Tennis Talk

I've been watching some U.S. Open tennis and it's been pretty good. Tim Smyczek of Brookfield made it just as far as any other American male tennis player, the THIRD ROUND, which is disconcerting. http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen13/story/_/id/9625887/us-open-last-us-hope-tim-smyczek-comes-short is a shitty article about it highlighting the lack of knowledge in Smyczek, but reminding us that since 1881 there's always been an American man into the fourth round. He pushed Marcel Granollers from Spain to 5 sets before losing. He wins that match, he'd be HUGE news and have an even better pay day. The lack of quality U.S. players has been on the horizon for awhile though and the recent batch of tennis players fall well short, especially in having something between their ears to make them play the game at a high level. We've had a rough run of of luck too, but it's certainly been a bad few years. Andy Roddick gets shit on, but he has been by far the best thing we've had through the 00's besides my personal heroes the Bryan Brothers. They are a huge bright spot that gets buried by playing in the obscure world of men's doubles. They are playing in a pretty slow run for competition, but they have been kicking the shit out of everyone as 35 year olds. I thoroughly enjoy watching them play more than anyone else on the tour. I wonder if they've surpassed Anna Kournikova as my favorite players ever... Nope, they haven't. I really wanted to simply write a blog complaining about another major where Federer uses his post-match loss to lament about not playing his best tennis, BUT NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM ------- that I played that day. Same shit, different tournament. I want Robredo to say that he didn't play well, but it was good enough to win. That would be fucking awesome. It's the same shit Tiger Woods always lays out and for the last 15 years I always wondered why I hated both of these players, but for Woods the shameless whore banging was the watershed moment. Federer's hasn't been the same, but his arrogance has been the ongoing thorn for me, and in his twilight years he's never been more smug and shitty. On the flip side it's nice to see Robredo back playing excellent tennis. He's very graceful off both wings and fun to watch for me. James Blake said goodbye, and that was truly sad. He had an excellent autobiography I read detailing his life, but spending a lot of time on some incredibly unique struggles that he overcame, but I think clearly hindered his career and derailed it from perhaps a higher ceiling than #4 in the world. He had amazing physical tools, especially his foot speed. He packed a ton of power into his forehand, his backhand was often a struggle, but occasionally he'd just destroy a return down the line with it that was a thing of pure beauty. His match against Agassi in the U.S. Open semifinal was one of the best I've ever seen. It was just a slugfest between two players hell bent on not giving up real estate on the baseline to each other. Blake kept the same coach he had since childhood, a move I can't agree with. It was admirable, but I think it kept him from reaching another level that you'd catch glimpses of. His struggles were the death of his father, followed by a near paralysis inducing collision while practicing on clay, AND shingles that paralyzed half of his face and made life generally miserable for him for a few years. He amazingly came back from all that, but really couldn't keep healthy, or consistent enough to stick around that upper echelon I felt like he belonged in. He'll be on TV commentating whenever he wants to moving forward. He played at Harvard for a year before going pro and he's VERY smart and an elegant speaker. I wish him the best as he rides into the sunset with a wife and daughter that he can't wait to spend more time with. Things to keep an eye on- 3 Spanish men in the quaterfinals with Granollers awaiting Djokovic in the round of 16. Very impressive run for them. Also I enjoyed Jack Sock for a very little bit, but he plays like a fucking idiot too often to be very good. Great tools, but he needs somebody to pound into his head how to use those tools to win matches. Athletic, good serve, solid off both wings but doesn't dictate the point with either. I watched him hit clean winners out of nowhere, and that is very exciting, but similar to Blake you just see a complete lack of how to set-up a point. Film on mid-late 90's Agassi should be mandatory for all up & comers to see how to just grind people into the ground. They obviously won't have the fitness of that Agassi, but something needs to give and soon because John Isner isn't the guy to carry our flag in the world of major tennis. The U.S. women performed pretty well, but I want to underline the fact that if Serena Williams was not around we'd look similarly as shitty on the women's side as the men's side. Sloane Stephens wears the crown of really talented, but does not know how to use those considerable talent to win matches. Agassi, when he was struggling to re-invent himself, played in challenger matches, which is essentially the minor leagues of tennis, to remind himself how to win. I'm not sure what the real answer is obviously, but I just want to see some promising moments that make me believe we will have a presence in the near future in international tennis.