Monday, August 09, 2010

Legg Mason Tennis: Still Fun, Still Hot

Last year, we had so much fun at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, that we knew we'd have to make it back again. And so we did. And sure enough, this year didn't disappoint.

Of course, it was hot. Maybe not quite as hot as last year, but still, sitting in the sun cooking for 5 hours is going to leave you a bit toasty. Of course, it's hard to complain when there are athletes actually running around in front of you. How they do this, I can't imagine.

Both the Doubles and Singles matches were a thrill to watch. In both cases, one player or team came out dominant against the other. In the case of the double match, though, Fish and Knowles managed to pull out the win. In the singles, Nalbandian managed to keep his early lead, but not without Baghdatis really making him work for it.

I suppose that's the part about tennis that I'm really beginning to appreciate. So often, it seems like it's going to be a blow out - and yet that's just not the case. Like baseball, the game effectively has no clock, so there's always a chance for the underdog to prevail.

As for the event itself, it didn't quite seem as crowded as last year - but what the heck do I know. This year they were handing out small over-the-ear radios that broadcast live commentary about the game. I guess I could be a tennis snob and say that I preferred just viewing the game minus any chit-chat, but that's not the case. The banter definitely helped me appreciate the game and all its nuance.

What a treat it is that we can see tennis stars play for relatively cheap tickets and a 45 minute metro ride.

Some photos of the event. Alas, unlike last year, we didn't catch any shirtless warmup time. Sorry babe.

2 comments:

  1. Looks like fun. Why was it so empty?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good question Beverly!

    We were wondering this ourselves. Some of the photos were taken at the start of the doubles match, hours before the main event would begin, so that explains part of it.

    But still, it seemed like there were more empty seats than last year.

    Perhaps the economy is to blame? Not really sure.

    ReplyDelete