30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Epilogue

So, it’s over. Exactly third days (or maybe thirty-one) gone since the day I was fascinated by David’s post on Tumblr, I finally finished it.

I really enjoyed selecting all the players, stadiums, tournaments, clothes for the respective days. Of course, some days demanded more time and others were a bit boring, I can’t deny it.

But the fact is, Daily Scores had never been so visited before the Tennis Challenge. The blog set twice a new record for most pageviews – both times on a Sunday. I have also averaged a below-average number of daily views throughout ALL the days, when the challenge was up.

And for this I thank you very much. I like to write, yes, but to know, this feeling of having your pieces read by other people, that makes me keep going.

I also invite you to stay here. Daily Scores will keep going, maybe not with daily posts, but hey, it is bigger than the challenge, right?

The complete list of the days/respective posts and a direct link to them follow.

 

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player – Andy Roddick

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player – Kim Clijsters

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team - Max Mirniy/Daniel Nestor

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player - Rafael Nadal

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player - Justine Henin

Day 6 – Most memorable match - 2011 Australian Open final

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of - Roger Federer

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory – 2000 Roland Garros final

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player – Goran Ivanisevic

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player – Elena Dementieva

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love – Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect – Caroline Wozniacki

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament - Wimbledon

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament – ATP 250 Queen’s

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player – Daniela Hantuchova

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player - Marat Safin

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit - Victoria Azarenka’s Nike White Dress (2011)

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit – Jurgen Melzer’s Adidas white and green kit (Indian Wells 2009)

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born – Jim Courier and Monica Seles

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion – John McEnroe

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion – Martina Navratilova

Day 22 – Favorite umpire – Carlos Bernardes

Day 23 – Favorite mixed doubles team – Alizé Cornet/Marcelo Melo

Day 24 – Favorite tennis couple - Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova

Day 25 – Favorite tennis WAG - Brooklyn Decker

Day 26 – A match that makes you happy – 2010 Miami Masters final

Day 27 – A match that makes you sad - 2011 Roland Garros R64

Day 28 – The Grand Slam you would most like to go to – US Open

Day 29 – Your favorite tennis surface – Grass

Day 30 – Your favorite tennis related pic – Young Mikhail Youhzny & Igor Andreev

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 30: Favorite tennis related pic

It’s done. It’s over. It ends today. Oh my God, I will miss it, but hope the readers and friends the Tennis Challenge brought to Daily Scores will remain. Life goes on, friends.

Finishing it, here’s my favorite tennis related pic.

There’s no much to say about it. It was, in fact, the first post of Daily Scores history. I will quote here what I said there:

 

“As the soon-to-be Major, Mikhail fondles Igor’s hair, I can totally see on his face that expression, that says: “Roughly two decades from now I will be the biggest bad-ass on the circuit”.

As for Andreev, I totally read on that childish smile of his:  “I will be a good player. But one day that little Maria girl will grow up and become a gorgeous woman, and she will be the one fondling my hair, and that’s okay and totally enough for me, because who needs to play high level tennis when you share the bed with a grown up MaKiri?”

Oh, those future tennis stars from the post-Soviet Russia of the 1990s…”

 

Thanks for sticking around, fellas. A goodbye post will follow.

30 Days of Tennis Challenge: Day 29 – Favorite surface

Feels like home, doesn't it?

Short and simple:

Clay is like progressive rock; Hard Courts are like hard rock; Grass is raw heavy metal.

And that, my friends, is enough said.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion

Day 22 – Favorite umpire

Day 23 – Favorite mixed doubles team

Day 24 – Favorite tennis couple

Day 25 – Favorite tennis WAG

Day 26 – A match that makes you happy

Day 27 – A match that makes you sad

Day 28 – The Grand Slam you would most like to go to

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 28: The Grand Slam you would most like to go to

Only two days left. In the end, I’m gonna miss the Challenge after it’s gone. Or, at least, the visits it brings to my blog. Of course, you will stay with me, right? Daily Scores (The blog) won’t end after the Challenge. I just hope it helped me captivating more readers. I shall stop digressing now.

The difference between this topic and “Your favorite Grand Slam tournament” is probably the same than between “A match that makes you happy” and “A match you will never forget” or something.

That’s why, even though Wimbledon is my favorite Major to watch through a TV, sitting on my couch and eating Doritos (and drinking Pepsi, though it’s played in the morning, local time, which makes a pretty awkward breakfast), the Grand Slam I would most like to go to is…

 

The US Open. Of course. Because tennis is life. And life is tennis and more.

I’m thinking beyond tennis here. There is no other place in the world I would like to visit more than the United States of America. Therefore, Flushing Meadows would make the perfect opportunity for it. And since the complex is in the Queen’s, I could take some time off tennis and go visit my baseball team, the beloved New York Mets, and watch as they slump, giving six or seven runs in the late innings to lose the ballgame. I would also love to watch them getting mercilessly crunched by the Phils.

(Even though they suck, I still love them)

That and many more. And that’s why. The US Open is my pick. And this post ends.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion

Day 22 – Favorite umpire

Day 23 – Favorite mixed doubles team

Day 24 – Favorite tennis couple

Day 25 – Favorite tennis WAG

Day 26 – A match that makes you happy

Day 27 – A match that makes you sad

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 27: A match that makes you sad

Lots of matches make you sad. Break-points wasted, ridiculous points played at important moments, stupid challenges, tantrums in all the wrong moments, a mental breakdown, match-points squandered, one poor game that costs the match. All reasons to piss you off for a good while.

Lots of matches made me sad. None of them more than the second round of Roland Garros, this year.

They were opening the Chatrier, at 6 a.m. local time, and even though I could – yes, I indeed could – wake up a few minutes early to watch it, I opted for not to. It was Tuesday, I remember well.

She was coming off a long lay-off caused by a controversial injury, but had won in the opening round without drama. In fact, she had some troubles to finish the match, but hell, who doesn’t? And despite my awareness of her remarkable inconsistency, I thought – yes, I thought – she could overcome another obstacle. Winning ugly is still winning, right?

Heck, I woke up, didn’t put my glasses on, turned on the TV. Up a break in the first set. Fine, I convinced myself everything was fine and she would do it. TV is off, the glasses are on, the bus is taken, I’m on my way to college. Arriving there, I learn the first period professor didn’t come. I go to Latin, then, which I should have in the second period.

I turn on the wireless, and log onto the Mobile Twitter. Bum. She is down match points after being up match points.

Dead inside. It was a matter of time, then. I feel drousy, empty inside. It’s like someone I love so much has just died. I can’t stay there anymore. I get up, leave the classroom, walk to the library, and, on the computer, I log on to Twitter – fuck those people who are waiting, really. Ten or eleven tweets in a row, only saying what I feel. I logoff, get my stuff in the classroom and start my journey back home.

I arrive here earlier than I should. Talk my sister into not turning me in to my mom, sleepwalk to my room, slip into my bed and… I fall asleep.

Lots of matches already made me sad. Lots of matches will make me sad. But like this? Never happened before. And I really wish it will never happen again.

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 26: A match that makes you happy

A match that makes me happy. Interesting. I could go all the way on a philosophical analysis of tennis and sports in general, how they touch us and gave us all different reasons to cry and crack a laugh. And you would like that, wouldn’t you?

But nah. Instead, I will talk about the process.

There are just so many matches I could put here, from these three years since I turned into a hardcore tennis fan. But this match I choose here has a… uh… different story.

 

[I can't link the video. So, click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oE4CYOZy2eg">here]

 

Andy Roddick’s last Masters title up to date, in Miami, where he beat Tomas Berdych for the trophy.

Here’s the story: I didn’t watch this match. Exactly. The final week of the 2010 Miami event was played during the Easter here. And I, still unclear to me why, accepted an invitation for a trip to the seaside. For this reason, I missed Roddick’s semifinal win over Nadal – which made me truly happy, you know, because you put your favorite player beating one of your least favorite ones and there’s just no way this doesn’t please you.

On Sunday, I was on the car back home. Exactly. On Sunday. The whole day. We left Ilhabela – which can literally and erroneously translate into “Beautiful Island”, “La Isla Bonita” or what-fucking-ever – by the early morning, was probably around 8 or 9 a.m. And I arrived in São Paulo 8:30. P-FUCKING-M. Since that day, I swore an oath I would never a) Miss one of Roddick’s important matches b) EVER return to that place.

We were in São Paulo already, and the radio was tuned on to one of those news stations. So, I heard as the voice on the radio announced: “And, in Miami, final of the Masters 1000 event. The American Andy Roddick beat the Czech Tomas Berdych to claim the title”.

I exploded in contained laughter. Really, it’s a paradox. I was afraid of looking like a total psycho in the car with my parents. It’s pretty funny how you just can’t forget some things. I explained myself – of course, I needed to – saying: “I’m happy this guy won. I like him, you know. Following sports just make way more sense if you root for someone”.

That match didn’t save my Sunday. But made it just much better.

Worth the mention:

Robin Soderling def. Roger Federer, Roland Garros/2010

Robin Soderling def. Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros/2009

Julien Benneteau def. Roger Federer, Paris/2009

Andy Roddick def. Rafael Nadal, Miami/2009

And many more I don’t remember now.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion

Day 22 – Favorite umpire

Day 23 – Favorite mixed doubles team

Day 24 – Favorite tennis couple

Day 25 – Favorite tennis WAG

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 25: Favorite tennis WAG

Second and last day of the ‘gossip’ section of the Tennis Challenge. Glad it’s over – I’m really not concerned at all about 90% of the off-court activities.

But play the music and let me dance to it. Favorite WAG? I wish I could pick WTA players who date ATP players. Like Camille Pin. Or maybe not. Or Dominika Cibulkova – yeah, that’s better – but I can’t. Whatever, really.

The other options, well my first intention was to avoid the obvious – I even though about picking Camille Llodra, but… no.

Sometimes you just can’t escape from the obvious, right?

ANDREW S. RODDICK: Scoring aces on and off the court.

That’s why my pick is… Miss Roddick. Or simply Brooklyn Decker. Or Brooke-Lynn Decker, because I have this crazy need of changing people’s names.

No further commentary is needed, I believe.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion

Day 22 – Favorite umpire

Day 23 – Favorite mixed doubles team

Day 24 – Favorite tennis couple

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 24: Favorite tennis couple

Just like any other sport, tennis drags a crowd to the stadium, where two – or four; more commonly two – players battle through several rounds until there is a winner for the whole thing. This winner usually gets four things: a) a trophy; b) points for the ranking; c) glory and d) a paycheck.

Oh, and fans. But that’s an extra. My point is, the same way any sport attracts fans due to, well, the sport itself, we may never forget how gossip – and by that I mean off-court activities, like who’s dating who and what is this he is drinking/smoking?

So today we start the gossip stint of the Tennis Challenge – will last only for today and tomorrow, right. It’s not something big, riiiight, but I had to write a prologue. Right.

 

This pic: Cuteness

My favorite tennis couple, then, is Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova. Heard rumors they are no longer together, but can’t be true, right?

I really like these two. Berdych is the hard-hitting, big-serving, bit-mental, huge-potential-few-results, I’ve-already-told-Madrid-crowd-to-STFU guy I usually like. Plus, he’s just beaten Federer for the third time in their last four meetings. Pretty wicked, huh?

And Lucie, well, she’s a cute girl. Even her name is cute. And she is lefty. Uber cute.

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 23: Favorite mixed doubles team

Maybe the ‘challenge’ is to test your randomness. Because I don’t see any other way ‘favorite mixed doubles team’ would feature ANYWHERE. There are only four (five, if you count Hopman Cup) mixed events throughout the season, and even though they are a nice form of entertaining, to free your mind from the tough and drenching singles five-setters, I, personally, barely pay attention on who’s and who’s not playing.

Whatever. I declined Kim-Hewitt, for the same reason I have denied her before: do not want this turning into 30 Days of Kim Challenge. My next choice then would be Roddick-Serena, but it still hasn’t happened (though they’re planning to team up for the Olympics).

Next? I thought Jarka-Bellucci, but nah. Then Dulgheru-Marrero, but hell, who is this Diego Marrero guy and what the hell does he think he is doing with my girl? I also excluded some really nice pairings – like the ones involving Hantuchova and Golovin-Gasquet – because I didn’t follow tennis back then. Sucks, huh? Very well. I managed to remind of this one, so, my favorite mixed doubles team is…

 

Alize hit Melo's back with one of her serves. I remember that.

Alizé Cornet and Marcelo Melo! Alizé was my first tennis crush – she’s so cute, isn’t she? – and still today, even though she’s not one of my primary favorites anymore, I still like her. And Marcelo “Giraffe” Melo is Brazilian. I know this goes against my philosophy, but being Brazilian is a good reason for me to grow respect towards a tennis player – for many reasons (patriotism not included).

Don’t know if they played together again after the ’09 Australian Open, when they eventually reached the quarterfinals but were forced to withdrew due to an Alizé’s shoulder injury.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion

Day 22 – Favorite umpire

30 Days of Tennis Challenge – Day 22: Favorite umpire

No drama this time.

I really barely pay attention at the umpires – but I know some of them are around all the time, dudes like Lahyani, Lars Graf, that spanish referee and the one with the baritone voice. There are also some WTA umpires I always heard about, like Eva Asderaki and Mariana Alves – but generally speaking…

So, I pick Carlos Bernandes. Just because he’s Brazilian. And because he looks like a nice guy.

And by the way, I’m not sure he was already in the list of ‘umpires that have already argued with Andy Roddick’. Well, he is now, since Monday night.

 

Useful:

Prologue and explanation

Day 1 – Favorite men’s player

Day 2 – Favorite women’s player

Day 3 – Favorite doubles team

Day 4 – Least favorite men’s player

Day 5 – Least favorite women’s player

Day 6 – Most memorable match

Day 7 – First player you became a fan of

Day 8 – Earliest tennis memory

Day 9 – Favorite retired men’s player

Day 10 – Favorite retired women’s player

Day 11 – A player nobody would expect you to love

Day 12 – A player that you aren’t a fan of but you respect

Day 13 – Favorite Grand Slam tournament

Day 14 – Favorite non-Slam tournament

Day 15 – Most attractive women’s player

Day 16 – Most attractive men’s player

Day 17 – Favorite women’s outfit

Day 18 – Favorite men’s outfit

Day 19 – Who were the #1 the day you were born

Day 20 – Favorite men’s Slam champion

Day 21 – Favorite women’s champion