the rix mix

Serena Williams beat Jelena Jankovic, 6-5, 7-5. A straight set win & I'm still surprised they had the strength to hold the trophies over their heads. I'm always surprised. I think tennis is most intense, physically punishing sport. The psychological demands are tremendous. We watched Serena refuse to surrender to a third set, stand her ground, fight back, then slowly establish an ever so slight mental advantage over Jelena, making an opponent who had had the advantage feel the exhaustion & pain, too. But it has be be part of an athletic attack. & it can go on for hours & hours. A tennis player knows immediately the difference between a physical impossibility & a mental mistake. Only a pitcher in baseball is so naked. When a pitcher throws a best pitch at a great hitter & it's hit safely, a good pitcher shakes it off. But a mistake can unravel even a good pitcher. A good defense behind a pitcher can compensate for a mistake. But the tennis player must provide her own defense. That's a tough game.

Thinking about this because I had a klutzy day, & there on TV was an exhibition of unklutzy beauty. My day started off splashing half & half on the floor, a couple of tablespoons while coffee was brewing & the plastic cup went off the table & bounced just such a way to splatter it four feet. Would've been nothing if the cup had simply tipped.

Labels: sports