The one where the Olympics rocks

While watching the Australian Open I made the observation

"If she ever gets some focus, Na Li will win a major".

(Or, her name may properly be written Li Na...I've seen it both ways, and I don't fully understand Chinese names...) I'd only seen her play a doubles match, lackadaisically, and they lost in straight sets, but apparently I still have my eye. This week she beat the world No.3, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the opening match and an American named Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, coming back from 1-4 in the first to win in straight sets.

She just lost in semis to Dinara Safina--she lost the first set tiebreak, then served for the second at 5-4 but couldn't finish and lost 7-5. But she's still in the hunt for the bronze, and if you get a chance sometime you should watch her play. Apparently she's kinda old (26), so maybe a major is unlikely, but I've never seen a woman who so consistently hits her spots, with unbelievable angles and troublesome depth. Such nice strokes!

Speaking of the Olympics, I just watched the end of her match live. The streaming video is awesome. And does anyone have any idea how Phelps won the race shown above? And I thought tennis was a game of inches?

The one with hits

Welcome, tennis fans!

A year ago today I saw my first match of the 2007 Australian Open, Richard Gasquet over Gael Monfils in 4 sets. I mention it now because the 2008 Open is going on right now, and I've been getting some hits recently from tennis fans who find me on yahoo or google. Recent searches that found me include

• ashley harkleroad pics cute pretty
• Vince Spadea is a chump
• vordika
• joy of seth
• Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis seventeen times in a row

Feel free to link to this post so google likes me even more.

Anyway, I'm sure you're really all here to find out about week three. Duck took on Lady Zerks last night. At 11pm--I took a nap first. And _really_ thought about not going...did I mention it's a bit nippy out right now?

The team won, I dunno, 13-6 or so. No big runs, we just kept scoring about twice for every one they got. We had 6 guys, 3 or 4 women.

My game....was a very mixed bag.

For example, I skied a 6'6" guy (I cut deep just as TO got the disc, had a 5- or 6-step lead, the throw floated, I slowed, he caught up but let me keep my position, I let it come directly over my head and went up at the right place to catch it near my peak, which is probably right about level with his chin...). Landed about 5 yards out and threw an easy score to Jill when she and Cristy split him.

Then, the very next point, we forced backhand and I had no idea. Isn't it always force wall in indoor? They scored very easily.

Overally, I played 9 points with a +3 differential. Did have my first turnover of the year, a backhand to Charlie that was a bit behind him. Okay, he was 10 feet from me, and it was 8 feet behind him. Caught a goal, threw a goal.

Went to the bar afterwards, got home about 2:20. It was -15, and windy.

Today I wanna head over to Lake Nokomis, where the US Pond Hockey Championships are going on. Less than a mile from my house is a hockey tournament that ESPN called one of the "101 Things All Sports Fans Should Experience Before They Die". There are 225 teams on 26 outdoor rinks. Which would be awesome if it only felt sixty degrees warmer out, (which would still put us just below freezing), but it is what it is.

And what it was, and what it shall be,
sg