Barcelona Masters Series Final
Unlike the Virginia red clay that plagues my housekeeping efforts, the red clay on which tennis is played makes me very happy indeed! Seriously, I love watching tennis, especially during the European clay court season. Today's final is between two Spaniards, which bodes well for a nice long match. Rafael Nadal, of course, is known as the King of Clay, and is arguably the best player to ever take on the terre battue. David Ferrer is another excellent clay courter.
I do find the images of clay court tennis to be especially beautiful. The game itself is much more meditative to watch on clay compared to hard-court or grass. It's a little like chess in that the players have to think ahead as they construct the points. I suppose it's the extra fraction of a second that the ball hangs in the air that makes this a much more intellectual game. There's a terrific graphic demonstration of why the ball moves the way it does on clay (and also why Nadal's game is so tough to crack) in the New York Times. I'll figure out how to add the link here.
No photos of porch progress today, as I am completely wiped out from working out there in the 90-degree April heat. I must say my own legs were about as muddy as Ferrer's in this photo, but not quite as bloodied. So I've cleaned up, turned on the AC and the Tennis Channel, and plan to spend the afternoon watching these two guys work on the clay. I'm done for the day.
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