RG Crisis Center, Day Treize

Mornin', I'm going to have to make this quick today because today I have a pretty full plate; a meeting of the International Tennis Writers' Association this morning, followed by the Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova pre-final press conferences, followed by. . . you know what.

And remember, it's an early start today (1 pm).

I shot out a quick Tweet this morning complaining about these pre-final pressers, and when a reporter complains about too much rather than too little access, you know something's topsy turvy. It's just that I've noticed over the years that these pre-final meetings tend to produce little grist for anyone's mill. Oh, sure, you can ask (short) Kuznetsova how she plans to handle the high bounce (tall) Safina can produce, but since none of these players are going to spill state secrets, it's all kind of pointless unless you indiscriminately believe that all information is useful, good, knowledge-enhancing information.

Personally, I don't believe that - a lot of it, especially because it comes from a self-interested party (The Serena Syndrome really personifies that) is white noise. Somehow, getting a player an hour or two after he or she has just lost or won a match produces sharper, cleaner, more visceral reactions.

This is especially striking with a cooperative player like Kuzzie. The other day I characterized her meetings with the press as more like those spontaneous meetings of friends at some cafe, where having a few bottles of wine and some time to kill, they share a few laughs and talk about whatever. Think about one of those good times and ask yourself, do you then pick up the phone the next day, call your amigas, and say, Hey, that was such a fun, relaxed time yesterday, lets get together and do it at 5 pm again today!

Oh, well. I'm trying not to be too cranky, because even though most of the symptoms from that recent bout with Shingles are gone and I'm off those depression-inducing anti-depressants, I came down with a whopper cold, just yesterday - the old-fashioned kind: started with sneezing fits, progressed to watery eyes, culminated in a progressively sorer throat through the evening and night. Which was too bad, because I had a fine dinner last night with long time buddy Chris Clarey, at the best local haunt, le Congres, an old-school, restaurant-type restaurant close to the Porte d'Auteuil metro station. Kind of place that isn't especially expensive, but has linen table cloths, heavy silver cutlery, a good wine list, and  polite - and welcomely aloof - deferential (instead of chummy) waiters. A place where elderly gentlmen take their (first and only) wives for dinner, and hold the chair out for them when they sit.

Charmante.

Comme Vous (most of the time).

Enjoy the tennis!

- Pete

As at 10:35 am TW time, an overflow is up.  Andrew

Update: at 10pm ET, a Day 14 Pre-Crisis Center is up.  Enjoy!  Andrew

Overflow