We’re Gawing to Glen Oiiiris

I could say that out loud, but for some reason, spelling the Aussie pronunciation is just never gonna happen for me.

But, yeah, Fed Cup World Group play-off, happening, in Glen Iris! Woooot.

Australia will be playing Ukraine – as we did last year, come to think of it. Then it was a quick and simple 5-0 situation, and we basically had Sam and Rodi take care of bizness entirely. The team hasn’t been named yet, but Jelena should be back on, Jarka is obviously killing it these days…. and I won’t mention a certain *sniff* awesome doubles player who won’t be there *sniff sniff sniff* but seriously, Anastasia Rodionova, doubles specialist, right?

And it’s in GLEN BLOODY IRIS. WOOOOOOT.

I say that, of course, while I will be sadly shouting at my TV from my bed in Brooklyn, freaking out my neighbours with choice words thrown at the direction of the screen, while for the first time that I can recall, tennis will be played REALLY CLOSE TO MY OLD STOMPING GROUND.

Granted, Melbourne Park is an 18-minute-give-or-take zip from home, but that doesn’t count the insanity of parking and hiking from the parking spot. But no, Glen Iris Tennis Club is totes, totes doable. Like, basically backyard (not really, but I will pretend). Which means….

WAHHH. I WON’T BE THERE.

But – Awesomely enough – LP will most likely attend, and get this-

(whispers)

WE’RE PROBABLY GOING TO WIN.

DT thinks so, anyway.

Get The Party Started (already)

Get the party started

Things I like: I like to start my season with a bang. I like to wax lyrical over the bright blue of the courts, the excitement of seeing blue and white signs all over the city, the thrill of taking the train to Richmond station, the joy of swiping that first yellow Ticketek stub through the turnstiles.

Things I don’t like: I don’t like anticlimaxes. I don’t like to wait all year for a glimpse of my beloved Melbourne Park, try to substitute my Australian-Open-withdrawals with other international slams, and find my own dear city has plotted against me after all this time. I don’t have tournament organisers or ticket sellers or even unsympathetic employers to blame: No, this frustrating anticlimax came from none other than Mother Nature herself.

Now for those of you who have been living under a rock, Mother Nature is not in anyone’s good books at the moment. She’s been throwing a hissyfit up in Queensland and the results haven’t been pretty – people dying, people losing their homes, and most of Australia in absolute shock, sadness and open-pocketed-sympathy. (Which, by the way, you should all do too.)

She unleashed her fury in Melbourne too, providing me – her recently returned daughter, shall I say? – with sticky, wet weather that’s rivalled the worst of the Roman heatwave I endured in July and the snowpocalypse of New York City just last week (okay, that’s a lie, but close.) Sure enough, with qualies happening in Melbourne Park this week and a gorgeous lineup over at Kooyong, she was still relentless.

I can’t stay that stopped us though. Today – Thursday – of Day 2 was a letdown, but we still got in our bit of tennis yesterday (Wednesday). Despite refusing to leave my house until play was confirmed and the rain gone, I made it for only a couple hours of play before the heavens opened.

Ballkids making a run for it in the first rainstorm of many

We left Amir Weintraub, our new Israeli lover, mid 3^rd set,  and ruined shoes, lost iPhones and got soaked accordingly in the unfriendly open spaces of Melbourne Park. We frolicked in the rain under the closed Garden Court Cafe, and tried to make it past security guards to check out practice courts. Rushing back to the car (yes, I had a park. At the Australian Open. Across the bridge. Tres, tres, excitement, and reason enough to attend qualies) we decided to “zip along the river” and “check out the scene” at Kooyong.

Turns out we made it. And scored some fabulous Misha time, a Lleyton sighting (first time for me, weirdly enough), Kolya playing actual tennis, and a Tomas-and-Lucie heart-melting kisscam moment. Need we mention the Berdych Army? Oh, it was good.

It Starts with Ana

One of my favourite things about the Australian Summer of Tennis is what I like to call #tennisgoingmainstream on Twitter. I hear them mentioned on the TV or radio, see it in the newspaper and feel like these guys are my family who made it to the bigtime.

Yes, I did used to be one of these very same casual fans who paid attention to the mainstreaminess of summer, and look what happened to me…

It started this morning with the gorgeous Ana, who spoke to Hughesy and Kate, hosts of Australia’s – and probably the world’s – best ever breakfast radio show.

http://www.novafm.com.au/embed/audio.aspx?id=100575

She calls Melbourne her favorite city and woot woot favorite Grand Slam. Yes, she calls Australia home, okay. Not so into the whole melodrama of The Great Adidas Shoe Heist but I’m not adverse to joining the hunt so I can catch up with the lovelies myself… Ana, Nando and Jo Willie? I won’t say no…

Ana Injury Update: She’s not “thrilled” but “pretty confident” she’ll be okay for Monday.

“I have treatment going on and hopefully in a couple of days’ time I can step on a court and start hitting again and feel 100 per cent,” she said.