Tennis and weird eyelid.
written: 11:31 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009
Match was great. Roger faced three break points and fended them all off. He broke Roddick four times.
The best part? HIS STATS.
CHECK THIS OUT: 16 aces, 15 unforced errors, 51 fucking winners. WHO DOES THAT?
ROGER FEDERER, THAT'S WHO.
And unlike Vamos Barbie (Nadal) who hit 50-something winners against an opponent obviously playing far below his level, Roger played Roddick. Of course, Roddick was never, and is still never, a real threat to Roger; but he was still Andy Roddick, and people were raving about the improvements he made to his game - which showed in the final score. A far cry from the 2007 AO semi-final, to be sure.
I'm so happy to see his shots going in; I'm still having nightmares (literally, I shit you not! I dreamed that he dropped a set against some random opponent the night before the Del Potro match which had me all worried but look how well that turned out!) about his amazing errors and haywire shots from the matches he played towards the end of last year. He seems to have found the balance between attack and defence, and he was just pushing Andy around the court, waiting for an opening, and when he found it, he went for it and absolutely nailed it.
Every time I watch him play I'm just dumbfounded once more. He's like a silent assassin and his forehand coolly, almost heartlessly, slits his opponent's throat with barely a fuss. Some players vamos their way to a winner, but Roger coolly hits his forehand and produces a winner - no fuss, no drama, just a simple, yet so deadly, shot. Even when he's defending and biding his time, it doesn't feel like he's defending. Gilles Simon is a very, VERY patient player and he used that tactic a lot against Nadal yesterday; but throughout their rallies, it felt like time dragged on, like one second became three. In the Roger/Andy rallies, though, it went by so quickly, with such ease, as if Roger doesn't need to exert anything at all.
I can't even say. He simply amazes me. I love the way he serves out wide, then bides his time with is opponent's return, almost as if he's holding the ball mid-air as he waits for his opponent to commit to a certain direction, and kills his opponent by finishing off the point in the opposite direction. His tennis pure magic - pure, heavenly magic. He practically defies the laws of physics and of gravity and all the other science shit when he plays; that's how brilliant, how magnificent, how perfect he is. I also love the way he disguises his shots, making it look like he's going for a topspin backhand, then catching his opponent off-guard when he goes for the slice or the drop shot. He ALWAYS has me fooled too!
Anyway, I was happy to see him play against Andy. I just like his generation's players better, and not so much the newer ones.
Andy was hilarious though, especially when he double-faulted on game point and went, "Fuck!" He first apologised to the umpire, then got a warning for a code violation, after which he said, "I take back my apology to you."
I love Andy. Don't really admire his tennis too much, but I do think he's been really brave these past few years. When you're consistently beaten by the same guy, many times on your sport's biggest stage, you have to wonder if you're cut out for the sport at all, if you're meant to do this, if you can even do it. The last and only time Andy won a Slam was the 2003 US Open. It wasn't like he never made it to another Grand Slam final since then; it was just that he was consistently beaten by that guy from Switzerland. The fact that he stuck it out and consistently finishes in the Top Ten of the ATP ranking says a lot about his character. Sure, he's a bit of an arrogant prick, but who am I to criticise him for that when I am also a bit of an arrogant bitch myself? Besides, I love his frankness and how he says whatever he wants to in press conferences. I find his interviews a lot more interesting to read than Roger's!
2. Safina wins too
Yay, my favourite female is in the final too!
The thing about Dinara Safina is, I feel this stupid affinity with her simply because she's the same age as me. I haven't been much impressed with her game since that match when she came back from 2-5 to win, and I regrettably don't think that she can win against Serena Williams with all her double faults and unforced errors.
But there's something about her story arc that I can't help but root for. This is her second Grand Slam final, and if she wins, not only will she win her first Grand Slam, she also tops the WTA ranking. Like, OH MY GOD. That's just amazing. Especially because she's my age.
And so I really, REALLY want her to win...but I don't think she's going to.
But hey, who knows, right? Like Roger always says, anything can happen; that's why a match starts from 0-0.
3. Weird eyelid
In other news, my left eyelid has been twitching since the Nadal/Simon match...oh right, two days ago. Uh, actually, yesterday. Hmm, I can't remember.
But anyway, my first response is: Shit, am I getting Palsied again?
'Cause I really don't know what I'd do if I get it again, almost like an anniversary gift. I think I'll pass, thanks, so leave me the fuck alone.
*
I was going to write about other things but I'm too tired, so maybe next time.
before sunrise // before sunset
Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010