It’s a party in NYC!

*Internet high five* to everyone who has covered the pre-US Open parties going on all around New York City. I want to go to there.

• Down The Line!, Tennis Served Fresh and GTV News covered the evian and Maria Sharapova Live Young event in SoHo last Tuesday.
• Rich from Down The Line! endured some rain and John McEnroe at the Nike Primetime Knockout Event on Wednesday which featured Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka.

• Rich sure loves to party, goes on for a 3rd straight night of tennis debauchery at the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis on Thursday with the biggest ballers in the world and the world’s top chefs.
• Erwin from Tennis Served Fresh was at the Ralph Lauren and Venus Williams legends clinic also on Thursday.

CHANCE YEH/PatrickMcMullan.com

Masha stepped out with the boyfriend and took pictures? I’m telling you, it’s one big party in NYC. I don’t think any of the bloggers TSF’s Erwin was at the Interview + Cole Haan + Maria Sharapova (+ The Selby) event and fall collection launch. The event also raised some money to benefit Common Cents.

US Open 2010 watch: Serena, JW, Haas out, Ana and John in doubt

Serena Williams announced today that she will not compete at this year’s US Open. She’s still recovering from the freak accident she suffered in Munich which she had to undergo surgery for last month.

“It is with much frustration and deep sadness that I am having to pull out of the U.S. Open,” Williams said in a statement released by her publicist.

Williams went on to add: “My doctors have advised against my playing so that my foot can heal.”

It’s a huge loss for… Serena’s fans? With Serena out, there is no clear favorite to win The Open, no one who you can point to and say with a yawn, she’ll blow away the field.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tommy Haas have also pulled out of the final Grand Slam of the year. Jo with his knee injury and Tommy taking more time off to heal from his hip surgery.

Ana Ivanovic and John Isner both suffered ankle injuries during their matches last week and are doubtful about competing in New York.

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.

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

Wimbledon 2010: Day 8 wrap

What a day. No, what a tournament it has been.

You’d think as we get down to the wire, the upsets would be fewer and farther in between. I mean, this is the time where the champions show why they’re champions- clutch play, come-from-behind wins, those kinds of things. But no, not at this year’s Championships.

Going into the women’s quarterfinals, we had 3 players who are multiple major title holders and none of them were to meet each other. There were also 3 players who are outside of the Top 50. How does that Jay-Z song go? Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. Yeah, that song is bullsh (or does not apply in sports but it came to my mind). Only 1 of the multiple major title holder players survived while 2 of the players outside the Top 50 got through. “That’s why we play and why they put the net up everyday,” is what someone once said.

Venus Williams, 5-time Wimbledon champion, was defeated by Tsvetana Pironkova in a shocking 2-set routine-like scoreline, 2-6, 3-6. Tsvetana knows how to play Vee, she’s defeated the former champ at a major before- the Australian Open in 2006.

Kim Clijsters, 2-time Grand Slam champion, was defeated by a not so shocking opponent, Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6.

Both Vee and Kim showed some below par play in their Round of 16 matches but were able to gut them out. Unfortunately, the 24-hour turnaround was not enough for them to shake off the below par play and they came up against much tougher opponents today.

Day 8 results:
Serena Williams (1) def. Na Li (9) 7-5, 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova def. Venus Williams (2) 6-2, 6-3
Vera Zvonareva (21) def. Kim Clijsters (8) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Petra Kvitova def. Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 7-6 (10-8), 8-6

Image via Getty

Wimbledon 2010: A look ahead to Day 8

Quarterfinal day for the ladies at Wimbledon! It’s going to be interesting to see if the Williamses can keep rolling and keep the dream (yawn) of another all-Williams final alive. Na Li will be looking to crash that party and so will Tsvetana Pironkova.

Day 8 schedule:

Centre Court

• Kim Clijsters [8] vs Vera Zvonareva [21]
• Serena Williams [1] vs Na Li [9]

Court No. 1

• Tsvetana Pironkova vs Venus Williams [2]
• Petra Kvitova vs Kaia Kanepi

Image via Getty

Wimbledon 2010: Day 7 wrap

Ah, yes. Of course they both lose on the same day. When the world decides it hates you on one particular day, it really makes you feel it.

In Andy Roddick’s own words, he played like “crap” in his return games. He’s letting himself off too easily. He actually played shit return games in the entire 5-set match against Yen-Hsun Lu. To Lu’s credit, he hung in there with Andy when he couldn’t even sniff a break point on Andy’s serve and was definitely more aggressive on most of the points during the tiebreaks.

Maria Sharapova, on the other hand, didn’t play like crap or shit. Far from it. She played some of her best tennis since her return from surgery. She served huge and cracked returns against the best server on the women’s tour. Maria had her chances but was unable to step up and take them. On set point on her own racket in that first set tiebreak, a forehand error cost her big time. Then, a double fault to go down set point cost her the first set. Those mistakes you cannot afford against a champion like Serena Williams. Maria got broken early in the second set and Serena never looked back. Yes, Serena is still the serving machine of the tournament.

Right, Masha. Her name is Masha.

In other news, Kim Clijsters started slow against Justine Henin but found her form early in the second set and was able to get past Justine in 3 sets.

Petra Kvitova, Tsvetana Pironkova and Kaia Kanepi are still in the tournament somehow. Leave it to the WTA to always have surprise quater- or semi- finalists.

Day 7 results:
Serena Williams (1) def. Maria Sharapova (16) 7-6 (11-9), 6-4
Venus Williams (2) def. Jarmila Groth 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Petra Kvitova def. Caroline Wozniacki (3) 6-2, 6-0
Vera Zvonareva (21) def. Jelena Jankovic (4) 6-1, 3-0 retired
Na Li (9) def. Agnieszka Radwanska (7) 6-3, 6-2
Kim Clijsters (8) def. Justine Henin (17) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova def. Marion Bartoli (11) 6-4, 6-4
Kaia Kanepi def. Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-4

Wimbledon 2010: A look ahead to Day 7

There’s going to be blood and tears. Let’s get real, Serena would like to see Maria bleed to death in their Round of 16 match. Hence, the tears from me.

The second Monday at Wimbledon is single-handedly the best Monday in tennis. All R16 matches will be played and it is always wild. Sometimes the rain makes it wild but forecast says the matches will be the ones taking all the attention this year.

Day 7 schedule:

Centre Court

• Roger Federer [1] vs Jurgen Melzer [16]
• Serena Williams [1] vs Maria Sharapova [16]
• Sam Querrey [18] vs Andy Murray [4]

No. 1 Court

• Kim Clijsters [8] vs Justine Henin [17]
• Novak Djokovic [3] vs Lleyton Hewitt [15]
• Paul-Henri Mathieu vs Rafael Nadal [2]

No. 2 Court

• Jarmila Groth vs Venus Williams [2]
• Caroline Wozniacki [3] vs Petra Kvitova
• Yen-Hsun Lu vs Andy Roddick [5]

Court 5

• Tsvetana Pironkova vs Marion Bartoli [11]
• Klara Zakapalova vs Kaia Kanepi (Huh?)

Court 12

• Vera Zvonareva [21] vs Jelena Jankovic [4]
• Julien Benneteau [32] vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga [10]
• Robin Soderling [6] vs David Ferrer [9]

Court 18

• Na Li [9] vs Agnieszka Radwanska [7]
• Tomas Berdych [12] vs Daniel Brands

Game on, boys and girls!