Saturday, 09/11/04

Today I learned that no women's singles US Open winner in the post-1968 modern era had ever been seeded lower than sixth. Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat her villainously named countrywoman Elena Dementieva for the whole enchilada this evening, was seeded ninth, setting the new mark. I'm impressed that the WTA rankings are so accurate over the long term.

The final women's match, taking place in New York City on September 11th, was preceded by a big ceremony involving Marines, flags, a boy's choir, and soprano Jessye Norman. I was all set to fast-forward right on past yet another overwrought rendition of the national anthem when they surprised me, launching into Amazing Grace instead. That could hardly compare to the surprise in store after the first verse, when they segued hammily into America The Beautiful. It was such a bizarre artistic decision that I wondered briefly if they weren't all simultaneously spacing out.

The political advantage to cramming both songs into a medley is that it shortened America The Beautiful such that few would notice that they skipped the second verse, the one I tend to listen for in vain:

America, America
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law

They never get around to that part at ballgames.

It should be said that when I looked up those lyrics to make sure I was quoting them correctly, I was startled by the last verse:

God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

I think Ray Charles must have left that bit out for some reason. 09:36PM «

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