"The Viewing Experience"

A few weeks ago, i went to see "Mother" with my friend at Broadway and about 15 minutes or so in, Mike whispered to me "did you realise they've not put subtitles?". It's not really beyond me to not notice things like this, but i have to admit that it is sort of odd that someone had already decided to go and speak to the staff at broadway before i properly noticed that i had no idea what they were saying and still quite contentedly sat there as if i had any clue what was going on. I still believe that i could have watched the whole thing without subtitles, the film itself was quite captivating from the 15 minutes i saw, and rather than daydreaming inside a cinema (i have a problem concentrating on films sometimes) i think i was kind of enjoying it subconsciously for the very reason that i was completely lost in this world of language as foreign to me as the Southern Korea setting, and it wasn't exactly impossible to suss what was happening. For a fleeting few minutes i felt more involved with the film and the concept of it than if i were following the print.

This reminded me of the experience of watching tennis matches without commentary; the commentary is incredibly crucial (albeit pompous and annoying on occasion), and the lack of it when watching live matches (or not having one of those super cool radio gadgets) is something i didn't think i would miss so much -but there was certainly a level of 'consciousness' that i lost without it. What you gain in watching live tennis or other sports is an entirely different mental representation of what is going on and it's peculiar how i remember the least about Wimbledon the past two years when i've actually been there than the years before when i'd watched everything on television. Yet nothing beats watching tennis matches live, and i know that experience can enrich people who find tennis otherwise incredibly dull. However there's elements to watching games through the box that are just as enjoyable to me (and probably to other sports fans), and sometimes it's somewhat of a relief to go crawling back to the television after four days worth of numbing in the heat running from court to court lathered in sun cream and wincing at which way the ball is spinning.

As much as i'd like to sniff at commentary having been accustomed to entrenching myself in match stats for so long i often really don't care about what they're saying (i.e. Peter Flemming; the guy is always an ass about everything) the commentators haven't spent so long in the game playing or otherwise without gaining a tad bit more knowledge than you ;) Like watching foreign films i guess you can easily fail to acknowledge the context and the culture within which it is being communicated which an audience who belong to that language culture would. Invariably, one feels like they have lost out somehow, and indeed they have. Points are often too quick to notice and appreciate things like tactical advantages of a kick serve as opposed to a topspin slice, or how wind might be affecting shot selection without someone pointing it out to you or even how player's previous opponents/slam experience has set them up for the current match. Overall, commentary brings 2D to 3D, and as rubbish as that analogy might seem, it's certainly true of why everyone is falling in love with 3D TENNIS- "a tennis viewing experience like no other....blah blah" as seen on Sky Sports

Though this article is somewhat accurate, i think he under-appreciates how tennis fans will go gaga for anything that brings a new level of visual experience to the game. Tennis fans from what i've experienced are usually also the most embracing of sports enthusiasts and importantly, kids who like tennis are a fantastic market for things like 3D broadcast because generally those kids are absolutely crazy for this sport because of the level of accessibility it provides for them, being able to see their favourite players up close and personal on big show courts...and now in 3D when they can't make it to the show? That is a winning concept.

It's also true that the technical brilliance of professional tennis can never ever be fully known by the viewer, courtside seats are terribly impractical no matter where they are. My friend and i, being the spoilt brats we are, were sitting on centre court seats 2nd row from the front and still complaining that we weren't close enough to see the ball move properly, no one can help 'people like us'. But really, kinetics of the ball spin and placement and accuracy is mind blowing and if anything, i would hope that 3D would allow people to 'see' that more up close and appreciate the game at a different level than before. It's a lot of fun, and i'm pretty embarrassingly tempted by one of these '3D sports pubs', if only i could find an adequate companion to join me. I can see how 3D would be somewhat of a disaster in a sport like football though. Sport aside, without going into too much detail, i really don't like the concept of 3D in films, its as redundant as anything i've ever seen and i am yet to be enlightened as to how it is possibly entertaining after the bewilderment of this new visual dimension wears off.

Moving on, i was super duper excited when Frenchman Gael Monfils got to his first quarter-finals this year at New York. Though, I can't claim he showed any really sparkling tennis during his match against Djokovic, he is one of my very favourite players; awesome guy and a talented athlete not to mention amazingly fun to watch. However, i often wonder whether being a full time funny man is his main priority over actually winning matches......it's startling how Gael though pumped up and ready to go like a Lockheed Blackbird that he is, is still too much of a passive player when he reaches the deep, murky and heavily experienced waters of the Top 5 ATP rankings. Monfils is not a 'naturally' talented tennis player though he is a naturally talented athlete, and often though that seems to be enough to do well on the men's tour in this modern age, players at Djokovic's level can be very tactically aggressive and it takes more to break through at slam level. Even though it suits Monfils to be so charming, I fear that if he doesn't start revamping his boyish, class clown image he will find himself reaching the peak of his career before what is ideal. His roads already been a pretty bumpy one steeped in injury breaks, and his tireless defensive play is something that is becoming a terribly greater weakness than his hamstrings. I think it's time he started reviewing and re-watching his matches with his new coach, Roger Rasheed, to establish a good offensive play that he can stick to against bigger players.

Swiss Maestro Vs American Hot Rod

*drum roll* Match Analysis!

Last time these guys were at a Wimbledon final together was 2005- Federer won.

Roger has a 18-2 winning record against Roddick usually achieved with breadsticks and bagels, by that i mean, 6-1 and 6-0 respectively. I am going to be extremely lazy and direct you all to THIS INTERESTING PAGE, it's not really laziness actually because this brilliantly accurate analysis is much better than what i could give you right now, with detail on the abduction angle, receiving stance, arm rotation on the serve and physical ability.

It's true that a lot of that analysis seems to be in 'survival of the fittest' mode, but it is often ignored when discussing tennis on t.v. or on commentary. Obviously the 'mental edge' is more interesting to talk about and more understandable, as a lot of people will probably not follow flexibility of the 'abductor muscles' but it is hugely intriguing nonetheless especially if you train and play yourself.

Other points to consider:

After the semis yesterday, Roddick half collapsed with emotion on his way up to the changing rooms, purely overwhelmed with what he has achieved. Coming this far after a heavy drought means the world to him, and it hasn't been easy...he played two very gruesome matches leading up to the finals... does he have enough left in the tank for sunday?

Can he hold serve? Can he keep his serve at least 95% first serve percentage? This is actually not a joke!!!! We can all expect a ridiculously dull final if Roddick cannot keep his best weapon polished at least half of the way.....

Its possible Federer will tank, that is, give an easy first few games to Roddick... Andy must not get excited and expend all his energy in the early sets, he should be experienced enough to know this already. Roger can go for hours at a incredibly high level of tennis, Roddick cannot do the same and he needs to really keep this in mind and cut the points short.

Federer's crown is pretty much inevitable. but hopefully Roddick will give us something to watch tomorrow, and maybe he will provide a useful platform for Roger to play some of his magic shots- which is entertaining enough....!

Player	Aces	Ist serve pct.	Sets lost/ Bagels dished	Unforced. Errors - Total/ Winners	Bk pt conv %	Time on court.	Matches played
Federer	77	67	1 / 0	71 / 239	49	11:29	6
Roddick	160	71	6 / 0	112 / 331	31	15:45	6

The world's a better place at SW19....

Returned from Wimbledon a few days ago feeling more enthusiastic than i have ever been about this slam. Just one visit for a tennis geek is enough to make it feel like home.

Standing amongst thousands and thousands of enthusiasts, seeing top players in every direction you look, ice creams and strawberries (no matter how overrated they are) and fresh green lawn courts on a bright summers day just wreaks of the thrill of the tennis season.

The trip to Laandan was indeed three days of total tennis intoxication, which Mike aptly called a 'propa tennis getaway this' when i rolled up at his house with tennis racquet and all. Living and breathing of the stuff, from our evening game to the mornings absorption of casual match chit chat while queuing. We rolled our eyes at the Murray articles every day, and spent the rest on courts and walking around the grounds. If that wasn't enough, after a short break of tube journeys home from Southfields station, we hit the t.v. to catch 'Today at Wimbledon' before bed. It was awesome!

Nothing matters at Wimbledon except the tennis. How wonderfully uplifting. The world is a better place temporarily.

I had always thought that getting into Wimbledon was almost impossible without putting yourself through great hardship, but Mike and i found that you can get there for 7.30am in the morning and still get guaranteed entry with a grounds pass by 10 am. Obviously this means a 2 hour long wait, but it is not a shuffling queue because they let you through in batches supposedly, so we only had to 'move' in the queue once. The rest of the time we sat on the grass outside in the sunshine, listening to our ipods and discussing players and matches. They apparently reserve 6000 grounds tickets, but one day we were 6135 and still got in just fine. (it is unwise to leave it too late however).

The trip was very much a success considering we were not really uber prepared or anything and kind of gave up on checking schedules of play for the next day (it is more fun when it is a surprise!). We saw loads of amazing players- Lleyton Hewitt, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, James Blake, Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero (mike said he saw Andy Murray and David Ferrer walk by), Santorro, Jamie Murray play doubles (he was a bit shit), Jelena Jankovic from a distance, Fernando Gonzalez (total joker, Thiago Alves, Amelie Mauresmo, Kuztensova (french open champ 09... My trip is in digital format here on vimeo

A few very handy tips i picked up on a first visit to Wimby....

1. It is always worth having a nice stroll around the grounds before you do anything to get yourself acquainted with the courts and with the Championship. It's relaxing and very enjoyable. (Also extremely helpful if matches have been moved around to different courts and you want to get there quickly without having to ask around for directions) The place is huge and confusing in crowds, and it is a good idea to kinda know where you are going. We also brought a notebook to keep a mental check of all the good matches on so we had a rough plan of the day....

2. Always make sure you know which court you are cueing for when you don't have reserved seating. The queues can take AGES, since they don't let you on the stands till a game finishes so that the players are not disturbed. This means something up to a hours wait, and you don't want to find that you have actually been queuing for the wrong match/court. (this did happen to us, but luckily we only queued for about 30minutes before realising)

3. If you want to see good players on practise courts, GET ON THERE FROM 12 ONWARDS. About lunchtime all the best players come out to play, not much chance of seeing them past 2pm.

4. Keep your eyes peeled, players just walk past you all the time. This is not to get pictures/signings- they are busy people and probably have a lot of things to get one with, but sometimes they will be walking towards a practise court or a unused match court to warm up. (we saw andy roddick this way). So it is sometimes worth stalking them and seeing where they go.

5. Take food, everyone does and they all munch sandwiches during the matches. It is easier this way, because you won't really have time to actually buy food and sit and eat because the important thing is to get your ass to as many matches as possible and the queues for food are not worth it! It is also of course more expensive to buy on grounds.

6. Don't go overboard with sensible footwear, you can get by just fine in sandals, but try and make it flat. HOWEVER, don't ever wear those primary coloured plastic sandals that are all the craze now, selling at your nearest Topshop. Yea, they look good, but your feet will DIE. DIE!!

7. They do not accept card for grounds passes. Have some cash on you £20 for first week grounds passes...i think 40/50 for show courts..(though you will need to camp)

8. Always check out ticket resale to see if you can grab a £5 show court ticket. When we went, Andy Murray was playing the last match on centre and there was a massive 6 mile queue for tickets at ticket resale, so hardly anyone was queuing for court 1 and we got a ticket on there to see Fernando Gonzalez (awesome player beat Murray at French) within 10 minutes...

9. Don't expect to see top 5 players on your first visit. Expect to see top quality tennis and good players, but not the best. You may just be disappointed, but really, everyone who plays at Wimbledon is a delight to watch even if they are not Rafa and Roger. You will have a guaranteed awesome time if you love tennis anyway, and just go with the flow, because luck is all around at Wimbledon...

10. If you are going as a pair, take someone you can honestly really put up with, i was very lucky, but the last thing you need is to spend an inordinate amount of time with someone who makes you want to fucking kill yourself/ (or kill them). And probably best to take someone who knows as much or more tennis than you, as player spotting is 10x more efficient, and also the whole experience is better spent in the company of a tennis enthusiast who will not get bored and nag you for food in the middle of a match.

Well, that is all i can remember right now... but hopefully it should be pretty helpful, because none of this info is available via the website or otherwise.

I apologise for anyone who is actually following my blog posts and has noticed it hasn't been updated during these Championships too well. I suppose this is not a problem really, but i enjoy keeping it 'up to date'. I just have little time in my life for everything including tennis sometimes. US open will be better organised on here for sure, since it is my favourite championship.

I also thought i would articulate my disappointment that Gael Monfils was not playing at Wimby this yr because of a knee injury. All my best wishes go out to him,i hope he recovers soon enough for US open.

Day 11/12/13 reflections: I'm slacking, it's inevitable, but i am always inspired

There are some things that i enjoy to such an indescribable degree that i will gladly allow it to consume my daily havoc of a life, despite the fact that i should know better...

So even if i could go back a couple of weeks and get the chance to start all over, working harder, planning better, focusing my concentration, sleeping at decent hours, i would fuck it up all over again on purpose. Because anything that i would have achieved by doing all those things, would mean nothing to me in comparison to being able to follow such an incredible French Open.

Of course i would feel differently when i get older, and no longer have this unrivalled frivolity to wile away my time looking up match statistics, discussing player tactics and giggling at post-match interviews at 1am in the morning with my friends before exams. But i'm here and this is now, and i just. don't. care.

Every now and then, as a fan, you see a game of tennis which reminds you why you love hearing that ball bounce, and why that sound seems to be able to go beyond all the boundaries of perception to capture your attention time and time again, no matter what else is at stake. The Del Potro vs Federer semi-final was one of those games, and even with my unsettled post-examination head, and only being able to catch the last 2 sets, i could just about let all my worries subside me and settle down to watch the magic that occurs with a ball, a racquet, a net and just blistering desire.

There are probably only two people that i could just about stand beating Federer. Those two are Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro.

Standing at 6 ft 6inch, Del Potro plays like his life is literally on the line, never ever giving in, he's almost like Murray in some ways, in that he is like this machine that will return every shot hit at him, except a huge difference is that Del Potro with enough honing will be miles more talented....Obviously his height gives him a major advantage, which is a big factor to why his serving motion is just so so good, and unlike some of the bigger guys, Del Potro actually moves pretty smooth on court, and just batters the ball every time it touches his racquet. With all the speed and power he is capable of generating, his passing shots are close to lightening, and i've noticed he has a gentle 'touch' at the net, which is an area that he would benefit a lot from with more practise. I have found it interesting to note, that the guys these days left lingering near the last rounds are all absolutely huge!- re: Monfils! Sam (Given-much(too much)-attention-2008) Querrey! Mario Ancic! etc.. But specifically Monfils and Del Potro are two of the most dangerous, and i was more than prepared for having to see Roger ousted by the Argentinian.

As i said, i didn't watch the first few sets, so i'm not sure what gave Potro the lead, but from seeing the last 2 (and a 1/2) all i could really decipher, is that he worked his little socks off, because he looked as tired and worn out as one could get being Juan Martin Del Potro by the time i tuned in. Federer's game isn't really the sort to grind people down physically, but certainly mentally. Just a Roger on top form is enough to put a huge mental barrier on the best players, and for a tender age of 20 years (!) Del Potro is doing such a beautiful job, and has the sort of fighting spirit that most players never adopt in their entire professional playing career. I always think that there is a very marginal line between the top 10 players and every other player, and the line is bound mainly by unrivalled mental strength....

This was evident when Del Potro so casually hit to the Federer forehand. Ok, so it is both Roger's downfall as well as his lethal weapon, but either way, you can only be very brave or very stupid to hit to that side...Del Potro is certainly the former, because if he avoided it, like so many players do just feeding to the backhand, Roger will have no mercy, especially when he is feeling good about himself, which was clear today.

One can tell when Roger Federer is a little nervous, behind that sheen of serenity there are all sorts of weird and crazy things going on up there. Up there is where the racquet battering is going on, and the only signs we see of that is when he tugs at the top right hand side of his shirt/ the left part of his shirt by his navel more often, or places a strand of hair into his sweat band a unnecessary number of times. The high is sometimes his ever so rarely heard bursts of frustration muffled by the towel he brings so quick to his face to hide the anxiety...

Just none of that today, cool as a fucking cucumber. The shots he missed he took in his stride, and the shots that were just too good, were taken with the utmost respect for his opponent. But in reply, these days, Roger adopts his 'i'm gonna serve it out motherfucker' attitude after he loses a point that shats all over his parade.

Some people see Federer's attitude as arrogant, but what they don't realise is that it is in fact genius. Why waste you energy on showing emotion? When you can use this as added fuel to up your game.

Two sets to love down. Again.

*Swoon*

How did he do it?

The beautiful thing about the fine physical specimen that is Roger Federer, is that, no one can ever really answer this question. But there are a few things today:

1. The Drop Shot- sweeeeeeeettttt as hell! I don't think Federer has ever been hitting drop shots this good for a loong time, and on clay too!- perfect. Clay is a base-line game (well duh, re: Nadal...), and this is the most perfect shot to play to an opponent who is a good few metres away from the baseline like most of the time.....However, it still needs to be executed with perfection (Murray take note): Federer is such an elegant player that all of his shots are precise, relaxed and flowing. The drop shot, even though it's basically a slicing action has to be just as relaxed and flowing to be good, pretty much. So it's no wonder Roger can do these so well. The backspin on the ball (can't remember which set/ game ><) was so good on one of the points, when Roger hit it as a inside-out forehand. The ball stopped in mid air and just dropped dead in it's tracks.

2. The inside-out forehand- Genius weapon, masterful. When it's good it's really good, and one only needs to see Roger's body take that wondrous turn to his forehand side to know with no doubt that this is going to pierce through the air and onto the line with no chance of retrieval. It was whip-like today, and i don't think i ever saw a hint of a slip. If it stays like this for the final, he will have no problems..

I have to say though, that i was a little disappointed with the Monfils vs Federer quarter-finals because i really did expect it to be so much more exciting. I have a lot of love for Monfils's drive and passion encompassed within such a young heart, and his serving motion is just plain awesome! (even though it is apparently modelled on Roddick's, but whatever). Gael is THE coolest player on the tour it has to be said, and it was a tad bit of a shame seeing him practically giving the game to Federer- but i do hope his knee gets better soon enough, because i love watching Monfils and all his heart thumping action. It was nice to hear someone call 'Come on My Son' from the stands ('My son' is Monfils translated :D)

I really have no idea WHAT to expect for the finals, but it will undoubtedly be e p i c. I can only be glad that i have been born at a time and into a world where i can observe such inspiring people.

Fuck this was meant to just go in my diary entry tonight...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Day 6 short reflections

The picture speaks for itself, doesn't it?

Freaking 54% first serve percentage is NOT going to carry you through anywhere near the final. The shots were messy, he was allllll over the place, Tipsarevich wasn't even playing great tennis but he still managed to take a lead in the first set.

Lucky for Murray, Tips retired (what is it with these Serbians??!! RE: Djokovic) in the second set after calling a doctor on court, popping a pill, and then deciding enough was enough. The camera shot on Murray's face when Tips left the court after the game said it all. He knows it's not good enough. I hope he gets throttled by Cilic; the 20 year old Croatian player, currently ranked no 13.

6ft 6inch Cilic will bring the game, he has a tendency to get bashed around, and flopping over his long legs, but when he's focused, he is really good. Murray will be looking to swatting this fly out the way.

I am supposed to be revising for my Psychology of Addiction exam which is less than an hour away right now. This is how much i have given up on everything in my life except tennis.

Matches to look forward to today:

1. Paul henry Mathieu vs ROGER FEDERER (last match of the day) should be sweeeet.

2. Philip Kohlschrieber vs Djokovic (lets see what tricks Djokovic has up his sleeve)

3. IN PROGRESS NOW I WISH I COULD WATCH!!!!- IGOR ANDREEV VS DEL POTRO- both absolute warriors.

Tennis, where were we?

Seeing Federer drop tears like he used to drop winners at this years Australian Open was enough to put me off tennis for a good 4 months. I've since recovered, but amidst the inconveniences of, well, my degree :/ i've had to put tennis at the back seat for awhile, till now! Roland Garros is upon us- Clay Court Kingdom, for only one King. I need to pay severely for my lack of devotion and thus need to gather my thoughts on this one..

2009 aims for top players:

1. Nadal- Win Wimbledon again. This will absolutely set in gold his number one position, and his new legacy as face of tennis for the new generation. Perhaps most importantly, Nadal's aim will b

e to defend his winning position at Roland Garros. RG is HIS Tournament- it has been for four years, and if this becomes the fifth consecutive year he will have officially set a new record of five consecutive years as French Open winner (with only Borg being the runner up with four consecutive year wins).

2. Federer- HAS to try his hardest to at least GET TO THE FINAL at Wimbledon. Winning, is another thing, but if Federer can't make it to the final, he will lose a lot (probs all) of his cred not only from other players, but the majority of the tennis world. He also needs to capitalise on his good fortune of winning the Madrid Open, hope that Nadal's knees play up more, so he can bag the French.

3. Djokovich- I'm not entirely certain what's going on with Djokovic anymore, he always seems to be just swanning around, making it into tournaments, but never making any obvious 'mark of significance'. Djokovic lost to Nadal at Madrid, despite Nadal whipping out the unforced errors every few minutes..I am not impressed with Djokovic anymore, obviously this is not a nice thing for anyone to say, taking into account that i am not anywhere near the gruelling standards these guys are currently at, but still, i always accepted his arsey pretentious behaviour before, owing it to his self-righteous upbringing...? Djokovic always seems so ridiculously close to being a outstanding player, but just lets everyone down (including himself) in the process. I think we can all expect some 'drama' from him at RG in the form of some 'knee injury'.

4. Murray- There is just no getting rid of him. Obviously Murray's priority this year is to make it to make it to at least semi-final for Wimbledon. In his head, the aim is to be number 1 at the end of the year......Not happening. But he will try, he always does. The past few months have seen him improve in leaps and bounds, most notably in his fitness, his movement on court, mental strength and execution of tactics. If he wants to get anymore close to no 1, he needs to rack up all the titles he POSSIBLY CAN, and also has a ton to defend too. Murray needs to display all the potential he has, a young and promising player (has to be said, unfortunately) like himself needs to show people what he's got early, especially since there's more than enough young guns crawling up the ranks.

SO, last month's big news was Federer's win over Nadal at the Madrid Open; clay court, which has undoubtedly given Federer a HUGEEEEE psychological boost. This sort of circumstance is exactly what he needs before going into clay court season, and here's proof of that on an exclusive with CNN:

"He's won four straight times here in Paris which shows how tough he is, but if you play him the right way there will be chances, he is only human and we wait for that moment when he is not at his best; hopefully that will be this year," the Swiss said.

I am struggling to catch all the matches with revision and all, but Federer's win over Alberto Martin was a clean cut, 6-4 6-3 6-2, in just under two hours... Also looks like he has had a nice hair cut :D