Due to work and travel I’m a bit behind on blog posts but don’t you worry, I will catch up while we’re on vacation in Seattle. This trip is all about fun with our dear friends Ryan and Amy, while also enjoying some fresh air and R&R.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the US Open for the third time! The first time, back in 2010 I went with Bo to an evening men’s match with the NYC UGA Alumni Association. Going to a night game had it’s benefits: normally bigger matches, cooler temperatures, and allow you to not miss work to attend. But, most matches don’t end until 10:30 or 11pm which means a midnight train ride back to the city. 
Due to our partnership with Lacoste, we’re able to take our client, Macy’s, to the US Open each year for a day of fun in the Lacoste box. Getting to the stadium is just a quick ride out to the stadium on the 7 train right from Grand Central. Therefore, we met as a group around 10 yesterday so we could head out together. I forget how beautiful Grand Central Station is since I don’t spend much time there.
We arrived at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center right at 11 and were in the box by 11:15! It’s right near the Queens Half Marathon course which brought back quite a few memories, especially when I saw this site.
I will say that unfortunately, this year they aren’t allowing bags larger than 12 inches by 12 inches. Therefore, we had to deal with checking our bags since they had laptops (not allowed either) and were too large. It cost $5 for a locker and took about 15 minutes. Not too bad but it was a pain since we didn’t know.
We caught the women’s match, which was a quick one and not nearly as exciting as the men’s match since there were only 2 sets in the match. As you can see below, it wasn’t exactly an even match.
Victoria Azarenka (1) defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 6-2
In between the matches I enjoyed lunch and some delicious crunchy munchies. These honey mustard pretzels were almost the death of me until I decided to just move away from the bowl. Two handfuls were plenty! On the right is a salty sweet popcorn mix that includes caramel corn and white cheddar popcorn.
At 1pm the fun really began for me when I realized that one of my fellow University of Georgia alums was about to take the court! John Isner went to UGA from 2004-2007, during which time he played tennis all four years and lead UGA to the NCAA team title in 2007 on the home court in Athens, GA! Another random fact about this cutie who is 6’9 is that he holds the record for the longest match ever played in tennis history! His battle at Wimbledon against Nicolas Mahut lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes, and ended with John’s 70-68 victory in the fifth set. HOLY cow! Can you imagine sitting through that?
Yesterday’s nail biter lasted just under four hours and was a close one that quickly filled the stadium and kept everyone screaming.
John Isner (9) defeated Xavier Malisse 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 7-6 (11-9)
It was a hot day but we all had a blast relaxing and enjoying the US Open action!
Who knew that they still update the scoreboard manually? Such a classic touch!\
If you live in the NY metro area, I can’t recommend a day at the US Open enough. Tickets can be found for reasonable prices, there are tons of fun restaurants, bars, and shops to keep even the least interested person entertained and it’s a great way to get some Vitamin D if you go during the day!
