Greetings Friends,

Hello all. I would like to give a little love to a sport which doesn't get the respect it deserves in this country. I'm talking about tennis.

Tennis has been a fascination of mine since 1991 and the U.S.Open. That year, tennis great Jimmy Connors gave the curtain call most athletes only could hope for. At 39 years old and with his whole body giving out on him, Connors put on one of the greatest shows I had ever seen.

Down 5-2 in the 5th set to 24 year old Aaron Krickstein, Connors found the fire and determination needed to pull even and force a tiebreaker to decide the match. With flashbulbs bursting and the crowd on that warm summer night at the edge of their seats, Connors pulled out a 7-5 victory in the tiebreaker. The energy and emotions that flowed through center court that evening was a sight to behold. Even though he ended up losing his next semi-finals match to French Open Champ Jim Courier, Connors showed the world what an athlete with heart to spare can accomplish on any give night.

Most recently, the tennis world has seen 2 new champions emerge to carry the torch passed on from greats like Connors and Pete Sampras. I'm talking about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

The 27 year old Federer has been the king of the court since 2003. He has currently won 13 grand slam titles and held the #1 ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks, from Feb 2, 2004-Aug 17, 2008.

The 22 year old Nadal has 5 grand slam titles and is currently the #1 ranked player, taking that distinction from Federer in Aug 08'.

The reason I bring this up is because they are on a collision course to meet in the finals of this years Australian Open, and I hope they do. Last year these 2 men took part in one of the greatest tennis matches ever, if not the greatest. Wimbledon 08' saw Nadal and Federer meet center court for the finals with the #1 ranking and the title of 'King of the Hill' on the line. What transpired was a 7 hour test of wills. With a few rain delays, the match that began at 2:25pm, didn't end until 9:15pm. It was a 5 set masterpiece played by the 2 great artists of our time. The match would go to Nadal and with that the #1 ranking. The Wimbledon match last year showed more pure energy and power than any other sports moment of 2008. If you doubt me, look up the match on youtube.

I don't expect the naysayers out there to all of a sudden tune into every match. But if you happen to have some time on your hands and 'Lost' is a rerun, turn to the Australian Open. Watch the matches with fresh eyes and maybe, just maybe you will observe a little bit of the magic that a 15 year old kid witnessed so many years ago.


Steve Taylor
Co-Founder and Second Banana
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