Concrete Elbow by Steve Tignor - Notebook: "Come On!" Edition

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Notebook: "Come On!" Edition	09/06/2009 - 7:25 PM

I felt it way up on the roof of my mouth on Wednesday and knew I was doomed. It was an unpleasantly familiar sensation, a scratchy irritation that compelled me to stick my tongue up there and rub as hard as I could, as if that were going to relieve anything. There was no hope; a cold was on the way, and I knew that spending 10 hours a day in the press room at the U.S. Open, the least functional of all the Grand Slam press rooms, where the bathroom is tiny, the coffee machine is empty, and the water bottles are always disappearing, was not going to help. Short of a transatlantic flight, I couldn’t imagine a worse place to nurse a cold.

I moved sluggishly around the grounds until yesterday, hoping it would vanish as quickly and mysteriously as it had . But yesterday it struck full force and put me on the couch, which is where I stayed on Sunday. This is bad timing, obviously, but it’s not the disaster it might have been in previous years, when there was a good deal less coverage of the Open on TV. Between ESPN, CBS, and Tennis Channel, I’ve gotten to see as much, if not more, of the most relevant matches from this weekend. If I’d been at my desk typing, I almost certainly wouldn’t have made it out to the Dent-Navarro thriller on the Grandstand on Friday, and I would likely have been in transit back to Brooklyn right about the time that John Isner and Andy Roddick were beginning their fifth-set tiebreaker on Saturday. As It is, I caught them both, and I'm glad I did.

Of course, there’s the small matter of not being on-site, which has definite advantages for a blog. So I’ll mix it up today, with a salvage-job notebook that’s a little bit live and a little bit tube.

—Most improved on-air presence: Lindsay Davenport is in the studio on the Tennis Channel this year, and she appears more sure of herself than she has when I’ve seen her in the past. On Sunday, she brought her own experience in losing a tight, overtime Wimbledon final—to Venus Williams in 2005—to the table when talking about Andy Roddick. She said that no matter how well you feel, or how well you’re hitting the ball, it takes some time before a match like the one he lost to Roger Federer gets out of your system and stops affecting your outlook on the court.

—Best observations: He’s not the smoothest interviewer by any stretch, and he's too chatty during matches, but for detailed knowledge of today’s players, and the pros and cons of their games, Tennis Channel’s Justin Gimelstob is the go-to guy, more so than Brad Gilbert and Darren Cahill on ESPN. In the first-set tiebreaker between Isner and Roddick, Gimel started by saying that Isner has an outstanding record in breakers—I think he’s now won 17 of his last 19—because he gets so many free points on his serve while at the same time getting so many returns in play because of his long wing span. This proved prescient a few minutes later, when Isner steamrolled Roddick in the first breaker, and again when he won a fifth-set tiebreaker a few hours later by winning six points on his serve and sneaking a passing shot past Andy for the lone mini-break. It's a simple matter of math that favors Isner in these situations, Gimelstob said—more free points for him means less margin for error for his opponent. It makes me think Isner’s run at the Open isn’t over.

—Jimmy Connors on Tennis Channel: Who would have thought the once-bloodthirsty Jimbo would be so deferential to Martina Navratilova?

—What are the perks of being a reporter at the U.S. Open? You get hit up for tickets you can’t possibly provide, and you get to eat $12 corned beef sandwiches for nothing. More fun, though, is receiving an invitation to the USTA’s President’s Box for one session each year. This is located directly in front of the TV broadcast booths on the south end of Ashe Stadium. I could get used to a civilized evening of tennis there. You eat dinner and dessert in the dining room, with a waiter brining wine, you talk tennis with the international cast of muckety-mucks at your table—last year a woman from France who is involved with the ITF cheerfully referred to herself as a “frog”—and then you walk down to the best seats in the house. The cast of characters on any given night can seem like a future edition of a reality game show: Last Wednesday, when I was there, New York politician Sheldon Silver was a rows ahead of me, Rihanna was behind me and to my right, rooting vociferously for Serena Williams, and Star Jones was by herself for a long stretch on the other side. I ask you: Is a celebrity sitting alone in public still a celebrity? After years of being in the nosebleeds or in the press seats to the side of the court, I always get the feeling when I’m here that the entire event has been orchestrated for the pleasure of the people in this box.

But my favorite part of the Prez Box experience is seeing the vintage framed photographs that line its walls. These black and white shots, many owned by the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, display the sport at its most historically elegant. There are shots of Maurice McLoughlin, the California Comet, raring back for his famous serve, and the aristocratic, white-sweatered Sidney Wood extending his body halfway across the court after a backhand volley. My favorite photo, though, is from the 1930 ATA Championships in Georgia. The ATA was the African-American version of the USTA, when that organization was whites-only (the color barrier was broken by Althea Gibson in 1950). In the photo, four black men—two doubles teams—pose handsomely at the end of a day of tennis. They each carry two uncovered wooden racquets and are dressed even more elegantly, in cardigans, overcoats, cream slacks, and Jack Purcell-style sneakers, than their white counterparts of that era. I always ask myself: Who were these impressive-looking men who have been lost to tennis history? This time I’m going to try to find out.

—The first week offered reporters two must-see press conferences: Andre Agassi’s, after his brief return, and Marat Safin’s, after his farewell first-round loss. To see and hear Agassi from close range talk about all the thought that went into his foundation over the years and expound on his life philosophy with such keen and infectious energy is to realize what a powerful intelligence Agassi owns. Andre’s father says he’s the smartest person he’s ever met, and John McEnroe has said something similar.

What did Safin’s presser reveal to us about this seemingly tortured man? His voice a little higher than I remember it, he was resigned but upbeat, happy about his career and the timing of his exit, but unsure about what the future held—“I think good times are ahead,” he said with something that sounded like optimism. Safin, it’s clear now, wasn’t made for the spotlight. He didn’t grow and flourish under it, the way Agassi did; he never even learned to tolerate it the way Pete Sampras did. The attention seemed unnatural to him. He wondered what the fuss was about, he was just another person, after all. In this way, Safin seems less like a self-destructive wild man than he does a typical person. He was just more honest than most jocks about his own relative unimportance in the world. He had too little ego for a champion. Maybe this explains so much of his appeal: More than with most star athletes, we could see our own flaws and shortcomings in Marat.

—We’ve talked about Federer’s friendly intimidation of potential challengers, the way his presence can make other players shy away from giving their fiercest effort. I felt like the same was true of Nicolas Almagro against Rafael Nadal today. Almagro controlled most of the rallies but still played just well enough to lose three close sets. When he got a break, he couldn’t handle it. Watching him double-fault on a break point in the third set, I thought that sometimes it’s not the things you do on a tennis court that win you matches, but the things you don’t do. Serving for the match, one thing was virtually guaranteed: Nadal wouldn’t double fault to throw the game away.

—It seems like old times watching the Open on TV on Labor Day weekend. As a kid, I would have it on in the living room while a friend and I would go out and throw a football back and forth down the street. We’d come back in and watch a no-name like Eric Korita challenge a seed and thrill the crowd before falling in four sets, just like Jesse Witten did this weekend. If Wimbledon appeared historic on TV, the Open always radiated tension—it was kill or be killed, with no niceties about it. Over the last decade, that’s been especially true on the women’s side; the Williams sisters have been a polarizing force among tennis fans, even U.S. tennis fans, and their matches elicit strong emotions. So it felt like déjà vu today to sit in the living room, see the late afternoon sun at Flushing Meadows, and feel the tension in the stadium as Kim Clijsters tried to finish off the third set against Venus. I enjoyed seeing Kim today. Her reactions are always very human and transparent, without being histrionic. I also got the sense that the old mom has been influenced by the new generation. That “come on!” she brought out after key points didn't sound anything like her old fiance Lleyton Hewitt's; it sounded suspiciously like Melanie Oudin's.

Speaking of old meeting new, I’m typing this as Taylor Dent is getting set to continue his throwback run against Andy Murray. Can the serve and volley survive a state-of-the-art return like Murray’s in the future? We'll know a little more after tonight.

Have a good Labor Day. I should be back at work myself.

30
Comments

Posted by Andrew

09/06/2009 at 07:44 PM

Steve: I posted this about an hour or so ago on Pete's blog. Seems like we have the same thought about the Williams sisters' impact on fans:

I think the Williams sisters do polarize people more than just about any other players in the sport. I think a lot of fans (me included) rooted hard for them on their way up, for the breakthrough they represented. Many of the finals they played in the early part of the decade fizzled, but a lot of time has passed since then.

I personally still admire their athleticism and competitiveness, but technically neither player plays attractively (to me). Then there's the hollering, some of which crosses (for me) the borderline between exertion and intimidation (I think the same is true about Sharapova). So they're not my cup of tea.

I would think a fair number of people in the crowd today had already made up their minds about Venus Williams - many more than would know (or care) about Kim Clijsters being a mom.

Posted by pollypurebred	09/06/2009 at 07:52 PM
Only another male would think Gimelstob has anything of value to offer. This guy used up his three strikes denigrating various women long ago, and should be wearing a shirt that says "Hire Me." Give me Cahill and Gilbert any day.

Posted by reckoner	09/06/2009 at 07:57 PM
secondi

Posted by reckoner	09/06/2009 at 07:57 PM
i mean 3rd

Posted by tennis lover

09/06/2009 at 08:37 PM

I second "pollypurebred"'s post. I'm so disappointed with Steve's praise of Gimmelstob as a commentator. He talks too much, but can't stay impartial as a reporter. He always drops names and thinks he's Roddick's best friend. He has no respect for women, yet we're supposed to listen to him pontificate about women players. What a royal jerk!! The only reason why Gimmelstob is employed is because men hire him. Yes, give me Killer and BG any day!!

Posted by Paula V.

09/06/2009 at 09:03 PM

Good to know I'm not the only one nursing a cold. Unfortunately, I had to tough it out in the USO media center, making multiple trips to the dining hall for tea.

Feel better.

Paula V.

Posted by great gams	09/06/2009 at 09:05 PM
it's shocking to me that Gimmel-slob is still commentating. while i find BG annoying -- love Cahill -- i'd take him over the blathering, incoherent misogynist any day.....

Posted by Corrie (will the "undead Scottish lord" do the job?

09/06/2009 at 11:38 PM

I agree with Andrew's comments on the Williams sister, especially the "hollering" and the fact that I never found their games very attractive. I always supported a David with a lot of court craft, like Martina Hingis, against their powerful Goliaths, especially if she had to play first one then the other.

And then there's Serana's ungraciousness when she loses, which is strange, because her mum seems to be the exact opposite.

On the other hand there's precious few other great and interesting players in the women to support. Maybe Kim's comeback, and with a bit of luck, Justine's, will change all that. Kim's win against Venus was pretty darn good.

Posted by Nikki Dai	09/07/2009 at 12:07 AM
The US Open crowd has embraced rude people like Andy Roddick who intimidates younger players, example Aussie Open with Tsonga and he berates line judges, umpires to the point of it being abuse yet the Williams sisters are polarizing because they 'holler'? Give me a break with the lame excuses.

Posted by Max	09/07/2009 at 01:50 AM
Killer Cahill & Brad Gilbert > Justin STFUstob

Posted by jewell - Make tea, not war.

09/07/2009 at 02:21 AM

Hi, everyone. :)

Reading Murray match comments on TW, apparently Gimelstob came out with "Andy Murray - the Pride of England!" I sort of hope he was joking, because otherwise I can't see him as the go-to man for info about today's *male* players, let alone the women.

I like Lindsay Davenport's thoughts on Roddick too.

Hope your cold is better, Steve. :)

Posted by Fifimarie, La La Land

09/07/2009 at 03:00 AM

Great column, Steve. Seems like most people responded to your thoughts on the William sisters. I've liked 'em and not liked 'em at times. Venus is the more gracious one but I think Serena is trying to follow in her footsteps more. Usually though, arrogant athletes are very popular or is it because she's a woman? A black woman? I wonder. Venus and Serena grunts don't bother me like Sharpy's do! I try to avoid Maria because of that. I've heard that guys will watch her w/the mute on but that doesn't do anything for me. heh heh Besides, I tend to listen to tennis more than watch, unless Nadal is playing!!! I used to hate Gimmelpoop but I have to admit he's improved since I first listened to his drivel on fox sports at IW in March '08. Some exec has told him to stop w/the ridiculous adjectives he used to use & he was always screaming, whatever he said. He's calmed down quite a bit and like you said, actually has interesting observations about the match. BUT he still needs help w/his on-court interviews. I loved it when Tommy Robredo reminded him that most players have a losing record against Fed (after Gimmelpoop asked him about his dismal record against him & what he hoped to do differently when he plays him next). Gimmelpoop's tweets are hilarious as well, that helped me soften on him too. Might as well not hate him, he ain't goin' anywhere. And your comment about Jimbo Connors-- perfect. Never been a big fan of his but I actually like his commentary, who knew? I shouldn't have been surprised. I love Johnny Mac's commentary, too, and yet I couldn't stand him when he was a player. Jimbo & Mac were both a-holes. I wonder if I would've liked 'em better had hawkeye been around in their day..??
Hope you get another chance in the Prez box soon!

Posted by GD

09/07/2009 at 08:37 AM

Jimmy Connors could be the worst announcer
I have ever heard. Not just in tennis...in any sport.

The word "horrid" comes to mind. GD

Posted by princepro110

09/07/2009 at 08:42 AM

Steve:

Again great article on this years event.

TV Coverage:

Shriver: most improved after years of boring coverage....always wondered how she first got the TV gig.

Navratilova: ...she should be prime time on a major network but her lifestyle and delivery ha kept her back. She has more insight to the inner game and funny .....but the accent and rough edges don't make for "fun TV"! How sad.

Connors: my hero but is boring so far in the booth....lets give him 8 years like Shriver to polish his act.

Mac & Mac: love to hear your opinion about the two in the booth but I think they don't come off that great together which is understandable. Break them up and they are better!

Gilbert: love his expressions....."bring on the gas"...."take it down main street"....plus his insights you don't get from the rest of the talking heads including Mac & Mac!

Michael Barkann.......where are you?

LOCAL PAPER COVERAGE:

NY Times.........coverage before & during has been second to none! Today they have two pages and have most of the entire first week. The Bryan bros article in the Sunday magazine last Sunday was first class. They have had great insight articles also like today on how players choose what balls to serve..............I did not know the women use a regular duty(clay court ball) and the men use the extra duty ball. QUESTION?.........WHAT BALL DO THEY USE FOR MIXED AT THE OPEN??

Posted by TennisFan2 (vamos flying under radar)

09/07/2009 at 09:38 AM

Steve, I always look forward to your articles and find you offer great insight into the players and matches but this time I just can't rally behind your support for Gimelstob. He's awful. He may be a great guy in the men's locker room but that personality does not work on television - especially for tennis where you will find as many female fans as male watching the broadcasts. He's grating at the least and nonsensical at best.

Martina on the other hand has been a teriffic addition to the booth. My husband and I both love listening to her match comments - especially yesterday during Panetta/Zevonereva. She provides loads of interesting information and insight into match play and players' psyche.

I enjoy Darren Cahill and wish he'd get a bit more air time during the matches and I love Johnny Mac as the "color" guy. Even Brad Gilbert has come along with his goofy but interesting insight.

I would love to see Andre Agassi get some time in the booth. He'd be a pleasure to watch and listen to. :-)

Posted by Philip

09/07/2009 at 09:49 AM

I liked your comments about Marat Safin. Having been friends with many Russians since just before the fall of the Soviet Union, I have witnessed a deep sense of comradery among people rather than a need for individuality or for standing out above others. Makes you wonder about Safina's struggle with the number 1 ranking and the 'star' factor associated with it, something that Serena seems to feel entitled to, which is probably why she isn't that endeared by the other players -that is what I sense, anyway.

Posted by princepro110

09/07/2009 at 10:01 AM

USTA Website:

Who is this guy Matt Cronin who does the daily picks for the USTA site. He has got a great batting average is at best .500 which is great in baseball but brutal on making picks. He got the obvious ones right yesterday in Nadal & Murray winning but.............Venus Williams over Clijsters & picking Berdych over Gonzalez "you can't be serious"!!

Andre Agassi in the both for the first set last Monday gave me more insight into the real inside game that I never heard from our other talking heads! His commentary about playing with in wind and reading serves from the toss was outstanding. He was great!! I think he will be in the booth sooner than later as his kids get older. What an intelligent guy!

Steve.....since you play your tennis in this area.....why in the world would the city of New York put some hard courts down with only single lines painted????? We played yesterday on the courts along the Hudson River off Houston Street that were set up this way?????????????????? It was most likely a guy working for Rudy when he was Mayor who despised tennis!

Posted by jonepstein	09/07/2009 at 11:33 AM
i really like what the tennis channel has done with martina nav and jimmy connors together in the commentating booth. two of the best ever together is like a match made in tennis heaven.

Posted by Ade

09/07/2009 at 12:18 PM

I've always liked Andre, never loved the guy, but have a deep respect for what he does for children. Thought I was liking him more except for one comment he made about Nadal and Federer while throwing in his comments the other night. He said if Nadal wins the USOPEN, then questions will start forming concerning Roger being the GOAT. Like as if Nadal can win 8 more slams easily. Realistically, I think that would be some tall order for someone with such a physical game.

Agassi may be intelligent, but apparently he must have forgotten the number 15 in his theory.

Connors also probably lost a lot of fans (particulary Fedfans) when he remarked yesterday about "any conversations of a GOAT "is ridiculous because in the "old days" they trained differently? What?
I guess he forgot the number 15 also, and apparently is confused reading the stats about the records Federer has broken. I think he made a big mistake saying that on national TV.

Like Connors, I did enjoy the Panetta, Vera match yesterday as it was refreshing to see 2 players just play. Quickly.

Lindsay is a great commentator, very real, smart, and friendly. Love her new role.

I like Venus (100 times better than her sister) and felt for her loss but it's good to see a strong competitor back who can challenge the sisters. Kim is another quick player and never bores us with rituals taking forever between points.

Posted by manuelsantanafan

09/07/2009 at 04:44 PM

Fed's 15 majors is not dispositive to the GOAT discussion in light of the fact that players like tennis legends Rosewall, Laver, and Pancho Gonzales were not allowed to enter the majors for many years (over 30 years for the three of them combined).

BTW, I doubt that Connors cares what "Fedfans" think of him, especially those "Fedfans" who come up with lame GOAT arguments.

Posted by Gavin

09/07/2009 at 05:21 PM

Steve - excellent post, como sempre.

Do you know if it's possible to get a copy of the ATA photo? I'd love to get one.

Thanks!

Posted by Tim (2009 Year of Red Rogie )

09/07/2009 at 06:13 PM

proof that chip and charge serve and voley tennis is extinct, dent vs. murray...

feddie knows of what he speaks u just cant do it anymore full time, its pick and choose at best, but the racquets and strings now allow anyone to pass and return from 20 feet behind the baseline, so... stay back and work the point, or die

Posted by Marshall1	09/08/2009 at 01:21 AM
yeah, i do think Almagro has too much respect for Nadal....lol he will be up and then thinks he probably doesn't deserve it and loses it right away he need a head coach, add some confidence....then uses his weapon, then he could easily wipe away nadal

Posted by barry (not Barry)	09/08/2009 at 07:23 AM
anyone notice Roger Fed utilizing his free match time against Tommy Robredo to prepare for Murray, JMDP, or Rafa? Served and volleyed a few inconsequential points, practice and a preview for his final round match?

Posted by kingtime

09/08/2009 at 07:24 AM

Those last 2 sets Federer played yesterday against #14 Robredo were very high level and almost unbeatable, and they remind me of Cincinnati semis and finals 2 - 3 weeks ago and the US Opens of years past when he blew out other top players late in the tournament. My point is if he plays like that, if he is fit, healthy, focused, determined and well rested, he will win career US Open title #6 and career Grand Slam title #16 by beating Djokovic in the semis again and either Murray in the finals again or Nadal, Del Potro or even Tsonga in the finals for the first time in the US Open.
If Federer plays his game forcing his terms and is fit, healthy, determined, focused and well rested, it's his title for the taking again and his title to win again.

Posted by Lynne (Rafalite)

09/08/2009 at 11:43 AM

My dream team of commentators would be Connors,Courier and Lindsay, with Andre thrown in whenever he can do it!

Gimelstob is an absolute nightmare, I don't know why they keep him on!

Posted by Aussiemarg aka Madame President Its Time To Rock and Roll,US Open

09/08/2009 at 01:01 PM

Thanks Steve.gee what a bummer to catch a cold,maybe the change in seasons.

Well reading your posts makes me jealous for one.I would have loved to be in the room for Marats interview.Dam.

Always interesting to hear the many great former players now commentating.With their own brand of thoughts and personal feelings having played at Grand Slam level.

Dont forget to keep up the liquids with your cold.Hey I dont mean the alchol variety either lol.!

Posted by kchowcrazy - Get Your 12th ReRe!!!	09/08/2009 at 01:02 PM
Have only seen a bit of the american commentary when im watching a stream (i'm in the uk) but pam shriver (?) is so annoying it is unbelievable!

Posted by Jim	09/08/2009 at 02:30 PM
If Twitter isn't paying Gimelstob to plug its service, I'll eat my hat. He mentions it CONSTANTLY, even in his post-match interview of Andy Murray.

Posted by cmac	09/08/2009 at 02:52 PM
Oh please, Gimelstob is an embarrassment. The way he always looks at the camera is hilarious.

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The Man Who Won't Be King >>

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