'That' Tennis Fan
I guess I've become 'that' tennis fan. I'm watching a match played earlier today and I saw the score so I already know who wins. It's the third Rubber (yes, that's what it's really called) of the Fed Cup semi final match between Czech Republic and Italy. I like Italy for the overall win, just as I liked Great Britain over Argentina, Australia over Switzerland, and the U.S. over Sweden before the weekend began. I was up in the air about Russia vs. Slovakia. I am well aware that most American tennis fans barely cared about the US tie much less who might come out victorious between France and Kazakhstan (France killed them 4-1). Remember, I'm not 'that' tennis fan. I'm 'that' tennis fan.
I give a lot of the credit this weekend to Tennis Channel, Twitter, and my very cool Fed Cup iPhone app. In my previous incarnation as a tennis fan, I was at the mercy of CBS, ESPN, and Tennis Magazine. Needless to say (though I'm apparently going to say it), I was largely out of touch compared to the up-to-the-second live feeds I now get. Tennis fans have no excuse these days. Don't know who won Monte Carlo today? Shame on you (Djokovic. Thank you, Tennis Channel for the replay and my ATP/WTA app for the score). Don't know who won the Fed Cup tie between Australia and Switzerland? Equally shameful (No one yet. It got rained out til tomorrow. Thank you, Tennis Australia via Twitter for all the updates). Tennis fans, if you're going to rely on ESPN, get used to ignorance. This morning did they show one tennis highlight from an exciting Saturday of matches? Nope, but they did show the results of a UFC fight.
Back to the match at hand... Sara Errani vs. Petra Kvitova, ranked 7th and 8th in the world respectively. Spoiler alert: Errani, my second favorite player, lost. And get this, she was up a set and 2 - 1 before losing 11 straight games. Oy. I'm watching now, not out of morbid curiosity, but to see exactly how it went down. When did momentum swing and how? Hell, they're playing in Italy in front of a very loud and partisan crowd. That should have gotten her at least a couple games in the third set. Good on Kvitova for hanging in under difficult conditions.
Let me tell you, in my next life I want to be born a tennis player in any country besides America. These non-American fans bring it; they know how to cheer on their players. U.S. fans? Yeah, quiet and boring, if you ask me. Perhaps it's our errant sense of entitlement that makes us complacent. We're going to win - we always do, don't we? - so why bring the horns, drums, and cowbells? Because it's fun and creates a nifty atmosphere. The crowd in Palermo sounds like a South American soccer match. Not tennis appropriate? If Prince William can do the wave on Centre Court at the Olympic Games, the Italians can bang a drum and blow a horn between points.
Man, I'm loving this Fed Cup. I may have to add a Fed Cup weekend to my Bucket List. Somewhere not America though. I want to go where the fans are proud and loud and passionate, where people truly care about the outcome, where tennis might actually make the national news highlights. They say that Novak Djokovic is as recognizable in his country (Serbia) as LeBron James is here in America. A tennis player is the the hero of the Serbian people. I like that. A lot.
Well, 5-0 in the third for Kvitova, as expected. The verdict? Errani let a few things get to her and Kvitova started making her shots. That combination definitely changed the momentum. Whatever Errani may have had as she dominated in the first set is long gone. Even her rabid Italian fans can't pull her head out and Kvitova is keeping her foot on the gas. It's kind of hard to watch for an Errani fan like me, but Kvitova fans (and the Czech Republic) have got to be rejoicing.
You can call me 'that' fan, but I'm looking forward to Tennis Channel's replay of Russia and Slovakia that'll be on tomorrow morning. Sure, I have to work but the DVR is already programmed to record. Oh, it's also set to record the remainder of the tie between Italy and Czech Republic that will resume tomorrow (a rain delay halted action today). I'm not sure when I'll have time to watch. Who am I kidding? The semester ends in a week and I'll have two weeks free before the summer term starts. I can spend it watching tennis. After all, it's what 'that' fan does.
I give a lot of the credit this weekend to Tennis Channel, Twitter, and my very cool Fed Cup iPhone app. In my previous incarnation as a tennis fan, I was at the mercy of CBS, ESPN, and Tennis Magazine. Needless to say (though I'm apparently going to say it), I was largely out of touch compared to the up-to-the-second live feeds I now get. Tennis fans have no excuse these days. Don't know who won Monte Carlo today? Shame on you (Djokovic. Thank you, Tennis Channel for the replay and my ATP/WTA app for the score). Don't know who won the Fed Cup tie between Australia and Switzerland? Equally shameful (No one yet. It got rained out til tomorrow. Thank you, Tennis Australia via Twitter for all the updates). Tennis fans, if you're going to rely on ESPN, get used to ignorance. This morning did they show one tennis highlight from an exciting Saturday of matches? Nope, but they did show the results of a UFC fight.
Back to the match at hand... Sara Errani vs. Petra Kvitova, ranked 7th and 8th in the world respectively. Spoiler alert: Errani, my second favorite player, lost. And get this, she was up a set and 2 - 1 before losing 11 straight games. Oy. I'm watching now, not out of morbid curiosity, but to see exactly how it went down. When did momentum swing and how? Hell, they're playing in Italy in front of a very loud and partisan crowd. That should have gotten her at least a couple games in the third set. Good on Kvitova for hanging in under difficult conditions.
Let me tell you, in my next life I want to be born a tennis player in any country besides America. These non-American fans bring it; they know how to cheer on their players. U.S. fans? Yeah, quiet and boring, if you ask me. Perhaps it's our errant sense of entitlement that makes us complacent. We're going to win - we always do, don't we? - so why bring the horns, drums, and cowbells? Because it's fun and creates a nifty atmosphere. The crowd in Palermo sounds like a South American soccer match. Not tennis appropriate? If Prince William can do the wave on Centre Court at the Olympic Games, the Italians can bang a drum and blow a horn between points.
Man, I'm loving this Fed Cup. I may have to add a Fed Cup weekend to my Bucket List. Somewhere not America though. I want to go where the fans are proud and loud and passionate, where people truly care about the outcome, where tennis might actually make the national news highlights. They say that Novak Djokovic is as recognizable in his country (Serbia) as LeBron James is here in America. A tennis player is the the hero of the Serbian people. I like that. A lot.
Well, 5-0 in the third for Kvitova, as expected. The verdict? Errani let a few things get to her and Kvitova started making her shots. That combination definitely changed the momentum. Whatever Errani may have had as she dominated in the first set is long gone. Even her rabid Italian fans can't pull her head out and Kvitova is keeping her foot on the gas. It's kind of hard to watch for an Errani fan like me, but Kvitova fans (and the Czech Republic) have got to be rejoicing.
You can call me 'that' fan, but I'm looking forward to Tennis Channel's replay of Russia and Slovakia that'll be on tomorrow morning. Sure, I have to work but the DVR is already programmed to record. Oh, it's also set to record the remainder of the tie between Italy and Czech Republic that will resume tomorrow (a rain delay halted action today). I'm not sure when I'll have time to watch. Who am I kidding? The semester ends in a week and I'll have two weeks free before the summer term starts. I can spend it watching tennis. After all, it's what 'that' fan does.
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