During the first two sets of the Federer-Djokovic semifinal, I was seated there right next to a family of five, including two small boys, all shouting "Ajde Nole!", and waving the Serbian flag at every opportunity. Federer, of course, had plenty of support around me too, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the sight of the young Serbian flag-wavers. Naturally they were after watching Djokovic take the second set. I didn't get the chance to see how they felt about the rest of the match, because at that stage, a public announcement was made, to the effect that the second semifinal would be played on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Right at that moment, a tide of supporters stampeded out of Ashe Stadium. I didn't need to ask where Armstrong Stadium was - I just followed everyone else. The seating policy was 'first come, first served', so whoever got there first would have the choice of the best seats. Naturally, many people were running. Weighed down with camera equipment, I couldn't do more than walk fast - not because it's impossible, but out of wariness that I might damage someone else on the way over. It was utterly chaotic. Security staff were yelling at people to slow down, but of course, not everyone paid attention.
Once inside, I located a seat that wasn't right at the front, but in one of my favourite camera viewing positions, in line with the net. Really, there was little need to panic on the way from one stadium to the other, because I doubt there are any bad seats on Armstrong Stadium. It's much more intimate than Ashe, and there were plenty of spaces left at the top, even after more people came in once the other semifinal was over. This used to be the central court at the US Open, before Arthur Ashe Stadium was built - though I learned from Jon Wertheim, later, that it had an extra tier of seats in those earlier days.
Much has already been said about the match between Nadal and Murray, so there's no need to revisit the details. Enough to say that I've added some new, unique shots to my collection of Nadal grimacing when things aren't going his way, and a small number of fist pumps when they were. During the third set, after Nadal had broken Murray, it began spitting with rain, and eventually, the match ground to a halt. Even though the rain had been forecast well ahead, the crowd weren't very sympathetic to the initial stoppage. The players sat on court for a while, in case the rain ceased, but it grew steadily heavier. On my way out, in spite of my trusty Roland Garros umbrella and a hooded coat, I was drenched, as the exits were jammed ahead of me.
I made my way over to the press center to greet Pete, and once inside, had the opportunity to briefly meet Tom Perrotta and Jon Wertheim. It's unfortunate that after being battered by the rain I must have looked like a complete wild woman - long hair, wind and rain definitely don't mix well. Even my shoes were wet through. I hope that TennisWorld's reputation survives unscathed in spite of it. And that today, on Ashe Stadium, remains as clear as it looks now.
As always, enjoy today's tennis.
