It’s time for a special summer edition of ChandaWatch, that hoary crabwalk.com tradition in which we track the tournament progress of Chanda Rubin — the only person in the world to be both (a) a highly-ranked women’s tennis player and (b) my high school classmate.

Normally, ChandaWatch is reserved for the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. But this is a Very Special ChandaWatch — our hero is headed to Athens.

She’ll be one of four American women competing in singles, along with the Williams sisters and one TBA. (It was Jennifer Capriati, but she dropped out today, as had Lindsay Davenport before her.)

Chanda’s been nursing a knee injury all year, which doesn’t bode well for her prospects. But when the blood of patriotism starts coursing through her veins, who knows what is possible? Play starts Sunday.

I wish I could be there to root her on; there was a slight chance earlier this year I was going to be able to cover the Olympics again, just as I did the Salt Lake City games in 2002. But alas, ‘twas not meant to be.

10 August 2004

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