An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
The September challenge for the USTA “Tennis Champions” program was to hang a large banner that promotes tennis play. I hung my banner on a fence that borders a highly trafficked running and biking trail. It is highly visible to active people in the area who are currently outside the tennis ecosystem.
I have never seen anyone actively charting matches during high school or collegiate team tennis. It astonishes me that match charting isn’t a compulsory duty of players who are on the roster but not in the lineup on match day. It is an opportunity loss on an epic scale.
During the fourth round of the 2021 US Open between Bianca Andreescu and Maria Sakkari, one of the player’s coaches was observed to be charting the match. It is the first time in my recent memory when that activity was highlighted during a broadcast. It probably occurs more frequently than the television commentators notice and mention. More notably, he was using old school paper and pen, which is a throwback to an earlier era.
I have never personally experienced tennis elbow. I want to attribute that statement to good stroke mechanics and diligent strength training, but it probably has more to do with luck. Previously, when people in my orbit asked me about treatment options for tennis elbow, I really didn’t have much to offer. That all changed when a copy of Tennis Elbow Relief: Serving up solutions for lateral epicondylitis by Emma Green first hit my hands.
There has been a lot of recent attention in the tennis media about the toilet habits of Stefanos Tsitispas. Since I run a (loosely) rules focused blog, people have been asking me for my opinion on the situation. Consequently, it would be fair say that I simply had to go there. (See what I did there?)
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 US Open, I wrote an article about the prominent use of the IcyBreeze Portable Air Conditioners that were in use at the tournament. In 2021, the devices are still in use. However, they are much harder to spot this year.
The US Open heads into the second week as Labor Day is celebrated in the United States. This week’s news stories includes stories about the financial haves and have-nots in professional tennis and a new career for John McEnroe. Naturally no one can escape news of the toilet habits of Stefanos Tsitispas.
Since I have been writing this weekend about culinary traditions associated with the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, I decided to share a tennis associated food tradition in the Fiend at Court household. Labor Day weekend signals the unofficial start of our favorite season, which of course is “Football.” It is also signals the start of the Tennis Competitors of Dallas (TCD) Adult Mixed league.
The Honey Deuce cocktail traditionally served at the US Open is one of those topics that I initially thought would be a “one and done” post. As it turns out, I had a lot more to say about the beverage than originally anticipated.
With the US Open in full swing, I have been wondering what the iconic traditional concession is for that event. After lengthy thought and consideration, it is clearly the Honey Deuce cocktail.