Tennis (8/13)

Women's - Kanepi (Estonia) vs. Li (China) - Li won

Men's - Federer (Switzerland) vs. Berdych (Czech Republic) - Federer won

Women's - Williams, Serena (USA) vs. Cornet (France) - Williams won

Going into the event we were excited about the chance to see such big names play. Watching an sport that has such specific spectator protocol was interesting in China. The official spent as much time trying to quiet the audience as they did trying to do their job. It was a really hot day and even at 5pm, we were sweating like crazy. So we drank beer, then we were hot and tired. It was exciting to watch Li win, since the crowd was so excited about it. Federer, of course, was a highlight, however he did not play that well. I think he went on to lose in the next round.

Watching Serena Williams was quite an experience. Justin and I were both struck by her size. Justin couldn't get over trying to speculate about what football position her children would someday play. She is a very strong girl, and very serious about her sport. I don't think she smiled once. Cornet gave her quite a run for her money. At one point Serena got so frustrated she slammed her racket on the ground and broke it. The official didnt' like that. Cornet (18 years old) wasn't without her frustration. I got a kick out of her yelling in French at the ball boy, not because she was upset at him or because he understood a word she was saying, but because he was the only one who would listen.

For Serena's match we moved down to the lower section and a few minutes later looked over and realized the entire Williams family was sitting next to us. It was a much more interesting match due to the chance to listen to their cheers and it was fun to watch their encouragement help her win.