Better Than I Imagined (Day 6)

On my way in to the first match of the day I spotted this guy, who was gracious when I asked to take a picture with him.  I 110% knew I would see at least one person with some sort of Buffalo Bills gear on at some point during the tournament.  I was on the look out for it, but mostly when I saw Jessie Pegula play.  When I was packing I debated long and hard about whether to bring any Sabres gear and I decided against it just because I had to cut some things and what I own isn't as easy to mix and match and some other items I brought.  I've already forgotten this guy's name, but I remember that he was European (Irish maybe?) and had relatives who lived back in Orchard Park.  He and his girlfriend were really nice in the few minutes we chatted.  What's funniest about this is that when I posted this picture to Instagram I received several messages from people asking if anything romantic was going on with this guy.  Apparently this guy and I look like we could be a couple. 

Elina Svitolina (5) v. Garbine Muguruza

I like watching Garbine receive the ball because she has a pattern that she makes with her feet so that she's not flat footed when she attempts to return the serve.  With each foot she sort of drags her toes back. It reminds me of the motion you first learn when learning how to tap dance. I was taught to make a "fa-lap" with your feet. You sort of drag your toes and then smack them down on to the surface.  After Garbine does that she bounces back and forth on her toes.  That part kind of reminds me when a dog "dances" and has happy feet. You can see in the picture below that she just finished this motion and is in the air jumping to put herself in position to successfully return the ball. 

Daniil Medvedev (4) v. Alexei Popyrin

Better Than I Imagined (Day 5)

A few days before this when Jim and I had brunch he referenced a "milk bar" in conversation.  He explained to me that it was basically a bodega, but that most of them had closed down because of the presence of gas stations, modern mini marts, and grocery store chains.  I found the remnants of one on my way to the train station on day 5.

Alison Riske (18) v. Julia Goerges

I was interested in seeing Alison Riske play again and was happy to see that she was playing Julie Goerges.  I'm not a huge Goerges fan, but I will keep one of her matches on if I'm watching one of the majors at home and they're covering her.  I was also interested in scoping out this match because I suspected that show court seating would fill up pretty fast for the next match between Tennys Sandgren and Sam Querrey. 

I originally sat in one of the corners in the very first row. It was a perfect seat for me ... perfect until there were a few small groups of Americans from various locations within the SEC that were asked about their political preferences by a European.  After the man sitting directly next to me expressed his deep love of Trump, I knew I was going to need to leave.  It immediately got awkward between the non-American and the Trump supporter.  The tension was palpable.  It wasn't that I am so intolerant of others that I couldn't sit next to a Trump fan, but I was on vacation and just didn't want to any of that to be in the forefront of my mind. I wanted to watch tennis, enjoy the sunshine, and have incredibly-disconnected-from-the-real-world fun. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist eavesdropping on the conversation and I didn't want any of that in mind.

A few games into the first set I decided to get up, get something to eat and drink, and move seats.  Little did I know, I accidentally sat directly next to Julia Goerges' player's box... cheering for Ali Riske.  In my head I was cheering loud and proud, but I decided to keep it outwardly quiet and respectful. I clapped for good tennis. LOL

This video is from my first seat.

Tennys Sandgren v. Sam Querrey

After Ali Riske won I stayed in my seat and watched Tennys Sandgren absolutely dominate Sam Querrey.  I sat next to Sandgren's box, which was pretty cool because his team was definitely there to keep him hyped and that was fun to be around.  I went into the match excited to see Querrey, but he was flat and frankly disappointing.  He didn't even seem like he was trying. He didn't seem like he wanted to be there.  Tennys Sandgren was energetic, dynamic, and really exciting to watch.  I came out of that match a Sandgren fan for sure. Not only did I follow him throughout the tourney, but I will continue to follow him.  I felt like this tournament was his coming out party and we're going to see him advance and really carve out a spot for himself among the top players. 

I have never seen someone hit a ball like Sandgren.  I've seen powerful hitters - Federer, Djokovic, Wawrinka, etc. - but when Sandgren hits the ball he flicks his wrist and snaps the racquet. It's fascinating.  Other players do it when they go for the big hit, but he does it consistently. To witness it in person was awesome. I don't know if it looks the same on tv, but I was in awe of it.  I kept expecting that power to diminish as the match went on, but it didn't.  

Plus, like Michael Mmoh, he's very photograph-able because he is super strong through his legs and often strikes the ball after he's already off the ground.  Too bad I didn't actually get any good photos. His quads and butt are super strong.  I know I probably shouldn't comment on this, but the dude's ass is phenomenal. I mean, it makes sense - if his power is coming from his legs he's going to have a muscly ass too. I couldn't stop staring. That booty is legit.

Match point:

After this match ended I decided to go home, but on the way to the train station I heard chants coming from the stadium across the street. I made the false assumption that the local professional teams would schedule away competition during the Australian Open.  That way public transportation and parking wouldn't be over crowded.  But, I was wrong!  One day I was on the train going to the tennis and there were people on the same train going to a soccer match and a cricket match.  There could have been other things going on too, but that's all I knew about.  Three professional sport events going on in the same area and they all seemed to be successful.  It made that area of Melbourne feel so vibrant. 

So, anyway, I decided to check out the match. While waiting to cross the street I asked a few people who were clearly going to the game what was going on. They told me that it was a soccer match between the Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.  I was told that while the soccer wasn't that great, this match was important because Melbourne and Sydney are rivals and fuck Sydney. They assured me that despite the fact that they were late to arrive at the game, there was still enough to see. So, I went over to the box office to see how much of the match had already happened and how much money the cheapest ticket would cost. If there was enough time left in the match for it to be worth it and if I could see it rather cheaply I'd go.  While I was waiting in line one of the guys I was talking to before I crossed the street came over to offer me a ticket.  It turns out the group had season passes in the supporters section and I could sneak in with a pass that wasn't be used.  

It was great! I mean, it was awful soccer and I only stayed for about 30 minutes, but it was fun.  Initially I thought everyone in the group was all the same age, but I learned that they ranged from older teenagers to middle aged parents with some cousins and friends in the mix.  The guy that I spoke with for most of the time was from Chile and I feel bad because I can't remember his name now.  Experiences like this one are part of what I like most about traveling - the random experience with total strangers that you never know you're going to get. 

Oh, and I also learned that in Australia soccer is soccer, not football. You might hear it called footy, but in some parts of the country footy is rugby. It can be really confusing when talking with people from different regions of the country. 

 

And then I went home... 

Better Than I Imagined (Day 4)

Garbine Muguruza v. Ajla Tomljanovic

By day four I realized that all of my pictures were probably looking the same. I had the immense privilege of sitting in generally the same spot for most of the matches I attended, which meant that my vantage point was pretty much the same each time.  I also watched a lot of the same players play, which was cool, but didn't make for a lot of variety in pictures. I kept clicking away during the matches and then afterward when I got home I decided if they were good to look at or not.  It turns out I only took one decent photo during this match.  You can tell that I still had a killer seat, but to the left of the player's box because of the glass right in front of me. 

Daniil Medvedev (4) v. Pedro Martinez

I'd be lying if I told you I remembered anything about this match. 

D. Krawczyk/J.  Pegula v. I. Begu/ Kr. Pliskova

This was the first doubles match I watched.  I didn't take in as much doubles as I expected. The schedule wasn't always in my favor. When there were players I wanted to see I tended to be at other matches and when I had free time some of the matches were suspended due to weather.  Plus, I had already seen so much tennis. It's hard to keep your focus on matches you aren't that invested in. I did, however, make a point to go see Jessie Pegula play. I wanted to see her singles play, but wasn't able to.  

I remember being really tired at the end of this day, but also not wanting to go home.  I tried to find a cool place to eat dinner that was somewhat near my Airbnb. I knew that as I relaxed and really sank into how tired I was during dinner I would dread having a long haul home after I finished.  I failed in that most places near where I was staying were closed. Things ended up working out well for me though.

I landed upon this charcoal chicken place and planned to stay to eat in a little seating area they had outside, but there was some miscommunication between me and the owners of the shop. When I received my food it was already in a take away wrapper, so I just went with it. It worked out for the best because it was quite breezy and cooling down.  I took it home and ate.  Anyway, I ordered this sandwich - chopped chicken, tabouli, and french fries on a bun.  It sounds weird, and it kind of was, but it was also delicious. I remember devouring it on my couch while watching Nick Kyrgios play on tv. 

Better Than I Imagined (Day 3)

Day three was a little light on the tennis, but it was also one of the best days!

The highlight of the first match I went to was that I tried the official drink of the Australian Open which is an Aperol Spritz. I honestly don't remember anything else about this match at all.  From the photo I can tell it was a doubles match, but that's about it.  My take on the drink? It's just ok. 

Tatsuma Ito v. Novak Djokovic (2) 

The real excitement of the day came when Olli scored me a ticket for the Djokovic match.  I was on cloud nine because Djokovic is my favorite men's player and because I had no idea how far he'd go in the tournament, which meant that I didn't know if I'd get to see him play again.  I was lucky enough to get to see him play a total of FOUR times throughout the two weeks. Even saying it now I get butterflies in my stomach. The seats for this match were the best I had to watch him by far. These first two videos are a little repetitive because they were the same sentiment, but I sent them to different people. I included them both because you can see how excited and appreciative I was to be there. 

During the match I sat next to a really nice couple who were personal guests of Djokovic and his team. They told me about how they used to own a Greek restaurant that was a favorite spot of players during the tournament because they were accommodating to the players and restricted access to them while they were there.  The woman and I chatted a lot during the match and she was super sweet. She was the person who gave me the recommendation to check out the pedestrian mall with all the Greek restaurants and shops that I mentioned before.  

Match point:

In summary... 

Better Than I Imagined (Day 2)

I started day 2 with a lovely breakfast with Jim, my Airbnb host. I can't remember where we went and I don't have a picture of what I ate (avocado toast with bacon and a chai tea), but I took a photo of his because it was so lovely looking. 

I also found this meme, which made me howl in delight because the day before when I watched the first match on the side court I had to laugh because when I sat down I couldn't help but notice how pronounced the turn of my head to follow the ball was.  I laughed a little at myself when I realized how much I felt like a parody of a tennis fan.

Alison Riske (18) v. Yafan Wang

Something I didn't anticipate when it comes to watching on a side court is obstructed views. It makes sense that the views wouldn't be perfect.  Much of the seating and covering has evolved over time. It's fun to be right up next to the court, but you definitely pay the price for it in the sunshine.  In many situations the best seat for view and shade is higher up in the stands. 

Ali Riske was fun to follow during the tournament. I don't mean any disrespect toward her, but I was surprised at her ranking.  She's not a flashy player and there weren't really any times when I found myself totally in awe of her. It didn't take long for me to recognize that she's earned her ranking through her tenacious play and focus. I saw her play from down several times and she finds a way to dig deep and claw her way back. I like that her matches were competitive and that I had no idea if she was going to pull a win out or fall short. 

Pablo Andujar v. Michael Mmoh

Michael Mmoh is impressive. He's quite powerful and I think we're going to see a lot of him to come. As I was heading to his match I overheard someone say, "We should go to Mmoh. He's going to win the US Open one day soon."  I believe that prediction.  He was also fun to try to get a photograph of because he's off the court in transition a lot - not that I got any particularly good shots of him. He uses his powerful legs and transfers that power to the ball. 

Leonardo Mayer v. Tommy Paul

I don't actually have any photos of this match because the men were playing on the court that was behind me as I faced Mmoh's court.  These two side courts only have a few rows of seats near them and the fence makes it so that the best "seat" is actually standing near them.  I turned back and forth between the two matches, much like you can see Olli is doing between the Mmoh court and the one on the far side. Olli is the guy standing up on the top row of the bleachers. Tommy Paul is also the future of American tennis for sure. He had a good run in the tourney, although it's fair to say he didn't go as far as he would have liked.  His play was impressive in my opinion. 

Garbine Muguruza v. Shelby Rogers

Prior to getting into the stadium for this match I grabbed some chicken tenders and fries, which totally hit the spot, and this lovely beverage. I think Skyy might have something similar if not exactly this in the US. The lime really hit the spot. In my world you can never have enough lime.  I was disappointed to find out that Australia has not discovered White Claws yet and don't really have other spiked seltzer options. This is the closest thing to it and it got the job done for me. It was pretty refreshing.

Before going into the stadium I ate my food on a little hill that I'm not sure if it's technically part of the Grand Slam Oval. Either way, it's a common area on the grounds where people hang out, watch some tennis on a big screen, and take a break.

I was not impressed at all with Muguruza in her first set. She was getting her butt handed to her and lost it pretty solidly.  It was after the first set that I learned that she was sick. Knowing that made her comeback to win this match that much more impressive. Throughout the two weeks I watched Garbine dig down deep and rally the way only elite, professional tennis players can do. It's like you can see a switch flip inside of them. Seeing tennis at this level in person made me appreciate so much more the sentiment that the court is a lonely place for these players. It really is up to them and them only to find the way to fight. To see it happen in person is really the most impressive part of the whole shebang. 

Side note: My repeated use of the word impressive is not lost on me. I could use a thesaurus to vary my word selection, but impressive is what it was. Over and over. My appreciation for the talent level and mental focus of these players increased exponentially.

For this match I sat in the corner, right above the wall. It was a phenomenal seat. Shelby Rogers more so than Garbine Muguruza would come to the corner and speak to herself to keep her focus between serves.  I didn't take any pictures of that because it felt intrusive and creepy, but it was pretty cool to be about 10 feet away from a professional athlete actively working to keep their focus and hype themselves up.

In the last game of this match, Olli texted me and basically said, "Get to me as quick as possible and I have a ticket for you for Medvedev." Olli had already gifted me with amazing experiences and to be frank, I wanted to make sure I made it easy for him to keep doing so. 😁 As soon as the match ended, I bounded up and moved around two men who were taking a normal amount of time to leave an event.  In doing so I snagged my brand new jeans on a bolt in the railing and this is what happened. 

Don't worry, the red mark on my leg is from the seam pressing into my skin because they were tight skinny jeans, not a scratch or cut.  But that tear is about a foot long. Oh, and did I mention that this was the first day I wore these jeans? LOL I had to buy some cooler weather clothes because I didn't pack many and the weather was much cooler than I expected for the Australian Open.

Typically it's insanely hot, which we did get a couple days like that, but most of the days were cool or moderate in temperature.  The swing in the temperature was pretty dramatic based on the presence of the sun.  During the Muguruza match I sat on one side in the shade where the people around me were putting on sweatshirts and light sweaters and Olli sat in the player's box that was directly in the sun. Everyone on that side was boiling and only keeping clothes on to keep from sunburning.  They were dripping in sweat while we were getting chills from the shade and breeze. 

I was a little embarrassed initially because my next seat was in Medvedev's box. After a few minutes of laughing it off with my new acquaintances I forgot about it and focused on the tennis. No one else commented or even seemed to notice. 

Daniil Medvedev (4) v. Frances Tiafoe

Like I said, Olli upgraded me and it was pretty spectacular.  I even got a special little bonus because it got quite chilly after the sun went down.

The view from my seat:

Here's also a not great video of the roof opening.  It's crazy how fast the roof on RLA can open and close.  My not so accurate measurement confirms I can fully be done in about the same time as one Billy Joel song.

At the end of the day I walked back to the train station and Melbourne looked gorgeous.

I was also treated to this fun street performer.