By now, many of you know about my love for tennis. However, what you may not be aware of is that I am also quite fond of something even more arcane – road signs. Whether it be the red, white, and blue badge of an Interstate, a U.S. Highway sign that resembles the crest of a European football club, or a common, yet elegant state route sign, there is something about the design of these symbols that piques my interest.
During my five-hour pilgrimage up to Stowe, Vermont for this weekend’s Fed Cup semifinal between the United States and Russia, I saw plenty of these road markers on the various highways that I traveled. So, before I delve into all things tennis, I thought I would share with you some of the more interesting encounters and observations on my journey up north:
Interstate 90 – Only minutes into my trip, I discover that I do not have an atlas on hand. While I printed out directions, I am almost positive that cell phone service would be spotty in Vermont (which I later find to be true), and if I veered off path significantly, it could prove troublesome. I dash into a New York State Thruway rest stop, and promptly run into a friend from college who I haven’t seen in nearly two years.
U.S. Highway 4 – Approaching the Vermont border, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach – hunger. There aren’t many options on these roads, but I still think twice when I spot the golden arches of McDonald’s (I loathe their food). While deliberating, I see a sign: “We have Wi-Fi”. Eager to test my laptop’s networking capabilities, I decide that McD’s it is. The good news was that the Big Mac was tasty. The bad news was that the Wi-Fi was not complimentary.
Vermont Routes 100 & 107 – In addition to my dinner, U.S. Highway 4 also supplied an up-close view to some beautiful forestry and mountainous areas. These state routes did as well, but it came with a price. Sharp turns and narrow paths made for a hair-raising experience at times, and I’m quite glad I navigated through these roads before the fall of night. I’m not looking forward to this portion of the trip on the way back.
Interstate 89 – I’ve never been more relieved to be on a major highway in my life, and in celebration, I’m sure I neared 89 mph on the odometer. Also, bonus points for the bilingual road signs once I neared Montpelier (Quebec is only a few kilometers away).
Despite the considerable distance, the ride was actually quite enjoyable for the most part. I’m very excited to be in Vermont for this tie, not only because it’s my maiden voyage into the world of on-site journalism, but also because I simply want to see some great live tennis. I think that I can safely speak for the town of Stowe’s excitement as well, which has rolled out the red carpet to host this event. When the original supply of tickets sold out in short order, the Topnotch Resort expanded their stadium capacity to hold an additional 1,000 fans. It’s also noteworthy to keep in mind that this stadium was built specifically for the event.
This royal treatment is not as much of a surprise when you consider that Stowe (population 4,330 per 2000 census) is, for lack of a better word, tennis-mad. There are 360 tennis courts in town, or one for every 11 people. Stowe’s boys’ tennis team has won four straight state titles, and the girls’ have won eleven out of the last twelve. A full 25% of the student body is on the tennis team. Add it all up and you have an ideal location to host an event like this Fed Cup tie, even if it doesn’t appear to at first glance. As they always say, never judge a book by its cover.
As mentioned, I’m thoroughly looking forward to Saturday and Sunday. But there may be someone who was actually more excited about this weekend than I am – Meilen Tu, who was called up to replace Serena Williams on the U.S. Fed Cup team after she withdrew earlier this week. Tu, a 29-year old who has never before played in the Fed Cup, had some choice words about U.S. captain Zina Garrison after she wasn’t even contacted by Garrison before the team was selected:
“I’m a little bit disappointed in that I never even met her…I think its part of her job representing women’s tennis, representing the Fed Cup, that she come up and talk to all the American players.”
When the draw was released on Friday, there was no sight of Tu’s name – Venus Williams will play singles twice, Lisa Raymond will compete in the doubles, and Vania King will have triple duty (two singles & doubles). Whether Tu’s comments had anything to do with the decision is unclear, but when asked about playing Vania King ahead of Tu, Garrison said:
“I didn’t necessarily want to put Meilen in, kind of come in and you have to go a hundred miles an hour. Meilen is great. We had a great talk. She was really good. She said, Hey, whatever it takes for the team. That’s what you need: that type of team member.”
If I had to guess, I’d think that Tu was biting her tongue in that meeting with Garrison. I believe that Tu got the short end on this one, especially when you compare her play this year to that of King’s results. Tu is ranked 41st in singles play, compared to the 84th place held by King. Digging deeper into their recent play, I found that Tu’s play on tour has been much more consistent, with only two first round defeats to her name in the sixteen tournaments she’s entered. King, on the other hand, has a staggering seven exits in the first round of tournaments (fifteen entered).
The deciding factor in this seems to have been Vania’s prior experience in Fed Cup play – she has five matches under her belt, including two wins this year against Belgium (one being in a dead rubber). Still, I think that with the more dependable play in recent months, coupled with the clear desire to represent her country in Fed Cup, Tu should have been more heavily considered in the final draw. I feel for Meilen this weekend – she came to Stowe, chasing her dream. Sort of like me. We’re two (Tu?) in the same.
I’ll be back with another update after Saturday’s rubbers have concluded. This will be the traditional Crisis Center post for Saturday's tennis action (including the three ATP Tour events). For off-topic comments, please direct yourself to the older OT posts.
- Ed McGrogan