In Lisa's Spin, her new regular blog on wtatour.com, Lisa Raymond brings us her thoughts on tennis, life and more. Here's the latest installment...
Wednesday, March 3, 2011
Now that our Oscar hangovers have subsided (don't think James and Anne will be asked back anytime soon!) let's talk about where everyone is playing this week. The tour takes some to Kuala Lumpur, some to Monterrey, Mexico. I was supposed to hook up with my doubles partner Julia in Monterrey, but plans changed and now have decided to meet her in Indian Wells instead. Another week at home, twist my arm :-) Actually, I really wanted to play and be back on the court competing, but after some debate, I decided it was best to pass. Indian Wells is only a few days away and we will be back on the court together before we know it.
So a lot of people ask "Why do some players opt to go to Malaysia? And others to Mexico?" You may wonder what goes into the decision process of where players decide to play that week on the tour. One of the major variables is court surface. Players tend to gravitate to their "best" surface, playing as many tournaments as they can on the surface(s) that best suits their games. I don't know for a fact but I could probably tell you the schedules of many top players just based on where their games match best with the conditions. When I played singles, if there was an indoor or grass court tournament being played, chances were that my name was in the draw. Another factor is that players love playing in certain cities. Where you feel comfortable and where you don't. I always loved playing close to home, in Philly or NYC where friends and family could come watch. Or out on the west coast, where the conditions were light and fast, perfect for my game. Everyone is different but the one thing that we all have in common is wanting to perform at our best as much as possible, and deciding which tournaments to play has a lot to do with that.
So are you wondering what have I been up to this past week? Let me just say whomever coined the phrase blondes have more fun, knew how to highlight hair!
Since high school I have been what you would call a "bottle blonde". I certainly can't sit here and claim I am a natural blonde, not in an age when the truth is one click away. When I was a kid I was a "dirty blonde", aka the kid with the light (mousy shall we say?!) brown hair. Not that there is anything wrong with brown hair - I just always wanted to be a blue-eyed blonde. I was born with the eyes, the issue was the hair. Freshman year of high school my best friend and I would pick up hair kits at the drugstore and highlight our own hair. Bumble and Bumble we were not, but it was fun and in time we realized getting this done by professionals would be best. By the ripe old age of 17, there was no looking back. I would be a prisoner of my own vice for years to come and that was okay with me - I was a blonde and that is all that matters!
So, a few months ago a friend of mine introduced me to David Evangelista. When she mentioned his name I instantly thought of the hilarious guy who would run out and fix Rosie O'Donnell's hair and make-up on her TV show. David and my friends took spinning classes together, started chatting, and discovered he is a huge tennis fan. Cut to me now driving into the city every couple of months to have him cut and color my hair - the man is a genius! Our playdates take place at his downtown apartment where I sit, he performs his magic and we laugh and chat about anything and everything. Arcade Fire plays on the surround sound as he dishes about Hollywood, I dish about the tour - quid pro quo Clarice! Style and therapy all wrapped into one! A few hours later I am transformed into a MUCH better version of myself. Afternoons with David... need to pitch that to Bravo!
Questions, questions and more questions!!!
@LK2Chat wants to know, "Top down in the convertible or going off roaring in a 4x4?" I like this one! I would have to go with the top down. I had a Jeep Wrangler all through high school and college and loved having both the top and doors off. In college, my friends and I took my Jeep a couple times off-roading and even though it was fun, my car was covered in mud for days! Clean up, not so fun...
@janetc28 asks, "How do you decide which hotels to stay in in each city you play?" Depending on the tournament there are certain player hotels we stay in that they provide for us. At the Slams, we get per diem and can choose where we want to stay. I LOVE researching places to stay in different cities, especially small boutique hotels. I try to stay away from the chains, unless of course that chain begins with Four and ends with Seasons. I actually enjoy doing it for other players and friends, too. Wanna know where to stay in any city in the world, give me a call...
@Anita_22_05, "What was your best match in your career?" That is such a tough one. I have so many, singles and doubles, but I will pick one of each that stands out. One of my best singles memories was beating Venus at the Aussie Open in 2004. Beating her that day, on Rod Laver Arena, in a Grand Slam and playing flawlessly - a great day. Doubles, again so many. It would be a tie - my first Grand Slam doubles title with Rennae Stubbs at the Aussie Open in 2000 and then winning the US Open title with Sam Stosur in 2005. Both days bring back such incredible memories.
Latest downloads:
Ryan Adams - "Everbody Knows"... Just love him.
Adele - "Someone Like You"... Saw her perform this on TV recently and was BLOWN away. There should be a warning label on this song if going though a break-up! Words are amazing...
Justin Bieber - "You Smile"... This one is for you David :-)
Check out Lisa's Twitter page at http://twitter.com/@cutttie2!
