Welcome to Hollywood

I am at the Farmers Classic this week spending some much-needed quality time with tennis. This event is usually headlined by a current Top 10 player but, due to the Olympics, the draw is very lean this year. I never thought I’d see the day when Benoit Paire is top seed at a tournament but here we are. (Yes, ladies, I will be on Benoit watch all week.) 2-time Los Angeles champion Sam Querrey is the second seed with Leonardo Mayer and Nicolas Mahut rounding off the top four in LA.

Americans occupy almost a third of the draw lines yet only 3 of them have made it to the second round—two of whom played fellow Americans and Querrey had a first round bye. The tournament wildcards (yeap, all Americans), Brian Baker, Jack Sock and Steve Johnson, posted disappointing results as none of them won even a set.

The Top 4 seeds start playing today which should make things more interesting for the fans. However, I’m keeping my eye on Rajeev Ram who looked great in his defeat of BBakes (Sidenote: Did anyone else ever think his Twitter handle was a typo and he just ran with it?) last Monday.

Australian Open 2011: Day 3 wrap

I try not to get too (drunkenly) attached to matches because  they usually end up in heartbreaks and me cursing the sport for life. But I couldn’t help it last night, can we ever help it? Thankfully, it didn’t end up in heartbreaks (unless your name is Janko Tipsarevic) but I still cursed the sport for a little bit.

It all started with Fernando Verdasco and Janko Tipsarevic‘s match. Janko was rolling through the first two sets and Fer couldn’t be bothered to be competitive. Ugh. But he then somehow stole that third set which led to this. The fourth set came along and it looked like Janko was going to win it. After all that hard work and vamos-ing, this? Vamos-ing from Fer, me and other friends in their couches. Boo. Janko served for the match twice and held match points but somehow couldn’t convert. That one forehand passing shot winner from Fer- it’s somehow etched in my brain that he hit it from way up in the air- which saved a match point was the death of Janko’s tennis brain. They played a breaker to decide the fourth and Janko won no points. Neither did he win a single game in the fifth set. A total collapse from him but way to stay in the match for Fer.

ESPN2 forced me to watch Venus Williams and Sandra Zahlavova. I’d comment on the shrieking but I have no right. I’d comment on the outfit but I feel bad now. Vee pulled a muscle (psoas?) mid way through the first set tiebreak and lost that breaker. She had to limp off the court afterwards to get it treated and taped. It was kind of a long delay which gave Zahlavovaaaaah a lot to think about. Will her opponent retire? Can she even move? I’m sure Zahlavovaaaaah didn’t get the memo that Vee has never retired in a Grand Slam match before. Vee came back to play on, of course, and it looked like Zahlavovaaaaah didn’t know what hit her in that second set. A bagel is what I saw. The third set was competitive again with Vee just edging it out on one champion’s leg late in the set.

Despite winning in straight sets, my girl was in a lot of trouble in her match against Virginie Razzano. I was a lot of beers in while watching this so I think that made it seem a little bit more dramatic than it actually was. Top that with nerves and anxiety and suddenly the earth is shaking. I checked the news this morning and no earthquake hit Los Angeles around midnight. Anyway! As Maria Sharapova does, she somehow dug herself out of a 0-3, 0-40 hole early in the first set. She had two chances to serve out the first, one with a 40-15 lead but failed. Thankfully, she won the breaker and eventually the match.

Notable Day 3 results:

Roger Federer [2] def Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3
Fernando Verdasco [9] def Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(0), 6-0
Novak Djokovic [3] def Ivan Dodig 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-0, 6-2
Tommy Robredo def Mardy Fish [16] 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Robin Haase def Juan Monaco [26] 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Viktor Troicki [29] def Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3

Venus Williams [4] def Sandra Zahlavova 6-7(6), 6-0, 6-4
Maria Sharapova [14] def Virginie Razzano 7-6(3), 6-3
Francesca Schiavone [6] def Rebecca Marino 6-3, 5-7, 9-7
Vesna Manasieva def Marion Bartoli [15] 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
Anastasija Sevastova def Yanina Wickmayer [21] 6-4, 6-2

Complete Day 3 results here.

Image via Australian Open / © Ben Solomon

Australian Open 2011: A look ahead to Day 3

A lot of exciting matches on tap for Day 3. And by exciting I mean there will be a lot of pretty people, sweaty pretty people. There are also your usual suspects; Roger Federer, Justine Henin, Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic are all scheduled to play.

So, anyway, about the pretty. In these two matches, they’ll come from both sides of the net.

• Janko Tipsarevic vs Fernando Verdasco [9]
• Robin Haase vs Juan Monaco [26]

And then the rest of them. Some are pretty hot others are just pretty hot messes *cough*BZS & Stan*cough*.

• Jelena Dokic vs Barbora Zahlavova Strycova
  BZS is so painfully entertaining to watch. Let’s see how she’ll handle the Aussie crowd who’ll be behind Jelena.
• Gilles Simon vs Roger Federer [2]
  Roger has never beaten Gilles in two tries. That will most likely change today. Come on, Gilles, channel your inner 2008.
• Caroline Wozniacki [1] vs Vania King
  Get it, Long Beach.
• Virginie Razzano vs Maria Sharapova [14]
  Get it, Manhattan Beach.
• Rebecca Marino vs Francesca Schiavone [6]
  Very interested to see how Rebecca will handle an injured Franny. She can pull the upset if plays like how she did in that US Open first set against Vee.
• Stanislas Wawrinka [19] vs Grigor Dimitrov
  Show him the door, Kid. Can you also somehow take your shirt off in the process?
• Anne Keothavong vs Andrea Petkovic [30]
  I just wanted to say, AKO vs Petko.
• Viktor Troicki [29] vs Nicolas Mahut
  One of the few times where I’ll root for the other guy. But I wish you both a good match. Butreallygovik.

Complete Day 3 schedule here.

Image via Getty

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: Day 4 wrap

Superhumans!

These men stopped the world on it’s tracks and made it watch tennis for 2 days. No, maybe not just tennis but watch them defy whatever you knew a professional athlete or a human being was capable of doing. They shattered the record books and pushed their minds and bodies to extreme extremes. The will to win from both guys was inspiring to watch. Up to the last ball that was struck, no one gave in.

There were other things that went around the grounds at Wimbledon today. The Queen watched Andy Murray win his second round match over Jarkko Nieminen. She also watched both these guys awkwardly bow to her… twice. It was the cutest thing ever!

Rafael Nadal was pushed to a 5-set match by Robin Haase. It was a great effort from Robin but unfortunately, a knee injury hampered his movement in the fourth set and Rafa picked up his game and won the last two sets easily

Notable wins and losses:
First Round
John Isner (23) def. Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68

Complete Day 4 results here.

Images via Getty

Wimbledon 2010: Day 3 wrap

I have no words for this match. Just look at the stats and… I don’t know, stare at them. Then, proceed to throw away all the records you know about tennis. AND IT AIN’T OVER YET!

This match started on Tuesday and they hope to have a winner by tomorrow (Friday).

What else happened on Day 3? Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic were tested in their matches but eventually able to pull through. All of them advance to the 3rd round. Nikolay Davydenko and Shahar Peer were the only upsets today.

Notable wins and losses:
First Round
Daniela Hantuchova (24) def. Vania King 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Second Round
Venus Williams (2) def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (4) def. Aleksandra Wozniak 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Kim Clijsters (8) def. Karolina Sprem 6-3, 6-2
Nadia Petrova (12) def. Yung-Jan Chan 6-3, 6-4
Angelique Kerber def. Shahar Peer (13) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Yanina Wickmayer (15) def. Kirsten Flipkens 7-6 (11-9), 6-4
Justine Henin (17) def. Kristina Barrois 6-3, 7-5

Second Round
Roger Federer (1) def. Ilia Bozoljac 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Novak Djokovic (3) def. Taylor Dent 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, 6-4
Andy Roddick (5) def. Michael Llodra 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)
Daniel Brands def. Nikolay Davydenko (7) 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-8), 6-1

Complete Day 3 results here.

Image via Getty