An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
I found two vintage Elesse tennis outfits in the back of one of the cabinets in my room over the holiday. Inexplicably, they were in a place where tennis clothes were not historically stored. While I have no recollection of an intentional effort to keep these two specific outfits, these would have been likely candidates for sentimental retention.
May you have the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the gladness of Christmas which is hope, and the heart of Christmas which is love.
Levels of the Game is a detailed account of the 1968 semi-final match between by Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner play at Forest Hills. The match is the foreground of for a much deeper cultural and societal examination. The backgrounds and attitudes which shaped each player are interwoven with the match play.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) asserts the authority over whether Player Analysis Technology is legal for use during sanctioned play. Section 31 of the ITF Rules of Tennis published in the USTA Friend at Court essentially boils down to specification of the policy and procedures. The definition of Player Analysis Technology is actually in an appendix to the rules, and was the subject of last week’s post.
Tennis can leave long lasting scars on the psyche. It can also cause physical scars. My hands bear the evidence of that fact from failed attempts to open tennis ball cans through the ages. It is a reflection of my inability to open a can of tennis balls without nicking a finger. Somewhere along the way I learned to use my non-dominant hand when opening the can. Thus, if I sliced a finger, the racquet hand remained unscathed.
From the earliest posts about the tennis related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have bemoaned the lack of rigorous scientific evaluation of potential transmission of the SARS-CoV family of diseases via tennis balls. A recently published study has changed that situation. At first glance, the news is fairly promising which apparently prompted the USTA to issue a statement on the topic.
I continue to discover tennis artifacts scattered about the house during my extended stay with the Umpire Who Gave Birth to Me. Today’s object turned up in a cabinet under a sink. It is a metal tin with a nice early 80’s style custom paint job. “I’d Rather Be Playing Tennis.”
I am occasionally asked what my baby brother was like as a tennis player. I recently came across a picture that captures the essence of his play. My brother was consistently nationally ranked as a junior player and he also played NCAA Division I college tennis. At the same time, I would characterize his game as a marginally controlled train wreck.
Earlier this week USTA Texas Posted a challenge on Facebook “Tell me you’re a tennis player without telling me you are a tennis player.” The resulting comments were active and spirited. Some were better than others. As I continue to wander about in the house I grew up in, I have come to the realization that this house tells the story that a tennis player lives here, even in the absence of racquets and balls.
When I was in school, I never failed to complete required reading assignments. I simply loved books too much to not manage to find the time to read them. Especially when an essay or a test was in the offing. Consequently, on the eve of the publication of today’s content, I had the completely new experience that I had failed to complete my planned reading. I basically owe a book report on material that I have not read. I did what any self-respecting student would do in that situation: I watched the movie.