Tennis Anyone?

[Reds Freak]

Any tennis fans out there? The Western and Southern Tennis Masters Tournament is just heating up in Cincinnati. It's one fo the top tournaments in the world. I've just got into tennis the past few years and have really enjoyed it. It is pretty amazing to watch Federer, Nadal, Roddick, etc. play tennis up close. Federer has that Michael Jordan-like aura to him. Anybody else pay any attention to this or anyone attending?

[WMR]

Rem is a huge tennis fan, I know.

[Razor Shines]

I was a huge fan of Pete Sampras. Right now I wouldn't say that I'm a fan of Federer, but I enjoy watching him play. The things that he does are amazing. I always root for Roddick and I had hoped that Connors becoming his coach would turn things around for him, we'll see. I hope he does well in the Open.

I've been the RCA championships quite a few times over the years.

[remdog]

Rem is a huge tennis fan, I know.

'Tis true. Lucky for me my job involves working some tournaments. Just worked the Men's tourney at UCLA and the Women's tourney at Stanford last month. Then went (for my own enjoyment) to the Women's tourney at La Costa. I've also worked the Men's tourney in San Jose and Phoenix and the Women's in Phoenix as well as the year end Women's tourney when it was in LA.

Cincinnati is very lucky to have such a prestigious event as the W & S. I'm looking forward to the day when they run both the Men's tourney and Women's tourney at the same time. It will be one of the few tourneys like that outside of the Grand Slams. Quite a coup.

When I lived in Cincinnati I worked on the old Western Tournament (forerunner of the current event). It was played on har-true out by Coney Island and you had guys like Harold Solomon and Eddie Dibbs (the bagle twins) that hit big, looping balls in rallies of 30-50 shots in 90 degree temps with 90% humidity. Yikes. It was a very different game.

Bjorn Borg was always my favorite player but I think Federer might be the best I've ever seen. I expect him to pass Pete's Slam mark by the time he's done. Classy guy too.

Pete Samparas played World Team Tennis this summer for Newport Beach and, sad to say, the match I saw him play, guys that wouldn't have even been hitting partners with him in the old days were beating him and fairly easily. Every once in awhile you would see a flash of what was but not too often.

Rem

[Roy Tucker]

My daughter works at the Wild Oats organic grocery store just down the road from the Marriott where all the ATP tennis players are staying. She says many of them have been coming into the store to buy food. She says they are all the guys are good-looking, have foreign accents, and incredibly gorgeous girl friends.

My son is managing the Moe's SW Grill tent at the ATP. So if you're there, buy a burrito and say hi to Zach for me. He's been working 16 hr. days and I haven't seen him since Sunday.

[remdog]

My daughter works at the Wild Oats organic grocery store just down the road from the Marriott where all the ATP tennis players are staying. She says many of them have been coming into the store to buy food. She says they are all the guys are good-looking, have foreign accents, and incredibly gorgeous girl friends.

My son is managing the Moe's SW Grill tent at the ATP. So if you're there, buy a burrito and say hi to Zach for me. He's been working 16 hr. days and I haven't seen him since Sunday.

At the women's tournaments all the gals are good-looking, have foreign accents and have .....um, coaches. (Or, fathers!)

The hours working these things are veerrryy long. But we always sell more at tennis tournaments than golf tournaments (mostly because of the way play is staged). The only thing better about golf tournaments is that they don't play at night. (Of course, first tee-time can be 6:30 AM. Ugh!)

Rem

[Reds Freak]

Federer has really cruised so far in Cincinnati. He hasn't played particularly well but he has won pretty easily both matches. With the most of the top seeds losing early including Nadal and Roddick, there's no reason Federer shouldn't win the tournament.

Two guys that I have really enjoyed watching this week have been Marcos Baghdatis (who Federer beat yesterday) and James Blake. He hasn't played that well before Cincy and he has been injured some, but Blake is a guy that I am rooting for after reading parts of his new book out and after he played so well last night beating Juan Carlos Ferrero.