Best Tennis Match Ever

Today, I just saw the BEST tennis match I have ever seen! Ever!

Congratulations to Rafael NADAL for winning Wimbledon 2008! I think he deserved to win even if I was rooting for Roger FEDERER the whole time. Both played amazingly near-perfect tennis for the whole duration of the match, which could possibly be the best tennis match of ALL time!

Roger had the better serve and arguably the better forehand. Nadal had better groundstrokes and was visibly more consistent. Surprisingly, Rafa looked more of a complete player as Roger's weakness, his backhand, was very evident especially in the first two sets. Rafa took advantage of this by serving almost exclusively to Roger's backhand, like he always does even at the French Open.

In the end, the player with the better groundstrokes won.

By the way, thanks to NHK for allowing me to see this amazing game in High-Definition Digital Broadcast! It was well worth it!

10 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81

That's how I lost in today's tournament. Final Score: 81.

I don't feel bad though.

I gave it my best. My first serves were fine. My forehand was accurate. My backhand slice was ok. It just so happens he is better than me. Maybe a lot better than me.

On to the next tournament!

Saturday Is The Day

Saturday is the day I make my singles tennis tournament debut. I've put on a new outer grip, got me the company tennis shirt and replaced my strings - I'm all set.

Can't wait. Can't sleep.

I just hope I don't lose 8-0 in my first match.

61 63 60

That's the score I saw this morning when I checked to see if Federer finally defeated Nadal at the French Open.

Sadness.

I feel for Federer. He has never lost like this before. This is the person I look up to. This is the person I try to emulate in my tennis. This is the person who I believe is the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen.

How could he have lost with such a demoralizing score line?!! Seeing him lose like this is like seeing Lex Luther bombard Superman with kryptonite bullets. It's disheartening!

I hope this defeat only makes him a better player. I hope he succeeds in his defense of his Wimbledon crown this year.

I hope.

Roland Garros Live

Don't have Wowow channel to watch the French Open?

Try this.

This is what I'm using to watch the men's semifinals and hopefully the finals as well.

Singles Game and Strings

Today, I fought a set against one of the other players from the office tennis club.

I was feeling good and immediately went up 5-1. And then shit happened -- my first serve stopped working! My backhand slice started missing the lines! He started playing better.

Slowly, he inched his way up 2-5... 3-5... 4-5 and before I knew it, he was leading 6-5! At that moment, I thought I knew how Roger Federer felt during the first set of that encounter against Rafael Nadal during the 2008 Hamburg Masters. It didn't feel good at all.

My turn to serve.

Five minutes remaining before our court reservation ends. I needed to win this game to at least end in a tie. How could I have lost the last 5 games! What happened to my first serve! Why am I serving to stay in the set when I was already leading 5-1!

Time's up. It's a tie 6-6.

Whew!

By the way, I was looking at my strings during the game and it's just shouting "Replace me! Replace me!". I'm visiting Victoria in Jimbocho this Tuesday to have them replaced.



You can see the main strings (Wilson Natural Gut) is just screaming to be replaced. I got these just three months ago! Natural guts are so not durable. In comparison, the cross strings (Luxilon Big Banger) still looks new.

Month of Firsts

June is going to be a month of firsts.

It's the first time my company is joining the Dunlop-sponsored Tokyo Worker's Tennis Tournament (ダンロップ社会人テニス選手権). It's the first time I'll be joining a tennis tournament in Tokyo. It's the first time I'll be joining a singles competition.

Bring it on!