Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.And just for good measure: wow
I can’t say I am a seasoned tennis observer. But I can say that I am a seasoned sports observer and what I observed on Sunday in the men’s final at Wimbledon defied description. It was the most thrilling and enchanting sports event I can ever recall seeing. The number one player in the world and five time defending champion Roger Federer going for his sixth straight title on Wimbledon’s hallowed grass. The only thing standing in his way was the number two player in the world Raphael Nadal, who was playing at a level that many announcers claimed they had never seen ANY player at before. I spent the first week and a half in London including four days out at the grounds. When I wasn’t out at Wimbledon I was watching in high def on BBC interactive, which allowed me to choose whatever match I wanted. I think I saw every match that mattered and even a bunch that didn’t. Federer was imperious. He plays better on grass than anyone since Bob Marley and looks like a 40's movies star who just walked off the courts at Hearst Castle. He is one dashing mofo
But Nadal, he was freaky good. Both these guys were a seriously large notch above anyone else out there. And not just this year either. There would be few people in history, from Laver to Sampras, who could beat them. They were that good and just so right, both in their athletic prime. No wonder the final was so highly anticipated.I flew back to Canada the day before the men’s semifinal hoping to catch Fed playing the largely disappointing but hugely talented Marat Safin. But since Canada is the US’s bitch state (it pains me to say it), our national sports network, TSN, picked up the US feed and instead of Fed and Safin we were forced to watch Serena and Venus playing doubles. I said frigging DOUBLES! Doubles tennis should never be on TV, never mind pre-empting a Fed semifinal for a match that wasn’t even a final. But they HAD to show the Americans. All I can say is SHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiT. It was the first time in my life I actually missed the BBC.
But back to Nadal and Fed. I started watching the match at 9 a.m and finished watching it at 4:16 p.m. and I have to admit that while watching the last few sets I was thinking of all those poor schmucks in Hong Kong, where I used to love watching Wimbledon because it always came on at night in prime time, well all those poor schmucks were sawing logs and sleeping through the greatest tennis match ever. Sure enough the pride of the Columbia U tennis team, Dave the Cave Mann, confirmed that he had missed last two sets because of sleep. Which means he missed the forth set tie breaker, which means he missed Fed dialing up ace after ace to save his ass in the fifth set and actually going up 6-5, which means he missed…well hell he missed it all. Easily greatest tennis match ever and one of the greatest sports event ever. The play was crisp, the drama almost unbearable. Bravo Rafa, bravo muchacho!
Oh, and yeah, tough break Hong Kong. I’m feeling so sorry for all you suckers who slept through this epic. Honestly, I feeel for you. But listen, before I go I just want to say that we will soon be inundated with endless hype from now to kingdom come about the 2008 Wimbledon men’s final. It will become inescapable and unbearable, it really will. For once though, all the hype won’t be able to do it justice. Federer v Nadal was truly as good as it gets. Damn, I am so, so glad I saw this thing in its entirety.
And I just have one more question: who the f*%k watches doubles tennis on TV! I mean, seriously. You really have to take stock of yourself America.
