Anglophilia Strikes Yaye Again!

©Getty Images / P. Cole

Further cementing my status as an anglophile, I've spent a good part of the past week glued to television coverage of the Grand Dame of tennis tournaments: Wimbledon. Tennis is the only sport I give a fig about; yes, I like that there is "Love" in the game.

I tend to root for the underdog, and Frenchie Amelie Mauresmo, despite being the current #1 Women's Singles player in the world, qualifies as an underdog. For years, she has shown athleticism, talent, brains and the lots of heart while trying to move up the ranks in her profession. Unfortunately, she has also shown a tendency to choke in the big matches, and so only achieved her first Grand Slam title this past February at the Australian Open at the advanced tennis age of 27. Even then, what should have been a moment of undiluted glory was unfortunately marred when her Belgian bulldog of an opponent Justine Henin-Hardenne chose to retire from the finals match, citing nausea. That's not the kind of victory a girl dreams about.

So I'm really happy for Amelie, that she finally conquered Wimbledon and that she did so in a highly competitive, decisive win over Henin-Hardenne. That's gotta feel good!

If only Rafael Nadal and his capri pants could have beaten Roger Federer. Next year. Or maybe even the U.S. Open!