Tennis commentary and videos
The tennis world is a million miles away from my own personal world. I suppose that’s why I enjoy disappearing into the tennis world as a mini-break from life’s challenges. Since athleticism should be accompanied by grace and heart, I’ve become a fan especially of some women players who embody all three qualities.
The most fun I had watching tennis in 2022 was Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, held in Glasgow last November. I’m typically limited to what I can find on free Internet TV, which rarely includes Grand Slams (except perhaps replays long after the fact). I chuckle to think of all the offbeat East European and Far Asian tourneys I’ve seen, including (I-kid-you-not) the Transylvania Open, where the jokes practically write themselves. (On changeovers, players can have any blood type they desire, as long as it’s served in a Lipton cup.)
I take what I want from the tennis world, and leave the rest. What I find most absorbing is the ebb and flow of a match, the spirit behind it — the battle of wills, personalities, and playing styles. Tennis culture and tennis stardom are foreign to me and bear little interest. I watch complete matches, not short highlights, nor segments showing what cars the players drive, what they listen to on their iPods, or what pizza toppings they can tolerate.
I enjoy dramatic contests between players whom I admire. I’ve blogged about the August 2021 contest between Ons Jabeur and Bianca Andreescu at the Canadian Open — a marathon session replete with rain delays and medical timeouts. Both players showed great heart, and it was a pity that one of them had to lose.
The players I like best are those who are serious athletes (but not grim or cutthroat), not so much the athletes-slash-models-slash-clothing designers. Of course there’s a show biz aspect to pro tennis, and some women are already picturing their modeling careers the moment they step out on the court. Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian tried to gain publicity by showing up for matches and interviews wearing a long black cloak with a vampire collar:
But I doubt she could have pulled this off at Wimbledon — unless of course it was a regulation all-white vampire suit. I suppose in honour of Cristian, Wimbledon could change its name to The All England Lawn, Tennis, Croquet and Bloodsucking Club, but that wouldn’t be cricket. (Back in Transylvania, Cristian was quickly defanged by Simona Halep.)
But on to the BJK Cup Finals! In one unforgettable 3-match tie, Great Britain (ranked 17th) went up against Spain (ranked 3rd). To make it to the semis for the first time in over 40 years, the Brits would have to win all 3 matches in the tie, a seeming impossibility. First up was Heather Watson against Nuria Parrizas-Diaz:
Watson is a fan favourite with me, not just because she’s a great athlete, but because she seems to exude childlike joy. Her sparkling performance against Parrizas-Diaz was the best I’ve seen her play. She dispatched the latter 6-0, 6-2.
When not hitting winning drop shots, Watson was cheering on her team in epic fashion, aided by the ragtag band of musicians playing for GB, consisting entirely of brass and percussion. They blew their Floo-Floobers and banged their Tah-Tinkers, creating a din rarely heard outside Whoville — a racket with no strings.
The anthem of the GB team is apparently “Be kind to your web-footed friends/For a duck may be somebody’s mother!” — at least, those are the words I put to that tune, but maybe the Brits have different words. After hearing that blared for the hundredth time, I thought I had perhaps died and gone to kindergarten. 😉
Compared to the Brits, the Spanish team seemed rather listless — so much so that Grim Death was rumoured to file a lawsuit for likeness appropriation. Next up came Harriet Dart vs. Paula Badosa, with Badosa being the obvious favourite:
But Badosa’s madcap rush to scamper up the rankings in 2022 left her a bit tired end of year. She was not at her best, but Dart was. Dart, who cracked the top 100 for the first time in 2022, showed great composure and poise throughout the match. She got mammoth hugs from team captain Anne Keothavong after her surprise victory over Badosa, as Dart’s mum and sister looked on from the stands (not to mention Billie Jean King).
Both Watson and Dart gave amazing post-match interviews. They are super nice, and so is their captain (herself a renowned player for over a dozen years, and an MBE recipient). Tennis mavens will rightly extol the great shotmaking, but what I will remember most is the kindness, warmth, and team spirit shown by the Brits. But could they defy the odds and win yet a third match in a day against the highly ranked Spanish team? A doubles encounter laced with sudden death deuces would round things out.
2022 was the first year on the WTA tour for doubles partners Alicia Barnett & Olivia Nicholls, who had previously won several ITF titles. They would now face Aliona Bolsova & Rebeka Masarova for Spain. This was excitement of a different sort, for while the two singles matches had been exciting, there was never much doubt about the outcome. Both Watson and Dart had taken charge surprisingly early, not giving their opponents much of a way in. The doubles was more competitive (especially the first set), with no one sure who might come out on top.
The uncertainty was heightened for yours truly when the dodgy YouTube stream I was watching cut out in the middle of the match! I checked around and found that in the end, the British team did the impossible and won all 3 matches in the tie, propelling them to the semifinals, where they would face #1 ranked Australia.
The final scores were:
Watson vs. Parrizas-Diaz
6-0, 6-2
Dart vs. Badosa
6-3, 6-4
Barnett/Nicholls vs Bolsova/Masarova
7-6, 6-2
In fairness to the Spanish team, it may have been a massive case of home field advantage. British tennis promoters seemed to do a masterful job of packing the Emirates Arena with supercharged Glaswegians (including a couple of model types often shown in cutaways). Post-Brexit, maybe the Spaniards found it difficult to import Flamenco guitars, castanets, and toreadors.
Dart and Badosa would face each other again soonafter, in the United Cup. This time, Badosa would prevail.
As the song says: “Now, you may think that this is the end… Well it ain’t!”
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Ethics and Spirituality 