Well, I heard some folks talkin’ about this Shelton vs Shapovalov thing. Sounds like some kinda big deal, you know? Some kinda tennis match. I don’t know much about tennis, never played it myself. Too busy with my chickens and garden. But these young fellas, they sure can run around, huh?
This Shelton, they say he’s the favorite. Means he’s supposed to win, I guess. Like when my rooster, Big Red, gets into it with that skinny one from across the way. Big Red, he’s the favorite, always wins, just like this Shelton fella, maybe. They give him some numbers, like -140. Don’t know what that means, probably some fancy betting stuff. I just bet on Big Red with a handful of corn, and he hasn’t let me down yet.
Then there’s this other one, Shapovalov. They call him the underdog. Poor fella. Means he ain’t supposed to win. But you know, sometimes the underdog surprises you. Like that time my little chihuahua, Tiny, chased off a whole pack of coyotes. Nobody thought he could do it, but he did! Maybe this Shapovalov fella will surprise everyone too. His number is +110 or something, doesn’t mean much to me.
I heard them saying they’re gonna play on a hard court. Well, that sounds uncomfortable. Why don’t they play on the grass, like we used to play croquet? Much softer on the knees, I tell ya. And it’s in some place called Washington, at the Citi Open. Is that a bank? Do they play tennis at a bank? I saw on the TV it’s part of the ATP, whatever that is.
- This Shelton, he’s number 16, they say.
- Shapovalov, he’s way down at number 102.
- But numbers ain’t everything.
I remember one time, my oldest son, he was racing his old jalopy against a fancy new car. Everyone thought the new car would win, ’cause it was all shiny and fast. But my son, he knew that track like the back of his hand. He took every turn just right, and he won! Maybe this Shapovalov knows that court real good, and he’ll beat that Shelton fella, even if the numbers say he won’t.
They talk about a prediction. Who will win? I predict they’ll both be tired and sweaty, and if Shapovalov wins, good for him! My bones are telling me it might rain. That will make things interesting. A little rain never hurt anyone. Makes the ground slippery, though. Could make for some surprises, you never know.
This whole thing is supposed to happen on August 2nd, 2024, that’s what I overheard. Plenty of time to stock up on snacks, I guess. Not that I’ll be watchin’. I got more important things to do. Like canning those tomatoes before they go bad. Now, canning tomatoes, that’s something I know about. This whole Shelton vs Shapovalov match, well it is something special to watch I guess.
They say Shapovalov won some match before this one, in three sets. Whatever that means. Sounds like a lot of work. He beat some other fella with a name I can’t pronounce. Doesn’t matter. What matters is he won. Maybe he’s got that winning spirit in him now. Like when my prize-winning pig, Bessie, won the blue ribbon at the county fair. She just had that look in her eye, you know? Like she knew she was gonna win. Maybe Shapovalov’s got that look now.
I keep hearing about this Citi Open. They said it’s a big deal, a lot of people watch it, I reckon. Not me, though, the chickens need feeding. I guess this match is important to some people. To me, it doesn’t matter much, who wins. I’ve got my garden to tend to.
It’s gonna be in Shanghai another time, at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Sounds fancy. I ain’t never been to Shanghai. Probably a lot different than my little farm. They’ll be playin’ there too, these two. They say they are going to have a head-to-head match. I guess it’s best to keep your head in the game.
Well, I gotta go. Sun’s going down, and I need to lock up the coop. These young fellas and their tennis games, they can do what they want. Me, I’m gonna have a nice cup of tea and go to bed. This Shelton vs Shapovalov thing, it’s all just a bunch of fuss if you ask me. But hey, to each their own, right? Now where did I put my darn knitting needles…?
