Vamos Filete!

(via Strawberries & Scream)

While watching the Feliciano Lopez and James Blake match yesterday, I couldn’t help but compare both of these guys’ legs. I mean, Feli forces you to look at his and James… well, he was there and they switched sides every so often. Unfortunately for James, his legs looked like they were having a hard time holding him up. I know they are probably just as strong as any athlete’s but looking at them after staring at Feli’s? Ha!

I did sneak some glances at the actual match and I gotta say, James can really crack forehand (sometimes backhand) returns. Feli got a little lucky in that second set, James played a few loose points on those match points and gave him room to comeback. And he did and won the match 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4!

I revisited my Indian Wells gallery and here’s one more Feli porn. (Just because I can!)

“In Scotland, we’ve got nothing else!”

These boys were on hand last night at the Farmers Classic to cheer their boy, Andy Murray, on.

Muzz faced a surprisingly tough opponent, Tim Smyczek, who took the second set from him. Muzz couldn’t buy a good serve towards the end of that second while Tim played some inspired tennis that was sparked by the crowd. In the third, Muzz finally found some decent serves and decided to be more aggressive and hit through the ball. He called for the trainer while leading 5-2 and about to serve out the match.

“It was the top of my hips, lower back. I was getting treated (after the match) for general stiffness.”

via GoToTennis

Nothing serious. Muzz closed out the match at 6-2. I can’t wait to see more of him tonight against Alejandro Falla!

For Tim, it was a good run in LA and hopefully he can build on it. He is a little cutie who I wouldn’t mind seeing more of.

Image via Getty

Tennis at home!

The ATP is in Los Angeles this week and let me just say it’s so nice to have a tournament in your home town. (I’m still bummed that the WTA won’t be stopping by here anymore.) I’m volunteering at the event for the second straight year and it’s been a ton of fun. Always cool to see some behind-the-scenes action, mostly pre-tournament, that you don’t get to witness when you’re a spectator. I’m not talking about the dirt stuff but seeing how the tournament operates and the people who make them happen. It’s a lot of hard work!

When Serena Williams came to watch James Blake play on Tuesday, she was hounded by the crowd after the match. She left her seat, walked across the stadium and hid somewhere I couldn’t see until everyone left. Then, walked back across towards the tunnel where she hung out with James.

Some dirt.

Shino was calling James’ match and was working the right service line which was in front of Serena’s seat when Serena walked in. Awkward. 2 change overs later, Shino left the court. I don’t know if that had anything to do with Serena being there or her shift was over. I’d like to think it was the former.

I love how this is an ATP tournament and yet the funnest thing I’ve witnessed so far involved a WTAer. I need to figure out a better time to work next time because being at the stadium from 2-7p makes me miss all the action outside- Feli and Ernie’s signing and Muzz’s practice sessions!

Off to UCLA. I’ll try to tweet more today. My phone was dead all day yesterday.

Trophy case: July 25, 2010

Mardy Fish defeated John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the finals of the Atlanta Tennis Championships in Georgia, USA. He defeated the first and second seeds, Andy Roddick and John, en route to the title. This is Mardy’s second title of the year and fifth of his career. He is riding on a nice 10-match winning streak and is in great form to do some damage in the US Open Series.

Chaky! I so happy.

Anna Chakvetadze won her first title in two years! She defeated Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-2 in the finals of the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz. I hope this win gives her the confidence she needs to tear shit up at the US Open Series again. Let’s party like it’s 2007!

Julia Goerges won her first career SEWTA title after she defeated Timea Bacsinszky 6-1, 6-4 at the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies in Austria.

Andrey Golubev won his first ATP World Tour title after he defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 7-5 at the International German Open in Hamburg.

Great first title wins for Julia and Andrey. Now, both of you, get your butts to the hard courts.

Summer’s here!

Finally, some live tennis again. 4.5 months without it was torture. Okay, no, it wasn’t but very very happy it’s time for the North American hard court swing!

I usually kick off my live tennis viewing for the summer in Newport Beach where Maria Sharapova plays for the Breakers in World Team Tennis and that’s what I did this year–err–earlier. Per usual, it was a fun night. Although, I’m a little bummed that Masha wasn’t at her best- she lost 0-5 in WS play against Jarmila Groth and looked pissed off for a solid 20 minutes after that. She also lost in mixed doubles but (thankfully!) won in women’s doubles. Hey, she did well in WTT last year and we all know how that summer went. Only good things can come out of this bagel.

But despite Masha dropping their MXD and her WS sets, the Breakers won overall and everyone left the stadium happy. You know who else is happy? Yanina Wickmayer.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I had the wrong lens with me. Lametown, I know.

The men are coming to LA next week and Forty Deuce’s Donkey Grooming and Tracey and I will be there to harass them. Kidding! Maybe.

A thank you letter

You’ve been the best, Wimbledon ’10. Just the best.

Here’s a big thank you…

• For stopping the tennis world with Roger Federer/Alejandro Falla and Novak Djokovic/Olivier Rochus on opening day. I wish I read more into your hints that this was going to be a crazy year.
• For proving that James Blake can really be an ass and Pam Shriver is always drunk.
• For stopping the whole world with IsnUt. Tennis needed that!
• For introducing me to Robin Haase. He’s such a cutie.
• For the awkward curtseys and bows that only Her Majesty and Great Britain can make these million-dollar athletes succumb to.
• For never letting a day pass without drama.
• For showing me that Maria Sharapova can win the big ones again.
• For alerting the fans of Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Roger Federer that their clocks are ticking and maybe it’s time to find other players to learn to love. It doesn’t necessarily mean right away but sooner than later. Harsh but true. I wouldn’t want you any other way.
• For leading Tomas Berdych back home- at the top with the big boys.
• For maintaining the balance between crazy and reality by, in spite of the explosion this fortnight, still having both World Number 1s win the Championships.

And most of all, thank you for making me fall in love with tennis all over again. It’s been seven years but you made me feel like the best has yet to come and all of us are really only getting started!

I’ll remember you forever. xx

Wimbledon 2010: That’s a wrap!

Cheers to the World Number 1s! They made it happen in this year’s Championships and no one was going to stop them.

Serena Williams put up a clinic on Centre Court this Championship Saturday on how to win Wimbledon. Her oppponent, Vera Zvonareva, and some 15,000 other spectators were treated to a nice serving and hard hitting display for just over an hour.

I don’t think any of us had doubts about the outcome of the women’s final. It was Vera’s first time at a major final and Serena’s 16th. To top that off, Serena’s been flawlessly serving this fortnight landing double-digit aces in almost every match. How can someone stop that?

Final score: Serena Williams def Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2

Rafael Nadal was not as flawless as Serena in this fortnight but he had his heart (and experience) to carry him to the second Sunday. Rafa was taken to 5 sets twice in the first week by opponents one would think he’d routinely send home but he fought through them, got to the second week refreshed and claimed his 2nd Wimbledon title.

The men’s final was much like the women’s. Tomas Berdych was in his 1st major final and Rafa was in his 10th. Rafa elevated his game when he needed to and didn’t give Berd a chance to be comfortable out there.

Final score: Rafael Nadal def Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

For both finalists, they have plenty to be proud of in this fortnight. They gained a lot of experience. They can only build on it and hopefully go one better the next time.

Images via Getty and Wimbledon

Wimbledon 2010: Days 10 + 11 wrap

Day 10 was the women’s semifinal. Favorites to come through, Serena Williams and Vera Zvonareva, did and so it was a weird day for the women’s side at Wimbledon.

Serena was still her usual SW19-10 self. Although low on the ace count, she still served huge and over powered her opponent for most of the match. You know, it was a Serena match.

Vera’s back to her old winning-form self. Oh, what non-injury does to you. *sigh* She’s always been a solid Top 10 player, was in the Top 5 for a while but suffered a few injuries that set her back for the past year or so. Vera being in the finals of a major isn’t really the surprise rather it’s being in the finals of a major that’s played on grass. She hasn’t done well on this surface lately (1 grass title, Birmingham in 2006) to even be mentioned as a “sleeper” in the tournament but she’s snuck in there and beat Kim Clijsters, who was one of the favorites, along the way. The draw opened up for her when Venus Williams was taken out, she took that opportunity and viola! Welcome to your first major final, please do not get your ass handed to you.

Day 10 results:
Serena Williams (1) def. Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
Vera Zvonareva (21) def. Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Day 11 was the men’s semifinal. I wish we could have a 4-way tie but I see how that cannot work out. We had 2 men that are major title holders, 1 that’s an almost major title holder and a Tomas Berdych. Of course my heart went out to the ones who haven’t tasted the glory yet. I’m happy to see atleast one of them made it through and gets a shot at glory. And Rafael Nadal.

Berd’s groundies are fucking ridiculous. Excuse my language (it’s not French) but there’s no other way of putting it. He really hit his spots today and looked very comfortable for most of the match- a little nervy closing out the second set and in that TB. There was a point in the match where Berd hit a forehand pick-up winner from the baseline. That kind where you use all wrist? Yeah, that blew my mind. Among other things. It was that kind of day for Berd. It’s been that kind of few months actually and I’m so happy for him.

Rafa won a well-fought victory against Britain’s great hope. I didn’t see the entire match but from what I caught and read, both players played very well but it was Rafa who was more solid on the important points. On a close match, that’s where you want to give your heart, mind and body to.

Q. What about Andy, you said to him after the match that he could win a major.

RAFAEL NADAL: I wished him best of luck for the rest of the season, and sorry for today. I know it was an important match for him I think because he play at home, and this is a chance for him to win probably the most important title for him win here at home in Wimbledon.

Just I felt sorry for him because he’s a very nice person, very good person. I am sure he gonna win a Grand Slam very soon, because when you have final in US Open, final in Australia, semifinals here this year and the last year, you are there all the time. So one day you win. I am sure he gonna win. He deserve to win.

I’m sure Muzz will win a major soon too.

Day 11 results:
Rafael Nadal (2) def. Andy Murray (4) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
Tomas Berdych (12) def. Novak Djokovic (3) 6-3, 7-6 (11-9), 6-3

Images via Getty

In fotos: Wimbledon Schwimbledon

The rest of the tennis world looks like this.

John Isner via Getty Images, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez via X17, Maria Sharapova via Everywhere

Wimbledon 2010: Day 9 wrap

I know, I’m late. *pout*

So, Day 9 was fun, huh? I know it was for me. Other than Jo-Wilfried Tsonga losing to Andy Murray, all the men I wanted to get through got through.

When the draw was released and I saw a potential quarterfinal match-up between Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer, I had no doubt who I was picking to win that match. No, not because I don’t like Fed but because T-Berd’s very confident right now. When the tournament started and Fed struggled in his opener against Alejandro Falla, I thought, shit, Fed’s not even going to get to that QF match-up. But he did and I was right. That’s all.

All this talk about Fed probably not going to win another Grand Slam is a little premature. Was it in 2008 that people said he was never going to beat Pete’s record? That went well. He might not regain the the #1 ranking again, he’ll drop to #3 next week, but I think he can still go for another major or two if he really wants it.

Day 9 results:
Tomas Berdych (12) def. Roger Federer (1) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Rafael Nadal (2) def. Robin Soderling (6) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Novak Djokovic (3) def. Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Andy Murray (4) def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (10) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2

Image via Getty