As fall begins, I spent a few days in Prague. Of course, it was hard to miss the stunning Prague Castle (not to mention the beautiful 14th century Charles Bridge). Prague Castle is said to be the world’s largest castle area, with three courtyards spread over eighteen acres. Along with admiring the beauty of the city, I also admired Roger Federer's singles and doubles win at the Laver Cup. It was the first (and will likely be the only) time Roger played doubles with his rival, Rafael Nadal, and it was a joy to watch the camaraderie between the two throughout the weekend!
Roger’s Retractable Roof Debut!
This week Roger Federer did not let the rainy weather stop him from winning his opening round of the US Open against the very talented nineteen-year-old American Frances Tiafoe, making this Roger’s 79th career victory at the US Open. (Okay, so it helped that both the players and the fans were kept dry by Asher Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof.) This was Federer’s debut under the roof, as he missed last year’s tournament in order to let his knee and back heal. Overcoming a slow start and rusty form, Federer persevered to win the intense match. Afterwards, he told ESPN that he felt that it had all come together for him during the second set. That didn’t stop the crowd from worrying! Okay mostly me!
Federer and Fireworks!
While my fellow Americans were setting off fireworks and celebrating the Fourth of July with friends and loved ones (Happy Birthday, America!), I was cheering on Roger at Wimbledon. The seven-time Wimbledon champion won his first-round match against Alexandr Dolgopolov, with Dolgopolov retiring during the second set due to an ankle injury. Although this match wasn’t as exciting as I would have hoped, the win marks Roger’s record-breaking 85th single men’s victory at Wimbledon! He also became the third player ever to hit 10,000 aces. I briefly thought about setting off some fireworks at Centre Court to celebrate but wisely decided against it!
Go Roger!
I was thrilled to be in Melbourne last Sunday to watch the great Roger Federer win his 18th major title at the Australian Open. Federer, back after a six-month hiatus due to a knee injury, fought against his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal, who was also returning to play after a bad wrist injury last year. Over their career thirty-four matches, beginning at Miami in 2004, they have demonstrated that they are two of the best players in tennis. (Okay, my preference is clearly Roger but others may disagree.) The victory was especially sweet since they have previously met eight times in final matches and Nadal has emerged as the winner in six. Not this time. Go Roger! See you at Wimbledon!
Bel18ve!
Roger Federer at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet, seventeen-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, is set to face fellow countryman Stan Wawrinka today in an all-Swiss semi-final at the US Open. While I've enjoyed Stan's recent performances and wish him all the best, I am and always will be a Federer fan. Beautiful backhand!