I don't think people here dislike Federer, it's just that it's like rooting for Microsoft, or Coke or the fucking Yankees.

Oh I know. Last night with Jill Hennesy during the Davenport match?? They kept the camera on her so long I was screaming on my TV!! "Hello! If I wanted to watch Crossing Jordan I....well I wouldn't want to watch Crossing Jordan!!" Get back to the match!

It warmed my heart to learn that Dennis Leary is a Federer fan. And I thought it was funny they started interviewing him because I was switching between the US Open and Rescue Me.

...Does anyone actually watch Crossing Jordan? Seriously.

It looks like they are planning to sign off and not cover Nalby/Gonzo. I hope I'm wrong about that.

It looks like your right, which is sad because I like watching Nalbandian play. Poor guy can't catch a break.

You guys are hilarious.

I'm trying to get the point of Pete Sampras' Royal Bank of Scotland commercial. Pete Sampras was no-talk, all results..... and so is RBS ?!?

Well, after seeing it again, I kind of do vaguely get the point Pete SamprASS is getting at. Something along the lines of leading by your actions and not your words. "Make it happen." So I guess Royal Bank of Scotland is saying they are like SamprASS - they get things done without a lot of mumbo jumbo and blustery words.

Still, though, puzzling commercial. SamprASS sounds like a first rate conceited Ass. And WTF is Royal Bank of Scotland doing advertising to U.S. consumers anyways?

Sampras' commercial is full of poo. What, he needs the money? Well, maybe he does. Maybe that wife of his is a big spender.

Who knows. What I know is, if I have to watch that crap commercial one more time, my poor television won't survive the asskicking that I'm going to give it.

The Sampras commercial might actually make sense if Sampras had any charisma. Does he actually know how to tell a story? We're set up to hear some inspirational story, but his flat delivery makes him sound like a pompous blowhard.

My roommate commented that the worst thing ever would be having that guy as your grandfather. Picture growing up, having to listen to him say, "And in 2002, I did it again...."

Don't get me wrong, I loved Sampras when he was playing-one of the best in the sport. But those RBS commercials blow, and sadly, Pete isn't aging well AT ALL. He's gone from a semi-cute fuzzy monkey boy to a balding puffy man with greying chest fur. And the slight Joker quality to his mouth has accelerated into something borderline grotesque...

I'm kind of angry that USA didn't show Nalbandian/Gonzalez even though Nalbandian looked like he has a pretty easy time. I mean did USA really have to show ANOTHER SVU rerun? That's all I ever see on that network. I needed my late night tennis fix and I didn't get it tonight. I've been left with 24 reruns (which may I just add is so much better than SVU).

The Sampras commercial is friggin hilarious. It's like they said, "let's take the least charismatic tennis champion in history, make him look like your grandfather telling old war stories and then randomly show our logo afterwards." There's nothing charismatic or memorable about the commercial, except for the fac that it sucks. Jeez Pete, bad investments?

Wow! What a treat to come home to watch my Tivoed coverage and watch that match. That was incredible. Boy, Sanguinetti is so entertaining to watch between points. He has a runnning conversation between points and gestures galore - kind of reminds me of Coria in that way. I noticed that David was even talking while getting ready to receive but his lips were moving a little less- like he was whispering. Hee- so cute. I loved that Jim and John loved the match as well- but don't agree with John that Sanguinetti was faking any cramp.


Have to agree with you guys who said that Rochus was adorable in his little interview. What a cute, impish smile! He can be my pocket-sized tennis boyfriend. (I think my current tally of tennis boyfriends is more than 20 now - lol.) Roger was really cute as well when he was hitting the autographed balls to the crowd.

Speaking of tennis boyfriends- well at least we got two minutes of Nalbandian and Gonzalez. I agree with John that with Nalbandian having a short match that will really benefit him against Sanguinetti. Nalby could also be in contention for biggest gut in men's tennis but I actually think it suits him. Makes him look like a cuddly bear. Earlier this summer Johnny Mac was blasting David for being "fat" but it doesn't seem to affect his fitness one iota. He can outlast most players on tour and when he loses it is often from poor play and not from a lack of fitness. So Johnny should maybe shut his trap on that one.

My husband and I thought he was praying! What a match - I couldn't tear myself away. It was a shame one of them had to lose. What a personality Sanguinetti has - he was so animated. It was hilarious to watch him talk to his racquet, kiss his fingers, etc. Why haven't we seen him before?

I bet you are right- and if so, that makes him even more adorable on court. It was nice that Paradorn was full of personality as well. That match perfectly illustrates why I love tennis.

I am happy that the day matches will be moving back to USA tomorrow. They are just so much better at showing different matches and not being stagnent on one court a'la CBS. I really think that overall they do a great job of covering the tournament. Maybe I will actually get a quick glimpse of Coria between the Davenport/Agassi match. Sorry if I am always whining on here about wanting to see Guille, but he is one of my favorites to watch.

Harry24 Re: ripped vs. "normal" abs...I have heard the same thing that a more flexible stomach is better for tennis. Building muscles actually "shortens" them..tighter=tighter. Plus, I think Roger's lil' tummy is cute!

Re: Sampras not aging well...he looks a hell of a lot better than Ivan Lendl who now resembles my Russian plumber...

My mother always said if you were going to tell everybody you got something new, then you should invite others over to share in your good fortune, otherwise it's gloating. That said Denis Leary, I'll be over on Sunday.

You know, sometimes I really like the W's, but sometimes I really, really don't. Specially when Serena opens her mouth and just seems delusional. From yesterday's interview:



Their matches always suck. I don't know why CBS hyped this last one to no end (again). It's terrible for them when they play each other, and it always shows on the quality of tennis.



Could someone please tell her that she needs to get in better shape? That her footwork is a shadow of what is was? That she hasn't fully come back from injury? I don't know. She exasperates me sometimes.

So. Who has coverage today? CBS? USA?

Actually, I disagree with this as well. The vast majority of their matches have been up and down, but I think it's silly to expect great tennis from both throughout the entire match. The first set yesterday was pretty good. Serena held serve after being down 0-40 twice. The server played well on all of the break points. Venus had a really bad game serving for the set, but the rest of the games were hard fought and exciting. Not so much for the second set...

Everyone seems to gloss over it, but their Wimbledon '03 match was great. There were a lot of fantastic points and you could tell that Venus, despite being injured, was determined to get her title back.


Exactly.


We've seen him before, but he's hardly ever played that well. I remember his QF loss to Krajicek at Wimbledon in 1998. Other than that, he's been cannon fodder, like when he lost to Roddick in the first round of Wimbledon '03.

I thoroughly disliked that match. Different strokes, I guess. To me, they bring out the worst parts of each other's games. Which doesn't happen when they play other heavy hitters. It's all mental, IMO. Which is understandable.

Maybe the first set of Wimby 2002 was OK. But the rest of their matches? Oh so not very good.

I wouldn't say it's all mental. As good as Clijsters is, I think Serena and especially Venus are the best defensive players (sometimes even when they aren't at their best). They're just so fast that they can go from side to side in a flash. For example, Serena's shots that are winners against players like Henin-Hardenne and Mauresmo come back when she's playing Venus. Naturally, that means they're probably going to hit even more unforced errors. Essentially, they get to experience what everyone else does when playing one of them. It's uncomfortable, because you have to be really aggressive and go for more on every shot.

Besides Wimbledon '03, my favorite match of theirs was the night final here in 2001. I'm sure a lot of that had to do with the historic impact of the match, but I think you could see towards the end that, sister or not, Serena was tired of losing. That was her last loss to Venus until this year.

If Venus had won all of those finals against Serena, she'd have 12 slams by now. Offhand, I'd say their 12 total titles are almost as many as the rest of the active women combined. Wow.

And I would buy this if the rallies were longer, but they can't even keep the ball in play for that long when they play each other. Yesterday's match had no rhythm whatsover, and that is commonplace, sadly, in most of their matches.

I'm not diminishing their accomplishments at all. This is something that irks me about the W's most rabid fans sometimes. So I don't like it when they play each other because I find their matches boring and of poor quality- specially considering what each of them is capable of. That doesn't mean that I think they're bad for tennis, or that they're bad tennis players or that I don't like it when they win.

I've only seen three great Williams sisters matches. Wimbledon 03 final when Venus came out BLAZING in the first set. It was so heartbreaking to see her get injured and break down a little in the second, but she still played some amazing points. Austrailian 02/03 whichever one was the one Serena won. That was another great 3 set match that I dont think people remember because it's the Australian. And the second set of Miami in 05. That was one of the most thrilling sets of tennis I've seen and the tie break was out of control. That said, I agree with jimena, most of the time their matches are horrible.


In her defense, I think that Venus and Serena have consistently said that they've always been taught, no matter what you can beat anyone. It's why they are so amazing match point down, the idea of losing never enters their head, not once. It translates into assy comments like that, but it also translates into a whole lot of grand slam titles.

I'm pretty sure Kim, Lindsay and Maria would have also eaten Serena alive if they had to play one another - but Serena is entitled to her opinion.

Here how I see it: I think once either sister gets to a remotely offensive position in the point - they really pull the trigger and go for the winner. The problem I see is that I think they try too hard for the lines - hence, the errors.

Dick Enberg's mentioning of the USTA Media Award had me in stitches - tooting your own horn when it's obvious who's been the better broadcaster.....

Thanks to the power of eBay I was able to go last night. I thought I was going just to see Nalbandian/Gonzalez but WOW, the Sanguinetti/Srichaphan match! The atmosphere was electric and Sanguinetti really won over a mostly pro-Paradorn crowd, especially difficult with the Thai thunderstick crew going full force. I'm thrilled to hear they showed it on TV. It was definitely the best match I saw this year.

Re: Nalby, I'm sorry they didn't cover it but it was a mostly straightforward affair. The highlight for me was getting to move forward to the expensive seats since it was late-night and getting to sit amongst a pack of vocal Argentines. Nalby even threw us the ball afterwards. I didn't manage to catch it but since I was the only one in the group not singing the national anthem of Argentina, I suppose it's only fair.

And about the junk in the trunk you say nothing?

My thoughts, exactly. And, while from the beginning I've always been resolutely in Serena's corner, yesterday, for the first time, I was rooting for Venus all the way. I thought that Venus deserved to win the match -- because she outplayed Serena, as well as for the reasons you mention.

Serena, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to want it badly enough right now, and is not putting the required effort in. If she worked anywhere near as hard as Henin-Hardenne, she'd be #1 again.

As much as I like both of them, I have to agree with this. There was something one of the commentators said during the Sanguinetti/Srichiphan match (I think he was quoting Clijsters) about not needing to hate your opponent in order to really go for it. Venus and Serena need to take that to heart, and find a way to play each other better.

JMac is always talking about the entertainment value of matches. Generally, I think the players' goal should be to win the match, not necessarily to "entertain" me (other than by playing well), but Venus and Serena, as marquee players, might want to think about that, and about living up to their billing, as well. Those three-stroke rallies were just deadly. It was like being stuck in stop-and-go traffic.

I caught a late broadcast of this match last night, and, yes, those moments were just lovely. Damn you guys! Now that you're getting me to watch all of these men's matches, in addition to the women's tennis that I usually watch, my productivity is going to plummet over the next week.

Darn, for some reason I was delusional in thinking they were coveing the USO today on USA but no- on CBS.

Castallack Sound like you have had some really great times at this year's open. Tries not to be green.....




Like the gut - yes it is larger and I still think it suits him, my big cuddly Argentine bear!



Nothing wrong with that. ;) Though for somereason listening to Wimbledon/Rolland Garros/US Open at work actully helps increase my productivity because I get in the zone. And my husband has quit complaining about me clogging up the Tivo during grand slams. Glad that you are starting to like men's tennis as well. I think both the women's and men's has lots to offer.

I really like Lindsay, and normally root for her. But she has got to be the most boring player to watch. She shows absolutely no fire, I mean, does she even like playing anymore? I want her to win, but I fall asleep in her matches and don't wake up until they're over!

This is definitely true. More important for tennis than having a six-pack is having a strong core so you can transfer the strength of your legs through the shots. But you still need to have a flexible core to do that, so tons of crunches alone aren't going to help.

I think with some of the players the extra weight isn't the problem per se. It's more a sign that they aren't pushing themselves in training, or that they aren't training as effectively as they could.

Men's tennis rocks my world. Btw, in this US Open men's matches have kicked women's matches butts all over the place. Apart from Russian-Russian melodrama, there haven't been any tightly competitive matches amongst the women. It's disappointing, to say the least. Oh well. So much for parity.

And even then, CBS didn't show much of Dementieva-Chevadatze, nor did they show ANY of Likhotseva-Myskina.

Note that Nicole Vadisova is actually Czech, so the Petrova-Vadisova match was actually a Russian-Czech matchup.

The only Russian who's received any substantial airtime is Maria Sharapova.

I agree. I'm a fraid that I have been a little bored by Lindsay's matches lately which stinks since I am a fan.

For some reason this quote from Nalbandian about his upcoming match with Sanguinetti makes me laugh:

Hee!

I guess we're only going to get to see Nalbandian if he plays Fed. Too bad. I really like him.

I like the fact that Lindsay hasn't been overly emotional during her matches. It means she is also not getting too down on herself which has been a serious concern of hers over the years. But in general I like players who are focussed and who do not betray a lot of emotion on the court. My favorite player of all time was Chris Evert. You never saw Chrissy throwing fits or fist pumps or dancing backwards after a point. Win or lose she played with the same steely-eyed determination and the emotionless expression. I think it's better for the player too as it doesn't let your opponent know if he or she is in your head or how mad/upset you are at any point in time.

I'm not accusing you of anything; I just don't agree with you. I think people expect too much from their matches and I don't think I'm saying that just because I'm a big fan. No, they haven't played any transcendent matches, but I don't the tennis has ever been anywhere approaching horrible. I mean, there were some great points in the first set yesterday (the one where Venus passed Serena immediately springs to mind) and even a couple in the second set. There weren't any 30-shot points like Sanguinetti/Srichaphan, but there were more than a few long points and some great defense as always. I think it's time for the media and fans to give up expecting them to play the way they do against others. It isn't going to happen. Ever. Once people accept that, I think there's a lot of hard-hitting tennis to enjoy when they meet. I can't believe I'm alone in thinking that match was way more interesting than most of the women's matches so far (Clijsters/Vento-Kabchi? Mauresmo/Karatancheva?). Remember their match at Wimbledon 2002? It was preceded by Serena destroying Mauresmo 6-2, 6-1 and Venus dominating Henin 6-3, 6-2. Say what you want about the final, but it was way more competitive than the semis.

Did it seem like I was feeling accused? Huh. I certainly didn't mean it that way. Apologies.



When I saw Venus play a match like the one she played against Sharapova at Wimbledon, I think that game-wise she would be able to play that way against her sister.



But IMO the quality of the their tennis was lower.

Coria is choking. Not a pretty sight. And Massu's head games grate.

Another headcase on Ashe, at the moment. Malisse for me is like a mini Marat. Incredibly talented, but wildly inconsistent. He's one of my major disappointments.

Well, I've gotta agree with both of you. Count me as a convert. I've tended to stick to the women's side because the field of players was smaller, I knew the "characters" involved, and there were more clearly defined rivalries -- especially with the initial resistance and animosity towards Venus and Serena, where everyone was gunning for them -- and I usually had someone to root for. But now, not so much.

It's one of the reasons I miss Capriati. I don't particularly care for her, and usually find myself cheering for her opponent, but she is a great competitor. I enjoy watching her play. That semi-final match she played against Henin-Hardenne a couple of years ago was great tennis, but when was the last time we saw a women's match like that?

So many of the men seem to play as though their lives depended on it (a quality I used to admire in Serena). They go for broke on every point. One of the commentators last night said something about not needing to know who the men are, and that if they're playing really great tennis, you can get into the match. I never believed it before, but I do now. (A little eye candy never hurts, either). And then you get a player like Sanguinetti, who in addition to playing great tennis, brings such personality and charm to the court. How can you not fall for that?

OK. I'm hooked. Damn!

No problem, jimena.

As good as that Agassi/Malisse match was, I wish they had shown more of Coria/Massu. And that Tracy chick mispronounced Malisse's first name ("eks-avier"). I hate when people say it like that. Can we fire her?

Her questions are (seriously) at a 6th-grade level. It's the kind of questions I'd expect from the Sweet Valley High newspaper.

OMG, Pete looks so old in those commercials. Isn't he like 35?

He has not aged well. Lord, he could be the least charismatic player ever. He is just so bland to me. I never understand why people compare Federer's personality to Sampras. Roger actually has quite a bit of warmth in his interviews- which is not something I recall with Pete.

Oh, my pretty Tommy Robredo. He can be so frustrating. He has the game and talent to be higher ranked but is prone to taking mental walkabouts. Oh well, at least he is doing so against a player I really like.

Did anyone catch it when John remarked that all of the Spanish players were good looking. Hee! and so true.



Me too. There seemed to be some real fireworks there. Coria did his little kneel down at the end that he sometimes does and is done in the mode of River Platte, his favorite soccer team. He can be adorkable and certainly is a character. He was suffering from the flu the first few matches and has complained that they use to much air conditioning at the USO. He said that in the locker room after taking a shower he steps out into freezing air conditioning and feels like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titianic. Tee hee.

Re the quality of the men's game: I was thinking after the Sanguinetti-Schrichipan match, good grief, we have seen so much great tennis, and we're only through the third round!!! Holy cow!!

I think this says something about the surface that this tournament is played on. It must allow a lot of the players to play their best tennis.

I just realized whom the handsome Tommy Robredo reminds me of: Faber from Trading Spaces.

And I've always loved that JMac notices the looks of the male players. I remember him saying about Rafter and Phillipoussis (who would hang out together) something along the lines of, "You think these two do well with the ladies when they're on the road?"

And what is it with those Spaniards? What I like about their looks is that they tend to have strong, interesting faces. Like Juan Carlos Ferrero and Feliciano Lopez look like they could have been painted by ... oh, hell, what's his name? You know, the famous Spanish painter who painted the British royals and aristocracy so sensually. Arghhh!!! Help me!!

Can Blake win this tournament?

Have to agree with Johnny Mac on this. If Federer is playing up to his level- then I think it will be hard for anyone to beat Roger. However, if he is not Blake is playing as well as anyone left so he could have a real shot.

Awww...James looked teary after he won and loved seeing his mom hug her in-laws. Darn CBS for not sticking for an interview.

I just want to say that I am SO jealous of all of you today as my local CBS affiliate blocked out the tennis coverage to show the MDA Telethon. They do it every year and I continue to complain to no avail.

i just thank God that USA shows the night matches....

Based on the way he's been playing, yes. If he can somehow get past Agassi (certainly possible), the crowd should lift him to the final. I don't see him beating Federer unless Roger's having a really bad day, but I wouldn't count James out.

I'm glad Mac complained about the scheduling at the US Open. It's really a shame. Much like slowing down the court at Wimbledon has hampered Henman, I think the Saturday/Sunday turnaround for the final has cost the (older) Americans. Sampras lost twice in the final to Safin and Hewitt before finally getting someone old enough for him to beat (Agassi). Come to think of it, think of all the lackluster finals we've had (the Sampras matches, Roddick over JCF, and Federer over Hewitt). I wish they'd give up Super Saturday for the sake of the final.

You know...theres a reason why even though Sampras was winning everything in sight, Agassi got most of the endorsments and the commercials and the people magazine covers. And I think these commercials are showing us why. I mean...he seems like a nice guy, good dad...but also very robotic.

Speaking of robots, has anyone seen Robby Ginepri's spot for Hurricane relief? It's so monotone, it creeped me out. Still glad he took time out to participate.

Saw that bank commercial again today and have no idea why a European bank would be advertising to a US market. Are there even branches of those banks here in this country? Because if not, I don't really see the point. Perhaps they are trying to get the filthy rich to park their money overseas, but wouldn't someone filthy rich have already done something like this?

Pete Sampras will forever be remembered as an unemotional player, sort of like Tim Duncan in the NBA. May have been one of the best, but not one of the most memorable. Agassi ran circles around him in terms of public opinion. Athletically gifted, but socially inept. How that Neanderthal landed Bridgette Wilson I will never know.

OK, the second thing I liked from Al: "You never know what John McEnroe will say." That got a cheap laugh from me.

I love James and all, but that's the best tennis story Al's ever heard? How about Monica Seles winning her first tournament back after two years? Winning the Australian that following January? She was stabbed during a match! Blake was in more danger, but it must've been hard for Monica every time she stepped back onto a court.


I doubt he's socially inept. I think people confuse keeping your emotions in check with being unemotional (with Sampras and Duncan being great examples). They're just introverts (at least on the court). Sampras is probably a lot more charismatic in person. On the court, he was probably more emotional than Borg, but, for whatever reason, Bjorn is seen more as cool than robotic.

It does seem like they're milking this thing pretty hard. They're really pouring it on for Blake. I think it's a great story, but hearing it during every one of his matches, during every match played by someone who may face him in the next round, and during some matches for no apparent reason whatsoever starts to grate. I'm rooting for James all the way, and I'd hate to see it turn into backlash, especially considering the fact that he has no control over what the commentators say. There's been a little of that here already.

This has been a great tournament so far. With Venus/Kim and Andre/James matches coming up, I'm going to have a tough time deciding who to root for in teh Quarters.