The Deuce Club, 12.18

By Jackie, TW Social Director

Have we all recovered from Monday's party? I'm still reeling from all of that water-drinking and Bûche de Noël-eating. That was some shindig! I'm really pleased so many of you showed up and am already looking forward to doing it again next year.

The fun isn't over just yet, though. Don't forget that we still have the TW Awards, which Pete and I are thinking of announcing the last week of the month. Please continue to send your nominations here (including your pick for Poster of the Year - one male and one female). We're also moving forward with our contest to name TW's new Poet Laureate and will have more information on the rules shortly.

Wrapping up business matters, don't forget to check out our TennisWorld > Real WorldFacebook group, if you haven't already. Every week, I get new requests to join, so clearly these weekly announcements aren't all for naught!

Today's Deuce Club topic comes not from the mind of your Social Director but from that of the TWibe's own gauloises!

The past few weeks, we tennis fans have enjoyed looking back at the season that was ... but as January draws near, it's only right that we begin to look ahead to 2009. It's in that spirit that gauloises came up with the idea to create our tennis "wish lists" for 2009! And the timing couldn't be better, since Christmas is exactly a week away.

Sure, it's been a while since most of us have made an actual Christmas wish list - or has it? C'mon, you know you've told everyone about how much you want that brand spankin' new iPhone or those Stuart Weitzman boots. So, this should be a piece of cake.

Before I solicit your thoughts, though, it's only right that I share the lovely gauloises's list, considering this is her brainchild and all. Enjoy - and try not too fall down from laughing, as I did!

1. Murray to play Federer in the final of a slam, and win.
2. Crazy Elf to stay in the top 10. Maybe win a Masters or two, make the semis of a Slam. I'm not greedy.
3. A Channel Slam for Federer. (It could happen!)
4. Baby Owl to beat Rafa again, because that was fun.
5. Mario to stay away from mono, jet skis, barbells, and lepers; somehow stay healthy; and make a surprise run to the Wimbledon final, where he will play in hotpants.
6. Ernests to, for the love of God, STOP choking away matches that are entirely there for the winning, get his ranking up, and continue being adorable.
7. JJ to win a Slam.
8. Davis Cup redemption for the Argies!
9. Marin to have a banner year and make the WTF, where I will cheer him on.
10. Great Britain to get a second player into the ATP and WTA top 100. (Yeah, that one's just pure madness. But I can dream ... )

Reference: Crazy Elf = del Potro, Baby Owl = Simon. (That gauloises loves her nicknames.)

I didn't have time to finalize my own wish list, but I do know it would at least include the following:

1. TMF to win his 14th Grand Slam, tying Sampras's record ... only to then break it by also winning his 15th. Which Slams? Doesn't matter to me!  (gauloises's #3 also works.)
2. Gilles "Babydaddy" Simon to continue to make his presence known - but remain obscure enough to where I can have him all to myself on those practice courts in Indian Wells and Cincinnati.
3. Gasquet, Nalbandian, and Ferrer to remember what it's like to, you know, win. Wait - and Kuznetsova.

Now it's your turn. Tell us what you'd like Santa to bring you for the 2009 tennis season. (For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, replace "Santa" with "the mailman" or some other such entity who comes bearing gifts.)

Maybe Master Ace can keep track of whose wishes actually come true. Doesn't that sound like fun, MA?