(BTW, given Tsonga's progress to a QF with Youzhny, Murray's 1st round loss is looking less like a catastrophe than his supporters in the British press took it to be).
So today we get to see whether James Blake's fire in the belly can get him past the young Croatian, Marin Cilic. If Blake comes through, will his opponent be Roger Federer, or will Federer's five set squeaker have given opponent Tomas Berdych enough of a lift (and maybe some tips) to help him repeat the 2004 Olympics upset?
On the women's side, I'm not seeing any marquee match ups tonight. Venus Williams plays Marta Domachowska, ranked 146, and Ana Ivanovic takes on Caroline Wozniacki, 64 in the world. Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin set up a quarter final which Rosangel will preview tomorrow. I have a feeling ESPN may cover that one.
It's always a pleasure when new posters either discover TW, or choose to delurk. New posters often pick up on the term KAD. We typically direct people to the acronyms in the New To TennisWorld? link at top right:
KAD - Kool-Aid Drinker; a devoted fan.
But I thought I'd go back to Pete's original post on the topic, back in April 2006:
A KAD is fan whose love - or hatred - of a given player is so intense and uncritical that it borders on the delusional - that is, it cannot be supported in any reasonable and logical way, making it impossible to engage the KAD in question in anything like an enlightening dialogue. Only a KAD would say something like, "Roger Federer is ruining tennis", or, "Maria Sharapova is all hype and no game."
One thing that stands out to me reading Pete's original description is that he intended it to apply to both lovers and haters of players. In the 21 months since that post, the term has evolved - as language tends to do.
Many of us now self-identify as KADs - indeed, wear it as a badge of pride. We've come to see a KAD as a strong supporter, or fan, of a player, rather than a self-delusional type. On the ATP side, the two largest sub-tribes (this may sound a little like high school) are the Federer and Nadal KADs, with one or two Roddick KADs and Snoo Ferroooooo cheering on David Ferrer. For the WTA, I guess the Williams sisters have the, um, most forceful supporters (hi temes!), although Bob and Samantha Elin keep the Henin flame alive (Go Justine!)
In TW's current incarnation, most KADs seem (to me) to want to play nice with other KADs. Federer/Nadal finals typically end with delight for one group and disappointment for another, but very little chest-beating, and no little commiseration.
But maybe I'm out to lunch. So, as a conversation starter, here are some thoughts to ponder:
- If you aren't completely and totally thrilled to death by the player I admire above all, are you an Evil Person?
- do KADs wish for ignominy and opprobrium for their admired player's rival(s)?
- can a KAD display weakness, and admit that their admired player is less than perfect?
I have my own take, and Rosangel (who's posting tomorrow night's CC) will doubtless have her own take.
Of course, as a highly placed member of the RNKAS, she's a Rafa KAD. So her take is worth... just kiddin'....
