The Taste of Defeat

Another week of tennis in 90+ heat, another early round loss for Roger Federer. In his storied career, Roger has taken more losses at our tournament than anywhere else in the world (except maybe the French Open). So it wasn't as surprising to see him fall this year, but it certainly meant more than ever. He'll lose his number one ranking to Rafael Nadal in a few days.

Though it wasn't necessarily a shock to watch Roger go down, it was still disappointing. It seems the days of invincible Federer are over. We shouted for him, cheered him on tirelessly, braved dehydration and exhaustion in an attempt to urge Roger through a third set victory. When he let us down, we found consolation at the food court.

A basket of greasy, salty french fries will always dull the bitter taste of disappointment. So will a few bottles of light, domestic beer, but you can all imagine what those look like.

We revived our spirits and rallied for a night session match. As the sun set directly in our eyes, we squinted. But after the sun set behind the stands, we were able to take in the festive scene. The agony and the heat of the day match faded. With a stomach full of fries and beer, I reminded myself how lucky I am to witness such a fantastic display of athletecism, spirited competition, and hot sweaty dudes. We're all winners here, after all.