Rafa's out of Wimbly.
Sad Bull Face.
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June 2009
June 19, 2009
No Bull.
Rafa's out of Wimbly.
Sad Bull Face.
Two Hours Until The Frazzle Explosion
Rafa just lost his exo match what Stanley. He's holding a presser at 7pm London time to announce whether he'll play or not.
Don't you only hold pressers to announce actual news? Like, I don't call my secretary in the morning to tell her I *am* coming to work.
So...you know...whatever.
(Pic from HCFoo's blog)
"Arabian Niiiiiiiights, Like Arabian Daaaaaaaays..."
More pics from the Ralph Lauren Player Party.
Meh. Ana. Pretty. Moving on.
That is, like, my huge peeve about silk dresses. No getting around that.
I would love to be in the room when Serena walks out in her "outfit". I just want so badly to see Vee's reaction. If that were me and my kid sister I'm pretty sure I'd bust out with an awesome rendition of "Arabian Nights". Seriously what's going on there? Is it chain mail that feels like fabric against your skin? Also, is she wearing them backwards? So many questions.
Vee looks amaaaaaaazing [/kellykapoor], btw.
I'm a sucker for dresses with pockets. I am also a sucker for dresses that look like jeans and a hoodie, FYI. But what is up with Lena's old face? She perplexes me.
June 18, 2009
La C Note's Passion For Le Tsonga
WE GET IT. HE LOOKS LIKE MUHAMMAD ALI. STOP.
Those nips are just staring at me. They're the size of plates.
And I would *so* eat off them.
Nom Nom Nom.
"After The Party Is The After Party"
This is one of the more random collection of players I've seen, considering that three of them kinda suck on grass, the other is marginally ok though has been sucking of late, and the other two are just crazy. Well ok, one of those two is crazy.
Fine. I'll be the asshole.
Who invited the draggies?????
I can't explain it but I just heart these two. Homecoming King and Queen of FD High. By a landslide.
CanWoz Is Doping. You Heard It Here First.
Fantastic run for my favorite Canuck. There's just something so damn likeable about her. The French-Canadian-Polish accent, the perpetual smile, the little extra chub, the completely mismatched and out of season Adidas gear. What's not to love? So good on her for this impressive run. Just goes to show that on fast(ish) surfaces, she's a dangerous lurker. Remember what happened last year in Stanford?
So we get yet another Woz-Woz matchup. I wonder if CanWoz was waiting courtside to give Caro a high five this time. Yeah, probably not. We all know how that worked out last time.
As for the other semi it'll be an all French affair (seriously, why can't you girls play on CLAY?). I guess I'll go with the Gypsy on this one, mainly because she dumped A-Rad out today. Can't wait to see Agi's artistic rendering of that one.
(6) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (Q) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 63 62
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. (8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 76(5) 75
Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 61 64
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d. (Q) Vera Dushevina (RUS) 61 60
"I Was Walking With A Ghost, I Said Please, Please Don't Insist."
Well it looked a little dicey there in the first, as Dina got 'sticked by Hantu, which apparently means "ghost" in Indonesian (thanks, tennislust!). But the Dina did what she does and Dani did what she does and Dina won the next two sets, 64 63. She'll advance to the semis to face Touchdown Tammy, who took out Flavs in three. Boo, Flavs. BOO.
(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (6/WC) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 16 64 63
Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) d. (3) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 26 63 63
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 61 63
(WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Kristina Barrois (GER) 61 61
Rafa Goes Strapless And Debuts Kit
The knees are untaped and the purple is a rocking as Rafa debuted his Wimbly kit and his shaky knees in a Wimbly exo against Lleyton. He lost 64 63 and apparently looked...not great. He said he'll decide on Friday whether he's fit enough to play.
They royal purple is simple and classy. Not much else to say, really. It's white and purple.
Can I Buy These From Sky Mall?
Adidas has been working on a new grass court shoe for a few years now in preparation for the 2012 London games (where tennis will played on grass). They pulled in Tim Henman to help design the shoe and have been play testing the new shoe for a while now (Andre and Steffi wore them at the roof exo).
Well they're finally unveiling the shoe at this year's Wimbly. And for all the grass-friendliness talk you'd think the thing had spikes to aerate the lawn:
adidas is proud to announce the launch of a new grass court shoe
outsole, developed in conjunction with The All England Lawn Tennis Club
(AELTC) and designed to protect the most hallowed turf in tennis.
adidas Tennis footwear developers have worked with Wimbledon for the
past two years to create a new outsole for the renowned CC Feather shoe
that will provide the best possible grip on one of tennis's most
testing surfaces, while also reducing the wear and tear of the grass.
The adidas CC Feather IV Grass shoe was developed specifically with the London 2012 Olympic Games in mind when tennis will be played on Wimbledon's grass courts just a few weeks after the Grand Slam has finished.
Traditional grass court footwear digs in to the turf to provide grip which in turn causes extreme court damage. The new outsole on the CC Feather IV Grass features an innovative dimple pattern with fewer, softer and longer spikes. As these spikes are dragged along the surface of the grass they provide unrivalled grip whilst also giving a flat push off area which ensures quick directional change for all players.
Women's world number one Dinara Safina and Junior Wimbledon Champion Laura Robson along with Novak Djokovic, Fernando Verdasco, Marat Safin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are just some of the players who will wear the new outsole during the forthcoming Grand Slam.
Wimbledon Head Groundsman Eddie Seaward expressed his delight at the introduction of this grass-friendly footwear, "The new dimple pattern created by the adidas Tennis footwear team is the perfect solution to reduce the wear and tear of the Wimbledon courts. The longer but softer spikes do not stick to the surface of the grass and pull it up. Instead these spikes flatten the grass giving players a flat push off area for quick directional change. We have monitored the development of this new outsole for a number of years now and I am looking forward to seeing it in action at The Championships next week."
The adidas CC Feather IV Grass shoe was developed specifically with the London 2012 Olympic Games in mind when tennis will be played on Wimbledon's grass courts just a few weeks after the Grand Slam has finished.
Traditional grass court footwear digs in to the turf to provide grip which in turn causes extreme court damage. The new outsole on the CC Feather IV Grass features an innovative dimple pattern with fewer, softer and longer spikes. As these spikes are dragged along the surface of the grass they provide unrivalled grip whilst also giving a flat push off area which ensures quick directional change for all players.
Women's world number one Dinara Safina and Junior Wimbledon Champion Laura Robson along with Novak Djokovic, Fernando Verdasco, Marat Safin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are just some of the players who will wear the new outsole during the forthcoming Grand Slam.
Wimbledon Head Groundsman Eddie Seaward expressed his delight at the introduction of this grass-friendly footwear, "The new dimple pattern created by the adidas Tennis footwear team is the perfect solution to reduce the wear and tear of the Wimbledon courts. The longer but softer spikes do not stick to the surface of the grass and pull it up. Instead these spikes flatten the grass giving players a flat push off area for quick directional change. We have monitored the development of this new outsole for a number of years now and I am looking forward to seeing it in action at The Championships next week."
What, does Ana have such negative memories of Wimbly that she's refusing to wear these hallowed-ground-protecting shoes? HOW DARE YOU, ELEPHANT!
And here's Nole and his loverly skin bouncing around on his Clima Cool Geniuses
Get Ready For It...
Apparently coming at you September 1, 2009.
Yes, We Can.
The Masher weighs in on how she'd fix tennis. And can you really argue?
Send in the clowns
When I go to sporting events, I enjoy the entertainment that surrounds the game. Tennis fans never get that experience. Tournament organizers need to play music or invite dancers and clowns onto the court during side changes. It's too quiet during those breaks.
Don't let the dogs in
Everyone knows I love dogs (I have a Pomeranian named Dolce), but the players' lounge is not a vet's office. Players carry around their dogs in little bags and let them run all over the place. They put bowls of water on the floor, and it spills everywhere. It's a tournament -- leave the pooch at home.
Get rid of the riffraff
And while I'm on the subject: The players' lounge isn't a nightclub, either. It's hard to get ready for a match when there's a bleached-out blonde in six-inch stilettos and a denim miniskirt hanging out. Who is this person, and why is she here?
Quit while we're ahead
The WTA schedule is too long. We start in January and go full speed all the way through to the U.S. Open in September. Then we have to keep going until the Sony Ericsson Championships at the end of October. I'd end the season with the Open.
Plug in and plug us
I would use the Internet, Facebook and Twitter more effectively to market our sport, and I would make all the athletes participate. Raising the popularity of individual players raises the popularity of tennis.
Give on-court coaches the boot
I would ban all contact with coaches between sets. I'm sure when the male players see coaches walk onto the court during our matches they laugh.
Accept a good challenge
Now a player is allowed three unsuccessful challenges per set. Obviously, a player shouldn't be allowed to challenge every call, but if she is out of challenges and the umpire appears unsure, why shouldn't she be allowed to ask for a replay?
Don't hide the game face
While I was sidelined with my shoulder injury, I watched a lot of tennis on TV. Sometimes I thought, Why do these girls wear so much makeup? I can't even figure out how they keep their eyeliner from running. Athletes should play au naturel.
Ignore the pain
Limit on-court injury timeouts to two per season. I've asked for a trainer twice in my career, but I've played against girls who call for an injury timeout in every match. They're just buying time; it's laughable.
Colorize Wimbledon
Once every two or three years, Wimbledon should let us wear something besides white. It would add a spark of fun to a very traditional place. Of course, style has its limits, so I would also…
…Recruit fashion police
In my tennis, a board would approve all outfits before players could wear them on the court. There are some tacky outfits out there!
Throw a surprise party
I'd create a tournament in which you wouldn't know whom you were playing or on what surface until the start of each round. You might get the first round on grass, the second on clay and the third on hard court. This is unrealistic, but it would be interesting.
What, no stance on grunting? Seems to be all the rage.
She also weighs in on the best and worst dressed sports personalities:
THE BEST
LeBron James, Cavaliers
David Beckham, LA Galaxy
Tom Brady, Patriots
Dwight Howard, Magic
Nastia Liukin, USA Gymnastics
Tiger Woods, PGA
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One driver
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Sean Avery, NY Rangers
Chris Fowler, ESPN anchor
THE WORST
Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner
Craig Sager, TNT NBA reporter
Charles Barkley, TNT NBA analyst
Radek Stepanek, ATP Tennis
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
Michael Phelps, USA Swimming
DeAngelo Hall, Redskins
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Amanda Beard, USA Swimming
Brad Gilbert, Tennis coach
No love for Fed? Calling out Radek and Jeebair? Dissing C-Ron and Amanda Beard?
Oh, Maria. We are so going to be best buds. You just don't know it yet.
June 17, 2009
*This* Is What Ana Sounds Like
New quotage from Ana via the BBC, though given their recent track record these quotes could be coming from Sam Stosur for all we know.
"There was a time at the beginning of the year when even if I was
playing good, I didn't know why I was playing good. Now at least I have
a goal and a system again for what I have to work on. That puts me at
ease and gives me more confidence."
...
"I believe I can get back to number one and I can win Grand Slams," she said. "I think I'm on a good way back and it can happen - even Wimbledon, you never know.
"I just have to put it all together and mentally be in the moment because many times, when I start feeling good I get so excited and start thinking about the outcome and the final result instead of taking care of each match.
"I've been working on that too and once I get this a little bit more under control I know that the results are just around the corner."
She's absolutely right on that last part. That said, God help us all.
He Should Have Just Called It "Twilight"
"Federer versus Nadal embodies righty versus lefty. Classic technique
versus ultra-modern. Feline light versus bovine heavy. Middle European
restraint versus Iberian bravado and passion. Dignified power versus an
unapologetic, whoomping brutality. Zeus versus Hercules. Relentless
genius versus unbending will. Polish versus grit. Metrosexuality versus
hyper-muscular hyper-masculinity. A multi-tongued citizen of the world
versus an unabashedly provincial homebody. A private jet flier versus a
steerage passenger. A Mercedes driver versus a Kia driver."
So in case you missed it, Boyfriend's book Strokes of Genius came out a few weeks ago. It's his take on last year's epic Wimbly final between Fed and some Spanish guy.
So I've been going back and forth on whether I plan to read it. On the one hand, it's Boyfriend, and I know a good girlfriend should probably read the book. On the other hand, from everything I've read (a) it seems *very* much focused on Fed, (b) there doesn't seem to be a lot of info in there that I haven't already read from other sources, and (c) it is not yet available on the Kindle, though apparently it will be soon. That last one was pretty embarrassing to type.
I guess when I think back on that match my take is that both played well enough to win but in the end Rafa's tenacity and mental strength is what gave him the edge. So the focus on Fed seems a bit unfair. It was Rafa's moment, his breakthrough, his "arrival". Will the book give the proper emphasis on that?
Jesus, I guess the only way to know is the actually read the damn book. Which I'm sure I will when it comes out for my yuppie reading device. At the end of the day, if you love tennis you love that match, irrespective of its outcome. I can't say it would kill me to curl up into my cocoon and relive it, shot for every unfuckingbelievablehowthehelldidhejustdothat shot.
Besides, with lines like this, "They're out there alone, cordoned off from outside influence.... Unlike golf, the competition is simultaneous. ...Tennis is the most gladiatorial sport going," how could it possibly suck?
You can read some excerpts here.
Project Runway
The Shazz spent her day in London showing off the winners of the Sony Ericsson Fashioning the Future competition. The designers were asked to create garments that interfaced with technology.
Apparently in the future, human beings will be powered by microchips and become so fantastically efficient that we only need one arm to live.
In all seriousness (kinda), the dress lights up if you get a cell phone call, the shirt has little cameras that can record your surroundings and upload to your phone, and the "purse" charges your shit.
I'm not gonna lie. I don't really want to live in that future.
That dress is actually pretty cute though.
This is the best though:
Asian girl is doing a horrible job hiding her "Who the hell is this gigantic white woman" face.
Honey, I've been there. But you have to *try*.
The Woman Glitters No More
Man, when did JJ become all Debbie Downer?
The world No. 6 said: “I am missing a bit of the motivation I had before. When you have been No. 1 in the world it is not so easy.
“It is a constant battle against yourself. You need to be disciplined so that when you want to eat chocolate you say no to yourself.
“You have to force yourself to go out and practise for four or five hours a day. For that you need to be strong.
“There is lots of playing and travelling and that is not easy. Every player has their ups and downs but when you are not doing well those are the times you need to work hard and come out of it stronger.
“I need a break and maybe not playing for a little bit will get me to the point where I want to play tennis again and want to run after those balls because that is missing at the moment.
“I will play Wimbledon and then after that we will see what I will do.”
This is not the mind of a woman who thinks she has a chance in hell to do well at Wimbledon. Sigh.
It's been deathly silent out of the JJ camp. No announcement of a new coach despite widespread speculation prior to RG that if JJ didn't win it then "Real Tennis" was out. She's been seen sans Ricky around Eastbourne but generally that's all we know. Well that and she lost fairly listlessy to a slumping Chakky.
Say it with me: Sigh. It's just better when you're in the mix, JJ.
Cuz Tranny'll Cut You
Is anyone else as shocked as I am that Tranny is ranked below A-Bond? Just me?
I don't know, I guess I'm just way more scared of Tranny than A-Bond. Tennis-wise, I mean. Non-tennis-wise I *know* I'm way more scared of Tranny.
Singles - Second Round
(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (Q) Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 63 63
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. (5) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 46 75 63
(6/WC) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 26 62 61
Olga Govortsova (BLR) d. Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 61 63
Doubles - Quarterfinals
(3) Dekmeijere/Kops-Jones (LAT/USA) d. Camerin/Coin (ITA/FRA) 64 76(5)
(4) Dechy/Pelletier (FRA/CAN) d. Lefèvre/Védy (FRA/FRA) 62 63
Errani/Pennetta (ITA/ITA) d. Cirstea/Safina (ROU/RUS) 76(4) 61
Krajicek/Wickmayer (NED/BEL) d. Cetkovska/Uhlirova (CZE/CZE) 61 76(1)
As for the guys it was straight up sadness as Baggy went down with a knee injury and was forced to retire. Why did this guy do to deserve all this?
Singles - Second Round
[3] D Ferrer (ESP) d O Hernandez (ESP) 64 63
[4] R Schuettler (GER) d [Q] T de Bakker (NED) 63 76(3)
[7] J Chardy (FRA) d [Q] D Norman (BEL) 36 63 63
[WC] R Sluiter (NED) d M Baghdatis (CYP) 43 ret. (left knee)
Doubles - Quarter-finals
[1] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) d A Clement (FRA) / M Gicquel (FRA) 63 64
J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Rojer (AHO) d [3] C Kas (GER) / P Petzschner (GER) 26 62 12-10
E Butorac (USA) / S Lipsky (USA) d I Kunitsyn (RUS) / D Sela (ISR) 63 36 10-8
Uh...Moving On To Wimbledon...
Boots, Mono, Gypsey, CanWoz, Dushevina, A-Rad, Makarova, and AMG. These are your quarterfinalists at Eastbourne, a WTA Premier tournament and Wimbledon warmup. Lena, Sam, Chak, Jay Z, and Momo all out today. Nads and Nails had to retire with injuries. Tough luck.
I don't mean to belittle the players that are left (go Boots, CanWoz, and A-Rad!) but this tourney sure took a hit on the marquee today.
Singles - Second Round
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. (1) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 60 36 76(4)
(6) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 61 57 61
(Q) Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. (7) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 57 10 ret. (right low back injury)
(8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Li Na (CHN) 31 ret. (left abdominal strain)
Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 75 63
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d. Zheng Jie (CHN) 76(3) 63
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. Sybille Bammer (AUT) 61 75
(Q) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) 76(8) 76(13)
Doubles - Quarterfinals
King/Zheng (USA/CHN) d. Dushevina/Voskoboeva (RUS/KAZ) 62 75
Amanmuradova/Sugiyama (UZB/JPN) d. (WC) Borwell/Keothavong (GBR/GBR) 76(3) 63
Doubles - First Round
(1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) d. (WC) Ivanovic/Lisicki (SRB/GER) 61 62
Husarova/Kirilenko (SVK/RUS) d. Craybas/Kudryavtseva (USA/RUS) 62 57 1917
Doubles - Quarterfinals
King/Zheng (USA/CHN) d. Dushevina/Voskoboeva (RUS/KAZ) 62 75
Amanmuradova/Sugiyama (UZB/JPN) d. (WC) Borwell/Keothavong (GBR/GBR) 76(3) 63
Doubles - First Round
(1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) d. (WC) Ivanovic/Lisicki (SRB/GER) 61 62
Husarova/Kirilenko (SVK/RUS) d. Craybas/Kudryavtseva (USA/RUS) 62 57 1917
As for the boys, Dima battled past Boggy to guarantee the possibility of a Dima/Nads Introduction to Eastbourne Pubs video. So that's nice.
Singles - Second Round
[2] D Tursunov (RUS) d [Q] A Bogdanovic 67(2) 64 76(5)
D Istomin (UZB) d [6] S Querrey (USA) 36 76(3) 64
L Mayer (ARG) d J Benneteau (FRA) 64 64
[Q] F Dancevic d [WC] J Ward (GBR) 76(6) 64
Doubles - Quarter-finals
T Parrott (USA) / F Polasek (SVK) d [2] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Knowles (BAH) 76(5) 64
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d [WC] C Fleming (GBR) / K Skupski (GBR) 63 67(5) 10-7
J Coetzee (RSA) / J Kerr (AUS) d [4] M Mirnyi (BLR) / A Ram (ISR) 63 64
M Fyrsentberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d L Arnold Ker (ARG) / M Kohlman (GER) 63 64
Doubles - First Round
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d [WC] J Erlich (ISR) / J Murray (GBR) 46 76(6) 10-7
[2] D Tursunov (RUS) d [Q] A Bogdanovic 67(2) 64 76(5)
D Istomin (UZB) d [6] S Querrey (USA) 36 76(3) 64
L Mayer (ARG) d J Benneteau (FRA) 64 64
[Q] F Dancevic d [WC] J Ward (GBR) 76(6) 64
Doubles - Quarter-finals
T Parrott (USA) / F Polasek (SVK) d [2] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Knowles (BAH) 76(5) 64
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d [WC] C Fleming (GBR) / K Skupski (GBR) 63 67(5) 10-7
J Coetzee (RSA) / J Kerr (AUS) d [4] M Mirnyi (BLR) / A Ram (ISR) 63 64
M Fyrsentberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d L Arnold Ker (ARG) / M Kohlman (GER) 63 64
Doubles - First Round
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d [WC] J Erlich (ISR) / J Murray (GBR) 46 76(6) 10-7
Thanks A Lot, AELTC
Wimbledon seeds have been announced and as expected, the world hates Dinara Safina and wants to prolong her nightmare. Instead of seeding her third, or even second, they've made her the top seed ahead of Venus. Now, pissing off Serena? That's shooting fish in a barrel. Pissing off Venus? Yeah, I'd keep your head down Dina. Because once again you're about to get blamed for shit that ain't your fault. It's enough to make a girl want to pole vault right out of Center Court. Though knowing Dina she'd just slam into the roof anyway. There's no getting out of this one, baby.Also, I find it hilarious that they bumped Marat *up* 8 spots. Have fun with that Maratski.
The one thing that I will give them credit for is bumping up Masha 35 spots to make her the 24th seed. That's a solid use of the system especially given her results over the past 4 weeks.Men:
1. Rafael Nadal (1)
2. Roger Federer (2)
3. Andy Murray (3)
4. Novak Djokovic (4)
5. Juan Martin del Potro (5)
6. Andy Roddick (6)
7. Fernando Verdasco (8) +1
8. Giles Simon (7) -1
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (9)
10. Fernando Gonzalez (10)
11. Marin Cilic (13) +2
12. Nikolay Davydenko (11) -1
13. Robin Soderling (12) -1
14. Gael Monfils (14)
15. Marat Safin (23) +8
16. Tommy Robredo (15) -1
17. David Ferrer (19) +2
18. James Blake (17) -1
19. Rainer Schuettler (30) +11
20. Stanislas Wawrinka (18) -2
21. Tomas Berdych (21)
22. Feliciano Lopez (28) +6
23. Ivo Karlovic (31) +8
24. Radek Stepanek (22) -2
25. Dmitry Tursunov (27) +2
26. Jurgen Melzer (26)
27. Phillip Kohlschreiber (33) +6
28. Mardy Fish (24) -4
29. Igor Andreev (25) -4
30. Viktor Troicki (32) +2
31. Victor Hanescu (29) -1
32. Albert Montanes (34) +2
Women:
1. Dinara Safina (1)
2. Serena Williams (2)
3. Venus Williams (3)
4. Elena Dementieva (4)
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (5)
6. Jelena Jankovic (6)
7. Vera Zvonareva (7)
8. Victoria Azarenka (8)
9. Caroline Wozniacki (9)
10. Nadia Petrova (10)
11. Agnieszka Radwanska (11)
12. Marion Bartoli (12)
13. Ana Ivanovic (13)
14. Dominika Cibulkova (14)
15. Flavia Pennetta (15)
16. Jie Zheng (16)
17. Amelie Mauresmo (17)
18. Samantha Stosur (18)
19. Na Li (19)
20. Anabel Medina Garrigues (20)
21. Patty Schnyder (21)
22. Alize Cornet (22)
23. Aleksandra Wozniak (23)
24. Maria Sharapova (59) +35
25. Kaia Kanepi (24) -1
26. Virginie Razzano (25) -1
27. Alisa Kleybanova (26) -1
28. Sorana Cirstea (27) -1
29. Sybille Bammer (28) -1
30. Agnes Szavay (29) -1
31. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (30) -1
32. Anna Chakvetadze (31) -1
Seriously, I May Have Been That Woman
Rafa in NYT Magazine. Haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly but thought I'd post it anyway.
But I will say this:
I *totally* remember someone rhetorically asking the people around him whether Rafa would win at the Rafa/Nalby IW Match of Awesomeness (well...if you're a Rafa fan). And I *totally* remember that my exact words were "Watch him," with a smirk. And I *definitely* remember that the person was a guy and the writer of this article is a woman so clearly that wasn't me. But I'm going to pretend it was anyway.
June 16, 2009
Adopt Me!
I do heart these two.
I want them to be my big bro and sis.
Even though I'm older. And Dima's kind of a dick.
But who better to introduce me to the awesomeness of alcohol?
Sniper! Sniper!!!
The seeds went atumbling today. #2, 3, and 4 are out of Eastbourne.
"It took me a while to get the rhythm out there. And then for some reason from staying so low and getting those low balls my legs got so tight and so tired, and especially in the third set I didn't have the energy in my legs anymore to bend down."
"It was obviously my first match on grass. I'll play Wimbledon and then we'll see. At least I can take a few
weeks off then. I wish I could take a break now. I need to get to where
I want to play tennis again."
Yikes.
Another head scratcher? Not that Kuz lost to CanWoz, but that she got bageled in the first set and only took three games off of her. But we'll cut The Kuz some slack here. She's not a robot:
"I played for two months on clay and I have it almost in my blood. I don't have to think about the tactics. I know how to defend, how to attack and what time; how to serve and this and that. And on this surface, everything is opposite. For me, it's too much to change in three days."
The less shocking upset of the day was Momo over Bepa in three. Nice to see that while Bepa has added much needed strapping to her ankles, she has not gone away from her Casper routine. I'm just shocked her towel wasn't blue. Then she'd be *completely* invisible, just like she likes it.Also losing today? Domi, Sorana, and AKO. You know who didn't lose? Dina, who bageled and 3'd ALG. And no I'm not surprised that it's been over 2 hours since that match ended and there is no story in my newsfeed abou this.
As for the boys, both the top two seeds are out of Eastbourne S'Hitogenbosch. Fer, lover of grass, lost to Benjamin Becker and Tommy Boredo (I can call him that now that we're off clay) lost to MAR-COS BagDAHtis *clapclapclapclapclap*.
Over in Eastbourne, Igor (top seeded Igor?) followed his ladyfriend out of the tournament, losing to Fancy Dancy. Nice day for the Canucks.
Eastbourne Results
Women
Singles – First Round
(4) Stosur/Stubbs (AUS/AUS) d. Chuang/Mirza (TPE/IND) 75 64
Mattek-Sands/Petrova (USA/RUS) d. Senoglu/Yan (TUR/CHN) 61 64
King/Zheng (USA/CHN) d. Kleybanova/Makarova (RUS/RUS) 76(7) 63
Men
Singles - Second Round
[4] F Santoro (FRA) d R Ginepri (USA) 46 64 61
[8] G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d Y Lu (TPE) 64 67(0) 76(3)
I Ljubicic (CRO) d [WC] J Goodall (GBR) 63 75
J Tipsarevic (SRB) d [Q] B Klein (AUS) 76(5) 61
Singles - First Round
[Q] F Dancevic (CAN) d [1] I Andreev (RUS) 76(6) 62
J Benneteau (FRA) d [5] M Youzhny (RUS) 46 64 64
Doubles - First Round
M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d [1] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) 61 76(3)
L Arnold Ker (ARG) / M Kohlmann (GER) d A Seppi (ITA) / L Zovko (CRO) 64 36 10-6
[WC] C Fleming (GBR) / K Skupski (GBR) d M Melo (BRA) / A Sa (BRA) 64 46 10-8
J Coetzee (RSA) / J Kerr (AUS) d J Benneteau (FRA) / F Santoro (FRA) 62 61
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) vs [WC] J Erlich (ISR) / J Murray (GBR) 46 76(6) - to finish Wednesday
S'Hitogenbosch Results
Women:
Singles - Second Round
(3) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (Q) Ksenia Pervak (RUS) 61 61
(WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (4) Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 64 63
Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) d. (7) Iveta Benesova (CZE) 63 61
Kristina Barrois (GER) d. (WC) Michaella Krajicek (NED) 64 63
Singles - Second Round
[Q] B Becker (GER) d [1] F Verdasco (ESP) 75 76(4)
D Sela (ISR) d [5] I Kunitsyn (RUS) 64 63
I Navarro (ESP) d [6] M Gicquel (FRA) 64 36 75
M Llodra (FRA)d [Q] K Vliegen (BEL) vs 62 63
Singles - First Round
M Baghdatis (CYP) d [2] T Robredo (ESP) 75 62
[Q] T de Bakker (NED) d B Phau (GER) 76(3) 26 63
Doubles - First Round
[1] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) d [WC] T de Bakker (NED) / J Huta Galung (NED) 64 76(5)
[WC] R Sluiter (NED) / P Wessels (NED) d [2] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 76(3) 67(4) 10-4
[3] C Kas (GER) / P Petzschner (GER) d O Hernandez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) 67(2) 63 10-8
J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Rojer (AHO) d D Vemic (SRB) / M Zverev (GER) 76(8) 62
O Marach (AUT) / D Skoch (CZE) d P Andujar (ESP) / D Ferrer (ESP) 62 63
A Clement (FRA) / M Gicquel (FRA) d R Wassen (NED) / I Zelenay (SVK) 64 62
Over in Eastbourne, Igor (top seeded Igor?) followed his ladyfriend out of the tournament, losing to Fancy Dancy. Nice day for the Canucks.
Eastbourne Results
Women
Singles – First Round
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d. (2/WC) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 60 63
Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) d. (3) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 67(5) 63 62
Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) d. (4) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 63 16 63
(6) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 63 62
(8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (Q) Urszula Radwanska (POL) 61 61
Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 63 61
(Q) Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 67(6) 75 64
(Q) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. (Q) Jarmila Groth (SVK) 76(7) 61
(4) Stosur/Stubbs (AUS/AUS) d. Chuang/Mirza (TPE/IND) 75 64
Mattek-Sands/Petrova (USA/RUS) d. Senoglu/Yan (TUR/CHN) 61 64
King/Zheng (USA/CHN) d. Kleybanova/Makarova (RUS/RUS) 76(7) 63
Men
Singles - Second Round
[4] F Santoro (FRA) d R Ginepri (USA) 46 64 61
[8] G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d Y Lu (TPE) 64 67(0) 76(3)
I Ljubicic (CRO) d [WC] J Goodall (GBR) 63 75
J Tipsarevic (SRB) d [Q] B Klein (AUS) 76(5) 61
Singles - First Round
[Q] F Dancevic (CAN) d [1] I Andreev (RUS) 76(6) 62
J Benneteau (FRA) d [5] M Youzhny (RUS) 46 64 64
Doubles - First Round
M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d [1] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) 61 76(3)
L Arnold Ker (ARG) / M Kohlmann (GER) d A Seppi (ITA) / L Zovko (CRO) 64 36 10-6
[WC] C Fleming (GBR) / K Skupski (GBR) d M Melo (BRA) / A Sa (BRA) 64 46 10-8
J Coetzee (RSA) / J Kerr (AUS) d J Benneteau (FRA) / F Santoro (FRA) 62 61
[3] B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) vs [WC] J Erlich (ISR) / J Murray (GBR) 46 76(6) - to finish Wednesday
S'Hitogenbosch Results
Women:
Singles - Second Round
(3) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (Q) Ksenia Pervak (RUS) 61 61
(WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (4) Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 64 63
Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) d. (7) Iveta Benesova (CZE) 63 61
Kristina Barrois (GER) d. (WC) Michaella Krajicek (NED) 64 63
Singles - First Round
(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 60 63
Nathalie Dechy (FRA) d. (2) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 63 36 63
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. Stéphanie Foretz (FRA) 64 67(1) 63
Doubles - First Round
Lefèvre/Védy (FRA/FRA) d. (WC) Flipkens/Kerkhove (BEL/NED) 62 64
Singles - Second Round
[Q] B Becker (GER) d [1] F Verdasco (ESP) 75 76(4)
D Sela (ISR) d [5] I Kunitsyn (RUS) 64 63
I Navarro (ESP) d [6] M Gicquel (FRA) 64 36 75
M Llodra (FRA)d [Q] K Vliegen (BEL) vs 62 63
Singles - First Round
M Baghdatis (CYP) d [2] T Robredo (ESP) 75 62
[Q] T de Bakker (NED) d B Phau (GER) 76(3) 26 63
Doubles - First Round
[1] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) d [WC] T de Bakker (NED) / J Huta Galung (NED) 64 76(5)
[WC] R Sluiter (NED) / P Wessels (NED) d [2] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 76(3) 67(4) 10-4
[3] C Kas (GER) / P Petzschner (GER) d O Hernandez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) 67(2) 63 10-8
J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Rojer (AHO) d D Vemic (SRB) / M Zverev (GER) 76(8) 62
O Marach (AUT) / D Skoch (CZE) d P Andujar (ESP) / D Ferrer (ESP) 62 63
A Clement (FRA) / M Gicquel (FRA) d R Wassen (NED) / I Zelenay (SVK) 64 62
June 15, 2009
Stella McCartney Decides She'd Like Her Clothes To *Actually* Be On Display
In case you missed it, Stella McCartney for Adidas has dumped MaKiri and is going to go with Ski Boots. You can't blame Stella. Does anyone around here know what her current line even looks like?
Sorry, MaK. Looks like it's back to Adilibria for you. Stella don't just give that shit away. You gotta earn it.
Well, At Least We Can Stop Calling Them "Upsets"
Me: Ana lost.
Carrie: I was so sure she would win. I mean, if there's any player that's not going to come back from a double break down in the third it's Nads.
Me: If there's any player that *will* squander a double break lead in the third set, it's Ana.
Both: [uncomfortable laughter]
Ana squandered a double break lead in the third set to collapse and lose 64 in the final set. But at least people can stop paying attention to it because Nads is the 7th seed.
Oh, people won't ignore it? AWESOME!!!
In similar non-upsetting news, The Cone lost to The Gypsy.
BUT, Forty Deuce Wimbledon favorite Sam Stosur keeps on trucking. Go Sam! I want you to win just so that Stubbsy doesn't fit you with a gag ball and whip you until you bleed. Though...I guess she might do that anyway. But like, *totally* out of love and celebration.
Singles - First Round
(1) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 62 62
(7) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 61 46 64
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 62 62
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 62 61
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 76(3) 62
Singles - First Round
[2] D Tursunov (RUS) d F Fognini (ITA) 63 46 64
[4] F Santoro (FRA) d R Kendrick (USA) 63 62
[6] S Querrey (USA) d P Capdeville (CHI) 62 75
[8] G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d E Korolev (RUS) 62 67(3) 62
L Mayer (ARG) d E Schwank (ARG) 64 62
Y Lu (TPE) d [WC] C Fleming (GBR) 76(2) 16 63
[WC] J Ward (GBR) d V Crivoi (ROU) 61 63
[WC] J Goodall (GBR) d [Q] T Ito (JPN) 64 61
[Q] A Bogdanovic (GBR) d I Minar (CZE) 64 76(3)
[Q] B Klein (AUS) d T Gabashvili (RUS) 63 57 61
The Thing Is, We Weren't Even Drunk!
Carrie was in town this weekend. 99% of it was spent drunk. The one percent was spent doing this podcast wherein we attempt to relate the very Northern California tradition of guzzling wine and the very Forty Deuce tradition of relating totally unrelated things to tennis. And in that vein, 700,000% of it was spent shitting the pants about Dina's impending mental breakdown. Nothing like walking through the SF MOMA talking about how every mildly depressing piece reminds you of Dina and discussing our palpable disappointment in missing the Ecstasy On Clay exhibition.
There were way more hilarious wine descriptions we didn't get to. I'll put some in the comments. In the meantime I'm going to be chewing on my pencil trying to figure out why I'd want to drink something that tastes of salty pencil shavings.
