Monday Net Post

Good Monday, everyone. Saw that the comments were bulging at Jackie's Deuce Club post, so here's a fresh canvas for today. It was a weekend of good food (Yuca Bar, way over in Alphabet City) and good sport—what an impressive performance by the United States hockey team against the Canada. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have a fondness for the maple leaf; after all, the Canucks gave us hockey in the first place. (Plus, of course, the enjoyable spelling of words like "centre," "colour," etc.) I had no rooting interest in the game; I was rather looking for an enjoyable experience, something the New York Rangers have deprived me off for most of this NHL season. Evidently, I was rewarded with a fantastic tilt to close the preliminary round of play. Here's hoping for a Canada-Russia quarterfinal, followed by a gold medal match between that winner and the U.S.

There was some good tennis, too—six tournaments in all, with many notable winners, including Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Sam Querrey. But my McGrogan's Hero award—I guess you could say this is a Monday Net Post—goes to Juan Carlos Ferrero, who won his second tournament in as many weeks down in South America. Like Lleyton Hewitt, Ferrero isn't going away, and he'll continue to cause fits for players at tournaments as long as he's in top form. There's been plenty of talk about the potential of the current generation of young stars—Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, del Potro, et al—but the Federer-Roddick-Hewitt-Ferrero generation isn't done yet. Their staying power has surprised me, and if the newer kids can sustain their level of play for as long as their elders have, it's impressive in its own right.

I have some additional thoughts on the week that was in my First Serve column—check it out and let me know what you think below.

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This is your guest post for Monday; feel free to comment on the above, or in regards to any tennis goings on.