[Ed. Note: A few Tribe members filed this report after coming back from Miami. Enjoy their experiences!]
NDK, 3.22.07 - Checking into the J.W. Marriott hotel, I politely asked the staff if there were any famous tennis players staying there. Of course, I got the standard reply: Ma’am, we can't divulge that confidential information! Why couldn't I be 6'2", blond and gorgeous, or have had some spare $100 bills?
Soon, my husband and I were walking to our room. We smelled B.O. (sorry for the description) and saw huge Wilson tennis bags littering the hallway. Through the length of our stay, we wondered if we'd ever find out who the mysterious player was -- I even thought about sitting outside the room, but the word 'stalker' came to mind. We never did find out who the player was.
Tari: The first thing I remember about the day I checked into my hotel was spotting CM’s fashionable feet sticking out from behind a pillar. I knew that it was her, without even seeing her face! :)
NDK: 3.23.07 Friday morning we got to the grounds around noon; it was hot and humid! We waited a long time just for grounds passes. Meanwhile, we saw numerous fashionistas walk by (Sam: Miami is about gorgeous, scantily dressed women wearing 4" heels -- to watch tennis!), as well as octogenarians enjoying the weather. The crowd was a mixture of the country club set (think diamonds and Rolex watches) and tennis enthusiasts. More people spoke Spanish than English.
We walked over to the practice courts first, and saw Robredo practicing without a shirt on (I have the photo if anyone is interested). Then we saw Shrieky (Maria Sharapova) practicing with a hitting partner. Papa Yuri sat in a chair alongside the court. Maria was as intense practicing as she is playing -- and yes, Yuri muttered instructions every two minutes. No wild hand gestures, exhortations, or bananas were in sight, however. Then came the daily afternoon rain showers. To Shrieky's credit, despite the rain, she stayed and signed autographs.
Beat from the odd combination of rain and sun, we needed GE's. Then, excitement! We met a very enthusiastic, nice woman with beautiful, reddish blond hair and green eyes -- yes, it was our Tari! And her friend CM, a very poised and knowledgeable Federer fan. We chatted for a bit - OK, maybe longer - and soon we felt like old friends.
On we went to watch the Gonzalez-Johansson match. Gonzo's forehand is as great from 20 feet away as it looks on TV. He see,ed a bit frustrated at first, but got his head together and took it to Johansson in time. During the match, I dropped my cell phone, so I ended up crawling under the bleachers, dodging the steady shower of gum, discarded beer cans, and half-eaten hot dogs. And I hit my head coming out from under the bleachers!
Then I took a break (don't you think I'd earned one?), this time for a dirty martini. I watched Hingis practice. She is very smiley -- she played a practice set with a tall, wiry blonde woman whom I couldn't identify. Hmmmm.. There was no Melanie Molitor or Radek Stepanek in sight. When they were done, her companion reminded fans, "She has a match to play -- she can't stand here and sign autographs forever."
I walked by the player's lounge and saw Henin deep in conversation over a magazine layout, Petrova hanging out, and Bhupathi wheeling and dealing. Then it was back to the grandstand, where I settled in to watch the Baghdatis vs. Del Potro match. It struck me that Del Potro is the real thing, while Baghdatis needs to focus a bit more.
Then came a rain delay. There was Tari with a gray sweatshirt over her head :-) and me, just getting soaked. I was about thirty feet away from Baggy's coach, and he and Marcos were talking about what he needed to do when he got back on court. After the rain delay, Baggy kept going to towel off over where his coach sat, and the guy thumped his own chest and made comments. Hmmmmm. Illegal coaching?
After Baghdatis vs. Del Potro came the eye candy match -- Safin vs. Lopez. Yummy!
CM, Tari, their friend Christina, and Mrs. Santa arrived near the bleachers, where I was stationed. Mrs. Santa is a woman of great style and humor; she is fresh, but really sweet! We watched the Safin meltdown. By the way, this was my first time watching Marat in person and, yes, the racket really does look like a toothpick in his hands. Lopez: What a great serve! And the kid can volley, even though he has a great baseline game, too.
Marat was playing defensively. He was quite the puppet, retrieving balls wherever Lopez would hit them (Safin moves well for a big guy). Then Marat would try to pull the trigger and play offensively at the wrong time in the rally, and what do you know -- unforced error! Then another, and another. Throw in a few double faults at crucial times and. . . Aw, Marat. Good-bye.
NDK: 3.24.07. I was eating in the lobby of the Conrad Hotel, near our own, and who walks out of the elevator with a couple that look to be in their late 50's/early 60's but Kim Clijsters. Her hair was wet and she was quite nervous. The lady squeezed Kim's face, hugged her, and wished her luck. Well, I was feeling particularly bold after that. I walked over and asked for a picture. Kim was nice but she warned, "Make it quick because I have a doubles match to play" Got a picture with Kim!
The shuttle for both of us arrived. I was tempted to ask if I could ride with Kim but decided not to push my luck. On the way over, a 10 year-old sat next to my husband. He said his favorite players were Federer and Gonzalez; a refreshing, striking change from years past at the U.S. Open or Miami, when Roddick, Agassi, or Blake were the kids' favorites. I love that kids are learning about international tennis players. Could this mean more tennis on TV (fingers crossed)?
I hit the grounds with my husband and two first-timers, a friend of mine and her fiance, who wanted to go to the Stadium to watch Shrieky. I told them that our nosebleed seats won't give the best view, and coaxed them to come and watch Tommy Haas with me, instead. Court One was packed, but Tommy was not playing so well, and he didn't direct any outbursts at his coach. He seemed a bit subdued (too much tennis?) and went down to Alejandro Falla without much drama. I decided, oh well, might as well get a hat. In the end, I succumbed to the IMG advertising and got the "Peace, Love, and Tennis" hat.
I deposited my husband and friend's fiance at the Shrieky match and walked over to watch Hingis and Hantuchova play doubles. Hingis and Sugiyama, on opposite sides of the net, couldn't stop smiling and bantering in a friendly manner before the match started. The the mood was infectious and Hantuchova was soon smiling away too! That Hingis is such a thinker; she knows how to pick her spots and doesn't make a bad decision on court (I realize this is well documented but so nice to see from twenty feet away).
I then went to watch a bit of Shrieky playing Chan, but got so bored I almost fell asleep.
Afterwards, we walked over to watch Allegro/Henman take on Hanley/Ullyett - Henman and Allegro were in matching blue (how cute!) and in a great mood; it seems like a friendship there. But the classic Henman serving with accurate textbook volleying was nowhere in sight. I guess it's OK that Henman Hill has now become Murray Hill. Allegro played decent enough.  Now... Hanley has great hands at net -- almost as good as Navratilova's! Ullyett has a great serve for a doubles player. I ran into into Tari and CM there with the army of Swiss and British fans. Then, of course, it rained. We chatted politely with a British fan who showed all of us his close-up pictures of TMF.
NDK: Since I have never seen Venus Williams or Maria Kirilenko play live, I walked over and watched for awhile (the stadium crowd was sparse and relatively subdued), and then the clock struck 3:55pm! Time to meet Tari and CM for a GE. We took pictures, start sipping our drinks, and the raindrops started to fall again. We sought cover only to be accosted by a drunk fellow spectator, so we moved over to the practice courts. Thankfully, the rain abated.
Tari: The GEs were delicious! I had a Bloody Mary, CM had a Tom Collins, and NDK had a Dirty Martini (I was coveting that right away).
NDK: Received some inside, top secret info: TMF would be practicing on Court 10 at 5pm, so we walked over to Court 10 and it was already mobbed. What do you know, Nadal had the court! The raindrops began again, but Mrs. Santa joined us and, yes, it was GE time again for Tari, MrsSanta, and NDK.
Tari: The GE's were delicious! Oh. I said that already. :) Well, they were! This time, I had the Dirty Martini, MrsSanta had some fruity drink that I can’t remember, and Ndk had a glass of red wine.
NDK: We sought cover after the drinks. This time, an eavesdropper wanted the scoop on our lives so we decided to move again, this time going into the stadium to get under a roof, where we munched popcorn. We sat there for an hour until the rain finally relented.
Serena Williams' match was moved to Court 1 so that Venus could finish her match and Federer could play for the fans -- and Tiger Woods. We walked over to Court 1. Drying the court takes more time than it takes Nadal to pull out a wedgie, arrange water bottles, and wipe down with a towel (seriously)! We tried to watch Federer practicing, but the court was a zoo! Then came our old friend, the rain.
The rain eventually stopped and we noticed spectators on Court 1 lined up at the top of the bleachers peering over the back. It could only mean one thing: somebody famous was practicing on Court 9 or 10. Yes, it wasTMF hitting with Kei Nishikori, who is one of the world's top junior players. We watched for a bit, and then returned to our seats.
It was my first time watching Serena play live. Those pure groundstrokes. . .pure service motion. . . and she moves so well! MrsSanta was laughing at my obsesson for purity. And Serena is just fine -- her waist is not big, she just has assets! Her arm muscle definition would make for a good anatomy lesson. We watched a few games. Her Russian opponent, Anastasia Rodionova, was going for broke and not intimidated, but Serena wasn't troubled by her. Meanwhile, I got a text from my husband saying that Federer vs. Querrey was starting, so I bid MrsSanta farewell and went to the Stadium. Enroute, I passed Venus Williams, who was on her way to watch Serena.
The Sam Querrey/Federer match: First the distractions. Tiger on the scoreboard, intermittent pre-taped interviews with Petrova, and Miami Heat stars... yes, really! The match: Federer didn't look quite settled - was it the wind? His first serve percentage was less than 50% for the first set. Querrey serves hard (TMF was having a bit of a tough time getting a read on it, but he started using the block- back technique he often employs with Roddick and Ljubicic). Querrey hit some big forehands and some decent volleys, but the kid's body language needs work. He's almost too relaxed most of the time.
Then Querrey hit some untimely double faults and started looking to the sky with arms up in the air. Federer, meanwhile, was getting a bit annoyed that ball boys weren't ready to take his towel after the changeover. But TMF came through easily, putting on a show for all of us!
After a long day of tennis, the time came to return to the hotel and get ready for our early flight. There's always next year! Maybe between now and then I will win the lottery and get courtside seats?
Tari: Dang rain! I didn’t get to say goodbye to NDK, it was such a mess. :( I agree that Roger never really looked settled. He didn’t look great against Nicolas Almagro either… but of course I went into denial about it!
MrsSanta: 3.24.07 Hello, have I told you that I'm getting married?
Sam Stosur looks like the platonic idea of a jock. She is really ripped. Massive shoulders, long torso, and short powerful legs. She has a low center of gravity; her opponent, Kim Clijsters, seems soft by comparison. Yet, once the tennis started, there was no doubt about which girl is the better athlete. Watching Kim against a player she's comfortable with is really something. She can run around all day, but she does not flub her shots once she gets to the ball.
Kimmy whacks the ball with authority and is really patient when going through rough serving patches. For a professional doubles player, Sam Stosur's volleys were terrible --Â especially on her backhand side. She dumped a significant number of them into the net. Her serve also blows. Sam gave Kim a vigorous first set workout, tossed in two double faults to donate the fourth game, and the rest was history.Â
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Contra Tennis:*
I toddled off to watch the Murray/Gilbert floor show. Unfortunately, Murray chose to be on his best behavior. No slouching, no berating himself, and only one episode of cussing Gilbert out. I tend to think of Murray as playing contra tennis. His strength is basically the ability to nullify everyone else's. My favorite shot is the run-around forehand winner he smacks off lobs. I could watch that shot all day.Â
The other noticeable thing is how much confidence he has developed on his serve -- it's to the point where he turns his return game off. At 5-2 in the first set he basically sat out Kendrick's service game and barely got his racket on anything. Kendrick was not doing anything amazing. Murray was like, Whatever -Â I'll just serve it out. I still remember when he could only play receive games for entire sets.
The Practice Sessions:
I was informed about TMF's practice session on a nearby court. But first, I went to watch Gaudio lose to Mr. Hingis (Radek Stepanek). Yes, he is as unfortunate-looking in real life as he is on TV. I saw exactly one game and took a fuzzy Gaudio bum photo.
On my way from Gaudio booty to TMF hair, I saw Venus on a practice court. She's was just starting, with Richard and two other people looking on. I love Richard Williams. He is hot-buttered crazy but he clearly adores his kids. I always wondered whether Venus and Serena split the parents post-divorce based on phenotype. Venus started off her practice with some weird-looking wrist exercises. I took pictures and moved on.
TMF showed up at the practice court and spent a full 5 minutes trying to roll up his bandana. (Tari: This is true!!) He tried a two-handed backhand during practice. It looked very strange. At one point, his practice partner Yves hit him in the bum. I chose to believe it was a manifestation of some deep-seated envy.
Tari: The crowd laughed at that bum shot – an overhead right at Roger, and he turned and took it in his not-so-famous! I really thought Roger was going to make Yves pay. Yves seemed to be smiling for quite a long time after that! They were having fun and, at one point, Roger asked the crowd if Yves' shot was indeed out. Of course, we all sided with TMF.
MrsSanta: Something is very wrong with TMF's left arm. The rest of his body appears to be eating it. It's atrophied. It turns out I can't watch anyone, not even the almighty Federer -- he of the atrophied left arm -- practice for more than ten minutes. I get easily bored. Besides, I have to go inspect some Djokohones.
Djokohones –- it's another way to say "Wilanders" for discerning fans, but Djoko is making sexy curl up in a fetal position and cry. He is wearing a diaphanous shirt. Think Fabio on the cover of countless cheesy romance novels, but with Chia-Pet chest hair. The shirt is completely see-through in the sun. His waist is smaller than Serena's arm. Sam Stosur can probably bench press Djoko and Murray simultaneously.
Djoko's game reminds me of Snoop Dog's quote about Ivan Lendl "He was sharp. An old-schooler. Make it happen and roll out."Â It is watertight. There is no fuss. Amazing kick serve, incredible forehandÂ
and the third best two-handed backhand after Nalbandian and Safin. I can see how Steve finds him workmanlike. His game is tailored to make him win matches with as little drama as possible. The complete opposite of Murray. Djoko closes out Llodra easily.
P.S. - Djoko always seems vaguely amused by something. Like he's laughing at some inner joke that's too filthy to share.
Chi-Chi-Chi, Le-Le-Le, Viva Chile
The Chilean fans give the Argentinians a run for their money. But the Chileans win. The hott women brought pitchers of mojitos with them. I felt like I was watching pre-Stefanki Gonzo in all his hideous over-hitting glory. When Paul-Henri Mathieu has a cooler head and is more patient in rallies, than you know something is very wrong.
Gonzo hit one of those forehands that lands miles beyond the baseline and played several overly cute volleys that were surefire losers. And then the racquet abuse -- after failing to break Mathieu at 5-4, he went to town on one. Another reason I love Chilean fans: they booed and heckled Gonzo over the racket abuse. Even liquored up, they have standards. Gonzo looked like he was going down in a hail of backhand errors. I didn't stay for the tiebreak, due to believing Mathieu should only be consumed in very small quantities.Â
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Amazon Women at Play:*
This is my first Maria Sharapova match of the tournament. Her outfit is really cute but she walks as if someone is repeatedly punching her in the stomach. Venus gallops. I only caught a set of it. All I remember is Masha serving like a member of the super senior league and her how her entire game came crashing down with her serve. She seemed to have no confidence in going for winners. I am starting to appreciate Elena Dementieva's ability to isolate the virus that is her serve from the rest of her game. Venus was not serving much better than Masha but she had fewer DFs and her backhand came to her rescue. Maria still cannot do anything against a Williams on the run. It was kind of sad. I later found out she managed to drag Venus down to her level and win the match.Â
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Evening Shuttle:*
I ran off to catch the evening shuttle back to my hotel and to the airport. In line was a mum with a young son. The mum had clearly misread the schedule and had erroneously promised her son they would see Rafa, but they were not attending the night session. Big mistake.
The little boy was repeatedly yelling "YOU PROMISED RAFA. I WANT TO SEE RAFA! YOU PROMISED! I WANT RAFA! I WANT RAFA!" with the kind of hysterical abandon that only people under table height can muster. You and every woman under the age of 100 in greater Miami, little boy.
Tari: Umm…I couldn’t add much to this. Too good. Final thoughts, though. NDK and MrsSanta summed up the matches and the happenings on the grounds so perfectly, I don’t need to add anything! I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed meeting these two. NDK is a natural, brilliant beauty, with a very engaging personality and wit to match. And MrsSanta? She lived up to all the hype, TWers. :) I can’t wait to hang out with them again. USO?? Cheers, girls.
--Tari, Ndk, and MrsSanta