us open 2012 : gearing up

practice with the pros, and a few shots from kid's day...

see fine pictures: playing their part

via tennis.com and the ap...

before things got hot and heavy (officially) down at the aussie open, roger federer helped to organize and host "hit for haiti," and recruited rafael nadal, novak djokovic, andy roddick, lleyton hewitt, sam stosur, kim clijsters and serena williams to participate. the ap report and the photos suggest a fun, spirited time was had by all (plenty more pics for you superfans at yahoo! sports).

the event raised more than $185,00 for the haitian relief effort, with organizers expecting that amount to increase.

cheers to everyone who helped pull it all together at the last minute.

fed, chair.
photo by paul crock/getty images via yahoo! sports

best seats in the house.
ap photo via yahoo! sports

rafa with his mj finger wraps.
photo by paul crock/getty images via yahoo! sports

rafa getting a little treatment from kim.
photo by paul crock/getty images, via yahoo! sports

djoko next?
AP photo of djokovic, nadal, clijsters via yahoo! sports

three on three.
photo by mark dadswell/getty images via yahoo! sports

rafa in the hot seat.
photo by mark dadswell/getty images via yahoo! sports

a very nice two-step.
photo of roddick and rafa by mark dadswell/getty images via yahoo! sports

a taste of tennis, 2009

my friend, kevin, called me this afternoon to see if i could help him out at the taste of tennis event at the w hotel--he had to try to get "red carpet interviews" with some of the players and chefs, and he needed someone to help to identify them (especially the "international" tennis players).

i knew there existed a universe where all of my dining out and tennis-watching and blog-reading would be of use.

i really enjoyed the event last year (mob scene that it was), but hadn't planned to go this time 'round. i had an idea this little gig would be fun--and a decent opportunity to re-test my g-10.

here's who we saw and spoke with (I think the interviews will go live in a week)...

andy roddick.

andy was kind enough to stop and chat with brandeis...

nicholas kiefer wasn't up for a tv interview...

neither was gonzo.

pretty ms. sabine lisicki.

sabine stopped for our team, too.

david ferrer made his way quickly down the press line, hardly stopping to smile.

brad farmerie, fresh off his iron chef victory over cat cora (that little tidbit, courtesy of my mom, came in very handy for the interview)...

is as handsome...

and charming as i remember him...

also returning this year...alfred portale...

vera zvonareva--our "first interview" of the evening--looking lovely...

and sweet.

gangbusters!

having a low-key holiday weekend in town, working a bit and prepping for the upcoming trip... but yesterday was blockbuster friday. i met up with friends richard, anthony, teresa and zovig for the 11:30 am showing of PUBLIC ENEMIES...featuring...richard! this is a film that i would have seen--depp, bale, mlle. marion cotillard, period sets and costuming...

via imdb...

all of that is way up my alley. but obviously, the fact of richard being in the film (as agent sam cowley), and having heard about some of the on-set adventures from him and teresa, made this exceptionally thrilling. i love to see friends find success at what they love to do, and are meant to do.

before taking in the film, i did read a couple of reviews (manohla dargis at the nytimes, and david denby at the new yorker) and didn't disagree with their assessments. there's an epically beautiful build to the film, but an ending that's strangely slow-mo and abrupt. and anti-climactic. (i had a "that's it?" moment near the end.) despite mr. mann's attempts to fudge "real" events to clear a stronger dramatic path, in the end, there are no heroes here, just a collection of intriguing personalities, none wholly good or bad. (ok, maybe baby face nelson was an entirely bad apple.) and while that makes it in one sense true to life, it might be why the film falls just short of great?

to me, the hero of the film is cinematographer dante spinotti (oscar-nominated for his work on the insider and la confidential). public enemies is one beautiful shot after another. close-ups from terrific angles. and look at the light here...how wonderful:

via imdb...

via imdb...

via imdb...

(side note: don't see the film at the e-walk theater on east 42nd, if you can help it. we sat in theater 1, which had a vertical line running the length of the screen, effectively splitting off 1/3 of every one of mr. spinotti's beautiful shots. very distracting.)

***
and on the subject of gangbusters, how about andy roddick?!!

richard and i were both pulling for murray (richard, because he's a brit, me because i figured he had the better shot at beating federer on sunday) and had set our respective dvrs to record the match. we discussed the particular cares we would have to take in order to avoid seeing or hearing about the match before we could watch it all unfold ourselves. this meant no lunching at a pub after the movie, no internet, and definitely no looking up when walking through times square.

i put the match on when i got home--and actually fell asleep between the first and second sets (oops. very tired!) but then caught the rest of it. the result: shocking!

i learned the hard way last summer to not actually bet on murray to win, but i still had a notion that he would win yesterday. even knowing that roddick is in the best shape of his life, i simply never believed he'd be able to mix it up enough, or have the composure under pressure to create winning points against players that have a bit more in their arsenal. and i guess it's been a long time since i could recall him really winning a big match--though yes, he's come very close...

and as i watched murray predictably pop off, i expected roddick to have his turn. but he played it smooth and smart all the way through...

i did notice earlier in the week, that in an interview, he seemed very thoughtful and mature. my sense from what i've read on the blogs is that he's fun to interview--candid, wry, funny...but sometimes (anyone's) smart-assiness wears on me. but there was something so noticeably different in the interview, and for probably the first time in my life, i wanted to really root for the guy.

he was similarly dignified and humble in his victory yesterday. and he said something that reminded me of a post that mfw wrote a few months ago--"not a quitter." roddick said, "throughout my career i have had a lot of shortcomings, but trying hard hasn't been one of them. " i have to admire that.

and cheer.

GO ANDY!

ap photo via yahoo sports