Not really a local, Dallas-y angle here. Other than the fact that I know you guys appreciate sports greatness when you see it.
And since this moment happened in the U.S. Open tennis semifinals while y'all were probably still high-fiving Cowboys 34, Bucs 21, perhaps you didn't see it.
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Sunday's instant classic Wimbledon final was one of those magical moments that only sports can provide. As Roger Federer and Andy Roddick battled past four hours and into the longest fifth set in Grand Slam history, you forgot about the second wife and the third mortgage and those post-Fourth of July plans.
In '04 Federer-Roddick gave me this ball. In '09, they gave me a classic.
Federer's 16-14 survival - and ascension as tennis' all-time king - was one of those spine-tingling images that crow-barred its way into your day, into your eternal memories.
Because Federer passed Pete Sampras with his 15th Grand Slam, because Roddick played the match of his life and because it was riveting drama in one of sports' coolest theaters, I rank it as the second-greatest Wimbledon final behind Rafael Nadal's 9-7 win over Federer in the fifth set last year and just ahead of Bjorn Borg's 1980 triumph over John McEnroe highlighted by the vintage 18-16 tiebreaker.
If you're a tennis dork like me or, thanks to yesterday, new to the sport, now what do we do? Either wait for the U.S. Open come Labor Day or ... head out to Grapevine today.
The Cowboys of the ’90s? Southlake Carroll of the ‘00s? They have nothing, and I mean nothing, on this local sports dynasty.
Five state championships in six years. A record of 138-1 since ’03. 21 consecutive Texas state semifinal berths.
Would you believe Highland Park? Would you believe …
Speaking of tennis and the Davis Cup and local athletes, I almost forgot to mention Mitchell Krueger. In fact, I did forget. Until now.
Who he, you ask? With any luck, and some computer click support from you, he could be the December cover boy on Sports Illustrated for Kids.
So I got this friend who, like me, plays competitive tennis.
(Pregnant pause while 92% of you clear the room.)
Anyway, she’s playing level 3.0 women’s doubles (advanced lower level, if you will) for her Canyon Creek Country Club team last Friday when her opponents from Royal Oaks Country Club walk on the court and she gets a tad, let’s say, dis-stract-ted.
“I’ll admit,” says my female friend about another female, “Mandy’s got a great figure.”
Yes, tell us s-l-o-w-l-y. As my hero, Robot Chicken says, "That pleases me."
But who, exactly, is this “Mandy”?
Big news from my wife over Labor Day: This guy has supplanted this guy atop her “list.”
Alas, my rankings are unchanged. Anna Kournikova, feeble tennis resume be damned, remains the undisputed defending champion.
Which is great news, considering that Kournikova is coming to Dallas – SMU to be exact – next month.
Get those cards, flowers and strip-o-grams coming, I need a lil’ pick-me-up.
Not because the Cowboys lost or the Rangers’ annual summer fade is in hyper-drive. Alas, my tennis team came this close to winning the USTA 3.5 Texas sectional championship and advancing to the national tournament.
Instead, we lost a third-set tiebreaker in the deciding match yesterday afternoon after a grueling weekend in which I played five singles matches over 48 hours. If you need me today I’ll be laying on the couch catching up on Cowboys-Chargers and the Irish Tiger .
Keep me in your prayers. -- Richie Whitt
As a stupid guy once famously said in a super movie, “Sorry I had ta fight in da middle of ya black pantha pawwty,” but I can’t let another day pass without opining on the greatest tennis match I ever did see.
(No worries. Another Greg Williams serving arrives this afternoon.)
I fully understand I’m in the minority, loving and playing tennis and all. But if you watched Sunday’s classic Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal I don’t have to sell you on why it can be the most riveting, fascinating and dramatic of all sports.
