Cheryl Murray

• Days 2 and 3 in Miami - Murray gets confused

  2009-04-01 17:15:38
  I have this notebook that I carry around with me when I'm at a tournament. In it, I write little observations that I think you might be interested in. That way I can decide what I'll put in my blog. Since I am indecisive this morning, I'll just tell all of it.
  
  
  

  1. I think Roger Federer misses being a ball kid

  
  Probably somebody else has noticed this already, but it's the first time I have. Usually, when it's a player's turn to serve, all the balls end up on his side of the court. This happens because the ball kids roll them along the court to each other. Except when Roger is playing, that is. He always hits any balls in his vicinity down to the ball kids on the other end of the court. This is great for two reasons. First, it gives the crowd something to cheer about if the ball kid manages to catch it out of the air (this hardly ever happens). Second, it's nice to see a player acknowledge their existence in way other than "TOWEL!"
  
  
  

  2. The chair umpire uniforms are horrible

  
  I rode to the tournament yesterday with a van full of officials, who are really delightful, by the way. I had the opportunity to ask them a question that has been burning in my mind since my arrival. "Precisely how hot are those shirts?" If you haven't noticed, their shirts are bright turquoise for this tournament. Now, I realize I might be stating the obvious here, but it can get a little…hot in Miami in April, which makes the decision of attire for people who will spend their day in the sun an important one. And with the wisdom of somebody who clearly will never have to wear those shirts in Miami in April, that person chose POLYESTER. Seriously now. Why didn't they just cut neck and arm holes out of a trash bag and be done with it? One of the nice officials did answer my question, though. He said, "Well... at least they aren't navy blue..."
  
  
  

  3. Rafael Nadal's water bottles are apparently fascinating

  
  During Nadal's match with Frederico Gil, I was paying careful attention to the camera man on court during the pre-match warm up. Why, you ask? Because I'm obviously a strange person. Anyway, I noticed that the camera was trained resolutely on Nadal's water bottle routine. You know, sips from each bottle so that the level is always exactly the same, labels out, placed so that one is in front of the other, but offset in what are clearly precise Rafa-measurements. I am quite certain that Gil could have stood up, started singing The Stripper (can you sing a song that has no words? A question for the ages), removed his clothes and swung them over his head – and the camera would have remained quite as it was, fixed on Nadal and his water bottles. Man, I love tennis.
  
  
  

  4. Andy Murray needs to brush up on his geography

  
  After Murray's match against Nicolas Massu, I decided to go to his presser. I do this in part because the only reporters who ever ask him questions are fellow Brits. This amuses me for some reason, and I like to watch them ask him about Laura Robson (junior girls' No.1 and fellow Briton). Also, if I'm being honest, I really have hopes that he'll yell "STOP CALLING ME BRITISH! I'M SCOTTISH!" one day, and I don't want to miss it. So in the midst of answering questions like "Isn't London the best?" and "Can you believe what these bloody Americans try to pass off as tea?" (ok, nobody really asked those things. I made them up.) somebody asked him about the actual match he'd just played. It was something like "What was it like, playing Massu?" And his answer began, "Well, all the Spaniards….I mean the Argentinians like to….." (I did NOT make that up) Now, I'm not overly particular, but I'm quite certain that Massu, being from CHILE, would be surprised to hear that he is an Argentine. At least Andy got the continent right. Eventually.
  
  Anyway, I'm working on a special treat for you. At 12:30 am last night, somebody who travels with the tour was giving their opinion about all the players on tour. It was FASCINATING (although technically speaking, she was talking to somebody else). I'm going to see if I can get her to give an anonymous interview for us. You'll LOVE it.

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