2014 Rakuten Japan Open...ATP 500...Tokyo, Japan

[stroke]

I think D Young is playng/competing better than ever, but he still needs to get better, more fit, and fighting for every single point, battle of attrition. I think this trait is kinda what js missing in American tennis at the men's highest pro level.

[EdWeiss]

Liked that post!

I really liked what Don_Budge had to say in his post "What does it take...? What's it gonna take...Donald!"

[bottle]

Just What I Thought, Mr. Weiss

The good Peter Sellers film noire BEING THERE, mentioned by Steve, is from the novel of the same name that won the big prize and was written by the late Jerzy Kosinski, a strange little polo player as dark and swarthy as could be.

We reporters used to watch him coming and going from Honors College, Wesleyan, Middletown, Connecticut with a gorgeous blonde three times as tall and resembling Heidi Klum.

The folks that count-- masters of the literary universe-- mistakenly gave him their biggie for BEING THERE when he deserved it for THE PAINTED BIRD.

Same as Jeffrey Eugenides from Liggett School, Grosse Pointe. He got the biggie for MIDDLESEX, all about Detroit, when he should have gotten it for THE VIRGIN SUICIDES which was just about Grosse Pointe.

As for Ryan Harrison, I told him the girlfriend he needed but he wouldn't listen. She is Gauri Nanda, MIT graduate and former Michigander and inventor of Clocky the rolling alarm clock and though of Indian extraction a bit nevertheless like klacr's MY WOMAN FROM TOKYO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ScDz4Vj98

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gauri-nanda/3/88a/691

[gzhpcu]

Another great match for Nishikori! Benjamin Becker played excellent tennis and really gave him a run for his money. Nishikori plays a very attractive tennis and really hits incredible chop tennis stops...

[don_budge]

Set point...7-6 to Nishikori

Tiebreak in the first set...Milos Raonic serving at 5-6. He pounds it wide to the Nishikori...Nishikori lunges at first stretch and slicing a one hand backhand crosscourt to the service line and the sideline. Raonic pulled wide out of the court slices neatly down the line within several inches of the sideline. Like an extremely swift and mean cat Nishikori is on it and pulls a forehand crosscourt for a winner. Set to Nishikori...7-6.

A real existential test here for Raonic. How will he react? The inclination for the feint of heart is to pack it up and go home. Does he want to win or does he need to win? There is a huge difference.