Florida gouges foreigners, Snowbirds too.
On March 25th, we embarked on a day trip to the Miami Open, mainly because it is held in a new place, it showcases great tennis, and because there are several promising Canadian players in the tournament.
But before I get to the tennis details, let me just say that there are no breaks on tickets for anyone outside the States for any venue, not just for tennis. The website told us that if you clicked on a certain link, it would provide parking at the Open for $24.00 US. We open the link, and oops, sorry, the $24.00 applies only to US citizens. Others pay $40.00 US in cash and on site! No break there! Similarly, purchasing tickets, US citizens can buy them online at a discount. All others, such as Canadians, pay at the wicket, in person, on Credit Card and the full price. This is just a small sample of how discounts don’t apply to foreigners, and we are considered foreigners in the US. I had to wonder though, who was taking advantage of whom? And blatantly!
The Miami Open
The Miami Open 2019 is held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, from March 18-31st. The tournament moved from Key Biscayne to Miami for better facilities, more parking and a much larger stadium. The grounds in Miami are fabulous; lots of trees; well-maintained AstroTurf; well-stocked Pro Shop and a roomy stadium. We went to see exciting matches; well-skilled players; and of course, our Canadian players.
Eugenie dropped out before she even started, and Milos Raonic dropped out too after being defeated in three sets. That left us with three other players, Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga), Denis Shapovalov (Woodbridge) and Felix Aliassime (Montreal).
Bianca started off well with powerful returns and serves. It did not last long, though. She seemed to be a little off her game; she reacted slower, and she winced a lot which I took as smiling, however, I found out later that it was from pain. During the brief breaks, she was icing her shoulder and neck area but[i] she kept returning to the game at hand. She lost the first three matches. As they were preparing for the second set, the heavens opened and we were drenched through 45 minutes of sheets of rain. Then the sun came out, hot as ever and baked us for another hour as we waited for the court to be totally cleared of water. But what can one do, when one resides in the tropics, one must expect tropical storms.
The match resumed between Bianca and Anett (Estonia) but Bianca was struggling again. At the first break, her coach came out for some discussions, then a medic examined her shoulders and the ice packs started accumulating beside her. As she returned a serve in the second match, her arm seemed to falter, she looked dazed and she walked off the court. She gave a weak smile to the people in the stands and then she was gone!
She had similar difficulties at the last tournament where she was dubbed the “drama queen” by her opponent, Angelique Kerber. That match she finished and won but was totally exhausted as she gave her interview. Through these actions, she illustrated a certain level of stamina, motivation and determination to stay, improve and to advance in the tennis circuit.
We wish her well!
Our next match was in the evening and under the lights. This match was between Denis Shapovalov (Can) and Andrey Rublev(Rus). We have seen Denis play before when he was 17 and the youngest player in the tournament. He showed a lot of potential and in the intervening two years, he has grown into a powerhouse player. He served and returned serves with power and ease. He showed smart thinking and consequent manoeuvres on the court. He anticipated his opponent’s next move, and, in a flash, he was on the other side of the court and at times even doing the splits just to reach and hit that incoming ball. He was extremely effective in analysing his play and his opponent’s thinking. His signature punt was something to behold. When he punted the ball, it dropped low and slowly on the other side of the net. He appeared to be enjoying himself at every game. He smiled, he was focused, and he was powerful with an abundance of people skills. At the end of the match which he won in three straight sets, he acknowledged his fans waving the Canadian flag. He jogged to the railing to shake hands, to say a few words to anyone who was speaking to him and to sign autographs. All done with a smile!
The third Canadian player, Felix Aliassime, was not scheduled to play that day. He is 16 years old and hails from Montreal. We heard that he is another powerful, smart tennis player with lots of potential. We hope to catch him next year.
In the end, we did get our money’s worth and more, at the Miami Open. We enjoyed good tennis, outstanding sportsmanship and witnessed the development of strong tennis payers. We wish them well, especially the Canadian ones.
They need our encouragement; our support; and our positive thinking to reach their potential.
