Nadal wins #6

The French Open concluded on Sunday morning with the men's final, another showdown between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. This was the eighth time those two had met in the final of a major, more than any other pair. This was also the fourth time they'd met in the final at Roland Garros, and the result this year was no different than the previous three times - Nadal won. I did not get to watch much of the match since I was on the road, so I don't have many comments other than that the first three sets were all close. Unfortunately I also missed the Djokovic-Federer semifinal on Friday because I was at work. The streak finally came to an end, and it was somewhat fitting that it took the best player ever to stop it. I was really looking forward to a Djokovic-Nadal final, but things just didn't work out that way. Wimbledon is coming up soon, and it will be interesting to see if Djokovic can maintain his game on grass. Federer and Nadal have already proven themselves.

Djokovic remains undefeated

I had the chance to watch the Djokovic-Soderling quarterfinal of the Rome tournament yesterday afternoon, and the Djoker was quite impressive. The first set was relatively close, but after a break late in the set, Novak just went to a higher level and left the big Swede in the dust. The fact that Soderling is ranked #5 in the world is just a testament to how well Djokovic has been playing. After back-to-back wins in Indian Wells and Miami (over world #1 Nadal), he won in Madrid, beating Nadal in the final again, this time on the Spaniard's preferred surface of clay. Now in Rome the world's top two are poised to meet in yet another final. Lost in the conversation is Roger Federer, who is still ranked a solid #3 but can't seem to beat Djokovic or Nadal anymore. I think his game is good enough to win another major or two, particularly Wimbledon or the US Open, but it really depends on if he can produce his best stuff on the right day.

Djokovic beats Nadal -- again

The Miami masters tennis tournament wrapped up yesterday, and the final looked a lot like the final at Indian Wells a couple of weeks ago. Once again it was the Australian Open champ Novak Djokovic taking on world #1 Rafa Nadal. And once again it was a great match. Nadal started off strong, breaking the Djoker twice in the first set. It looked like he was going to run away with the match, but Novak managed to break back to make the set competitive. Nadal was still up a break, though, and ultimately won 6-4. The second set belonged to Djokovic, and in the third they remained on serve until 6-6, when the match went to a tiebreak. Djokovic played better and took it 7-4, winning the set and the match, and staying undefeated for the year. Things are really getting interesting heading into the European clay court season. I'm sure Nadal is still a heavy favorite on clay, but this shakes things up a bit. The French Open is less than two months away.

The Long Walk

Early in the writing career of Stephen King, he published a series of books under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. At the time, nobody knew that Bachman was King, but years later the cat was let out of the bag. One of the novels, The Running Man, I read a few months ago. It's a story about a government-sponsored contest where a participant is hunted down by the military. The longer he stays alive, the more money he earns, and after a certain point he "wins" and the hunt stops. The character in this story doesn't win. More recently, I read a Bachman novel called The Long Walk. It is similar to The Running Man in that it takes place in an alternate, more disturbing, version of the U.S. It's about a voluntary walking competition among 100 teenage boys. They start walking and must maintain a pace of at least four miles per hour, or 15-minute miles. If anyone falls off the pace for 30 seconds, he gets a warning. After three warnings, he gets a ticket. Here's the catch: "getting a ticket" means being shot dead. Soldiers ride alongside the walkers in half-tracks, monitoring the pace and preparing to kill anyone who gets a ticket. The winner gets a prize of whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The remaining 99 die. The novel focuses on a select few of the walkers and explores why they entered the contest and how their mindsets change as time progresses.

The Day of the Jackal

Last night I watched one of my favorite films, the 1973 classic The Day of the Jackal. Based on the Frederick Forsyth novel, it's the fictional story of an assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulle in 1963. A group known as OAS, upset that de Gaulle had given independence to Algeria, had tried to kill him in 1962 but failed. Those who were not captured realized that they were now recognizable and any future attempt would have to come from an outsider. With this in mind, they hire a man known only as the Jackal, whose credentials include killing Rafael Trujillo in 1961. Unfortunately for the OAS, the Jackal demands half a million dollars for the job, forcing them to rob some banks to acquire the money. This alerts the French authorities who suspect they're up to no good. They put their top detective on the case. Somehow the Jackal manages to stay one step ahead and eludes capture. He actually gets a shot off during the Liberation Day festivities, but he misses. Seconds later the detective catches up with him and shoots him dead. There is never a dull moment in this movie. The authorities pull out all the stops to find the Jackal, and the Jackal is constantly tweaking his game plan to stay one step ahead.

Nadal rolling through the draw

The Australian Open has been going on for the past week, and so far there haven't been any major upsets on the men's side. Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, and Murray are all alive and playing well. Nadal has marched through the draw without dropping a set so far, and as the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open champ, I'm sure he's the favorite here as well. Andy Murray has also not dropped a set yet, and if he and Nadal both win their next matches, they'll clash in the semis. Federer and Djokovic lurk in the other half of the draw. I haven't been able to watch much of the action, mainly because it takes place in the middle of the night here. I did see a little of the Roddick-Wawrinka match and was disappointed Andy couldn't put up more of a fight. So now the quarterfinals are set. I'm not great at predicting results, but if I had to guess I'd say Federer will meet Djokovic in the semis, and Murray will take on Nadal.

Ron Santo dies

I read in the news yesterday that Ron Santo died Thursday night at the age of 70. This is sad news for any Cubs fan who has listened to the WGN radio broadcasts of their games. In my high school and college years I used to tune in to Pat Hughes play-by-play and Ronnie's colorful commentary. They were quite the team, and even though the Cubs rarely had a stellar season (or even a winning one), it was always fun to listen. It's unfortunate that Santo did not make it in the Hall of Fame while he was alive. I strongly believe that he's deserving of that honor, and I can't see why anyone would not want him in. Brooks Robinson was a very similar player with very similar stats -- a third baseman who played in the 60s, excellent defense, and not a bad bat, either. Brooks is in the Hall, and Ronnie should be as well.