Half sucky, half great day at Roland Garros
What happens when I wake up and log on to the Internet to catch some tennis?
I watch David Ferrer lose. To Jurgen Melzer. UGH.
I have nothing personal against Melzer, to be honest. He just annoys me. Mainly because he pops up at Slams and beats guys I like. I know it's huge for certain players, especially journeymen, to have a great breakthrough in the Slams. It's funny how players I like end up falling to the journeymen. C'est la vie, I suppose. I (begrudgingly) have to suck it up.
And then Juan Carlos Ferrero lost in five sets to Robby Ginepri. GINEPRI. Another dude who kills me in the Slams. But I know a lot of people are happy about him winning so I will not be annoying about it. How crazy is it that he's the last American standing? Hmm. Shouldn't be surprised. Roland Garros has never been nice to the Americans.
Speaking of, Andy Roddick lost to Teimuraz Gabashvili, who is ranked 114th in the world. Go figure. But honestly, Roddick was having a tough time in the first two rounds anyway, so I'm not surprised that he lost. (P.S. This is the first French Open where I haven't rejoiced Roddick losing. Yes, last year's Wimbledon has something to do with that.)
And then who else? I think that was it for the sucky bits. I was a little scared because a year ago, both Rafa and Nole lost on the same day and I was crushed. That was seriously one of THE worst tennis days EVER for me. So when both were set to play today, I prayed that they would win.
Thankfully, they did! Nole beat...um...I can't remember who. Oh yes, Victor Hanescu. His brain went on a brief holiday during the second set, but thankfully it returned in the third and fourth so he could beat the Romanian. And Rafa beat my old fave, Lleyton Hewitt. It made me so inexpressibly happy to see Lleyton be all...Lleyton-y. I was hoping he'd get upset at himself enough to go bash the flowers on the sides of the courts like he did several years ago. Sadly, that did not happen but seeing angry Lleyton amused me. He played all right - he played good tennis but he also played Rafa. Poor Lleyton. He's never gotten a break at RG. Ever since I've watched him play (basically his entire career), he has always lost to either an Argentine or a Spaniard at RG. ALWAYS. Luck of the draw for him. I remember when I used to get upset beyond belief when he lost at RG. Those were the days.
Anyway. I actually tuned in to watch Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova battle it out after Lleyton/Rafa. First set was so horrible to watch. I was rooting for Masha (OMG WHAT?!?) because I dislike her less than Henin. Don't ask me when this happened - I used to like Justine a whole lot before I realised that I really didn't. I'm not a Sharapova fan either but I figure right now, I'd rather have a different winner for RG than Justine during her "comeback year." Anyway, Masha got the second set, which made me VERY happy. Play got suspended so the deciding set should be a corker tomorrow.
(Really, just don't ask me about those two. I don't even watch women's tennis that avidly so just be happy I tuned in to voluntarily to watch a match). Oh! And Jelena Jankovic won, so that made me happy too.
I've enjoyed watching the tennis on the Tennis Channel online stream and on ESPN3 this past week that having to watch Rafa/Lleyton and Masha.Justine on NBC was torture. I have not missed you, Johnny Mac, Mary Carillo, and Ted Robinson. You still are annoying. (I love John McEnroe but dude cannot shut his mouth).
Also, in other tennis news, Pete Bodo, whose blog I used to frequent a lot the last couple of years, wrote a very lovely article commenting on Dinara Safina's lack of fitness leading her to lose her match vs. 39-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm on Tuesday. (thanks roh-wyn for tweeting this link, btw). Background: I used to love TennisWorld, I met a lot of great people there, but the Roger/Rafa wars eventually made me quit it and I also didn't have time to spend a whole day there. I still think most of the people I met there are lovely, and wonderful tennis fans, but more often than not, people freaked out a LOT about their faves, didn't waste time complaining about god knows what, and yeah. I think Pete Bodo is a good writer, but I haven't read his stuff as of late, and this one just annoyed me. Please, don't comment on Dinara's tummy as evidence that she's "out of shape." From what I've heard from people who have seen her in person this year and before, she is extremely thin and fit. Just 'cos she's got a tummy means NOTHING. I'm a stick and I have a tummy. OMG I AM OUT OF SHAPE (I am, really, but then again, I'm not a professional athlete). And also, RG was Dinara's second tournament since getting surgery (if I recall correctly) for a back injury. So...give her a break. Also, she is NOT out of shape. And Kimiko Date-Krumm is not a desperate housewife or whatever.
(I basically just summed up most of the defensive comments on that post).
I'm a big tennis fan but maybe I'm not THAT hardcore because I just don't get into all the politics and drama of tennis that other people seem to. Just enjoy the match and call it a day. And don't get me started on Venus's dress. Devil may care, honestly. If she likes it and she's winning, who are we to judge? (And honestly, if it were really something scary and revealing, I'd have something to say, but it isn't THAT bad. From what I've seen, anyway).
OK. Rant over. Dinner time! Really sorry about the uber rant...I didn't mean it to get crazy.
G'nite!
I watch David Ferrer lose. To Jurgen Melzer. UGH.
I have nothing personal against Melzer, to be honest. He just annoys me. Mainly because he pops up at Slams and beats guys I like. I know it's huge for certain players, especially journeymen, to have a great breakthrough in the Slams. It's funny how players I like end up falling to the journeymen. C'est la vie, I suppose. I (begrudgingly) have to suck it up.
And then Juan Carlos Ferrero lost in five sets to Robby Ginepri. GINEPRI. Another dude who kills me in the Slams. But I know a lot of people are happy about him winning so I will not be annoying about it. How crazy is it that he's the last American standing? Hmm. Shouldn't be surprised. Roland Garros has never been nice to the Americans.
Speaking of, Andy Roddick lost to Teimuraz Gabashvili, who is ranked 114th in the world. Go figure. But honestly, Roddick was having a tough time in the first two rounds anyway, so I'm not surprised that he lost. (P.S. This is the first French Open where I haven't rejoiced Roddick losing. Yes, last year's Wimbledon has something to do with that.)
And then who else? I think that was it for the sucky bits. I was a little scared because a year ago, both Rafa and Nole lost on the same day and I was crushed. That was seriously one of THE worst tennis days EVER for me. So when both were set to play today, I prayed that they would win.
Thankfully, they did! Nole beat...um...I can't remember who. Oh yes, Victor Hanescu. His brain went on a brief holiday during the second set, but thankfully it returned in the third and fourth so he could beat the Romanian. And Rafa beat my old fave, Lleyton Hewitt. It made me so inexpressibly happy to see Lleyton be all...Lleyton-y. I was hoping he'd get upset at himself enough to go bash the flowers on the sides of the courts like he did several years ago. Sadly, that did not happen but seeing angry Lleyton amused me. He played all right - he played good tennis but he also played Rafa. Poor Lleyton. He's never gotten a break at RG. Ever since I've watched him play (basically his entire career), he has always lost to either an Argentine or a Spaniard at RG. ALWAYS. Luck of the draw for him. I remember when I used to get upset beyond belief when he lost at RG. Those were the days.
Anyway. I actually tuned in to watch Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova battle it out after Lleyton/Rafa. First set was so horrible to watch. I was rooting for Masha (OMG WHAT?!?) because I dislike her less than Henin. Don't ask me when this happened - I used to like Justine a whole lot before I realised that I really didn't. I'm not a Sharapova fan either but I figure right now, I'd rather have a different winner for RG than Justine during her "comeback year." Anyway, Masha got the second set, which made me VERY happy. Play got suspended so the deciding set should be a corker tomorrow.
(Really, just don't ask me about those two. I don't even watch women's tennis that avidly so just be happy I tuned in to voluntarily to watch a match). Oh! And Jelena Jankovic won, so that made me happy too.
I've enjoyed watching the tennis on the Tennis Channel online stream and on ESPN3 this past week that having to watch Rafa/Lleyton and Masha.Justine on NBC was torture. I have not missed you, Johnny Mac, Mary Carillo, and Ted Robinson. You still are annoying. (I love John McEnroe but dude cannot shut his mouth).
Also, in other tennis news, Pete Bodo, whose blog I used to frequent a lot the last couple of years, wrote a very lovely article commenting on Dinara Safina's lack of fitness leading her to lose her match vs. 39-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm on Tuesday. (thanks roh-wyn for tweeting this link, btw). Background: I used to love TennisWorld, I met a lot of great people there, but the Roger/Rafa wars eventually made me quit it and I also didn't have time to spend a whole day there. I still think most of the people I met there are lovely, and wonderful tennis fans, but more often than not, people freaked out a LOT about their faves, didn't waste time complaining about god knows what, and yeah. I think Pete Bodo is a good writer, but I haven't read his stuff as of late, and this one just annoyed me. Please, don't comment on Dinara's tummy as evidence that she's "out of shape." From what I've heard from people who have seen her in person this year and before, she is extremely thin and fit. Just 'cos she's got a tummy means NOTHING. I'm a stick and I have a tummy. OMG I AM OUT OF SHAPE (I am, really, but then again, I'm not a professional athlete). And also, RG was Dinara's second tournament since getting surgery (if I recall correctly) for a back injury. So...give her a break. Also, she is NOT out of shape. And Kimiko Date-Krumm is not a desperate housewife or whatever.
(I basically just summed up most of the defensive comments on that post).
I'm a big tennis fan but maybe I'm not THAT hardcore because I just don't get into all the politics and drama of tennis that other people seem to. Just enjoy the match and call it a day. And don't get me started on Venus's dress. Devil may care, honestly. If she likes it and she's winning, who are we to judge? (And honestly, if it were really something scary and revealing, I'd have something to say, but it isn't THAT bad. From what I've seen, anyway).
OK. Rant over. Dinner time! Really sorry about the uber rant...I didn't mean it to get crazy.
G'nite!