Ruminations from Melbourne: Semi-Finals Edition

Tennis is a sport that I desperately wish would catch on more in the United States than it has.

The heyday of modern American tennis was in the 90's, when players like Courier, Sampras, Agassi, Rafter, and Chang were whacking the ball all over courts around the world.

Now, players like Roddick, Blake, and the Williams' sisters carry the American mantle, and they don't make a particularly big dent on the sporting landscape.

Sure, the Williamses make a lot of noise on and off the court with fashion design and their faith drawing headlines, while Blake and Roddick seem content to let their games do the talking.

Tennis in the United States needs a shot in the arm. I think that if Andy Roddick can defeat Roger Federer tomorrow in the semi-finals and perhaps Nadal in the final, it would be a good start.

His endorsement deals would certainly go up, as his legitimacy would be solidified with a win here.

Therefore, I will be rooting extremely hard for Roddick tomorrow morning (US time), and I hope that the general American-sporting public will come to see tennis the way I do—a sport that is worth watching.

Now that I'm off my soapbox, here are a few observations that I have made while watching this Australian Open.

-36 degrees Celsius is apparently really hot, which I learned while watching the match between Djokovic and Roddick.

-I also decided, during this match, that I'm going to start running up hills in the dead of summer like Roddick does to keep his conditioning up. Oh wait, I live in Chicago. This might be tough.

-Speaking of that match, why the hell wasn't the roof closed? I know it's supposed to be an outdoor tournament, but when you have a four-seed retiring in a quarterfinal match, your event loses a little legitimacy in my book.

-One more thought on that match: I do actually agree with Federer on labeling Djokovic a quitter. After he retired in the Wimbledon semis with a "toe blister" and the French Open quarters (both matches against Nadal), I was suspicious of his toughness, and this was just one more example.

-Look Novak, let me give you a piece of advice—improve your conditioning and play in the conditions that are presented. As far as I know, the ball boys and towel girls didn't get to "retire"—maybe you aren't so tough.

-Serena Williams should be watching this tournament from her air-conditioned hotel suite, but Svetlana Kuznetsova was gypped when the tournament organizers invoked their "heat rules" and closed the roof during their match. Serena looked gassed (think Gilbert Brown in Super Bowl XXXII gassed), but as soon as she took the 20-minute break while the roof closed, she gritted her teeth and won a war of attrition.

-I think that if the roof is open when a match starts, it should stay open unless it starts raining. I think that it changes the dynamics of a match too much. It's kind of like turning on the lights at a MLB game—you should only do it at a time that equally benefits both teams.

-Is it just me, or do Nadal's biceps look a little smaller? No wonder he quit wearing sleeveless shirts.

-I think that if Roddick and Nadal make the finals, Roddick should wear a sleeveless shirt and a bandana, just to screw with Rafa's head.

-Finally, I think that Federer and Nadal should make a bet that whoever wins the majority of their match-ups this season should have to cut off all of his hair in an act of defeat. This isn't because I think their 'dos look stupid,' but I think it would add an interesting wrinkle to their rivalry.

I'm off now to get some Red Bull and prepare for four more days of staying up until 6 a.m. for some great tennis. Peace out to everyone!