Matt Zemek – @mzemek – in another thorough piece, examines Cilic's coping with expectations and unpacks the underlying causes/consequences of his loss.On @accent_tennis#AccentSW19#Wimbledon https://t.co/6nrXwyHtrY — Mert Ertunga (@MertovsTDesk) July 5, 2018 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Time to give credit where credit is due. My piece on the type of (often overlooked) player that I admire the most. Including…
Category: Tennis
Is Tennis Dying in the US? Part 2 – Prognosis Negative
Note – On one hand, this column is quite anecdotal. On the other, there are a lot of wrecked public tennis courts across this country. This sign should read “Courts Are for Tennis Play and the Cultivation of Plants that can Crack Decoturf II Only” Klondike Park is attached to Klondike Lane Elementary School in…
A Real Dispute About Tennis by Two Philosophers
Chang lost the point but won the match in part by “pushing” during certain points Philosophical Divide A friend of mine named David who has his doctorate in philosophy relayed to me a story about a dispute that broke out after he played tennis with a friend who also has a doctorate in philosophy. David…
Strokes of Genius Documentary Airs on July 1st
While I consider Novak Djokovic’s 5 set 2012 Australian Open final victory over Rafael Nadal to be the greatest match ever played (to this point?), this should be an interesting documentary.
Is Tennis Dying in the US? Part 1
A couple of weeks ago, a strong junior player asked me, “Don’t you think tennis is a dying sport in the US?” My first reaction was to think no followed by I hope not. I didn’t vocalize either of those views though. I tried to think about things as this is a complicated question. …
Food for Thought on Nadal’s Grand Slam Haul
Howard Bryant of ESPN pointed out after the 2017 US Open that those dismissing Nadal as only a threat on clay are wrong due to Rafa having as many non-clay majors as Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. 11 Roland Garros Titles = Borg + Wilander + Courier’s Haul or 11 Roland Garros Titles = Borg…
French Open Memories: 1991
I already wrote about the 4-year Courier-Agassi Wars of 1989-1992. There was another memorable clash of US players in 1991. Jimmy Connors took on 1989 Roland Garros champion Michael Chang. On paper, this didn’t look like much of a match. Jimmy Connors did win the 1976 US Open on Har-Tru/green clay, but it was 1991…
3rd Season: St. Xavier Sweeps Kentucky’s State Titles – Part 2: Good Memories Made
At the level of ethnography, tennis tournaments are always interesting. Tennis is obviously being played, but a lot of other things are going on as well. This was especially true at the high school level. Happy Reunions First, I seem to bump into people I know at any tennis tournament I attend. This is true…
3rd Season: St. Xavier Sweeps Kentucky’s State Titles – Part 1 Match Impressions
I will look at last weekend’s 2018 Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tennis championships from the perspective of an observer/coach and from the perspective of ethnography. Match Impressions – Singles and Doubles Semifinal Rounds Saint Xavier and Manual High School dueled in their regional contest and entered the final day of the state tennis…
Roland Garros 2018: Men’s Thoughts
Not shockingly, I think the top tier of contenders for the 2018 Roland Garros crown is occupied by a lone individual. Here are my tiers of interest for the second Grand Slam event of 2018: Tier 1 – Rafa Rafael Nadal is ranked #1, the defending champion, a 10-time champion (!), and won Monte Carlo,…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 