Pointless

Rivalries light up the sport of tennis like nothing else. Even the most age withered observers face meltdown when talking about or watching the TWO that matter. Unfortunately, in the current state of affairs, a Gasquet - Federer and a Safin - Federer are just matchups and not rivalries. Still, each episode of these affairs, offer the distinct possibility of turning out to be stand alone epics.

Gasquet being drawn to play Federer in the fourth round itself was a double edged sword. On the one hand, a quality battle could appear dull and devoid of drama simply due to a lack of atmosphere, while on the other hand, Gasquet had to fight fewer battles to keep up his appointment for the anointed hour (and Federer too). Thus, when I saw the schedule for the third day, here is what I had to say...

Three days into the Open and I've picked a gripe. Not a brand new one actually. This one has raised quite a few heckles over the years, but this time, it seems completely unnecessary. Hence, the rant.

The US Open has a lot going for it and not much against it. But there is one omnipresent villain who bobs up and down throughout the event every single year and showcases his absolute worst on Super Saturday. Ladies and Gentlemen, without any further ado, I present to you, the incorrigible, Mr.Scheduler.

Thanks to the action packed nature of the day and the hype and significance of the concluding weekend itself, the misfortune of the winner of the second semi-finals often goes unmentioned. Having been at the receiving end of it a few times in my couch career, I nurse the wounds, while waiting for an opportunity to strike back. At the same time, the Eleventh Commandment "Thou shall bow to television ratings" rings loudly in my ears and leaves me reluctantly resigned to fate.

However, this time, three days into it, that is, three days of glorious sunshine and floodlight filled, uninterrupted action packed days into it, Federer is scheduled to play the evening match on day three, while Richard Gasquet is slated to play the second match of day four.

Why oh why?
Why would someone do this to anyone?
Would it be so hard to ensure symmetry between and within the two halves of the draw?

Gasquet versus Federer might be equal on talent, but at this point of time, Gasquet needs all the help he can get just to take a set of the mighty Fed, and one less day off is certainly not that.

Today (Day four), first up, I checked the day's schedule, and Gasquet's name has gone missing. Baffling! Until, I note that sickness has caused Richard to forfeit his match against Donald Young. Lucky Federer!

PS: If someone is out there pondering, let me clarify that there is no point to this post really. Yesterday, it had a point, and a valid one at that, but today, it is all gone. However, with six drafts remaining just that since my last post, I just had to put this out there. Until abuse of blog space entails a jail sentence, I survive...