Definitely not the best start to the week.
written: 10:10 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009

I wasn't able to watch even a little bit of this match, but followed the live scores and stats carefully enough to know that no technical comments are required today.

We are watching a living, breathing genius with a tennis racquet; a man with hand-eye coordination that would have made Pistol Pete shiver in his day, and an all-court game that would have probably made The Rocket From Rockhampton envious in his.

Yes folks, he's that good.

From the way the final points of each game were being won by Roger, it was clear to me that while he may no longer be the man that hits sublime winner after sublime winner, he clearly is the most composed, patient, relaxed and opportunistic player out there. And to think that this is the same man whose mental fortitude was being questioned, time and time again just a few months ago, and perhaps rightly so.

The man is no machine, but he is THE MAN.

Roger, the rest of the ATP may be snapping at your heels, but what can they do if your feet are ten feet above the ground?

Keep it up Roger. Continue to be the best. Continue to be ruthless in your quest for peRFection. Continue to astound me.

Just... continue. Please.

Someone's going to take three sets off this guy? In New York? On a fast hard court?

That's going to take some snapping, and even if someone does, you've done it all:

16 Masters Series titles. 15 majors. 61 titles in all.

Isn't this guy 28 years old?

Right now, as far as TMF is concerned, one thing is pretty clear to me:

Roger Federer Has No Challenges Remaining.

It cheered me up not because I totally agree with everything the poster said (duh), but because of the clever wordplay in bold. It's clever because Roger's known for his atrocious challenge record (there's a video on YouTube hilariously called Federer vs. Hawkeye or something along those lines), and in tight matches, towards the end, it's quite common to hear the umpire say, "Mr. Federer has no challenges remaining." Roger also sometimes challenges a call just for the sake of it, because he hates the challenge system, and because he's TMF and therefore he can.

The way the guy who wrote that post cleverly turned something negative into something positive impressed me enough to cheer me up. Yup, that's all there is to it.

*

LOL, I guess no one will be asking for Roger to get a new couch anytime soon. Following his career from last September until now has been infinitely interesting. Ever since he lost to Murray in Madrid last year (when Madrid was an indoors hard court tourny, not a clay court one; and they turned it to a clay one because of Nadal. And he lost to Roger. Oh well), he'd been in a slump of sorts - that is, a slump relative to himself. If it'd been any other pro they'd kill for the "slump" that Roger went through; but because he's The Fed, well, the standards are pegged just a little bit higher.

I have to laugh in retrospect at all the analyses offered up by fans as to why his game wasn't clicking and why he was losing so much. The best one definitely had to be something about how Roger had mental problems - especially in regard to Nadal. After the Australian Open loss the whole bloody world was going, "Nadal is in Roger's head! He needs to see a sports psychiatrist!"

The fact that it made sense to me shows the irrationality of fandom and idol worship, really. As if anyone other than him and his team has any idea why he lost to Nadal, why he lost over and over to Murray, why he completely tanked a match he had on his racquet, which he proceeded to smash, against Djoke in Miami. The irrationality of idol worship compels you to come up with reasons to explain away your idol's losses, so that you feel as if you're in control, somewhat, even if the truth is that you're really not.

But the irrationality of idol worship also provides you with an escape from your dull, mundane life. It's obvious to me why I got so emotionally invested in his win-loss record, why I got so obsessed with following his matches and analysing everything to death. September last year wasn't a good period, and that not-good period extended to the end of the year. I think it only relented sometime this year, though I don't remember all that well, if I'm being honest.

Hence, even when it eventually turns out that most of your theories were wrong, that apparently Roger was losing so badly earlier this year was because of health-related issues (then again, I've always supported the "Roger is protecting his back" theory that explained his serving at least 1 double fault a match earlier this year) and nothing concerning his psyche and his lack of a couch (sic; what they really meant was "coach"), and the fact that he didn't eventually work with Darren Cahill turns out not to have affected anything at all...you have no control in anything that he does, and he's really just a tennis player whom you admire; even then, when your own life hasn't got much to cheer about, there are always his victories to cheer about, and cheer for.

*

In other news, Commercial Practice tutorial today was an absolute nightmare, and that's just putting it mildly. In the first place, I was really tired from waking up early, among other things. I reached the Sub Courts irritated and resentful, and sleepy, and throughout the entire tutorial I couldn't focus at all.

In the second place, things related to commercial practice - companies, businesses, joint ventures, takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, shares, etc - sound like utter gibberish to me. Seriously. I understood not a single word the tutor said, and I had to struggle to understand what Rui was telling me before we went for class when she was talking to me about the tutorial. I understand absolutely nothing, and I exaggerate not. A switch in my brain automatically turns itself off when I'm made to listen to these things, and I'm reduced to staring blankly at the speaker, wishing my brain could catch up and summarise what he/she just said, but it unfortunately draws a blank.

I think I might actually be in danger of failing CP - because I hate it so fucking much. Passing Company Law was miraculous; I never thought I'd have to go through it all over again.

In the third place, this week's tutorial was like, 5 pages long, 4 questions. Double U Tee Eff. SERIOUSLY. A one-hour tutorial dragged until 7.45, at which time I decided my headache couldn't take it anymore. Therefore, I left. When I left the tutor was still at Question 3, like the first third. There was still Question 4 which was a page and a half long.

Seriously. I deeply resent being made to do this. If I wanted to do corporate work, I wouldn't be in litigation. I can do a lot of other things, memorise pedantic rules of court and whatever, but please, for the love of my sanity, don't make me do corporate-related things. I will absolutely die. My eyes are the first to glaze over, followed closely by my brain, and eventually I'd be in a quasi-comatose state. That's the only way to describe my reaction to this field of work.

I must say I respect people that enjoy this, because it's utterly inexplicable to me. I don't understand shit. It's as simple as that. And it doesn't interest me AT ALL which makes me 0% inclined to try to understand shit.

BLEAH.

*

On another note, today I finally understand something about my adorable boyfriend that I don't think I really understood completely before. Without going into the details (because I don't want to anyway), it may suffice to say that although I don't consider myself a very possessive girlfriend (though I might eventually discover otherwise, I don't know), I want Tong all to myself, and all for myself.

He's had to put up with a lot of my emo girly crap and random, out-of-nowhere mood swings the past few days. I honestly have no idea what the hell is wrong with me; my period is over so I don't have that as an excuse anymore. I feel weepy and clingy and slightly possessive, and even needy. Did I think I was this person? Fuck no, and definitely not after the stupid debacle with the ex-boyfriend.

But the thing is, much as I feel irrationally about those that came before me, at the heart of things I deeply appreciate everything that he is and everything he does for me, even something as simple as insisting on carrying my stupid Comm Prac book and the FMS file. I appreciate him, and the small things matter as much as the big ones, if not more.

In the meantime, it's time to get over my own ego and girly crap nonsense. Yep.

*

US Open in a week. EXCITED MAX.

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