Friday, September 18, 2009

Great Championship




This year's U.S. Tennis Open was great. Unexpected winners in both the men's & women's singles. Juan Martin del Potro upset Roger Federer - never an easy task. Plus, he defeated Rafael Nadal to advance to the final in the first place. Returning to the women's side following time off to have a daughter and begin motherhood, Kim Clijsters took the championship as an unranked participant. Tremendous tennis!

I have two complaints,though. One is recurring. I'll catch a few minutes to watch some and find out that, even though there are games being played, we are stuck with commentators in the studio for fifteen minutes or more. No matter which station is broadcasting, they all act as if the tennis tournaments are for the announcers to demonstrate their self-congratulatory knowldge instead of for the players and fans.

My second complaint emerged with the confrontation between Serena Williams and a ine judge in the semi-final match with Clijsters. Called for the relatively rare foot fault, Williams went off on the line judge to the extent that the tournament officials were called out. Having been given a warning for an infraction earlier, Williams was given another warning which incurred a point awarded to Clijsters. This was particularly significant, since it was match point. Of course, this became a focal point for our beloved announcers from that point to the present. Surprisingly to me, because of the comentator's infatuation with the William's sisters, the calls are for a stiffer penalty to be levied against Serena. They just ave gone on and on about how this incident "ruined" the championship. Well, it didn't even come close to ruining the championship except in their narrow minds. So, they can put the lid on it anytime. Serena has been given the maximum fine allowable under current rules. Unfortunately, this will be revisited over and over and over and over. After all, the tennis tournaments exist to showcase the commentators.


2 comments:

SkyePuppy said...

You know, it's not just in tennis where the commentators think it's all about them. These reporters at the Values Voters Coalition event thought it was their job to disturb the paying customers. Arrogant buffoons!

ChuckL said...

I suppose that's why they call it PROFESSIONAL journalism. No wonder they get so upset with all these untrained bloggers & such.