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meteordustThe only sport I have ever followed is tennis.
I used to watch it devotedly, back when Rafter was top of the Aussies and Philippoussis still seemed like he might make it big and the Woodies were the doubles champions of the world and Hewitt was this amazing kid who you knew was going to go far.
The highlight of those days, for me, was the Australian Davis Cup campaign of 1999. Oh, the ups and downs! The riveting drama! The star sidelined by injury. The kid and the veteran having to step up. And the black sheep returning to the fold and redeeming his past mistakes. The win was simply the fairytale conclusion of an epic saga.
But then Rafter retired, as did the Woodies. Philippoussis kept promising and disappointing. Hewitt achieved his goal of world number one. And gradually the Aussie scene became less interesting, and I stopped paying attention to the tennis.
Anyway. The Australian Open.
Dokic was the reason I tuned in. The comeback kid, returned from exile, shooting up the ranks with her cool nervy performance. It was great to see another Aussie on the scene again, and I was disappointed when she finally exited. But my interest had been piqued. *Maybe I'll check out the men's final.*
See, tennis-wise, I've pretty much been living under a rock for most of the past decade. Many of the names I remember are gone, and it's totally different world. For me, that Federer guy was vaguely up there as a contemporary of Hewitt and Safin, part of that generation of young turks. And Nadal was an even vaguer blur, the generation after. But hey, World No 1 vs World No 2. *I guess that's got to be worth checking out.*
Understatement of the year.
Why did no one ever tell me?
Well, I guess since some of my recent fandoms have tanked, I need a new obsession.
Sorry, Merlin, you're going to have to move over before you've even sat down.
*This* is what destiny looks like.
I used to watch it devotedly, back when Rafter was top of the Aussies and Philippoussis still seemed like he might make it big and the Woodies were the doubles champions of the world and Hewitt was this amazing kid who you knew was going to go far.
The highlight of those days, for me, was the Australian Davis Cup campaign of 1999. Oh, the ups and downs! The riveting drama! The star sidelined by injury. The kid and the veteran having to step up. And the black sheep returning to the fold and redeeming his past mistakes. The win was simply the fairytale conclusion of an epic saga.
But then Rafter retired, as did the Woodies. Philippoussis kept promising and disappointing. Hewitt achieved his goal of world number one. And gradually the Aussie scene became less interesting, and I stopped paying attention to the tennis.
Anyway. The Australian Open.
Dokic was the reason I tuned in. The comeback kid, returned from exile, shooting up the ranks with her cool nervy performance. It was great to see another Aussie on the scene again, and I was disappointed when she finally exited. But my interest had been piqued. *Maybe I'll check out the men's final.*
See, tennis-wise, I've pretty much been living under a rock for most of the past decade. Many of the names I remember are gone, and it's totally different world. For me, that Federer guy was vaguely up there as a contemporary of Hewitt and Safin, part of that generation of young turks. And Nadal was an even vaguer blur, the generation after. But hey, World No 1 vs World No 2. *I guess that's got to be worth checking out.*
Understatement of the year.
Why did no one ever tell me?
Well, I guess since some of my recent fandoms have tanked, I need a new obsession.
Sorry, Merlin, you're going to have to move over before you've even sat down.
*This* is what destiny looks like.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 03:35 pm (UTC)The idea of seeing a tennis fan's reaction to a fedal final who did not know who Roger fucking Federer is
Yeah, I'm a little embarrassed about that now. I feel as though I've said something like, "Hey, you know, this Elvis guy, he's pretty good." I mean, I knew Federer was the No 1 and winning Grand Slams all the time, but I was sort of like, "Good for him, whatever." But now that he's suddenly very human and having to fight his way back up and dig deep inside himself, my attention is completely riveted.
The idea that someone who does not know ~anything~ about their on-court history and their ~off~ court history can just watch them playing tennis and still see the slash potential
I have to admit, it wasn't so much the match itself, as the ceremony afterwards. When I woke up to this picture (http://www.sportsonline.com.au/images/Products/te95.jpg) plastered all over the newspapers, my slashdar didn't so much ping as burst into flames.
I'm a little sad your introduction to Roger and Fedal was that final, since it really wasn't some of their best tennis
Um. Another embarrassing confession. I actually fell asleep after the third set tiebreak, so I didn't get to see the rest of that match. (Please don't take away my membership card...) But since then, I've gone and ordered the DVD of the Wimbledon 2008 final (after an unsuccessful hunt through the local shops) so that I can check out more of their play.
Anyway, thank you for your welcome! I'm very pleased to join in the squee.
PS I am stalking you back. XD
no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 03:39 pm (UTC)