A big man walked over, someone said to him, “Hi Darryl.”
He replied, “How you doing.” Then sat down quietly by himself.
Me, his fan, couldn’t help but went over, asking for a selfie. He obliged.
“May I take a photo of you?”
“Sure.”
Before I left, I said, “You’re the first baseball player I’ve known.”
“I appreciated it. I appreciated it.”
Serena played on the Day 1 evening session, beating Montenegrin Danka Kovinić (1994; 2010, $2.6m) 6:3, 6:3. Her fans packed her practice session too. Her blue skirt is pretty.
A Facebook post: top 10 best paid tennis players in the past 12 month; when Serena plays, the Who’s who / stars coming out to watch; Spike Lee is at the coin toss ceremony.
6-3, 6-3, not too much work for Serena.
This year’s Open is from Aug 29 to Sept 11, has $60,102,000 prize purse, with $2.6m to the two winners in singles. Last year was $57m/$2.5m, and 2020 was $53m/$3m.
Getting ready for the opening day, driving in the last nail
The biggest news is that Serena is retiring after this tourney. So, this is the last. Where she won her first in 1999, as a 17 years old girl – two weeks shy of her 18th birthday.
Perks from the sponsors
A part sunshine, part cloud and part of rain. Declines figs freshly off the tree. We also got wontons & beancurd from Flushing.
We stayed in the Louis Armstrong, watching the pros practicing, also wait out the occasion rains.
A view of NY Mets’ Citifield from Armstrong Stadium. A nice tattoo on the coach’s arm.
The exit to parking lot, flowers and the benches by the City park courts that now used as the practice court for the tourney.
I started to play tennis since 1986. And don’t buy many gears. Cleaning today, found some of my past rackets.
My first one was the most expensive one: a pearl white Prince that cost over $200 in 1986 and it was heavy. The only thing made me buy it was the look. My next one was a radish Thunderbolt that I lost in the park.
Got new grips and re-strung the handles. The red Babolat on the left was purchased in 2011, right after Li Na won her first grand slam in Paris. It’s weak and soft, that I use it when I play with girls. The blue on the right was a hand me down, with adequate power and is my main toy.
The ball holders are my favorite – made in West Germany. They’re solid and looking pretty.
