Red Clay Halo

There is this great song by Gillian Welch,and David Rawlings; Red Clay Halo.
I doubt there are many tennis players who listen to country music.But I think maybe they could appreciate this one.It's wonderful.
It would make a fine theme song for Rafa Nadal.
Here is a YouTube link .I know you can't count on YouTube videos staying up,but this is a good live version of the song.It's from Gillian's album;Time(The Revelator).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7knB3VtAqY&playnext_from=TL&videos=tuIfsH27Sec

Kimiko Date Krumm def Safina-Picking matches

The Tennis Channel has a match picking contest called Racquet Bracket.I do try to remember to fill it out for every Grand Slam tournament.I usually do a rather bad job.I try to make myself choose with my head,and not my heart.But as much as I'm usually a logical person,I always find myself making some picks based on sentiment.Following a sport involves emotion.If it didn't why watch at all.So is it a fault to let my feelings play a part in predicting an outcome?I try to avoid picking too many upsets.They are by nature hard to call.
But sometimes you do get a whiff,or a whimsy of a possible surprise.
I think you could see this was a real danger for Safina.

Date Krumm is now the second oldest woman(39) to win a singles match at Roland Garros.The oldest was Virginia Wade.I'm not sure if that is only in the Open era,or ever.
I have to wonder if Safina is going to have much of a career left if her back doesn't improve.It doesn't look like it today.Last years runner up,and out in the first round.

French Open starts-Happy sleep deprivation

Up at 4am ,far more deprivation than happy.
I wish there was some other way the tournament could be televised.But at this point how else would they do it.Tennis Channel paid for it and they are going to show it live.All of it.
The truth is the only way to really get a sense of things is to watch the original coverage.
I'll watch what I can.But it is still overkill.What other sporting event is like this? The only thing I can think of is the Olympics.And tennis does this four times a year.Crazy.

Great to see Martina Navratilova is doing well with her radiation treatments.Going to play the senior doubles with Jana Novotna.Good luck to them.

Lyndsey Davenport has been added to the commentators lineup.Good addition.Why are there so many more women than men who take to commentating? They can't compete with John McEnroe I guess.

This is my 28th French Open.I've watched them all since 1983.Funny how time slips away.

The Queen,her father-George VI,and Wimbledon

I read a few days ago that the Queen (of England,yes that one) will attend a day at the upcoming Wimbledon.She hasn't been since Virginia Wade won in 1977.Long time no see,huh?
I guess she figured what could top seeing "our Ginny" win.
I've heard she doesn't care for tennis.As a matter of fact I think she just doesn't like tennis at all.Oh well,as they say there is no accounting for taste.
But her father did like tennis.I knew I could recall that he played the Wimbledon doubles.
Her father was Albert,the Duke of York.The second oldest son of King George V,and Queen Mary.Mary loved tennis,and attended Wimbledon regularly.At the time he played he was already a married man of 31.Elizabeth had been born in april of the year.
In "Wimbledon-The Official HIstory of the Championships",on page 64.

"The Championships of 1926 were a Royal occasion in another sense because the Duke of York,later King George VI, competed in the doubles with his equerry,Wing Commander Louis Greig (later sir Louis) who,in 1937,took over from Sir Herbert Wilberforce as Chairman of the Club.It was the only time that a member of the Royal Family has competed at Wimbldon."

There is a picture of him,in classic long pants of course, swinging the racket up with his left hand.He was a natural lefty,but he was taught to write with his right hand.
The doubles event of 1926 was won by Jacques Brugnon/Henri Cochet over Howard Kinsey/Vincent Richards.
I couldn't find any information on how the Windsor/Greig team did.I wonder if they could win a few sets.But I would suspect they lost in the first round.
Unfortunately Wimbledon doesn't have the full records available online.Which they should.Who do they expect to do that for them?

Of course the Duke of York became King George VI when his older brother Edward abdicated to marry American divorcee,Wallis Simpson.
That is why his daughter became Queen.Shame he didn't manage to instill a love of tennis in her.But the tennis players loss was the race horses gain,I suppose.

Really a shame William didn't start playing.With his height,and reach he may have been a fine player.

One final note.The truth is tennis was played by a great many Royals.Henry VIII among them.
But that was the old form of tennis.Now known as Real,or Court tennis.And that is another subject.

Lindsay Davenport, Ancestry

I read on Lindsay Davenport's twitter a few weeks ago she mentioned a man named John Emory Andrus.She referred to him as the family patriarch,and said he was 101 years old.Which is extraordinary.How many people do you meet who were alive during WWI?

Since I have an interest in genealogy,I looked into her ancestry.Because she's an American,there are many record sources available.

This John Emory Andrus was born in 1909.He's a Grandson of the first JE Andrus,who was a famous man.She's not a direct descendant of JE Andrus(1909).She is descended from John Emory Andrus (1841-1934).

John Emory Andrus(1841) was known as the "Millionaire Strap hanger",which was a reference to his habit of riding the subway to work even though he could easily afford a car.He was a contemporary of Rockefeller,and J.Pierpont Morgan.He was the son of a minister,Loyal B. Andrus,and worked his way up to considerable wealth.He was invested in Standard Oil,Singer Sewing Machine,and Consolidated Gas.He was a long time member of the board of the New York Life Insurance co.
He was also the mayor of Yonkers,New York.He then served as a U.S. Congressman.
He created a philanthropic foundation called Surdna which has a focus of helping young people.Andrus spelled backwards.It still exists.
He was inspired by his wife,Julia Marie Dyckman.She was the child of Swiss immigrants who was orphaned.He strikes me as an extraordinary character.

He had nine children,one of which was his name sake,John Emory Andrus (1883-1947).

JE Andrus(1883) had a daughter named Edith Jefferson Andrus who married Frederick Morgan Davenport.

They had a son,Winthrop Davenport (1907-1980) he married Elizabeth Mae Langford (1913-? )

Their son Winthrop Davenport (1942- ) is Lindsay's father.

I'm sure I could a better job of this in the future.When I have the time I'll try to do it.

CORRECTION- The Blogger system is so screwed up now it's really hard for me to work on the Blog.
I had to make a correction, and it reset the time stamp.It may be wrong to the reference now.
I apologize.