No Better Day Than Today To Recognize What We’re Thankful For

Written by: Staff on 24th November 2011

Exhibition game of US tennis players Serena Williams and Venus Williams

No Better Day Than Today To Recognize What We’re Thankful For

US tennis player Serena Williams hits the ball against Venus Williams during their exhibition game held in Medellin, Colombia, 23 November 2011. Venus won by 6-4, 7-6 (4). Colombia is the first Latin American country that the Williams sisters visit in their entire professional career. EPA/LUIS EDUARDO NORIEGA |

We hate lists and sappy columns that conveniently appear right around a writers’ favorite holiday, but there’s no better time than today to throw out a couple or thankful notes in regards to the tennis world. So here we go:

We’re thankful for a possibly shortened season next year and Roger Federer’s reaction to a question Thursday regarding a possible player boycott.

Said R-Fed to the London media: “Next year’s season is going to be shortened by two weeks. That’s I think as much as we can squeeze it really because otherwise a lot of tournaments would have to go or we would have four tournaments the same week, which I don’t think is a very smart idea, to be honest, for the game.

“Yeah, (a strike) was brought up a few months ago, the whole boycott thing. It’s nonsense. It’s not going to happen any time soon. Things are good right now, so I don’t see a reason why we should just boycott. There’s absolutely no reason for it.”

We’re thankful for Venus Williams and younger sister Serena competing at such a high level in their exhibition last week in Colombia and that it appears Venus is recovering from an immune system disease which caused her to pull out of the U.S. Open after the first round.

The Williams sisters will play Italians Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta in another exhibition in Milan on Dec. 3.

We’re thankful for Andre Agassi for his giving nature and his ability to help and touch those who would never have the opportunity to succeed by building not only a school that bears his name, but by building hope for a better future.

We’re thankful for the success of Alex Bogomolov Jr. in 2011. After six or seven years of toiling on the Challenger circuit, it was great to see Bogie get healthy and finally playing every match with a purpose. Here’s to continued success in 2012.

We’re thankful for four different women’s champs in the four biggees this year. It’s always great to see a new winner hoist the grand prize in tennis and in 2011 we got to see it four different times with Kim Clijsters (Australian), Li Na (French), Petra Kvitova (Wimbledon) and Sam Stosur (US Open).

We’re thankful for London and the O2 Arena. The Finals have been moved around in recent years, but would do well to remain in London. The crowds have been large and energetic. And of course everyone knows they are some of the most knowledgeable in the world. Even Federer recognized them and said it led to him playing some of the best tennis of his life against Nadal.

Said Federer: “A great atmosphere gives me good energy, it makes me play better. Beating Rafa like that was one of the great results in my career, my lifetime if you like.”

We’re thankful fo great tennis writing, which is appears in a bunch of different magazines and websites, most of the time free of charge. Take for example this entry by Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Jenkins on what he’s thankful for:

“I give thanks for my father’s good taste. He was a prominent musician who had worked intimately with some big personalities — Al Jolson, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, to name a few — and he was an admirer of special talent. When the barnstorming tennis professionals came to the Los Angeles Sports Arena in the late 1950s, he made sure I got a look at Pancho Gonzalez, to this day the most charismatic player I’ve ever seen.

“I was just a kid, but I’ll never forget the fire, the presence, the elegant shotmaking ability. In retrospect, he was a veritable Anthony Quinn out there, a dashing warrior commanding everyone’s attention, and in that sense he stood apart from Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase and other highly temperamental players of future generations. Those guys drew genuine hatred from a tradition-minded sector wishing they’d just get out of tennis for good. Pancho could be annoying, perhaps a bit insufferable at times, but nobody wanted him to go away.

“As the years went on, I came to grasp the measure of Gonzalez’ place in tennis history — the greatest of them all, some said. But he was only part of the show in those barnstorming days. I saw the great Rod Laver, and believe me, nothing in today’s game quite compares to the sight of Laver rushing the net at every opportunity, flying about the court in a whirlwind, owner of every shot in the book. But my experience was no more special than any kid’s first look at greatness, be it Arthur Ashe, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf or Roger Federer. That’s the beauty of tennis, a sport that offers immediate insight into a player’s style, countenance and competitiveness under pressure. You can trust your eyes in this sport, and those early glimpses forge devotion for a lifetime.”

And finally, we’re thankful for … the Tennis Channel and Roger Federer, maybe the greatest of all-time, and that we were able to awake today to watch the master playing at such a high level, and against America’s best, no less. Indeed, just a few things to be thankful for.