Tangents

[cross-posted from TalkAboutTennis]

Wasn't at tonight's [Fedal] match, but made it to the O2 for the Sunday night session and the Monday day session. Will post snapshots later (as well as links to more about Bercy -- what with work, flu, and my non-tennis-junkie SO joining me, time's been wicked scarce ), but for starters:

* On Sunday, FyMat put on a far better show than at Bercy. Way easier to believe they're a Top 8 team watching them Sunday night. (They were TERRIBLE against Mahut/Benneteau, so much that a friend asked me if they were tanking.)

* Super shotmaking by Fish across two sets (and Rafa's serve was somewhere in Mallorca all night). Up in the nosebleed section, mostly Spanish Rafa fans but some Fish supporters even before he started playing well. Horror show of a tiebreak, though, and the scrum to get on a bus (the first of three) to get back to my hotel (which I eventually did, 2.5 hours and 3 buses later...) was appalling (the ticked-off Italian ladies jeering the queue-jumpers were entertainingly vulgar, though).

*Nice variety of souvenirs (both tournament-specific and from various vendors), but I was so hacked off by the transportation debacle that I refused to spend any cash beyond the program book I'd already bought. Tip: program book contains vouchers for the daily updates, so it's worth one's while to buy it early on if it's on the list. Lacoste was handing out men's perfume samples (blue, white, and green).

* The O2 includes two Starbucks and many bars. Las Iguanas (where I met up with some online pals both days) makes a cocktail called the Chilean Chemist with a strange mix of ingredients that is surprisingly tasty.

* Monday dubs -- fair number of schoolkids in uniform; just a smattering of people in section 414. Indian players' box hilariously enthusiastic about encouraging their guys via applause (but also good about not openly cheering Lindstedt-Tecau errors). I need to review my ATP rules, b/c I don't know why the chair ump could be Mo (Swedish) w/ Lindstedt playing. First match where I've ever heard someone in the crowd repeatedly calling out "C'mon, Horia!"

* Murray-Ferrer -- yeah, that medical treatment at the end of the first set did not need to be on the big screen. Ouch. Didn't look overly physically hampered in the second set, but mentally seemed way too loose -- the tweener was the least of it. Had the feel of a warmup rather than a year-end match. And while Andy got a warm-enough greeting from the house, I have to say I was missing the French and their drums and Allezes -- the random "C'mon Andy"s (and "Vamos David"s) just seemed so sparse in comparison.

* I really do love live tennis. Even with Rafa and Andy not at their best, hearing and seeing the sheer variety and power of their shots (and same for Mardy and David) first-hand, and the beauty of the winners -- yeah.

* Meh on the pre-show stuff. Bercy way better and less pompous/tedious. On the other hand, WTF wins on the ballkid and linespeople kits -- much better designed. (Not sure why Lacoste handles WTF and Hackett handled Paris.) As a stadium, O2 cheap seats in better shape and more legroom but floor is gross. (My feet and purse should NOT be sticking to it at the start of the Monday day session!)

* Nissan had two kiosks -- one by Las Iguanas (not all displays working, but the design-your-own car game was fun) and one in the FanZone that takes 360-degree-cam photos of people posing with a racquet or ball. My take = crap form, but the hair got some fun comments from the staff. (And not that you can tell from the site, but I opted out of the "competition" for best photo -- I don't live on the right side of the pond, and I'm highly unlikely to return to the O2 again when I do come back in 2-10 years.)

* DJ was so-so. More variety than the Bercy sound guys, but dude, Eagle-Eye Cherry's "Stay Tonight" is a REALLY inappropriate song to play when the video of the ballkids is on the big screens.