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by PAM
Just a few days ago... well, at least, that's how it seems, a High School classmate was so generously offering to treat me to the Aussie Open, the first Grand Slam of the new Tennis season. My classmate was fanning me with
The Tennis Superstars were 'Nickolodeoned'.
(Photo credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)tickets to the men's single semi-finals and the men's single final at the Rod Laver Arena. "All you have to do," the classmate admonished, "is to stop being boring, make the time, and get on that plane!"
"Make the time", sure... I wish it's that simple. I know I'm a big fan of Star Trek, and that's one of my fave topics: making time when something is important enough. The fact that I have not seen a single match - live - not one, nah-ah, in the Aussie Open 2013 confirms that, sadly, Sports is taking the back seat in my 2013 agenda. :( I'm not sure if I could stand by that tall order... 'cause it's like asking your lungs to make the most out of 'rationed oxygen'. But a few things have become more important than, say, the great desire to find out whether Roger Federer would shed tears - again - this year, or to find out if this would be the year when he would actually lose his Swiss cool and smash his racquet in the Marat Safin ultimate mental breakdown fashion. Or, is this the year when Maria Sharapova would find the volume dial to her throat, which seemed to be synchronized with the movement of
Winners: Viktoria Azarenka and Li Na.
(Photo credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)her right wrist? Apparently, Li Na cannot stand the noise either (well, her husband's mere snoring disturbs her) that she found it in her to silence the leggy Russian in their semi-final match with a straight-sets win. Ah, relief... for our ears, thanks, Li Na! Unfortunately, for the powerful Chinese lady, she could not find the right touch and will her bones to stop from breaking so she could silence the 'other noisy' woman on the court, Viktoria Azarenka. The #1 in the world, Vika, became the least favorite woman by the 2013 Aussie Open crowd after her controversial win over the rising American tennis teenage star, Sloane Stephens - the same girl whose brilliance caused Serena Williams to lose it, and go on spontaneous combustion - on court... again. The win by VA over SS was described by many as undeserved... and I can't argue with that. Nevertheless, VA went on to snatch the Championship cup - for the second time in a row, despite being walloped by Li Na in the first set. Too bad for the Chinese lady... and us, who are not all that amused by VA's rough manners on court, not to mention, weird fashion sense.
Don't get me wrong though... it isn't like I wasn't following the event. I saw parts of the Federer-Tsonga QF match as I rushed through breakfast a few days back to catch a 9 AM - 12 PM meeting, and it took the heart of me a little, to watch RF finding the true Champion's touch to stop
Roger Federer @ 31: genius, elegance and grace in pink.
(Photo credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)the gritty Frenchman from advancing to the semis. That's as good as the final for me as far as RF is concerned. I also saw some parts of the Djokovic-Ferrer semi-final match (on replay, of course). And, while I was wow-ing and awesome-ing through the beautiful shots from the Djoker racquet, my heart completely bled for the admirable Spaniard who is #5 in the World, David Ferrer, trying to equal Djoker and trying to fill-in the Rafael Nadal shoes in the 'Big Four', but coming up short... too short, actually. I was especially ouch-ing for DF when he tried to return that baseline powershot from the Djoker racquet, but couldn't jump high enough to catch the ball. Oh, boy... tough! And, I dizzied myself to sleep through the (replay of) Federer-Murray semi-final match. RF was cursing... hah! Mental breakdown? Nah... just weird officiating that ought to be questioned, really. But, that was the first time that these two ran the distance in a Grand Slam: fiver-setter. Man, RF still has it in him at 31 to challenge these younger players in the 'Big Four' with iron abs and biceps - awesome! Oh, and loving the baby pink trimmings of his gear and baby pink shoe laces - too cute. :)
Hmm... how will I maintain my status as a 'card-carrying' tennis fan, when I have not seen any match - live - in the Aussie Open this year? I'm fearing disbarment from the 'federation of tennis geeks'! Tsk! :( Oh, well.... Fortunately, YouTube is there to the rescue... while it's
Iron men: Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray, who's tougher?
(Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)not as exciting to watch the replay as the live match (and what is Sports if you take away that sort of nail-biting, nerve wracking excitement?), at least you don't feel left out when your fellow tennis geeks are passionately discussing how incredible it is that Caroline Wozniacki had miraculously held on until the fourth round! Yeah, imagine that! :)
Well, it would be exciting to see if, finally, Andy Murray, would find the true 'Brit grit' a la James Bond under a 'licensed-to-kill' sort of a tennis hero mission, as he did in the London Summer Games, and whip the butt of Novak Djokovic to finally earn the right to raise the Normal Brookes Challenge Cup above his head! Now, this one, I'm going to have make the time for. I'm really curious to see if they could match the incredible Nofael Djodal iron men match-up last year in Melbourne... and I want to follow - as it happens, live! With the gruelling grind I had to go through last week and the week before that, I deserve this much!
Therefore, sorry, work... you are taking the backseat within the next few hours. Besides, it's weekend for cryin' out loud! Alright, work, scoot over - now!
Oy, oy, oy, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy! :)
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