Wimbledon

Just got finished watching the women's championship match. Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport in probably the best final I've ever seen--4-6, 7-6(4), 9-7. It took 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete.

Unfortunately, I missed the first two sets. I saw the second set tie-breaker, and all of the final set. I was up too late talking to my wife in Vietnam, so I just slept in. Bummer. It also looks like Andy Roddick's match was exciting. Roddick beat Thomas Johansson 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(10), 7-6(5). Wish I had seen that one too. THe two points of the final set that i watched were amazing.

Tomorrow's match could be just as good as the ladies' today. Federer strikes the ball more cleanly and effortlessly than anyone I've seen in recent years. Roddick is still a miniature Sampras--great serve but just hasn't put it together like Pete did. (I don't think anyone will). Honestly, I'm rooting for the home-town American boy, Roddick, but if Federer won I wouldn't be that disappointed. I watch him and drool. Why can't my shots be like him?? I don't know if he has what it takes to match Sampras' dominance, but we'll see.

Quote of the Tournament: At one point during the Venus Williams v. Maria Sharapova semifinal, the shots were getting tougher and both girls were grunting...no, yelling quite loudly with each shot. Dick Enberg says

"It sounds like a house of whores."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Dick.

That being said, I have been so refreshed by the commentary at this year's Wimbledon. Obviously, there are problems, and matches called in a boring manner, yada yada, but it is heads and shoulders better than the coverage of the NBA Finals this year. I had no regret missing a finals including two of my favorite teams because Hubie Brown and Bill Walton are utter morons. Both know a lot about the game, but neither can commentate. Walton states the obvious so often I want to throw something through the tv, and Brown is worse. In the finals this year, Brown agreed with every call made by the officials, even when replays showed otherwise, and he'd make up some retarded excuse why he agreed, or why they made a bad call. Plus he misreported scores and stats. Ugh...I think I became dumber every time he spoke.

All in all, watch tennis! Very enjoyable, and you don't turn your brain into mush by listening to the commentary. (Finals tomorrow, NBC, 9am EST).