it happens to the best of us

Recently a professional tennis player hit a serve that not only missed the court, but it went into the crowd, about 20 rows deep.  This is professional tennis, at one of the biggest tournaments of the year.  And this was not just some no-name tennis player, it was Li Na, who is ranked #5 in the world, and made it to the final of the Australian Open.  It’s kinda refreshing that a great player can have an amateur-like moment… it made me feel better about my game.  It also goes along with one of my favorite sayings while playing sports: “It happens to the best of us”.  (And it’s ironic, because the next time I played tennis, I went for a full-power backhand winner with topspin, but the ball hit the frame instead, sending it really high in the air and sailing over the fence.)

I like how the crowd cheered when it happened.  And the camera had to zoom way out to see where the ball landed.  At least she has a good sense of humor and could joke about it afterward.

dramatic victory celebration

I recently watched an epic tennis match with a great celebration, and it reminded me of regular reader (and friend of the blog) Rurouni Kenneth.  Here’s the actual context, if you’re interested.  Novak Djokovic had just played 5 hours and 53 minutes against Rafael Nadal to win the 2012 Australian Open championship.  It was an legendary match, and I cannot imagine how tiring it had to be.  Here’s the last point and the ensuing celebration.

I figure that’s how Rurouni Kenneth will celebrate if he ever beats me in tennis.  I’m willing to give him his props if he can ever pull off the upset, but once the clothes start coming off, I’m leaving.  🙂