Walk: Short hood, after watching French Open finals and Sunday chores
Distance: 2 miles
This morning Ciwt turned on her TV to spend a little while watching the French Open Men's Final. Now, hours later, here she goes again on her awe of elite athletes (or anybody at any endeavor) who can focus 100% on winning and apparently block out any inkling of losing until the very last bell, buzzer or, today, forehand down the line.*
Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz played in this mindset for 5.29 hours to decide who would be this year's Roland Garros Men's champion. The French tournament is 125 years old, and their match in Paris is now among the most memorable ever been - or perhaps ever will be - played on any court. The two competitors took no breaks, every point was superbly played, neither looked markedly tired as the seesaw match marched on, both were perfect gentlemen throughout - even correcting judge's line calls to give their opponent the point. (Not to mention their graciousness in the post-game TV interviews)**. And neither showed the slightest sign of surrendering. This for Alcaraz who played at the brink of defeat from the third set on. He was down two sets and up against match point - not just once, but three times. And for Sinner who went ahead with confidence and heart even after failing to capitalize on those points.
Don't just take Ciwt's word. The resolve, gamesmanship, play everybody was witnessing was incomprehensible even to commentator John McEnroe. As a reminder, McEnroe was world #1 for five years, still maintains the best single-season win rate of the Open Era and played Roland Garros four times in his career. He of anyone knows when a match has turned and is over. He knows a player's mindset, the time the player knows he's either going to win or has lost. He knows physical exhaustion and when you've run out of strategic ideas or heart. And, yesterday, he was wrong again and again. This play was at a level even he had never experienced.
As he said or implied repeatedly, "You can't make this up." Alcaraz continued to play with poise like there was no score, hitting impossibly perfect shots. Those were immediately countered by Sinner with unreachable shots of his own. On and on. With McEnroe occasionally saying things like "At this point, Sinner has it. They'll be going to the locker room soon." Followed by "On my gosh, no; I was wrong." And then again and again something like, "You can't make this up." And, finally at the end: "I've been a tennis commentator for over thirty years, and this is far and away the most amazing match I have ever witnessed." (This is quite a statement from McEnroe whose 1980 Wimbledon final against Bjorn Borg was so epic it is the subject of a feature movie and numerous youtube videos).***
Then there's the Wall Street Journal's master sports writer, Jason Gay: "I still can't believe what I saw."
Ditto..
* See CIWT 14/134
** "It is amazing the level you (play) at," Alcaraz told Sinner. "Honestly, I know how hard you're taking this tournament. I'm pretty sure you'll be champion not once, but many, many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you. I'm really happy to be able to make history with you. Thank you for being a great inspiration and good luck for what's to come..." Sinner was equally gracious and complimentary to Alcaraz in defeat.
*** Born vs McEnroe 2017; see YouTube for videos
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