of fashion photo galleries.

• Sports Illustrated's look at some of the AO fashion.
  
  


• Beyond the Baseline's fashion hits at the 2012 AO.
  
  


• Beyond the Baseline's fashion misses at the 2012 AO.

What can I say... fashion's part of the fun.

On getting housed .. and other ramblings

Posted by Dave: Sadly, I've seen but one hour of coverage from Australia. Life has gotten in the way of tennis lately. But so it goes it sometimes.

Props to Bess for blogging so frequently and eloquently the past week or so. I'll try to redeem myself by offering a few predictions for the week ahead:

1) Nishikori will surprise his half of the draw, and he'll earn the right to get housed* by Djokovic in the semis. This is not what I'd predicted in my original draw, but ... as the Black Eyed Peas would say ... I've got a feelin'. Plus, I cannot fathom the idea of Hewitt taking out Djokovic in the next round. THAT would be a bold prediction, no? But I just can't go there. Mentally. Emotionally. Or otherwise. And I trust many of you don't care to go there, either. (That said, I'm good with Lleyton and Djok having a tight match.)

2) Wozniacki will face Kvitova in the final. (Yawn.) This should surprise few, as they are seeded #1 and #2, respectively. However, I'm only reaffirming what I'd already predicted -- i.e. that Ivanovic will not pull a surprise, Serena will fade, and Sharapova will fall short. (Sorry, Bess, you know I adore Maria even more than you do.) For the record, though, I'm a little bitter that Jankovic got housed by Woz. I mean, a bagel in the first set? (Sigh.)

3) My final prediction is that I'll see no more than another hour of play, at least until the finals this coming weekend. Blame it on cross-training boot camp that starts each morning at 5:20 a.m., coupled with tennis coverage that doesn't start until nearly an hour after my bedtime. Plus, I teach college so I can't sleep through meetings or doze off at my desk like a typical American office worker. (Not implying that you do such things, Bess!) The Australian has always been my least favorite Slam for its inconvenience to those of us in the Northern hemisphere, not to mention that it's where my beloved Mary Joe Fernandez twice fell short in the finals.

But life, and the Australian, go on. Here's to the week ahead!

*Note: Thanks, NPR, for introducing me to the term housed, which is not to be confused with hosed. I had to look up (on UrbanDictionary.com no less!) what housed means.

Best shots for 2012 (according to Bess)

Posted by Bess: I'm overdue making my predictions for 2012. And some of you may find it sketchy that I'm making my predictions with the 2012 tennis season underway. Rest assured that I have avoided reading any other bloggers' or writers' tennis predictions (even Dave's!). And while I've seen some tennis news through Twitter, I have yet to actually watch any of the action.

Thank goodness I'll be able to read about and watch tennis now without any guilt!

Prediction #1: 2012 men's grand slam winners. I predict we will see a more even distribution of the grand slam "wealth" this year (and for the sake of the argument, I'm viewing the Olympics as a fifth slam).

My rationale: 2010 was the year of Nadal. 2011 was Nole's year. And many of the years before that were Federer's. But I don't think Djokovic can maintain the same level of play throughout 2012 as he did in 2011. I don't think Nadal can be as consistently great as we've seen him, either. I *do* think Roger has at least another win in him (this was reinforced when I saw him play in London in November--more on that in my next post.)

But there are also a number of talented players waiting to pounce. And with the Olympics thrown into the mix, I think different players are going to try to peak at different times, and preparations during the relatively short window that will encompass the French Open, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open will be mighty interesting.

Prediction #2: 2012 women's grand slam winners. Much tougher category, this. I'll only say that, much as we saw in 2011, I expect a number of players in the mix. Who? Sheesh. I don't know. I'd love to see Clijsters, Sharapova, Zvonareva, Li Na and Wozniacki have great seasons. I'd like to see Ivanovic cobble together a string of wins. I'd kind of like to see Azarenka do well just to drum up all the debate about screeching again. Because that didn't get old. And I'd really like Sam Stosur to get a win she can savor just a little bit more (i.e. not tainted by the shenanigans of her opponent.) This feels like a prediction-less prediction. But so be it.

Prediction #3: Olympic champions. I'm going to go out on a huge, ridiculous limb here and pick two Olympic gold medalists. Although it's most likely to only cause me grief later when my picks are woefully mistaken and Dave won't let me forget it.

Men's Olympic gold medalist: Roger Federer. I know. But this has got to be TOPS on Roger's list this year. It's just about the only thing in tennis he hasn't won. (Yes, he has an Olympic doubles title, but let's get real--he wants a gold in singles badly.) He's expressed interest for several years. And the Olympic tennis matches will be played on the grass at Wimbledon where Roger is more than comfortable. ... Many things working in his favor. Plus, I would just like to see him cap off his remarkable career in that way. It would be one Roger win that wouldn't feel simply like "another win."

Women's Olympic gold medalist: And this? This is the "ridiculous limb" part of the prediction. Who can really say?! Yes, it could be Serena, but I'm feeling a little iffy about her 2012 season for some reason. And if she's indeed playing mixed doubles with Roddick, perhaps she'll be a bit distracted? (Unless it just means she's in even better shape. Yikes!) Hmmm... For no really strategic reason other than I'd like to see it happen, I'll pick Sharapova. I believe she deserves some kind of medal for the long, slow battle she's waged to come back from her shoulder injury. Might as well be Olympic gold.

Prediction #4: Agassi in the mix. Likely just wishful thinking on my part, but I predict Andre Agassi will offer some sort of surprise this year, putting him more in the mix again. Not as a player (talk about ridiculous limbs...) but... somehow. Just hopefully not a second Tell-All. ;-) (Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic book. But I don't think we need any more shocking revelations or swipes at Sampras.) Is it so wrong to want more Agassi!?

Prediction #5: The year of Dave. Here's a self-involved prediction if I ever saw one. But I predict Dave will be the grand slam (+Olympics) overall winner when it comes to our 2012 bracket challenges. I can only hope he picks good places for me to buy his victory meals.

Prediction #6: Retirements. Might James Blake bow out? Might Venus Williams be forced to retire due to her medical issues? Will Clijsters call it quits after the Olympics or one final U.S. Open? Time will tell. But I predict we'll see a few retirements this year that will tug at my heartstrings and add to the ever-increasing amount of evidence that I am old.

There you have it. Let's reconvene here in December and break down my prediction-making skillz.

Best shots for 2012 (according to Dave)

Posted by Dave: Nothing in life is guaranteed, of course. But as the 2012 tennis season gets underway, I'm willing to bet on some predictions. Here are my best shots for the year ahead:

Wozniacki wins her first major. Yes, Wozniacki will likely lose her number one ranking in 2012, and presumably to Kvitova. But Woz has the determination and skills to win a Slam. Plus, if she loses the number one ranking, there will be fewer expectations of her. Look for Woz to shine through just as the naysayers have written her off, once and for all.


Jankovic finishes the year top-five. I know, I know. It's been four years since Jankovic made it to the US Open final, and so many strong players have emerged since then. Jankovic's not been near her glory days for some time. However, I saw patches of brilliance in the second half of 2011. Something tells me Jankovic will roar back to life in 2012.

(c) 2011 Robert Gray/Getty Images AsiaPac



Venus talks -- coyly, of course -- about retirement. Venus being Venus, she will not flat out announce in 2012 that she's retiring. Yet, I think she'll give some indications to that effect. She may simply fade away without fanfare over the next year or two or three. But I think 2012 is the beginning of the end for the elder Williams. A shame. She's matured into a graceful, and grateful, champion over the years.

Djokovic hangs on to the top spot. The man has more than 13,000 points to defend in 2012. Yikes. But, I'm as confident about Djokovic as he is about himself. He'll finish the year, once again, as world number one.

Federer wins big. It may be another Slam. It may be an Olympic gold medal. Or it may be both -- or more. Federer pulled up short at all the majors in 2011, yet his guns were blazing at the year-end tournament in London. We'll see more of that fire and intensity in 2012. He'll emerge as champion, perhaps even twice in London -- i.e. Wimbledon then the Olympics. Now, how would THAT be for a summer to remember?

Roddick gives Americans a thrill ride. Roddick surely won't win a Slam in 2012, or ever again, if we're being truly honest. However, look for Roddick to make it deep into a Slam this year, or maybe even to the medal stand at the Olympics. So many are ready to put him out to pasture. I refuse to believe he's at that point. At least not yet.

(c) 2011 Susan Mullane/US PRESSWIRE

Well, what do you think? Are these predictions inside the baseline ... or clearly out?

If only the match had been this fun

Posted by DAVE: Bess invited me to join her and fellow tennis junkie, Jeff W, at Buffalo Wild Wings this afternoon to watch the remaining men's quarterfinal match-ups. I (gratefully) missed Murray beating Isner, but did catch nearly all of Nadal v. Roddick. What a snooze-fest! This headline says it all.

One stat that caught my attention (and certainly Bess', as well)? Rafa has changed shirts 24 times so far during this tournament. There was so little drama during today's match that I wondered if they would also start counting the number of times Rafa dug his underwear out of his shorts.

Andy, you were out-muscled again. I think it's time we accept that you will very likely never win another major. It's sad. It's disappointing. But what else is there to say?

Oh, there is one more thing to say. I failed to convince Bess to don a "WINGING BEAUTY" paper crown at the restaurant and sit for a portrait. That would have made a fun blog post tonight, don't you think? (We're reaching for excitement, folks.)

On to the women's semis tomorrow. Let's hope Woz holds her own against Serena. And that CBS will show at least a few minutes of Stosur's match.

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.

You should be watching

Posted by BESS: If you are not watching this Wozniacki/Kuznetsova match right now, you are missing OUT. That is all.

Cable's (still) out

Posted by DAVE: Cable's still out in my building. So much for a long, leisurely weekend of watching the Open. Have I missed anything good today, like Murray losing or Wozniacki winning or Pam Shriver coming down with laryngitis?

Bracket update #1

Posted by BESS: So sorry Dave is not feeling well, but he picked a good night to go to bed early. Both Wozniacki and Djokovic rolled over their opponents in very quick fashion. And that was all she wrote, as far as the evening's broadcast went.

Unsure what to do with the rest of the evening (I mean, tennis was over by 9:30! The night is still young!), I will update you on the bracketology.

Round one goes to Bess. :-)

Here are the deets:

Bess
Men: 44
Women: 47
Total: 91

Dave
Men: 43
Women: 44
Total: 87

While I bemoaned the decimation of the lower half of my women's bracket last night, I am totally rocking the top half. Hopefully I can keep it up.

And in the online bracket challenge, I have made great progress overnight.

• In the women's competition, there are 7,641 entrants. Yesterday I ranked 5,887th. Today I'm... 2,068th! Talk about leapfrogging over the competition. And if Azarenka defeats Serena, as I have predicted, my stock will soar in this competition. Come on, Victoria!
• I've also moved up in the men's competition, although not as impressively. There are 11,008 entrants. Yesterday I ranked 7,186th. Today I'm 6,013th. Positive progress. I'll take it.
  

On an unrelated note, shout out to the lower-ranked American women making a statement at the Open... Sloane Stephens, Vania King and Christina McHale are all still in it. I had predicted as much for Stephens and King. Should have had more faith in the Jersey Girl, as well.

There's always next year!

One final note. For those of you who read the blog/comments last night and heard Dave and I raving about Maria's attire, you can learn more about the inspiration behind it in this video (the night dress is featured at the 1:14 mark.) Tried to find a decent shot of her in it, but they're all too action-y. Darn tennis. Getting in the way of the glamour shots.

I hear it's another boring night

Posted by DAVE: Hi, everyone. I'm writing this from bed, where I've just received a text update from a friend re: Djokovic's match. He's, apparently, on fire. This makes me very happy. Rocking a massive headache on a Thursday night? That doesn't make me too happy.

At least I'm not missing much. Woz must have won, too, right?

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!

Women's quarters

Friends, I'm old.

At least that's how I felt last night when I fell asleep from sheer tennis-induced exhaustion during the last, rain-delayed women's quarterfinal match.

But here's what I took away from the action:

My two women pulled through!

• Sharapova looked commanding in her defeat of teeny, tiny, little Cibulkova (wow, she looked short out there.) Given the difficult time Cibulkova had given Wozniacki, I expected more from her, but she was outplayed from start to finish. Also, Sharapova looked fantastic--great serving and clean hitting. Go, Maria!


• And though I fell asleep during the match, Azarenka reportedly played really well in her win over Paszek.

Azarenka and Sharapova are my two picks for the final, and they're the favorites in their respective semi-finals. Let's all prepare now for the incessant talking about how it will be the loudest final in history. And on that note, woe are we if the roof is closed. ;-)

In the other two quarterfinal matches, Kvitova beat Pironkova. And Lisicki defeated a dimished Bartoli. I missed the last set of the Lisicki/Bartoli match. And while I'm glad Bartoli extended it to three sets., from what I saw she just couldn't maintain the level at which she played against Serena. A pity.

So it's on for tomorrow: Sharapova v. Lisicki and Azarenka v. Kvitova. No surprises, please, ladies. (I'm looking at you, Maria.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As for the men's quarterfinals... I saw some of the early morning action today, but have been cut off ever since. Fingers crossed the events are unfolding in a favorable (for me) kind of way.

More on that later...

What a day, indeed

Dave said it best and first. It was a fantastic day at the AELTC. And it sucks to have to work on The Best Day in Tennis. Here's my take on it all...

The first observation is that my friend Vernon either made my day or took two years off my life. I have yet to decide if I will thank him or demand those two years back.

You see, aside from the Serena/Bartoli match, and a few other random results from early this morning, I was avoiding all tennis news until I could get home and watch the recorded coverage.

So I was mostly avoiding the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and email. And cringing every time someone at work started a conversation. (Actual dialogue today with my co-worker...

• Derek: Can I ask you a question?
  
• Bess (panicked): Not if it has anything to do with tennis! Don't tell me anything! I don't want to know!
  
• Derek: Uh, it's a work question. I have no idea what's going on with tennis.

Welcome to my life... And, sorry Derek.)

But I slipped at one point and checked Facebook and saw that Vernon had mentioned "three big losses" at Wimbledon. Not knowing what Vernon would consider a "big" loss, I assumed one loss would be Serena's. And I feared at least one other would be Nadal or Federer.

I arrived home on edge. I did not want Nadal to lose. I'm watching coverage and see Venus lose. (Did that qualify as "big," I wondered?) I see Wozniacki lose and don't consider that big news in the least! So I'm waiting for the other shoes to drop.

Djokovic wins.
Murray wins.
Eventually Federer wins.
And I'm left watching the entire Nadal/Del Potro match BELIEVING that Nadal would lose.

So imagine my surprise and great delight when he won! I totally didn't see it coming. And it made my night. Still, I'm not sure my blood pressure needed the hours-long scare.

I assume the "three big losses" were considered to be Serena, Venus and Wozniacki. I had seen the first, wasn't completely surprised about the second, and just rolled my eyes in exasperation at the third. (Mary Carillo made some great points about Woz needing to take some time off to actually, you know, improve her game.)

Regardless... my boy was safe.

Now that I've fully conveyed that drama, on to the results:

• So happy for Fish, Tsonga and Bartoli! But sad for my bracket.

• Sad for Venus. But happy for my bracket.

• So happy for Sharapova, Azarenka, Nadal, Federer AND my bracket!

And just happy overall for tennis. A wonderful display of the talent, entertainment and heart that make this sport so compelling.

On the Nadal injury/non-injury issue that Dave raised, I agree the incident seemed suspect. But I just have such a hard time believing Nadal would pull something like that. I know Dave will accuse me of bias here, and maybe I'm deluded. But I don't get the sense that Rafa ever feels such desperation in his matches--especially in a first set. He's the ultimate competitor, fighting every point as if it's the last. Gamesmanship to delay a first set tie-breaker? It seems very anti-thefiberofhisbeing.

Still... who really knows?

The whole incident definitely left its mark on the match. Del Potro was not happy. And the crowd was totally taken out of it for a while, trying to figure out what had happened and who they now should--or shouldn't--root for. Del Potro's later injury and subsequent medical time out/treatment and return to superb play probably smoothed things over a bit. And at the handshake at the net, Del Potro practically wrapped his arm around Rafa. All appeared to be forgiven.

But was it forgotten?

I have yet to see what was said in the press conferences. I hope there's no accusatory hurling of phrases like "bird flu." :-)

What a day!

It's a shame the Best Day in Tennis falls on a Monday. (At least for those of you required to work full-time during the summer.) The Wimbledon action was terrific today! So much so that Prince William and Kate Middleton initiated a standing ovation.

My heartiest applause wasn't for British hope, Andy Murray, but rather for Marion Bartoli AND Serena Williams. (Yes, I said 'Serena.' She may not be a gracious sportswoman, but she's a gritty fighter, and I can't help but admire that.) "Definitely not our best day," said Serena's sister, Venus, who (SPOILER) lost in straight sets today, just like her little sister. However, and particularly in Serena's match against Bartoli, the level of play was incredibly high. Tons of power, tons of amazing angles. So fun to watch! Bartoli was amped up the whole match, like a female version of Nadal. And, to her credit, Serena was determined and focused the whole way through, despite clearly not being in top condition. The match was dramatic, intense and impressive -- everything a Grand Slam tennis match should be.

Unfortunately, I missed Wozniacki-Cibulkova. The score indicates that it was a tough fight, too. Anybody see any part of that match?

Speaking of (typically) tough fighters, Nadal lost some favor with me today. Near the end of the first set against Del Potro, and with the score 6-6 and the momentum clearly on his opponent's side, Nadal took an injury timeout. That's not my complaint. My complaint is that Nadal got up from his chair and raced around like crazy during the subsequent tiebreak, which he won, with no evidence of any sort of injury or even a tweak. He then (SPOILER) went on to win the match in four sets, again with no evidence whatsoever of an injury. Nadal was/is the better player, but it was a shame to see such a clear display of gamesmanship from him. He's always been a class act, so let's hope this was just an isolated incident and not the start of a pattern.

Praise on the men's side? Props to Tomic, who played brilliantly against Malisse -- at least in the single service game I was able to catch on ESPN. And a special shout-out to Minnesota native, Mardy Fish, the (SPOILER) lone American standing in either draw. All of us in the Midwest (even Bess, I would venture to guess) are cheering for you.

On to the quarters!

Is hell freezing over?

I'm still catching up on today's matches, so I can't comment too much yet. But in case anyone else noticed that hell is freezing over, it's because Serena Williams has moved me to tears.

I know.

But it's true.

The tears she shed on court (behind a towel) immediately after her three-set, first-round win left me skeptical. Was she really crying? Was she really that emotional? Was this an act to garner sympathy and support?

But the BBC interview conducted immediately after she left the court made it clear -- these tears were real. And I believed every earnest word she spoke during that interview. How much of a disaster (her word) this past year has been. And how tremendous she felt to be back--finally--playing tennis... at Wimbledon... and winning.

In the subsequent press conference, someone asked her if she had proved anything to herself on court today. She said something like, "I proved to myself that I could. Just, that I could." Those words said a lot, I thought. And I appreciated her honesty.

Congratulations, Serena. I'm happy for you.

As for the clip Dave posted below of Djokovic/Wozniacki - I had heard about this, but hadn't seen the video. It's cute--if a bit awkward--and it proves what I said in my earlier post: there are glimmers of goodness there with the Djoker.

I'm taking note.

Also:
1. Round one is not yet complete, so I won't give away all my bracket results just yet, but the top half of the men's draw is complete and it's where I'm doing my best work (small wonder that Nadal is in that half...) Out of 32 picks, I only missed three. I'll be done impressing myself in about four hours when I see how the rest of my picks fared.

2. I watched a lot of recorded coverage last night and was struck by how great the in-studio interviews were - particularly Roddick, Wozniacki and Federer. They all seemed charming, at-ease and fun. I found some of Chris Evert's questions a little more... not mean-spirited or negative... just... oddly direct? But they handled them well. It reminded me of another reason I love tennis. Smart, well-spoken, mostly likable champions. And the ESPN2 crew was doing a good job of highlighting them.

But as I said, I did watch a lot of coverage. I sort of feel like I have a tennis hangover this morning. Unsure what the cure is.

Love This!

It's Bess' turn to post, but I couldn't resist quickly sharing this gem, which ESPN just re-broadcast. I've taken Djokovic all the way this tournament; maybe I should have stuck with Wozniacki, too. Love their collective spunk!

Forevernomore Young

Dave's rooting for Donald Young, too? I'm seeing a pattern here, Dave.

Young's been pretty obnoxious lately and resisting of team USA's recommendations on how he could improve. It's one thing to be stubborn and resist advice if you have your own plan that's working. But his results have been dismal of late, and I'm afraid he's digging a pretty deep hole as far as patience and support from the powers that be. And as far as my fandom goes, as well.

Speaking of Venus's outfit (Dave mentioned it in his post below), please note that we will definitely be discussing the best and worst ensembles of the tournament. It's just another great aspect of the game. Even at Wimbledon, where the rule is to wear "mostly white," players can express their individuality through their attire. Sometimes individuality in tennis attire is good, like Sharapova's glamorous black look which she only wore for night matches at the U.S. Open. Sometimes that's bad, like many of Agassi's early looks or this head scratcher by Serena.

I had a lot of complaints about retired champion Justine Henin. She was just... not my favorite player. But my biggest complaint was that for about four years she wore the same lame outfit. I think she bored herself into retirement.

I'm off to work. I hope Dave watches enough tennis for both of us today. I hope to check my brackets later to see how I'm doing so far. I know all of our readers -- all two of you -- are interested in who's ahead... Dave or Bess!? I'm interested, as well.