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mytennisdiary · 3 years

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Australian Open 2021 - Day 1

Sunday, Feb 7 - Sunday Feb 21

This is my first attempt at recording my impressions while watching a major tennis tournament. I am watching from my home in Pleasantville, NY via the YouTube TV app on my Playstation 4. This is the 3rd tennis major since my father passed away in August 2020. I’m considering turning the finished product in to a book. I can imagine creating short books for every major sporting event I watch. It’s just an idea, but one which interests me today.

Monday, Feb 8

I’m not watching any of the first day live since Super Bowl 55 was last night. The Bucs beat Kansas City convincingly behind Brady and a strong performance from their defense. I begin the tournament on Monday morning.

It’s in the mid-60s in Melbourne, unseasonably cool for this time of year. The tournament is being broadcast on ESPN and much of the talk revolves around the complicated logistics of holding a tournament in a country that has practically eradicated Covid-19 and wants to keep it in check. The run up to the tournament was dominated by headlines about players being confined to their hotel rooms for 19 hours a day; potentially more in the case of those who flew on the same planes as players who were quarantined. Meanwhile, outrage at the preferential treatment given to star players by Tennis Australia has also made waves, with players such as Tennys Sandgren publicly airing grievances. Top players were allowed more members in their parties. They stayed at different hotels and had more expansive access to practice facilities. Patrick McEnroe and Mary Joe Fernandez are the initial commentary team. They are happy to have a crowd back in the seats, but to my eye the number of attendees is rather meager. 30,000 people are being admitted each day, but they are split into 3 sections and not allowed to go to other areas of the ground. They claim that Rod Laver arena will be about half full for the final. Another wrinkle is the introduction of a fully automatic line-calling system. One of the strangest aspects is that players still have the ability to challenge calls, but since the same system that provides the challenge replays makes the call in the first place, they have no chance to actually win the challenge. The challenge now feels like something vestigial whose purpose has shifted from practical to therapeutic, allowing players to see the call in more detail without any ability to alter it. When a ball was close to the line, either in or out, they will put a little alert up that says “close call”. It’s strange, but the commentators seem to think that this system takes a bit of pressure off the players since they don’t have to be so focused on spotting close calls for themselves and knowing when to challenge. Another interesting detail about the line calling system is that they’ve programmed it to make calls with the voices of first responders from Australia. Masks are not required for fans in the stands. Some are wearing them, but others are not. Apparently, you are supposed to wear them when moving around the grounds. A lot of talk about how things are ostensibly normal, and yet there are these strange restrictions on this tournament. Seems like the restrictions might be more for appearances than anything else. Guess you would have to know what kind of big local events (concerts, sporting events) are being held and what conditions are like at those.

An interesting aside came from Chrissy when she discussed players warm-up routines. The players put in 30 minutes to an hour of hard cardio and strength training. Chrissy joked that the exercise they get just in warm-ups is what she used to get in a match. The courts are apparently playing a little bit quicker this year, even in the cool conditions. Apparently Tennis Australia used a different company to lay the surface of the courts this year and the quicker bounce was something that they had specifically in mind. The reason for the speed up has to do with there now being less sand/grit on the top of the surface than years past. They’re also using different balls this year after a lot of complaints last year that the balls were fluffing up. Also had a couple of matches on Margaret Court arena disrupted by birds.

The broadcast begins with Osaka vs Pavlyuchenkova. Osaka is wearing a bright orange skirt with a black top and leggings, decorated with a blue, tan, and black camouflage pattern. Osaka pulled out of warmup tournament in semifinals with a shoulder “niggle”. She looks calm and balanced, hitting the ball deep into the court and attacking the corners off of short balls. The days of the inconsistent Osaka that followed her first 2 majors seem long behind us. Pavlyuchenkova looked uncomfortable with Osaka’s power early in the match. She did respond in the second set, imposing her will to a greater degree. However, it was clear that she was pressing to go for more to get ahead in points. Every time she made inroads Osaka countered with dazzling play. Osaka’s only weakness appears to be her approach to net, which doesn’t quite look smooth. She runs around balls to hit her two handed backhand which appears to be her more comfortable shot. Osaka wins 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour.

Simultaneously, V. Williams vs Flipkens were locked in a tight veteran battle. Venus, now 40 years old was wearing an aqua colored dress and a white tennis cap. Her hair is shorter than I’ve ever seen it. She’s always had a tendency to look a bit gangly and off balance, but there is still some of the smooth grace she used to display. Venus didn’t win a single set in a major played in 2020, but she took the first set in a back and forth afair here. Flipkens, a 35 year old Belgian who wears sporty glasses and plays without a coach. She doesn’t give Venus a lot of pace and is looking to attack short balls and second serves with her forehand. The match was not without drama. Flipkens was able to make her uncomfortable with slice and did a good job anticipating her shots. That being said, Venus’s power ultimately carried her through. 7-5 6-2 in around 90 minutes.

The next match featured S. Williams vs Siegemund. This is Serena’s 11th attempt to win her 24th career major. She’s wearing a pink, red, and black patterned body suit, not entirely dissimilar to the catsuit she word in Paris two year ago. Her left leg is entirely exposed, whereas her right leg is covered. She looks like she could be attending an aerobics class in the 80s. Siegemund, the 31 year old German, is a quality player, and like Pavlyuchnkova has been given an unfortunate draw. She likes to take the ball early and slice off the forehand. Serena was broken on her first service game, but quickly recovered. She has the easy power working today and looks to be rolling. Chrissy and Renee agree that Serena looks calm and in control; a good sign for her. Another talking point for Chrissy is Serena’s movement, which she thinks looks better than it has in years, especially charging to nets after drop shots. Siegemund never looked comfortable, especially dealing with Serena’s returns of her soft serves. 6-1 6-1. Apparently Serena is a big Tom Brady fan. I know she lives in Florida. Their were jokes about their ages in the post-match interview.

B. Pera vs Kerber has started 5-0 for Pera. She’s an American citizen born in Croatia who I’ve never seen before. She’s tall, but not too tall. Seems to have strong legs. Hits good flat ground strokes. The forehand is powerful although can go off at times. Kerber, now 33, hasn’t played well in a while. Her best showing at a major last year was the 4th round. Pera did show some nerves, letting Kerber back into the match, but Kerber couldn’t recover from losing the first 9 games of the match. She just doesn’t have an offensive weapon. And although she can come up with amazing shots when she’s on her heels, she just doesn’t do it consistently enough to win matches at a high level any more. Bernarda Pera is certainly one to watch for the future. 6-0 6-4 in just over an hour.

Monfils and Milan both out in a couple of first round five-setters to unknowns. Gael was holding back tears in an emotional post-match press conference.

The next big match on Laver was Thiem vs Kukushkin. We joined it at 5-5 in the first set just in time to see Them broken by the krafty veteran from Kazakstan. Thiem dug in, playing some long rallies with his slice backhand before asserting himself with some big shots. Grueling and gritty first set won by Them is a pretty comfortable tiebreak. Interesting Kukushkin fact, his wife is actually his coach. Apparently she went to school to be a coach, giving her a lot more training to do this than most of the coaches who are just former players. I wonder what you learn at coaching school. A comical moment occurred when it turned out that the woman in Kukushkin was not actually his wife/coach. In fact, Kukushkin and her apparently split and McEnroe read a note on air from Kukushkin saying that he way annoyed that commentators kept mixing up his new girlfriend with his ex wife. They also told a story about Kukushkin who, growing up in Russia, used to play in an empty swimming pool, as well as on wood courts at a nearby prison, by necessity. Apparently wood courts really used be a thing. Jason Goodall said he played on them in england. Kukushkin is hitting it big off his forehand, as big as Thiem, but it just isn’t enough. Thiem wore Kukushkin down throughout the match. 7-6 6-2 6-3

We went over to Zverev vs Giron. Zverev, in a sleeveless tank top looks like he’s read for the beach. Giron is an American who played college tennis at UCLA. He’s broken through in the last 18 months. I think I’ve seen him once before. McEnroe says he’s a counter-puncher with a “clean” backhand. Not that big and no big weapon, but seems to be rounding into form. Giron moves very well and is able to time his contact with ball in a way that makes him dangerous on a faster court. Zverev was swinging hard in the first set but making way too many errors. Giron got up big in the 1st set tiebreaker but then tightened up. He failed to convert 4 set point chances as Zverev got more conservative and played rock solid. However, on the fifth one, Giron pulled out the set when Zverev couldn’t do enough with his shots. The 2nd serve continues to be a problem for Zverev. He lets Giron back into the 2nd set. Zverev oscillates between being aggressive and dictating points and then falling back and being too passive, especially in tense moments. He almost let the 2nd set tiebreak get away, but pulled it out on his 3rd set point. Zverev was dialed in from the 3rd set on and Giron went away. 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2

Taylor Fritz, the only seeded American man pulled out a 4 set win against Ramos-Vinolas. 7-6 3-6 6-2 7-6

Bianca Andrescu returned to women’s tennis with a 3 set win over the Romanian Buzarnescu. She teared up after the match.

Tiafoe vs Travaglia got some coverage next. Travaglia has a low ball toss and his serve can come at your pretty quick. Both he and Tiafoe seem to tighten up at key moments. There were 6 breaks in the first set and Tiafoe barely outlasted Travaglia in the tiebreak. Travaglia had played 3 matches in the last 2 days and the first set seems to have deciding in breaking his spirit. When Travaglia started slamming his thighs with his racket it was clear that his legs were failing him. Tiafoe seems to be at his best when he plays steady and cuts down his mistakes. He doesn’t seem to have the kind of weapon that could threaten a top player. 7-6 6-2 6-2

Dimitrov vs Cilic met in a battle of former top 10 seeds. Dimitrov served big to close out the first set. Cilic is a bit of a shell of himself, but he still found the ability at times to dictate with the serve and forehand. Despite showing some nerves in the conclusion, Grigor looked far superior athletically. 6-4 6-2 7-6

Augere-Aliasime vs Stebe saw Felix winning pretty comfortably. However, Gilbert discussed how Felix is 0-7 in his career in finals, often getting blown out. He seems to have problems with nerves which lead him to lose games in bunches. 6-2 6-4 6-2

Careno-Busta took out Nishikori in straight sets.

Halep vs Cabrera showcased a young Australian talent who doesn’t quite look ready for the big time. Halpe is neutralizing her power effectively and, as always, is able to change the kinds of looks she gives her opponent to keep her off balance. She baits Cabrera into repeatedly going for too much. The match was called by commentators from Tennis Australia. 6-2 6-1 Halep is playing doubles with a young Australian girl too. They got a wildcard to this event.

Djokovic vs Chardy was the final match on Rod Laver. One of the big talking points about Djokovic is that he has beefed up and put on some more muscle. He kept Chardy off balance all match. Chardy didn’t play badly, but Novak just frustrates guys and forces them to do too much. Novak had some nice lunging volleys and short responses to drop shots. 6-3 6-1 6-2 in about 90 minutes.

Kyrgios vs Ferreira Silva sees Kyrgios return to action after 11 months. His forehand looks strong. He’s a good frontrunner. Served it out easily.

Shapovalov vs Sinner was the marquee matchup of day 1 on paper. Sinner, the 19 year old, riding a 10-game winning streak had just won an ATP title the day before against Travaglia, but he had looked visibly exhausted doing so. Ranked 31, he’s the underdog against the 21 year old Shapovalov, ranked 12, but Dennis has lost his last 6 matches. Sinner’s biggest weakness is his first serve. Shapovalov’s weakness is his defense. He doesn’t have enough of a steady, reliable game when his weapons aren’t working. Sinner wins the first set after getting up an early break. Sinner seems to get the ball so deep so easily. Shapovalov has problems with consistency. However, Sinner isn’t capitalizing on his many break point chances and Denis is hanging around. Interesting fact; Sinner was an excellent skier earlier in his life. Brad Gilbert praises Sinner for his ability to diffuse power, something Shap doesn’t do as well. By extension, Sinner’s hard-down-the-middle return gives Shap problems. Shap is able to come up with some spectacular shots on the run and Sinner does seem to eventually let down in long points with errors. Shap’s errors tend to happen earlier in points, particularly on serve returns, which for him are inconsistent. Shap also seems to get too upset when he loses points. Very demonstrative when compared to Sinner who is so calm. Denis had some easier service games in the second set and his forehand seems to be hurting Sinner more. Brad Gilbert is calling this match with Chris Fowler. I think that Gilbert is one of the best color commentators. He has some of the most insightful observations about tendency and strategy. He also has a goofy side and he loves to tell stories. He feels like a real character and not a robot. He always pulls out irreverent nicknames; so far “Escape from Alcatraz”, “Weekend at Bernie’s” and “Sin City”. Sinner just not taking advantage of break points; he’s 1 for 11 early in the 3rd set. He fought off a few early in the 2nd and 3rd sets in ways that might just be breaking Sinner’s spirit. (Sinner escorted a moth off the court with his racket). Shapovalov, winning a lot of points off his first serve and displaying a much more successful defensive approach, has turned the match completely around. After dropping the 2nd set, Sinner was looking listless, making a lot of errors. Then, halfway through the 4th set Sinner had a second wind and suddenly was showing positive emotion. He started giving Denis a different look, dropping back on the return, and he cut out a lot of the errors. Shapovalov got into an argument with the chair about not being allowed to go to the bathroom and then called the trainer. They played a really tight first game of the fifth set. Shapovalov was able to dictate play with his forehand and push a tired Sinner around the court in order to eventually get the break. Then Shapovalov pulled out some underhand serving and aggressive serve-and-volley play. He took advantage of Sinner’s extremely deep return position, a strategic decision that seems to have been a mistake since Sinner often didn’t get his returns deep enough and was able to be caught being pushed too far off the court to recover. Sinner never went away, pushing the set all the way to 5-4 and even having a break point chance which he missed by a couple of inches on what would have been an incredible cross court winner on a Denis approach to the net. Shapovalov showed nerves, but ultimately finished the match strong with a winner. Best match of the first day by far and potentially a preview of many future matchups which will come far later in tournaments than the first round. 3-6 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4 in an almost 4-hour battle.

Maxime Cressy, a young serve-and-volley American, got a straight set win and will play Zverev in the 2nd round.

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milliebobbybrownfan · 6 years

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New Post has been published on Millie Bobby Brown Fan #MillieBobbyBrown #StrangerThings

New Post has been published on http://millie-bobby-brown.com/824-2/

Press/Photos: Millie for W Magazine

Nearly two years ago, at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts tea in Los Angeles, Millie Bobby Brown, who was then only 12, was the sensation of the party. Stranger Things, a clever, supernatural homage to 1980s pop culture, had just become a hit, and her character, Eleven, an otherworldly, possibly alien, androgynous girl with telekinetic abilities and a diabolical stare, was the breakout star of the show. Unlike the misfit Eleven, Brown, who was born in Marbella, Spain, and grew up in Dorset, England, is bubbly, charming, and has a gift for socializing. On the day of the BAFTA event (and at most other ceremonies during the hectic awards season), she was leading her teenage male costars in a kind of nonstop Millie Bobby Brown parade. The four boys, who were dressed in formal clothing that they constantly seemed to be squirming out of, were content to joke among themselves or hover around the buffet, but Brown had other plans. Again and again, suddenly and swiftly, she would round them up and march her posse over to, say, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, or Justin Timberlake. Cheerfully, forcefully, Brown, who was wearing an age-appropriate party dress and strappy sandals, would extend her hand and say, “Hi! I’m Millie Bobby Brown. So glad to meet you!”

She was on a quest to meet her biggest crush, Leonardo DiCaprio, but he wasn’t there that day. Luckily, nearly every celebrity she did meet was a huge fan of Stranger Things and, especially, Eleven. But even if they had no idea who she was, Brown was unfazed: The future was, simply, hers for the taking.

According to her father, Robert Brown, Millie, who is the second youngest of four children (three girls and one boy), popped out of the womb in a confident state. “She’s always been a personality,” he told me during the shoot for this story. Brown, who is now 14, started auditioning for commercials, movies, and musicals like Matilda and Annie when she was 8. Her first job was a commercial for Publix, the supermarket chain. In the audition, she had to hold up some cupcakes and say, “Mom, can I have these?” Afterward, the casting director remarked to her father, “Your daughter is something quite unique.”

“When I got that first job, I knew right away that I was born to do this,” Brown recalled. She is now taller than when Stranger Things debuted, but she still looks the same: curious, hyper-alert, and appealingly wide-eyed. She was wearing fitted jeans and a pink sweater, but was barefoot. “Where are my sneakers?” she asked no one in particular. The entire Brown family has left England and resettled in Atlanta, where Stranger Things is filmed. Brown had just started shooting the third season, after Netflix signed her to a deal for a reported $3 million.

Like every teenager, Brown is umbilically linked to her phone. She has almost 17 million Instagram followers, who closely monitor her every post. When she met Drake in Australia last November, where both of them were on tour (she was promoting the series; he was performing), the musician draped an arm around her shoulder for a picture that went viral. “He invited me to his concert,” Brown explained matter-of-factly. “And now we talk all the time. I ask his advice.” Perhaps he has advised her to use her celebrity to draw attention to certain issues. When she won favorite TV actress at the Kids’ Choice Awards in March, Brown wore a denim shirt with the names of the victims of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting embroidered on the back. “I take my responsibilities seriously,” Brown told me. “I recognize that I have a voice, and I want to use it wisely.”

In 2015, when she auditioned for Stranger Things, Brown had no idea that it would become her launching pad. “I didn’t know anything about it,” she explained. “Every part of the show was top secret. I Skyped with the directors [brothers Matt and Ross Duffer], and we spoke about ’80s movies—E.T., Stand by Me, and Poltergeist. I flew to L.A. for a screen test, and the next day I got the job! I was 11. We did the show, and I went back home to England. I thought, Okay, it’s a little show. What’s next? And then we came to America for the premiere. Three days later, my whole life changed. People went crazy! My followers went up to 1 million in one day. Magazines wanted me. One of my goals was to be on the cover of W, and you see? Dreams do come true.”

After the first season of Stranger Things, Brown signed a contract with Calvin Klein and was nominated for an Emmy and a SAG award, while the show won a nod for a Golden Globe. (Last week she was nominated for a second Emmy.) Time magazine chose her for its Time 100, making her the youngest recipient to garner that honor. “I don’t think I’ve changed,” she said. “I’m not thinking, Oh, I know everything now. I still get nervous. I still get anxious.” That response surprised me: Brown has always seemed so confident. Was this sudden self-doubt part of becoming a teenager? “Maybe,” she allowed. “But I still love parties! Although, even back then at the BAFTA tea, when I met Justin Timberlake, I swear I could have fainted.” She smiled. “Ask me some questions,” she said, deftly changing the subject.

Lynn Hirschberg: Who is your girl crush? Millie Bobby Brown: Paris Jackson. She’s got great style. She’s like a sister to me. And she plays the piano!

Hirschberg: What was the first album you bought with your own money? Brown: Amy Winehouse. I was 6. I knew every single word to “Valerie.” My dad wouldn’t let me hear “Rehab”! There were definitely rules. Amy Winehouse was my go-to, but back then I sang “We Found Love,” by Rihanna, in the mornings. It got me going when I had to go to school.

Hirschberg: What’s your favorite Halloween costume? Brown: I’ve never been very good at Halloween. I play characters all the time, so what’s the point of dressing up as another character? The last couple of Halloweens, I saw a lot of people dressed as Eleven. Sometimes it’s comforting. But it’s also very interesting to see a 40-year-old man wearing the look of my 12-year-old character.

Hirschberg: As a child, what was your favorite toy? Brown: A microphone that had High School Musical on it. I could sing with Zac Efron! I watched High School Musical every single day. When I met Zac Efron, I could barely speak.

Hirschberg: What is the first e-mail you remember sending? Brown: I always wanted to be on Ellen, and that was the first e-mail I sent: to Ellen DeGeneres. I explained my life story and how I needed to be on her show. I never got a response. Five years later, I was on Ellen! She found that e-mail and showed it to the audience. Very embarrassing. I had made lots of grammatical mistakes.

Hirschberg: In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, your first film, which will be out next spring, you play a girl named Madison. Was it hard to act opposite a monster that wasn’t there? Brown: Godzilla was a tennis ball! I was always looking up. My neck hurt a lot, and I had to get dry needling. They stuck a really big, but thin, needle in my neck. Your muscle then spasms, and, eventually, you’re fine. After the dry needling, I had a great rapport with the tennis ball.

Hirschberg: Now that you live here, what do you like best about America? Brown: I love red Jolly Rancher candy. Cherry. They’re very sour. I’m not allowed to eat them anymore, because they color my tongue. Eleven is odd enough without having a red tongue.

As she stuck out her tongue to show its clean non-redness, Brown had to stop talking: It was time for hair and makeup. Without knowing her affinity for Amy Winehouse, the stylist decided that Brown’s hair should be teased into a version of the messy, high bouffant that was the singer’s trademark. Brown was thrilled. Her father, who was sitting nearby with her older brother watching Liverpool, their soccer club, defeat Roma, was smiling at his daughter’s reflection in the mirror. “You know,” he said, “Millie is all confidence and swagger in the world, but at night, at home, she can turn into a little, shy girl. It’s a side of her that only her family sees.”

As the makeup artist added a cat-eye tilt to her round eyes, Brown stared at the transformation in the mirror. I asked her if she ever felt like a typical restless teenager—did she ever want to go crazy, be rebellious, run away? “I can be rebellious,” Brown replied, carefully choosing her words. “But not so much. I’ve never been grounded by my parents. I’m a very good girl.” She paused. “But I do believe in making noise, in being loud.”

To play Eleven, Brown had to cut off her long hair and shave her head, which is something that would be traumatic for any 11-year-old. Her baldness instantly set her apart from, well, everybody. “The shaved head was a big deal,” Brown admitted. “On the one hand, it was cool. When you’re bald, rain feels like a head massage. I’d walk in the rain, and people would look at me like I was crazy. I’d be smiling—so, so happy to have the water hit my naked head. But on the other hand, people stared at me, wondering whether I was sick. Some would even laugh at me, without knowing whether I was or wasn’t sick. It was hurtful, but their attitude taught me something about compassion. In the end, being bald was the best thing I ever did—being different changed my life. I wanted to embrace my baldness and, hopefully, inspire people. And, now, that’s become my message to the world.” – Source

2018: W Magazine

#Photo Sessions #Photos #Press #Scans

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milliebobbybrownfan · 6 years

Text

New Post has been published on Millie Bobby Brown Fan #MillieBobbyBrown #StrangerThings

New Post has been published on http://millie-bobby-brown.com/824-2/

Press/Photos: Millie for W Magazine

Lynn Hirschberg: Who is your girl crush? Millie Bobby Brown: Paris Jackson. She’s got great style. She’s like a sister to me. And she plays the piano!

2018: W Magazine

#Photo Sessions #Photos #Press #Scans

0 notes