Men's tennis is back!

Every year since I was a little girl, my father, a diehard tennis aficionado, has taken me to the U.S.Open in Flushing, Queens. All told I think I have been going for 18 years!!! And on Monday, Scoville Jenkins, a young player ranked 352 in the world renewed my faith in men's tennis with his perserverance and determination to win a five-set match in only his second-ever appearance in New York.

Last year Jenkins became the first african-american to win the USTA National Boys Championship. And on Monday, he treated the burgeoning crowd surrounding him a glimpse into the future of men's tennis. In five sets, he stuck it out to win over George Bastl of Switzerland. With the help of a lightening-force forehand and punishing two-handed backhand, Scoville determinedly handled this match. It was more than just a tennis match, it was bearing witness to a young man's rite of passage. I have a feeling Monday's match was the sparking of a rocket.

Monday's first round match was a complete roller coaster of emotions for the players, and the crowd, for that matter. In the end, Scoville pulled it out in a fifth set tiebreak, winning by only two shots, after four and 1/2 hours.

When I first started going to the tournament Ivan Lendl (my favorite), Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg were still playing. Andrei Agassi was new on the scene. And men's tennis was exciting. It was better than women's, because the ball moved faster and emotions were high. But in recent years, for some reason, I could take or leave men's tennis. They just didn't seem to hold my interest. I mean they were still as good looking as ever but when Pete Sampras retired a few years ago...my interest went with him.

I mean let's be real. Women's tennis had some fantastic players that were way more exciting. Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Gabriella Sabitini (my other all-time fav), Jennifer Capriati. And once Venus and Serena showed up, that was it. Men's tennis who? But thanks to Scoville, I'm back.