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NormJelena Dokic has captured our hearts and minds...
January 29th 2009 06:25
As the Australian Open nears its end, or, rather, "the business end", SportingMind would like to offer a few musings on a tournament sweatier than a Ron Jeremy trilogy, sans body hair.
I must make a special mention of the women's game; for it is Jelena Dokic who has captured our collective heart as our latest "darling". (SportingMind must admit that he derives a certain delight in referring to a successful Australian female athlete as "our darling", whilst simultaneously wondering whether other countries share this paternal "ownership" of said athletes. After all, I haven't ever heard Ray Warren refer to Darren Lockyer as "Queensland's favourite darling", but perhaps I am overanalysing a common epithet...) Full credit to Dokic, who without doubt played her heart out. I'm sure that many Australians preferred to focus on the daddy issues/overcoming adversity aspect of Dokic's game, but SportingMind, as a hardened and ardent fan of tennis and all things sport, prefers to dissect the game as carefully as one would fillet a small and delicate fish.
I refer to her double faulting, of course. It is well known in particular circles that female tennis players struggle to hold their serve under pressure. Far be in from my jurisdiction to comment, but I would say that it is an inherent characteristic of women to buckle under pressure. In fact, I could quote verbatim from Sam Newman's autobiography, "The Male Eunich" (which was incidentally titled without Newman actually understanding the definition of the word eunich), but I feel it is unnecessary. Newman has said it all.
Another criticism I have is of Dokic's inability to swear in English. When she makes a mistake, a Serbian tirade leaves her lips with as much force as her famous backhand, without not a single thought for her adopted country. Call me a xenophobic knob, but I want my Australia sportspeople swearing in my language so I can hear the words for myself. This should be a WTA law. Who knows what she was really saying this tournament. "Death to all Australians", perhaps? "Long live Damir and the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia", even?
As the mercury rises to over 43 degrees today, I must apologise for this substandard post. Hell, if the state rail authorities can blame the weather then so can I. Who cares if I'm actually sipping on a long glass of ice cool Lemon Lime & Bitters, dangling my feet in a chilled foot-tub whilst I listen to Enya's greatest hits. It's an easy scapegoat that I'm going to take today.
-SportingMind
I must make a special mention of the women's game; for it is Jelena Dokic who has captured our collective heart as our latest "darling". (SportingMind must admit that he derives a certain delight in referring to a successful Australian female athlete as "our darling", whilst simultaneously wondering whether other countries share this paternal "ownership" of said athletes. After all, I haven't ever heard Ray Warren refer to Darren Lockyer as "Queensland's favourite darling", but perhaps I am overanalysing a common epithet...) Full credit to Dokic, who without doubt played her heart out. I'm sure that many Australians preferred to focus on the daddy issues/overcoming adversity aspect of Dokic's game, but SportingMind, as a hardened and ardent fan of tennis and all things sport, prefers to dissect the game as carefully as one would fillet a small and delicate fish.
I refer to her double faulting, of course. It is well known in particular circles that female tennis players struggle to hold their serve under pressure. Far be in from my jurisdiction to comment, but I would say that it is an inherent characteristic of women to buckle under pressure. In fact, I could quote verbatim from Sam Newman's autobiography, "The Male Eunich" (which was incidentally titled without Newman actually understanding the definition of the word eunich), but I feel it is unnecessary. Newman has said it all.
Another criticism I have is of Dokic's inability to swear in English. When she makes a mistake, a Serbian tirade leaves her lips with as much force as her famous backhand, without not a single thought for her adopted country. Call me a xenophobic knob, but I want my Australia sportspeople swearing in my language so I can hear the words for myself. This should be a WTA law. Who knows what she was really saying this tournament. "Death to all Australians", perhaps? "Long live Damir and the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia", even?
As the mercury rises to over 43 degrees today, I must apologise for this substandard post. Hell, if the state rail authorities can blame the weather then so can I. Who cares if I'm actually sipping on a long glass of ice cool Lemon Lime & Bitters, dangling my feet in a chilled foot-tub whilst I listen to Enya's greatest hits. It's an easy scapegoat that I'm going to take today.
-SportingMind
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Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
But, yeah, you xenophobic knob, she swears in Serbian. When you gotta swear, you gotta go with with what comes natural
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
In the unrepeatable words of Chris Dittmar, really it was.
Comment by David Edwards
I would have loved to have seen Damir strangle one of the "brothers". God, what is tennis without Damir Dokic? Personally, I think the game is not the same without oppressive parental figures in the game. Where's Serena's dad, Richard Williams? What about Mary Pierce's dad, or Jennifer Capriati's old man? Hell, I'd settle for the Scud being a wildcard this year, if only to see the steely glaze of Nick Phillipousis in the crowd.
As for my latent xenophobia, I apologise.
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
I think Chris Dittmar might well be a Tood Woodbridge trapped inside the body of a Jim Courier. Definitely, Alica Molik is a Jim Courier trapped in the body of a Joanna Griggs.
Listening to Joanna peel off the wonderful sentences only she is culpable of makes me pine for Kylie Gillies with the latest news. I wouldn't mind seeing either of them turned into tennis racquets. Bigger heads these days.
What I love best is going to an add break after a segment solely of Kia hotshots. The Wolf Blass honorary Aussie with Roger and Wally. I'm going to go and visit the website and then drink responsibly. In that order.
Where are they now? Damir Dokic. Hitting his balls up against a brick wall.
Comment by damian
Urban Telegraph
The Squirter McGee Diaries