US Open..

With the extraction of my wisdom tooth last Saturday, my whole week was spent rotting at home. The only exception was going to the mechanic to collect my car. I'm not complaining since there's a whole load of television programmes to keep me entertained.

The second week of all tennis Grand Slams is always what I look forward to. There are lots of excitement, nerve-wrecking and dramatic moments, twists and turns and most importantly, brilliant tennis to watch out for. Most of the matches at this stage go down to the wire. It makes me glued to the television set, and even refusing to visit the loo just in case I change the luck of the particular person I'm rooting for.

Three out of four of the women's quarter-final matches of the US Open had been stretched to 3 sets. Matches like these all boils down to the mental toughness of the players; who can hang on, who dares to go for the outright winner, and who doesn't crack down under pressure. Whatever it is, tennis matches now resemble boxing matches. The players strike the ball with such power, venom and accuracy, trading blow by blow to each other. I managed to witness the athleticsm of Kim Clijsters against Venus Williams. Her speed around the court is simply amazing. Her determination to chase down every ball with her trademark splits wore down Venus. This is not to say that Clijsters plays like her former fiance, Lleyton Hewitt. Clijsters has a formidable forehand which resembles that of Steffi Graf. The ease at which she strikes her forehand is joyous to watch. I'm looking forward to her semi-finals against the glamour girl of tennis, Maria Sharapova.

My one week holiday is coming to an abrupt end. One more term to go. I'm just waiting for phone calls from unknown numbers. What a pathetic life I lead.