Andy Roddick got shellacked today by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympics. The scores, 2 and 1, do not fully do justice to what a demo job this was. And in demo, I mean, a demolishing, a butt-kicking, a…well, you get my point. Not only did Djoko out-ace Roddick 14-5, but he showed his superiority in every way you possibly can on a tennis court with the exception of maybe the slice backhand.

The Epitomy of Roddick

Do you remember there was a movie called “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” in 1969, starring Kurt Russell?
I never saw it but what an intriguing title for a film.

“Tennis sneakers.” They’ve earned their own special distinction in modern culture.

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Just caught a little bit of it today. Harrison and Young lost to Giraldo and Seppi, respectively. Too bad neither Giraldo or Seppi are grass-court players so for Ryan and Donald to not win a set is a poor showing. I think we all know that DYoung might be lucky to be playing main draw ATP events after the summer.

Are You Liking Olympic Tennis?

Two friends of mine Chrisian Koskorelos and Kevin went to the USTA National Tennis Center today. Just to play some tennis on the courts and check out the scene. Who did they run into but Nick Bollettieri who was also there on business. They had lunch with Nick and Christian mentioned that he knows me and the book I wrote “Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew.”

"The book is magnificent"

I watched Haas play against Marin Cilic and Juan Monaco this past weekend in the semis and finals of Hamburg. Tommy Haas, the passionate, oft-injured, swearing, defiant 34-year-old is playing some fine tennis. He beat Cilic 6-0 in the second set of his straight set semis win and was up a break in the first set against Monaco in the finals before Monaco solved Haas.

Cussing and Cursing--Tommy Haas Is Back

Brought the racquets out to Rockaway Beach in Brooklyn, hit a few volleys in the dry soft sand. But then I noticed the sand by the water was open and clear and flat. I saw a tennis court without the net and lines,

This was real beach tennis

You faithful readers of Tennis-Prose.com know that I like Sam Querrey’s game in a big match as much as I like J.R. Smith’s, for you chastened Knicks fans out there grieving over the loss of Jeremy Harvard Linsanity. But here I recently was defending Big Sam from the Valley when I saw that Jon Wertheim of SI.com wrote that he thought Agnie …

Big Sam--Don't Say I Never Came To Your Defense. Who Loves You Big Guy?

Is this suspicious to anyone but me? Nadal wouldn’t say what’s injured, only that he didn’t have enough time to prepare for the Olympics. What!!!? Didn’t have enough time to prepare for a grass court event? Please, that’s like saying Kobe Bryant didn’t have enough time to prepare for the USA Basketball team where the other night against Brazil, all I saw him do was chuck up 3-pointers.

The Mysterious Spaniard

Jeff Salzenstein was always one of my favorite players to watch. He was a perennial Challenger player, only able to break into the tour’s ATP tournaments on rare occasions like when he’d qualify at the U.S. Open or the Australian Open. But he had a love for the game, a dedication and an ability to fully immerse himself into his career.

The Most Important Shot in the Game

Status: ATP tennis pro. Currently ranked #125 in the world.

First Tennis Memory: “So many memories. I think when I just started tennis when I was four, picked up a racquet, just hitting against the wall. That’s how it started for me.”

Tennis Inspirations: “Roger Federer, Nadal, Pete Sampras, Agassi, all the best.”

Nickname: “Bemel.”

"It was like the sound of a goat"