🎾Tennis, and other pasttimes

 🎾Tennis has been challenging to watch. It is the Australian Open, and the time difference is huge: 16 hours ahead of us. They have 9 tennis courts with feeds, and it is a major tournament. 

Daisy used to like tennis! I'm not sure if her new owner does, as well. 

 The Aussie Open has their challenges with heat and rain. The camera operators film under umbrellas (below, far left). BTW The kids are going to Australia and New Zealand in the summer. Happy world travelers!

We watch on TSN1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and we have had several Canadians playing: Denis Shapovalov (ranked 20th), Felix Auger-Aliassime (6th), Bianca Andreescu, Laylah Fernandez, Vasek Pospisil, for example. I think 4 played earlier in the week on the same day. Poor JB is hard pressed to figure out which programs to tape. Then, I have to be careful when I watch my morning news show that they don't give the results away. SPOILER ALERT! 

Raonic set the play a few years ago. Our strong, tall player whose aces just fire across the net. He has been off with an injury for a year. This strategy of heavy hitting takes a toll on muscles and bones. Sadly, both Shapo and Felix tend to bash the ball as hard and fast as possible all the time. We'd like them to know when to hold up, and put on a finesse hit. The strong players can hit serves at >200 km/hr. 

It makes for a long game when the men play best of 5. That's another pet peeve. I sit snuggled under my new blanket, a gift from Caitlin for Christmas. Soft as can be and cozy on these winter days. Cinnamon is afraid of it. Seriously! I'm working on that. 

This is my regular blanket! Silly lad! 

We binge watched the other day. It was quite funny. I think there was 5 hours of tape, and we were really careful to get up and take breaks. I had to vary from my normal 9:30 a.m. workout, which is good for the old brain just to switch things up. If I work out during a break, dollars to donuts they will announce the results. 

Funny story... I'd put off my workout, worried about would be on TV to distract me, and headed off downstairs when we finished Felix's game. It was so sad. No new movies. Then, a press conference by the federal health team, followed by the US security dude's presser. I headed off to the local Toronto news channel and they were covering the Toronto Mayor's press conference. It was snowing, so after 15 minutes I vacuumed downstairs, having fixed the clogged vacuum cleaner. Out I went, shoveling snow, which was a fine workout. Only 5 cm (2"), with a layer of ice underneath from the other storms. Yay, snow tires!

Australian Open Tennis

If you aren't tuned into 🇨🇦Shapovalov vs 🇩🇪Zverev on TSN1, now's the time 👀#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/gGlK1fk4un
— TSN Tennis (@TSNTennis) January 23, 2022

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TSN has the international broadcast feed from commentators for the Shapovalov/Zverev Australian Open: Josh Eagle, Colin Fleming, one of whom seemed quite thrilled with Zverev's temper tantrum: smashing his racquet on the court.

"The racquet is gone from Zverev in a big way. And there is definitely an upset brewing now.
Look at the aggression in that racquet break. Ya gotta give him a 10/10 for that, 'cause that is right up there with one of the best I've ever seen. He goes at it again. So good.  Maybe that's just what you need, that release of anxiety.  
Maybe he put a hole in the court. Some running repairs here. 

You would never encourage a young player or any player to break a racquet, but that's what Zverev needed. That doesn't worry me, and it wouldn't disappoint me if as a coach I saw that happen. He needs some inspiration from somewhere." 

He earned a code violation from the chair umpire. The fines can be $25,000. @TSNTennis exploits the drama.

It's not the first time he has done this, either. Zverev and Osaka both did it in 2019: 

Smashing racquets has become all the rage at Australian Open

 This time, and in 2019, Zverev went on to lose the game, so it didn't do him any good. Thousands of dollars in a fine. While everyone is angry and upset with COVID–19, this German is priviledged. He is 24 years old, gross earnings top $30 million USD.

Many of us are stressed, anxious, and are in horrible situations. People are losing work, housing, going to food banks, and this 20-something has his behaviour lauded by these announcers.

We're watching tennis to escape the news; the anger, the antivaxxers, the Russia/Ukraine conflict, horrific weather events, and this really is disturbing.

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I posted the comments on Twitter, and @bjwshepherd sent me to an article on Slate.com, in which they write about the abuse Zverev has been accued of by his ex-girlfriend in the year they were dating:

“Every Day, I Was Crying” Olga Sharypova says her ex-boyfriend, tennis star Alexander Zverev, abused her. Why hasn’t the tour addressed it? 

– BY BEN ROTHENBERG, AUG. 25, 2021 8:12 PM

"She said that Zverev’s controlling and possessive behavior had first turned physically violent months earlier, but in New York that violence reached a new level. Sharypova said she ran out of their hotel room at the Lotte New York Palace and fled, barefoot, to the street. “This time, I really was scared for my life,” she told me."

Tennis indoors @AustralianOpen; deer outdoors

Here, birdy, birdy. As if!
The chickadees taunt her.

It's so cold outside. Another -30 C. night. Outdoor play is important. Daisy follows me to the bird feeders, but she isn't much help.

Indoor play is important, too. I've been busily entertaining cats with  'snake', a long piece of fake fur attached to a stick. There are feathers on the end, and when I snap it cats come running for a good play.

Tennis at the Australian Open [ausopen.com @AustralianOpen] has been a great way to keep humans entertained indoors. Our Canadian player, Eugenie Bouchard [@GenieBouchard #GenieMania]: in the top 30 in the world, has risen to the top 20 or so. It's been 30 years since we've had a woman like this! At 19, she's going to have an amazing career.

Elephant rolls her eyes at Daisy watching TV

Ms. Bouchard is a testament to common sense, cool control, and keeping her focus. She is such a darling! No screaming like a girl (Azerenko) or slamming her racket, or bullying or questioning the umpires or line judges. One male player, David Ferrer, shoved a line judge to get him out of his way. Twice.
Also, Ferrer put his towel on the line judge's chair, similarly shoving him out of the way. This is what they have the ball kids for, not only chucking you fresh balls. You fling your towel and have peeps to catch them for you. And these ball boys and girls are VERY well trained and professional. I am totally impressed! You'd think modern players would have learned from the behaviour of drama queens like John McEnroe (see McEnroe tantrums, if you are too young to remember)! What a waste of energy.

She's not quick enough, though.

I'd just missed a photo. She put her head
between her arms, as if praying!

I tried with the automatic setting. The flash popped up.
Their eyes are on fire!

Daisy took a rest on the stool, back feet on the floor.
Dorah was playing 'snake', too.

Outdoor play has been tough to sell! After our thaw last month, there are tufts of frozen grass, since covered up by 3" of snow.

The walking is still pretty bad, although it has improved. Hubby has strained a muscle in his foot and cannot walk on it. He's a wreck, between one thing and another, and thinks I ought to trade him in for two 32-year-olds. I told him, I don't have the patience to train any young ones!

Settled down in the morning sunshine
on the grassy knoll.

There were 4 on the hill