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US Open
Tim Henman, courtesy of MNJ Once again a BTC entourage invaded NYC for the US Open on August 31. We survived the Big Apple and arrived home none the worse for wear. It was a perfect day by all accounts, once we awoke our bus driver.
Our driver made up for lost time. We actually arrived in time to see the first ball struck, and hear the national anthem, a first in all my US Open trips. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cool, with a gentle breeze tailor made to order. Though the Republican convention was in town, we cruised through the GW bridge in record time. The heck with politics, we had an appointment to watch some serious tennis.
Martin Safin enroute to a 1st round loss to Thomas Enquist, as viewed from the Wilson Court Side Box. Some saw Tim Henman defeat Ivo Karlovic. Others witnessed Safin lose in an uninspired effort to Enquist. Many watched Lindsay Daveport, displaying great form, cruise to victory in what could be one of her very last US Open appearances. Some of our bus trip veterans who know the lay of the land in Flushing Meadows, made their way to the back courts, where they were treated to great matches; little known names providing big time drama. The highlight for some was seeing Agassi & Roddick practice, bare chest and all to the delight of our female constituents. We all shared one element; paying too much for food.
Andy Roddick, no explantion needed
One of the great attractions of the US Open is the expanse and variety of entertainment. The person sitting on the bus next to you could have a different but equally satisfying experience than you, seeing matches you did not and visa versa. You need a lot of note comparisons to gain a full sense of the action the day provided. Wandering in the brand new kids interactive arena was an event in itself. Once inside, the world of high tech interacitve mania sucks you in. Fast serve and return of serve contest, video instruction, cartoon network tennis court, video tennis games and computer trivia, enough stimulation to boggle the mind for days. I think some kids are still there. The land of tennis Oz for sure.
Barb Jones & myself, in a heated debate over who saw the best tennis match. This was not the only beer Barb consumed. She won the debate. And as always, our post match tailgate party in the Shea Stadium parking lot was a fitting end to the day. A Wilson tennis bag was raffled off courtesy of Joel Conybear and Wilson Racquet Sports. The lucky winner was Padmini Sagar. Reviewing the days' highlights soon evolved into jovial conversation and good times, and all too soon the bus drivers announced it was time for departure. All in all, another great day at the Open. We are fortunate to be so close to such a great event.
Posted by mstarke at November 9, 2004 10:58 AM