Me, Watching Tennis

Me, Watching Tennis
Me, Watching Tennis

Monday, January 5, 2009

Coaching

Rowan here, back from day one at the ASB Classic.

Aravane Rezai is a total fox. Right, now that’s out of my system, let’s talk some tennis. I saw on-court coaching today! I completely forgot that it’s an official part of the tour now. I was watching the first match and thinking, boy the trainer sure is having a long conversation with Eleni Daniilidou, she must want some really complicated massage waitaminute it’s on-court coaching! Shock. I don’t really understand why they brought it in but it seems harmless enough and we’ll all be used to it soon. It didn’t help Daniilidou much anyway as she lost to Rezai in three fun sets. Rezai was the Classic runner up to Lindsay Davenport last year, she’s got game in that foxy frame.

In Elena Dementieva news Leni won her doubles match without any problems. Both her thighs and her groundstrokes look to be in fine form. Tomorrow she’s playing a girl from Taiwan who she’s never played before, should be good. Unfortunately Marina Erakovic lost her doubles match today, she and Evergreen Jill Craybas were the top seeds too, rats. But like Leni Marina will be starting her singles campaign tomorrow so hopefully she’ll have better luck then.

Lots of long three set matches today, everybody likes to see that. Nicole Vaidisova especially took the crowd on a roller coaster, upside down and round and round. There were break points everywhere, converted and unconverted, it was brutal. I’m very happy she got through all right, I would have been crying in my sleep if Nikki V had lost on the first day. In the end she beat Alla Kudryavtseva 76(3) 46 75. And not long after that Aleksandra Wozniak played a similarly stressful match against Magdalena Rybarikova, 63 67(4) 75. I paid for my whole seat but I only used the edge.

3 comments:

paula said...

Wow Rowan! So many three setters! That is awesome. Sometimes, the early rounds can be a bunch of 6/1 6/1ers and those are not as fun.

I don't know what I think about on court coaching. I sort of don't like that the ladies do it but not the dudes. I don't feel strongly about it though, one way or the other. I guess I find it a little distracting and not so interesting, but I don't feel that "they should be out there on their own" either.

Sorry to hear about your girl Eracovic going down in the doubles.

If you get to take any pictures we'd love to see them up here!

Ampersand said...

Hey take some pictures if you can!, Oh wait I just saw that Paula already said that. Sorry!

I like Wozniak - I think she's a keeper. I think she's gonna have a good year...

man I wish I was a professional tennis player and had an excuse to take off for new Zealand right about now. I guess I would ahve to be a girl too. hmm that complicates things a little I guess. no men's event there?

R.C. French said...

Yup, the tennis pros are pretty lucky to be able to follow summer all year long to places like Auckland in January. It's hot. The men will be here too, next week for the Heineken Open. Two weeks of relaxing for me, I love it.

Wozniak is good isn't she. I like players that come from those freak tennis nations that have hardly any pros on tour.

I'll try to take some pictures! Leni looked great in a traffic cone orange outfit today.