The Round of Sixteen

This is my favorite round. Am I the only person with a favorite round? Sometimes, the expectations for later matches- the semis, the final - make them disappointing. Also, people's nerves get to them and the tennis can be not so great. Clearly, there are many many great matches in the semis and finals and quarters and early rounds....but I love the round of sixteen. Maybe it's that it's the perfect amount of tennis for one day. Yes, even I get overwhelmed with the vast buckets of tennis on day one and day two. And I get sad- really truly sad - on final day because the event is over, and there is only one last match. I feel...lonely when a slam ends. So the round of sixteen? Perfection. Not too many, not too few matches. More than just Federer and Nadal left, but not fifty dudes who you don't really know. And- maybe my final point on why I love the round of sixteen - there is a particular fight to get into the quarters. To get into "week two". I think it produces the most intense battles.

Now for some match talk:
I stayed up last night watching Venus lose to Pennetta. I will say this: they both played really great tennis. Pennetta just hit more winners and loves the clay. So it didn't suprise me that she won. But all the talk of darkness and saying that Venus should have asked to suspend play- hmmm. Not sure what I think. She didn't ask to suspend play, so my guess is she didn't want to stop playing? I don't know. The TV lights up the court so I can't say how dark it was. I will say this- they hit some great balls at the end of that match. Great tennis. Perhaps my favorite match to watch so far (Pennetta goes out with Moya so I transfer all sorts of transfer stuff onto her which is to say, I like her!)

I am watching Hewitt and Ferrer right now. And - Ferrer is Srebotnik's secret twin! That's right! And I like both of them very much. Hewitt- not my fave. But I don't hate him, like some do.

LATER:
Wow - great third round matches to get INTO the best round of all, the round of sixteen. Gonzo pulled a win after being two sets down, this, against Wawrinka, the hot player on the tour right now. And FERRER!!! He did it. Took five, too. Good stuff. Now here is Monfils v. Meltzer and Meltzer has NO ONE rooting for him, so I will. And I really like Monfils- he adds such great energy and personality to the game. But I'm half Austrian and feeling sorry for Meltzer. Rick Rock is sitting next to me and rooting for Monfils. But we're not fighting- we are being understanding and accepting of each others' differences.

Yours Truly,
Paula