Tennis Anyone?

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE playing and watching tennis and I HATE, HATE, HATE that I am not in Flushing Meadows, New York this week experiencing all the sights and sounds of the U.S. OPEN.

I HATE, HATE, HATE that I missed Monday's tribute to Althea Gibson (the 1st African American woman to win the U.S. Open, 43 years ago), who was inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions. I HATE, HATE, HATE that I'm not witnessing tennis' super divas, the Williams sisters -- in all their ghetto-fab tennis gear glory. I HATE, HATE, HATE that I can't gawk at the celebs who've been seen in the stands like Janet Jackson, Christie Brinkley, Aretha Franklin, Dr. Mae Jemison, Gladys Knight, Star Jones and hubby, Roberta Flack, Martha Stewart et al. And I HATE, HATE, HATE that I can't try to sneak onto the same courts that were once graced by tennis greats, Billie-Jean King, Chris Evert, Steffi Graff, Lindsay Davenport, Bjorn Borg, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Pete Sampras, Borris Becker, Jennifer Capriati, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Tracy Austin, etc.

ARGHHH...DID I MENTION I HATE THAT I'M NOT AT THE U.S. OPEN?

Living vicariously through the tennis reporters for Fox Sports on MSN...I've learned some of my fav players won their matches and are advancing to the next round -- Yayyyy to Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Venus Williams and James Blake for wins earlier this week!!!!! Three of my fav players are playing today: go Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena!!! Personally I'm hoping for a Venus vs Serena final face-off for the ladies and a Federer and Nadal final showdown (ala French Open '07) for the men!!!!

Click here for pics and here for a sports update.

Arghhh -- I can't wait until retirement -- I promised myself when I retired I would make a trip every year to either the French Open, Wimbledon, the Davis Cup or the U.S. Open. Forget retirement, I'm going to try to make at least one tourney next year, and yes, I'm taking donations... :>))))