tennisity

El US Open

2008-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

donald young who pushed mr. harvard to 5 sets.

jimmy b

jmdp

Canas

ms. jankovic

Coco Vandeweghe making her grand slam debut on Arthur Ashe!

The former number 1 (wow. already "former.") vs. 16 year old Coco Vandeweghe, who is from Rancho Santa Fe. (yay RSF!)

jelena jankovic with a much better outfit than her (in)famous Olympics outfit

Tszvetana Pironkova

Tszvetana Pironkova again

Guillermo Canas vs. the Dinara Safina of men's tennis (aka: Juan Martin del Potro)

I nabbed tickets to opening night! I was a bit disappointed (okay, scratch the bit.) that Federer didn't play opening night. They didn't put Nadal opening night either. I figure that they scheduled Blake vs. Young because they're two Americans.

james blake and his rocker bff

2008-08-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

For three years in elementary and junior high school in Fairfield, Conn., the Grammy winner spent almost every afternoon playing Nintendo with his childhood pal, tennis star and Olympian James Blake. "Just about every day he was at my house, and we'd play Nintendo games, like Joe Montana football, all the time," says Blake, who was in fifth grade when the two became best buds. "John was pretty good, but I played a bit more than he did," Blake told PEOPLE at Heineken's Share the Good event in New York City on Friday, where he accepted a $10,000 check for the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Cancer Research Fund, his charity honoring his late father.Mayer and Blake, one of PEOPLE's Hottest Bachelors, hung out Thursday night at the Manhattan benefit for the charity.

So, were girls swarming around them back at Fairfield High School? "Absolutely not!" says Blake, with a laugh. "I don't know what he likes to tell about his high school experience, but mine was very different from the way life is now. "I was about five feet tall wearing a back brace [due to scoliosis]," continues Blake, who's in town for the U.S. Open. "I definitely didn't have girls flocking around me."

"To be honest, I don't think either one of us was doing that great [with the ladies] in high school – John was still kind of fitting into a niche ... He's more than made up for himself with how he's done since then." These days, Mayer, 30, and Blake, 28, are both single. So, will they be each other's wingman? Don't bet on it, says the tennis star. "I don't think John needs one, he does just fine on his own," says Blake. "He doesn't even need to be my wingman – he can just stand there, and people are impressed that I know him!"

Check out the entire People article here.

her baby is not the only one keeping her up....

2008-08-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

"I had to stay with the guys. The first night, I had to share the bathroom. James [Blake] went to the bathroom like three times in the middle of the night, turning the lights on. The next night, I was like, 'There is no shot I am staying here. I'm getting the bedroom with my own bathroom.' Then they started playing practical jokes on me. They eventually got me to leave. The last few nights, I went back to the hotel. James put salami in my pillow. He was throwing stuff in the toilet. They were so bad. So bad." -Lindsay Davenport on life in Beijing. Davenport is playing singles and doubles (with Ms. Hantuchova) at the Pilot Pen tournament at YAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLE Univeristy!

rafa nadal fashion icon

2008-08-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Nadal is featured in NY Magazine's fall 2008 issue. Article here! I can't decide if Rafa's smile is heartwarming and genuine or just downright freaky.

RF +SW = BFF and more?

2008-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Forty Deuce and others have speculated about Fed and Wawrinka's "special" relationship. (ie: Refer to the picture.)

Here's what Fed had to say about the hugging, kissing, jubilant celebrating, etc..

"Well, I mean, the thing is, I can't just hug a stranger when I win singles (smiling). I could, I guess, but it's just not something you do. The guy would go like, Are you crazy or something? I would just rather not do it. I think that's the difficulties, you know, I guess in singles play, that you're all alone on the court. You win, you sit down. Going through the ceremony is quite different. I'm not the type of guy that's going to run up into the stands and start hugging my family and all my people who came. I never did that; I will never do it. It's a different approach to winning. In Davis Cup we've had some crazy moments, you know. People who know me, they know I'm very open and outgoing. It showed today. That's usually how I really am."

double the gold

2008-08-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

"It is like a fantastic dream come true. I feel really happy to win the gold medal. It is great. I enjoy that. I have tried for several times, and I came really close to the medal in Sydney where I finished fourth. . . . Since then I can't stop thinking that if I am the best player in the world, I should do the same in the Olympics, and then finally I made it. It is really special also because it is for Switzerland, you know, you country cannot get so many medals at one Olympics, maybe one or two, but this time I got a gold medal, it is for my country. I really feel different, as it is for my country. It is different from the Grand Slam where I did it for just myself." -TMF after winning the gold in men's doubles.

Congrats to the Swiss duo and all the medalists! Click here to read more about the win!

:(

2008-08-14T18:38:00.001-07:00

The pictures say it all. What an eeyore of a day. At least he's still in doubles?

double duty...

2008-08-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Only one man and three women are still contenders for both singles and doubles medals. In case you haven't noticed already, I'm a little biased (and by that I mean very) towards a certain Swiss player. GO FED! Too bad Federer, with fellow Swiss compadre Wawrinka, meets Indian doubles powerhouse team Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. Perhaps Paes and Bhupathi's troubled relationship will work against them.

Park Tae Hwan!!!

2008-08-11T18:10:00.001-07:00

South Korean Park Tae Hwan won the 400 freestyle gold medal at Beijing Olympics! The first gold medal in swimming for Korea! Wahoo!!! Dae Han Min Gook!!!! Check out the details here.

Plus, Park eerily reminds me of my friend's brother. Hi Edward!

GO KOREA! And Switzerland (but only if you are a certain male tennis player who answers to the name Roger Federer)!

speaking of the chinese...

2008-08-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

This issue is hotly debated in the gymnastics world, but I wasn't aware of it until I watched the women's gymnastics prelims yesterday. Apparently, there's speculation that some of China's athletes are underage. Currently, rules declare that you must be 16 years old to compete. Do the girls above really look 16??? or even over 10?

Check this New York Times article for more info.

upsets galore in beijing

2008-08-11T17:16:00.001-07:00

Yen-Hsun Lu beat sixth seed Andy Murray 7-6, 6-4.
Zheng Jie beat 11th seed Agnes Szavay 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Another Chinese player, Li Na, beat third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The forgotten Serb Janko Tipsarevic beat David Ferrer 7-6, 6-2.

The Chinese are on a roll! What home court advantage (and having a billion chinese fans cheering) can do for you!

happy birthday fed!

2008-08-08T04:59:00.001-07:00

Happy 27th and good luck at the Olympics!! Fed's birthdays throughout the years!

beijing mugshots

2008-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

I still remember when I closed my eyes for my 6th grade ID pictures, and the tech lady wouldn't let me take the picture over again. The horror, the horror! Here are the official mugshots for the 2008 Olympics...

blast from the past: RIP Acura Classic

2008-08-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Summer 2007 saw the last of the Tier I WTA tournament Acura Classic. As I was in beautiful San Diego at the time, I was able to attend the star-studded event. Here are some highlights (in personal photos) of my very first tournament experience. I felt like a little kid following around the big girls, except I'm older than 70% of the players.

2008-08-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

According to this Tennis.com article, American Sam Querrey said this about his Olympic Village roommate dreams. "I'm hoping for LeBron James." This "could be the closest he comes to Olympic gold" according to writer Christopher Clarey. Ouch!

Too bad LeBron is a Federer fan. Here, he's seen donning TMF's gear. cross-promotional marketing for nike?

...and i was wrong

2008-08-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

On August 11, 2008, JJ will become the 18th woman to reach the No. 1 spot! Congrats!

"A press release went out today that when the next rankings come out on August 11th I will be the world’s next number one! For me this is a childhood dream come true. In fact I think I am still living the dream – it is difficult to believe that it is a reality and I think the news is still sinking in. To have my name added along side a select few of tennis greats who have achieved a number 1 ranking status is a real honor and I will do my very best to represent the position well to do those who have come before me proud. I have been pretty consistent over the last 12 months and finally, a lot of my hard work is paying off. Although I am really happy, I hope to continue business as usual and I want to continue to be a good ambassador for the sport." -JJ on her website

the perennial #2

2008-08-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

"At the moment I don't deserve that [number one] spot. I am not in the best shape. I am not at my highest level. So it will take time for me to get better." -Jelena Jankovic after losing to teen sensation Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. Jankovic blew a 5-1 lead in the first set to lose 7-5, 6-2. Oh Jelena! Stop choking and take the number one seed!

2008-08-01T16:31:00.001-07:00

Roger Federer will carry the Swiss flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics next Friday, which also happens to be his 27th birthday. Here is a picture of Federer carrying the Swiss flag in Athens. He lost in the second round to Berdych.

a non-federer post

2008-07-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to alleviate my Federer woes, I've decided to dedicate a post to the wonderful women of the WTA and their fashion statements on and off the court. In no particular order, here are some memorable ones.

love the outfit. love the energy.

maria cheering on her fellow russians during fed cup.... aka: a ploy to snag a spot on the olympic team.... too bad she's injured now.
Jelena rocks this sari... although it's not half as hot as this.

business professional looks good on chakvedatze.

This outfit just works. Kudos to Daniela and Nike.

The (in)famous tux ensemble at wimbledon 2008. Alla Kudryavtseva criticized Sharapova's outfit, but it's not like she could have pulled it off.

Who knew the color of mustard could be so hot?

Daniela looks good in golf outfits too! Can you tell I just love her?

damn you, ivo karlovic

2008-07-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

His loss is hard enough to stomach. Must they really publish such depressing photos? WOE TO ME! ANOTHER EEYORE OF A DAY!

quote of the day

2008-07-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

“I’m happy I’m back with a one-match winning streak." -Roger Federer (pictured here with his number one fans: his family and mirka)

the guy jokes in four different languages! what's not to love about him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOMTuvnFDfE

Obviously, I have a bit to learn about computers, but I don't know how to put this youtube clip on my page. This is an on-court interview of Federer in Basel in 2007. He talks about being "average" in the locker room. LOVE IT!

safe...for now

2008-07-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

After a series of losses, it looked like Federer would add another to his list today at the Cincinnati Masters. TMF was 2 points away from a straight set loss to Robby Ginepri, but he won the match 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-0.

For now, he is safe from losing the crown to this man:

Yet, despite this (imminent) change in rankings, it's admirable to witness the respect the two have for each other.

Federer on Nadal: "I focus on big picture, prepare well and try not to go crazy over the ranking. I know there's a lot of talk about it now, and Rafa does deserve the credit."

Nadal on Federer: "Every player wants to be No. 1, no? I would love to be No. 1, but I am No. 2 right now," Nadal said. "I'm very happy to be No. 2. Because with my titles, with my points, in a normal situation I, well, would have been No. 1 before. So I think I have to be happy, very happy anyway if I am No. 1 or No. 2. Because if I am No. 2 it's because in front of me there is amazing player like Roger."

Personally, even thoughI'm an "unconditional" fedophile, I like Rafa and his endearing "no?"s.

and a shoutout to my readers: steve g, sanjeet, and bored annie who reads this blog even though she knows nothing about tennis.

the roger rafa rivalry (whoa alliteration)

2008-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Their rivalry permeates beyond the parameters of the court to pose this question: who is hotter? Here's the verdict according to Playboy posing Ashley Harkleroad in an interview with espn.

ESPN: And finally, who's hotter: Federer or Nadal?

AH: That's another tough one. I've never been a huge fan of Nadal looks-wise; I'd probably go with Federer. The other thing with Federer is, he's so nice. He always—OK, maybe not always—talks to me when we're at an event. Last spring I had ovarian cyst surgery, and he was so sweet to me when he saw me, asking me how everything was. He's a great guy and yea, a little better looking than Nadal.

woe to me

2008-07-24T23:36:00.001-07:00

THIS is not unexpected. (Newly engaged Andy Roddick, seeded sixth, was upset by Marin Clinic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Rogers Masters. Too bad his supermodel, underage fiance cannot participate in post-match alcoholic numbing.)

THIS is unexpected. :( What an eeyore of a day. Roger Federer was defeated by Gilles Simon in three sets. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

What TMF (the mighty federer for you tennis neophytes) had to say about his loss:

-"Missed opportunities, I guess. One of those matches maybe I think I should have never lost, you know."

-Question: To some extent, do you agree with Justine Henin's decision to retire at the peak of her career?
ROGER FEDERER: Do I agree with that? Not today. Ask me another day. Please don't kill me with questions like this.

a casualty in the second round

2008-07-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

I love her clean strokes and amazing drop shots, but unfortunately, my favorite female tennis star lost in the second round of the East West Bank Classic to Belarus's Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-4. I went to the tournament last year and watched Daniela retire against Elena Dementieva, the then-defending champion. Perhaps, this is just not her tournament. Daniela, who is still recovering from a stress fracture in her right heel, commented that her game is "not there yet. I just have to be patient, keep practicing, and keep working hard. It's a long way back." To quote the quite quotable line from the war melodrama Atonement, "COMME BAAAAAAACK TO MEEEEEE!"

In the meantime, here are some pictures from the modelesque Ms. Hantuchova's feature in Tennis Italian.

Hello!

2008-07-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow tennis fanatics- aka: fans of THE quintessential sport! Welcome to my (technologically) humble blog, where you'll find the latest tennis news, photos, commentary by yours truly, and tennis fodder! (To borrow from the irresistible and oh-so-wise Perez Hilton, this means gossip from tennis "juice, not from concentrate.")

Enjoy!