Letters for George: Tennis Lollapalooza

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Tennis Lollapalooza

Dear George,

Thanks to our friends Paula and Frank, we got out to Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Tennis Tournament this week. This used to be the ATP, and before that the Tri-State Tournament, but now, for the first time, they've combined the men's ATP and the women's WTA tournaments into a single event, bringing in nearly all of the top pro tennis players in the world. The men's draw includes Djokovich, Nadal, Federer, Murray, Fish, and most of the other top-ranked sixty players. Likewise, the women's draw has included Serena Williams, Sharapova, Wozniacki, Zvonareva, Li Na, etc. Aside from the Grand Slams, Cincinnati is one of only five events in the world to combine top-level men's and women's competition in a single tournament (the others: Rome, Madrid, Miami, and Indian Wells). To accommodate the newly expanded tournament, the tennis center built six new courts, a grand entry plaza, and a bigger retail area. Last Sunday Katja and I saw James Blake vs. Marcos Bhagdati. Then Donna joined us on Thursday, and we watched Roger Federer vs. Blake and Jelena Jankovic vs. Francesca Schiavone. We had a great time, and it’s exciting to be out and about in the big-time tennis world. Here are some photos which give a feel for our adventure and how the Tennis Center is looking these days.

Love,

Dave

G-mail Comments

-Jennifer M (8-21): so fancy!

1 comment:

David L.October 10, 2011 at 2:17 AM
I played with Wilson Tennis Rackets all my playing life (roughly 45 years). I agree that they gave me a better life. I think now and then of resuming, but time well tell.
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PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

George Rieveschl was born in 1916 in Lockland, Ohio, the son of a paper mill worker and his wife. In 1933 he graduated from the Ohio Mechanics Institute and began looking for work in commercial art. With no success, he returned to study chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, earning his B.S. in 1937, an M.S. in 1939, and a doctorate in 1940. Joining the UC chemistry faculty, his research resulted in the discovery of Benadryl, an antihistamine used for allergy sufferers. Rieveschl left UC in 1943 and worked for Parke, Davis and Co. Returning to UC in 1970, he took a position as vice president of research. (NY Times; Ohio History Central)

JAZZ ALL-STARS

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

Our Sunday morning tradition of brunch at Frisch’s came to an end with the pandemic, and we finally returned a while back. The restaurant was nearly empty, and every other table had a big sign that said “Closed”. The hostess was masked, and so were we. She gave us paper disposable menus and said we should pick our own table or booth. There was a bar code on the wall which allowed one to order and pay for their meal with their cell phone, but the waitress (formerly the hostess) did come and take our order. We had plastic silverware and two jelly containers each. The food didn’t taste as good as we remembered, and the prices were much higher. It took a long time for somebody to come to the cash register at the end of our meal. We’d ventured out thinking the pandemic was over, but I’m afraid we were wrong.

TENNIS GREATS

TENNIS GREATS

Henri Cochet (b. 12-14-01, Villeurbanne, France; d. 4-1-87, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; 5-6, right-handed (one-handed backhand); amateur, 1920-1933; pro 1933-58); 684-186 W-L (78.6%), 90 career titles; ranked No. 1 (1928); Winner US Open (1928), Wimbledon (1927, 29), French (1926, 28, 30, 32); winner of 22 majors; a member of the famous “Four Musketeers” from France (Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon) who won 10 titles in 11 years at the French Championships (1922-32). (wikipedia)

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

Augusta Jane Chandler was born at Freedom, Maine, on Nov. 6, 1837, and moved with her family to Flat Rock, Mich., in the early 1850’s where her father and uncle engaged in lumbering. She married William Holmes, later the mayor of Menominee, in Flat Rock in 1859 and moved to Menominee shortly afterward. According to the Evening Leader, “She is honored and beloved by all who know her, and presides over her lovely home with becoming grace.” Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were among the founding members of the First Presbyterian Church in Menominee, and they raised six children. (Menominee Evening Leader, Industrial Number, 1899, p. 21.)

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

We lived in Ann Arbor for six years in the 1960’s so return visits these days are filled with lots of nostalgia. Our number one stop is Zingerman’s Delicatessen where Katja always buys some bread and other goodies to bring home. Zingerman’s is quite near to the Kerrytown markets which offer a great thrift shop. Tne University of Michigan campus is a pleasant place for walking, and its adjacent business districts to the east and the west offer high-end shops, bookstores, and good restaurants. A great place to visit.

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW SPRINGS

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW SPRINGS

The first white residents of what is now Yellow Springs, Ohio, arrived in the first decade of the eighteenth century, but the community did not begin to grow until the arrival of followers of Robert Owen in 1825. A hundred families came to Yellow Springs, hoping to create a utopian community based on socialism, although the utopian vision never clearly developed. Yellow Springs received its name from a nearby spring with high iron content, and people from across the U.S. visited the community hoping the spring water would cure their ailments. Antioch College was founded by the Christian Church in 1852, with nationally prominent education expert Horace Mann as its first president. (ohiohistorycentral.org)

MY WEEK (Mon., 11/11 - Sun., 11/17/24)

MY WEEK (Mon., 11/11 - Sun., 11/17/24)

I finally returned to the fitness center after a month’s vacation due to my cold. I read “I’m Just Crazy About Lawrence Welk” at my last poetry class, and Katja finished Jennifer’s lit class. Iko had his annual wellness examat the vet. Trump continued with awful cabinet nominees, including Matt Goetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. We watched a night of boxing, culminating with Jake Paul beating Mike Tyson in 8 rounds. There was a robbery at the bank across the street, and I think the getaway vehicle was parked in our driveway. I saw the Golden Ticket show at CCAC, and we went to our first symphony concert of the season (Bernstein, Shostakovich). The Bengals made a great comeback but lost at the end to the L.A. Chargers.

JAZZ ALL-STARS

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)