Tennis, Anyone?

A few years ago -- four to be exact -- Dad-O and Mommy stumbled upon the U.S. Open grounds on Arthur Ashe Kids Day, and had a great time just walking around the facility, despite not having a kid. So, we've had this day marked on our calendar for quite a while, as we looked forward to taking Mason out to Queens to participate in the fun.



Our first stop was the Nike SPARQ training court, where Mason was given a GIANT T-shirt (we're talking only feet visible if it wasn't tucked in!) and the chance to run through some drills.



Here's the highlight, hitting balls with a real, live tennis pro!



Later, we met up with our friends Aimee, Rob, Nick and Maddy. We mommies are already plotting to mold a doubles team out of this duo. Pretty cute, don't ya think?



This lady was Mason's biggest fan. He gave her a huge hug at the end of the drill.




This was Mommy's favorite drill to watch, and in case you're wondering why they're all shoeless, they're a little prickly about dark-colored soles on the nice Billie Jean King National Tennis Center courts!



After fighting (almost literally) for a table and the crowded food court, and refueling with some lunch we went to hunt for some big-name pros, and found none other than the two biggest.

First, we watched Rafael Nadal through the bushes. He's not one for the crowds, and was practicing on the very end practice court.

Later, we moved to the stands of an adjoining court and peered over the top of the fence.



As we were leaving, who did we see conducting interviews? None other than Rafa's chief competitor newly dethroned top player, Roger Federer.



Overall, not bad for a (free) day at the courts!