Mark43
Mar 21st, 2003, 02:58 AM
I got to the tennis park around 5:15. I tried to go during the day but it was another scorcher and the thought of frying in this wet, sticky heat just to see Vince Spadea didn't fly.
Once again I made a mad dash to the practice courts, and there was lil 'Daniela Hantuchova. She was pounding groundies with her coach in the twilight. Her shots look great. Hard + flat. She looks painfully thin. Not anorexic, but no bigger than last year. Of course Daniella is a huge star, but within minutes of watching her practice I started to get that feeling that, perhaps, someone better was on another practice court. It's like that wierd anxiety bubbles up and the thought that I am missing out on someone else creeps into my mind...so I race to the next practice court across the park. Damn it was so muscle guy with his shirt off. He is hot (see attached), but I don't know who the hell he is, so I race to the next one. Finally, payoff...Michael Chang. I start waxing nostalgic. Here is poor little Michael and it's the last time I will see him. Boo-hoo.
After a brief, but free, dinner I get ready to watch the Chang/Nic Keifer (hottie hottie hottie) match. I only end up seeing the very last game as my supervisor put me in the entrance to the stadium. Damn! Chang won easily 6-2,6-2. I was shocked, but I have not heard much from Keifer in 2 years, really. After the match, the Nasdaq had a brief ceremony celebrating Chang and all his achievements in his retirement year. The crowd was on their feet cheering. I started waxing nostalgic again, then I thought..hey, I have always liked Chang but I don't ever remember actually rooting for him. In fact, his style of play didn't do much for me. But he had the biggest heart in the game (like ASV) and worked harder than anyone to make it to the top.
The crowd was buzzing after Chang + Co left the arena. Kournikova was in the air. I was finally ushering the box seats and I had a perfect view. Anna came out in all her glory with Dinara Safina. Two creepy burly guys from Jersey were begging me to let them sit in the box seats. i was going to let them when one of the guys said "what a piece of ass!" I told them they had to leave just because I knew they were wasted and about to cause a scene. Ugh.
What the hell is wrong with Anna Kournikova? She is built like a perfect athlete. She moves like a gazelle. Yet she plays like a nervous nelly. There was a point in the first set when she double faulted 3 times in a row. The first double fault was so painful. She actually sliced the 58 mile an hour serve so severely it hit her side of the court first and then hit the net. Oy! Now I know Anna isn't known for putting too much time in on the court, but I gotta think a lot of her problems are psychological/nerves.
Safina played well in the first set. Anna finally picked it up in the second and was ahead 3-0 when Dinara cut down her errors. The whole crowd was with Anna all the way. Towards the end of the match word got out that Enrique (or little Ricky, as I call him) was in the house. Turns out he was in the box next to mine. As soon as the match was over little Ricky bolted for the exit and I ran for a photo op. I caught up to Ricky at the bottom of the stairs and took the following photos. Are Ricky and Anna still an item.
Up tomorow...Serena! Yay!!!!!!!!!
Once again I made a mad dash to the practice courts, and there was lil 'Daniela Hantuchova. She was pounding groundies with her coach in the twilight. Her shots look great. Hard + flat. She looks painfully thin. Not anorexic, but no bigger than last year. Of course Daniella is a huge star, but within minutes of watching her practice I started to get that feeling that, perhaps, someone better was on another practice court. It's like that wierd anxiety bubbles up and the thought that I am missing out on someone else creeps into my mind...so I race to the next practice court across the park. Damn it was so muscle guy with his shirt off. He is hot (see attached), but I don't know who the hell he is, so I race to the next one. Finally, payoff...Michael Chang. I start waxing nostalgic. Here is poor little Michael and it's the last time I will see him. Boo-hoo.
After a brief, but free, dinner I get ready to watch the Chang/Nic Keifer (hottie hottie hottie) match. I only end up seeing the very last game as my supervisor put me in the entrance to the stadium. Damn! Chang won easily 6-2,6-2. I was shocked, but I have not heard much from Keifer in 2 years, really. After the match, the Nasdaq had a brief ceremony celebrating Chang and all his achievements in his retirement year. The crowd was on their feet cheering. I started waxing nostalgic again, then I thought..hey, I have always liked Chang but I don't ever remember actually rooting for him. In fact, his style of play didn't do much for me. But he had the biggest heart in the game (like ASV) and worked harder than anyone to make it to the top.
The crowd was buzzing after Chang + Co left the arena. Kournikova was in the air. I was finally ushering the box seats and I had a perfect view. Anna came out in all her glory with Dinara Safina. Two creepy burly guys from Jersey were begging me to let them sit in the box seats. i was going to let them when one of the guys said "what a piece of ass!" I told them they had to leave just because I knew they were wasted and about to cause a scene. Ugh.
What the hell is wrong with Anna Kournikova? She is built like a perfect athlete. She moves like a gazelle. Yet she plays like a nervous nelly. There was a point in the first set when she double faulted 3 times in a row. The first double fault was so painful. She actually sliced the 58 mile an hour serve so severely it hit her side of the court first and then hit the net. Oy! Now I know Anna isn't known for putting too much time in on the court, but I gotta think a lot of her problems are psychological/nerves.
Safina played well in the first set. Anna finally picked it up in the second and was ahead 3-0 when Dinara cut down her errors. The whole crowd was with Anna all the way. Towards the end of the match word got out that Enrique (or little Ricky, as I call him) was in the house. Turns out he was in the box next to mine. As soon as the match was over little Ricky bolted for the exit and I ran for a photo op. I caught up to Ricky at the bottom of the stairs and took the following photos. Are Ricky and Anna still an item.
Up tomorow...Serena! Yay!!!!!!!!!