Friday Five: Tennis Observations from the Australian Open

Naomi Osaka's garb was the talk of the court, and beyond, as she emerged from the catwalk tunnel in a jellyfish inspired getup. It consisted of (and I quote), "a pleated miniskirt over wide-legged trousers, a wide-brimmed hat with a white veil and a parasol, an on-court outfit featuring a watery turquoise and green palette and soft frills on the warm-up jacket and dress, alluding to tentacles". She says she is discovering beauty in unexpected places like the underwater world and working with artists who care about meaning.

She said, "Fashion for me really opened up when I stopped thinking about how it would be received and started thinking about how it made me feel". And it obviously makes her feel good because she played a great game to move through to the second round. The young Croatian opponent didn't know what hit them. After all, why float like a butterfly and sting like a bee when you can do both like a jellyfish?

Incidentally, if everyone else is trying to stand out, Stan Wawrinka is going for the opposite approach and is practically camouflaged in his blue and white outifit on the Show Court Arena. His match against Arthur Gea (at 21 years old, Gea is nearly half the age of Wawrinka) went for four and a half hours with conditions and momentum changing frequently. Wawrinka appeared to love every minute of the epic five set match with a final set tie-break, even joining in a Mexican wave in an unscheduled pause for Gea to fix his shoe. The stealth approach clearly worked as Wawrinka is back to contest another round, once he gets out of the ice-bath.

The way Jannik Sinner is playing, he really didn't look as though he needed any assistance, but he got a free pass when his opponent, Hugo Gaston, withdrew from the game. Sinner was up two sets (6-2, 6-1) and appeared imperious, when Gaston called for an end to the contest and sat down to sob beneath a towel. Sinner sportingly went to commiserate and said in his post-match interview that he was surprised by the retirment although he could see that Gaston wasn't at his best. It's never nice to see someone abandon a game due to illness or injury, but Sinner bounced back and used the extra rest to breeze through his next round against the hotly-favoured-by-the-crowd Australian, James Duckworth.

Novak Djokovic plays a stunning game, and it is great to see him looking fit and fast and covering the court so fluidly with strength and perfect angles. I only saw the first-round win in straight sets, as I had to work (booo!) when he played the second round during the day, but as the score was exactly the same (6-3, 6-2, 6-2), I imagine it was equally comprehensive. Cue all the comments about how amazing it is that he can still manage to swing a racquet at the ripe old age of 38. He's still my favourite.

Gael Monfils bade farewell to Melbourne Park in a game that lasted for nearly four hours. There is something quintissentially French about the way Monfils shrugs and slouches his way through some spectacular tennis making it seem effortless. The crowd love him, even if he was playing an Aussie, Dane Sweeny. There was an on-court presentation for Monfils as he completed his 20th main draw at this tournament, accompanied by a standing ovation. It was all done respectfully and in a spirit of camaraderie and Sweeney, having secured his first ever win at Grand Slam level, managed to master his emotion in the post-match interview even when told he was up before Monfil's award because 'winners go first, mate.' Stay classy, Australia.

The top-seeded women are killing it, leaving the drama to those lower in the rankings. Number one seed, Aryna Sabalenka has cruised through her first two matches (6-4, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-1) despite being a little frustrated at dropping games due to the high standfards she sets herself. She also had to counter calls from other players for her to be banned due to the illegal Russian war, to which she replied, "Obviously I want peace, and if I could change anything, I would definitely do that. Other than that, I have nothing else to say. I am here for tennis. I have said enough in the past, and I don't want to talk politics here." I have thoughts about this issue, and whether politics can be kept out of sport, but I'm not sure taking up individual cases is the way to address it.

The next three seeds - Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova - have also all won their first two games in straight sets (albeit with Swiatek facing a tie-break in the first round). Thigs seem to be going according to plan.

Friday Five: Early Olympic Ruminations

1. There has been a lot of talk about the mascots. They are called The Phryges, based on the Phrygian cap, which is a symbol of freedom in French history, worn particularly during the French Revolution. They are meant to represent the values of freedom, inclusion, fraternity. To many they are called, the French cap and they look as though they represent a clitoris. I have two things to say: firstly, if it does look like that, it is swollen and inflamed and you need to see a doctor; secondly, why not?
2. I don't normally watch tennis at the Olympics as it's not the main event for this sport, and the best athletes aren't necessarily represented (see also football), but I did catch some. Rafa and Novak - smashing balls with tight angles and great force. I definitely don't normally watch doubles (if the players are good, they just seem like exhibition matches, and if they're not, it's dull), but I saw the match between Errani/Paolini and Boulter/Watson in which there were some skilled rapid-fire exchanges, but the Italians were too strong for the Brits. The crowd were fairly engaged, but even more so when the volunteers came on to water the clay court after the game and sprayed them with the hose. It must be getting warm out there. It's also vaguely amusing but mostly tragic to see all the wannabe influencers pouting and posing in the stands and getting their mate to take dozens of photos, which they then examine, reject and make them take more, after a lot more primping, preening and hair-fluffing. You do know it's not actually about you, don't you sweetie?

3. The mountain biking: comprising 'fast compacted gravel, a wooden drop-off, and tough rock garden feature', it wasn't a great course, although it was held at Colline d'Elancourt, which is the highest point in the Paris region. The women's race was won convincingly by crowd favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who pretty much led from the start. Prévot was originally in a group with three others including compatriot Loana Lecomte, winner of the test event on the course held in 2023, but Lecomte crashed heavily on the rock cascade, flipping over her handlebars and landing on her head. She lay unmoving for several minutes before being taken from the course on a stretcher (reports the following day confirmed that while she briefly lost consciousness, she was otherwise 'fine' with some 'facial trauma'). Ferrand-Prévot's was the second gold medal for France (after the men had won the rugby 7's the day before), and it's great to see the home support. Meanwhile Cadel Evans coughed all the way through the commentary; I'm not sure if he's got a cold coming or it's a nervous throat-clearing tic, but it made almost unbearable listening. The men's race the following day was much closer, with Tom Pidcock winning by nine seconds after suffering a 30-second puncture on lap three (of eight). Pidcock's bike handling skills are simply immense, and he broke French hearts by beating their champion, Victor Koretzky into second place. It was extremely nail-biting with an incredible final lap, and I may have screamed at the television a little bit.
4. I didn't watch any of it, because it's not a sport in which I have any interest, but the surfing is held in Tahiti, where the athletes are sleeping on a cruise boat - probably a better standard of room than the cardboard bed at the Olympic village. At a distance of 15,800k away, this is the furthest an event has even been held from the host city. Also, the surfing did provide one of the most outstanding photos of the games. 

5. There are some sports I watch at the Olympics, that I do not watch at any other time. I give you... diving. I love the skill and precision, let alone when they dive in pairs with perfect synchronicity. When the Chinese divers climb out of the pool, they even perform parallel bows to the judges. During the Synchronised 10m Platform (which the Chinese win and in which the British pair - Tom Daley and Noah Williams - take silver), the French duo of Gary Hunt and Lois Szymczak finish substantially last, but they look as though they are having a great time! This seems to be in the spirit of the games and I approve. Also in the spirit of the commentary, at least here in Australia, is having people talk about sports about which they know next to nothing. Mark Taylor (excellent cricketer; dubious diver) is providing the commentary and I love it. He has clearly been handed a cheat sheet with highlighted words such as pikes, rotation, somersaults and reverse tucks, and he makes profound statements like, 'synchronicity is important'. It's entertaining. I do have some concerns over the extremely skimpy outfits that the athletes are made to wear, as do many of them evidently. The divers use chamois between dives so they can dry their legs, all the better to hold onto them tightly in the next pike position (I learned that from Mark). The female athletes all tuck this tiny towel in front of their crotch as soon as they get out of the pool - clearly they don't like the scrutiny of the cameras - and who would? The cameras also like to focus on their tattoos, and it would tough to find a Western athlete without one. May I suggest they avoid scrutiny by covering up in a hand-knitted garment by Tom Daley who sits poolside creating his iconic fashion items.

Twirly Girl

While in a blacksmith's shop in Ferndale a couple of months ago, I noticed this rather wonderful sculpture. She is called Twirly Girl and she is created by E.B.Chase. I liked her different faces, her implication of movement, and the general sense of confusion. 

There is a sheet of paper attached to her plinth, which explains the process behind her design, from which I shall quote below.

"Twirly Girl is a spinning woman with four faces, which express anger, bewilderment, embarrassment, and satisfaction. 

During the 1970s, ideals and expectations about women, from female and male viewpoints were pushed into the public consciousness like never before. Feminist authors and speakers helped create a new discourse about women's current roles in our society. However, with this attempt to throw off old sexual stereotypes a new flood of advice and popular images were aimed at women, which could often be just as restricting as the previous ones that they were replacing. With such contradictions facing women regarding social standards, making decisions about personal goals and changes could often be a confusing and difficult process. This was the idea that captured Chase's imagination although it would take him a while to discover the artistic shape to represent it.

Fast forward a few decades to 2003 when Chase was working on a staircase railing. He was experimenting with a spiral-like shape when it suddenly caught his attention. It looked like a swirling skirt flowing out from a spinning body. This figure finally gave shape to the ideas that Chase had been working around in his mind since the 1970s. The flowing skirt represented a woman whirling around overwhelmed with the numerous influences flying at her from every direction. What roles in life does she want to attempt and what roles has she been pushed into that she does not want? Whose advice should she take: women's magazines, her friends', feminist authors? How can she change and improve while remaining true to herself? How should she balance her roles and obligations as a wife/mother/daughter/sister with simply being a woman?

While the benefits of feminism have increased women's equality, it has not been a painless revolution. Women still find themselves battling media images and the social status quo, which do not necessarily fit with their own ideas and aspirations. Chase's sculpture, with her four different faces and twirling body, represents different roles women fill (unwillingly or by choice), different directions from which women receive influence, different paths women can choose, and the conflicting emotions that accompany such decisions and stages in life. Twirly Girl is not just a sculpture; she is also a social commentary with historical perspective on what it has been like to be a woman in our culture, as seen through the eyes of an exceptionally talented artist... who happens to be a man."

This piece of art and accompanying message has sat with me for a while. And I am no less ambivalent it now than I was then. You could even say it has got me in a spin. I love the sculpture. I love the fact that a man has considered this to be an issue worthy of interpretation through the traditional 'masculine' craft of metalwork rather than a more classically comprehended 'feminine' craft such as quilting or embroidery. 

And yet I can't help feeling that this is also an example of mansplaining - we know all this and don't necessarily need a man to point it out (even with multiple directions in such an appealing manner). I know that is unfair. Men can be feminists too; generally we welcome them, but should they 'shut up and listen' or continue to draw attention to themselves in 'our' struggle? It's certainly a fraught issue, and despite thinking about it for years, I haven't got an answer. (If I were a man I would have solved the issue by now and moved on - that's flippant, I know. I'm sorry.)

And then there's the name of the piece. Even though in the opening line of explanation we are told that she is a 'spinning woman', she is still called a girl. Every time I hear someone (usually male) refer to 'this girl at work/ in the office/ on the bus/ in the Olympics', I ask them how old she is. If she is over 16, why are they still referring to her as a girl? She is an adult and should be treated with the same respect that we grant to maturity of the male sex. There is a male receptionist where I work. He has a beard. I would never belittle his age, experience and achievements by referring to him as a boy.

There is a clothing outlet in America called Twirly Girl. It sells cute and colourful dresses with full skirts for babies and toddlers to teens. And dolls. Its range includes outfits called Butterflies Rejoice, Singing Sweet Daisies, Mystical Mermaids, Fantastical Rosy World, Dancing Queen, Devoted to Beauty, Hunny Bunny Blossom and Itsy Bitsy Wiggly Watermelon. Don't get me wrong; the dresses are delightful, and there are also frocks with less saccharine names, like I Can Be President, I Can Go To the Moon, and Queen of her Own Kingdom. 

Apparently most of the sales are to grandparents who like to hear their grand-daughters brag that 'Grandma and Grandpa gave me this'. Fair enough. The website states that 'our dresses are pretty unique [sic]. They're very well made and super-colorful and fun. Some have wings. Some are reversible. Others are adorned with long ribbons. And when a little girl starts twirling in her dress, it's showtime!' Exactly. Some little girls like to twirl. They want to show off and they want acclaim. They are performing for an audience. Good for them. I hope they're having fun. 

Please don't ever expect a grown woman to perform for your approval. She is who she is and she does what does. If she is a world-class tennis player, she is an athlete. She is a woman who deserves respect for her ability and her attitude that has brought her to this high pressure point. She should never be asked to 'give us a twirl'. It is demeaning and infantilizing. Women are not girls. Twirling is not spinning. It is not 'just' semantics. 

I really like E.B. Chase's sculpture. I admire his artwork and his rationale. I respect his talent. I am just conflicted by the effect this shape-shifting piece provokes. We may approach this from many different perspectives and arrive at different positions. Is that the point of art, after all? Yes, we all live on the same earth which rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun, and we are all constantly evolving in our opinions and our actions. I hope.

World Cup 2014: Today's Talking Point - The Heat!

It's hot in Manaus. And Fortaleza. And many (but not all) other Brazilian cities where World Cup games are being played. It's humid too, with 80% humidity recorded at the Italy v England game, creating extremely unpleasant conditions. Especially if you're not used to them. 

Of course, these footballers are professional athletes and most of the European teams have an entourage of fitness experts to help them to acclimatise. Apparently the Italian squad prepared by running on treadmills in the sauna, and the English 'wore extra layers', which admittedly isn't particularly high-tech and something my Dad used to recommend when we ran out of heating.

It's no surprise then, that the teams who have had their group stage matches in the hotter and more humid locations have suffered unduly high incidents of heat-related ailments from heat exhaustion to cramp and dehydration, all of which take time from which to recover. Predictions were that the European teams who played here would particularly struggle, and this proved to be the case. Italian midfielder Claudio Marchisio claimed he had been hallucinating during his team's clash with England in Manaus.

It was also outrageously hot at USA 94, when FIFA banned water breaks despite the temperatures soaring to 46 degrees Celsius. John Aldridge had a famous meltdown on the touch-line as players were refused refreshments during the game between Mexico and Ireland. Since then the rules have changed, and FIFA now allows water breaks 'if health professionals deem conditions to be dangerous'.

These breaks are not mandatory, but a Brazilian judge has ruled that the referee must give a water break if any game is played in a temperature above 32 degrees Celsius in the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, which takes conditions such as wind speed (or chill), cloud cover, humidity, and UV radiation into account.

To switch sports for a moment, nearly every year there is controversy at the Australian Open as tennis players in Melbourne struggle with blistering heat. In 1998 an Extreme Heat Policy was introduced, with measures such as the ability to close roofs, longer breaks between games and sets, and the possible suspension of matches. In 2007 on-court temperatures reached 50 degrees, and this year not only the players were affected; a ball boy fainted and more than a thousand spectators were treated for heat exhaustion.

So why is this controversial you ask? Because some people say they should just get on with it. Their argument goes that these people are paid (and paid phenomenally well) to entertain us. The conditions are the same for everyone, so no-one has an advantage. 

My refutation is partly that the audience or spectators are denied the peak performance of these athletes, because no-one can achieve physical excellence in such heat. Also, basic humanity should stop you from wanting to torture people by forcing them into oven-like situations. They are sports-folk, not gladiators. Surely we don't want to watch them harm themselves? That's not sport; it's sadism.

Thankfully common sense has prevailed, with the introduction of three-minute cooling breaks used for the first time in the game between Mexico and The Netherlands. And officials have clearly realised that it is absolutely ridiculous to host games in places where it is too hot for comfort. Oh, wait... did someone say Qatar?