RG 13: Day 2 was all about the fashion misses

We’re all thrilled for Gael and his big 5-set win over Berdych in the first round of Roland Garros today. However, no one was thrilled to suffer through this eye-injury inducing shirt combo. Contrary to what his top suggested, Gael’s performance was composed and business-like. Is this a new era—crazy on the outside but all business on the inside? We’ll have to wait and see. He’s got an interesting (read: gonna be nutty and has relapse potential written all over it) second round meeting with Ernests Gulbis.

This kit is not new. But I was hoping it was going to go on an early retirement.

I’m not sure what Lacoste is trying to do here. It’s like a black, blue and white color-blocking thing except it’s black, blue and white.

Is it even legal to wear something that is the same color as the ball? This yellow number by UA was so glaring that I felt like the camera needed a polarizing filter.

Images via Getty, AP, FFT

RG 13: Venus loses in opener

First of all, HI GUISE!

Venus’ on-court struggles continued in Roland Garros thanks (but no thanks) to a lower back injury she’s been suffering for over 2 months. She lost to Ula Radwanska in the opening round in a tight, not really pretty, 3-set match. This comes a year after Vee lost to Ula’s big sister, Aga, in the second round here. I’m thinking she’ll want to be far away from the name Radwanska in the draw next year. And, perhaps, Serena close to it for revenge reasons.

You know what else Vee should want to be far away from? That outfit. It’s, like, the opposite of a trophy-hoister kit.

Image © FFT

4 days in the desert

I was in Indian Wells this year shooting for Tennis Panorama. (Thanks, Karen!) Four days in the desert with the two loves of my life, photography and tennis, I had a grand time. Obvs.

Laura Robson vs Sofia Arvidsson was the first match I went to. Laura ran across my frame and I caught this shot 3 minutes in. Not bad. Laura had a pretty good start, too, until…

Oh, well, next time.

Unhappy Pico. Maybe it was because the Argentine fans were on the wrong side of the court.

Rafa is totes judging.

It was great to see Petko back on a tennis court!

You know who else was great to see?

Clueless Pablo is the best Pablo, K?

YOU’RE WELCOME.

BYE.

Okay, Ivo, let’s refocus.

I’m pretty happy about this shot.

Rafa is late.

Masha showing off her shirt that says eternity, time with a circle and a line.
Is that, like, Geometry or what?!

ANYWAY. Some sort of Geometry obviously went into the making of this.

Totes.

Nole being Nole rolling around the grass for no reason.

Sveta being Sveta.

Benoit! Fans!

Petra’s not happy.

Muzz was not happy here either but he was using #sarcasmfont.

GUISE, WHY YOU ALL MAD?

Night time closing in during Masha’s match. She’s ready to sleep.

Rafa under the watchful eye of Mr. Ellison.

Empty practice courts at 11:00PM.

And that’s all I got from IW. I am quite pleased about how Finals Sunday unfolded in the desert. Let’s do it again next year!

NYFW x tennis

Last week I was watching some shows from the New York Fashion Week and noticed a few tennis-inspired looks. Kinda. Or maybe it’s just me seeing the tennis in everything.

Herve Leger and Caroline Wozniacki. Always.

And forever.

You know, I am not going to complain about this Caro-Herve thing as long as it spares us from this.

I have no doubt Catharine Malandrino is a Vika fan.

Lacoste says oversized is in. Surely inspired by their partnership with Andy.

Juan Carlos Obando took some style notes from Sharapova.
(This is still my favorite Masha on-court look, BTW.)

Only fitting that these next 2 were from the US Open:

I take it Anna Sui cannot forget this 2010 US Open moment?

Prabal Gurung was all about leather and bad ass a la Serena from the 2004 US Open.

And last but definitely not least:

Marc Jacobs is a Nole fan.

Bad timing

Vika’s history with pull outs and extreme injuredness did not help her last night. I won’t speculate how bad or not bad her breathing problem / panic attack / nerves (is she from LA?) were because no matter how much we ask and try to come up with answers, she’s the only who really knows. The timing of it all, however, merits all this outrage. According to Vika, her rib started to hurt and she had trouble breathing at 4-2 in the second, yet she didn’t call for the trainer until 5-4, which was 2 TV change overs later. At that time, Sloane was gaining life having just saved 5 match points. It was “bad timing,” she said. OH, REALLY?! You don’t say.

Vika isn’t the first tennis player to call a questionable MTO and probably won’t be the last. So much for that “gentleman’s game” reputation, huh? Not so noble moves are being made. Perhaps it’s time to throw that notion out the window.

Lena D sums up my feelings about Vikagate.

Image © Getty Images

Sam, Australia. Australia, Sam

I’ve seen a 5-2 lead in a set disappear too many times in my career as a tennis fan. We all saw it yesterday when Sam Stosur led by that scoreline in the 3rd set against Jie Zheng before she collapsed in front of her home crowd (where else?), 4-6 6-1 5-7. Although a 5-2 lead can be misleading sometimes, a player can lead by that much with only one break of serve, that wasn’t the case in this one. Sam was ahead 2 breaks and had all the momentum. She was asked about the c-word in her presser and didn’t disagree.

Q. How much of it was mental as opposed to physical?

SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I think it’s a hundred percent. I think, yeah, that’s what it was. I got tight and then you start missing some balls. You probably think a little bit too much. You do it over and over and over again, and then, yeah, you start not wanting to miss rather than wanting to, you know, make the winner.

Q.  Do you think you choked?

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  I don’t know.  Whatever word you want to put on it.  At 5 2 up in the third, double break probably is a bit of a choke, yeah.

Oh, Sammy, why are you so scared of Australia?

Image © REUTERS/Daniel Munoz

Phew.

The entire tennis community stool still when Serena Williams took a tumble on court today and didn’t move for what felt like an eternity. She rolled over her right ankle while reaching for a forehand during her first round match against Edina Gallovits-Hall. Thankfully, a trainer visit and an ankle re-tape was enough for Serena to play on. Post-MTO, she made it a point to whack the crap out of the ball to end points quickly. She hit clean winner after clean winner and served her opponent 2 lovely bagels.

After the match, Serena said only “something fatal” will stop her from competing.

Q. So Thursday is too early to call, whether you can play Thursday?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I’ll be out there. I mean, unless something fatal happens to me, there’s no way I’m not going to be competing.

I’m alive. My heart’s beating. I’ll be fine.

Serena’s got a day off tomorrow which should help her recover—she and Venus are not on doubles duty yet. But however severe the injury, she seems determined to play on. She’s won this tournament before while nursing injuries (yup, more than one) so, you know, just do it again.

Q. Would you rather not know what the exact damage is and just play with the pain for the rest of the tournament?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Honestly, yeah, really, because I would really rather not know. I know one year I won this tournament and had two bone bruises in both knees. I had no idea. I just knew I was in pain.

I think sometimes what you don’t know cannot hurt you.

Image © Getty Images