I'm off to my first Davis Cup tie

I'm leaving for Birmingham tomorrow to attend the Davis Cup tie. Much of the thrill is gone, of course, because Roger Federer withdrew. But I will still get to see Davis Cup action, and I'm looking forward to seeing Andy Roddick and Stan Wawrinka.

All the fools who jeered at the choice of Birmingham as a Davis Cup site have obviously never been there. Birmingham is a very nice city with some wonderful museums, but we won't get too do too much other than visit some of its lovely restaurants.

Blogging will slow down, of course, but it will not stop, and I'll keep everyone posted on some men's tennis, for a change.

We have our hero, and he's not in the WTA

In her editorial about the Shahar Peer situation, Aaress at On the Baseline turned the tour's marketing phrase, "Looking for a Hero," on its head. Well, we finally have a hero, and his name is Andy Roddick. Roddick, the defending champion in Dubai, has withdrawn from the tournament because of the Dubai officials' refusal to grant Peer a visa.

This is one tennis fan who sends a big virtual bouquet to Roddick for taking a stand that includes action.