Tennis anyone?

We tennis buffs do not mind getting up early for the games across the pond. They are into the latter stages of the French Open in Paris, at the Roland-Garros Stadium.

There is a six-hour time difference affecting the situation. The clocks around the stadium indicate it’s a little after noon, whereas here in Canada, we know that the sun has just come up.

A teenager from Montreal, Leylah Annie Fernandez, has captured the attention of fans in Canada, and others throughout the world. She has moved up in the world rankings to #14. She faced an Italian, Martina Trevisan, not ranked in the French Open. But Fernandez knew that she could not take Trevisan lightly. The Italian had won her last nine matches, including the Italian Open.

The match began evenly. Then, disaster struck for Fernandez. She had to take a medical timeout in the first set, trailing 3-2. She had injured her foot, and required the work of a couple of medical people. After six minutes, she returned to the court.

No one knew what to expect at that point in the match. You could almost feel that Fernandez was testing the injury, moving tentatively from side to side. Balls that she would normally return were left untouched. She stayed at the baseline, often hitting half volleys that had no starch in them. Trevisan wisely moved her shots from corner to corner, pressing Fernandez.

There were a couple of points that required the umpire to leave the chair and look for the place where the shot had landed. On the clay courts, covered in a fine brick dust, there is always a mark. That is not the case, naturally, on hard courts. In most places, an electronic system has been installed, taking the guesswork out of the situation. In or Out? Watch the “hawkeye”. We have become familiar with all sorts of technological advances in other major sports. Surely, tennis needs to change.

Fernandez lost the first set 6-2. She appeared to be in some discomfort, although she hides her emotions well. She is not a screamer, (thank goodness), and only does tiny fist pumps when she is quite pleased with herself.

Fernandez continued to struggle with deep shots in the match. She often resorted to hitting half volleys from the baseline, creating an advantage for Trevisan. She did not chase balls that she would normally return. But she struggled on, faced a match point which she won, then won a tie-breaker to win the second set.

To her credit, she maintained her composure, yet played tenaciously when she could. Trevisan went up 4-0 in the final set. Fernandez fought back, but lost 6-3 in the final. Near the end of the match, “Points Won” flashed on the screen. Trevisan had won 100, Fernandez 77.

For shots that hit the net cord, Fernandez got very few breaks. There are matches when those breaks can add up.

Most of the players will cross the English Channel in two weeks to play at Wimbledon. We trust that Fernandez will heal in that time.

The Blue Jays returned home on Monday for a 10-game stand. They have made a significant turnaround this past week, winning five straight games.

The semi-finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. The Avalanche take on the Oilers out west, and the Rangers will face the Lightning in the East. Wayne Gretzky will be on your set frequently to advise you how to bet on these game. Not for this cat, thank you. The Canadian Football League gets underway in a week. They have had some trouble with their negotiations, but all appears settled now

Here comes summer!

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