One of the shocks of this year’s Miami Open came yesterday afternoon when Magda Linette of Poland knocked off hometown favorite Coco Gauff in straight sets. I was sad to see Gauff wipe away tears as she exited the court, but I was happy for Linette, who is twelve years older than the American and entering the winter of her career.
She is the quiet, thoughtful, empathetic Polish woman on the tour. Last year she posted a long message on social media about the plight of Ukraine, and the players from that country who can’t go home. (Her missive was prompted by people asking her if she got tired of constantly traveling.) I had rooted for her before, but after that display of sympathy and understanding, she became my favorite player.
The Miami Open begins this week:
“They come every spring. In a city that values appearance, they are taller, leaner, fitter than the rest of us. They spend their days outdoors. They don’t (for the most part) waste their night clubbing. They show up on time.
“They make a mockery of our much-vaunted diversity.”
- from "The Subtropical Open," from the June 2024 issue of The Miami Native: https://www.miaminativemag.com/articles/the-subtropical-open
Yesterday I went with my friend Ardy to CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches to watch the Houston Astros play the Washington Nationals. Spring training is the relaxing month (at least for the spectators) of a slow-paced game, so I was surprised by the sight of so many fans already in clothing announcing their affiliations. There were a lot of Astros caps and jerseys, worn by children as well as seniors (we were on the side with their dugout); the boy in front of us sported a jersey bearing Altuve’s name and number, while his father wore a Dodgers cap. I saw a man wearing a Phillies cap with a green P, indicating that his affections extended to the Eagles (and, of course, why wouldn’t they?).
Ardy and I, sitting at the top of Section 101, were about the only people in non-annotated clothing. Though Ardy wore a black cap with an hourglass on it, the logo of the Elderly Brothers – the name he and his brother coined for their recent tour through the South.
I was hoping that Madison Keys’ victory at the Australian Open would bode well for the Buffalo Bills – the triumph of the long-denied – but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. At least now I won’t have divided loyalties during the Super Bowl. Go Iggles!
Perhaps if Pegula had lifted the trophy in Melbourne.
The problem with the Australian Open is that most of the matches take place while you’re asleep. The beauty of the tournament is that you can wake up to exciting late-night tennis. Or, more accurately, early-morning tennis. At the moment, the American teenager Learned Tien is in the fourth set against Daniil Medvedev. It’s 1:29 in the morning in Melbourne. Medvedev looks to win the set, which will send the match into a fifth set that will surely not end before 2 am. I feel sorry for the players, but happy for Tien’s friends waking up in California. Especially if the teenager's legs can hold out.