Me, too! I'm watching the Williams final as we speak. I suspect it may be over soon. I love them both, but this time I'm rooting for Serena. I just think she's the strongest overall player right now. What Venus did to Safina the other day was impressive, though.

I'm also delighted for Roddick. He's definitely the underdog against Federer, but I'd love to see him win. Federer's fabulous, of course, but as with Sampras some years ago, I think I suffer from Federer fatigue. I'd love to see someone else win for a change, especially Roddick, who's playing the best I've ever seen him.

I've got myself tickets for three days to the US Open in September, which is awesome to have just down the road from us, so to speak. I even sprang for some Arthur Ashe seats, so I may get to see some big names this year.

Thanks for the fandom thread, rainbaby... I've been dying to talk tennis with someone (Jon listens patiently, but you know, it's not his thing).

And Serena just won as I was typing this... yay!

what i like about the williams sisters is they dont do the fake grunting thing .

Wimbledon is hands down my favorite sport watching, though basically I haven't watched it in years (no cable and now I can't even get over the air, I bet there's some internet option I haven't looked into though). My favorite era though was when the two big rivalries were Martina Navratilova/Chris Everett Lloyd and John MacEnroe/Jimmy Conners. I was a Navratilova/MacEnroe man, fwiw. Being pretty young at that point it wasn't long 'til Loyd and Conners were gone and the mens game really changed at that point. Becker and Lindle though were like watching two tennis machines play, which wasn't as much fun. So it was all about the woman's tennis were there was still volleying and the like. This is part of why I liked Wimbeldon so much - the grass totally slows it down, its way easier to get that first return on serve. Anyway the eighties and the nineties were pretty good with the woman but I think that now they are a lot closer to the men. More reliance on super fast serves and power baseline playing. The Williams sisters are pretty much the queens of that mode and while they do kick ass, I miss the old days a bit. Then again as I started off with, I haven't caught it in ages...

I miss watching Bjorn Borg and Arthur Ashe play. I played in a tennis league back in the day of wooden rackets, and the aluminum ones were just coming out.

I agree grass is a little more finessed, and clay is pretty awesome at taking the complete power game out. The hard courts are all about harder faster power. Not my thing. I prefer the long rallies, and the tactical game.

I don't watch or follow tennis any more. Sad of me, eh?

Ah, eekacat, you don't know what you're missing. The game has only continued to get better and better over the years (faster, more powerful). The current Roddick/Federer match is a wicked, nail-biter of a five-setter (I'm rooting for Roddick).

I know what you mean, though, about missing old favorites. I used to love anything Agassi and really missed when he didn't play anymore. But I will say that if you hang in there, you develop new favorites, for sure.

I hear ya Pips, and I imagine it's gotten better than when I really lost interest during the Lendl/Becker years. Partly it's the more power that makes me lose interest. I mean, seeing a match where it's two power servers trying to out ace each other isn't very interesting to me. I did watch the women more for awhile since they actually seemed to have longer rallies and less pure power. I guess I've just lost interest

Like with every sport, the athletes have gotten better, but much more than that the equipment technology has fueled the sport. In a lot of ways it's similar to how technology has affected swimming. The courts were designed for a completely different time and style of equipment.

Oh, and what is up with Nadal continuously picking his butt? I was at my parents' house last year and they were watching a match, and the dude can't keep his finger out of his butt while waiting for a serve. Butt picking and grunting needs to stop in tennis. hehehehe.

Watched Roger and Andy through five sets, but had to leave at 8-8 tp hop on the train and go to the Cubs game, meaning I had to read update for the rest of the match on my phone. Gotta feel bad for Roddick. It's been a long climb back for him since he fell off so hard in the US Open in 2004. I hope this was the beginning of his re-emergence, and not a fluke.

Either way, incredible tennis. The last two mens' Wimbledon finals have been the sort of thing you're lucky if you see once in a lifetime, let alone in back to back years.

Yes, yes, yes. One of the best matches I've ever seen. Power, yes, but such finesse, too. They were making shots no one can make. Phenomenol. And nothing against Federer. Andy made him earn it, for sure. But I literally had tears in my eyes for Roddick. He fought so hard. To try so hard, to be so good, and to still lose. Roddick stayed in it till the very last point. It's what I love about tennis, the sheer mano a mano. Like boxing, without the concussions. I do think it's a resurgence for Roddick. He's in better shape than ever, and his game is much more all court. He's for real. I look forward to seeing him at the Open.

(And yeah, I think Nadal just needs better fitting shorts -- that does get annoying, the butt picking. Beyond that, I think he's still licking his wounds from the whipping Soderling gave him at the French -- another phenomenol match. Soderling was in "the zone." He didn't play anywhere near that well in the final against Federer in the French. If he had, he would have beat him. He was unstoppable in the semi.)