Today is such a strange day in NYC despite the weather; bright sunny skies and puffs of white clouds in the air. My Mom came to town and as we were walking in Little Italy on our way to breakfast today, we passed firemen with their loved ones at a local church, paying respect to the fallen.

On Saturday, I took my Mom to the Women's Final and we both had a lot of fun. It was her first trip to the US Open. The last time she was on the grounds was in 1964, when she was a teenager out of Manheim Central HS (Lancaster County, PA), so things have changed quite a bit. One thing she did recall was the beautiful Unisphere still present near the South Gate of the newly named Billy Jean King Tennis Center.

On Saturday evening, Maria Sharapova was quite impressive and is now my Mom's favorite female tennis player. She likes her outfits and her girl-next-door charm. She doesn't like Federer, which I don't understand. She perceives him as a "hotdog". I guess she is an All-American sports fan, all the time. She loves Andy Roddick much the way she likes NASCAR's Tony Stewart, only Tony Stewart wins a bit more.

We watched Federer from home in SoHo yesterday and he continues to amaze me. He slowly nips away at his opponents until they are literally exhausted. I don't think people realize how finely conditioned Roger is. It will be interesting to see him toward the end of his career. Will he limp away from the sport like Andre did this year?

Below are hightlights from Federer/ Roddick:

FEDERER VS RODDICK:



SHARAPOVA IS MY MOM'S FAVORITE:

One thing about Sharapova is she is all business and she is well-coached. Watch the video highlight below of the final game as she serves out the Championship. Her routine is very consistent. She will step away from the baseline, fiddle with her strings, bounce on her toes before her serve to stay loose, take 2-3 methodic bounces of the ball, and slowly uncoil her big serve. I think this is a good tip for players who are looking to relax in pressure situations on court. Learn to pace yourself and recognize your own tempo. Sometimes we all rush when we get anxious.

I got lucky with this footage. I shot Tommy Haas during the first round on an outside court at the Billy Jean King Tennis Center. I thought he looked sharp at the time. Turns out he is now in the Quarterfinals. He played Safin today. It went to a 5th set tiebreaker but Safin just didn't seem sharp. Tommy played well and brought a lot of energy. Here is a sample of the energy I am speaking of:

TOMMY HAAS AT THE US OPEN: