MacArthur Park

I have decided to take a MacArthur Park attitude to Federer's loss yesterday. For those of you not in the loop, here is what I mean:

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
...
I will take my life into my hands
And I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes
And I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow
Like rivers through the sky.

Probably not exactly right, but I'm liking the sentiment. Roger's got fifteen Slams and he's got a whole lot more ahead of him. Six in a row is not a lucky number for him, as we proved at Wimbledon last year. I have no doubt in my mind that he'll back at Flushing Meadows next year, ready to recapture his title with aplomb.

And to tell the truth, if there was one of the Slams I would least like him to win (though I obviously want him to win all of them) it's probably New York. The Aussie is my home Slam. Roland Garros had that anti-Fed mystique around it for so long. Wimbledon is the Holy Grail of tennis. The odd US Open to someone else probably won't hurt anyone too badly in the long run.

And even though I desperately wanted Roger to win yesterday, I find myself happy for del Potro. He seems to have grown up into a genuinely nice kid and it's sometimes heartening to see some young rando winning stuff. And this is an excellent win for him. I highly doubt he'll go on some Slam-winning tear now, though he might pick up a couple more - but this will be very good for him and his career. I'll be interested to see how he goes in Australia next year. He'll officially be a big contender.

Though that's enough now, Juan. Come Melbourne next year, I think the time will be just ripe for Federer to sing his next song, bring his next dream, and take home Slam #16.


Today's Results

Bell Challenge (Quebec City)

Nadia Petrova def. Carly Gullickson, 6-2 6-0
Lucie Safarova def. Stephanie Dubois, 6-1 6-3
Bethanie Mattek-Sands def. Varvara Lepchenko, 6-4 7-5
Julia Goerges def. Sofia Arvidsson, 6-3 7-5
Amra Sadikovic def. Olga Puchkova, 6-4 6-3
Regina Kulikova def. Jorgelina Cravero, 6-4 6-2
Lilia Osterloh def. Shenay Perry, 6-1 3-6 6-2
Severine Bremond Beltrame def. Heidi El Tabakh, 5-0 retired
Vania King def, Anna Tatishvili, 7-5 6-2


China GDD Guangzhou International Women's Open (Guangzhou)

Olga Savchuk def. Katarina Srebotnik, 3-6 7-5 6-2
Hsieh Su-Wei def. Yan Zi, 6-3 7-5
Chanelle Scheepers def. Arantxa Parra Santonja, 7-6 (14-12) 5-7 6-3
Peng Shuai def. Angela Haynes, 6-2 7-5
Maria Elena Camerin def. Chen Yanchong, 6-2 6-2
Lenka Wienerova def. Zhang Ling, 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-4
Ayumi Morita def. Tatiana Poutchek, 6-3 6-3
Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-1 4-6 6-4
Abigail Spears def. Chang Kai-Chen, 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
Alberta Brianti def. Sophie Ferguson, 7-6 (7-1) 6-4
Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) beat Lu Jingjing (China) 6-4 6-2
Chan Yung-Jan (Taiwan) beat Mathilde Johansson (France) 6-1 6-1