tennis, life and a few things in between

So, the US Open tennis 2021 is underway and vendors come in doves as well, selling from bottled water ($3 for a spring or $5 for two) to flags. I’m bit of surprised to see the Japanese and Korean flags but not Chinese. The sweet lady said, she’ll get me one 🙂 all in good spirit. Thank you.

An update: the sweet lady did get Chinese flags when I returned on Thursday. The Program stand is still doing a brisk business: Program + daily for $20, $5 for a daily alone and $20 for a poster). Thought the program and daily could be replaced by smartphone, unless you would like it as a souvenir.

The bottled water, sells by the street vendors this summer:

• $1 on Brooklyn Bridge
• $2 at Yankee
• $3 for a bottle or $5 for two at US Open
• $5 at AMC Fresh Meadows 7 plus sales tax

US Open 2021, Day 2. Court 11, willowy Ashlyn Krueger (2004-; prize win $8,713) is playing Anna Karolína Schmiedlová from Slovakia. Two AKs, -:). Krueger lost 7-5, 6³-7^7ith , 6-3. I saw her teaming up with Robin Montgomery (2004-; prize money $8,493), in an American women’s doubles match on Court 4 two days later, winning the first round of women’s  over A. Muhammad and Jessica Pegula. 6-2 and 7-6. The pair lost their second round to Leylah Fernandez and Erin Routliffe 2-6 and 2-6.

Krueger lost her girls singles in the second round (1st round she got a bye), losing to P. Marcinko in three. The pair, Krueger and Montgomery got a bye in the first round and won their second round, defeating J. Garcia and M. Mutavdzic 6-4, 6-1.

Her singles match on Day 2

Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery on Court 6, Day 4, the first round of women’s doubles.

^{A great photo of Serena who’s absent at the Open; seen on FB}

US Open began yesterday, August 30, ending next Sunday, Sept 12. The prize is $57.5 million and the two singles winners take home $2,500,000 each, little less than 2020, $3 mil.

I got my day session (#3) ticket to Ashe at the window (ticket/box office), $44 (TicketMaster adds $5 per ticket service fee and $2.95 order processing fee) today. It’s cheaper than the ground pass which is at $65. To buy a day in advance or before the start of the match, $25 would do. Some ticket prices in 2013.

Gates opening time varies. On the first day, a huge crowd was gathered to get in and someone tweeted that a woman fainting, but I never encountered any lines on my days there. Actually, on my evening session, I got in way before 6pm. The parking isn’t as clear as Citifield’s.

The most talked about topic this year is bathroom breaks: Stefanos Tsitsipas (1998-) taking multiple 8 minutes bathroom break during his first round match, defeating Andy Murray (espn, WaPo, People, SportingNews …).

The perks: Amex, Chase and Benz all have their hangouts. Amex has Centurion Suite and the Lounge (photos above, is smaller than previous years), with a few booths to dispense their radios. Chase has one at the main building where we check in to play tennis. It required a sign up and reserve but my two reservations never materialized: Day 4 was on a waitlist and Day 9 never came. Benz had display room only inside. The outside of the gate one is gone.

Although I never encounter any lines to get in but I though USTA should or could offer wrist band for covid-19 vaccine proof, to reduce the among of work they’ve to do each time we go because many of us are multiple day attendees.

Day 2: I parked at Skyview (got hair cut too) and walked the Roosevelt Avenue pathway 5.2 miles for the day. The commuter lot is closed for the first four days. It reopens to commuters this Friday, at the usual rate $5.

Watched Barty at Ashe, Gaël Monfils at Court 17, and a young American, 17 years old Ashlyn Krueger (2004-), who lost to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in three sets. Her prize winning is only $8,713.

Day 2, Tue 8.31 @ Ashe, $44 (Sec 317, row R), first round

1. Barty
2. Ashlyn Krueger
3. Gaël Monfils

Day 4 Thur, Sept 2, 2nd round; $32.95; LIRR

1. Jenson Brooksby defeat Taylor Fritz @ Grandstand
2. Sock def Bublik @ Court 5
3. Ashlyn Krueger/Montgomery def Pegula/Muhammad @ Court 4
4. Coco Gauff/McNally def Carla Suárez Navarro/Errani @ #17
5. Karolína Plíšková def Amanda Anisimova @ Ashe

Day 9, Tue Sept 7 @ Armstrong $135;

1. Giuliana Olmos/M. Arévalo def E. Perez/M. Demoliner
2. Stosur/Zhang def Dolehide/Sanders
3. Pegula/Krajicek def Guarachi/Skupski
4. Johnson/Querrey def Tecau/Krawletz

Day 11, Thur Sept 9 @ Armstrong, $0

1. Johnson/Querrey lost to ^#4 R. Ram/J. Salisbury
2. ^#8 J Peers n F Polasek lost to ^#7 Jamie Murray/B Soares
3. ^#1 Shingo Kunieda def Casey Ratzlaff  6:1, 6:0
4. Tom Egberink lost to Gordon Reid

The bathrooms are always well stocked, and what you can and can’t bring in with you.

The Ashleigh Barty Vera Zvonareva match was pretty boring, until Barty failed for serve out at 5:3. The second set went to tie break. After the match I spotted Vera Zvonareva got on the stationary bike. Looking over, is the New York Hall of Science, with the rocket park.

The K9s German shepherds, aren’t they handsome?! And the Mets dog too

The fashion is as usual, great to watch too. But I always miss the best dressers.

… and the uniform: on the first day, Sloane Stephens def Madison Keys – they wore the same outfits. Theirs, clearly set the tone for this Open.

more …

• the flag lady and the vendors
• Maria Sakkari the guangong 关公

… and the final,

Emma Raducanu and Daniil Medvedev won the Final.

Med wrote: “Imagine being 18, playing in your 4th pro event, winning only a 25k before and now being @usopen champ! Incredible. @EmmaRaducanu”

Yes, her run is incredible. Hope she can keep up the pace.

Petr Korda (1968-) and his cubs [呲牙] The skinny guy from the 1980s or 1990s, managed to produce three robust kids ☀️ must be the Florida sun 🌞: Jessica (1993-), Nelly (1998-) and Sebastian (2000-).

捷克皮包骨在佛罗里达生了3个健壮的娃 [调皮][OK]

Petr Korda was the first wave of tennis players from the Eastern Block during the weaning years of USSR. He’s from Czechoslovakia, which split in 1993, into Czech and Slovak.

I watched him up close one year at the Hampton Open (?) out of Long Island. He wasn’t the one we went to see but the featured player, either Jimmy Connors or Michael Chang pulled out of tourney. So the skinny kid stepped in. 

Ok, here I’m again, at the hall for all 🎾 Newport
1993: belly was too big to play
1990s and 2018: too busy to play
2021: too disabled to play
Irene doesn’t play 🎾 [调皮].

网球圣地
1993 肚子太大 人家不让俺打
1990-2018: 每次来都忙得昏天黑地的
2021: 四肢不全打不了
其实是俺根本不会打🎾

老天呀 为什么这么折磨人？
俺招您惹您了？
见鬼

Seeing Serena by Gerald Marzorati, published on June 15, 2021.

He begins with, that this book is not an authorized biography and that his access to her, merely as a journalist who writes for New Yorker. All the info is from his own cumulation and from that of his peers.

In the book, the author discussed the Thiem – bad personality episode.

He also wrote about the Belgium player Justine Henin’s hand job at 2003 French Open. (reporting on the case, from Tennis and Greg Couch @ 4:25 mark.) Henin did put her hand up and caused Serena to miss her first serve but the chair umpire didn’t see the hand job, denied Serena’s first serve. At that point, Serena was leading … but ended up losing the match. (Head to head, Williams leads 8-6.) Very, very unsportsmanship.

Seeing Serena (2021) 📖 看到小威

作者Gerald Marzorati 为纽约客写网球. 上个月出版的这本书没有特别通行道 都是积累. 他自己所见所闻+其他同行的报道. 写的挺中正.

Margaret Court 玛格丽特阔特 的24 单打 满贯 一直是小威追赶的目标. 但阔只赢了11个公开赛的满贯.在很多人心里 威的23 就是才是公开赛的记录.
不知道她锲而不舍的在追啥. 同感.
完美主义? 同感.
就是喜欢打. 同感.

2⃣️ 是她老爸 … [捂脸] 很难忍受的一个人. 总是希望他闭口 走开… 但每每想起他调教了二个开心阳光又成功的娃 (姐妹俩赢了一大堆双打大满贯和奥运金牌🏅️)
算了(俺收声走开) 让他享受一下他二秒钟的风光吧 [偷笑] (还记得他在温网💃吗 [捂脸][捂脸][捂脸])

3⃣️ 她2021温网 夸张吗？

Coco Gauff (2004-; 2018) advanced to Wimbledon 2021’s third round. I watched her wild run at US Open in 2019, when she was only 15 and reached 3rd round. It was a night game and we went all out for her.

When she was young (and little), she always reminds me of Degas’ Little Dancer. This ballerina 3⃣️ is the one at The National Gallery of Art in DC.

她总是让我想起法国印象派埃德加·德加的《十四岁的小舞者》.

• 2022, French, US Open
• 2021 US Open
• 2019 Wimbledon, Cori

Last time to Museum d’Orsay, saw a short stage play of the teenager 2⃣️ – it was a treat. [愉快]

Currently Federer is playing Gasquet – this is a treat. Wish the French could win once.

小豆豆 晋升第三圈🎾. 她像不像 Degas 德加的小舞娘? 3⃣️是在华府国家美术馆里的小舞娘. 上次在巴黎的多赛博物馆里看到一个别出心裁的创意表演 2⃣️ – 扮演小舞娘 [强]

“You’re 23, you’re healthy, wealthy, your family is good. Where is the pressure?” Boris Becker hits out at Naomi Osaka over media stance.

In a statement announcing her withdrawal, Osaka made it clear that media interactions had taken a toll on her mental health. The 23-year-old revealed she had been suffering from depression since 2018 and claimed she would get bouts of social anxiety when interacting with the media as she is not a natural English speaker.

She has been living and training in U.S. since age three, “not a natural English speaker” is an outright lie.

“Is that really pressure? Isn’t it pressure when you don’t have food on the table? When you’ve got to feed your family and you don’t have a job? When you have a life-changing injury? Isn’t that more pressure?” Boris Becker said. “You’re 23, you’re healthy, you’re wealthy, your family is good. Where is the f****** pressure?”

Good question. Isn’t mental toughness a part of everyone’s life, if you want to be on top? Her quitting the French Open and Wimbledon, two tournaments that she never advanced beyond 3rd round, perhaps didn’t make as a big news as she and her endorsors had hoped for? Lukewarm to say the best. Another controversy is the hammer thrower Gwen Berry who turned her back to the flag at Olympics trail where she earned a third place, which meant she made the team to Tokyo. But the overwhelming comments on Facebook is, to bar her from representing the country.