Now that the first of the Grand Slam tourneys is done…
Here are my Best and Worsts of the 2018 Australian Open!
Best Serve/Braid/Nail Combo
With her win, Caroline Wozniacki was able to silence critics, who have often scoffed at her having had a No. 1 ranking without taking a major. Caro kept her head thorough the tournament (she came back from 1-5 in the 55 round!) and was able to raise Daphne, the Women’s trophy, on Saturday.
Caro has worked on improving her serve, helping her get more free points rather than just using it to start points. When I saw her serve with that thick braid and blue nail polish, Caro was flawless.
The Most Mucous-y Moment
I’m fighting a cold, so when Roger got choked up after his five-set win over Marin Cilic, I was a mess of sputum, snot, and saltwater. My face is raw. Forget Rolex. Roger needs to become a brand ambassador for Sudafed.
My Simona
I loved that Caro won, and I hated that Simona Halep had to lose for that to happen. Simona—or as her coach Darren Cahill calls her, “Simoner”—played two of the most exciting matches of the tournament. Third round, she went 15-13 against American Lauren Davis and then went 9-7 against Angie Kerber in the semis. She did this all on a sprained ankle(!). Hang tough, Simona. Your day will come. Cahill told Simona before the match “to be brave in the scary moments.” That’s a fantastic rule for living.
Sidenote: I’m a big Simona fan because she uses the same heart-shaped doober/vibration thingy as me. Doober is the official word. I’m sure of it.
And check out Simona’s brand-less kit from the the tourney. Halep is currently without an apparel sponsor when she and Adidas couldn’t come to an financial agreement before the tournament. Know your worth, Simona; get that paper!
Best Tweet
Speaking of worth…
And deserves every penny of it. Do you pay more for a 3 hour movie than a 90 minute one?
— James Blake (@JRBlake) January 25, 2018
Movies don’t vary in quality? So Citizen Kane was the same as Gigli? The entertainment is what is paid for. You don’t get your money back because you thought a movie was too short or not enough action.
PS. Women actors should get equal pay too.
— James Blake (@JRBlake) January 25, 2018
Doesn’t take much to speak the truth. Shocking that people can try to discredit the hard work you put in and deny you anything you and many other women deserve.
— James Blake (@JRBlake) January 25, 2018
James Blake is an honorary SHERO.
Second Worst Kit
Before y’all call me a hater, let me state that I’m here for Millennial Pink. Nike got the color right, but their designs were trash. Maria Sharapova is problematic, so it’s only fair her tennis dress is like “same.” Mesh? Hannah Horvath wore it better.
Worst Kit
Did Nike folks get together and wonder, “How can we make these incredibly fit women look shapeless and kinda dumpy?”
The cut of the culotte/skort gave the women camel toe, and the flowy midriff baring top with cap sleeves is the most unflattering combo I have ever seen on court. And I’m old enough to remember Anne White’s unitard at the 1985 Wimbledon.
Stop it, Bro
Backwards caps on male tennis players makes zero sense. They offer no shade and very little sweat absorption. This is tennis, not an Entourage fan festival.
Best New…Old Fave
After replaying the Tennys Sandgren interview from yesterday and showing how Serena Williams responded on Twitter, Brett, Martina, Jon & Jim shared their thoughts on the Sandgren story. – From tonight’s @TennisChannel pre-match show. pic.twitter.com/WQxEQtFnuR
— Chad (@CCSMOOTH13) January 25, 2018
I was never a huge fan of Jim Courier when he was on tour. He’s now the USA Davis Cup Captain. MATennisGA! His post-match interviews on Laver and his proper take on Tennys Sandgren* made me fall a little in love with him. A ginger in a suit…that’s my kink.
*Best take on Tennys Sandgren and his racist/homophobic garbage can be found here. H/t @BadToss
Best New Whippersnapper
It was easy to pull against Tennys Sandgren in the quarterfinals. But as the match progressed, I found myself pulling for his opponent, Hyeon Chung. This happy kid is bendy, has a killer forehand, and takes tons of chances on the lines. Blisters (aka a totally raw foot) brought the end to his AO, but I can’t wait to pull for him again. The ATP “Next Gen” has yet to bring a player I am digging, so I look forward to seeing what Chung can do at Indian Wells and in Miami.
Best Use of Injury Time Out
Cool?!?! You’ve got to be kidding me..
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) January 20, 2018
I hate that Andy Murray is out, recovering from hip surgery. But the courts’ loss is Twitter’s gain.
