Shahar Peer's wonderful Dubai run came to an end today when she could not stop defending champion Venus Williams from going to her second straight Dubai final. Williams defeated Peer 6-1, 6-4.
Williams' opponent in the final will be Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-4 in a match that contained some stunning rallies and was quite entertaining. Radwanska has it all--except for a good serve (haven't we heard that before?)--and until she improves that, she is likely to stay out of the elite circle of tennis. That would be a pity because the rest of her game is superior, and a pleasure to watch.
Azarenka continues to come to the net more, and said in her post-match interview that she has recently been inspired by the great Stefan Edberg.
Why could she not have been influenced by the great Martina Navratilova, a better volleyer than I have ever seen. Very fluid and effective on all parts of the court. As to the commentators and their tasteless remarks, less said the better. Everyone knows Annabel Croft is an idiot anyway, or acts like one. Just makes the same inane remarks every chance she gets. Katrina Adams, not my favourite commentator at all - too chatty and gossipy.That and her voice just grates on my nerves. She does not have the type of voice that commands listeners to want to tune in and listen. Which leads to my next issue, dont they give these people diction lessons. In Jamaica where I am from our radio and television announcers are so highly regarded for their speech. As a matter of fact as a child growing up in jamaica and listening to cricket one of the wonders was just listening to our very own countrymen doing commentary. Fair, balanced, and with the right amount of excitement that kept us listeners tuned to our radios.
ReplyDeleteVika met Enberg recently, and talked with him about her tennis; hence, the direct connection.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for other countries, but in the U.S., the concept of "diction" is laughable. If you are interested in grammar or syntax or diction, you are an "elitist" and worse.
(This post was written by an American elitist.)
Diane I must be a Jamaican elitist as well - LOL. As a matter of fact one of the things that is happening in the education system in Jamaica right now is the government's policy of teaching patois, i.e. the local dialect. I am trying to figure out why this is beneficial to young Jamaicans when no where else in the world speaks Jamaican patois except Jamaicans. In addition, you have some educators who are of the view that children should learn about their culture and so they have had the government introduce this type of reading material into our schools, especially at the primary (elementary to you guys) and high school level. It is pathetic. I grew up learning English by studying the works of Shakespeare, Keats, Hemingway et al. I also read literary works by Caribbean writers who spoke English and wrote English and if I do say so myself I speak excellent English. It pains me to hear the English Language being massacred by those amongst us who should really know better.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem to me that if children are to learn about Jamaican literature, wouldn't a good deal of it be written in Jamaican patois? I think there is a difference between learning indigenous languages and perhaps being restricted by knowing only those languages.
ReplyDeleteI do recognize that the richness of any language comes from other languages that "flow into" it. For example, so many "English" words and phrases are not English in origin. I have spent much of my life in and around the New Orleans area, and there are words and phrases used there that no one else uses. Some of them are the result of "big city speech" whose original Eastern European users decided not to assimilate into the greater culture; others, however, are simply descriptions of states and events that occur only in New Orleans.
My personal rule is that in a formal, "business" context--and that includes journalism (though you certainly wouldn't know it in this country, even among some of the "good" publications)--grammar, pronunciation and syntax are extremely important. But I believe I am now in the minority.