Nasdaq-100
Key Biscayne
Tuesday, March 28
Ace salesman that he is, Cliff Drysdale never fails to call Key Biscayne, his hometown, “the island paradise.” He’s even been known to say it when he greets you on the phone—“This is Cliff calling from the island paradise…” It is a nice place, a flat strip of land with vegetation, recreation, and big beaches. But my stay this year was way too short, and the temperature never got out of the 70s. What’s the point of leaving New York in March if you can’t get a blast of heat?
So now I’m back in an office in Manhattan trying to decipher my notes from this weekend. Here’s what struck me as worth scribbling about.
Nasdaq Fans: Real
Compared to 2005, this weekend seemed a little subdued. A lot of big names went down early, and the outer courts didn’t yield any discoveries; last year that’s where I got my first glimpses of Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, and Ana Ivanovic live. But compared to the yuppie feeding-frenzy they call the U.S. Open, Crandon Park feels both like an international tennis party and a bastion for people who love the game.
Nalbandian: Not Buying It
David Nalbandian was one of many players this weekend to come up on the wrong side of a replay challenge. Not surprising, since no pro can be objective about any call. But Nalbandian still wasn’t sure he was wrong. When the replay showed that a ball he thought was out really was in, the always-testy Argentine gave it a long look of disgust and disbelief, as if he were talking to a chair umpire.
Roddick: In the Same Place
Roddick has played some solid tennis in Key Biscayne so far, but watching him live it’s easy to see that’s he’s playing from the same far-back position in the court as always. Roddick says he was a baseline grinder for much of his junior career, and he’s just comfortable back there. It must be so: His coaches keep changing, but he’s in the same spot.
Chilean Fans: Quiet
Chileans come out in flag-waving, soccer-chanting force wherever Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu play, and nowhere is that more true than in Miami. Saturday they had a banner afternoon, with Nico and Gonzo playing back-to-back on the intimate Grandstand court. But after nearly six hours and six brutal sets of tennis, the chanters must have wondered if they were doing their guys any good. Both lost heartbreakers after having chances to win.
Chinese Fan: Loud
Actually, it was just one Chinese man, but he was loud enough for everyone on Court 2 to hear. China’s Jie Zheng came back to beat Jill Craybas in three sets yesterday with the help of her No. 1 fan. With every shot Zheng hit, a guy in sunglasses in the top row of the bleachers stood, punched his fist forward, and grunted as if he were playing the match himself. It got to the point where the other people in the stands were watching him rather than the match. As Zheng hit a winner on the final ball, the guy screamed, lifted his arms over his head, and threw what looked like a candy wrapper up and over the wall behind him.
Tian Tian Sun: Not Conventionally Supportive
The doubles duo of Tian Tian Sun and Ting Li won Olympic gold together in 2004, but they must have a different way of pumping each other up than most good teams. In their match on Saturday, whenever Li missed a first serve, Sun would shake her head back and forth, seemingly in anger, as she whisked the ball away from the net. Not how they teach it in doubles camp, but they must be doing something right, because they won. Call them the 1977 New York Yankees of tennis, fighting all the way to the top.
Court 2: Eye-Opening
Every sports fan who doubts that tennis is a tough game should watch from the ground level next to Court 2 at Crandon Park. Here you get top players right in your face. The men’s matches that may come across as dull from far away or on TV are revealed to be fierce, territorial slugging sessions, where every inch of court positioning is fought for, and the tiniest mistake at the wrong time can mean the difference between winning and losing. Among the women, seeing the snap on Amelie Mauresmo’s backhand from this view was an eye-opener. It was also nice to see the No. 1 player in the world have no complaints about being shunted off to a side court. She just went out and won.
Tatiana Golovin: Nice Tan
Not only did she have the best skin of the weekend, she played her match against Dementieva in a white dress that looked party-ready. She was probably disappointed that she won. We’ll see how she does tomorrow against the tag team of Jie Zheng and her No. 1 fan.
The Press: Bad Eaters
Sportswriters have a (semi-deserved) reputation for being fat, bitter, cynical, slobs. A few days in a pressroom may not explain the cynicism—this is a job that entails watching sports, after all—but it does go a long way to understanding the extra pounds. Not only are we trapped for days away from any semblance of a home-cooked meal, there’s an endless supply of snacks and no room even to get down and do a few crunches (not that anyone contemplates doing this). The Spanish reporter next to me this weekend regularly came back to his desk at night with a meal consisting of a slice of rich chocolate cake and Gatorade.
Joe's Stone Crabs: Underwhelming
To get away from all that, I made my first visit to the South Beach legend Sunday night. The local crabs are nice, but you know a restaurant is too in love with itself when the waitress comes up mid-meal and, rather than asking how you're doing, gushes, "Isn't everything delicious?" What can you say, "No, it's overcooked"?
Enjoy the rest of the tournament. Next up on Tennis.com is everyone’s favorite pot-stirrer, Peter Bodo.