Posts from — September 2011

Came home to the Palestra today to write off the Battle for I-95 exhbition with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul for SI.com.

The two weeks of the U.S. Open always go by too quickly. This year I had a chance to write about the epic semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Sloane Stephens’ first win at a major tournament, promising newcomer Jack Sock and flamboyant veteran Bethanie Mattek-Sands, but there are always so many more stories to tell. Maybe next year.

Djokovic just beat Rafael Nadal for the men’s title and the stairway near the entrance to Ashe Stadium (right outside the media center) is now a wall of Serbian pride.

Enjoyed spending time with Balaram Stack (@hair_piece), who is the first surfer from New York to have a chance to make the pro tour in more than 30 years. The Long Beach, N.Y., native, who turned 20 on Monday, was granted a wild-card entry into this week’s Quiksilver Pro New York, which is the first-ever ASP World Tour event in the Northeast United States. SI.com’s Collin Orcutt (@collin_orcutt) produced the video.

I create my ideal tennis monster for The New Yorker. A fun exercise with humbling company.