Well, the joy has already worn off ... but Damian and I made our annual pilgrimage to Queens to watch some U.S. Open action. Sloane Stephens played incredibly well to fend off a very talented Elise Mertens, who had beaten her in their only previous meeting a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati. The American looked poised to go even deeper but was just taken out in straight sets by Anastasija Sevastova (I'm not happy about this at all).
Time to update this ...
Then we saw Juan Martin del Potro take on my Croatian crush, Borna Coric, in their first-ever meeting. We hoped for a similarly high quality match, only for Borna to fizzle out after the first set.
Eventually the Argentine buried his face in the pillow, but not in a good way ..
Love and love ...
Still, Coric's weak performance did little to dampen our excitement for our upcoming vacation to Dubrovnik and Split, in addition to Venice and Rome, and Zakynthos and Athens in what we're calling our #AdriaticAdvetnure!
P.S. Did you get a load of John Millman's shorts last night during his shocking upset of Roger Federer? This Aussie's got legs and he knows how to use 'em -- plus a killer backhand!
Wasn't happy to see Stefanos Tsitsipas's winning streak come to an end in Toronto, especially to Rafael Nadal. But at least my boyfriend -- still sore from Wimbledon -- was happy.
I like his old hair better!
And speaking of unhappiness: Simona Halep -- who couldn't win a match to save her life when we wanted her to -- is suddenly acting like the No. 1 player in the world, outlasting Sloane Stephen 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3 to win the women's title. This is starting to remind me of two other tennis "rivalries" -- Federer-Nadal and Evert-Navratilova -- where one person won all of the matches. Still proud of Stephens for building what began at this very tournament last year, but sure wish she could figure out a way to end this losing streak to the Romanian.
Everyone's on to Cincinnati now. Here's hoping Borna Coric -- seen here in a photo posted by fashion and style director of the gay U.K. magazine Attitude -- can turn things around ... or come out?
Walk this way ...
Robert Farah has an "abs challenge" with doubles specialist Jean-Julien Rojer -- Andy Murray's ex-boyfriend -- in the Buckeye State ...
Noah Rubin is still recovering from Washington ...
Not a lot to say about this weekend's results from Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal predictably won -- and predictably easily, too -- and Simona Halep finally got the Grand Slam monkey off her back. Definitely was rooting for Dominic Thiem and Sloane Stephens, but a first major final for the Austrian and a RU stat for the U.S. Open champion are both big accomplishments. Damian was a thrice-biten Halep fan so couldn't even be happy for her, but I'm more agnostic and am relieved we no longer have a Slamless No. 1.
Even though both of the No. 1 seeds ended up winning, you definitely get the feeling with Nadal's physical health and Halep's mental health that anything could happen the rest of the year, especially at Wimbledon, arguably both of their worst surface.
P.S.
I also thought it was sweet that Halep won on the 40th anniversary of fellow Romanian Virginia Ruzici's French Open victory, which she was quick to point out was played in a field that did not include Chris Evert!
It was a mostly good day for me in Paris today. Dominic Thiem took out Alexander Zverev, who finally reached the second week of a major but did nothing to dispel the notion that he's not fit enough for best-of-five fortnights.
Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens each advanced, to set up a semifinals repeat of their U.S. Open finals. (Their beautiful smiles say it all -- there's NO REASON one of them can't win this!) Naturally I want Kerber to kill Halep and and for Muguruza to do the same to Sharapova.
Although he's finally showing progress, I wasn't thrilled that Novak Djokovic lost. (Nole may or may not have been injured, again.) Good for Marco Cecchinato for building on his win over David Goffin, then defeating the Serb former champion 6-3, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6 (13-11). Would love to see Schwartzman beat Nadal (won't happen) and will be happy either way with Del Potro and Cilic, although I'd probably prefer the Argentine because he's always a threat in big matches so might actually scare Rafa a bit.
It was a bit of a Sophie's choice situation during this men's doubles quarterfinal. In the end, hunky reigning Aussie Open champs Mate Pavić and Oliver Marach took out Colombian dreamboat Robert Farah and Juan Sebastián Cabal. If only this had been shot by Men(dot)com.
I'd be hard-pressed to describe this man as a "loser" ...
Had a pretty great weekend after a few rough months. Work is going through a major reorg and we all had to reapply for new versions of our existing jobs. [Sigh.] Although management insisted it wasn't a ploy for mass layoffs, no one could really relax until the dust settled -- which it finally did by week's end when most of us found out what our new roles would be moving forward. I'm thrilled with what they offered me, so I could finally unwind -- and what better timing than during the French Open fortnight and my birthday week?! (Added bonus: Damian informed me he was taking me to Martha's Vineyard for the big 5-1 on Friday!)
Can't complain too much about what's happened so far. Novak Djokovic is finally back in a major quarterfinal after two long years. (Hard to believe that two years ago he was on the brink of winning his fourth major in a row, something neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal have yet to do.)
Next up for Nole is Marco Cecchinato of Italy, who upset David Goffin in round of 16.
I wouldn't have minded if Karen Khachanov -- who topped Luca Pouille earlier in the week -- had beaten Alexander Zverev. But having Sascha finally reach a major quarterfinal was a step in the right direction. (He's No. 3 in the world, after all.) And that his quarterfinal opponent is fellow Next Gen twunk Dominic Thiem bodes well for the future of the game. (Naturally I'm thrilled Thiem is into Week 2 yet again.)
And speaking of the future, Kyle Edmund seemed on course to have another solid Grand Slam run, until he came up short against Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. (Maybe THIS is his true calling.)
Odds-on favorite Rafael Nadal has been cruising along, of course.
Here's hoping Maximilian Marterer can distract him with his matinee idol looks when they meet in the round of 16.
I guess my biggest disappointment on the women's side was that Petra Kvitova -- who has been having a great year -- fell in the third round to Anett Kontaveit. The Baltic babe also dismissed Venus Williams in the first round, before losing to Sloane Stephens in the round of 16. (Happy about Sloane, of course.) Also pleased that Madison Keys, Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza and (why not?) Caroline Wozniacki are still around, giving the women's game some much-needed stability. The Maria Sharapova-Serena Williams fourth round will be interesting. At 19-2 -- with Williams winning the last 18(!) -- it's not much of rivalry. But with both players on the comeback trail, for very different reasons, perhaps it's the Russian nut's only chance.
Read my friend Beth's article about Alexander Zverev's ultra-light Richard Mille RM 67-02 watch HERE.
Had a wonderful time seeing legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb at City Winery with my friends David, Lynn and Lucy. Webb, who is now 80 but sti...
Fake Jan Alert
My blog is featured in Susan Olsen's tell-all about the ill-fated "Brady Bunch Variety Hour"!
Little Kenny
Growing up in Madison Heights, Mich.
Back to the Old House
The Web leads to an unexpected return to a house I grew up in.
Oceans 11
Carlsbad, Calif. (2008)
1983
Go Behind the Music of my high-school band, A La Plage
A Death in the Family
Little Larry left us too soon.
Once I Had a Love
With Debbie Harry
'Jungle' Fever
With Robert Buckley
Roger & Me
With Roger Federer
Step Brother McMullen
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