tennis, life and a few things in between

2023 is the second Sarasota Open, a part of ATP Challengers Tour held at Payne Park, April 9-16, 2023; with $128,000 prize money.

• 2025 @ Sarasota Sports Club

_{The box office, bathroom – definitely better than porta potty, and the center court: the poles are eyesore.} 

The Open itself, goes back to 2008, had been held at various locations:

• Longboat Key Club ^2009-14 
• Lakewood Ranch ^2015-6 
• United Tennis Center ^{2008, 2017}
• Laurel Oak Country Club ^2018-9 
• not held in 2020-1

This year, the title sponsor is Elizabeth Moore, a prominent local philanthropist with passion for tennis. The ticket prices increase as the tourney gets deeper, and are groups into a few categories. Re-entry is allowed.

• $237 Fifth Third Bank Row
• $159 5/3 Bank Champagne Table
• $159 VIP Champagne Table
• $169 Club Reserved
• $64 Reserved
• $54 general admission

Because of rain delay from previous day – Wednesday, we watched more matches than we anticipated. Court 5 is their center court, named after Nick Bollettieri (1931-2022). One side is general admission and the other side is the lounge with tables and chairs. Both sides have tent. The poles that support the tent are unsightly, unnecessary evil I guess. Court 7 and 8 are used as well, and we sit right there with the line person – perks of the small and intimate tournaments.

The center court has an announcer or commentator

The matches

1. Zhang Zhizhen (🇨🇳 1996-) ^def Alex Rybakov (🇺🇸 1997-) ^{delay; to Q}
2. Tristan Boyer (🇺🇸 1997-) ^def Jack Sock (🇺🇸 1992-) ^delay;
3. Enzo Couacaud (🇫🇷 1995-) ^def Zhang
4. Daniel Elahi Galán/Galan (1996-) ^won T Boyer ^retired
5. Genaro Alberto Olivieri ^def Bjorn Fratangelo (🇺🇸 1993-)
6. Gullermo Duran & Guido Andreozzi ^def Robert Galloway (🇺🇸 1992-) & Miguel Angel Reyes-Vareia

Zhang Zhizhen ^def Alex Rybakov 6-4, 7-6, delay match from Wednesday. Zhang advanced to the quarter final

Tristan Boyer  ^def Jack Sock, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, also a delay match from yesterday.

Enzo Couacaud (🇫🇷 1995-) ^def Zhang, 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday, April 13

Daniel Elahi Galán/Galan ^won Tristan Boyer 6-4, 3-0. Galán/Galan is the defending champ. Boyer beat out Jack Sock from previous day’s match and this is his second match of the day.

Genaro Alberto Olivieri ^def Bjorn Fratangelo 6-3, 3-6, 6-7. Fratangelo behaved pretty badly at the end, smashing his racket to the ground many times … oh well.

Gullermo Duran & Guido Andreozzi ^def Robert Galloway & Miguel Angel Reyes-Vareia 7-6, 5-7, 1-6. The last few points Galloway played, played badly and at the conclusion of the match, he throw his racket. A female fan or staff retrieved it from the next court.

Hard Rock Stadium
347 Don Shula Dr,
Miami Gardens, FL 33056

… 2025: $1,124,380
… 2024: $1,100,000
… 2023: $1,262,000

This is a major tennis event with both ATP and WTA (men and women) held in Miami Gardens, Florida in March each year, on hard court. It started in 1985 in Delray Beach, billed as Winter Wimbledon, with $1.8m prize money. A few moves later, it settled in Hard Rock Stadium since 2019.

2023’s prize money is $16m. Singles winners receive $1,262,220 prize money.

Beside the stadium court, there are grandstand court and a few other courts.

For general parking, we’re directed to Gate 18. $40 per car ($35 if you pay with Sunshine Pass), which is a breeze – very convenient and efficient. DO check out their pre-paid parking …

The ground is nicely laid out. Car displays, foods and bars. We’ve drinks at … with a few shrimps, the bill is $80.

The tickets

Unlike US Open, the qualifying rounds ticket are $15 each, plus fees.

Stadium court tickets provide specific seats and access to the ground, and general admission to grandstand.

Grandstand tickets have designated seats, and access to the ground.

Ground pass is $55 per ticket plus fees.

They’re pretty tight on bags. A lady carries a tiny bag but is refused because it is a lightly larger than the sample the door checker holds. Many people have the clear plastic bags.

Hard Rock Stadium opened in 1987, is the home to the Miami Dolphins but is being used for a few other events, such as tennis, and college football the Orange Bowl. For tennis, they added huge sections at the stadium court, making it small because American football field is 120 yards by 53.3 yards, while tennis court is 78ft (23.77m) by 27ft (8.23m). Bathrooms have no ac, if I remembered right. USTA do. The ground is nicely groomed and laid out. I enjoyed the different seating areas, bars and eateries. Lacking corporate heavy hitters, such as Amex and Chase that are stables at US Open, La Roche-Posay passes out mini size. At Amex corner at the US Open, they gave at least two different full sizes. Don Shula (1930-2020) was a defensive back for 7 seasons but wa most famous for being the head coach of Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995, with the winningest recored: 347 victories and 328 regular season victories. In 1972, Dolphins had a perfect session, 14-0 but failed to win the Super Bowl. The QB I knew was Dan Marino (1961-) who lost to Joe Montana (1956-) and his 49er’s in Super Bowl XIX, in 1985. Marino won no Super Bowl while Joe Cool has 4 rings.

Are they lovers or a couple? Do they look lost?

Won two out of 3 sets – Bruce the former 4.5, Allen and Greg.

A windy day. I’ve a slow start – too much tennis yesterday, losing 2-6 the first set, with one double.

Thanks to our neighbor who retrieved our 🎾… actually her 🐩 did. Before she found it, her dog did and took it into his/her mouth and won’t let it go.
😂

After a brief struggle, she asked if we’ve an old 🎾 ball to exchange. We did. And apparently, the 🐕 agreed 😂 we continued with our game … 2-6,6-4. We’re identical twin with fancy color outfit, separated at birth 😀 👇

All have a wonderful weekend 😊

2-6, 6-4 双胞胎

趣事 🎾 被打出去了了
栅栏外正好有一遛狗的妞
我们请她捡起来 丢回来
她左看右顾的就是找不到🎾
结果🐶先看到 就一口咬住不肯放
[Lol]
搏斗一阵后 妞问有没有旧的🎾拿来换
🐶这次松口
好可爱哦
…
湿湿的 …球友们说 … 算了 别用了 [Lol][得意]
还不如留给人家 … 🐶汪汪
陪了夫人又折兵 [呲牙]

风大 乱鸡窝 [愉快]

The Sweet Open (coach initially wrote sweat 😓… One letter different but actually both are good) is our first tennis tournament for the community. 13 men and two women players showed up. The coach has to step in to make the 8th team. We drew our partner from a hat 🎩.

Lucky me to partner with a good player. We won 3 and lost two to the coach/Stan team.

First match was against Craig/Dick. As Craig first serve to me went long, a ball rolled onto our court. I said “take two.”
He said, “seriously?”
“Of course, ball on court.” I said.
I’m wondering if these simple etiquette is being followed here. Silly me.

Second match was against Dennis/Pu. We ran into the bad line call again. My partner hit a lop that landed on the baseline: you can hear the sound and see the funny bounce. P called it out but Dennis said it’s good. Next up, my first serve was out in the alley but P played it. I lost the point. This is bad, so elementary school stuff. But we beat this team and again twice in a row – not sure how did this happen with eight teams draw. But I’m very glad we did. Cheater doesn’t deserve to win.

Our third match was again the coach team and we lost.

Fourth match was against Dennis/P. We won soundly again.

Next match was final against the coach team and we lost again.

The runner up prize is $50 … My first career win: I’m quitting my day job now …ha ha ha.

More on bad line calls here:

The usta has a mantra, that  a 99% out is 100% IN whenever I encounter a bad line call, and there are a few here, from the same player.

USTA has a couple of rules, too:

#1: if you don’t call an out ball immediately, it’s your opponent’s point. The hawk eye system honors this. When you circle a ball mark 3 times and asking if it’s out, every player knows what’s going on, call it IN and move on.

#2: if two partners disagree on a line call, it’s your opponent’s point.

Both rules, I interpret, are up holding the gentlemen or women’s game: when unsure, be courteous, give the point to your opponent.

You may say, come on old bag 👵, this is only recreational game. But, the fact that you’re chewing over a line call, shows exactly you care win or loss, that needs rule to play the game fairly. Let’s face it, without rules, how can you can play any game?

Once in a blue moon is a common phrase, that means rarely.

Once in a blue moon 🌝 I can play 🎾 well [偷笑]
6-1 with Dave
6-2 w/ Chris
and 4-6 with Alan

今天打的好好 👍 风骚一下 💃

等月亮弯时 就是春节了 [色]