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Why We Watch Tennis

By HappyValley, Section Other Sports
Posted on Fri Jul 04 2008 at 2:25 PM EST
More on: Tennis (all tags)

How many people can honestly say there isn't something about tennis that intrigues them? Whether it's the endless rallies or the power serving, tennis has a little bit of everything for everyone. The British Championship at Wimbledon has also proved that it provides the drama that every sports fan enjoys. With the big guns falling, this years Wimbledon has provided the sports world with one of the greatest opportunities in recent tennis history; a reason to watch.

Long Time #2 Rafael Nadal is again cruising through the competition, showing why he is the second best player in the world. With ungodly strength and unmatched endurance, he is able to run opponents into the ground with a rather auspicious grace. His shots aren't always pretty but the result is beautiful. To get a sense of how tough Rafa is, get this. During his fourth round match against Russian Mikhail Youzhny, Nadal was injured extending his leg for a forehand volley in just the second game of the match. Instead of crumbling to the injury or playing sub par tennis, Nadal absolutely dominated, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Nadal has not faced serious trouble in this tournament yet as expected and looks poised to roll on. We watch tennis in anticipation of a Roger vs. Rafa rematch.

With the top 2 seeds in the men's draw looking primed for the finals, what is there to watch? Turns out there are a lot anymore. In fact, it is worth noting these accomplishments:

1. Australian Open champion and Wimbledon hopeful Novak Djokovic, was destroyed by former #1 Marat Safin. When I say destroyed, I mean destroyed. Safin won 6-4, 7-6, 6-2. The Super Safin of old returned and he has continued his marvelous run at Wimbledon. Djokovic however, was shut out of a great opportunity to move up in the rankings where he currently seeds 3, as he could have matched up against #1 Roger Federer.

2. American wonder dog Andy Roddick is gone after only 2 rounds of play. Dispatched by Janko Tipsarevic 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6; Roddick, who has grown leaps and bounds and who has shown he can beat Federer, never looked comfortable and the American favorite brought us the shock of failure and the drama endured at Wimbledon.

3. On the final day of June, perhaps one of Wimbledon's greatest match that wasn't a final took place. Andy Murray vs. Richard Gasquet. Down two sets, Murray fought back and won the match 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4. It was a thrilling epic battle which consisted of non stop fist pumps and sheer excitement from the crowd. It was simply a thing of beauty, with emotions flowing throughout the match.

With all the nonstop action and the major upsets occurring and everything that may not be listed, The British Championships has again captivated the world with its sense of aura and mystique. A tournament that was supposed to be simple has turned into some what of a monster where no one has proven to be safe. We watch tennis because it's drama.