2014 US Open

[gzhpcu]

Journalists are writing that this US Open is Roger's for the taking. I hope this does not jinx him..

(The same journalists who wrote him off last year, telling him to retire... )

[bottle]

A Tolstoyan Fantasy Halfway in Historical Fact

The literary biographers were not sufficiently interested in tennis and so gave short shrift to the first tennis court in Russia.

The result is that we tennis players watching the U.S. Open two centuries later cannot even identify the surface and grit, or where, come wintertime, the net was stored, or where the sun's chariot rode in the sky at 4 p.m. when Leo the Lion stepped up to the line to serve.

Was the first tennis court in Russia near Leo's big house or next to a dacha districts away on a small hill shrouded in birch trees?

And what did Sophie Tolstoy think?

And did not Leo, undefeated, have trouble finding opponents? Were they aristocrats imported from France or taken from the ranks of his thousand most favored peasants?

Those very personal serfs who gave him his tennis technique. By permitting him with never a derisive sidelong glance to join them out in the fields. So that his scythe could do its natural work, teaching him everything that he would ever need?

Just wondering.

Why isn't there a Russian Open anyway?

[lobndropshot]

N.Kyrgios def M.Youzhny in four sets pretty impressive win.

[gzhpcu]

And Seppi beats Stakhovsky. Too bad, another loss for serve and volley...

[stotty]

Paire sneaks through...

My man Benoit Paire sneaked through in five sets against Julien Benneteau. The umpire overruled a call in Benneteau's favour at match point. Benoit went ballistic but managed to stay calm enough to win the match. It couldn't have been easy.

Some of Paire's backhands were out of this world. The disguise he has on it is a sight to behold. If only the guy had a forehand...

[hockeyscout]

The literary biographers were not sufficiently interested in tennis and so gave short shrift to the first tennis court in Russia. The result is that we tennis players watching the U.S. Open two centuries later cannot even identify the surface and grit, or where, come wintertime, the net was stored, or where the sun's chariot rode in the sky at 4 p.m. when Leo the Lion stepped up to the line to serve. Was the first tennis court in Russia near Leo's big house or next to a dacha districts away on a small hill shrouded in birch trees?

And what did Sophie Tolstoy think?

And did not Leo, undefeated, have trouble finding opponents? Were they aristocrats imported from France or taken from the ranks of his thousand most favored peasants?

Those very personal serfs who gave him his tennis technique. By permitting him with never a derisive sidelong glance to join them out in the fields. So that his scythe could do its natural work, teaching him everything that he would ever need?

Just wondering.

Why isn't there a Russian Open anyway?

Cool.

[gzhpcu]

Verdasco wins a 5 setter against number 400. What has happened to Verdasco? Too much partying?

David Young out first round.... disappointing! Thought he was finding his form..

[gzhpcu]

Sam Stosur wins easily and is in 2nd round. Hope she can keep it up...

Unfortunately, American hopeful Jack Sock retired...

Nishikori, always fun to watch, won easily... Now if only he can avoid getting injured again. Might be tough in a Grand Slam tournament for him.

[klacr]

Some of Paire's backhands were out of this world. The disguise he has on it is a sight to behold. If only the guy had a forehand...

They say the same about me.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

Federer looking good. Moving onto 2nd round against big Sam Groth.

backhand was looking good. Granted, it was a good against Matosevic. Let's hope he keeps it up. #18 in his future.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

That's as a result of his equipment change: to a 98 sq. in. frame, strung at 59/57 way above his old 90 sq. in. at 48/46. Wt. is the same, balance the same. But a bigger sweet spot he's now getting the benefit of off his back hand. If your strings are dialed in perfectly, your game confidence goes way up. You start swinging harder/ yet freer, with more stick and accuracy than is possible with a normal string job.

[gzhpcu]

Federer hit an amazing number of backhand passing shots. He seems to be mishitting his backhand less as well.

[klacr]

Lots of people picked Lleyton Hewitt for an upset over Tomas Berdych. That didn't happen today as Berdych won 11 of the last 14 games. Strong performance to silence the critics. Shhhhhh!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Nishikori wins. He won the first two sets, than Andujar retired. Seems like there quite a lot of injuries at this US Open.

[klacr]

Nishikori wins. He won the first two sets, than Andujar retired. Seems like there quite a lot of injuries at this US Open.

The record in the US Open is 11.

After the first 4 days, there have already been 8 in the Men's Draw.

In other news, Simone Bolelli got robbed today. Up two sets to love, he played a point when there was an out call. He thought it was a linesperson but it was someone in the crowd. Umpire said to redo point, supervisor said it was Robredo's point. Bolelli lost 3rd set and then lost sets 4 and 5. Great effort from Robredo though. It was his 7th match he came back from a 0-2 deficit and becomes just the 7th man to to come back from two sets to love down in all 4 grand slams. (Federer, Becker, Kickstein, Verdasco, Noah, Nalbandian)

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton