So, are y'all ready for the Open?
I'm more than ready. As I noted in last week’s post, while watching three different tournaments at the same time is certainly stimulating, it's also overwhelming. Just having the one tournament to focus on will be a relief. A bit ironic considering that one tournament is a Grand Slam!
Last year marked the first time I decided to keep ungodly hours to watch my favorites play in Melbourne. Sure, in years past, I'd follow the tournament results, but you wouldn’t find me waking up in the middle of the night to watch a match – but that's exactly what I did last year. I’d try to be in bed by 9:30 PM so I wouldn’t be a complete wreck at 2:30 AM, when the match would start. I’d force myself out of bed, bleary-eyed and freezing (nothing quite like Chicago winters), and prop myself in front of my television with a cup of green tea to quell the shivering. Or several cups, depending on the length of the match. Then, upon the match's conclusion, I’d take a "nap" before getting up once more and readying myself for work, around 7:30 AM. Certainly not the type of schedule one would advocate for the typical 9 to 5 worker!
Funny enough, though, my tennis viewing habits in general aren’t all that different from these AO ones.
So what does my viewing experience look like? Well, I’m usually alone (unless you count my Federbears!) and sitting as close as possible to either my computer or television – usually my computer, thanks to the shabby TV coverage here in the States. (NASCAR and poker 24/7, though!) I’m always in my most casual garb: If a match is taking place in the wee hours, I’m in my glasses, PJs, and a robe; otherwise, it's jeans or sweats.
I don’t usually eat when I’m watching because I’m too stressed out and/or preoccupied to even think about food. I’m big on drinking water or tea, though, and lots of it. I probably end up drinking as much as the players do! (As you all know, I’m a tee-totaler, but I’ve considered giving that up after many an agonizing match. I’ll let you know if I ever do.)
Of course, my viewing experience wouldn’t be complete without TW. It's always open, even when I’m not posting – or lurking, for that matter. Just having the day's Crisis Center or Your Call open is tantamount to snuggling a security blanket; it lets me know I’m not alone. Still, the times when I’m neither posting nor lurking are rare. They mostly come about when I'm watching a live stream of a TMF match. I’m so paranoid about missing a single point I don't dare click out of the match window ... I'll even stay with it during the changeovers. (Come on, watching your favorite eat his banana is riveting stuff!)
