Oh, Novak

I'm sure I'm not the only person who was surprised to learn this week that Novak Djokovic is an anti-vaxxer.

Regarding the possibility that players would be required to inoculate themselves against the coronavirus when play resumes, the current world #1 and hugely influential superstar, raised some eyebrows when he said Sunday in a live Facebook chat, "Personally I am opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel."

He did suggest that his personal beliefs might have to change if such rules are implemented and he wasn't able to play, but the general message certainly hit a lot of people hard. One prominent epidemiologist in Nole's homeland cautioned him against making such statements, given how much of a following he has.

Of course, some of this discussion is moot since there isn't currently a vaccine for COVID-19, and one might not become available until next year. If officials decide to make vaccination mandatory -- something that isn't yet in the books, but was vocally supported by two-time Major winner Amelie Mauresmo last month -- it could be a looooong time before we get back on court, way beyond the current mid-July return that's currently on the books.

Yes, that would suck, but the alternative is probably worse.

Tennis is obviously an international sport, with players, fans, and everyone involved in the community traveling not just from state to state, but across the world, week after week. That not only exposes them to the virus, but could bring whatever potential latent germs and bacteria they're carrying to areas that either might not have been hit hard yet or which had been starting to get on the right side of the curve.

Those concerns, like everything these days, extend far beyond tennis. I often find myself wondering how long after stay-at-home restrictions are lifted I'll feel comfortable going back to the gym, the movies, on vacation. And for players who, while free from continuous physical contact with their opponents like in other sports, nevertheless are still surrounded by tons of people in far more remote locations, it makes sense to guard against any possible risk.

What makes Djokovic's comments even more shocking is the fact that he's been so on top of the response to COVID-19, from donating a million euros to help hospitals get the ventilators and other protective equipment they need, to posting one #TennisAtHome video after another. Clearly he takes this seriously, so why not be equally serious about developing and receiving a much-needed vaccine?

To be fair, Nole has long been a proponent of natural heeling, even delaying surgery a few years back before ultimately relenting. He told the New York Times his focus is on how to build immunity to the disease. He didn't make clear whether he opposed all vaccinations, and he didn't totally preclude taking one for the coronavirus if it were available.

Still, the anti-vax thing is baffling to me, especially in this case. If there were ever a time when you'd think everyone would be clamoring for a vaccine, it would be this one. And hopefully one comes along soon that allows us all to focus again, not on this outbreak, but on the things we love and want so badly to get back to normal.

It's Not Easy Being a Seed

Here's the problem with being one of the best tennis players in the world -- everybody is gunning for you.

It's easy for a big underdog to feel intimidated when he or she enters a grand stage like Arthur Ashe Stadium. But at the same time, when everyone -- including me! -- is talking about you as if you're one of the main contenders, there's all the more pressure to perform.

This year at the U.S. Open, more than a couple top-seeded players have bowed under the weight of great expectations.

First there was Ana Ivanovic, the #1 seed in New York last year. But her struggles in 2009 have been well-documented as the pretty Serbian fell out of the top ten with recent losses to players like Lucie Safarova and Melinda Czink. At the Open the eleventh seed began her opening match with a strong first set against a tough Kateryna Bondarenko but couldn't hold onto a break in the second. Her third set lasted longer than the first two combined, and in a 7-9 tiebreak Ana made her earliest exit from a Grand Slam -- ever.

Wednesday turned into a slaughter of other double-digit seeds -- Aggie Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, Sam Stosur and former #1 Amelie Mauresmo all saw their runs in New York come to an end in their second round matches. But the biggest upsets to date was saved for Thursday afternoon.

Jelena Jankovic was the second match on Arthur Ashe today, the #5 seed and Cincinnati champion taking on Yaroslava Shvedova, not yet ranked in the top fifty. Like her countrywoman, the former #1 has had a rough year, but she seemed to get her stride back in Ohio. When Shvedova took the first set, however, you kind of got the feeling that we were in for a battle.

To her credit, Jelena overcame another break in the second, eventually winning that set in a tiebreak, and she was able to play offense late in the third to force another decider when the Kazakh had two opportunities to serve for the match. But then she squandered two match points at 6-4 and eventually saw Shvedova close out with an ace down the line.

That upset, of course, pales in comparison to the one that came just before it. U.S. Open Series champ, and my personal favorite, Elena Dementieva got off to a quick start against American teenager Melanie Oudin, ironically the same women who made her name when she stunned Jankovic at Wimbledon.

But the perennially questionable part of Elena's game, which had somehow seemed to work for her all summer -- her serve -- fell apart. She eventually won the first set, 7-5, but ceded the second after another hour of play. The deciding set was a comedy of errors as the two traded five consecutive breaks of serve before Oudin was able to hold for a 5-2 lead. Elena regrouped long enough to win her first service game of the set, but after nearly three hours of play, last year's semifinalist was ousted way before her time.

For every loss, of course, there is a winner. And if Melanie's performance in London didn't argue that she is one, today's certainly did. A bunch of you said you thought she'd go further in this U.S. Open than any of the other upstarts -- but I'm not sure I believed that until today.



Oudin still has a tough road ahead of her, a possible third round match with Maria Sharapova looms most noticably, but there's no reason to believe she can't score another couple of victories in New York.

And if she's not careful, a host of new players will be coming after her next!

In Memoriam

Here in the U.S. today, Memorial Day, marks the unofficial start to summer -- but the original intent, of course, was more somber, meant to honor our fallen war heroes. So I've chosen to dedicate today's post to those competitors who've already fallen in the opening days of Roland Garros.

Of course the stakes in Paris aren't quite as high as they are on a battlefield, but for some players defeat must have been hard to swallow.

Hometown heroine Amelie Mauresmo has never made it past the quarterfinals at the French Open, but after winning her first title in two years this past February and making the semis in Madrid, she'd brought her ranking from #23 in the world to #16. In her first match she took on German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a twenty-three year old who seems to have been around forever, but has only won one Tour title in 2006. The two had played five times before, and Amelie had only dropped one set -- she should have had an easy run to the second round. But Anne-Lena made quick work of the former #1. She served six aces, twice as many as Mauresmo, and won 87% of her first serves. In just over an hour she sent her opponent packing and earned the right to meet Gisela Dulko in the second round.

Flavia Pennetta must understand Mauresmo's frustration. She's had a decent year so far, making the finals in Acapulco and notching wins over Nadia Petrova and Jelena Jankovic at Stuttgart, she remains firmly in the top twenty. Her opening match against #116 Alexa Glatch, the surprising leading lady at the U.S.'s Fed Cup semifinal. Flavia clearly had the experience -- she's been pro since 2000 and made the fourth round here last year. Alexa on the other hand has only played in one Grand Slam event, the U.S. Open, and only won one match there, in 2005.

But the nineteen-year-old American dominated the clay court specialist. Flavia was out-served, out-hit and out-run. Though she did manage to convert one break point, Glatch never again ceded control of the match and won by an impressive 6-1, 6-1 margin.

The most remarkable upset however might not really be considered an "upset" at all. Most tennis fans are probably more familiar with Lleyton Hewitt than they are with Ivo Karlovic. The two-time Grand Slam winner was ranked #1 for almost a year and a half from 2001 to 2003, but plagued by a hip injury for the better part of 2008, he dropped to #108 earlier this year. A recent win in Houston and the defeat of James Blake in Memphis helped him gain some confidence, though -- even though he'd won their previous three meetings, Karlovic couldn't have been happy with the luck of his draw.

But the Croation was not going to go down quietly. He served an amazing fifty-five aces, a record in the Open era, and placed more than seventy percent of his first serves -- the fastest clocking in at 142 miles per hour. He played aggressively, scoring more winners and unforced errors than his opponent, and took an early lead, winning the first two sets in tiebreaks.

The one place Karlovic failed was in breaking Hewitt's serve -- in the nearly four hours and five sets they played, he only managed to convert on one opportunity. Lleyton on the other hand was able to return the favor four times and ultimately took the last set 6-3, sending the higher-ranked and twenty-sixth seeded player off.

Imagine. Being able to serve fifty-five aces and still not getting the win. My shoulder hurts just thinking about it.

And so I say good-bye to these great players -- at least for the next two weeks. At least they all have the opportunity to come back at the next tournament stronger and even more hungry for a win.

In the meantime, enjoy the start to your summer! Looks like it's gonna be a hot one!