Top Ten Tennis

I have been watching a whole lot of tennis lately. Most recently, the US Open, and a couple of months before that, Wimbledon. I have watched a whole lot of tennis for many years, and before that listened to a whole lot of tennis match commentary on the radio. It's an obsession. Because when that racket kisses the ball with sweet timing and the feet are perfectly positioned and the shoulder and arm are follow through in a lovely arc, and the ball catapults over the net, and, kicking up a puff of chalk, shoots past a fully extended racket, I see perfection and I know all is well with the world.

Many top players in tennis deliver such divine moments of grace and poetry every once in a while. Federer does it a lot more than once in a while. And every single time it happens, I know I am lucky to have seen him do it. I forget all my troubles, I push away all the little worries that nag me, I dismiss hunger and thirst and sit there begging for more. Federer is, to me, the greatest tennis player that ever lived, and I have seen Sampras and Agassi and McEnroe and Borg and Becker and Edberg and now Nadal and Djokovic and Blake and Roddick.

In his grand march toward the US Open title, Federer beat Roddick in straight sets. Roddick, that poor man who works so hard, who should get a A for effort, was made to look like an apprentice. Djokovic looked like he was going to win the first set but didn't, then he looked like he was going to win the second set, but didn't. And then the next thing you know Federer has 12 grand slam titles and 2.4 million dollars and a brand new Lexus sports car and the world at his feet. And Djokovic is left holding a silver plate.

I would like to pay homage to all the greats who have given me countless hours of great joy, wonderful glimpses of striving and achievement, and priceless moments of divine perfection.
To the top 10 ever!

1. Roger Federer
2. John McEnroe
3. Bjorn Borg
4. Boris Becker
5. Andre Agassi
6. Pete Sampras
7. Stefan Edberg
   
8. Marat Safin
9. Partick Rafter
   
10. Pat Cash