![\"(This](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/IMG_7577.jpg\")
<\/a>(This is where I said that Serena had finally fixed her brows.) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
But here are the rest of my thoughts, the ones that didn\u2019t make it into a tweet.<\/p>\n
So far, this is the most boring\u00a0 US Open I\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not just the absence of my beloved Roger Federer.\u00a0 Nor that of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.\u00a0 It\u2019s just lackluster all the way around, from the players\u2019\u00a0lack of energy the first few days, (probably due to the heat,) to the awful ESPN set, (nothing like watching old commentators sweat up a storm,) to the bad tinny music bleeding though the sound feeds, to even the tiny bland graphics showing the scores.<\/p>\n
Besides no Roger, some of the tourney was a tad difficult for me.\u00a0 So many of the matches have been between two players I like.\u00a0 (Such as Marcos Baghdatis v. Ryan Harrison, and Marin Cilic v. Jack Sock.)\u00a0 I don\u2019t know which one to root for, and then I feel bad for the one who loses.\u00a0I actually could not sleep last night when Radwanska lost in the Round of 16, even though I like, and was very impressed by, the very young Croatian girl, Ana\u00a0Konjah. I predict that she just may be the one to rule the sport in the next decade or so!<\/p>\n
MONDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n But maybe I spoke too soon. (Above.) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n It was a weird match between Caroline Wozniacki and Taylor Townsend\u2014it looked like they\u2019re just two hackers hitting the ball in a park.\u00a0 There was nothing interesting or exciting about it.\u00a0 Maybe it was the heat.<\/p>\n They should have had a more important match as the first one ever on the new grandstand.<\/p>\n The idiots in the stands were chanting \u201cUSA!\u201d\u00a0 Morons.<\/p>\n This is the view of the corner of the new roof from another court. I can’t stand that! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I hate to say it, but there are few\u00a0American girls to root for. (CiCI Bellis and Alison Riske are the exceptions.)<\/p>\n It\u2019s bad enough that Roger isn\u2019t there, but my favorite girl is out, too.\u00a0 I was shocked to learn that Vika Azerenka is pregnant!\u00a0 Several of the girls look<\/em> pregnant, with their stomachs sticking out, but she was def not one of them!<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t even sit<\/em> in the shadow of the roof, let alone play<\/em> in it!<\/p>\n The new roof, closed. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n It was nice that, when interviewed after his first match, Rafa Nadal referenced Roger.\u00a0 And that he realizes what an honor it is to have hit the very first ball under the roof.\u00a0 (I\u2019m sure it would have been Roger, if he could have played.)<\/p>\n Although I always root against him, (so he never catches Roger where the \u201cmost wins in Majors\u201d record is concerned,) Rafa really is adorable.<\/p>\n Chris\u00a0Evert just said, \u201cWe always miss Roger Federer.\u201d But he\u2019s never not been there before!!!<\/p>\n TUESDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Andrea Petkovic (on the left) being so warm at the net. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n My only news this day was that Serena Williams finally fixed her brows!\u00a0 Maybe she\u00a0actually reads my tweets.\u00a0 Or this e-zine!<\/p>\n WEDNESDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Andrea Petkovic\u2019s lovely warmth at the net, towards the girl who just defeated her, was a joy to behold.<\/p>\n I actually loved Svetlana Kuznetsova\u2019s outfit.\u00a0 It\u2019s my fave color, from top to bottom.\u00a0 (But I was sad to see that she was not nice at the net.)<\/p>\n We got to see the new roof there close! Interesting. And so much faster a process than that at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n THURSDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Gael Monfils, playing in the rain. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Frenchman Gale Monfils is the only fun guy there.\u00a0 He and his buddies were out playing games in the pouring rain, while everyone else was hiding inside.\u00a0 The joy on his face was a sight for sore eyes.\u00a0 (And it was his thirtieth birthday, to boot.\u00a0 What a way to celebrate!)\u00a0 It gave me the revelation that he\u2019s my second favorite player, (to Roger, of course.)<\/p>\n Two nice things tonight\u2014Andy Murray gave his opponent a point. (The guy deserved it, but that\u2019s a rare occurrence.) And, when Juan Martin Del Potro feel, his american opponent, Steve Johnson, checked to see if he was okay, which also rarely happens.<\/p>\n The McEnroe brothers sounded a little freaked-out that Jeremy Chardy and Grigor Dimitrov double-cheek-kissed each other at the end of their match.\u00a0 I guess they forgot that Chardy is French.\u00a0 And a good sport!<\/p>\n Paolo Lorenzi and his controversial orbs. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I have to be happy for Juan Martin del Potro to be back playing tennis, and he seems like a nice guy, but I never like him, anyway, because he beat my precious Roger in the Final here in 2009.\u00a0 I can never forgive him for that.<\/p>\n How rude of John McEnroe to say that Italian player Paolo Lorenzi has \u201ca bit of those Marty Feldman eyes, you know, bugging-out a little!\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m still in shock over that rudeness!!!<\/p>\n FRIDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n How lucky is Novak Djokovic?!\u00a0 First he got a walkover in the second round, and then an early retirement in the third!<\/p>\n SATURDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Paolo Lorenzi’s very strange serve. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Oh no\u2014clueless John McEnroe mentioned Paolo Lorenzi\u2019s \u201cbug eyes\u201d again!\u00a0 John, I have news for you\u2014comparing Paolo\u2019s big eyes to Marty\u2019s deformed ones is the rudest thing I\u2019ve ever heard a commentator say!!!\u00a0 I would have thought someone would have clued him after he said it the other night!\u00a0 (For all we know, Paolo has Graves Disease, which eyes like that are often a sign of.\u00a0 I just hope that John doesn\u2019t commentate on the Paralympics!)<\/p>\n But neither he nor anyone else mentioned Lorenzi\u2019s weirdo serve<\/em>!<\/p>\n Mr. X said that Lorenzi is the son of Steve Buscemi and Dave Grohl.<\/p>\n Nick Kyrgios\u2019 posture is atrocious.\u00a0 He better\u00a0 fix it now.\u00a0 He\u2019s twenty-four, but stands like an old man.\u00a0 And he\u2019s actually really cute otherwise.\u00a0 Funny that Johnny Mac can comment on Lorenzi\u2019s eyes, but not Nick\u2019s stance.<\/p>\n Nick Krygios’ awful posture! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Wow\u2014John was riled-up against Nick Kyrgios\u2019s retirement in his match, and when they came back from break and showed the Round of 16 guys, John pointed-out that \u201cEvery one of these people is dedicated to this great profession we have as tennis players,\u201d and went on, \u201cI\u2019m saying to Nick Kyrgios: If you don\u2019t like what your doing, don\u2019t do it anymore.\u201d\u00a0 I agree.<\/p>\n SUNDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Now I have to finally like Caroline Wozniacki\u2014she told the ref her opponent\u2019s ball was good, after it was called out, thus virtually giving the other girl the point and losing the game herself.\u00a0 She\u2019s a nice girl, after all!<\/p>\n Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pointed to his opponent, Jack Sock, to get him applause at the end of the match he himself had just won.\u00a0 Class act.<\/p>\n Did no one else notice that Rafa Nadal\u2019s Uncle Tony, who is his coach, admitted in an on-air interview to coaching Rafa during a bathroom break???<\/p>\n Commentator Cliff Drysdale said, \u201cRafa can\u2019t pick it,\u201d as Rafa was picking his butt!\u00a0 (He meant \u201c\u2026up the ball,\u201d but I thought I\u2019d engage in a little juvenile humor here.)<\/p>\n Cute Lucas Pouille, right after his shocking win over Rafa Nadal. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The match where newcomer Frenchman Lucas Puoille beat Rafa Nadal in five exciting sets was seriously the best match I\u2019ve ever seen! (Outside of every one that Roger Federer won, of course!)<\/p>\n I think I\u2019m in love!\u00a0 When discussing the match afterwards, Lucas said, \u201cIt\u2019s tennis, you know.\u00a0 It\u2019s a game, so we have to enjoy it.\u00a0 So that\u2019s the most important thing.\u201d\u00a0 When asked, \u201cWere you nervous?,\u201d he answered,\u00a0 \u201cOf course, of course.\u00a0 But when I went on court, I really wanted to take full pleasure of the match, and so it took above the pressure.\u201d\u00a0 I can\u2019t believe this kid is only twenty-two!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an interesting note: Lucas went to Dubai to hit with Roger Federer a little while ago, to learn from the best, and now he inadvertently returned the favor by keeping Rafa from getting closer to Roger\u2019s record.\u00a0 (While I was watching the match, I had the thought that the only one pulling for Pouille more than I was was Roger!)<\/p>\n Novak Djokovic had played only four complete sets, in three rounds, which is the smallest number any man has ever played to get to the second week of a major in the open era!\u00a0 Wow.<\/p>\n Rafa is mentally stable and explains sport well, especially for someone whose first language is not English.\u00a0 He told it like it is in the press conference.\u00a0 I feel bad because I do<\/em> like and admire him, but I want him to never win another Major because he\u2019s only three away from Roger\u2019s record, and he\u2019s five years younger, which means he has that many more chances.<\/p>\n And he really let the press know how idiotic their questions to him were in his post-match press conference.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so glad that the idiot commentators are talking about Rafa like it\u2019s all over for him in the sport, the way they aways do about Roger nowadays.\u00a0 Get off these guys\u2019 backs!<\/p>\n MONDAY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This is how close the competitors are supposed to stand on the way to be interviewed before the matches. Serena is never in the picture with her opponenet. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n What is wrong with these post-match interviewers?!\u00a0 Brad Gilbert gets right in their faces, physically, and doesn\u2019t seem to notice that they all back away from him.\u00a0 And Tom Rinaldi asks all these foreign language speakers uber-hard, complex questions, that none of them understand, so they can\u2019t answer correctly!<\/p>\n What a bitch Pam Shriver was during the pre-match interviews for the Venus Williams match!\u00a0 She just had to remind Karolina Plishkova, Venus\u2019 opponent, on her way out, that she never played on this court and she\u2019s never been in a fourth round, so that she\u2019d be a little more nervous against Venus!\u00a0 She then asked, \u201cSo now what?\u201d\u00a0 Ugh.\u00a0 Creepy.<\/p>\n OMG\u2014Chris Evert just said that the crowd should get behind Venus because \u201cShe\u2019s an American, for heavens sake!\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s just creepy.\u00a0 You should root for the player you are a fan of, not because of their nationality!\u00a0 At any<\/em> tournament.<\/p>\n That match where Plishkova beat Venus Williams was actually a great match!<\/p>\n The girl who beat Venus Williams, having to reach this far over the next to shake hands with her! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n But Venus was rude after.\u00a0 (What else in new?) She didn\u2019t even go all the way to the net to shake hands with her opponent. Karolina\u00a0had to reach all the way over it to her!<\/p>\n Of Venus, Chris Evert said, \u201cWe\u2019re still going to see a lot of her.\u00a0 Which is great for all of us.\u201d\u00a0 Speak for yourself, Chrissie!<\/p>\n Serena is always so rude to keep her opponents waiting.\u00a0 She always leaves at least a minute between them for walking out.<\/p>\n Kei Nishikori is the only one who gave the pen back to the fans after each autograph!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>