True, the Chinese girls mostly play the same game, but last year I developed a liking for Zheng Jie, the smallest of their players. She makes the most of her height and she’s also the fiercest, of them all, which is why I like her. She has a great talent for taking the ball early, retrieving, and never giving up, though everyone she plays is bigger. A good role model for us smaller players. A sluggish Serena was having fits against her, making agonized faces, and had to go three to pull it out. Serena has to muscle through a lot of her matches when her feet aren’t moving. She had to do it again against Li Na, who really blew a lot of break chances in the 2nd and her chance for a big win. Li Na is a head case. UE’s galore. Same thing with Tsonga today. His match against Djokies was there to take, but he let himself get rattled; he showed us he has no Plan B when he’s not playing well. His game is all or nothing, and today was a nothing day for him. Djokies toughed out his own problems. Just what is it with his breathing?? It was hot or humid enough to cause healthy players real problems. It’s not even summer yet!
Monfils, mon fils, you are another head case. Roger Rasheed must be losing years off his life coaching you. Are you and Jo-Willy eating foie gras gone bad, or what? Monfils is into cute shots. He needs to uncute his play and accomplish his mission.
Gil vs Nadal and Massu vs Murray were fun to watch, and they were similar matches. Two unseeded sluggers blasting the ball, making the top guys look slow and weak. Massu hasn’t done much in the last several years; I’m surprised he’s still around, but all of a sudden he was going all out pounding the ball, just like Gil was doing against Rafa. Both matches could’ve gone to a 3rd, but for ill-timed UE’s, and the top guys are not top guys for nothing. Rafa really needed his stuff against Wawrinka last night. Stannie has long been in Rogi’s shadow. Looks like he’s coming into his own now, woo. Just a few points at the end determined the match.
Monday was the first day the girls were shown on the TVTennis live stream. I’m guessing it’s because the WTA is the lesser partner on the website – they were making noises last year about developing their own live stream, but maybe they figured it was too much trouble when the ATP already had one; why not just camp on the ATP site, even if they have to play second fiddle?
Rogi vs Dent definitely had some real quality play; so fun Dent’s old-style attacking game and vicious volleys. Boris Becker was watching in the stands, maybe reminiscing about the old days. Probably a good thing Rogi had some practice against Pete, since there sure aren’t many younger guys with that great big flying game. In his presser, Rogi said he used to serve and volley in his early days on tour; I remember that – he was inconsistent from the back and he got passed a lot at net. He said he had to work hard to improve his backcourt game. But I get why he had fun playing Dent. Not just because he won handily despite some long games – he is fond of serve & volleyers, because he used to be one himself. When we had Pete, Boris, Krajicek, Stich, Rafter, and Edberg, we got spoiled, man. We got BORED. We didn’t know what we had until it went away. I think we need to quicken up more courts again, if just to encourage more guys to play like that again. Rogi vs Roddick tonight. I don’t think Andy’s improved enough to beat an on-form Federer.
