Is there really one more BlackDog?Got a call from my friend the Fed asking why I hadnt been playing at all this summer.
He reminded me that i have a great little tennis club to play at ( har-tru courts, too!)
And it even has the elitist sign reminding those that wander by that this is PRIVATE.
And on a small city block in st. paul and nobody even knows it is there other than the neighbors.
Greatest thing of all is that for green clay or har-tru as it is called, this is the best kept secret in town. For what i pay to belong I couldnt even get my name on the waiting list at the OTHER clubs in the metro that have clay. Woodhill/Minikahda/Interlachen..My yearly seasonal dues would maybe cover dinner for 4 at one of those clubs. Lifetime at Flagship in Eden P has clay but i dont think they take such good care of them. And ***Woodhill has a grass court so that is cool.
So i told Fed I would get out there. Even if i hit mini tennis the entire time and didnt serve, which for me is the thing that feels so good when i do it, then after "ripping" them cant turn my head the next day or for a good week afterwards. So this self portrait was the "Do ya REALLY want to do this?" look.
Jane is my clay court buddy. We seem to be able to hit midcourt and laugh and talk quite a bit. When it comes to playing ( which we didnt do last night) we keep it quiet, until Jane screams mid-point, and i cry foul and demand a do-over.

So thanks Fed for getting me out there, and thanks James Blake who had me up till midnight making sure he snuck past Donald Young in the first round. 5 sets of tennis player versus young hip hop tennis star. At least his cap wasnt on sideways.

So here is tonight's line up on USA cable:
Stosur is a super athlete, she could give Venus a run but S has been injured lately. Venus if she is on her game will win in 2.
Fed is up next. Under the lights.
For all of you who are numb, missing the Olympic Themesong, tune in and you can see Al Trautwig and Tracy Austin commenting how he "stuck it!" oops. Wrong sport, Al.

	Arthur Ashe 7:00 PM Start		1 Women's Singles - 1st Rnd. Samantha Stosur (AUS) v. Venus Williams (USA)[7] followed by 2 Men's Singles - 1st Rnd. Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) v. Roger Federer (SUI)[2]