Stormy Weather ... and TENNIS

Rainshowers have returned ... the slow drizzily kind that will soak into the soil (hopefully). The flat of pansies await planting still since the soil was too saturated to plant them after the series of 3 storms just passed.

Click images to embiggen
for better viewing of the seagull in flight ...

It's been hard to watch a series of tennis upsets for the Americans ... Andy Roddick lost a 5 setter to Marin Cilic (hope his shoulder injury isn't serious) and Venus Williams (after taking the first set 6-2 and getting a 5-3 lead on Li Na in the second) somehow dropped the match at 6-7, 5-7 ... unexplicably. Perhaps Tuesday's 3-set Doubles Match took more out of BOTH sisters than met the eye? They've not had a 'day of rest' since the tournament started.

To give Marin Cilic and Li Na their due, both played aggressively in their matches ... and deserved the wins.

Sad to see Safina & Nadal retire from their matches due to injury. Hope it's nothing serious enough to keep them off the courts in the future.

Amazing to see two Chinese players make it the the 'Quarters' ... a first for China!

This morning I'm watching my DVR recording of last night's match between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka ... can't believe how Serena's struggling ... dropping serve 3 times in this first set (after not dropping a serve in any of her previous singles matches)
... making 25 unforced errors ... failing to capitalize on numerous 'break' opportunities on Azarenka's serve ... losing the first set 4-6 ... dropping her first two service games in the second set. Simply stunning!

Victoria Azarenka has played with confidence from the start. Watching Serena drop two service games in the second set made things seem hopeless as Azarenka held for a 4-0 lead ... but Serena has clawed her way back to 3-4 (breaking back once & holding twice) then breaking again to level the set at 4 all ... holding serve for a 5-4 lead giving her a chance to break for the win and the opportunity to serve first in the 3rd set.

To her credit, Azarenka holds for 5 all ... but Serena holds for a 6-5 lead and another chance to break for the win & serve first in the 3rd set. She's making the same kind of come back that Li Na did against Venus in the previous match ... kind of fun to watch, though still worrisome until Serena actually wins the second set taking the match to a 3rd set.

Azarenka holds for the tiebreak at 6-6 that Serena wins (7-4) to even the match ... so there will be a 3rd set. I hope it's a competitive one from both players because that's the best kind of tennis to watch! I'm a bit concerned about Serena's health because she looked (and sounded) in pain earlier and didn't show much emotion when she closed out the second set. I guess I'll see what happens.

Both players have left the court so I'm going to finish & publish this before Mozilla crashes on me ... get a cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of the match. I know it's already been decided while I slept, but watching on the DVR makes it current for me so please don't tell me who wins when you stop by to comment.

I don't play tennis myself any longer, but I do love watching the major tournaments on television. I suspect Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko weren't thrilled having to wait a while longer to begin their match last night (yesterday in Australia). I'll be watching it next & don't want to know the outcome of it either ;-)

Photos from the 2010 Australian Open website

12pm addendum

How amazing is Serena to come back like that ... winning 13 of the last 17 games ... playing a clean 3rd set (18 winners, 3 errors) & winning the match 4-6, 7-6, and 6-2? Hard to imagine ... but this was Azarenka's first Quarter Final and Serena's made similar comebacks before in 'majors' ... and she's a fighter for sure.

Photos from the 2010 Australian Open website

The Davydenko-Federer match after was really something too! Methinks Roger owes a debt of gratitude to the Williams sisters for delaying the start time so that much of the match was played in the shade because as the temperatures dropped, so did the play of Nikolay Davydenko who ran over Roger Federer for a set and a half when things turned. Methinks the difference shows up best in the number of breaks ... Davydenko converted 5 of 19 chances while Federer converted 8 of 14 opportunities.

Photos from the 2010 Australian Open website

I've taken Molly for a walk and am hoping the computer will let me visit some blogs (without crashing) now ... after which I plan to watch my DVR recording of the Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Novak Djokovic match so I can delete it before I leave for class this evening. It could be highly competitive since these two played for the Championship in 2009.

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Hope YOU have a delightful day ;-)

Thought for Today
"How can something bother you if you won't let it?"
the Quote Garden