Could you be thinking of Surya Bonaly? She was a black figure skater from France. She had much attitude and no patience for foolishness. She would certainly have cut a bitch for telling her to smile and then done an illegal back flip at the end of her program, to give us all the finger. It was probably the last time…

I have sold all my stock in Dimitrov and swear that, really and truly, he has disappointed me for the very last time. (I did, however, expect him to lose to Thiem on clay so ‘twas not this match that served as the nail in his coffin of my esteem, which I’m sure he regrets most terribly…)

I would argue that Djokovic was rather terrible through the entire 2016 US Open and was very lucky to get as far as he did. He was practically handed the title by the field who gave him two mid-match retirements and one outright walkover in the 6 rounds he cleared to make the final.

Given the historical performance of top players after they turn 29, Djokovic’s decline seems right on schedule. It is pretty much what I was expecting.

You were in Nassau, where one could cobble together an impromptu vacation pretty easily. This was on Great Exuma, which has a very small population and much less infrastructure than Nassau does. It is also the regatta this weekend in Exuma, so the island is already kinda full of Bahamians who traveled there for their…

Um, I would argue it and I flatter myself that I am not a fucking idiot. In general, though, I don’t like to make cross-tour comparisons. I look at the two tours as separate things, with their own greats.

Which makes perfect sense as Vesely is a disciple of that school.

Tiafoe played a very nice match but I must disagree that he in any way gave Federer a scare. IMO, Federer had complete control of that match and was, I thought, just weathering the storm of Tiafoe’s serve being very on in the first set. I am also apparently not in the mood to credit Tiafoe with breaking Federer’s…

Far be it from anybody who uses their time and brain more usefully than I to pay attention to such excruciating minutia. ;>)

That wasn’t just any women’s match they were watching. That was a tennis-universe soap-opera moment there. Were they not watching Sharapova, Dimitrov’s ex, blow a second set at the 2015 Australian Open? Which meant they would have to wait for the already slow Sharapova to play a whole ‘nother set before they could…

Monfils is a spectacular and mercurial headcase (rather like all the French players whom I like against my better judgment — they are all aesthetically pleasing but sadly victory-deficient — Monfils is like that times infinity).  To enjoy Monfils, one must never to think about how he could have been great but,…

Is Murray crashing out early not prize enough?

Well, OK, I’m kinda taking dramatic license with the “open road” as I think Murray would have lost to Federer in the quarterfinals, had Murray not crashed and burned before getting there. So, what I *really* meant was “open road to the quarterfinals before being, as always, cut down by Federer.” That is the way…

Murray came into the Australian Open as the top seed at a grand slam tournament for the first time ever and then saw Djokovic (to whom he has lost 5 grand slam finals, 4 at this same event) go out early, leaving what looked like an open road in front of him. And he immediately crashed and burned. Murray is exactly…

I was in a rather small crowd last year at Indian Wells, watching Kohlschreiber beat down Kudla (6-0 6-1). I started off as pretty clearly the only person rooting for Kohlschreiber (I’m a sucker for a one-handed backhand), particularly since he was playing an American. But the crowd was quickly won over by his…

Whenever I see Tomic’s name in the draw, I rub my hands in glee at the prospect of his predictable and delicious loss in round 1. Especially when he comes into one of the smaller events with a high seeding (as was the case more often last year, when he was inside the top 20 — so much for his goal of top 10 — Federer…

In tennis, there is the Portuguese Joao Sousa and the Brazilian Joao Souza. They have played each other once, in Geneva a few years ago, and it was reported that the chair umpire called them “Sousa Portugal” and “Sousa Brazil.” The chair could also have done what I do, which is to refer to Sousa the Portuguese as “the…

Agreed. Zverev is the one I’ve been following for about a year and half and telling everybody who will listen (I need more tennis followers in my life!) that he’s the next big thing. He’s still a bit undercooked (he’s mostly legs and hair yet) but certainly has a ton of game as well as a bit of charismatic swagger…

I was one who found him quite pleasing and refreshing when he first arrived on the scene but he quickly soured on me. He has game, for sure, but I expect his baggage will keep him from getting out of his own way. (I, personally, see Kyrgios as the new but much less likeable Safin: massive and fun game, good for a…

To get all technical and pedantic, the four majors are ITF events, as is Davis Cup. The ATP runs the nine Masters 1000 events, of which Shanghai is one, and the rest of the ATP tournaments from the Challengers up to the 500s. But, definitely, winning a 500 is a big deal. Over the past 10 years, the very top players…