As Far As You Know

The Yankees/Red Sox showdown at the Stadium on Sunday was a disaster from the point of view of New York fans. The Yanks are 1-for-7 against Boston in 2004. So much for the supposedly huge payroll advantage the Bombers have! Ah well, it's April . . .

(By the way, I snapped the pretty good photo above: Pedro Martinez in the process of shutting down Derek Jeter--again!)

We are fast approaching the golden anniversary of perhaps THE great milestone in sport: Roger Bannister's breaking the four-minute mile "barrier." In 1954 the English medical student thrilled the world by doing something the supposed experts had thought might be impossible. Click here for more details.

He set a world record that he only held for weeks. And in the past fifty years, hundreds of athletes--some of them just high school runners--have bettered Bannister's achievement of 3:59.4. In fact, the world record in the mile is over sixteen seconds faster than it was when Bannister set it. But he got there first. And he did so before the many advances in the science of sports physiology and training, before helpful developments in equipment and track construction.

Most important of all, Bannister's is a wonderful example of a life well-lived. Like the Arch "Moonlight" Graham character in A Field of Dreams, this is a guy who thought his career as a doctor was far more important than his attainments as an athlete. But he will always be remembered for his successful effort to, as he put it in his memoir The Four-Minute Mile, "do one thing supremely well." Bravo, Sir Roger!

In an effort to catch up on my lapsed blogging, what follows is an assortment of quick takes on a variety of topical subjects.

John Edwards: Kerry made what was probably the safest choice for a vice-presidential nominee, but one that I think ultimately will help him in November. Yes, the pollsters will tell us that Edwards may not move any of the swing states into the Kerry column--not even North Carolina, probably--but he represents an articulate, charismatic presence on the ticket that could be reassuring to swing voters in various demographic categories that will be crucial in what should prove to be a close general election. The Tar Heel senator has a fascinating life story, coming from humble origins and facing genuine adversity along the way. Of course the GOP immediately attacked Edwards this morning as lacking the experience for the vice-presidency, what with only six years in the United States Senate. This is laughable, given that the man at the head of the Republican ticket boasted exactly six years experience as governor in a state in which that office held little real political power. Moreover, Bush was more or less a failure at everything he attempted in his life before his political career, in spite of all the advantages conferred by Poppy and his friends. In contrast, Edwards was a self-made millionaire who fought corporate wrong-doing and then distinguished himself in Congress by co-sponsoring sweeping reforms such as the Patients' Bill of Rights.

John McEnroe's talk show: Tomorrow night CNBC debuts a new talk show featuring former "Super-Brat" John McEnroe. As an adolescent tennis fan, I always rooted for Mac's greatest rivals: Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors. (Though I never warmed up to Ivan Lendl, so McEnroe occasionally enjoyed my support!) I must admit that I've come around on McEnroe over the years. Maybe he's mellowed; maybe I have. When he started as an announcer on tennis telecasts I found him occasionally amusing but fairly undisciplined as an analyst. Nowadays he's refreshingly insightful, more open-minded (while still refreshingly honest and opinionated), and is capable of substantial slef-deprecating humor. So I am looking forward to seeing what he'll bring to the table as a talk show host. Mac seems to have become something of a polymath, with genuine interests in art, music, politics, sports, etc. He can do no worse in this new role than Dennis Miller, whose show is in the adjoining slot on the cable network; Miller is someone I used to enjoy immensely before his gradual transformation into a right-wing crank (which corresponded fairly precisely with his becoming more or less unfunny).

Spider-Man 2: This film deserves the box office success it has enjoyed the past week. It won't change the world and it not quite perfect, but it's a pretty spiffy summer popcorn flick. Have fun with this one.

Farenheit 9/11: On the other hand, this movie--also a relative box office champ--might, in fact, change the world. Michael Moore's documentary skewers "W" and company pretty effectively. For the most part Moore avoids the heavy-handedness that made me feel sorry for Charlton Heston in Bowling For Columbine. That's not to say there is no point of view here; quite the opposite, the director has conceded. He wears his politics on his sleeve and is unabashed about presenting his opinions on the Bush Administration, the war on terror, the Patriot Act, and the current Iraq misadventure. But for the most part, Moore himself maintains a lower profile in this picture, instead letting the objects of his derision condemn themselves on camera.

Wimbledon 2004: In spite of the seemingly endless rain (that kept me from getting out to the All-England Club while in London during the opening days of the fortnight) this was one of the best Wimbledons in recent memory. Finals weekend was particularly satisfying, with the coming of age of the charming and talented Maria Sharapova in the ladies' championship and the enjoyable and highly competitive Federer/Roddick tilt on Sunday. The sport needs a few more majors with the excitement we saw in SW19 the past two weeks.

Sting in concert: I caught the former Police front man in an outdoor show at Jones Beach last week. He was in exceptionally good voice, sharing the bill with Annie Lennox. I knew it would be a good show when the second song played was one of my Police faves, "Synchronicity II."

Whither Euro 2004? While I was ambling around Paris, Scotland, Ireland, and London in June, I could not escape the football frenzy surrounding the European Cup soccer championship. Every day, there was wall-to-wall coverage in the newspapers and on television. Upon returning to the States, I was struck that highlights of the tournament merited hardly a mention in our papers.

I thought the televised distraction of transatlantic sporting spectacle would end last Sunday with the conclusion of Wimbledon, but now that I have digital cable, I get the Outdoor Life Network, which means I can watch the extensive coverage of the Tour de France once I get home from class. The drama of the peloton snaking through bucolic France is surprisingly seductive.

Apparently I am in this month's Teen Vogue magazine. For real. I wouldn't make this up. (Well, actually I might, but I am not in this case.) I haven't seen the issue myself, but I've heard about it.

The 2004 Tour de France has entered the Pyrenees and Lance Armstrong was simply amazing to watch as he steeled himself for an ascent up La Mongie, decimating his major rivals on the steep uphill climb at the end of a 123-mile ride. Though tomorrow's ride brings more fierce mountain climbs, the American may have given himself a huge psychological boost by leaving the greatest threats to a sixth straight Tour crown in his dust. This is FUN to watch.

Lots of folks around here have been wearing the yellow wristbands supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the fight against cancer. The publicity Lance is getting during the 2004 Tour de France--he won today's stage after an absolutely grueling climb up Plateau de Beille, the seventh (!) climb of the 128-mile Stage 13 ride--seems to have peaked interest in his fortunes in the Tour, in the sport of cycling, and in his favorite charity.

This is a worthy cause and I've got extra "Live Strong" wristbands on hand for the asking.

It's a wrap. This Texan is now a six-shooter, with a half-dozen consecutive wins in the Tour de France under his belt. Watching Lance tackle the uphill finishes in the Pyrenees or the time trial up L'Alpe d'Huez was nothing short of inspirational.

A thoughtful piece in today's New York Times on why some are naturally disposed to be better distance runners than others. Click here (registration required).

Point your browser here to find out why the Yankees always win; it ain't about just the money, as Chris Smith argues in New York magazine.

. . . is what Mark Twain called the sport of golf. I played miserably on one of the country's best courses out in Kohler, Wisconsin. A bad round of golf is far worse than not playing at all.

Someone asked me if I was upset that the Red Sox won the ALCS last night. For the record, I don't hate the Sox. I'd go so far as to say as they're my third favorite baseball team. It's Red Sox FANS that are insufferable. And of course never more so than today. I concede New York fans can be obnoxious. But they can't hold a candle to Red Sox Nation.

It was amusing to see so many of their supposedly devoted following bail out on the team last weekend, like rats from a sinking ship, only to become the loudest celebrants in the past 24 hours.

I don't usually lose much sleep over Green Bay's football fortunes, but since the Redskins moved to D.C. in the 1930s, the outcome of Washington's last home game has accurately predicted whether or not the incumbent party will keep the White House. A win for the 'Skins would have been good news for Bush. The final score yesterday: Packers, 28-14.

Confucius once said:

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The Aussie Open starts Monday (7pm EST Sunday) to kick off the 2005 professional tennis season. It's midsummer in Melbourne and hot! I was last there in January 1998 and expect to be there again in 2007--my next sabbatical is just two years off! Oi, oi, oi.

Tuesday night, Melbourne time: Andre Agassi vs. Roger Federer. A rematch of their U.S. Open showdown, which may have been the best men's match of 2004.

Federer rolled over Agassi in straight sets. Can anybody stop this guy this YEAR?

At bedtime last night I caught the tail end of the first women's semifinal at the Aussie Open. When I tuned in, Serena Williams was on the brink of elimination, down 3-5 in the final set against Maria Sharapova. Serena saved three match points and competed tenaciously to earn the win after too long away from the tennis limelight.

World #1 Roger Federer got knocked off by Marat Safin last night (actually later tonight, but it already happened in Australia!) in a barn-burner five-set struggle. This ought to help Andy Roddick's chances to win his second major. But first Roddick needs to get by Lleyton Hewitt. The American should be slightly favored only because he's spent literally half the time Hewitt has on court in the earlier rounds. Hard to see Safin beating either Roddick or Hewitt, but the extra day's rest could be helpful after the marathon against Federer.

It's great to see the world's four best players in the semis of a Grand Slam event! I hope the second semifinal is as good as the first one was.

While my own tennis team was engaged in spring training on court this morning, I drove down the road a bit to check out the New York Yankees gearing up for the season ahead. The Bronx Bombers practice and play at Legends Field, a pleasantly accessible and intimate ballpark in Tampa (unfortunately situated at 1 Steinbrenner Drive!). I enjoyed a bit of late morning batting practice.

I watched three former world #1 players on the courts at Saddlebrook this morning: Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, and Justine Henin-Hardenne. Courier is retired but competes some on the senior tour, Hingis is kinda retired but certainly looked like she was gearing up to play again (and she's hardly over the hill!), and Henin-Hardenne is coming back from injury. There were a few other pros (Mardy Fish, Chanda Rubin) training as well, in addition to some very impressive junior players. It was fun just watching them hit in drill sessions and practice sets.

I am at best a casual golf fan, but the final round of the 2005 Masters was a treat to watch: beautiful scenery, spectacular shot-making, dramatic tension, and the compelling storyline of Tiger Woods ending his drought in the majors. It looks like he'll be a force in the game once again for the foreseeable future.

18-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain won the Monte Carlo ATP Masters Series tournament today, signifying his arrival on the main stage of men's pro tennis. He showed glimpses of brilliance a couple weeks back in the Key Biscayne final, coming within two points of knocking off world #1 Roger Federer before losing in five sets. At this point, he's got to be considered one of the favorites to prevail at Roland Garros later this spring (especially since he handled Guillermo Coria--last season's king of clay--relatively easily in today's Monaco triumph).

The pictures of Nadal above I snapped in June of 2003 on an outer court at the All-England Club. The photo that follows is what he looks like today:

In a rematch of the Monte Carlo final from a few weeks back, Rafael Nadal defeated Guillermo Coria in the Italian Open title match, squelching any doubts about his favorite status heading into the French Open later this month. The teenager won an epic five-setter that lasted over five hours, rebounding from 0-3 in the final set to win a 10-8 tiebreak. Nadal now owns a 17-match winning streak on European clay and is on track for the Old World Triple, should he win Roland Garros after taking the Monte Carlo and Rome crowns. He has won 5 tournaments in 2005; interestingly, the other teenagers to win at least five titles in one season on the pro tour are Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, and Andre Agassi--Hall of Famers all! Think this kid has a future?

The Mets and the Yankees both have identical 19-19 records thus far this spring. The Bombers do seem to be heading in the right direction, what with an impressive winning streak that (almost) erases the frustration of their pretty dismal April. On the other hand, it's hard to be optimistic that their neighbors in Shea will spend a lot more time above .500 this year.

Unlike the women's title bout yesterday, the men's final at Roland Garros turned out to be quite interesting, after all. Having watched Rafael Nadal dismantle #1 Roger Federer in the semi on Friday--on his birthday, no less--I might have expected a lopsided championship match, but kudos to Mariano Puerta for putting up such a good fight. In the end, though, no one was going to keep this kid from living up to the considerable hype.

The Bryan brothers advanced to their first Wimbledon final today and, with the top-seeded team of Bjorkman/Mirnyi upset in the other semi, should be heavily favored to take the title against the unseeded pair of Huss and Moodie. The twins have been a bit unlucky losing in finals at the other three Grand Slam events lately, so perhaps they are due.

Roddick came through his delayed semifinal, holding off a dangerous (and underrated) Thomas Johansson. I was pulling for Lindsay Davenport to nab another major at the age of 29, and she almost pulled it off, getting as close as a point away, but I was not unhappy to see Venus come back. Amazingly, the Bryan brothers lost another Slam final, this time to an unheralded tandem from Australia and South Africa.

The Discovery Channel squad won the team time trial in today's fourth stage of the Tour de France, putting leader Lance Armstrong back in the yellow jersey for the first time in 2005. It was an impressive display of depth, as the team kept all nine of its riders together throughout the course. This is one good reason to subscribe to digital cable: to see the Tour unfold on OLN's excellent coverage.

Fittingly, I was the first kid on the block to get the new adidas tennis shoe model, the Gallagher Barricade III edition. I designed the color scheme (blue and gold with silver trim) myself. This particular pair comes custom fitted for my feet. (The adidas people measured my feet a few different ways as well as my stride pattern to provide an exact fit for each foot, with sole density most appropriate for my needs.) Pretty stylish boots, if I do say so myself!

I gave this pair a trial run on the courts tonight with 2002 Choate captain Jeremy Zuidema and they acquitted themselves quite nicely.

After nearly twenty years of watching Andre Agassi compete with the Nike swoosh emblazoned on his apparel and shoes, it's been a bit jarring this past week to see him decked out in an adidas ensemble. Now that he has a new contract, I guess we'll have to get used to Andre in the three-stripes look. He and his wife (Steffi Graf) can wear matching outfits! They may well come out with Agassi's own adidas line soon, but maybe he'll want to wear my signature edition shoe (the Gallagher Barricade III) instead?

I know, they haven't called this tournament "the Canadian Open" for the better part of two decades, but that's still how I think of it. Montreal and Toronto share hosting duties, with either the men or the women in alternate years. This year the men are in Montreal.

I watched Andy Roddick go down in two sets to Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the featured evening match. Roddick didn't play especially well, but Mathieu was pulling shots out of his derriere. In light of Lleyton Hewitt's pulling out with a stomach ailment earlier in the day, the tourney is now missing two of its top four seeds. Anyone for a Nadal-Agassi final?

The ATP tournament in Cincinnati this week is a Masters Series event, which supposedly ensures all the top players are entered. I am hoping for a pair of dream semifinals: Federer vs. Safin and Hewitt vs. Roddick. The fireworks should fly on Saturday should these pairings materialize! (We lost a great potential quarterfinal match-up when Rafael Nadal lost in the first round; he was on track to meet Roddick.)

Well, I wasn't surprised to see Safin lose to Ginepri yesterday. I watched a lot of the match and it's hard to believe the Russian is the same guy who handled Federer so capably in the Aussie Open semi in January. Safin can be brilliant, but he is SO inconsistent. The other three players I mentioned a few blog entries ago all advanced. The Hewitt/Roddick match later today could be a great one; I sense there's not a lot of love lost between these two. Roddick will need to serve well if he wants to avenge his loss to Hewitt in Melbourne. Hopefully the place I'm staying in Bermuda will have ESPN2!

Okay, I am off to the airport.

Andy Roddick prevailed in a tight 6-4, 7-6 victory over Lleyton Hewitt in the second semifinal of the ATP Masters Series event in Cincinnati. The Australian dominated the rivalry before today, winning six of seven and the last three encounters, including a big showdown in the Australian Open semis in January. So when Roddick clinched the win this evening, he was visibly pumped. Next up for Andy is Roger Federer, who prevailed in a closer-than-expected three-setter over Robby Ginepri.

I watched the semis this afternoon and this evening on ESPN Deportes, the Latin American version of the cable network. Curiously, the matches were broadcast with English commentary, though with different analysts than ESPN uses back in the States.

In light of a convincing win over her countrywoman and nemesis Justine Henin-Hardenne and the fact that she has only lost one match all summer on the hardcourt circuit, can anyone doubt that Kim Clijsters is the player to beat in the women's draw at the Open next month?

The tennis year doesn't end with the conclusion of the U.S. Open, but the fact that this is the final major of the year means there is a lot at stake for the world's top players.

Among the men, three players have a 2005 Grand Slam title already under their belts: Marat Safin (Australian), Rafael Nadal (French), and Roger Federer (Wimbledon). Should either of the latter two prevail in New York, he'll have a convincing case to be considered #1 for the year, as the pair also have split the entire ATP Masters Series titles between them (Safin would have a less compelling argument, in light of his inconsistency). Add into the mix a trio of former U.S. Open champions who play well on DecoTurf II and have reasonable expectations of contending--Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Andy Roddick--and you have the makings of a great tourney. Obviously Federer is the man to beat (and has a great draw) but the Open has produced plenty of surprise results in the past, but it's hard to see anyone outside of these six hoisting the trophy in two weeks time.

On the women's side, you again have three champs in the year's previous majors: Serena Williams (Australian), Justine Henin-Hardenne (French), and Venus Williams (Wimbledon). Amazingly, none of these players in among the top four seeds. Also contending in Flushing Meadows are the two who have traded the #1 ranking back-and-forth the past few weeks--Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova--as well as the woman who has dominated the summer hard-court circuit: Kim Clijsters. This draw will be fun to watch unfold. Among the dark horses: #4 seed Amelie Mauresmo (who always seems to fold her tent when deep in the tournament), last year's champion and finalist, Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva, and Mary Pierce, who is enjoying her best year in some time; hard to envision any of this quartet winning, though.

Arthur Ashe has been immortalized in a stamp, one which features the photo of the tennis great that was used for the Sports Illustrated cover when Ashe was named "Sportsman of the Year" in the early 1990s.

The stamp was officially unveiled today, when the USTA runs the Arthir Ashe Kids' Day event at the National Tennis Center.

In light of Andy Roddick crashing out in the first round of the U.S. Open last night, do you think American Express regrets the (admittedly very clever) series of ads based on Andy losing his mojo?

Veteran tennis writer Peter Bodo started a blog this year as part of the Tennis magazine website and has a good piece on Andy Roddick's U.S. Open loss here.

The Bronx Bombers have recaptured first place in the A.L. East for the first time in months. They better damn well stay there!

Former world #1 Martina Hingis won her first match back on tour after three years of retirement. I watched her practice quite a bit at Saddlebrook in Florida last March and she looked pretty good then.

The 2006 tennis season kicks into high gear with the start of the Australian Open. Though it's Sunday night here, the time difference means I am watching Monday afternoon's matches live on ESPN2.

Kudos to ESPN2 for airing an incredible amount of live coverage of the Australian Open. When I awoke at 6:30 this morning, I turned on the TV--on a whim, really, as I usually would never think to do so at that hour--and watched the closing games of Juan Ignacio Chela's upset of #3 seed Lleyton Hewitt.

Spent much of today taking in tennis at the Delray Beach ATP event, nor far from where my parents are spending the winter. My dad and I saw Vince Spadea (pictured serving, above) and Tommy Haas play and watched Andre Agassi on the practice court.

John McEnroe is back, winning a first-round doubles match in an ATP event in California with partner Jonas Bjorkman. The win was completed hours before Mac's 47th birthday.

The supposedly unassailable Roger Federer looks like he has a real rival. Young Rafael Nadal is now 3-1 against the Swiss #1, with a three-set win in the Dubai final this weekend on a hard court. Can it be that the #2-ranked Spaniard has Federer's number? Roger is on record saying he hates playing against the left-handed angles Nadal generates with the ferocious forehand.

2006 could be an interesting year with this rivalry blossoming.

I've been able to see far more of the Indian Wells tennis tournament on television here in Shanghai--halfway around the world--than I would have back in the States. Live coverage of the event plays throughout the morning on one of the satellite sports channels. The age of globalization is here!

I used the new features in the updated iLife '06 suite--specifically Garage Band and iWeb--to create a pair of podcasts and a new site for the Choate tennis team. Check it out here.

My 2006 equipment allotment from HEAD arrived today. My new racquet is the Flexpoint Prestige Mid. I'm looking forward to getting the new frames strung and getting out on the court with them this week.

Though I am a total hacker and a casual golf fan at best, it's hard to avoid getting swept up in the ambience of the "very special tradition" of The Masters tournament. I enjoyed watching the last couple of hours of coverage from Augusta, which seemed to feature a little less heart-tugging piano riffs and close-ups of the azaleas in bloom than in the past.

I spent much of yesterday in New York City, catching the Rangers game at Madison Square Garden--in which the Devils completed their sweep to advance to the semis of the Stanley Cup playoffs--and then watching the hot new Broadway show, The History Boys, in the evening.

The production was one of the best I've seen. As a teacher--and a history and English teacher in particular--I found the play wonderfully provocative. The work is a thoughtful meditation on competing philosophies of education, the role of a teacher, and the very nature of history itself. While there is lot that's uniquely British about the play, there are universal themes here too. It's more than just serious "thee-a-tah," though, as the play is entertaining on many levels, with loads of biting humor on hand. The acting was first-rate and the staging wonderfully effective. The production was a critically acclaimed hit on the West End when it opened in London in 2004 and seems destined to a similar fate in its New York run.

It the mark of a great place that one can move seamlessly through the worlds of sport and art so easily. New York City is such a place. So is Choate.

A week after extending his domination of world #1 Roger Federer to 4-1--and had a few points in Miami last year swung the other way, it would be 5-0--Rafael Nadal extended his impressive streak of clay court wins by capturing the Barcelona tournament. His run now has eclipsed Bjorn Borg's 46 wins by one and is closing in on the men's record of 53, held by Guillermo Vilas (the overall record of consective victories on clay is Chris Evert with 125--a pretty safe mark, if there ever was one!). Still ahead: more tournaments on the dirt in Rome, Hamburg, and Paris.

Yeah, it's only May, but isn't it great that both the Mets and the Yanks sit atop their divisional standings?

A fifth-set tiebreak win gives Rafael Nadal another victory over #1 Roger Federer. Rafa saved two match points en route to the Rome Masters Series title. No doubt the young Spaniard is the king of clay courts; in defending his Italian Open title today, he tied the streak of 53 wins on the dirt that was set by Guillermo Vilas in the late 1970s. While Federer has been largely untouchable on the tour the last couple of years, he is now 1-5 against #2-ranked Nadal. Both are scheduled to play in the German Open next week (though Nadal dropped out last year after winning in Rome). After that, the French Open looms.

Today's final lasted more than five hours. Of course, I'd have loved to have watched it live, but Comcast in my area does not yet carry The Tennis Channel, so I followed the live scores update online.

The 2006 New England prep school tennis season concluded with a day-long singles and doubles tournament on the Choate campus. Congrats to CRH players pictured above: Eliot Jia and Ben Gettinger won the doubles crown.

Yesterday marked the start of the French Open. ESPN coverage starts at 5 a.m. each morning, so I will be waking up to tennis for the next two weeks.

I've been enjoying a great series of inspirational ads running on ESPN2 during the Roland Garros coverage. The commercials promote the upcoming World Cup on the ABC networks and feature the music of U2 as well as voice-overs by members of the band. Check out the ads online here.

Rafael Nadal's first-round victory at the French Open enabled him to eclipse the consecutive wins on clay mark held by Argentina's Guillermo Vilas (below)--one of my boyhood favorites.

So nice to see the French Open as soon as I wake up each morning: a feast for the eyes!

Rafael Nadal survived a tough challenge from French player Paul-Henri Mathieu to win his 56th straight match on clay. Next up for the Spaniard is a showdown with Lleyton Hewitt, whom he's never defeated (thought the two have yet to meet on clay).

This picture, which I took in May of 2005, has a generation of Choate Tennis captains from five different seasons: Mark Goldberg (2003 captain), Ben Gettinger (2007), Ming Ong (2005), Angelo Coclanis (2005), Eliot Jia (2006), and Karl Blunden (2004). Pretty cool.

Lleyton Hewitt made Rafael Nadal work pretty hard in this Grand Slam showdown. Given Hewitt's recent history--he's lost to the eventual champion in seven of the past eight majors the past two years--this was a good omen for Nadal, who now extends his clay court streak to 57. But Federer is playing awfully well in the other half of the draw . . .

The great Swedish player--one of my childhood idols--turns 50 today. Tennis hasn't really ever been the same since Borg more or less walked away from the game after losing the 1981 U.S. Open final.

The top four seeds face off in the French Open men's singles semifinals tomorrow, and of course everyone wants a Federer/Nadal final (which I'll probably miss due to travel, so I better fire up the DVR!). Justine Henin-Hardenne will be gunning for her third Roland Garros title against Svetlana Kuznetsova. And the Bryan twins reached their sixth straight major final and will take on Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi in a rematch of last's year's men's doubles championship; the Americans have won the last two Slam titles. A pretty intriguing final weekend!

#1 vs. #2 on Sunday in Paris! Federer reached his first Roland Garros final and is in a position to hold singles titles at all four majors at once, should he win. Of course, he'd be halfway to a traditional (read: calendar year) Grand Slam, too, and the prohibitive favorite at Wimbledon next month. Nadal will have something to say about that, with an impressive streak of his own on the line and a pretty nice record against the Swiss star. Nadal's straight-set win in the semifinal and a day of rest should have him fresh for the final after a few grueling rounds earlier in the tournament. Federer has cruised through the draw and looks to be in top form and hungry! Ought to be a very intriguing championship match!

June is always a good time to be in Europe from a sporting perspective. While I'll miss Wimbledon this year--it starts a week later than usual, compared to the school calendar my life operates on--I've seen a lot of grass court action from the Queen's Club tournament this week on both Eurosport and BBC. And, of course, there seems to be some sort of soccer tournament getting people's attention here as well. I arrived in Holland early this afternoon and while the Greeks were clearly following the World Cup, the Dutch have a team in the competition and are doing well, so it's a BIG deal. (The photo above is of Holland team and fans decked out in their traditional orange garb.)

As I write these words, I am watching the U.S. side fight a must-win contest in its second game of the round robin against the Italian team. It's hard not to get caught up in the event while here in Europe. I'm sure England will be in the throes of soccer madness, too, when I arrive there on Monday. Anyway, I've been prepping a bit by reading an enjoyable book of essays: The Thinking Fan's Guide To The World Cup, with some excellent contributions by the likes of Nick Hornby, Dave Eggers, and Choatie (and The New Yorker writer) Jim Surowiecki. I recommend it, even for the casual soccer aficionados. (The pic below if the cover to the U.K. edition, which I picked up here in Amsterdam; there is a different cover in the U.S., but apparently the same content.)

Today is the first day of "the fortnight" at Wimbledon. Among the storylines that should unfold in the next two weeks:

• Can Andre Agassi contend in his final appearance at the All-England Club?

• Will Roger Federer win a fourth straight title, as expected, in light of a brutal draw starting from his first-round date with Richard Gasquet?

• Can Justine Henin-Hardenne capture the only major title that has eluded her to date?

• What are the odds Venus Williams will be able to defend her 2005 crown?

• Will Andy Roddick find his long-lost mojo?

• Which of the following will experience a surprise breakthrough in the 2006 tournament: Andy Murray, Amelie Mauresmo, Rafael Nadal, James Blake, or Martina Hingis?

This link will take you to a fascinating video clip (playback requires Windows Media Player) of former world #1 Mats Wilander offering some pretty frank commentary in the wake of the recent French Open final between Nadal and Federer. His observations on the nature of competition at this level are both provocative and astute. The clip is something any serious tennis fan will appreciate.

Nice line-up available for consumption on a summer Saturday afternoon:

• Wimbledon third round matches, including Agassi vs. Nadal and the battle of the Andys (Roddick vs. Murray)

• World Cup quarterfinal action: England vs. Portugal and Brazil vs. France

• the Mets vs. the Yankees at the Stadium

• the first day of the Tour de France, which not only has lost its biggest star--seven-time champ Lance Armstrong--to retirement, but has seen the 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-place finishers from 2005 bounced out of the event as part of a doping scandal

• PGA golf just up the road in Cromwell, while the women play the U.S. Open in Newport, Rhode Island

Not a bad range of offerings.

Nadal's thorough dismantling of Agassi in yesterday's third round match at Wimbledon suggests the young Spaniard has emerged as a threat in this tournament. He may not be able to get past Federer in a final, but it's hard to imagine anyone else in the draw would be a lock to beat Nadal.

The top four seeds in the Ladies' Singles Championship have advanced to Thursday's semis at Wimbledon: #1 Mauresmo will play #4 Sharapova and #2 Clijsters will take on #3 Henin-Hardenne in an all-Belgian affair. The latter match seems an easy pick, as Henin-Hardenne has dominated her countrywoman on the big occasions. The Mauresmo/Sharapova showdown is harder to call, because both players have shown themselves capable of melting down in big matches. Sharapova has the advantage of having won the title two years ago, but Mauresmo's game and athleticism may be better suited to the surface and she does have some added confidence as the 2006 Aussie Open champ. I'm picking JHH to win it all and complete the career Grand Slam.

This is a piece of music NBC Sports has used in its Wimbledon coverage since the late 1970s, something I never would have been able to track down and acquire had it not been for the good ol' World Wide Web.

Congrats to Amelie Mauresmo, who was impressive in winning her first Wimbledon crown, her second major championship of the year.

Congrats to the Bryan twins for winning their first title at "the Big W"--they've now completed the career Grand Slam. Like Mauresmo, they won in Melbourne in January.

And congrats to me for my 500th post on this blog!

Federer repeats, though Nadal acquitted himself admirably after a slow start in today's final. For someone not given much credit on this surface just two weeks ago, Nadal proved his critics wrong and should be even more of a threat in future years.

Four in a row for the Swiss #1 in a pretty terrific feat, one made sweeter by a long-overdue win against his younger rival.

In year one of the post-Lance Armstrong era, another American has emerged as the central figure in the world's most famous bicycle race. After surrendering the yellow jersey after a disastrous outing on Wednesday, Floyd Landis rebounded to put himself back in the title hunt with an incredible performace, winning the race's last Alpine stage. Landis lost more than eight minutes to the race leader in a punishing stage just 24 hours earlier, but reduced the deficit to 30 seconds earlier today in a five-hour effort that blew his rivals away. He now is a legitimate threat to finish on the Champs Elysees as the victor of the 2006 Tour. It will be interesting to watch what happens.

The cover story of the sports section in this morning's Times has a fascinating article on the geographic divide between Yanks and Sox fans. Of course, living halfway between Boston and New York, the border is pretty close to me. And the world in which I operate--a New England boarding school--seems to be split close to evenly between aficionados of each of the two clubs. It was this way even up in Andover, Mass., when I taught there; the 1986 World Series between the Sox and the Mets exposed a fault line right down the middle of the 44-person dorm in which I lived, given so many students from New York City and its environs.

The article could have explored the eastern end of Long Island, too. There's a border there for two reasons: (a) Sox legend Carl Yastremski hails from Bridgehampton; and (b) in the old days, the east end got Sox games on the radio from Rhode Island. Thus there are pockets of Sox fans out there.

I watched the second game of the Yanks' double header at Fenway to the bitter (actually, sweet, in this case) end . . . this showdown set the major league record for the longest nine-inning game ever. Having shellacked the Sox in the afternoon contest by a 12-4 score, the Yankees then prevailed in a seesaw 14-11 nightcap that included a seven-run seventh inning rally for New York. This puts the Sox 3.5 games behind their hated rival in the AL East race.

The novelist David Foster Wallace has a brilliant piece on Roger Federer in the "Play" magazine insert in tomorrow's New York Times (which arrives on Saturday for home subscribers like me). In the article contains a spot-on analysis of the limits of appreciating the sport on television:

TV tennis has its advantages, but these advantages have disadvantages, and chief among them is a certain illusion of intimacy. Television’s slow-mo replays, its close-ups and graphics, all so privilege viewers that we’re not even aware of how much is lost in broadcast. And a large part of what’s lost is the sheer physicality of top tennis, a sense of the speeds at which the ball is moving and the players are reacting. This loss is simple to explain. TV’s priority, during a point, is coverage of the whole court, a comprehensive view, so that viewers can see both players and the overall geometry of the exchange. Television therefore chooses a specular vantage that is overhead and behind one baseline. You, the viewer, are above and looking down from behind the court. This perspective, as any art student will tell you, “foreshortens” the court. Real tennis, after all, is three-dimensional, but a TV screen’s image is only 2-D. The dimension that’s lost (or rather distorted) on the screen is the real court’s length, the 78 feet between baselines; and the speed with which the ball traverses this length is a shot’s pace, which on TV is obscured, and in person is fearsome to behold. That may sound abstract or overblown, in which case by all means go in person to some professional tournament — especially to the outer courts in early rounds, where you can sit 20 feet from the sideline — and sample the difference for yourself. If you’ve watched tennis only on television, you simply have no idea how hard these pros are hitting the ball, how fast the ball is moving, how little time the players have to get to it, and how quickly they’re able to move and rotate and strike and recover.

With their 13-5 victory today, the Yankees have scored at least 12 runs in each of the first three of a five-game series at Boston. UN-lucky for Sox fans!

Andy Roddick captured his first title of 2006 in the Cincinnati tournament, finding form that has been long elusive. His defeat of Juan Carlos Ferrero was a replay of the 2003 Flushing Meadows final. Hopefuly Roddick can ride this momentum into a strong U.S. Open; he can't do much worse than his first round loss last year! Hard to imagine this former world #1 has dropped outside the top 15 in the rankings in recent weeks. At least this result ought to get him among the top 16 seeds in the Open, which will be critical in helping him avoid other contenders before the second week of the event.

Tiger Woods coasted to his 12th major title today in winning his third PGA Championship crown. He's clearly pulling away from Mickelson et al. and looking more like the unbeatable golfer we saw a few years back.

The Yankees just completed a five-game sweep of the Red Sox in Fenway Park. This series was as humiliating a string of defeats as I've seen in the regular season--surpassing even the fabled Boston Massacre of 1978. At this point, it's difficult to envision the Sox making the playoffs this fall.

Check out this ad, which I'm sure will be in heavy rotation during the U.S. Open the next couple of weeks.

Just checked into my New York City hotel. On the eve of the U.S. Open, there are lots of tennis folks around town. (I am here for the USTA's conference for coaches.) As the Open will be Andre Agassi's last event before his retirement, ESPN Classic is now replaying the final of the 1995 Australian Open final between him and Pete Sampras. I have warm memories of this particular tournament, which Agassi won. It was the first appearance of the "pirate look" for Andre; he had finally cut his dyed long hair before playing in Melbourne, radically changing his image. It was also the year when Sampras experienced a semi-breakdown during his quarterfinal match against Jim Courier, in light of the medical difficulties Pete's coach Tim Gullikson (who later died of brain cancer) was going through at the time. At the time, the two players were ranked #1 and #2. Arguably each was at his peak (or, in Agassi's case, one of his peaks!). The final was of remarkably high quality and it was called by the all-star ESPN commentary squad of Cliff Drysdale, Fred Stolle, and Mary Carillo. It's a treat to watch it again.

Upon returning from the theater, I caught Andre Agassi's rebound in the third set of his first round match from a 0-4 deficit to a tiebreak win. The fourth set will start past midnight.

After a tight start, Agassi pulled out his first round match against a game Andrei Pavel.

I was supposed to spend most of the day out at the U.S. Open, but rain washed out the schedule of matches. This morning, Jimmy Connors was featured in the closing session of the USTA conference in New York. Having been a rabid "Jimbo" fan in the 1980s, it was cool to hear him wax philosophic about tennis past and present.

Andre Agassi is on serve, 3-2, in the fifth set of his match with #8 seed Marcos Baghdatis and this is another match about to head past midnight!

Even though he (somewhat accurately) refers to being a Yankees fan being like "cheering for Microsoft," this piece by Salon.com sports columnist King Kaufman is pretty entertaining.

The Lleyton Hewitt match earlier in the week spoke volumes about Andy Roddick's rebound under the tutelage of Jimmy Connors in recent weeks: Roddick was much more effective against his nemesis Hewitt, particularly with a devastating down-the-line backhand that has been sorely missing for the last year or so.

Today, Roddick advanced to the final with some quality tennis against Mikhail Youzhny. Though Roger Federer will be tough to beat in tomorrow's title match, Andy is in a much better frame of mind than he's been in a long time. Perhaps the final will resemble the genuinely competitive 2005 Wimbledon final the two played?

Maria Sharapova leaves the ranks of the "one Slam wonders" by winning her second major at the U.S. Open tonight, besting Justine Henin-Hardenne, 6-4, 6-4. Sharapova knocked off the top two players in the world in succession, eliminating Amelie Mauresmo in the semfinal a day before.

(In case you missed my earlier posting on the topic, here is the link to Maria's Nike ad, which has been in heavy rotation on USA Network and CBS the past couple of weeks.)

Heading into her second retirement from the pro tour, Martina Navratilova teamed with Bob Bryan to claim the U.S. Open mixed doubles crown--her 59th title at a Slam event. That she achieved this just shy of her 50th birthday is amazing.

Roger Federer was just too good. In spite of a Andy Roddick's improved physical and mental approach to the game, when the Swiss player broke at a set all and 6-5 to take the third, you knew the steamroller was about to flatten Roddick in the U.S. Open men's singles final. Federer put on a show in the fourth set, seemingly winning points at will with a dazzling array of groundstrokes, serves, and net play. The key statistic of the night was 59 winners to 19 errors for Federer: an amazingly high quality of play. He nailed down major title #9 and--like Tiger Woods, who was sitting in the courtside box with the Federer party--leads one to wonder just how many more lie ahead for this player at the peak of his powers.

I calibrated my new iPod Nano with my Nike+ shoes, measuring 400 meters at both walking and jogging pace. The Sport Kit provided a chip for the shoes and a device that connects to the bottom of the Nano, such that a runner can get feedback during a workout on distance, time, pace, calories burned, etc. All the data can by synced with the Nike+ site to track overall progress with some nifty graphs and reports.

. . . oi, oi, oi!

I ordered tickets for Rod Laver Arena so I can attend the first two days of the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, as part of my round-the-world trip during my sabbatical leave this winter. If I can swing a weekend getaway to Paris over Memorial Day weekend, I may try to complete a tennis Grand Slam of my own by attending all four majors in 2007.

This ought to bring back memories of those old enough to remember June 1981.

Roger Federer won five matches this week in Shanghai to win the Tennis Masters Cup, the year-end tour championship. Along the way he bested Andy Roddick (coming back from match points down!), nemesis Rafael Nadal, and--in today's final--James Blake.

The semifinal victory over Nadal was a critical result. The young Spaniard had a tremendous start to 2006, beating Federer in four finals and pushing him even on grass in the title match at Wimbledon. It looked like Rafa might play the role of spoiler as the Swiss star aimed to finish at #1 for the third straight year. But Nadal had a disappointing summer and fall and Federer has been nearly flawless, losing just once since Roland Garros in June.

So you've got yourself the nifty Nike+ Sport Kit for the iPod Nano, but what if you want to run in non-Nike shoes? Well this vendor has a nifty solution: a little case for the shoe chip that fits into the lacing of any running shoe. Of course, I already splurged for a pair of 180s; had I known about this before, I could have saved myself $100.

Most of today was spent in workshop presentations aimed at college tennis coaches--whose work is not all that different from the kind of coaching I do each spring at Choate. It's the fiftieth anniversary of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. There's a big awards banquet tonight, which I will probably skip in favor of checking out the sights in Miami.

I am heading out to the Olympic park here in Sydney for the Medibank International, a combined ATP/WTA tournament that serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open, which begins next week in Melbourne. When I was here last in 1998, the Sydney event--historically known as the New South Wales Open--was then called the adidas International and was still played at White City, one of the classic venues of the sport, close to the center of town.

I am looking forward to seeing the Olympic facility used for the 2000 Sydney Games. Top seed Rafael Nadal is playing in one of the featured matches of the day in the tennis stadium, as are James Blake, Amelie Mauresmo, and Kim Clijsters.

I took these shots at the Sydney Tennis Centre at the Olympic Park in the Homebush Bay section of Sydney. I had a great seat down low in the stadium for the feature matches and wandered the grounds extensively, spending a lot of time at the practice courts. It was a good day of tennis: Blake won handily, Mauresmo pulled through in three, Clijsters obliterated Aussie Nicole Pratt, then Nadal retired trailing 5-6 (on serve) in the first set of his match against up-and-coming Chris Guccione from Melbourne (who has a huge serve). Nadal strained a leg muscle and opted to rest if before the Aussie Open, which begins next week.

I stayed late to watch the Bryan brothers play doubles; I left after they won the first set, but apparently they lost in the match tiebreak to Clement/Llodra.

The Kooyong venue was the site of the Australian Open for many years before the shift to Melbourne Park in 1988. It's clear why the event moved: the club is charming, but the demands of a grand slam event outgrew what the facility could offer. The club is a great site for this exhibition tournament, though, which eight of the top male players use as a warm-up for the Open across town. I took the train from the city center and was deposited a stone's throw from the club. It was fortunate that I booked my ticket online the evening before, for this was the first time a session sold out in the Classic. I arrived as the third-place playoff was underway (Andy Murray beat Marat Safin in a first-set tiebreak and cruised to a quick second-set win). Though assigned an upper-tier seat, I finagled my way down low and spend most of the afternoon at the level of the first row behind court and thus captured these images at pretty short range.

The main event was the Federer/Roddick match. Roddick took the first set 6-2, and his groundstrokes were penetrating much deeper into the court than they had been in a while. This enabled Andy to come to net to knock off some easy winners time and again. I guess Jimmy Connors gets some credit for that.

Federer was clearly fired up for the second set and came out like gangbusters, quickly breaking Roddick and showing the smooth shot-making skill that has made him #1 in the world. He won it 6-3. Watching the Swiss player's game from this close, I was amazed at what he could do with a ball when he was in trouble. It's not that he can scramble to recover tough shots--other players such as Nadal are better at that--but rather the way he can take, say, a low short ball with no pace and deftly flick it on a sharp angle with even less pace for a clean winner. Most other players would struggle to do more than put that ball back into play! His touch is buttery.

The third set was hard fought, but Roddick's resolve carried the day, taking the decider 6-3.

I am getting ready to head over to Melbourne Park for the opening day of the Australian Open. I was last here in 1998. The venue has a great layout and is very spectator-friendly. There's a good line-up on the show courts, but a lot of the attraction for me is the outer courts and the practice courts.

There are some interesting storylines building for this year's tournament:

• Can Federer continue his dominance of the major events and win a tenth Slam event?
• Can Nadal breakthrough in a major other than Roland Garros?
• Will Andy Roddick build on the momentum he established in the second half of
2006?
• Will James Blake live up to his seeding and get past the fourth round for the first time in Melbourne?
• Can Maria Sharapova win a second major in a row?
• Will Kim Clijsters add another Grand Slam title to her resumé in her final year on the tour?
• Can Amelie Mauresmo defend her crown?
• Will Serena Williams be a factor again at this level?

The tennis is clearly the center of attention in Melbourne for this fortnight, even more than is the case in London or New York (I have yet to be in Paris during the French Open, so I can't speak to that). There's front page coverage in all the nation's newspapers. The city clearly is bending over backwards for the visitors attending the tournament: a ticket to the Open gets you free tram rides throughout the city to get to and from the event!

At Melbourne Park, the big names on Rod Laver Arena were Amelie Mauresmo, Roger Federer, and Marcos Baghdatis. Mauresmo cruised, Federer kicked into gear after a tight first set, and last year's finalist Baghdatis prevailed in four sets over another former runner-up, Ranier Schuettler.

I also spent a lot of time on the outside courts, too, watching the likes of Richard Gasquet and Paradorn Srichapan compete and seeing Carlos Moya, Rafael Nadal, and Lleyton Hewitt practice.

The layout of the facility is very spectator friendly and the addition of Vodaphone Arena--new since my last visit here in 1998--makes it a much more expansive venue. I didn't see Roddick's match over on Vodaphone, but he rallied from a set down and 2-5 to win in four, with some verbal fireworks aimed at the umpire along the way.

Though it was warm, it was overcast for much of the day, which made it much more comfortable for players and fans alike.

Top seed Maria Sharapova played in the first featured match on Rod Laver Arena today. If today's form is any indication, the young Russian may have a rocky road ahead in this tournament. She eked out the win, 8-6 in the third, after surrendering a 5-0 lead in the final set. But along the way, she sprayed balls all over the court and hit two of the shakiest second serves and the absolute worst overhead shank I've ever seen from a pro player (the ball landed a foot in front of her!). Sharapova's victory was more the result of her opponent--Camille Pin of France--choking when she served for the match and was as close as two points away from pulling off the upset.

As temperatures soared past 35°C (95°F) in Melbourne, the combination of heat and humidity forced the Australian Open to invoke its Extreme Heat Policy, which meant cancelling the start of any new matches on outer courts. (Matches already underway would be played to their conclusion.) The two main show courts each feature a retractable roof, which meant I got to watch the roof of Rod Laver Arena slowly close over the course of about fifteen minutes; I was amazed at how quiet the process was. Once finished, the atmosphere of the court was entirely transformed for the Nadal and Clijsters matches that followed. It felt like an indoor tournament, as the lighting and even the reverberating sounds of the match were significantly different. It didn't seem to matter at all to the top players, though, as both Nadal and Clijsters cruised in straight sets--the latter with a double bagel! As a spectator, it was surely more enjoyable to watch the tennis from air conditioned comfort.

The Andy Roddick/Marat Safin third round match in the Aussie Open was great tennis. Roddick prevailed in four sets in front of coach Jimmy Connors who returned to Australia for the first time in thirty years.

Connors was the 1974 champ in Melbourne but in the late 1970s and early 1980s the Aussie Open was considered lacking in prestige and few of the top male players made the trip Down Under to contest it. A quick look at the honor roll of champions reflects that: Mark Edmonson, Brian Teacher, and Johan Kriek--hardly household names for the general public--all won titles in that era. Even clay court king Guillermo Vilas was able to nab two crowns on the grass at Kooyong. The tide turned a bit in the mid-1980s and certainly in 1988 when Tennis Australia moved the event to the new Flinders Park (now Melbourne Park) venue and hard courts.

Nadal just prevailed in five sets over Andy Murray, wearing the Scot out in the final stages of the match in the wee hours of the morning in Melbourne. Though Rafa trailed 0-1 and 1-2 in sets, he battled tenciously and his edge in fitness enabled him to take this first meeting between the two players. This could be the beginning of an interesting Murray/Nadal rivalry.

What this tournament demonstrated was that Andy Murray clearly will be a threat in the majors in the foreseeable future. He was one of only two players to beat Federer last year and the addition of Brad Gilbert to his coaching team is only going to hasten is development as a player. He looked impressive when I saw him in person beating Safin at Kooyong and was repeatedly drilling winners against Nadal for much of tonight's match--something precious few players can pull off. Murray has already broken into the top 20 and I suspect a top 10 slot is not too far away.

My hotel in Saigon gets the Star Sports network, which carries the Australian Open, just as it did in Singapore; the difference is that in the coverage here there is no commentary. Over the weekend, I listened to Vijay Amritraj providing the analysis on each match--supposedly from a Singapore studio, I'm told--but here I guess the idea is to provide a linguistically neutral presentation. So it's basically the raw feed, with live match sounds and the post-match on-court interviews. Though at times the play-by-play and color men and women in the booth can be overbearing, I find it's a little dry to listen to just the match sounds.

The top two men's tennis players will NOT be meeting in the year's Australian Open, as a very much on-form Francisco Gonzalez continued his strong run (wins over Hewitt and Blake) at the tournament by bouncing Rafael Nadal out in straight sets. The marquee match left in the event is the Federer/Roddick semifinal tomorrow. Gonzalez will take on Tommy Haas in the other half of the draw.

Well, that didn't take long. Federer thumped Roddick. After 4-all in the first set, the Swiss player took 14 of the final 16 games. The Fed was devastating, playing nearly flawless tennis. It was hard not to feel sorry for Roddick, who had no answers for the dazzling winners his opponent hit from all corners of the court.

Fernando Gonzalez of Chile continued his dream run, manhandling Tommy Haas in striaght sets to move into his first Slam final. If he plays like this on Sunday, he might even be able to challenge Federer.

Interestingly, the quick finish to the match meant that the scheduled Australia Day fireworks--which awkwardly would have been going off while play was underway--began almost at the moment of Gonzalez's victory.

In keeping with the lopsided results in the men's semis, Serena Williams just finishing an absolute pasting of top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the final of the Australian Open for her third Melbourne crown. The score was 6-1, 6-2, and it wasn't that close! Serena's path to her eighth major title evokes memories of Andre Agassi's phoenix-like rebirth at several points in his career; maybe she can enter a second phase of reasserted dominance, too? Today it was clear that even the #1-ranked player in the world could be outclassed by Williams in top form. (Maybe this will inspire Venus to get back on court, too?)

I got to watch the entirety of the men's doubles final on Star Sports. The Bryan brothers successfully defended their title against the second-seeded Bjorkman/Mirnyi team, 7-5, 7-5.

Star Sports is nothing if not thorough in its coverage of the Aussie Open. Most of the major matches have been replayed at least once. The Federer/Roddick semifinal is being aired now in anticipation of the final, to be televised live.

While I was blown away by the magic of Federer when I watched this match live, in hindsight I wonder if Roddick really helped the Swiss player look so good. Andy seemed intent on coming behind some awfully short balls, for one thing. And where was that big serve and the booming putaways I saw in Kooyong two weeks before? Admittedly, Roger was in rare form, but the American didn't do much to get him out of his comfort zone in this match after 4-all in the first set. Roddick got frustrated quickly and didn't seem to be able to switch game plans. It would have been an uphill battle in any case, but maybe Connors can help him flesh out a few more options for the next time they meet.

As I only get one English language channel--Star Movies--in my hotel, watching the Super Bowl tonight is not in the cards. Not a huge loss, really, though the commercials are probably more than half of the attraction of the event. (By the way, there's a rumored Apple ad on tap, one that announces the availability of The Beatles catalogue on iTunes Music Store, following the settlement of lots of litigation between Apple Computer and Apple Records over the use of the "Apple" name associated with selling music. We'll see. Or rather, you will see and I'll read about it tomorrow.)

Andy Roddick clinched the Davis Cup quarterfinal win for the U.S., giving the Americans an insurmountable 3-1 lead against the Czech Republic this afternoon. That Roddick won the match on clay, against a tough opponent in the form of world #12 Tomas Berdych, was especially impressive.

The U.S. has the potential to go all the way this year and take its first Cup since 1995. Roddick and James Blake are among the top six players in the current rankings and the Bryan brothers have been #1 in doubles for a while now. That's a formidable line-up. Of course, the next opponent, Spain, has Nadal (#2) and Robredo (#7) as potential team members, but the tie will be played on hard courts in North Carolina. That, plus the almost certain point the U.S. will get in doubles, should make the Americans favored. It would be nice to see this squad make a title run.

As I am preparing to head to New Hampshire for the weekend's New England prep school squash tourney, the Johnson Athletic Center is playing host to the Men's Intercollegiate National Championship. We co-host this event every third year with Yale University. Right now, a couple of the top college teams (Trinity, Harvard) are competing on the Choate courts, providing a great spectating opportunity for the students and faculty on campus.

I am spending the weekend bouncing back and forth between the two venues of the squash New Englands. The "A" tournament is at Phillips Exeter and the "B" division is at Brooks School, about a half-hour south. It's tremendously satisfying after a couple days of intensive effort (and weeks of prior planning) to see this event up and running.

Having run the New England prep school squash tournament for over twenty years now, I'm used to hearing some grumbling about seeding, draws, etc. It goes with the territory.

This year and last year, though, one particular school has made some less-than-subtle hints that the draws are always fixed to benefit my own team (which I don't even coach any more!), an accusation that clearly crosses the line. It is particularly galling this time around because it denigrates the efforts of the Choate players who really had a great final day of competition, winning matches against some tough opponents representing other schools finishing just a couple of points apart in the team scoring. The Wild Boars finished tied for fourth overall this year on the backs of these playoff and consolation wins--a bunch of them in five games--rather than through any advantage in the draw positions.

Moreover, the evidence of "a fix" was supposedly a favorable draw for the Choate #1 (a flight wherein the CRH player didn't win a single match for the second year in a row!). Last year the squad--when I WAS head coach--underperformed with a 10th-place finish! And each of the past two years, the team's captain has faced a top seed in the very first round. So if I'm "setting up" the draws, I must be doing a pretty lousy job of it.

Of course, what most of the critics don't understand is that the system is virtually corruption-proof. We have a five-member seeding committee reflecting geographic diversity that is elected by all coaches. Seeding is done by the group, the draws are made immediately by a computer program and posted on the Internet for all to review. It's about as transparent as we can make it, but I guess there always will be people taking cheap shots.

Congrats to the Wild Boars girls' ice hockey team, which captured the New England championship this afternoon, defeating Noble and Greenough School 5-2 in the final round.

Just got in from the morning tennis clinic on the Marriott courts--an hour of light drilling and an informal doubles round-robin. It's nice to be back on the courts after a layoff of nearly five months. There's something truly satisfying in simply finding the sweet spot and hitting the ball well. What's different here is the incessant wind, a bit frustrating when one is trying find his service timing after being away from the game for a while.

The fact that the numbers 2 and 3 ranked players in the world won their quarterfinal matches at Indian Wells yesterday means tomorrow we will be treated to a semifinal showdown between Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick. Strangely, the two have not played since December 2004. Their head-to-head record is 1-1, with the American winning in the U.S. Open and the Spaniard prevailing on clay in the Davis Cup final. This ought to be a great match to watch.

I spent much of the afternoon out at the practice courts watching the pros work out: James Blake, Martina Hingis, and the Bryan brothers--all of whom lost early out in Indian Wells--were tuning up their games before heading down to Miami for the next major event next week.

Rafael Nadal gave Andy Roddick a lesson in yesterday's semifinal (which concluded conveniently before I had to head to the Tampa airport) and fended off up-and-comer Novak Djokovic in today's final to win his first title since Roland Garros last June.

The young Spaniard had been on a tear through 2005 and the first half 2006, earning a slew of tournament wins. He made it to the Wimbledon final in something of a surprise run last July, too, before hitting something of a slump (albeit a "slump" that any player in the world other than perhaps Roger Federer would have loved to have).

Good to see Rafa back in the winner's circle. Maybe a showdown with Federer is in the cards down in Miami in the next event on the circuit?

We'll likely see a rematch of Nadal-Roddick in the Davis Cup tie in North Carolina in a few weeks time, too. Hopefully for the U.S. squad, Blake and Roddick will bring their "A" games, for Nadal is clearly a force to be reckoned with on the hard courts again.

Congrats to the U.S. Davis Cup team for dispatching Spain to advance to the semifinal round. Playing in North Carolina, James Blake shook off his slump with a straight-sets win over top-tenner Tommy Robredo in Friday's first match. Andy Roddick followed suit with another convincing victory in the second singles showdown. Today's doubles success by Bob and Mike Bryan clinched the tie for the home team.

Choate Tennis finished the week with victories in the first two matches of the 2007 season: one on Wednesday at Loomis Chaffee, and a contest here this afternoon against Phillips Exeter. We'll try to keep up the good work.

I got a letter from Comcast, my cable company, today informing me that Tennis Channel will be appearing on my line-up around May 8--just in time for the French Open coverage. Yay!

Just got in from an off-day away tennis match up at Westminster School. Choate won, 5-2, but because we didn't leave until after the class day and our route to Simsbury was detoured due to the flooding of the Farmington River, we started late and of course matches dragged on far longer than they should have. An occupational hazard, I guess.

The Monte Carlo Country Club is hosting one of the ATP's Masters Series tournaments this week. This event is over a century old and has long been considered one of the premier stops on the European spring clay court circuit. Supposedly the club is a spectacularly beautiful setting, with scenic views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

So far, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal remain on course for a final-round rematch of the 2006 championship. Nadal is gunning for a third straight Monte Carlo title.

Kudos to the Bryans for adding another Masters Series title to their impressive list of career accomplishments by winning the Monte Carlo title earlier today.

Three Monte Carlo titles in a row for Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard beat #1 Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in a rematch of the 2006 final and now holds a 5-0 edge on the Swiss player on clay. Nadal climbs to 7-3 overall against Federer and extends his clay winning streak to 67. Hard to argue Rafa won't be the odds on favorite for a third French Open title as well this spring.

Check out a new sports-themed blog produced by a couple of Choate fourth formers: http://www.thebleachercreatures.com/.

David Halberstam died this week in a car accident in California. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a journalist and a sportswriter. I admire the versatility with which he alternated his work between "serious" topics and sport; of course, I'd argue he approached the latter with the same seriousness of purpose he brought to all his coverage of politics and culture. I've enjoyed a number of his books, which I've always found well written and provocative.

One personal anecdote came to mind in the wake of his passing: some years ago when I was teaching the Vietnam War elective here at Choate, I included excerpts from The Best And The Brightest, Halberstam's book on the genesis of the war among American politicians, on my syllabus. Well, one day Halberstam was visiting the Choate campus--I think one of his children was an applicant--and the tour guide was one of my students enrolled at that time in The U.S. In Vietnam. The good news was that this student told Mr. Halberstam that he was reading The Best And The Brightest as part of his coursework and found it fascinating. The bad news was that he let on that Halberstam's book had been distributed in (royalty-free) photocopy form! D'oh!

Anyway, we will miss this man of letters and his urbane and humane voice.

Choate Tennis has finished the first half of its season and now holds a respectable 5-1 record (the team dropped a 3-4 match to Taft on Monday). I have been producing podcasts with members of the squad after each contest, something that has proved to be popular with players, their families, and others on campus.

It's password protected--as it's intended for an internal audience--so anyone wanting to sample it should drop me a line.

I am heading to the Bronx to see if the Yanks can snap a losing streak. 20-year-old phenom Phil Hughes is on the mound for his major league debut.

The number 6 was not kind to the Yankees tonight. They dropped a game to the Blue Jays 0-6 for their sixth straight loss. Another disappointing effort from the men in pinstripes.

Rafael Nadal three-peated in Barcelona to extend his clay court winning streak on the tour to 72. He is now 15-0 in finals on the dirt.

Tonight I watched my second professional baseball game in less than a week. I joined a dozen or so colleagues at New Britain Stadium to see the Rock Cats defeat the Binghamton Mets.

Earlier today, Rafael Nadal prevailed in a third-set tiebreak against Roger Federer in an exhibition match in Mallorca. The result itself is close to meaningless, given the context, but the gimmick in this match is the court, which was grass on one side and red clay on the other--the best surfaces of the two players.

Ugh. Choate Tennis dropped another match today--this time to arch-rival Deerfield. This was one we should have won. We dropped the doubles point after serving for the match. Even though we took first sets in five of the six singles matches, we could only hold on in three of them. Final score: 3-4.

I drove over to western Connecticut this morning to Lake Waramaug to see the Choate crews compete in the Founder's Day Regatta. Watching rowing is sort of like going to watch the Tour de France--a few seconds of frenetic cheering surrounded by lots of sitting around and eating.

At last! I woke up this morning to live coverage of the ATP Masters Series event in Rome. I now receive Tennis Channel (no "the" apparently). This makes me SO happy.

Rafael Nadal's defeat of Novak Djokovic in the Rome quarterfinals today was his 75th straight win on clay. Impressive. And I got to watch the tennis live on Tennis Channel. I really love this cable channel!

At a light team practice today, a few of us hit around with some racquets from my personal museum: wood racquets like the Wilson Jack Kramer (my first "real" racquet, the one that I played with in high school) and the Head Vilas, as well as the steel T-2000 made famous by Jimmy Connors. I have to say I enjoyed the smooth, buttery feel of the wooden stick. It's been many years since I played regularly with wood, but I'm glad I learned the game with the old equipment.

In a conversation with a Choate student, I casually referenced Bjorn Borg. The response was "Who is Bjorn Borg?" Wow! When I was in about 10th grade, I thought Borg was the coolest guy on the planet.

Rafael Nadal takes his third straight Rome Masters title, waxing Fernando Gonzalez pretty quickly. Rafa closes the gap a bit between himself and #1 Roger Federer. It will be interesting to see: (a) how Federer--who just announced his split with coach Tony Roche--fares in the Hamburg Masters Series event this week, and (b) if Nadal drops out of the Hamburg event, as he did last year.

Choate Tennis stumbled again, this time losing to Hotchkiss for the first time since 1999. This was another winnable match that we couldn't put away. I am not used to this!

I spent most of today re-shuffling tomorrow's tennis championships in light of the heavy rain forecast for the weekend. It was non-stop e-mailing and phone calling, but we finally have indoor venues on tap for six different sites in Classes A, B, and C tournaments.

Choate Tennis avenged its earlier loss to Deerfield by upsetting the Big Green in the first round of the New England Class "A" tournament this morning. Sweet!

Roger Federer dropped the first set in the Hamburg final against his nemesis Rafael Nadal, but was able to win the final two sets in commanding form, dropping only two games. Suddenly the prospects for his winning Roland Garros have gotten a bit brighter.

After watching this morning's German Open final on television, I met some '06 tennis alums for a little doubles action at the Hunt Tennis Center. Following that I took in the Western New England softball championship game here on campus (Choate won, beating Loomis Chaffee in the final!). In a few minutes I will be heading down to Shea Stadium for the Mets/Yankees game.

Like an old-time Sunday morning church meeting, Shea Stadium was filled with call and response. It went something like this:
"Let's go, Yankees . . . "
"Yankees SUCK!"

As a fan of both New York teams (which is heretical in some quarters, I know) I enjoyed watching the interaction between the partisans all night.

The Yankees finally won one, by the way, 6-2.

Choate Tennis concluded its regular season with a shutout win at Avon Old Farms. A rather anti-climactic finish to a season with a handful of hotly contested matches. We celebrated afterward at Bertucci's.

Congrats to Ben Gettinger and Max Mullen, 2007 New England champions in doubles.

Opening day at Roland Garros! Tennis time once again. I am looking forward to the wall-to-wall coverage on Tennis Channel. Apparently it is raining in Paris today, so match play is intermittent.

I was actually planning to be on site this year. I would have taken a flight around 11 p.m. last night--after running the NEPSITT at Choate all day yesterday--and seen play on Sunday and Monday before jetting back to school. But when I investigated cashing in some mileage points, it turned out to be too complicated and too expensive to pull it off. I probably waited until it was far too late. Maybe next year?

I can remember being riveted to the 1991 U.S. Open--the year Jimmy Connors advanced to the semis at age 39, capturing the attention of the world with his dramatic come-from-behind wins along the way. After each match, he had to be hooked up to an IV and he could barely walk the next day. As I recall, I was mystified by this: he wasn't THAT old after all. How could a tennis match take that much out of him?

Having played three sets of doubles this evening, I now can fully appreciate Jimbo's position. Even though I wasn't playing at a world class level, I feel stiff all over tonight. The body doesn't recover like it used to!

(By the way, I ended up attending the Open men's singles final in 1991 with Choate captain Case Maner, seeing Stefan Edberg dismantle Jim Courier in straight sets.)

adidas is offering its popular Barriade IV tennis shoe in a special "Stars and Stripes" edition for the North American summer circuit, which culminates in the U.S. Open. Presumably we'll see the Bryan brothers sporting these in the Davis Cup.

Just finishing watching Rada dismantle Lleyton Hewitt on Tennis Channel's live coverage from the French Open: two quick sets and one battle through a tiebreak. Nadal is looking better with each match he plays in Paris.

The quarterfinal showdown between Aussie Open winner Serena Williams and defending Roland Garros champ Justine Henin turned out to be a disappointing encounter, mostly because Serena couldn't summon her best tennis. The Belgian won 6-4, 6-3. Most observers considered this match the de facto final, two rounds too early. It was hard to see anyone other than one of these two hoisting the trophy; Henin is now the only past champion remaining in the draw. No Grand Slam in women's singles this year! (Incidentally, I think the best bets for a sweep of the four majors in 2007 are the Bryan brothers in men's doubles, though if Federer can win the French, he'd be pretty well expected to win again at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, as he has the past three seasons, to complete the Slam.)

My sense is that Roger Federer owes Nikolay Davydenko (pictured above) a drink or two for knocking out Guillermo Cañas in straight sets in the Roland Garros quarters. Now, instead of facing Cañas--who beat the #1 player twice in three weeks earlier this season (in Masters Series events, no less!)--in the semifinal on Friday, Federer will play Davydenko, against whom he holds an 8-0 advantage in previous matches played.

Maybe I jinxed Bob and Mike Bryan. A few posts ago, I mentioned their chances for a calendar year Grand Slam. Turns out the pair lost today in Paris in the quarterfinals to the Czech duo of Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner. The score was 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; apparently the Americans came back from 1-5 in the third and almost levelled at 5-apiece.

Justine Henin made mincemeat of Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles final at the French Open, dismantling her 6-1, 6-2. The occasion may have overwhelmed Ivanovic but it's hard not to be impressed by the Belgian's fourth Roland Garros crown.

I'm getting ready to settle in an watch the Roland Garros men's singles final featuring the top two players in the world. This is a hugely important championship--probably the most important match in the sport since last year's Wimbledon final, also between Federer and Nadal. Had the Spaniard won that contest last July, it would have represented a seismic shift in the balance of power in upending Federer on grass, where he has been most dominant. Rafa put up a good fight, but after losing on Centre Court, he was not much of a factor for the remainder of 2006.

The significance of today's showdown is whether Roger Federer can unseat Nadal's lockhold on the French Open since 2005. Nadal has never lost in Paris. But Federer's recent victory over his rival in Hamburg on clay suggests he may have the confidence (and perhaps the game plan) to prevail. If the world #1 can win, he'll add the last missing piece of the puzzle to an amazing array of titles, hold all four majors at once, and keep his chances for a calendar year Grand Slam alive (and he'd be the odds-on favorite to repeat at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open). Moreover, he'd make it much easier for folks to declare him the best player ever.

Bring it on!

In the end, it looked all too similar to their matches at the French the past two years. While Federer was clearly in this match, overcoming Nadal's tremendous defense--he saved 16 of 17 break points!--turned out to be too daunting a task. And so Roger's ambitions for the Grand Slam were dashed once more. What must be even more disappointing is the notion that as long as the younger Spaniard is around and healthy, Federer will have an uphill battle winning at Roland Garros.

The Bronx Bombers seem to winning games, at last! Six in a row now. They still have to dig themselves out of a deep hole, but the second half of the season is when the Yanks have been at their best in recent years.

Today I met up with Neal Sarwal, an Eton student who was in the South Africa program I did last summer. We arranged to rendezvous at the Barons Court tube stop and then walk down the road to Queen's Club for some tennis. The Artois Championship is the premier Wimbledon warm-up event, a tournament I have always wanted to see since the days when Connors and McEnroe played there. There's something about the red color scheme surrounding the grass courts that is visually attractive--much more so than the All-England Club's all-green look.

Practice court junkie that I am, some of the best tennis I enjoyed today was watching the workout sessions of Rafael Nadal, Marat Safin, Ivan Lubjicic, Tim Henman, the Bryan brothers, and Andy Roddick (pictured below with Jimmy Connors and brother John looking on).

Since we only scored grounds passes for the day, Neal and settled in to watch Arnaud Clement beat big-serving Aussie Chris Guccione and then Max Miryni top Gael Monfils in an entertaining three-setter on an outer court.

I took the pic of Andy Roddick above earlier in the week on the Queen's Club practice courts. With his 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory in the championship today over surprise finalist Nicolas Mahut of France, Roddick pretty much locked up the third seed for Wimbledon (which begins in 8 days) and his ranking should return to #3 in the world as well. The American was match point down in the second set before rebounding to win. This was Roddick's fourth title at Queen's, which ties him with John McEnroe, Boris Becker, and Lleyton Hewitt for the record in the grass-court Wimbledon tune-up. Federer still looms as a force on the greensward, but hopefully this year Roddick will at least surpass his early-round loss to Andy Murray in the 2006 Lawn Tennis Championships.

There's an interesting article that ran in the international edition of USA Today about wood tennis racquets. Apparently a slew of current tour players were asked to hit with traditional wooden frames and compare them to the modern racquet technology. (One of them, Novak Djokovic--currently the #5 player in the world--had NEVER hit with a wood racquet before!) The common consensus--not surprisingly--was great feel, much less power.

Part of me wishes the tennis authorities did what the baseball folks did: limited the professional game to to the traditional equipment (i.e., wood racquets with smaller head sizes) while allowing the rest of us to benefit from technological advances. The problem with this, of course, is a commercial one: the racquet companies use the top players to drive sales of new racquets. Coaches and teaching pros see this first-hand, too. For example, I am on the HEAD advisory staff, which means I get a couple of free racquets every year. There is a clear push to adopt the company's new technology every season. So as someone who has been using the Prestige line of sticks, I have migrated from the iPrestige to the Liquidmetal Prestige to the Flexpoint Prestige as HEAD has upgraded the line and discontinued the older versions. (This time next year I'll be wielding the Microgel Prestige, by the way, which will be released late this year or early next.)

Of course the irony is that most of the top pros don't even play with the racquet it LOOKS like they are playing with. At that level of the game, the athletes are so attuned to the exact details of their equipment that the companies produce "paint jobs" for them-customized versions of older models that are made to resemble the current version. It's pretty much an open secret on the tour. Hence Roger Federer's "new" Wilson racquet this year is just a cosmetically altered version of the same frame he's been comfrotably winning with for years. Marat Safin, who plays with the aforementioned HEAD Prestige line, actually uses a Prestige Classic 600 frame, a discontinued model he won the U.S. Open with in 2000, but it has been painted to look like the iPrestige, the Liquidmetal Prestige, and the Flexpoint Prestige over the years (and no doubt soon the Microgel Prestige will follow).

Had the pros stuck with the wooden racquets, none of this would be necessary (though even in the 1970s, Ilie Nastase was notorious for having Wilson racquets painted to resemble adidas models to satisfy his sponsor without playing with inferior equipment). But it's doubtful the world's top players would be getting big bucks for using racquets that most of the rest of us would never dream of buying when we could be using graphite composites, oversized heads, wide bodies, and the rest.

Today begins "the Fortnight." As a boy I rabidly consumed every telecast of the Wimbledon championships. The pickings were slim in those days: you were pretty much limited to what NBC aired. In the 1970s and early 1980s, that was 15 minutes of highlights each weeknight (perhaps only in the second week, at that) and tape-delayed coverage on the middle weekend. We were lucky to have "Breakfast At Wimbledon" on the finals weekend, showing the gentlemen's championship, and later the ladies' championship, live at 9 a.m., East Coast time in America. I came of age as a Wimbledon fan in the Borg era. The Swede had a stranglehold on the title, winning five in a row, and getting the final a sixth straight year. It was magic.

I went to the tournament for the first time in 1994 and have been back roughly half the years since then. It is still magic.

Precipitation ruined my chances to see tennis today. Although it will likely clear up, at least for part of the day, later on, I need to get to Heathrow for an evening flight home, so I can't really afford to wait around. I made it all the way out to the All-England Club for the start of play at noon, but the skies started to open and the forecast for the afternoon is pretty dreadful. So I turned around and went back into the city.

The sun is shining in London, SW19, for the first time in days. But no matches at Wimbledon today. In keeping with tradition, play is not scheduled for the middle Sunday of the tournament. Yes, it has happened a couple of times in the past twenty years that a backed up schedule has forced the All-England Club to open its gates on the Lord's day. And Centre Court was filled with die-hard fans those on rare occasons--those who braved the queue to get unexpectedly available tickets--and they filled the venue with tremendous enthusiasm for the likes of Connors and Agassi ("the people's Sunday," it was called).

Too bad the AELTC didn't opt to get back on track with scheduled matches today, for the forecast for the next few days is hardly encouraging!

Mother Nature is not making life easier for the players over at Wimbledon. More rain today.

ESPN 2's coverage of The Championships starts at 7 a.m. here on the East Coast, and the network bills it as "Waking Up To Wimbledon." I reached for the remote first thing when I woke up and within minutes watched the men's second-, third-, and fourth-seeded players advance by finishing rain-delayed matches. So Rafa Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Novak Djokovic are still alive.

Rafael Nadal climbed out from under a 0-2 deficit in sets to defeat Mikhail Youzhny today. As of the other night, I have a dinner bet on Nadal winning Wimbledon before Federer wins the French. I still think this could even be Rafa's year on the grass (yeah, I concede Federer has to be considered the favorite, but if the top two meet in the final, an upset is not beyond the realm of possibility). My worry now is that all the rain the courts have absorbed will hurt Nadal's chances, as the ball won't kick up off the courts with his heavy topspin, as it did in last year's tournament. The Spaniard also has a lot of matches ahead with not much rest, as his section of the draw is furthest behind schedule.

It was tough to see Andy Roddick go down in five sets after holding a 6-4, 6-4, 4-2 lead against Richard Gasquet. Though he should have been able to close it out in the third, the American did not play badly in defeat. His French opponent was dazzling off both wings with groundstroke winners and crisply struck passing shots.

So Roger Federer advanced to the Wimbledon final in his attempt to equal Björn Borg's five in row between 1976 and 1980. He will face nemesis Rafael Nadal tomorrow in the championship. My pick is 60-40 for Federer, but I would not be surprised to see the Spaniard walk away with the title.

It's breakfast at Wimbledon once more: Federer vs. Nadal. The stakes are high. The sun is shining. Centre Court is ready. Showtime!

It looked like things might go the other way when Federer was down 15-40 on serve twice on in the fifth set. But the defending champion found another gear in the last few games to add a fifth straight Wimbledon crown to his impressive list of accomplishments.

This was a very entertaining match that really could have gone either way. It's a treat to see a rivalry like this develop. My hope is that Rafa takes the level of play he has shown on grass into the summer hard court season and the U.S. Open, where he has yet to have had the same impact he's had at Roland Garros and the All-England Club.

I am always struck how graceful these two athletes are in victory and defeat, too. They are both a credit to the game.

Oh, man, do I love this sport!

One sad note from Wimbledon: apparently, we have seen the last post-match interviews of the finalists by Bud Collins. NBC has opted not to renew Bud's contract after 35 years on the air at The Championships. The network wants to move away from scripted features in favor of more on-court action. I personally like the off-court coverage, the human interest stories, the behind-the-scenes looks. And of course, the wonderfully literate and urbane Collins has done a great job colorfully presenting (especially with his multi-hued trousers) this stuff ever since NBC moved him out of the commentary booth a decade or so ago.

As one who grew up on the network's coverage of the tournament--and also one who has gotten the chance to hang out with Collins a little bit--I am disappointed by this development. NBC is being penny-wise and pound-foolish, I am afraid. There's a reason the man is the dean of tennis correspondents and enormously popular with his peers. He adds class and color to NBC's presence at tournaments. Hopefully another network will find a good way to put his talents to use.

Two and three years ago, I would rush back from class late in the morning to watch the daily drama unfold in France, as Lance Armstrong extended his record streak of wins in fascinating battles. Last year, I was somewhat less interested, but Landis was a compelling character and made it interesting. In the wake of all of the scandal surrounding the sport, though, I have virtually no interest in this year's Tour de France. I fear the interest in cycling that Armstrong's achievements stirred here in the States have seriously waned.

After lunch, I turned on the television, which was tuned in to The Tennis Channel, which was replaying a 1970s World Team Tennis match between Ilie Nastase and Sandy Mayer. I was struck by the color scheme on the court--something the modern incarnation of WTT apparently has resurrected (see above photo). Kind of funky!

The newspapers are full of reports of high profiled people engaged in misbehavior.

The NBA is investigating allegations of gambling on the part of one of its officials, including bets on games he worked.

The NFL is reeling from the revelations of superstar Michael Vick's involvement in dog fighting.

Major League Baseball is fumbling around, trying to deal with the very real possibility of one of its most important records being broken by Barry Bonds, who has been surrounded by a mountain of circumstantial evidence of being "juiced" for years.

The Tour de France was rocked again on the doping front yesterday, as Tour leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked out of the competition by his own team for some pretty incrimininating behavior earlier in the spring.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the credibility of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez continues to erode, as the Senate considers charges of perjury (!) as his recent testimony is apparently contradicted by documentary evidence.

Tonight John Isner, fresh from the collegiate tennis ranks, improbably won a match in a third-set tiebreak for the fifth straight time in the Washington ATP event. He knocked off a series of players with far more accomplished records, including Tim Henman, #8 seed Benjamin Becker, #2 seed Tommy Haas, and--tonight--#9 seed Gael Monfils. Against Monfils, Isner dropped serve for the first time in the match at 5-all in the third, but broke the Frenchman serving for the match to set up another tiebreak. Isner will face top seed Andy Roddick in tomorrow's final.

The Yankees have scored 74 runs in their last seven games!

Let's hope this productive offense keeps up heading into the homestretch. I will NOT be satisfied with a wild card berth; I expect the Yanks to win the AL East crown for the tenth straight year.

I turned on the television not even a minute ago. First thing I see: a pitch. Then Barry Bonds hits the record-breaking home run. Weird.

Meanwhile, back in Montreal, Novak Djokovic has knocked off the world's #3 (Roddick) and #2 (Nadal) players in consecutive matches to advance to a final round appointment against Roger Federer on Sunday. An impressive run--and all the more if he should he win tomorrow!

I spent the morning playing in a men's doubles round robin tournament down in Guilford, then took one of the Choate players to a men's round robin singles event in Old Saybrook, then watched Roger Federer win the Cincinnati event for his 50th ATP title on television.

Andy Roddick's recent early losses in Montreal and Cincinnati meant that he dropped out of the top four in the world. This, in turn, made him vulnerable to the possibility of facing Roger Federer before the semifinals in the upcoming U.S. Open--something that, if form holds, will now come to pass, based on the draw made today in New York City. Should both players make it that far, the rematch between 2006's Open finalists will be played in the quarterfinal round.

Earlier today, Tim Henman announced his retirement, to follow the upcoming U.S. Open and a Davis Cup tie later in the month.

I can remember watching Henman when he was a teenager; he stayed the whole week at the New Haven ATP event (I was working for the tournament at the time) to practice. This was before his climb to the world's top five and the Henman Hill mania that swept England every June when the player was in the hunt at Wimbledon.

I'll miss his fluid serve-and-volley game and his classy demeanor on and off the court.

In a few minutes, the 2007 U.S. Open kicks into gear. I am heading to Flushing Meadows for the day tomorrow with the last two Choate Tennis captains to take in the action. This tournament will be a major distraction as the opening-of-school rituals vie for my time in the next two weeks.

I spent eight hours today at the National Tennis Center for Day Two of the 2007 U.S. Open. It wasn't the best possible line-up, but we saw a mix of good matches, including an impressive James Blake win in Ashe Stadium and some intriguing singles and doubles match-ups on the Grandstand and the outer courts. That's the appeal of the early days of the tournament: there's tons of main draw action all over the grounds, plus some doubles and good practice court activity. The photo above I took from the upper level of Armstrong Stadium overlooking the Grandstand: it's David Nalbandian serving.

I had been predicting for weeks now that the Yankees would dominate the Sox as the end of the season approached. Today's win at The Stadium completed a three-game sweep of Boston. Now if the Yankees had shown up to play at all last week, this would mean the gap in the division standings would be erased. But even after the sweep, the Yanks are still 5 games out. As I blogged earlier, I am not settling for the Wild Card; I expect New York to win the AL East (again).

James Blake finally won a five-setter, outlasting the versatile Fabrice Santoro in an enteraining match that just ended.

The nucleus of this fall's cross country has assembled on campus for a few days of training, a bit of racing, and some team bonding. Okay, now summer's REALLY over.

. . . or, in this case, mini-golf. After playing a nearly flawless sixteen holes, I self-destructed on the last two in our annual team outing to Safari Golf. This is why I've always kept the sport of golf at arm's length. It takes just a nudge for things to go horribly wrong and ruin one's day.

I took the Choate Cross Country team down to the Elm City early this morning for the 30th Annual New Haven Road Race. In addition to representing the start of our competitive season each fall, this is always a terrific spectacle to take in. There's something truly affirming about seeing literally thousands of people of all ages lined up to race. Everyone seems to be having fun. In addition to our guys, there's always an assortment of alumni, parents, faculty members, former colleagues, and others on hand for the occasion. A wonderful civic spirit permeates the event, staged on and around the New Haven Green.

Andy Roddick threw everything he had at Roger Federer the last few hours, but still lost in straight sets. In spite of the American blasting serves and teeing off on groundstrokes to attack at any opportunity, Federer consistently came up with the answers when things got tight (as they did in two tiebreakers); the top seed's crosscourt backhand passing shot was especially devastating. Hard to picture anyone else holding the trophy Sunday night.

Staving off seven set points in the first two sets, Roger Federer prevailed over Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Though the Swiss #1 did not play his best tennis, he showed why he deserves the reputation he has. He was too tough mentally. That's ten Slam finals in a row and a 12-2 record in major finals. Wow.

The Yankees erased a five-run deficit to post an 8-7 win over the Boston Red Sox. You could have heard a pin drop in Fenway Park during the Bombers' rally! This is not 8 of the last 10 for New York against their northern rivals. The Yanks keep their hopes of a tenth straight division title within reach, and build confidence for the possible League Championship Series showdown.

Choate hosted its annual cross country invitational today, an informal event to kick off the season. This year we initiated a brand new 5-kilometer course, which we think is about as good a cross country course as you can find on our meet circuit. It took a lot of work and some behind-the-scenes wrangling to have it up and running, but it's a treat to be able to use it now.

One-and-a-half games and closing, baby!

Choate hosted its first ever night football game. The stands were packed, the energy level was high, and the Wild Boars delivered a thrilling win, scoring twice in the fourth quarter and posting the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of play for a 20-17 victory. After a 0-7 2006 campaign, this was just the start of the season our team needed, and Choate fans rushed the field as the clock wound down to celebrate.

Choate Cross Country was impressive in dispatching Founders League rivals Taft and Trinity-Pawling in varsity and JV races today in the home opener of our dual meet season. These victories were especially satisfying because we lost to both of these squads in the varsity race in 2006. Our girls' team won, too, for a clean sweep in cross country.

Moreover, elsewhere on campus and up in New Hampshire, Choate teams went 5-0 against Phillips Exeter Academy, including a dramatic win on the gridiron to put the Wild Boars varsity football record at 2-0 in the young season; this is a very welcome development for a program that was winless a year ago!

THe 2007 baseball season officially ended last night, so there will be no more distractions on that front.

Boy, do I love coaching on a day like today! Great fall weather. A spectacular new cross country course. Two worthy rivals in town. Fifty-odd boys, clad in Blue and Gold, determined to do their level best. A quartet of wins over our biggest rivals in two races. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

The school hosted reporter Jeffrey Marx as a speaker tonight, to talk about the themes he develops in his book Season Of Life, a short meditation on coaching, masculinity, and values. I got to chat with the author over dinner beforehand with a small group of colleagues, too. Marx delivered a terrific presentation, one which seemed to resonate with the student body (no easy feat, that!). His message was what I have found to be true as I've been part of the teaching and coaching profession for over twenty years now: that true learning is made possible when the relationships between teachers and students, between coaches and athletes, are positive and affirming.

Though it was probably inevitable--and may even be for the best for the future of the team--it is hard to watch Joe Torre part company with the New York Yankees. He's brought his team to the playoffs every year and has proven singularly adept at managing both the team and his boss, George Steinbrenner--quite a balancing act, as history would suggest! Torre is a classy guy and he will be missed.

This afternoon Choate Cross Country posted as lopsided a pair of wins over a major rival as I can remember in twenty-plus years of coaching. We put all 10 of our runners ahead of the Hotchkiss #1 in the varsity race, and then 15 in front of the Bearcats' JV leader (even with a few of our guys missing). Wow.

David Nalbandian, whom I photographed from above the Grandstand court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in August, knocked off the top three players in the world en route to his victory in the Madrid Masters tournament this weekend. He defeated Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer.

As a tennis coach, I'm a member of the HEAD Advisory Staff and the racquet I play with, the Prestige Mid, is being refreshed again. This sort of upgrade happens about every two years, just to keep consumers coming back for more: the iPrestige yielded place to the LiquidMetal Prestige, which it turn became the FlexPoint Prestige. Now we have the MicroGEL Prestige, available in January 2008. It sure looks pretty!

The Shanghai Limited Edition of my tennis shoe, the adidas Barricade IV. This pic obscures the very cool gold dragon design on the heel and the bottom. I was born in the Year of the Dragon, so this design resonates with me:

It's hard to convey just how much I am enjoying Season 1 of Friday Night Lights. I watched a bunch of episodes while traveling to and from Washington this week and a couple more tonight. No doubt the coach in me finds this show centered around a high school team appealing, but beyond that, this is simply a great television drama about a small town in Texas.

The Choate boys prevailed in both JV and varsity races at our state meet: the Founders League Championship. The junior varsity was dominant in winning a 12th straight race in this event. The varsity posted a narrow win (a 2-point margin) over rival Loomis Chaffee, earned with some pretty amazing pack running.

For the second tournament in a row, David Nalbandian knocked off both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. I watched the end of the final against Nadal on Tennis Channel. Nalbandian was in fine form in crafting a 6-4, 6-0 over Rafa--the latter's first-ever loss in the city of Paris! Unfortunately, Nalbandian's season is now over, as he doesn't have the points to qualify for the tour championship in Shanghai next week, even though he is currently the hottest player on the circuit.

Choate Football assembled an impressive 48-7 win over Lawrenceville in a Sunday afternoon game. The Wild Boars scored all their points in the first half and never looked back. It was nice that the entire roster got to see some playing time.

Much of my time this week is being devoted to preparations for the New England Cross Country Championships here at Choate. There's lots of work to be done on the actual course, particularly in the start/finish area. Moreover, there are race numbers and meet programs to be distributed, T-shirts to be sold, refreshments to be served, awards to be announced, and results to be disseminated on Saturday.

This day is one of my favorite in the whole year. It's the final cross country practice of the fall, and after our weekly meditation session, I traditionally read the letters written to the team--"words of wisdom," if you will--from recent alums. Many are funny, some are touching, but all are wonderful connections to runners and teams past. As I read these missives aloud, I can picture very clearly each author sitting on the floor of the hockey locker room one or five or ten years ago, in the place where fifty current team members sit transfixed, eager to hear from their predecessors.

Tonight we staged the traditional pre-Deerfield Day pep rally, followed by the ceremonial burning of the dragon in a bonfire. Not sure why we burn a dragon, as Deerfield teams are known only as "The Big Green," but we have to burn something. You can see the smoke billowing out of the dragon's snout!

Well the New England meet is a thing of the past. This event, which took up more and more of my time the past couple of weeks, turned out successfully for the most part. The Choate team was somewhat disappointed with its collective performance, and I always feel guilty trying to give the runners the attention they need while we coaches are juggling the frenetic nature of playing host. But the weather cooperated, races went smoothly, and the reception and awards ceremony was as efficiently run as it's ever been. [Thanks to former Choate Cross Country parent (twice over) Jan Gelb for the above photo.]

Not even 24 hours after the end of the cross country season, I am off to Simsbury for a noon meeting of the New England squash coaches. From one season, onto the next!

Tennis Channel does a good job presenting coverage of the season-ending Masters Cup tourney, though the round-robin matches are aired at odd hours, given the 13-hour time difference with Shanghai. Highlights so far: Federer and Nadal each have dropped a match, but Andy Roddick has looked impressive in already nailing down a semifinal berth.

When Roger Federer dropped a match to Fernando Gonzalez at the beginning of round-robin play at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai this week, it marked the first time in several years that the world #1 had lost two consecutive matches (he fell to David Nalbandian a couple of weeks ago). This development had tennis scribes and bloggers wondering aloud if the Swiss star had finally lost his mojo. But by swatting away Rafael Nadal yesterday and then red-hot David Ferrer--previously undefeated through the week, including a semifinal dismantling of Andy Roddick--in straight sets in today's final, Federer has made it abundantly clear who still wears the crown in men's tennis.

I caught the end of The Natural on TCM this morning. I remember Bernard Malamud--the author of the book--speaking when I was in college and how little regard he seemed to have for the film, which took liberties with the story's ending. It's got a great Randy Newman score, though, and certainly is one of Robert Redford's more memorable roles.

This is the first year since 1993, I think, that I haven't spent this Saturday morning fighting for a parking spot near Van Cortlandt Park and taking in the spectacle that is the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Northeast Qualifier. No Choate runners were up for it this year, so I got to sleep in. It's weird to miss this annual event, though.

Congrats to the U.S. Davis Cup team for breaking a 12-year title drought. On the heels of yesterday's wins by Andy Roddick and James Blake, the Bryan brothers cemented the win over the Russians with a doubles victory to secure the winning point in this weekend's final.

[Choate Photohraphy Club photo]

I spent the past 12 hours in the Johnson Athletic Center at the inaugural Eight Schools holiday boys' basketball tournament. With bad weather forecast for tonight, our schedule for the weekend has fallen apart a bit, but we've done a pretty good job hosting squads from Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, and NMH and the basketball games have been competitive and entertaining.

The first major of the 2008 tennis season is just about a week away. Defending champ Roger Federer is pictured above working out at Melbourne Park in advance of the Australian Open.

As we're bracing for a pile of snow to be dumped on us in the next 24 hours here in New England, it's refreshing to see the beginning of the Australian Open on ESPN2 tonight (the Monday 11 a.m. start works out to be 7 p.m. Sunday night on the East coast of North America, given the difference in time zones). A year ago, I was enjoying the midsummer heat in Melbourne on day one of the year's first major. I am missing being there right now.

The bright sun reflecting off the somewhat garishly blue new Plexicushion courts is certainly an eyeful, too!

When he hits a career-best 42 aces, one would expect Andy Roddick to prevail in the fifth set against 29th-ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber--not exactly a household name--in the third round of the Australian Open. But the American ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, finishing play after 2 a.m. That kind of loss down in the Antipodes has got to make it a VERY long ride home!

UPDATE: For another take on this from the Choate blogosphere, click here.

So the Giants are going to the Super Bowl. Pretty sweet (and unexpected)!

Heading into the final few days of the 2008 Aussie Open, there are some big matches looming. Hard not to like a Federer/Djokovic semifinal pairing. And Rafael Nadal is looking better than ever Down Under, and is a real threat to win his first Slam title outside of Paris (and make a serious bid for the #1 ranking).

On the women's side, it looks like the crown may be Maria Sharapova's to lose, for she has been in awfully fine form. But don't rule out Ana Ivanovic, who took out Venus Williams earlier today to advance to the semis.

In recent years, the Aussie Open has been serving up some unlikely finalists in the men's singles: Arnaud Clement (2001), Ranier Schuttler (2003), Marcos Baghdatis (2006), and Fernando Gonzalez (2007), for example. This year, #38-ranked Jo-Wilfired Tsonga upended world #2 Rafael Nadal in straight sets to advance to the title bout. He'll have to face either #1 Roger Federer or #3 Novak Djokovic--no easy feat.

Kudos to Connecticut's senior U.S. Senator, Chris Dodd, for virtually single-handedly taking a stand against the telecoms who are angling for retroactive Congressional immunity for their illegal FISA wiretaps (that is to say, their complicity in spying on American citizens!). The Bush Administration is finding plenty of Republicans and Democrats willing to support such immunity for these corporations in the name of national security. Fortunately, Dodd is using his position to defend the Constitution vigorously. That's what one hopes to expect from his elected representatives.

I woke up early (around 5:30 a.m.) and turned on the bedroom television in time to catch the end of the live coverage of the Federer/Djokovic Aussie Open semifinal. The Serb's straight-set win this morning (technically Friday night, Melbourne time) was clearly an upset--it's the first time in three years The Fed hasn't made it to a Slam final--but this win was never beyond the realm of possibility. What was surprising was the extent to which the younger player dominated the match. Djokovic's serving was amazing, blasting both corners consistently. Federer arguably wasn't at his best, surrendering a comfortable 5-3 first set lead, for example, but he got beat fair and square.

Novak Djokovic's assault on the top of men's tennis took a major step forward with his winning his first Slam title in today's Australian Open final. Looks like he will join Rafa Nadal in the pursuit of Roger Federer's #1 perch in 2008.

I am settling in to watch my first SuperBowl since 2005. Two years ago I was on a plane from Florida to Connecticut and missed most of the game. Last winter this time I had just arrived in Cairo, where NFL coverage didn't seem to be a broadcasting priority. This year I actually care about the two teams squaring off, so I will enjoy this game and its associated hoopla (after all, a good chunk of the ritual is the commercials aired between bouts of football).

So many Super Bowl games turn out to be duds, but this year's delivered: it was dramatic until the closing seconds of play. The Giants defense was spectacular in shutting down the usually formidable Tom Brady. And Eli Manning pulled the rabbit out of the hat more than once in his final game-winning drive. Too bad to see the Pats miss out on the 19-0 season, but as a New Yorker, I found it satisfying to see the Giants back in the winner's circle.

Just ten weeks after winning the Davis Cup, the U.S. squad is back in action in a first-round tie in Austria. With Andy Roddick, James Blake, and the Bryan brothers back in captain Patrick McEnroe's roster, the American squad is expected to cruise, even on a slow red clay surface.

The Choate squash team was once again recognized with the Team Sportsmanship Award, a distinction voted by all the other teams in New England.

It's championship weekend for several winter sports here in the New England prep schools. I made my way up to Brookline, Massachusetts to see Choate's girls' hockey team lose a semifinal playoff game and then booked over to Deerfield just in time to catch our female swimmers and divers win the New England title!

Not sure which piece of news was the bigger surprise: that Andy Roddick knocked off #2 Rafa Nadal in straight sets in the Dubai quarterfinals today or when, after the upset, Roddick announced that his working relationship with coach Jimmy Connors had ended a week ago.

The on-court result has to be seen as good news for the American. He had beaten the Spaniard in the 2004 U.S. Open and then lost their only other two meetings: in a memorable Davis Cup final later that year and then in the Indian Wells semis last spring. Next up for Roddick: the hottest player on tour, Novak Djokovic.

Andy Roddick completed his week in excellent form, following his win over Nadal with a victory over Aussie Open champ Djokovic and then a three-set decision over Feliciano Lopez in today's final. Perhaps 2008 will shape up as a better season for Roddick? The Indian Wells and Key Biscayne Masters events are within the next month, so it will be fascinating to see if Federer and Nadal can restore their dominance of the top-tier events, if Djokovic can continue to play spoiler, and if Roddick or any others can break through.

My 2008 shipment from HEAD has arrived and I've got three new racquets to play with. I am shifting to the MicroGel Prestige Pro frame. I'll have the new sticks strung today and I look forward to hitting the courts with them later this week.

If one had predicted this morning that #3 Djokovic would knock off #2 Nadal, 6-3, 6-2, in the Indian Wells semis, I wouldn't have put up much of an argument. If that result still can be considered an upset, it's a mild one at best. But for #98 Mardy Fish to school Roger Federer by the same score in the second semifinal today, well that's a surprise of a different order of magnitude. Assuming the mononucleosis that plagued the Swiss star is now behind him, he will need to find another gear soon if he wants to keep his perch atop the men's game.

And so nearly three months into 2008, neither of the world's top two players has yet to bag a title. Interesting season thus far . . .

Let it not be said that I do not introduce my young charges to all that is great in our civilization: here is the Choate tennis team earlier today at the one and only--not counting the other one down the street, that is--Blink's FryDoe in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. This culinary treat followed a dip in the frigid North Atlantic Ocean.

Nearly five months into the 2008 season, Roger Federer has won his first tournament, a clay-court event in Estoril, Portugal. This week brings the first clay-court Masters Series event of the year, the Monte Carlo Open.

This week the men's tennis tour is in Monte Carlo. I spent some time this morning watching Federer and Nadal win their first matches in the event. The former was lucky to advance, down 2-5 in the third set, while the Spaniard rolled through Mario Ancic pretty comfortably. Novak Djokovic advanced, so the trio atop the game right now are on a collision course for the weekend.

I actually had ambitions to travel to Monte Carlo for the weekend, as the school begins a Long Weekend break after classes on Thursday. This is one event I've always dreamed of attending. I figured I could have seen play on Friday and Saturday (and possibly on Sunday) and it looked like I could get travel virtually for free and secure a reasonably priced place to stay in the principality. But I waited too long to pull the trigger on these plans and the air travel logistics would have been tricky in any case. One of these years, I will get over there, though.

The other two European clay court tournaments I want to visit are Rome and Paris. I may cash in some mileage points and get to Roland Garros next month, but I need to decide in the next day or so if I am going to take this plunge. And I think I need to find a way to get to Monte Carlo and Rome in the next few years.

If only I had acted on my plan late in the winter and lined up this trip I had planned to Monte Carlo! Here is the line-up of featured matches I would be watching on the Côte d'Azur right now:

Andreev (RUS) vs [4] Davydenko (RUS)
[1] Federer (SUI) vs [6] Nalbandian (ARG)
[5] Ferrer (ESP) vs [2] Nadal (ESP)
[3] Djokovic (SRB) vs Querrey (USA)

Note that the top six seeds are all still alive in the event.

My regular readers may think I'm obsessed with this tennis tournament in Monte Carlo this week, but I really am kicking myself for not getting over there for the weekend. I doubt the ATP schedule will so neatly align this event with spring Long Weekend break at school in future years, so 2008 might have been my best shot at this. And the match-ups I would have seen yesterday and today! The semifinals in Monaco this afternoon are #4-ranked Davydenko vs. #2 Nadal and then #1 Federer against #3 Djokovic. Thank goodness for the live coverage on Tennis Channel.

In another classic final, Spaniard Rafael Nadal held off top-ranked Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 to win the Monte Carlo tournament for a fourth consecutive year. The Swiss player showed signs that new coach Jose Higueras may be helping him face the challenge of Nadal on the dirt strategically, but one wonders if the psychological advantage the younger player seems to have is too much for Roger to overcome on this surface. Federer blew commanding positions in each set, breaking to lead 4-3 in the first and then going up 4-0 in the second before too many errors let Nadal back into a war of attrition; on this court at least, that's the sort of fight Federer can't win.

The Choate tennis team dropped its first match of the 2008 season this afternoon: a 3-4 decision in a contest that we could have won. The teams I coach tend not to lose all that often--which is a good thing, because I REALLY don't like to lose.

Rafael Nadal notched another clay court tournament victory in winning today's Barcelona final. He is now 20-1 in clay court finals, including the last four events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and the last three Italian and French Opens (he'll be gunning for four in a row at those two in the weeks ahead). Rafa has won 103 of his last 104 matches on the surface. Not too shabby.

The ATP Tour stops in Rome this week for the Italian Open. Since Rafael Nadal actually lost on clay (!) yesterday, maybe the second best clay court player in the world, pictured above, will have a crack at this title this year.

I am enjoying the live coverage on Tennis Channel every morning this week.

Choate's varsity boys' tennis team assembled a fine win this afternoon over a strong Andover squad. This was one of those very rewarding days when a coach sees past efforts pay off. We've suffered a pair of frustrating losses in the past two weeks, letting matches we might have won slip away carelessly. Happily, in the face of adversity, things went differently today. After a sub-par start in our doubles pro-sets, we ended up sweeping all three contests (after two of our pairs got a bit of a tongue-lashing from yours truly halfway through) and then took four of the six singles contests that followed. This win will lift my mood for days to come.

Choate Tennis narrowly lost the League championship with a 3-4 loss to Hotchkiss up in Lakeville this afternoon. A freak injury during the warm-up took our #6 player (who hasn't lost in that position all season) out of the line-up and probably foiled what should have been a straightforward victory for us. In spite of the adversity, the team fought hard, winning a hotly contested #1 doubles showdown to take the doubles point and then earning a 3-0 lead in team scoring with first-set wins in three other singles matches before faltering in a trio of third-set contests. So frustrating to be this close and stymied by a chance turn of events!

Two weeks after a frustrating loss to Deerfield, the Choate tennis team exacted vengeance with a convincing 5-2 win over the Big Green in the semifinals of the New England Class "A" tournament. We won #1 and #2 doubles and then #1, #4, #5, and #6 singles in straight sets.

Rafael Nadal foiled Roger Federer again today in winning the Hamburg Masters title, taking the only major clay court crown he had not yet won. This victory ended the Swiss player's streak of three titles in a row in this event. Inexplicably, Federer once again built huge leads in the first two sets (5-1 in the first set and breaking early again in the second) only to see them erased by Nadal. Federer did prevail in the second-set tiebreak, but it was clear in the third set that his spirit had been broken. He must wonder what he can do against the Spaniard who is so comfortable pounding away on this surface!

For the third straight year, a Choate pair has won the New England prep school doubles title. Congrats to Brian McDermott and Max Mullen.

The French Open (known in the tennis world simply as "Roland Garros" for the World War I aviator whose name adorns the facility) begins today with 32 main draw matches. This is the only of the four majors to begin on a Sunday. Happily for me, Tennis Channel is providing virtually wall-to-wall live coverage with ESPN and NBC.

Hard to believe the tennis great turns 52 today.

The top two players in the world, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, won their semifinal matches today and so on Sunday will face each other on the clay of Roland Garros for the fourth straight year (and the third consecutive final). Nadal has never lost in this tournament, and with his wins over the Swiss rival in the finals of Monte Carlo and Hamburg earlier this spring, he has to be considered the favorite.

In the wake of Justine Henin's recent retirement, Ana Ivanovic has grabbed the #1 ranking and now her first major title in Paris--a crown Henin won the past three seasons. The likable Serb defeated Dinara Safin in straight sets in the Roland Garros final.

Wow. Rafael Nadal was lethal in thrashing world #1 Roger Federer in today's Roland Garros final for a fourth straight victory in the tournament. Nadal won the last nine games and Federer looked at sea on the red clay in Paris. This has to be Federer's worst loss in years, and certainly his poorest performance on such a big occasion since he ascended to the top of the men's game. I have to think the lopsided nature of Nadal's victory may give the Spaniard the confidence to take the Wimbledon crown he nearly won last summer. Certainly he seems to enjoy a psychological advantage over his rival now.

In the course of just a couple of days, Roland Garros champ Rafa Nadal made the transition from slow red clay of Paris to the lightning-fast grass at Queens Club in London. He won his first match on the lawn pretty easily (though he lost in doubles yesterday). A year ago--on the Wednesday of the Artois Championships--I arrived in London and attended this Wimbledon tune-up tournament for the very first time and had an enjoyable afternoon on the club grounds.

I'm about halfway through the new memoir by Pete Sampras. Nothing earth-shattering within, but it's enjoyable quick read, especially when trying to avoid the last wave of reports I have to write at the end of the school year.

Just seven days after manhandling top-ranked Roger Federer in the Roland Garros final on slow red clay, Rafael Nadal posted a victory over #3 Novak Djokovic to win the Artois Championships title on the slick lawns of Queen's Club. Nadal also dispatched four-time Queen's winner Andy Roddick in the semifinal round. The Spaniard is looking more and more comfortable on grass (thanks to Tennis Channel for carrying live coverage this morning). Anyone still discounting Nadal's chances to end Federer's streak in SW19 in a few weeks?

I missed most of the excitement surrounding Tiger Woods' back nine charge at the U.S. Open yesterday, but I marveled tonight at his sinking that twelve-foot putt on 18 to force a playoff, saving his chances for another major title.

People who aren't sports fans really miss out on experiences like today's U.S. Open playoff between dark horse Rocco Mediate and the incredible Tiger Woods. This was yet another entertaining day in a weekend of high drama: the title was determined on the 19th hole played after Tiger birdied on 18 to level the score once more. I am so impressed by runner-up Mediate: like Santiago in The Old Man And The Sea, his attitude and performance illustrates the essential truth that the glory is in the struggle, not just in attaining the prize. And Tiger's response to adversity was similarly admirable, reflecting the qualities of determination and focus that make him a champion.

The Boston Celtics won Game 6 of the NBA Finals with a rout of the Lakers to clinch the championship. What is amazing to me is the sudden emergence of diehard Celtic fans: people whom I've never heard utter a single word about the NBA are now lifelong supporters of the Celts.

Anyway, congrats to the Boston club and its fans for an exciting series.

Time to tee up The Lawn Tennis Championships: day one of Wimbledon. Live coverage is on ESPN2 right now.

Nike prepared a custom design to mark Roger Federer's five consecutive Wimbledon titles. He'll be playing in these white-and-gold models pursuing #6 the next two weeks.

#3 seed Novak Djokovic was bounced out of the second round of Wimbledon in straight sets today by Marat Safin--admittedly a very dangerous floater for a top player to face so early in the tournament. This development detracts a bit from the three-way rivalry emerging at the top of the men's game. Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer all made the semis in Melbourne and Paris in the year's first two majors. I'm still hoping for another Federer-Nadal showdown in the final!

I'm still processing Marat Safin's upset of Novak Djokovic earlier today. Probably not a total surprise that a former U.S. and Australian Open champ turned out to be capable of such a strong result. But Safin's play in recent years has been so sporadic, it was hard to see this coming. It will be interesting to see how far he advances now. Certainly Roger Federer won't be sad to see the Djoker, who beat him in the semis in Melbourne and again was in the same half of the draw, bounced from the tournament.

Pretty tough day at Wimbledon yesterday for a handful of contenders: Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and James Blake were all sent packing. This represents a particularly brutal showing for American men at The Championships; only little-known Bobby Reynolds remains alive in the singles draw.

Got the 2008 summer training website for Choate Cross Country up and running and my first newsletter out to the boys. Two months until the fall season!

Today all 16 men and 16 women left in the singles competitions will see action at Wimbledon. Among the day's featured tilts: a contest between the only two men's champions in the draw, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt; Rafael Nadal vs. Mikhail Youzhny; and Richard Gasquet vs. Andy Murray. And for the first time in a week, I'll be able to watch live coverage!

Roger Federer may very well make a liar out of me, but Rafael Nadal is looking more and more like a Wimbledon champion this year; he appears more effective on grass with each match. Rafa schooled Mikhail Youzhny--a player who might have been expected to give him trouble--in the Round of 16 today.

The crowds at the All-England Club are always electrified when a home-grown player makes some noise in the singles draw. This happens rarely nowadays, but today Scot Andy Murray assembled an exciting comeback from 0-2 down in sets to get Centre Court on its feet.

Rafa Nadal's performance against Andy Murray today did nothing to make me reconsider my view that he has an awfully good shot to win this year's Wimbledon. Murray was riding a wave of confidence and had the support of the home crowd (some 50% of the British public watched his come-from-behind win on Monday night) but Nadal never lost more than two points in any of his service games.

The just-concluded Wimbledon men's singles final was, quite simply, a contest of extraordinary beauty and drama. This marathon struggle was wrapped up with a ferociously fought fifth set in the gloaming, with the final points played in the lingering light past 9 p.m. local time.

As these two great players appear to be such grounded human beings, I'd have been happy to see either one host the familiar golden trophy on Centre Court (though I was pulling more for Nadal today). One has to feel for Federer: after he weathered the fourth-set tiebreak and seemed to find the range on his shots, I really thought he would prevail in the fifth. It looked as though he was about to do just that not long before the end, as he pressed on Nadal's serve, coming within two points of an incredible sixth consecutive title. But I think Rafa is in his head, especially after the demolition Federer suffered in the Roland Garros final. At some level, Roger had to be worried the Spaniard was just not going to go away as he did on this day each of the past two years. Nadal's success on the clay and his improved showing on Melbourne and through the spring U.S. hard court swing had built his confidence (as had his improved backhand and serve) toward the moment of victory here.

For Nadal, this result represents a tremendous achievement: proof that he can bag a major somewhere other than Paris. It also seems to represent a changing of the guard. Nadal has two Slam crowns in 2008 compared to Federer's none (both lost in the semis Down Under in January). Roger has but two victories in minor events to show for his season thus far while Nadal has a pile of Masters Series wins. (And remember Djokovic, who was close to unseating Nadal as #2 just weeks ago? His second-round loss at Wimbledon now has dropped him off the radar!) No matter what the computer says, there's little doubt Nadal is the best player in the world right now.

Federer will need to do some serious soul searching tomorrow morning. His greatest rival has beaten him in his own home: the greensward of the All-England Club. Will this turn of events spook the Swiss like McEnroe's dethroning of Bjorn Borg in 1981 resulted in Borg's packing up his racquets for good? Or will Federer bounce back to win Olympic gold and emerge with yet another U.S. Open trophy? I'd surely love to see another Rafa/Roger showdown on the last Sunday of Flushing Meadows.