Tom and Diana: East Coast Life

This folks, is tennis lingo , well the love part--of course meaning a score of "0" in the game.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick (as well as Venus Williams, Serena Williams etc) are also tennis terms: the names of some of the greatest players to ever live and--------- I SAW ALL OF THEM!! So exciting!!

The US Open is going on right now in NYC (to be specific--in Flushing Meadows in Queens). Tom and I have really gotten into tennis since we've moved here and this is our 3rd US Open (well, watching on TV or on the big screen tv's they set up at Madison Park in the city as well as playing)... but this year also marks my first IN PERSON visit to the event!

Our friends Cora and Brian belong to a tennis and golf club out here and Cora was able to get free tickets to day 2 at the US Open. I took the day off work and she and I (and about 10 others from their club) hopped into a limo coach bus and we were on our way to Queens.

I can honestly say that this was THE best sporting event I have ever been to--and I have been to what I think are epic sporting events. It was extremely organized, clean, open and felt like a festival of sorts. We had tickets to the day matches at the Arthur Ashe stadium (the main arena there) but the tickets also allowed us free roaming ability to walk the grounds to shop, see Tennis auctions, eat, visit, sight see AND see all of the constant action on the other 15 courts on the ground. Aside from the "official" courts--there are practice fields on each side of the grounds and these turned out to be my favorite part of the day.

Our tickets allowed us to see the 2 main afternoon events (televised) and these matches were amazing---but in between the matches and even during, we'd walk around and visit the practice courts. Here, all of the players, ranked and unranked, are practicing for their matches-side by side-just like at a park or high school.

We were elated to see Roger Federer (#1 in the world), Andy Roddick (#5), Rafael Nadal (RAFFA!!! #3), Venus (#3) and many others practice just like they were having fun--which I am sure they were. We were front row watching them (and they rotated out and in all day depending on their personal play schedule). To get a front row seat to see any one of these players, not to mention all of them, play a real match would be amazing--but hard to get. Here, at the practice courts--we saw them all and up close!!

My fave is Roger Federer followed closely by Nadal and Roddick---and in case you are wondering, it just happens to be a coincidence that I like them and that they are all gorgeous -- seriously, purely a coincidence.

Anyway, the US Open goes until I think the 12th so turn on ESPN 2 and check it out-better yet, plan to come out for the 2010 Open--you will see us there for sure! I have to bring Tom next year! I added the US Open link too! Get addicted!!

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/index.html

Here are some awesome shots we got while there. The weather was also PERFECT. 77 with zero humidity.


*me & cora
*me and Roger
*RAFFA. Nice.
*Roger Federer leaving practice
*Venus practicing with Roddick in the background (nice backhand)
* the globe art form originally constructed for the 1961 Worlds Fair. Gorgeous setting.
*some of the other courts
*view of NYC from the arthur ashe stadium (and a couple of the practice courts)
*andy roddick sweaty and shirtless. Its hard work being 5th in the world.