I always had this vision that if Nalbandian won a major and did that climb into the stands thing to hug his girlfriend or coach that they would just get smeared in sweat. Nalbandian has taken over from Rafter as world's sweatiest tennis player.

Oh, God. Me, too. Please. Play the opponent, the calls, the world, but win, damnit.

The thing that cost me my Sampras adoration was John McEnroe - his commentating was similar to what I am feeling from Mary Carillo tonight (and I really like her as a rule) - a blinding personal involvement. Johnny Mac was SOOO in love with Pete that it made it hard for me to pull for him at times. Almost as if there were noone else on the court.

But I loved (surprise) that introverted calm and attention to the game - and not the audience - that Pete brought with him.

I think the universality of the respect for Roger is due to the universality of his game. And if people really thought he was the absolute very best ever, THEY'D SHOW HIS MATCH LIVE TONIGHT, GODDAMMIT!

Edited because emotion apparently causes me unforced spelling errors.

I am totally there, dude. LOL. My only reservation is that I would love, love, love to see Lindsay take down Shriekapova to revenge her Wimbledon semi loss from last year. Assuming of course that Lindsay beats Dechy. But that's assuming a lot. I remember make that same assumption about her US Open semi with Kusnetsova, and then the damn hip thing came out of nowhere!

OMG, OMG, Serena won! 6-2, 7-5, 8-6 (i think). Sharapova served for the match twice (once in the second, once in the third) wow. talk about choke city. This was shades of the Capriati/Henin match from the U.S. Open when Jennifer served for the match. Wow, just wow. Go Serena!!!!

Decline or not, Serena is all heart.

And damn she's fine. Those shorts...

I can't believe how much I wanted Serena to win. I spent so much time hating on her in the past, but now I am totally in her corner. That was just an incredible match. Go Serena!

I'm sooooooo happy!!!!!!! Go Serena!!!! Choke city for Sharapova, specially in the 2nd set. 'Cause Serena won all of those match points in the third set against her all by herself, thank you very much.

Yay!



Granted, I only watched half of the second and the whole third set, but I didn't get that. What I did get, because she mentioned it clearly at the end, was that she thought that Sharapova was the better player, and I have to say that I agree. Sniff. She hits as hard as Serena, plays the clutch points very well, and is more accurate and technically sound that Serena. But I hate her anyway.

I'm evil, I know.

I hope Davenport wins her match. As much as I appreciate her and think that it would be great for her to get another big one, I have to say that my heart is with Serena on this one. I can't believe I'm saying that, because she hasn't been one of my favorites in a long time. But she's getting back on my good side. She really battled today and really wanted it. She showed a lot of heart. And that's very important to me.

Except when it comes to Hewitt.

I reiterate, I'm evil. I know.

They're not showing the Safin/Fed match live. Grrrrrr.

So much word. And I don't even understand why she does it. I really liked watching Sharapova make this an unbelievable match, why can't Carillo just give props all around. It's like a popularity contest or somethiing, whatever.

That said, what an unbelievable match. It might be the best women's match I've seen in a really long time. There have been longer ones but the drama was unbelievable.

I can't believe I never noticed until now, but Dechy serves a little like Sjeng Schalken.

Kuznetsova and Molik are playing doubles together? What is that, Team Tree Trunk?


This one was packed with tennis-related drama, but I'm not sure anything will top the Serena/Capriati match at last year's U.S. Open. I'm still a little shocked over that one. Another great match was Henin/Capriati the year before and Mauresmo's meltdown against Serena at Wimbledon. Amidst all the junk, there have been several good matches in the last couple of years.

You're speaking my language.

Also Mary Carillo needs to STFU and never comment on tennis again until she can pull her head out of her ass and get over whatever beef she has with the Williams sisters.

I knew Marat would be the only one who could really make Federer work for it.

Thank you! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. And it pissed me off to no end how she pretty much dismissed Serena's reasons for not producing the same results she has in the past. I mean, Mary, how many players can come back from injuries/surgery and the murder of their sister and return to #1 player status/form????

Also, maybe I'm being a bit too sensitive, but it irked that Dick, when referring to the death of Serena's sister, referred to her as a half-sister. Yes, technically that's what she was, but somehow it seemed as if he was saying that she should only be half-grieving. Who knows? I probably was reading way too much into it.

WOW! Safin won! I just listened to the end of Federer/Safin on AO Radio. What a great, hard fought match by both of them. 4 hours/28 minutes. I can't wait till the final.

I'm very happy for Serena. I thought she was going to lose because Maria is damn tough and she won the first set with no problems. I have to give Maria her props, she is a tough player who NEVER gives up. But I adore Serena. Always have. I never understood all the hostility towards her and Venus. Sure they can be a bit aloof. But who wouldn't be in their situation? From what I understand they were not exactly welcomed with open arms when they first came on tour. They were thought of as a sideshow and was more then likely treated as such.

All I want now is for Andy to kick Lleytons ass and my day will be complete.

This is awful. I like Safin just fine, but I loathe Hewitt and I'm not fond of Roddick at all. I don't have complete confidence that a guy who lost to Thomas Johansson can prevent one of those guys from winning this trophy. Safin better step up and take it home or he's going to be on my list.

I was reading Tennis magazine last night. And I was surprised to see that they picked Hewitt to go all the way at the Aus Open. And we all know how I feel about him. Marat better bring it because I cannot stand the thought of the gloating that will ensue if Tenis magazine's pick proves right. **sigh**Roger we were really pulling for you. Although we do love us some Marat.

ETA: Spoiler tags removed as promised cause the match aired as scheduled.

So instead of showing Cold Pizza, ESPN2 played the end of the Safin-Federer match. Wasn't expecting that!

Damn it! I was watching BBC World News and the commentator said that the match was going 5 sets so I switched to ESPN and the Deuce but they were showing other stuff! Grrr Argh! I should've held out longer! /bitter rant

ESPN International had the match going from this morning.

This just makes me all kinds of crazy! It goes to the fact that the network suits at ABC don't think American fans want to watch international players. Isn't this the longest running argument on this board? My God when will they learn? First thing I did this morning, BEFORE CAFFEINE MIND YOU, was turn on the sports channels to see WTH was going on with the Federer match.

I think they showed the whole match. They kept cutting to the Cold Pizza hosts during the commercial breaks, and the woman seemed pissed that a potentially classic tennis match was cutting into her face time. She made the insightful comment that "one of these two men will go to the finals."

Fantastic match - I was late for work this morning watching it, but it was well worth it.

Thank you, Marat Safin, thank you.

I can't believe I was up and reading it online, but I didn't even THINK to turn on ESPN. This is how little I feel I can rely on you, ESPN. And I'm pissed. I should have thought, but I never would have dreamed.

But if it's so good to pre-empt programming for the ending, why not just program it in? Never in my life will I understand why they CHOSE not to show this match live. They've chosen to show all the large American matches no matter when. Yes, Juanita, it's the same old argument - we'll never win it. So I feel stupid and bitter this morning

And ESPN won't care - market-driven programming will pretty much ALWAYS leave tennis fans in the cold.

Sorry, guys. Sorry, Roger. *Sniff*

Sniff, sniff, sniff.

I hope this makes him better, and that he comes back and whips everyone into place now that he doesn't have the unrealistic pressure of winning the Grand Slam.

I also hope he's not too hurt or disappointed. He can't win every time (though God knows I want him too...)

Now Marat, you BETTER win this. You better not have a let down. You better be fit and ready for Sunday. And don't ever, EVER let Roddick or Hewitt near that trophy, you hear me? After such a fantastic Oz Open, it would be a [drama]TRAGEDY to have one of those two win.[/drama]

Oh, and happy birthday! :)

Now, about Mary Carillo and Serena, I think you guys are overreacting to her comments. She was also harping on Sharapova's play at the beginning ot the third set. And when Serena went to the net and made her volley to set up 2 MPs then screamed and went down on her knees, she said something like "How much I've missed this." She doesn't hate Serena. She harps on everyone that doesn't play up to their capabilities. Period. And it would be hypocritical of her to treat Serena with kid's gloves.

JMHO.

I had no idea that they would show the match live. Aaargh- why didn't I check one more time. Will they still show the taped showing of the match today at 2?



I wasn't setting fire to cars or anything- I was just saying that I was tired of her continually saying that Serna was in decline- which she did do during the whole first part of the second set. She talked about how Serena gave a lot of excuses for her drop in play but that she [Mary] believed that the simplist answer was the truth (i.e. she was in delcine). Dick asked Mary if she thought that Serena was in decline, she said yes. Then she said three or four times that the Serena of a couple of years ago would have done this/wouldn't have done that particular thing on a particular point. It annoyed me and imo it was too much. You may think otherwise. That stated, I don't think that me stating that it annoyed me was "overreacting." ;)

You are right- Mary was also talking about Maria- particualry in the 3rd- and does seem happy for Serena. I don't think she hates her. But- imo she was picking at Serena too much in the begininng of the 2nd set for my taste. It just got repetative.

One player that Mary seems to dislike is David Nalbandin. She always calls him grouchy sometimes the "Grouchy Gaucho". When Cliff asked if Llyeton was one of the more unpopular players in the locker room during the Hewitt/Nalbandian match Mary said something along the lines of "Nalbadnian- Yes- he's unpopular." Dick wasn't even talking about David. Mary Jo pointed out to Mary during the French that David is really a nice guy off court but Mary seemed like she wasn't paying attention. And Cliff said two times after the Hewitt/Nalbandian match that David should be commended for his efforts and Mary offered no verbal assent. Maybe I'm sensitive because David's one of my favorites but I have noticed that she is kind of loathe to give him props.

Mary tends to be a picker. I still like her as an announcer but she does pick at times and at times that bugs me.

Juanita- thanks for the info on ESPN.

I think things may be better for Roger now that the pressure is off. He is still a fantastic- wonderful player . I love him so.

I also love you Marat- you had better win this thing- you sexy thing!

According to espn.com, the Safin-Federer match will air at 2 p.m. AND, they are going live for Roddick at 3:30 a.m. on the Deuce.

Safin never has been one of my favorite players, but he was really classy towards Federer at the end of the match. He didn't over-react to his win (although exhaustion played a role in that, I'm sure), and as Federer walked off the court, he patted him on the shoulder as if to say 'well-played.'

Which might explain why I mentioned overreacting, since I missed the first part of that set. Oops. Sorry. Maybe it's just that I'm part of another tennis message board where there are a couple of Serena fans that go bonkers every time someone criticizes her. I guess I was in that mental mode.

I agree that Mary likes to pick on people. She's kind of a fairweather journalist, me thinks. About Nalbandian, I think she just resents him for making her call him DahVEED, with the correct Spanish pronunciation of his name. ;)



Me too. Me too.

Well, I guess since they showed most of the match already, I can gloat! Yaaaaaaaaaaay! Okay, I know I'm seriously seriously alone on this (at least on this board, but not in my family), I HATE Federer. Yes, I said it. Sure, he's a good player, but since the first time I saw him -- he bugged royally and still does. The US Open finale sucked last year because I haaaate both Hewitt and Federer. Now Andy just has to beat Lleyton and it'll be a happy happy finale for me (all hotties, all the time).



I've been watching tennis and going to the Open since I was a young kid, and oddly enough, this is the kind of tennis I always loved. Like, I remember watching Mark Philippoussis (what happened to you, Mark???) and just being awed by the fast serving, athletic game. Which is why I loved Sampras, and probably why I love Andy now (yes, I'll go hide in a corner by myself. I hate Federer and love Roddick. And I'm not one just one of those "casual" fans either. Of course my tennis obsessed aunt loves [gag] Hewitt, which is a much worse offense, IMO). And yes, those matches tend to be a bit duller televised, but live... wow.

Oh, and screw you, ESPN2 for not showing any of the Safin matches, and now he's going to the final. A whole bunch of years ago, there was a long rain delay when my dad and I were at the US Open and we waited it out in Arthur Ashe. Once it was over, they let people go down into the lower level seats and watch the end of the match (it was Sampras v. Safin). Marat is gorgeous in person, and I got to see him up close! I also watched his sister play Dementieva early in the US Open this year and Marat was hanging in the "VIP" section of Louis Armstrong stadium where they were playing. So EEEEEEEE! for Marat![/fangirl]

ETA: Soooo glad Serena beat Sharapova last night. I was cheering hard for her. Love Serena. Hope she beats Davenport in the final (I like Davenport too, but I'd rather Serena win).

Just out of curiosity, why? Is it because you don't like his game, because you don't like him dominating, because he beat your fave way too many times (seriously, I can relate- I didn't like Agassi for years because he beat Becker too often)? Now, I don't like some players now because of their on court behavior or because their style of play is just not my cup of tea. So why do you hate Fed?

And I don't think that you're alone on the board. There must be a few Roger haters out there...

Speaking of overreacting, it may be a little too soon to claim Federer has lost his aura of invincibility. He was never invincible, but he was (and still is) darn close to it. He's repeated outclassed the #2 and #3 players in the world (as well as an 8-time Grand Slam champion and the rest of the field) -- one tough five-set loss negates all that? Give me a break.

Sports Illustrated's Wertheim chimes in on Federer/Safin.

I loved when Dick called her on saying his name correctly by asking if she was now pronouncing it right because she liked how well he was playing.

ITA about the press having to calm down about declaring Federer over. Something Andre has always said about the Slams is that you have to play to get into the second week. Roger had too easy a time of it. Granted, the quarters with Andre should have been the testing match but it wasn't. Plus, after Safin stopped being the giant himself, he became the giant-killer. And BRAVO to Brad Gilbert. He might be in bizarro-land when it comes to being a commentator but damn if he doesn't call the outcomes of the men's matches. Goes right back to why he was such a scrapper on the court and so good as Andre's coach--he assesses the situation and thinks ahead.

(from the Wertheim interview:)

Bah humbug. To a lesser degree, Roddick engages in the same behavior. And I could tell you right now how Roddick would react if it wasn't in Australia: he would sarcastically mimic Hewitt--and, to tell the truth, I would probably get a kick out of it (and feel guilty for it). In Australia he won't want to turn the crowd against him so he'll probably try to serve him out of the park.

See, I've always thought that Roddick's on court behavior was much worse than Hewitt's. I'll readily admit that I'm biased, though. I really, really dislike Andy. (So much so that I get such a kick out of the AmEx commercial where the trophy hits him in the head.) I'll take "C'mons" over fake cramping and showboating any day.

Word! The press is so quick to tear people down and I will be incredibly annoyed if they deem Federer’s 2005 a “failure” because he has failed to win the Grand Slam. He’s still young- can still have an incredible year- and no one has had the Grand Slam since Rod Laver. Sampras, McEnroe, Connors, Bjorg- none of these greats ever got the grand slam. I will also be annoyed if they call Federer overhyped- because having followed his career and having seen him play in person- the man is an awesome one-of-kind talent.

But if anyone had to beat Federer- I am glad it was Safin. He is widely regarded to be one of the most naturally talented players out there today (many say he up there or very close to Federer). He is so much fun to watch when he is playing up to his abilities and he is one of my favorite, and perhaps my actual favorite, personality in all of sports (and I’m a sports nut). He is someone whose natural talent dictates imo that he should have more than one grand slam title. And he won on his birthday! I am Tivoing the match this afternoon and I think that I will have to record it on a DVD to keep.


I don’t think that Serena has had as many of the crowd cheering for her outside of the US Open as she did last night. I will admit, that I was not too keen on Serena when she was dominating the past two years. But I forgot how much I missed seeing her exuberance and emotion out there. You can tell when she’s annoyed at herself and when she’s happy. And I like her loud cheers when she hits winners. Last night may have finally turned me into a Serena fan.



I’m glad that Mary C is staring to pronounce David Nalbandian’s first name correctly. I think Dah-veed sounds much sexier than Day-vid. I am disappointed that my husband goes by the Anglo pronunciation of his name, Martin (he’s Mexican-American). I am always telling him that the Spanish pronounciation – Mahr-teen is much sexier than Mar-tin but he refuses to budge because people have always mispronounced his name – outside of his parents- so he gave up.

Distant Sun, I hear you. Roger almost won, and he was struggling in the fifth physically. He almost won, and he didn't serve that well. His H2H with Safin is still 6-2, and he owns Hewitt and Roddick, and hasn't been beaten by anyone else in the top ten in over a year. Let's put this in perspective.

BTW: I. HATE. THE. MEDIA.

But I'm glad it was Safin that beat him. It's been overdue. And a guy with his talents should've won so much more than he has...



Ha! That's kind of ironic. Disdain for bush league behavior, when he's not the one doing it. That's what Wertheim means, I'm sure.



Yes, it's much sexier, I agree. But then again, I'm Latina myself so I'm totally biased. :)

Ever notice in the AmEx ad that the trophy makes a lovely clunking sound. Is this because his head is empty? :-)

I can't call Roddick worse than Hewitt, but he certainly can be annoying. I'm right with you on the commercial, though. Seeing that trophy bonk him on the head never gets old.

Honestly, I can't see Roddick winning tomorrow, but I'll have a lot more respect for him if he does. I've already gained some for Hewitt -- he was supposed to lose to Nadal or Nalbandian. Again, Safin better beat him.

For me, there's annoying-but-entertaining players and just-plain-annoying players. For all their antics, I absolutely love Ivanisevic and Kafelnikov (who's still my all-time favorite player). OTOH, I also love some reserved guys like Sampras, Henman, and Federer.

Oops.

Me, too! And it's interesting that she's using it as a watermark of her read on his efforts. That just seems a little bit ridiculous. The man's name is Dah-veed, and if she's always known it and chooses (as a public speaker) not to use it, then I find it offensive.

But I come with similar biases, jimena and ChestyLaRue. My husband's first name is the same as Coria's (yay!) - and it's always been botched. In fact for his childhood years he gave up trying to teach people to pronounce it and thus used the anglicized version - Bill. (Which is just so odd a name for him!) Anyway, it's been interesting to watch him constantly navigate introductions and the like among my British family, as well as other non-Spanish-speaking people. I think we've both got to the point where we're beyond judging around it, but I think it's something I will always have my antennae tuned in for.

In a similar vein - that is, Mary C - I thought that her commentating for the first 1.5 sets was pretty unprofessional. And I have to reiterate, I really like that she's on board. But there is quite a public history between Mary and Serena, and I think it's affecting her work. Granted, Serena wasn't worthy of much praise throughout those games, but it still seemed so tainted with something deeper. And this was even more evident in Enberg's efforts to derail her. What I couldn't understand is why they didn't just switch Mary Jo for Mary C. Maybe just have a policy that Mary C shouldn't do Serena matches.

Then I can continue to like her! (If she also, of course, sticks with DN's proper name pronunciation and that wasn't just a fluke.)

And finally,


This has been my mantra for today. And take that, TheMedia, for needing that to be your story of the year, when it's never been the only marker of a true great - a la Chesty's list of non-Grand Slam greats. Maybe now we can just let the man play.

I don't know why I hate Federer, but I know I disliked prior to beating Andy in Wimbledon this past year. Like I said, something.just.bugs. It's like almost irrational hatred. I remember disliking Patrick Rafter for similar reasons (although Rafter was at least hot, and I don't think I hated him -- it was more "rooted against him").

The closest thing I can think of is that, to me, Federer is like the New England Patriots. Completely dominating and completely boring -- yes, his play is like Bill Bellichick's coaching, and it's great and all, but it's just dull to me. Of course, it doesn't help that I think Roger is kind of fugly and looks waaaay older than 23.

I know there's a reason my dad actively hates him (there may have been something linked to a veiled anti-Semitic remark a LONG while back) that's probably a little better than mine. I really really really don't want to spread rumors in this regard, and I don't know if I'm remembering it right, but I know there's more of a reason that my dad doesn't like him (BTW, my Mom and my Grandmother -- especially my grandma -- both love Federer, so it's not a family thing).

But I'm glad the "invicibility" air is gone too. I want the men's game to be more competitive (like the women's game has become more recently). I just remember watching this year's US Open final and being so... disappointed. I could've dealt with two players I didn't love in the final if it had actually be a good match, but it wasn't and that sucked. And I guess this is when my dislike turned into "hatred".

What public history? How is it possible that I don't know this? Pray thee tell!

BTW, Guillermo is and always will be one of my favorite names EVAH!



I'm horrified! Horrified, I tell ya.

:)

Nah, maybe you're just a contrarian.

And see below, SpchProf is your soulmate on this board. You are not alone.

I actually agree with this. I always compare Federer and the Patriots - they do everything right and win, but I just don't find it that exciting. I'm not annoyed by Hewitt's and Roddick's on-court antics because I like to see that kind of personality and emotion. Roger to me has the personality of a robot. I know I'm in the minority, but I'm just bored to tears when I watch him play - and the tongue bath from the commentators doesn't help.

To switch gears back to the ladies for a moment. I'm not at all excited for this women's final for some reason. Usually I'm all about a player who is in the twilight of their career (Davenport) or one coming out of a slump (Serena) so to speak. Not this time though. I guess it's cause to me they just barely got through their semis. One of the interesting things about the Serena/Sharapova match was the shots of their players boxes and the contrast between them. Yuri was all animated pumping his fists and what not, while Oracene looked like she was constipated. Bummed that Maria lost it but happy that the match had good drama.

Now all I have to say about the men is that I hope Safin wins. I hate Andy and Lleyton so much.

I agree- it’s really culturally insensitive and rather assy.



I love that name too! It is actually my husband’s middle name (it was his grandfather’s name) and when I hear my husband’s full name “Martin Guillermo [Last name]” pronounced with the proper Spanish accent it is music to my ears.

His cousin’s name is also Guillermo- and most people call him Willy.

I like it when the announcer’s say Guillermo Coria’s name with the proper Argentinean accent since it is pronounced differently there than it is in Mexico or Spain for example. Oh, I love that little cute bug of a player- but I often feel lonely in that regard because he does not seem to be a real fan favorite.

I am debating whether or not I will stay up for the semis tonight- I think I will. Even though Hewitt can drive me crazy, I still like him for some reason want him to win because I think that it would be a lot of fun to have an Aussie in the final. I want Safin to win the whole thing of course but if he doesn’t I would rather Hewitt win than Roddick. Nothing against Roddick- but I think that it would mean a lot for Australia if Hewitt won. (I’m not Australian or anything- I just think it would be nice for a Grand Slam to have the first countryman/woman win at its tournament in a few decades).

And Jim W is way off on painting Roddick as a beacon of decorum on the court- he can get feisty.

That's exactly how I feel. I HATE Federer. It was an irrational dislike before the press started calling him the best ever but since then, it's grown to an incredibly irrational contempt. So much so that my friends laugh at how I rarely say his name without an alliterative curse word preceding it. I really have no reason for it, not even that he's too good. I mean, I specifically like the Patriots because they kick everyone's ass. Federer bores the crap out of me. Anyways, HATE. Haha Federer, no grand slam for you!

Wow, you guys must go absolutely nuts if Coria was to ever play Canas

At least the Federer hate is articulated - that's fine, we can't like everyone. Roger's style simply isn't the "look at me, I'm putting so much effort" style we're used to seeing. But Roger himself in interviews just asks for respect for his accomplishments, nothing more, nothing less. Even the media doesn't have to like him - so he says. You have to at least give him props for that, plus him being very welcoming of the media/outside duties that go with being the #1 player.

I guess the "hate" feeling you guys feel for Roger is the same hate I feel for Lance Armstrong, Cal Ripken Jr., and Michael Schumacher. I can't understand why I feel it - I just do.

As for Serena, I always love watching athletes who are so passionate about competing, win or lose - even if I'm not a big fan of her actual game.

I don’t hate any tennis players. There are some that can annoy me (Robby Ginepri and Sharapova—I’m looking at you)- but I don’t hate any because I like variety in the game. And none of them are imo as assy as say- a Kobe Bryant.

The one thing that I don’t get though- is why so many people call Federer a robot. Many in the US press have sniffed at Federer, calling him a robot and devoid of personality. However, I disagree with this. He doesn’t throw tantrums on the court (he used to when he was younger- to the point where they were detrimental but realized he needed to cut that out to be able to focus on the matches) and may not shout as much as others but I don’t thing that makes him a robot. He does shout “come on” (in three languages!) and does do that roar after certain points. As we have seen at the Wimbledon, he can get emotional after wins at well. He also has a good sly wit in some interviews. I have never understood the frequent robot complaints. He does have personality, it is just different than say, Roddick or Hewitt. As you can tell, I am a fan of Federer and do not find him boring in either personality or game (he to me has one of the most enjoyable games to watch).

This touches on something else. I have noticed that many people who really like Roddick seem to really dislike Federer (and sometimes vice versa). I wonder why? I like the finesse game of Federer, but also like the scrappiness of Hewitts game, the fantastic chase down ability of Coria, or the so-called power games of Roddick and now Joachim Johannson. I do have a preference for say- Federer and Coria’s style of playing versus the quicker points more power oriented game of Andy and Joachim, but I do think that it is good to have the power game in tennis to provide a contrast and still like it (although it is not my favorite style). I think tennis would be boring if everyone played in the same fashion.

Personally, I became a much more avid tennis fan just a few years ago when I was home a lot studying for the bar and Roddick was making his run to the number 1 ranking. During my study breaks, I watched the warm up tournaments leading to Wimbledon and then, that summer, before I started working, I watched Andy work his way through the summer hard court season to the US Open championship. I guess I just started out as a Roddick fan because I felt like I watched him really work for that number 1 ranking and therefore saw Federer as the "enemy." Like Andy's said, there is no "rivalry" until he starts winning more matches against Federer but, to me, Roger is the early 90's Detroit Pistons to Andy's pre-championship Chicago Bulls. Yes, I know their styles of play should dictate that that analogy be turned around but I see Federer as the obstacle that Roddick needs to get past before he can be a great champion. I'm just waiting, and perpetually rooting, for that to happen.

Are there any other players that you like besides Roddick? If say- Safin started playing at the level of his true talent and was in the top 2 or so in rankings would you dislike him as well? Just curious…

I need to know if any of the basic cable channels show the Australian Open live. I'm watching the semifinal repeat on ESPN2 and I desperately want to see the men's final live, but I just can't find any information on that. Does ESPN or any of its sibling channels show the matches live or just repeats? Sorry if this is redundant or obvious, but when I was in the UK, they would always say whether the match was live and advertise it heavily.

Thanks.