Test One, Two.

We had our first of two tennis test events.  Set up to check the security of the venues and to make sure everything, and more importantly, everyone knows what they are doing.  This includes me, an ONS flash quote reporter.  

It seemed odd that the first time I was watching a live tennis match was sitting behind the press tribunes (the blue desks where I should be seating, however, the seats were missing) at center court at the Olympics watching two unknown Chinese athletes painstakingly rally.  It was miserably hot, even sitting in the shaded area of the stadium.  I felt my concentration waning as Sandra, our tennis expert, explained passing backhand shots, break points, and other key game turning moments.  My notes were sloppy, but my understanding of tennis was starting to become clear.  The match ended unexpectedly, however, at one set.  All the flash quote reporters bolted from our sluggish shells and ran down the stairways to the air conditioned basement to meet the players at the mixed zone.  We missed the winner, Li, but managed to stop Sun before he fled to the locker room for a much needed shower.  Because Sun only spoke Chinese, it was interesting asking questions using a fellow Chinese volunteer as a translator.  The flash quote reporter taking down the words, nervously shook as she quickly scribbled.  I can only think of the nerves we will have at our first real tennis match.