09-08-2006, 10:18 AM
Zitten deze keer leuke stukjes tussen:
After I made my post yesterday I had a great conversation with Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer in the player lounge. Lendl has always been a big hero of mine.
I had just finished dinner and was walking back to the player lounge with two chocolate cookies. I'd eaten one and was holding the other one when I saw Ivan and Roger. I didn't want to eat the other cookie in front of two guys who own 16 Grand Slam titles between them, so for the 45 minutes we were talking I held it in my left hand. By the end there was chocolate all over my hand, but fortunately I could still shake hands with a clean right hand.
It was funny for me to see Lendl's youngest daughter ask Roger for an autograph. I guess Lendl's kids just think of him as dad rather than as one of the game's great players. In my country Ivan is considered the greatest tennis player ever. When I was growing up he was No. 1. And for me there is an extra connection because our games are similar with a high toss on the serve, we play from the baseline, try to have fast rallies and we rely a lot on fitness.
I'd say for 90 per cent of the time Ivan was doing all the talking, but that was fine with Roger and me. He had so many funny stories to tell. He also was teasing Roger a little about the fact that I have a 2-0 record against him and giving him tips on how to beat me. Roger was like 'Tell me what I need to do' and I was saying 'Don't tell him anything!' As if Roger needs help, anyway!
Ivan also told us about his oldest daughter who is now about 16 and she's just won a golf tournament. You can tell he loves his kids very much and that he's very proud of them. I'm also sure he makes them train very hard!
I made a picture with Ivan today and I will put that in a special place. I also asked him if we could play together one time for 30 minutes. He promised he'd hit with me, maybe at the US Open
It was great to hear from a legend and when you talk to a former great you probably pay attention twice as much.
Today I played (and won) a doubles match with Wayne Arthurs. We practiced together in LA and he knew I was looking for a partner in Cincy and Toronto and he asked me if I wanted to play here. He's about 35 in doubles so I knew it would be close and we were the last team in here. Next week it may even be tougher to get in in Cincy.
I played with him once before when we reached the Tokyo semifinals. He's a great doubles player and he has one of the best serves of any singles or doubles player in the world. Today against Acasuso and Nalbandian they were just laughing at times about how good Wayne's serve is. It's just amazing how he spins the ball both sides with slice and spin. You never know what you're going to get.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Dominik
After I made my post yesterday I had a great conversation with Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer in the player lounge. Lendl has always been a big hero of mine.
I had just finished dinner and was walking back to the player lounge with two chocolate cookies. I'd eaten one and was holding the other one when I saw Ivan and Roger. I didn't want to eat the other cookie in front of two guys who own 16 Grand Slam titles between them, so for the 45 minutes we were talking I held it in my left hand. By the end there was chocolate all over my hand, but fortunately I could still shake hands with a clean right hand.
It was funny for me to see Lendl's youngest daughter ask Roger for an autograph. I guess Lendl's kids just think of him as dad rather than as one of the game's great players. In my country Ivan is considered the greatest tennis player ever. When I was growing up he was No. 1. And for me there is an extra connection because our games are similar with a high toss on the serve, we play from the baseline, try to have fast rallies and we rely a lot on fitness.
I'd say for 90 per cent of the time Ivan was doing all the talking, but that was fine with Roger and me. He had so many funny stories to tell. He also was teasing Roger a little about the fact that I have a 2-0 record against him and giving him tips on how to beat me. Roger was like 'Tell me what I need to do' and I was saying 'Don't tell him anything!' As if Roger needs help, anyway!
Ivan also told us about his oldest daughter who is now about 16 and she's just won a golf tournament. You can tell he loves his kids very much and that he's very proud of them. I'm also sure he makes them train very hard!
I made a picture with Ivan today and I will put that in a special place. I also asked him if we could play together one time for 30 minutes. He promised he'd hit with me, maybe at the US Open
It was great to hear from a legend and when you talk to a former great you probably pay attention twice as much.
Today I played (and won) a doubles match with Wayne Arthurs. We practiced together in LA and he knew I was looking for a partner in Cincy and Toronto and he asked me if I wanted to play here. He's about 35 in doubles so I knew it would be close and we were the last team in here. Next week it may even be tougher to get in in Cincy.
I played with him once before when we reached the Tokyo semifinals. He's a great doubles player and he has one of the best serves of any singles or doubles player in the world. Today against Acasuso and Nalbandian they were just laughing at times about how good Wayne's serve is. It's just amazing how he spins the ball both sides with slice and spin. You never know what you're going to get.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Dominik
"Hij heeft misschien nog weinig tegenstand, maar dat is wat anders. En ook niet waar trouwens".
Mooi van Isner, maar nu wel erg jammer dat Russell niet mee doet. Maar wel gunstig voor Querrey. Jammer dat Anderson niet doordrukte, maar dat kan Zeballos mooi doen.
Stunt Wawrinka zou leuk zijn, maar niet als ie vervolgens verliest van Djokovic. Maar als die dan weer verliest van Berdych, maakt het niet uit. Dus vannacht is inderdaad cruciaal.
Mooi van Isner, maar nu wel erg jammer dat Russell niet mee doet. Maar wel gunstig voor Querrey. Jammer dat Anderson niet doordrukte, maar dat kan Zeballos mooi doen.
Stunt Wawrinka zou leuk zijn, maar niet als ie vervolgens verliest van Djokovic. Maar als die dan weer verliest van Berdych, maakt het niet uit. Dus vannacht is inderdaad cruciaal.