tennis, life and a few things in between

You go SAM .. Sam Querrey. The stadium is rocking and he is doing fine. Won the second set 7:5, and just broke Nadal back at 4:4 and just held serve, leading 5:4 the third set.

The American sport commentators are fair and most of them are worldly. I just couldn’t forget one tourney that held in Europe one year. Pete Sampras was playing someone, a human obviously. He had won US Open and with few injuries he didn’t conquer the tennis world as I thought he would. But, Pete was Pete, he was a great player and was dominating that match. I was in Frankfurt and watched it in frustration: the European male commentator would be silent if the American made a marvelous shot and talked his head off when Pete’s opponent won, a, point. The victory was landslide.

People, let’s cheer for Sam.  You dude, make my dream come true so that at least a pair all American quater final.

Nadal wears a flaming red Capri and still does his G-string thing.

Mardy Fish of USA is playing Gael Monfils of France.  I like Monfils: loose, casual and acrobatic, can probably scale the Mount Marcy or Algonquin Peak Summit like a monkey.  Fish serves and volleys .. so I’m for the American while Pumpkin is for the Acrobat.  Mardy is leading two sets to love.

French male tennis players have been the odd lot type, flamboyant but never last long to make an impact. Flash in the pants, did I get this idiom right? Noah, then Guy Forget (who’s rather gentlemanly looking, classic is quite fitting here), Cedric Pioline who played Pete Sampras in the 1993 US Open final when he said (he finished his semi prior to Pete’s) “I want Sampras” but predicable he lost to Pete 6:4, 6:4 and 6:3; Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and now Gael Monfils .. they are all bride maids.

Did anyone get the Geico commercial where the caveman was on the beach with a blond?

Which one is more attractive to you???  Sandy’s orchard or Djokovic the Joker 地包天??   In light of my tennis misery, afraid that I’m developing a hobby – think of that, a hobby! – which is totally unexpected .. horticulture..  gosh my family is also in shock. 
Do I need a new interest?!?!  Just can’t image that I’m doing those sissy thing.  My eyes are glued to plants and flowers, check them out, buying .. the orchard (was it an orchard??  The bamboos are still alive .. in case you’re wondering of their fates … phew ..) I bought a month ago had died already, pretty much the same time that Sandy bought hers – look at it, her flowers are fat, juicy, and sitting pretty.  
Few weeks ago, Xiao Ping who has green thumb walked in and said,
“What? they all died!  How pitty.” 
She was sort amused that I’m doing those things now.  Yes, pitiful.  I just bought 2 more.  One is Cyclamen, I have no idea what it is, how to nurse it, except it needs sun  .. Golfer had always wanted to have a flower garden (for me to read my magazines and newspaper, lol) but due to lack of sunlight…  I’m buying things that requires full sunshine, neat.  What was I thinking???  
Back to US Open, Joker just won the semi.  To celebrate his win, he took off his shirt, so did his dad who also rally his friends on the stand to do so.  Ok, Dad, pls keep your shirt on.  Wondering IF  he beats FedEx tomorrow, is he going to strip?  Down to what?? :))

What a surprise that CBS is broadcasting it live.  Too bad neither Mark Knowles nor Justin Gimelstob made it this far with their respective partners, or the pinky cheeked Bryan bros.  The winners will split $400k and runner ups perhaps half of that.  One of the four players, Pavel Vizner of Czech is grand 37 years old.  If Pete Sampras still has fire in his belly, why not try some doubles, I’m sure he can make it on the pro tour and may even win few more grand slams.

Yan Zi and Mark Knowles
Chan/Chuang vs Mattek/Mirza
Those two doubles/mixed doubles matches at Louis Armstrong stadium were more interesting than the singles at the center court, not all baseline.  I first saw Mark Knowles in Dec 1992 when he turned pro, at the Bahamian Open (yes, there’s a such thing), Aaron Krickstein was there too.  Over the years, Mark never rose higher than 96 in singles but #1 in doubles, made over $5.5m in prize, the epitome of the term journeyman.  They lost last night, netting like $15k or $30k.  Mixed doubles get paid the least since they only play 2 sets.  If it’s a tie then they play a super tiebreak 10 points to decide.

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Do girls dress up at Flushing Meadow?  My random takes, missed few Park Avenue princess, :).  Serena was like sleep walk, as if she didn’t want to be there.  But managed to win in 2 sets.  Justin Gimelstob won his doubles in 2 sets too.  The crowds loved him.  The fun part of the doubles is players are sort of entertainers, less serious than singles players.  The network should broadcast doubles more!

A grieved one.  Or, a happy one .. .. about Yuan Meng 袁梦 (yuan meng 园梦 means a dream fulfilled). file 22885

I found few Chinese tennis pros’ names are all sounded whimsical – regardless how they were written. Yan who played in Toronto, Yan Zi = swallow, and Yu Fengming 于凤鸣.

• ²⁰¹² her post
• ²⁰⁰⁸ the moneyman
• ²⁰⁰⁷ her quandry
• ²⁰⁰⁷ verbalizing it
• ²⁰⁰⁷ dinner for Yuan

Yuan Meng is a 21 years old pro who made into US Open main draw last year but has to play the qualifying round this year. Tony brought her to SAndy’s house to practice this afternoon. So after lunch and shower, we all went back there again.

Tony was hitting with a youngster, then Yuan walked onto the court, and started practicing with the youngster.  She would stop and confer with the lady who remained on the court all the time while she’s playing.  The lady looks in her 50s, very tanned too.  To my common sense, there wasn’t any tennis – so to speak – in China back 30 or 40 years ago (however I did have a classmate in Beijing who came from Sichuan province played tennis there in an athletic school), so I said so to Tony.  He laughed,

“You’re right .. .. she doesn’t play tennis at all.”  Then added that she’s also from Zhongguancun’s CAS??

Is she a manager or 保姆  Nanny?

“That’s bit offensive.” Tony looked at me.

Well, they are basically groupies, managers and coaches.  IMHO, managers are pretty much a nanny, 一脚踢 in Hong Kong lingo – who does it all.  Not a derogatory term in my dictionary.

During a water break, I chatted with the lady who couldn’t wait to tell me why she’s here.

Yuan came from a farming family (a.k.a. un-educated) in Hunan province (Mao’s home province).  She was selected to attend an athletic school, playing tennis.  When she’s 11, she stole a perfume bottle from her roommate. “It’s cute .. she didn’t know anything .. it cost on 11.40 RMB.”  So the coach singled her out as the trouble maker, and made the environment poisonous for her for the next two years.  Her fellow players would hide their wallets around her .. .. She had no way out but to leave.  When the athletic school refused to issue a certificate for her to attend school elsewhere, Yuan’s really done for.

A family friend in Beijing took her in to practice with their child.  Few months later, when the child gained admittance to the athletic school, her service was no longer needed.  So Yu’s brother-in-law asked her to take the 14-years old in for few days. It stretched into few weeks, then few months.

“I was really at my wits end.  She tied me down, stayed home all day with nothing to do … she lied all the time, didn’t trust any one .. I wondered out loud when would she leave … then she started calling me gan ma – god mother ..”

As we were chatting, Yuan came over.  Yu immediately massaged her right hand with both her hands.

So the burdened lady who knew nothing about tennis became coach/shrink/financier.  She learned on the job, moved to Shenzhen for the warmer climate, sold their house to finance their travel.  For a while, Yu’s grown son was supporting them.

Today, they both clad in Adidas.  Yuan did well in Aussie Open (in January) and was signed by Adidas right on the spot. Tony was more blunt in asking as how much the expenses are, like $150k a year?  Yu didn’t give an answer.  Then she started complaining as how much the hotel cost, very expensive, like $100 a night .. the prize money would only cover the entrance fees …

Does her prize money plus the endorsement cover the expenses?

Yu said, “we’re still in talk.”  ?? (Her post on Adidas in 2012)

Either she’s a true Mao’s trooper – looked like one (sounded like one too), or just a lousy manager who doesn’t know her way around.  She told me that Adidas only supplies clothing.  I was very surprised to hear this. Hello … even Golfer’s high school classmate got free clothing/sneakers and equipment, for only playing high school tennis.

Anyway, I am definately not the one who analyze things or people, believing what other tells me.  Yuan’s profile on US Open showed her career earning is US$136,817.  Not bad for a farmer’s daughter who got kicked out of the system, under no professional coach thereafter.

During the time we were at the court, I saw one thing strange: Yuan takes a lot, I mean A LOT breaks. Yu said,

“OH ya. I won’t let her to practice more than two hours at time. One to two times a day, to preserve her physical energy.”

Another hello. I though all the pros practice 7-8 hours a day, 6-7 days a week to build their stamina. Oh well, Irene doesn’t know tennis. I think she’s out of her mind. Yuan needs to practice a lot longer and a lot more, if she wants to have any kind of future, in tennis.

They met by fate.  A lovely story, touchy.  Sorry the story teller has limitations, :).  .. .. Relationships fascinate me. ____________

• 2012.12.27, her post on weibo
• she stays low
• moneymen
• US Open 2007
• her tennis + dinner pix
• at dinner
• her name
• 2006，曼谷女子网球公开赛:袁梦闯入正赛[图]
• 2010.08.29， 袁梦，网球梦难圆
• her blog, posts