First off, Emma. I haven't been around that much myself as I have been going some very freakish health problems. They came out of nowhere and without any warning signals. So for months I have been incapacitated to a large degree. It's a long story.
But as to my plummeting stage, it only lasts for a minute because everyone on the tour deserves their time in the sun. I feel it's selfish to want my fave to win everything and am puzzled by people who jealously guard their favorites and hate their rivals. It's just a sport after all.
I too was shocked by Rafa's early exit, but was glad he at least made it to the second week. I loved your post. You have such a nice way of analyzing things. For me the only thing I like about the grass is that it looks so pristine on the first few days, but I don't find the play that tantalizing. I prefer the sure-footedness of the clay, and hard court makes me think of the pounding that the athletes have to endure. Like you, I am sad that we didn't get the Rafa/Federer semi because it would have been interesting to see how that panned out, but we'll never know now.
As to Andy, it was also an inexplicable loss, so I chalk that up to another "it wasn't meant to be." I agree that Andy seemed to put more focus on the French, and that in itself was odd, but he will be none the worse for it. What this does, in Andy's case is put more fire in his belly. I don't think he'll be that pleased with his major results this year, even if it was a year of transitioning back on the tour.
And yes, it was When Andy won Wimbledon and it was so emotional that I realized that I wasn't getting the full effect. My mind kept wandering to that scene in the school and how terrified those children must have felt, especially after the fact. I watched it back to back and then deleted it, because I cried the second time too, and it was just too much.
But, it was a lovely documentary, wasn't it? So well written and it really showed you Andy's character and persona. That didn't surprise me, because that's how I saw Andy anyway. He was so funny talking about how he and Kim kept the paparazzi away, that sounded so Andy, didn't it? He is such a great person, I don't understand how people don't get him and Pete. They've always been like open books to me. I just relate to them. Always have.
Hi TT, really sorry about your health problems. I really hope things get a lot better for you. Know that my best wishes are with you.
It's really tricky to win back to back RG and Wimbledon given the two surfaces are so vastly different from each other and the short period of time to adjust in between the two Slams. And it's even trickier for Nadal given that he tends to play the most during the clay season and also, wins more. So the losses are not highly unexpected. Sampras would always give his 50% at RG since he was far more keen on winning Wimbledon, his most favourite Slam. And after he lost 1996 Wimbledon, he even showed less interest in RG. It's just to each his own. Rafa prefers RG, Sampras prefers Wimbledon etc.
I do think hard is the only surface where it rewards all players. I remember in the 90s, players who were very good on clay, would do considerably well on hard (Corretja comes to mind immediately. Moya did quite well at the AO and Guga was no pushover on hard either) whereas the same bunch of players would go out quite early on grass at Wimbledon. And today we see no difference. Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco, Lopez and so many others play quite well on hard and apart from Nadal, not a single player made a serious impression on grass particularly at Wimbledon. So it's good to have hard courts around because both grass courters and clay courters can benefit on this surface and it helps that majority of the surfaces are either clay or hard. Though those who are very good on grass do not benefit as much. I believe if there were a couple of Masters on grass, Sampras would have won those on a regular basis. But anyway....
I am really glad you like Andy so much. I know your support of him is very true or in other words, you are a genuine fan of Andy and that makes me very happy. He's struggling a bit right now and I really it has everything to do with his motivation level being down quite a bit due to his Wimbledon win, but let's see what's in store for us. I think he'll be very keen on 2015 AO but personally I'd like him to pick up things right now.
I've supported 3 players in my life - Sampras, Hewitt and Murray and quite unfortunately none of them are or were all that popular. It doesn't bother me though because I am really into players' popularity. I am much more into the kind of game they play and the type of honesty they bring to the table. People are just into more mainstream stuff you know, Federer, Dimitrov, Agassi etc. The only exception might have been Borg in his time.
It was very lovely and touching documentary, yes. Especially when I think about how Andy will enjoy this looking back once he retires from tennis. And of course us the fans too.
Wow Emma, you never cease to amaze me with your postings. Yes, I have been a fan of Murray's since he came on the scene. There is an openness and honesty that he brings to the table. With Andy, there is no smoke and fire. He's comfortable with himself, and that's a very admirable trait. I think he's smart, funny, and personable; someone I'd like to be friends with. And his on court genius never ceases to amaze me. I simply love the way Andy plays the game.
Andy, I don't worry about, because he's such a reflective person, and I know that no matter what happens, he'll be able to take it in stride. He's already accomplished one of the most important deeds of the century, breaking that 70 year drought, but I also expected him to let it soak in, rather than immediately seeking more glory. I do think he wanted to do very well at RG this year, but that was not for the sole purpose of winning it, but to ensure that it would not be a future blot or obstacle in his career. He may appear laid back, but inside beats the heart of a champion, it's just not an in your face type of champion and many people struggle to see the difference. Andy just approaches the game on an intellectual level, and for those who do so, the journey is different.
I had to laugh at your favorite players to follow, because I also followed those three. I received a lot of flack about Lleyton and my support of him throughout his career, but of course I didn't care. Lleyton's belief in himself was a huge draw for me. For him to be among giants, due to his small stature, and achieve the things he did is nothing short of remarkable. His ability to step out of the limelight and give credit to those who came after him is also remarkable. Like you, I don't care who the current "next big thing" is, I like who I like based on the traits they possess and the benefit it is to me.
I don't have to say anything about Pete. You already know how I feel about him. Pure class.
