Archive for July, 2010
Participants at the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction of the 2010 class
NEWPORT, R.I. – Little guy. Little country. Giant performance. But it wasn’t quite enough for the diminutive dynamo named Olivier Rochus, who did his best to wreck the afternoon for the homebodies – and very nearly did.
You really couldn’t dislike this teddy bear of a tennis player, 5-foot-5, 140 pound Ollie. However, he was rocking the cradle of American tennis, the Casino, and almost ran circles around the crowd’s man, a US citizen, Mardy Fish. Smallest laborer on the pro tour, Ollie Rochus out of a small Belgian town called Namur, has the legs to keep up with and often surpass the big guys in his business. His shotmaking is a collection of spins that keeps the ball low, and he’s a sharp volleyer, the main man of Belgium’s Davis Cup team. continue reading »
July 12 2010 | International Tennis Hall of Fame | 2 Comments »
Rafael Nadal on Centre Court
LONDON – Federer and Venus got beat. So did Roddick, Djokovic, Henin and Clijsters. Wimbledon upsets to be sure, but not the most startling reversals as the aged tennis tournament faded away for another year.
Caught up in the most incredible upset of the fortnight was none other than that veteran performer – Jupiter Pluvius. continue reading »
July 04 2010 | Wimbledon | 3 Comments »
Serena's fingernails covered with rhinestones
LONDON – Why does Sister Serena remind me of the Statue of Liberty? Well, both of them are famous Americans, recognizeable heroines just about everywhere.
They stand out in their occupations, symbols of the fact that anything is possible in the USA. Lady Liberty is a one-woman welcoming committee in New York. Sister Serena travels the world as the best female tennis player in creation. continue reading »
July 03 2010 | Wimbledon | 1 Comment »
Heroic umpire of Isner-Mahut match, Mohamad Lahyani
LONDON – If you were somewhere near the Atlantic and heard a horrendous, sound-barrier-breaking noise yesterday about noon, don’t be alarmed.
It was merely the last groan raised throughout Great Britain as the last of the Brits at Wimbledon hit the last shot and lasted no longer in the oldest lasting tournament.
That was a Scottish lad named Andrew Baron Murray who stalled in the semifinals for a second straight year, and the long-lasting Curse of Fred Perry continues for a 75th year. Way back in the age of schoolboys wearing knickers and Model A Fords with rumble seats, a Brit named Fred Perry won the singles championship. He did it in 1934-35-36. None of his countrymen has imitated Fred since. continue reading »
July 02 2010 | Wimbledon | 2 Comments »
