I'm started to get excited about the upcoming US Open; the Qualifying rounds begin on August 21 and the main tournament opens on the 27th. Hopefully we will have better weather than last year; I've got my ticket for day #2 of the main tourney already since it replaces one of my rained-out days from 2006.
I love the Qualifying tournament because you are always discovering new and exiting players who don't get a lot of media notice but who play some really good tennis. Last year one of my favorites was the Columbian Alejandro Falla (in action photo, left). I'll be sure to follow his matches - I plan to go all four days of the qualifiers; it's free, which is an added plus. The four days are literally crammed with matches as the entrants vie for possible openings in the main draw, so it is sort of like a giant international smorgasbord of all-day tennis. Three guys who I enjoyed watching last summer are due to play again: Alejandro, the German Bjorn Phau, and the Japanese Go Soeda, all pictured below.
It seems that my favorite player to watch, Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan, will be unable to participate in the Open this summer. He has been out most of the season with a wrist injury and while his name was originally listed among the entrants he has since apparently withdrawn. It will be the first Open in several years that Paradorn's matches won't be the centerpiece of my days there; I love watching him play - win or lose - and his wonderfully dedicated Sricha-fans always create such a festive atmosphere at his matches with their red shirts, their chants and their improvised musical noisemakers. Paradorn's win over Jose Acasuso in last summer's first round was one of the most enjoyable matches I've ever watched.
While he continues to deal with his wrist injury, Paradorn's private life is about to take a dramatic turn with his impending marriage to former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova; their story is here.
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