tennis, life and a few things in between

A panic attack (惊恐发作) forced #2 seed Zhang Shuai to retire at the first round @ 2023 Budapest Grand Prix. The cause was a bad line call when the ball was clearly on the line. 9:20 unedited video. However, the chair umpire Laura called it out when she went to the court when pointed to the wrong mark: a similar scene? Recall FO 2021…

I’m so glad Zhang protested. However, the umpire insisted and supervisor – also a blond woman said it was not her call to call a ball in or out.  “That’s the way it is.” @ 1:00

Zhang is heard saying toward her box, “没有办法打了, 没有办法打了!“ 

The conduct by the Hungarian tennis player Amarissa Kiara Tóth (2003; $35,778 as of 2023.7.26) has stirred controversy online with a few players voiced their support openly for Zhang. Toth is disgusting by erasing the ball mark and raising her arms to celebrate soon after Zhang shake hand with her to retire. What’s more disturbing is the Hungarian tennis association defended her by saying she’s only 20 and this is her first WTA tourney – what a lame excuse.

LOL: Hungarian GP wrote “… A Hungarian tennis play may not have behaved correctly in all situations in his first WTA main tattle match, but he did not do anything that could be described as being dishonest. … The Chinese are manipulating the world with a manipulative video”

I played tennis last Sunday at 6:30pm and today at 7:30am. Both days were hot, in the 90s and humid. My sweat is raining down like a broken dam. The swimming pool temp is also very high, uncomfortably high.

🎾 Three 3.5 and one 4.5 on Sunday July 9

没有打过比今天更烂的🎾了
地球的吸引力🧲 好像特别强 [Lol]
肯定是大地🌍的错误 [偷笑]

May 22 to June 11.

Wang Xinyu (王欣瑜, 2001-; 6′ / 1.82m, 2018, $1,201,968 as of 2023.6.08) She’s from Shenzhen, ranking as high as #59 in 2022.

She was bageled by Iga Świątek, the Polish player, current #1 in the third round today – June 3rd.

Her father, Wang Peng (born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang),[6] is a former head coach of the Shenzhen tennis team and the Chinese women’s national tennis team, but resigned from the latter to concentrate on his daughter’s tennis career. Her mother was a former player in the Zhejiang women’s basketball team.[6] Both of them have devoted themselves to accompanying Wang everywhere.

June 4: Disqualification in women’s doubles, when Miyu Kato (1994-) intentionally passing her ball to the ball kid, accidentally hit the ball girl who cried later. Their opponents Sara Sorribes Torme (1996-) Marta Kostyuk (2002-)  Marie Bouzková (1998-) and lobbied and succeeded to remove them [Kato and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi (1995-) ] from the tourney, forfeiting their ranking points and prize money.

As it turned out, Kato won the mixed doubles on June 8, with Tim Pütz (1987-) of Frankfurt, Germany.

Women’s final, June 10, between #1 Iga Świątek (2001-) Karolína Muchová (1996-).

Having lost 2-6, Muchová was down 0-3 in the second set … most people thought the final is pretty much over. The fighting spirit! The third set is about to start. … and … she double faulted to give Iga her 4th slam title.

#FrenchOpen

Don’t they look alike – Sánchez Vicario (1971-) and Karolína Muchová?
😀 🎾 😀

My arm feels a lot better today!

Chinese Acupuncture and Herbs Center
10333 Seminole Blvd.
Largo, fl 33778

TCM, the traditional Chinese medicine has been important part of my active life, after I settled down in USA. For my generation, we look down on it in China, or at least while I was living in Beijing before 1979.

I wasn’t athletic at all in Beijing but become one in the USA -:), and discover the magic touch of the TCM: acupuncture 针灸, tuina 推拿, position the bones 正骨 … they’re most effective when I sprained some part of my body.

My last suffering came in September 2022, a few days before our trip to Iceland and Arctic. When only 1.5 days left and I was still hurt, I rushed to see my dear Dr. Shi who fixed me up in two sessions, the 2nd session was only few hours before our flight.

So this time around, I asked Dr. Shi for referral and Dr. Tian came to my rescue.

The office on Seminole Boulevard is stale without any support staff, a truly one man office. But I’ve to wait because there is steady stream of patients, either it’s usual or because it was the first day after the long weekend. Two patients came after me but were seen before me: they’ve appointments, which I think it’s fair – good practice.

The noisy little Chinese girl (5’5″) won the NCAA championship at USTA in Orlando.

She’s from Beijing, Yuxin school in Changping District.

UCLA career highlights

• NCAA singles champion (2023)
• Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year (2023)
• All-Pac-12 honoree (First Team – 2023)
• Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 18, 2023)
• Career-high ITA singles ranking: 14 (twice, last May 4, 2023)

Personal

Daughter of FangJin and TianSong … has one younger brother, Fang Tianyi … decided to attend UCLA because it upholds high academic standards and offers the chance to achieve high levels of athletic success … describes her greatest athletic thrill to date as representing home country China at the 2019 Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in Orlando, Fla. … admires Simona Halep … hobbies and interests include reading and ice skating … aspires to be professional athlete … undeclared major.

We sure do have many body parts lol … Can’t play but have to play, so it looks funny.

As it turned out, the pain stayed for a few weeks, till June 10, women’s final at French Open.

Back to USTA league era, the party organizers liked to invite this cartoon artist Dale Gladstone to do drawings. He came with a printer, so we could receive our portraits immediately. 

I had many made but apparently only kept two. On the back of 2011 print, he had Your Ad Here but non on 2013’s. Did he get enough business by then? I just remember he was a very calm man, without any expression. 

I win my points mostly rely on my backhand and serve – don’t really have a forehand. Now, my forehand is working and backhand is retreating: it seems I can’t have both. In any case, how’s my forehand? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

TIA

… and a few pix

To improve my games: warm up, forehand, backhand, volley, overhead, lessons, w/ Slinger, and more

• 3 finger serve & more

I’d a bad fall on 3.31. After getting over it, I decided to overhaul my game, starting from the serve. Here is my progress:

• motion looks right? birds
• tossing good, only in practice
• toss first @ Vintage
• 3 fingers & more
• 6-2, 1-6, 2-2 w/ Randy
• 2 serves 6-1, 6-0 Betty
• tray & 3 serves ace
• 9 serves – still tray!
• make the box & it works
• can’t serve!
• pronate, only in practice
• an orange sky
• morning moon & sandhill cranes
• a game: left arm isn’t up
• a blue day
• lesson #3: look up at the ball
• … continue
• feeling pretty good
• right wrist needs work
• elbows drop
• face the wall
• drop your arm
• lovey dovey #2
• 8-6, 3-2
• hair bang
• Gary and the no shows
• Brad, the new guy
• … very tired
• coach’s showing; his red & my blue sneakers
• waiter’s tray, still
• coach’s pointers
• left arm out
• feel good, Golfer
• no ball; dove IV
• practice & sets; dove III
• singles tourney doves II
• mourning doves, warm up
• feels good: grips
• 6-4, 6-0
• ace pic
• two herons
• a new visor
• my shoulder needs to turn
• Lesson #2: waiter’s tray!
• 3-6, 3-6 w/ golfer
• Overgrip all wrong
• 6-2, 6-2
• no double
• why fix it if it ain’t broke? 1 ace & 2 doubles
• the grip, per Cheri; waiter’s tray; 4 doubles
• leg work … Cheri
• David & Edwin
• Jay: Look up
• New motion is somewhat working
• evening session, arm up
• arm up

I practiced serve before the match today at VL, the match went

5-0
2-5
4-5

Served up a double that ultimately cost us the game. However, my forehand holds up just fine…

Most suggestions on my serve is grip (continental), toss (in more).  So I went out and tried two days later (Thursday). Have I changed anything?

… and a few pix on Thursday, May 18.

A beautiful day playing at VL

2016.6.21 ⇓