Smells Like Teen Spirit!

If you would have asked me last week who the final two women vying for the US Open Championship title would be, never in all of my cat years would I have meowed teen sensations, Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu!

And yet, here we are! And I am SO excited and I just can’t hide it! I have not been this excited about women’s tennis since the late 80’s!

Leylah Fernandez! Image: saltwire.com

Emma Raducanu! Image: AP

This match up makes this the first all-teen final at the Open since 1999. Both have set so many records already, I can’t keep track of them all! For instance, 18 year old, Emma, is the first qualifier, male or female, to make it to a final of a major tournament. Leylah, who turned 19 on Monday, beat world #2 Aryna Sabalenka, #3 Naomi Osaka, #5 Elina Svitolina, and #16 Angie Kerber, who is the 2016 US Open champ.

Last night, both women’s semifinal matches played on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and for me, the coolest part about it was the “Original Nine” were there to watch the drama. Billie Jean King and the rest of the women who fought for equal pay and eventually formed the WTA sat courtside while these phenoms made history. History witnessing history at its best!

Both are receiving unbelievable crowd support, so Saturday’s match should be incredibly interesting and fun to watch! Which way will the crowd sway? Who will rise to the occasion and claim victory? Who will be the darling of Flushing Meadows? So many questions, but only time will tell!

To be honest, I don’t have a favorite. I like them both equally and I think they are good for our sport! I will be torn, but I will survive. It will be a deserving winner, whatever the outcome.

My hope is this new buzz around women’s tennis will sustain over many decades and these two continue to grow and have success.

The US Open-Eve Download

…Or maybe it’s a low down? Or maybe an unpacking of sorts! Regardless, the 2021 US Open begins tomorrow and there is a lot to cover. So find your favorite comfy spot and I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know about this year’s US Open.

Image: usopen.org

There is so much to cover, where to begin?

Let’s start with who you WON’T see at the Open. Ready for this?

Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and last year’s men’s victor, Dominic Thiem! Mother Time is roaring loud and clear! These incredible athletes are seeing their best days in their rear view mirrors. And you know what? I’m OK with this! Sports and sport stars are meant to evolve, and the evolution has begun.

Now, who WILL be there?

Let’s start with Novak Djokovic. He is vying for a year Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. Can he win the US Open and make this a true calendar Grand Slam? We haven’t seen this since Steffi Graf in 1988. (Don’t ask me how a 13 year old cat can remember something that happened in 1988…it’s the miracle of blogging!)

The likelihood of Novak winning is high, however, let’s not forget what happened to him last year, when out of frustration, he hit a line judge in the neck with a tennis ball, which got him kicked out. And this year at the Olympics he committed code violations but wasn’t penalized for them (ugh!). So can he keep his temper in check? Will the chair umpires give him preferential treatment because he is Novak Djokovic?

Will his many formidable contenders finally step up and prove they should become household names? This, I have been hoping for for years! Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini...come on, guys!! The world is watching and waiting!

Let’s talk about the women’s side for a minute! I make no apologies for my unabashed love of Ash Barty! If I had to pick a winner, it would be her! However, the number of outstanding female players in New York will be something to watch! Naomi Osaka is back! Will she cinch US Open title #3? Barbara Krejcikova has had an incredible year…to be honest, she was not on my radar until very recently, winning the French Open, so she is one to watch! Ons Jabeur, Jen Brady, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabelenka, Elina Svitolina, Bianca Andreescu, Maria Sakkari, Belinda Bencic! Whew, my purrty little kitty paws are exhausted! So many women to keep my cat eyes on! This US Open should be fun!

Lastly, the fans are back!! Yes, the roar of New York City crowd will be electrifying and I am living for it! Last year, understandably, the US Open was played in a bubble. And actually, it gave the tournament a very interesting, once in a lifetime, vibe. Players were able to watch matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium from the corporate box suites, which gave a private, intimate feel to the grandest tennis stage. Having the stands at Flushing Meadows full again with loud, rowdy fans, will be a welcome change!

And anyone attending the US Open has to show proof of vaccination, which I support wholeheartedly! I will always back policies that will make it a safe environment for the spectators, workers and everyone involved!

So stay tuned and I’ll keep you in the know for all things US Open!

The Backwards Cap Crisis

Hi Furriends, I know it’s been a while since I roared in on the hottest tennis topics, and believe me, I know there is a lot to unpack before the US Open starts next week. More on that later!

Today, we need to address the current crisis…the backwards cap crisis!

At the beginning of this year, I purrclaimed that I would not post anything negative since we’ve had such difficult time these past 18 months or so during the pandemic. However, this has been going on too long and I have to let it out!

The biggest offender: John Isner

Image: bnpparibasopen.com

John Isner, American player, has been wearing his cap like this for as long as I can remember. I thought he was a one-off. A singular instance that I could easily ignore.

However, recently, I noticed that my current favorite player, Matteo Berrettini, ALSO wears his cap backwards.

Image: essentiallysports.com

This just breaks my faint little kitty heart in a million pieces! Especially when we know he looks like this WITHOUT that silly backwards cap distraction:

Image: atptour.com

Is your heart breaking yet?

I wish I could say it was just a few players, but we have a crisis on our hands, folks! Everywhere I look, the players are getting it all backwards!

Tommy Paul: No, Tommy, just NO! I always enjoy watching you play, and I pegged you as the next great American rock star a few years ago. But I ask you…would a rock star look so backwards?

Image: tennis365.com

Ugo Humbert: You’re getting too good now to let this look slide under the fashion radar.

Image: supertennis.tv

Diego Schwartzman: This is NOT a good look on you, young man!

Image: yoursportspot.com

Lucas Pouille: You are too handsome of a Frenchman to goof up your look with a backwards cap.

Image: hindustantimes.com

Fellas, need some inspiration to wear your cap the proper way? Look no further than the man himself, Andy Murray! Look how nice this looks! Take a cue from the legend!

Image: news.sky.com

OK, now that we have called this crisis out, I hope it can get better before the US Open next week! Please guys, I beg of you, put this fashion faux-paw to rest!

Sincerely,

Frazier

The Happy Couple

How do you pack a stadium for a mixed doubles match? Pair Nick Kyrgios with Venus Williams and…vwa-lah! Magic!

Image: Getty

Stylistically, they couldn’t be more different…Venus – classy, graceful, a legend; Nick – crude, unconventional, a “bad boy of tennis.” However, together they were sensational. The purrfect pair.

The partnership was Nick’s idea. It was “a dream come true” for him to play doubles with a Williams sister.

Obviously, they respect each other’s game, and they are both power players with big serves and big returns. If I was on the other side of the court from those two, I would be hiding behind my racquet and hoping for the best.

You could tell they were having a great time, too. Laughing, high-fiving, supporting each other. It was like watching a fun, low-stakes, exhibition, but it’s Wimbledon!

They won their first round match against American duo, Austin Krajicek and Sabrina Santamaria. Total blockbuster entertainment! Next up with be Eduoard Roger-Vasselin and Nicole Melichar. I don’t know much about mixed doubles, but I do know it will be fun to watch!

Heartbreaking Upsets and Heartwarming Victories

There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a player injure themselves during a match. It doesn’t matter if they are winning, losing, or flat out even against their opponent. Nobody wants to see a player unfairly robbed from competing.

But, it happened twice today at Wimbledon. On Center Court, no less! With the roof closed!

It had been raining in London and even though the roof was closed, the grass was slippery. The grass surface at the beginning of a tournament is always more slippery, than after it gets worn out a little by the players. Ugh!

First up, Adrian Mannarino was playing Roger Federer. He was up two sets to one. Roger was up in the fourth set, 4-2, so it was likely going to extend to a fifth set. It was really was anyone’s game. Mannarino won the first two sets easily, and by all accounts, was playing better than Federer. But he ran for a ball and one leg slipped one way, as his knee buckled the other way. He tried to recover and served out the set, but retired before the fifth set.

Image: Reuters

Then, immediately following that horrific outcome on Center Court, the slip and agony heard round the world! Just six games into her first round match, Serena Williams slipped and tweaked her ankle. It’s just painful to watch. She was vying for a 24th grand slam title and her favorite tournament, so to be out in this freak accident is just heartbreaking!

Image: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images

But let’s talk about some heartwarming stories of the day!

Big sister, Venus, entering the tournament as a wild-card (which is totally wild, to me!) won her first round match!! It took her three sets, but she did it! Let me remind you…Queen V is 41 years old and this is her 23rd Wimbledon! Just remarkable!

Image: Wimbledon.com

Then we had the Ash Barty vs. Carla Suarez Navarro match! We knew that this would be an emotional one. As previously mentioned, Carla is a survivor, so to see her back on the court in competitive fashion was a victory, in and of itself! To be on Center Court, playing world #1, Ash Barty, just set the match up to have all the feels!

Image: @carlasuareznava

Carla plans to retire at the end of the year, so this was her last Wimbledon. She plans on representing Spain in the Summer Olympics and say farewell at the US Open. Barty may have won the match, but Suarez Narravo had our hearts!

All of these emotions has worn me out. I think I’ll go take a cat nap!

Till tomorrow…

Sweet Surprises!

Day one of Wimbledon was filled with Sweet Surprises!

Surprise #1:

Image: yahoo!sports

Frances Tiafoe beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in swift three sets!! Some analysts might consider this an upset, but as I mentioned before, there are no upsets because it’s always a positive outcome for one of the players. And this player was Tiafoe! He was flawless.

Surprise #2:

Image:yahoo!sports

Sloane Stephens beat two-time Wimbledon champ, Petra Kvitova in two quick sets! She looked incredible on the court today! Go Sloane!

Surprise #3: I saved the best for last….

Image: yahoo!sports

Andy Murray made his Wimbledon comeback by ousting Nikolos Basilashvili in four sets. It was a real nail biter! Andy was up two sets, and 5-0 in the third when Basilashvili made a wicked run of winning seven games in a row, to win the third set. Ugh! Then they had to exit the court while the roof was being closed. Suspense! But finally, Murray got his act together to win the fourth set!! Go Andy!

Stay tuned to see what sweet surprises tomorrow will bring!

Wimbledon 2021 – Men’s First Round Meuw-sings

My meuw-sings for the men’s first round matches will be divided into three cat-egories: Americans, Interesting, and Sentimental. Here we go…

Americans – Tough MATCHES

Frances Tiafoe vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Sorry Frances!)

Mackie MacDonald vs. Karen Khachanov (Not totally predictable, but MacDonald will have to play top-level to beat Khachenov…maybe an “upset”?)

Sebastian Korda vs. Alex De Minaur (Battle of the young guns. Alex has been on fire this season, so I give him the edge)

Interesting Matches

Nick Kyrgios vs. Ugo Humbert (Honestly, I didn’t even know Kyrgios was still playing. Knowing him, he will probably win!)

Dan Evans vs. Feliciano Lopez (Dan is playing for his home crowd, and he’s had a great season. My money is on Dan.)

Sentimental Matches

Roger Federer vs. Adrian Mannarino (Let’s face it…Roger is winding down. It would be great to see him win one more major. However, Mannarino is on a roll, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he beats Roger in the first round. Tough luck for Federer)

Andy Murray vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili (Andy got a wildcard into Wimbledon. I hope it’s not wasted on a first round match. My sentimental fave will always be Andy!)

Only time will tell. That is what I love about sports. You can analyze, speculate, use stats and predictors, but you never know what’s going to happen! See here we go! Wimbledon, we are ready!

Wimbledon 2021 – Women’s First Round Meuw-sings

Furrst up, let’s take a quick look at which first round matches to keep your cat eyes on.

Ash Barty vs. Carla Suarez Navarro

Why? Because Barty is currently ranked #1 and Suarez Navarro just beat cancer!! Go Carla!! So happy to see you back. Go Ash! Really, I would be happy with any outcome.

Bianca Andreescu vs. Alize Cornet

Why? Because Andreescu won the US Open in 2019, beating Serena Williams, but hasn’t really let her tennis skills shine since. And Cornet is just a talented, sassy Frenchwoman and I love her!

Sloane Stephens vs. Petra Kvitova

Why? Because Sloane is one of my favorite American players, and Kvitova is one of my all-time favorite players. Who’s going to win? Probably Kvitova, but I will still root for my under-cat American, Sloane Stephens. Go Sloane!

Shelby Rogers vs. Sam Stosur

Why? See above. Rogers is one of the few American women I will always cheer for, and Sam Stosur is a former world #1 who is in the twilight of her career (but don’t tell her that). I like both players, so we will see what happens.

Serena Williams vs. Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Why? Well, I would be remiss to not mention Serena. She’s 39 years old, playing at one of her favorite tournaments, trying to capture the elusive 24th major title! She hasn’t won a major since becoming a mom. Will this be her tournament? Don’t know. But she has to win her first match to move on to her next. The world will be watching!

Christmas in July

OK, OK….it’s June! But you know no one ever celebrates “Christmas in June.” So play along, my furry friends!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for this tennis fan! Wimbledon is here!

Image: teepublic.com

The draw came out today. It’s like getting to open that one special gift under the tree that you’re allowed to open on Christmas Eve!

Image: dreamstime.com

Reviewing first round matches is one of my favorite things to do. The anticipation and perceived expectations of Wimbledon are HUGE, so I always like to imagine which matches will be bah-humbug predictable and which matches will roast on an open fire (the dreaded “upset”). Of course, I never like to think of a match outcome as an “upset” because there is always a winner and there is nothing upsetting about that! At the end of the day, someone is happy they won and gets to move further in the draw.

With the exception of injuries. There is nothing happy about that outcome. The injured player is hurt, and the “winner” feels bad for the injured player. But, I also like to begin a tournament with the hope that no one is or gets injured and everyone is stays healthy! What can I say? I’m an optimist!

I will breaking down the first round matches into two posts, one for the men’s draw and one for the women’s. So stay tuned, and I’ll give my inside take.

Paw your calendars, set your alarms and wake your humans! Wimbledon starts bright and early Monday, June 28! Let the festivities begin!

Happy Anniversary!

In the famous words of the Little River Band…happy anniversary, baby!

That’s right, furriends! It’s my anniversary! Four years ago today, I opened my laptop and let me tiny little paws start typing, giving you my observations on my favorite sport, tennis!

Image: shewhoseeks.blogspot.com

Unlike the Little River Band song, I hope you have not found someone new. And, I hope that I would not have bought you a card, but was too afraid to send it, to tell you how I feel! I want you to know that I appreciate every single one of you who read my blog, write comments, and hopefully for those kitty cats and furry friends who Don’t Know Much ( that’s another song) about tennis, I can give you some insights on the gave I love so much!

Here’s to another great year or writing and tennis! May we have many more to come!

Purrsonal ConCATulations!

A purrfectly wonderful thing happened a few weeks ago, while I was watching and writing about the ATP year end finals, and it happened so quickly, I didn’t have time to acknowledge it. Now that it’s the holiday season and things have slowed down a bit…

I wrote my 200th blog post!

To some, it may not a huge deal, but for me, purrsonally, I am proud of myself. Yes, I have taken a few breaks here and there, but I’ve always come back. It’s fun for me, and I hope you get some enjoyment out of my tennis mewzings.

I appreciate your support and I hope you have enjoyed! And for those of you who don’t know much about tennis…I hope you learn a little bit about the game I love most!

Here’s to 200 more! Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving from Frazier’s Racket

I want to wish you and your loved one’s a happy Thanksgiving!

Let’s count our blessings and share the hope of a brighter tomorrow!

Pull up a seat, you Turkey. The stuffing is almost ready!

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Rain, Rain! Go Away!

Rain, you’re ruining my tennis vibes! Yesterday, it looked like you were going to cooperate. We had the beginning of what could have been a French Open classic! Roger Federer against Stan Wawrinka, two Swiss players who know each other well. One, coming back from injury, the other back to prove a point.

It was a close match. Both men are in their 30’s, but you would never know it by the powerful one-handed backhands they were smashing across the net. One is a graceful dancer, the other a bull in a china shop. The first set went to a tiebreak, with Fed coming out on top. Stan took the second set, 6-4. The third set was close…so many break opportunities from both, but Fed eventually won it. Then the dark, ominous clouds lurked in the distance of that fourth set, but they played on, tying the set at 4-4 before play was suspended due to rain. Once the players were back, it took Roger no time all to win the fourth set, 6-4. Sorry Stan, maybe another time.

And then, today….

Image: ©Philippe Montigny / FFT

Completely rained out! Don’t they know my human cleared her calendar so she could watch the quarterfinal matches? Mother Nature doesn’t care. She had other plans.

Either way, my human and I will tune in tomorrow to see what happens. Will Sascha Zverev beat Novak Djokovic, improving on his grand slam purrformances? Not likely…Novak is playing very solid tennis. Will Dominic Theim continue his clay court dominance against Karen Khachanov? I hope so! I have him pegged to win!

We will have to wait and see.

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Drippin’ in Finesse

Furriends, we may have just witnessed the most stylish match of the French Open thus  far! Oui, oui!

It was a battle of the Frenchmen, the King of the Popped Collar, Benoit Paire, vs. the Prince of Doubles, Pierre Hugues Herbert! You can’t get more French than that!

This match was drippin’ in finesse! It had so much finesse, flair, flash and panache, Bruno Mars and Cardi B are jealous! Both players displayed elegant touch and technique on the red clay with sliced backhands, aces, speed, power, energy.  And that was just the tennis! They also showed heart, class, emotions, sportsmanship. Their embrace at the net after the end of the match said it all. Two friends who know each other well, appreciating the art and performance they just created for the world to see. Pure purrfection!

At the end of the day, Paire, won the match in a mind-gripping five set match, 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-7, 11-9.

Pierre Hugues Herbert after winning a point.

Benoit Paire after winning his match!

This, my furriends, is what it’s about!

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I’ve Been Broken

I knew it was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time! My love for the game…the players, the drama, the fuzzy tennis ball, the red clay! It was just too much for me to deny. And today was the day I gave into my tennis fix!

For years, the Tennis Channel has been tempting their fans with a subscription to Tennis Channel Plus. Catch all of the tennis action, live or on demand. Full coverage of the French Open, every match every court. And every year I tell myself, Frazier, don’t be silly….you are fine with whatever the “featured” match they are showing with the regular TV channel.

Well, I couldn’t take it anymore! The temptation was too strong. One of my all time favorites, Janko Tipsarevic, was playing Grigor Dimitrov and the Tennis Channel was showing the Tsitsipas match. What??? Meooooowwwww…this could not be! Why would they show Tsitsipas when my beloved Janko was playing? Don’t they know his comeback story, after years of injuries and surgeries, is way more compelling than a first round Tsitsipas match? I love him. Just look at him! And he’s one of the few pros on tour that have a college degree!

        Image: hcfoo.com

So I broke down, paid the yearly subscription, and happily watched my guy play! He’s 34 years old now, so he’s no spring kitty, but he gave Grigor a good run for his money. The match went to five sets and was completely competitive. Dimitrov won the match at the end, but it was a real treat…not the kind of tasty treats my human gives me every time I go into the kitchen…but still a treat, all the same, to watch Janko Tipsarevic play tennis at such a high level. Glad to see you back, competing again, Janko!

You broke me, Tennis Channel, but I will purr-savere. It’s a tough life when you can’t live without full access to your favorite fix. You know exactly how to get to a tennis cat’s heart!

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