Participation in the Classic is strictly on an invitation-only basis. It traditionally serves as the final Australian Open tune-up event for household names like Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin.

Ernests currently stands out as the only 'fresh face' in the 2009 field, which boasts Federer and fellow Top 10 Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka, Olympic silver medallist Fernando Gonzalez, two-time Slam champion Safin, 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis and James Blake.

The tournament director, Colin Stubs, first took note of Ernests at this year's Wimbledon and believes that his sheer talent justifies his inclusion in the field of powerhouses.

"He was serving and volleying and hitting big groundies," enthused Stubs. "He was pushing Nadal and the only thing that stopped him was the way he played the big points. He just went out and blasted."

One more spot remains to be filled in the draw, with Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro and Fernando Verdasco lined up as potential candidates.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won his first ATP tournament yesterday, defeating top-seeded Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-4 in the final of the Thailand Open in Bangkok. It was the hard-hitting Frenchman's second tournament since returning from a three-month layoff following knee surgery. The victory avenged the second-seeded Tsonga's four-set loss to Djokovic in this year's Australian Open final. "This win is very special, I've wanted this since I was young," Tsonga said. "This is a dream come true. I'm happy to win. Novak is a great player. In tennis, you have to enjoy the moment. It's great to win at last and I want to win more and more." Jo-Willie burst upon the scene as an unseeded giant-killer at the Australian Open in January, knocking out Andy Murray, Mikhail Youzhny, Richard Gasquet and Rafael Nadal enroute to the final. Great things were expected of the ebullient Frenchman's following his star-is-born fortnight in Melbourne. Since then, Tsonga reached a career-high No. 11 ranking on May 26 while advancing to the semifinals at Casablanca, where, prior to his match with Gilles Simon, he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him through the summer. With the victory, Tsonga improved four spots to No. 16 in today's new rankings. Djokovic, No. 3 on the ATP computer, was looking for his fourth title of the year and first since the Italian Open in May. "I lost against a great player," Djokovic said. "Jo wisely used his opportunities and deserved to win his first title. I played a bit too defensive. You have to take your opportunities and I didn't." Tsonga plays in the AIG Japan Open this week and it looks like he's primed to finish the season on a strong run.

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Don Budge (center) with the 1937 U.S. Davis Cup team

Don Budge's name will be familiar to many readers as the winner of the first official "Grand Slam" in tennis history, having swept the major Australian, French, Wimbledon, and U.S. Championships in 1938.  This, however, only scratches the surface of Budge's incredible career.  He won an all-time record six straight majors as an amateur between 1937 and 1938, achieving a 92-match winning streak along the way.  (According to Bud Collins the only longer unbeaten run was by Bill Tilden in the mid-1920s, though Tilden was competing only in America and against less robust opposition.)  Budge also won what many observers still consider the greatest match of all time against Baron Gottfried Von Cramm in the 1937 Davis Cup semifinal.

It can be argued, of course, that two of the best players in the world, Ellsworth Vines and Fred Perry, were not in amateur competition during Budge's great two-year amateur run, as they were engaged in the early professional tours.  Budge, however, turned pro himself in 1939 and defeated both Vines and Perry in series of matches, leaving no doubts as to who was the greatest player of their time.  Budge's peak years were sadly cut short by World War II.  Budge sustained a shoulder injury while in service that would hamper him for the rest of his career.  Nevertheless, after the war Budge continued to compete at the highest level, losing narrowly to Bobby Riggs in their 1946 tour.  An aging Budge also reached the finals of the U.S. Pro Championships in 1949 and 1953, losing first to Riggs, then to Pancho Gonzales, who would dominate pro tennis for nearly a decade.

Budge's predecessors and successors alike have stood in awe of his unbreakable all-court game.  Tilden called him "the finest player 365 days a year that ever lived."  Jack Kramer, the foremost player of the late 1940s and early 1950s, often stated that Budge was the best player of all time (followed in his opinion by Vines and Tilden) until he revised his judgment two years ago in favor of Roger Federer.  Budge's backhand has been universally admired; it is often regarded as the single greatest shot in the history of tennis.  Julius Heldman, in his piece "Styles of the Greats" (1971), argued that Budge's forehand was nearly as good.  The great sportswriter Will Grimsley wrote in 1971 that Budge was "considered by many to be foremost among the all-time greats."  E. Digby Baltzell echoed this sentiment in his book Sporting Gentlemen (1994), where he wrote that Budge and Rod Laver, the only two male players to have won the official Grand Slam, "have usually been rated at the top of any all-time World Champions list, Budge having a slight edge."  Polls and experts have routinely listed Budge among the top five or six players in the history of tennis, even though knowledge about him has recently declined.

For me, Budge remains among the top four players who ever lived.  Along with Tilden, Ken Rosewall, and Laver, he is one of tennis's greatest all-court, all-surface champions, and like them he was nearly as good a doubles player as he was in singles.  In fact, to this day Budge holds one of the most impressive records in tennis history, having won the so-called "Wimbledon Slam" (consisting of the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles) in back-to-back years.  He had every shot, and no part of his game could be considered a weakness.  Budge could pound the ball hard like Vines, and he could take the ball on the rise like Henri Cochet or Perry.  Even though he did not have the fast cannonball service of Tilden, Vines, or Gonzales, Budge's serve was considered one of the heaviest in his day.  Though Budge was most comfortable playing from the baseline, he was also adept at net, and he even had an excellent stroke volley--a shot which many of today's fans wrongly believe was a recent invention!

Don Budge is the only tennis player in history to be named Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press twice (1937 and 1938).  He was dominant both as an amateur and as a pro.  That he conquered such first-class rivals during his years at the top--Tilden, Vines, Perry, Von Cramm, and Riggs (prior to World War II), among others--solidifies his claim to tennis greatness, and his heroic comeback victory in the epic 1937 Davis Cup match against Von Cramm lifts his name into the realm of sporting legend.  (I recommend reading Budge's A Tennis Memoir, especially the first chapter where Budge retells the story of this classic match in some detail.  See also this link for an audio recording of Budge's post-match comments from 1937, and follow this link for a short video clip of the famous Budge backhand.)

País Serbia

Residencia Basilea, Suiza

Fecha de nacimiento 6 de noviembre de 1987

Lugar de nacimiento Belgrado, Serbia

Altura 1,83 metros - 6'0''

Peso 73 kg. - 161 libras

Profesional desde 17 de agosto de 2003

Brazo hábil Derecho

]]> http://kthanxbye.wordpress.com/?p=798 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:05:21 +0000 kthanxbye http://kthanxbye.ro.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/grand-slams-2008-a-look-back/ What a year it was for grand slam tennis. With the last major of the year drawing to a close in New York, I think this is the perfect time to look back at the year that was. Let's begin after the cut, shall we?

Australian Open

Maria Sharapova was back with a vengence, crushing all opposition, and put an end to Justine Henin's six month winning streak with a bagel to boot. Maria didn't drop a set, beating Ana Ivanovic in the final for her third slam title.

Curse you, Mash's right shoulder! Think of what she could have done if she hadn't gotten hurt at Indian Wells.

Novak Djokovic became Djerkovic during his run to his first grand slam title, beating Monofed in the semis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.

Let's just pretend Jo-Wilfried won.

Roland Garros

Ana Ivanovic finally broke through with her first major title at the French.

Who cares if the average ranking of her opponents was like 98? A major is a major.

Rafael Nadal redefined "domination" as he stormed through the draw on the red clay of Paris.

Rafa conceded only four games to Roger Federer in the final and won his fourth consecutive French Open crown.

Wimbledon

If Rafa is the king of clay, then Venus Williams is the queen of grass. In a women's draw that saw the top four seeds fall before the quarters, Venus blazed through the draw.

Venus took home the Venus Rosewater Dish for the fifth time, defeating sister Serena in the final.

Rafael Nadal set out to do what no man had done since 1980, win both the French and Wimbledon in the same year.

On championship Sunday, in fading light, Rafa took out five time defending champion, Roger Federer, 9-7 in the fifth set in perhaps the greatest match that will ever be played. Fed didn't lose this match, Rafa won it.

U.S. Open

Every once in a while Serena Williams reaches a level that no one else can get to. It happened at this year's U.S. Open.

Serena took the title for the third time, without dropping a set.

Roger Federer entered the U.S. Open with the prospect of going slam-less for the first time since 2002 staring him right in the face.

Fed handled the pressure beautifully and won his fifth consecutive Open title, crushing Andy Murray in the final.

It was a day late due to Tropical Storm Hanna, but it was definitely worth the wait for Roger Federer. The Swiss Maestro won his fifth straight U.S. Open title yesterday, downing No. 6-seed Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in a match delayed a day because of Saturday's rain-interrupted semifinal between Murray and Rafael Nadal. The victory was especially sweet for Federer, who by his standards, has had a very disappointing season. Federer lost in the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier in the year and then suffered defeats to Nadal in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon. "I felt like I was invincible for a while again," said Federer, who stretched his U.S. Open winning streak to 34 matches. Indeed, the Swiss Maestro's win yesterday was typically Federeresque. Dominant and decisive. A virtuoso performance. Federer had won only two minor tournaments this year coming into Flushing Meadows and had lost his No. 1 ranking to Nadal on Aug. 18. His reign of 237 consecutive weeks at the top was over. The threat of not winning a major championship for the first time since 2002 was very real. Not anymore. The win Monday was Federer's 13th Grand Slam title, one short of tying Pete Sampras' record. "One thing is for sure," Federer said. "I'm not going to stop at 13. That would be terrible." In reaching a major final for the first time, Murray has joined the elite. The top three is no more. Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and the 21-year-old Scotsman are now the big four in men's tennis. Clearly a level above the rest. "I'm sure we're going to see much more of Andy in the future," said Federer. With two ATP Masters Series tournaments scheduled this fall and the Masters Cup in Shanghai in November, Federer can do more than just salvage his season. He can re-establish his dominance, if not on the computer, at least in the minds of his opponents. You won't get any argument from Murray on that. "I came up against, in my opinion, the best player to ever play the game," said Murray, now No. 4 in the world. "He definitely set the record straight today." I see several more Grand Slam titles in Federer's future, maybe more. Even a return to No. 1 is not out of the question.

Indian tennis ace Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black won the mixed doubles crown at the season-ending Grand Slam on Thursday. The fifth seeded Indo-Zimbabwean pair beat the American-British pairing of Liezel Huber and Jamie Murray 7-6, 6-4 in the final.

The triumph increased Paes's  tally of Grand Slam crowns to eight. In 1999, Paes had partnered Mahesh Bhupathi and Lisa Raymond to win the men's doubles and mixed doubles crowns at Wimbledon.

American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan won their seventh Grand Slam men's doubles crown Friday, defeating India's Leander Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (12/10) to take the US Open title. The Bryans, who ran through the tournament without losing a set, previously won Slam crowns at Roland Garros in 2003, the US Open in 2005, Wimbledon in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2006 and 2007.

The defeat denied Paes a chance at a US Open doubles double, having already claimed the mixed crown with Zimbabwe's Cara Black. Paes had claimed such doubles in 1999 at Wimbledon and the French Open, partnered with American Lisa Raymond in mixed and compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in the men's doubles.

The victory enables the Bryans to move back into the world number one ranking from second.

News and pictures courtesy: AFP, Daijiworld

+++

While we’re awaiting the US Open women’s final between Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic, let’s give some time to the player missed most at this tournament – Maria Sharapova. You know Maria had to withdraw because of a persistent shoulder injury, and she might even be missing the rest of the season, but that doesn’t mean the Russian fashionista hadn’t prepared some cool outfits for the final Grand Slam of the year. Here are the Nike dresses Sharapova would have been wearing hadn’t she skipped the event. The blue dress was supposed to be worn by day, while the black one was made for the night.

This first week of September, the tennis community will be biting their nails watching to see whether Nadal will close the deal this summer or whether Federer will be able to bounce back with the mental challenges of having the No. 1 ranking torn from his grasp for the first time in 1/20th of a century.

Nadal has never made it past the quarterfinals at the US Open or Australian Open, which are played on hard courts – (except once). And other players, such as #3 Novak Djokovic, who will be looking to follow up on his win over Federer in this year’s Australian Open, and past US Open champ Andy Roddick, could easily take the trophy for the tournament as well.

But the major story line in tennis now is the highly publicized rivalry between Federer and Nadal. “If Rafa wins the US Open, it will really, really put incredible pressure on Roger,” says David Egdes, senior vice president of the Tennis Channel. “Is Nadal going to dominate the same way that Roger did, or will Roger respond and raise the level of his game? It’s a big question mark.”

Is Federer closing this chapter in his career and moving into the history books or will he prove to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come? We will see.....

Serena Williams beat Severine Bremond 6-2 6-2 in the fourth round of the US Open and set up a quarterfinal clash with sister Venus. Although happy to advance, the sisters are disappointed that they need to face each other so early into the tournament.

"It sucks," said Serena.

"It sucks that it can't be the final. At least the semis. It's so soon. It's just disappointing to be so soon."

Serena and Venus Williams dominated the US Open for four years – Serena won the title in 1999 and 2002 and her older sister in 2000 and 2001. They are now the only Grand Slam champions left in the draw, plus, they haven’t dropped a set yet in the tournament.

Source : Reuters

Leander Paes continued his winning run to advance to the mixed doubles' semifinals but it was curtains for Mahesh Bhupathi at the US Open here.

Paes, already through to the men's doubles quarterfinals with partner Czech Lukas Dlouhy, teamed up with Zimbabwean Cara Black in the mixed doubles competition.

The fifth-seeded duo defeated the Czech pair of Martin Damm and Vladimira Uhlirova 7-5, 6-2. Paes and Black will now take on the Swedish-Russian team of Jonas Bjorkman and Nadia Petrova in the last-four stage.

Bhupathi, who was earlier ousted from the mixed doubles competition, crashed out of the men's doubles with a stunning third-round loss.

The Indian and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles, seeded fourth, squandered a set's advantage to go down 6-2, 4-6, 4-6 to unseeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Juan Monaco in the third round of the season's last Grand Slam.

There was further disappointment in the junior section where fifth seeds Yuki Bhambri and his Serbian partner Filip Krajinovic lost 1-6, 6-5, 7-10 to Zimbabwe's Takanyi Garanganga and Egyptian Karim-Mohamed Maamoun in the first round.

Andy Murray feels right at home amid the glamour and bright lights of the US Open. Playing the last match of the night on Monday with the usual assortment of celebrities in the stands, Murray dominated 10th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. He reached the quarterfinals at the Open for the first time.

Already ranked a career-high No. 6, Murray assured himself a spot in the top five. He could climb to No. 4 if he advances as far as Nikolay Davydenko.

Wimbledon may take place in his native Great Britain, but the 21-year-old Murray relishes the US Open for its glitz. He was thrilled to win with the stars of his favorite TV programme, "Entourage," in the stands.

Murray broke Wawrinka's serve twice to take a 4-0 lead in the first set and cruised from there. He had 38 winners and just 15 unforced errors. Murray has won five of his past seven matchups against fellow top-10 players.

Hey I posted here some of the nice pictures of US Open tennis. Its simply looking awesome.. Just check it out dudes...

For live update of US Open click here....!!!!!!!!!!!!

L'ultima prova dello slam è quella che si svolge negli Stati Uniti. Inizia l'ultima settimana di agosto e finisce la prima di settembre segnando anche la fine della stagione tennistica. E' vero che nei mesi successivi ci saranno alcuni tornei indoor e il Master di fine anno, ma si avverte la malinconia da chiusura dei giochi e dell'estate. Stato d'animo che contrasta con l'ambiente di Flashing Meadows, che si contraddistingue per la rumorosità e il grande via vai degli americani in un complesso di stadi enormi che ricordano quelli di baseball. Musica, hot dog, frenetici spostamenti, chiacchiere, occhiate distratte, e rumori di sottofondo contribuiscono a rendere diverso questo torneo dalle altre prove dello slam. La diversità si percepisce ancora di più se lo si paragona il clima Francese del Rolan Garrsos o con quello Inglese di Wimbledon, le due prove che si svolgono in Europa. Le baguette calde e croccanti di una Francia impettita  hanno poco o niente a che vedere con gli hot dog con senape e ketchup del manzo americano, e con le domeniche trascorse nel lento progredire tra le interruzioni delle partite di baseball o di football. Le analogie spariscono tutte se gli hot dog o gli hamburger vengono affiancati alle fragole con la panna che si mangiano a Wimbledon, tipiche dell'integerrimo e un po' altezzoso stile inglese. Ogni slam ha il suo cibo. Mi informerò in merito alla prova Australiana, perché in questo momento ignoro quale sia e se ci sia una particolarità culinaria tipica del torneo. Azzardando un'ipotesi, come per il Roland Garros, si potrebbe affermare bistecca di canguro o di coccodrillo, quest'ultimo si dice che sia ottimo alla griglia. Questi piatti potrebbero adattarsi alle selvagge battaglie sportive che si svolgono nei campi infuocati dal sole Australiano. Ma in questi giorni si gioca a New York, dove l'atmosfera "caciarona" sembra voler festeggiare il torneo, e far dimenticare che domenica sette settembre si chiude nei fatti la stagione tennistica del 2008. Nadal ha vinto Wimbledon, la medaglia d'oro Olimpica, e ha scavalcato Roger Federer, diventando il numero uno del mondo. Lo svizzero ha avuto la peggior stagione degli ultimi quattro anni e ha abdicato al trono. Ha vinto la medaglia d'oro in doppio con Wawrinka, e in quell'occasione ha mostrato una felicità veramente genuina e spontanea, per quello che si è potuto evincere dalle immagini. In fondo il doppio è sempre più

snobbato dai tennisti. Roger negli ultimi anni non ha mai vinto un torneo di doppio di uno slam, anche perché ha sempre preferito il singolo a questa specialità, che avrebbe potuto sottrargli energie da utilizzare nel singolare. Il primo slam dell'anno, quello della grigliata di coccodrillo lo ha vinto Novak Djocovich che è non più considerato un promessa ma una realtà, anche se ogni tanto intervalla prestazioni che lasciano dubbiosi a partite eccellenti, come quella giocata con Murray a Monte Carlo. Nadal, come tutti sanno, ha mangiato baguette e il mese dopo come dolce ha preteso le fragole con la panna. Vedremo fra dieci giorni chi gusterà  hot dog e hamburger. Nell'arco dell'anno due talenti nuovi hanno iniziato a fare capolino: Andy Murray ha vinto il suo primo Master Series a Cincinnati, sconfiggendo Djocovich in finale; Ernest Gulbis ha fatto vedere buone cose nell'arco della stagione, ma dovremo attendere per sapere se riuscirà a confermarsi. Il loro arrivo era stato previsto in qualche modo dal romanzo che potete richiedere per e-mail. Quello di Murray in modo più diretto, mentre Gulbis rientra in una casistica di categoria. Gli Italiani e le Italiane hanno appassionato, ma hanno sprecato molte occasioni in varie occasioni, purtroppo. Bolelli più volte, ma anche Starace, Seppi e Pennetta hanno perso i loro attimi. Speriamo in meglio per il prossimo anno. Per quello che riguarda lo sport del tennis è sempre più chiaro, ai miei occhi, che possa essere un veicolo di diffusione culturale del concetto di complessità o teoria del caos, soprattutto per le sue caratteristiche di molteplicità delle variabili e di sensibilità a determinate condizioni, anche iniziali. Pertanto continuerò a utilizzare l'allegoria. Da questo punto di vista, per finire, le idee (leggasi noumeno) hanno realizzato un Grand Slam, il quarto. La conoscenza appaga l'animo.

fabrizio b.

]]> http://boomertime.wordpress.com/?p=184 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:25:55 +0000 tennisguy http://boomertime.ro.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/federer-looks-to-salvage-season-with-5th-us-open-crown/

The first round of the men's draw at the U.S. Open is complete and the top eight seeds all advanced in straight sets. Only new world No. 1 Rafael Nadal struggled, surviving a spirited challenge from qualifier Bjorn Phau, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6. The No. 136-ranked German kept Nadal on court for two hours and 59 minutes, probably about an hour and a half longer than the Spaniard expected. The match was reminiscent of Nadal's opening round match last year against Alun Jones, another qualifier. Jones, a journeyman Aussie, ranked No. 123 at the time, battled Nadal for two hours and 44 minutes before succumbing in four sets. Rafa lost later to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the fourth round. The U.S. Open has never been good to Nadal, with the quarterfinals the farthest the Spaniard has ever advanced. Could it be deja vu all over again? Nadal is to play No. 7 David Nalbandian, whom he has never beaten, in the quarterfinals and Ferrer, seeded No. 4, in the semifinals if the draw proceeds according to form. Granted, this is a new and improved Nadal, playing with unbelievable confidence and unbridled gusto. Still, I think history and fatigue will prevent Rafa from adding a third major to an already incredible year. Look for Roger Federer to put a stop to his slam drought and win his fifth straight U.S. Open title. The Swiss Maestro owns Flushing Meadows. "I still believe it's an advantage if you know how to win a U.S. Open," Federer said. "It's a tough tournament to win." Federer didn't seem particularly perturbed about losing the mantle of No. 1 to Nadal the week before the tournament. "Rafa will now feel what I had to feel for a very long time," said Federer, whose reign lasted 237 consecutive weeks. "So it will be interesting to see how he handles it, but so far he's been great and he's played so well on all surfaces now. Maybe it's nice to go into a Grand Slam for a change not having No. 1 next to me, and it should be interesting." Lurking, as always, is No. 3 Novak Djokovic, last year's finalist and winner of the Australian Open in January. Andy Murray, showing improved game and growing maturity, is my dark horse pick to knock off one of the big guns. The No. 6-seeded Brit won his first Masters Series title at Cincinnati earlier this month and is on Nadal's side of the draw.

Rita Dravucz, Hungary

For Hungary, model turned water polo player Rita Dravucz is the name that needs no further introduction. Rita has been a part of National Hungarian team since she was 17.

Her tall slender form seems more suited for a model, than an athlete.  Having missed the Athens Olympics in 2007 due to her finger injury and broken hand bone, this time Rita Dravucz is more than happy to be going to the Beijing Olympic with the Hungary water polo team. The strength she brings and the enjoyment she takes in playing water polo also shows in her modeling career. Apart from hard work she puts in both form she gives ample credit to the special medication which helped her a lot to gain perfect body suitable for water polo as well as modeling.

Alexandra Orlando, Canada

Alexandria Orlando, born in Toronto, Canada has seen both triumph and tragedy in rhythmic Gymnastics. Rated high in the list of sexiest athletes, Orlando is a darling of rhythmic gymnastics. Having missed the Athens Olympic by one spot, she was delighted to have the opportunity to compete in Beijing Olympic. This 21-year-old athlete is one of the only four athletes to win six gold medals at a single commonwealth games. During the off-season, she keeps herself busy in attending the University of Toronto, studying commerce and training in Ritmika RG club.

Alona Bondereko, Ukraine

It seems tennis players are widely known for their looks and killer instinct attitude! Alona Bondereko is an awesome tennis player who has gained huge popularity in the tennis world. With her parents and younger sisters, Kateryna and Valerie in the tennis world, it is easy to see that tennis runs in the blood of the Bondereko family.

This year’s Beijing Olympic is very important to her as she has never been to Olympics before. Although she made her debut in Australian open, the world saw her rise and success in 2006 through the ranks into the top 100 and close to top 50.

Amanda Beard, United States

United States breeds some hot attractive swimmers. Some pretty hot swimmers have come from down under and Amanda, the darling of U.S swimming is one of them. Amanda Beard, the athlete, swimmer model on the cover of Sports Illustrated, ‘Swimsuit Edition’ has a lot going for her. This sexy model swimmer and model is back for her fourth Olympic appearance by finishing second in the Olympic trials. Like most other, this 26 year old athlete rose to stardom at the age of 14. With lots of expectations and pressure, Amada went through a rebellious stage that just happened to coincide with a growth spurt. Due to some personal problems, Amada kept herself out of water for a while, but now she is back in the swimming arena with a bang.

Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia

Yelena, the tall Russian gymnastic beauty is a talented pole vault competitor who has done her country proud through her flexible talents. Isinbayeva will be attending her second Olympic games this year in Beijing and she stands as the favorite in women’s pole vault. This five-foot nine-inch beauty has never looked back ever since she took to pole vaulting. She has proved herself as one of the most successful athletes of her generation.

Is Roger Federer's reign really over? Is it possible that he will win no more grand slam titles? Federer will relinquish his top ranking to Rafael Nadal on Aug.18, the day after the Beijing Olympics tennis program ends and an ATP record 237 weeks after the Swiss Maestro ascended to No. 1 on Feb. 2, 2004. Federer turned 27 on Friday, Opening Day for the Olympics, and some wonder if it's all down hill now for the Swiss star. Federer certainly doesn't think so. In fact he still feels like a deserving No. 1. "Until the rankings change on the computer, I do, yeah," he said at a news conference Thursday in China. Federer has been shut out in the majors so far this year, and has won only two tournaments. "People expect more from me after my great last five years," Federer said. "But I hope I can still save this season with either this (Olympics) or the U.S. Open. Right now the focus is on the Olympic Games...not the rankings." Lleyton Hewitt, a former No. 1, doesn't discount Federer's chances of winning Olympic gold. "There's only the French Open and Olympic gold that's not on Roger's career highlights," said Hewitt, a dangerous floater in the Beijing draw. "He'll be trying pretty hard here." If Federer is to regain the aura of invincibility or at least a semblance of dominance now would be the time. Nadal may be finally showing signs of some chinks in the armour, perhaps wearing down from all his match play this year. Last week he lost fairly easily in the semifinals at the Cincinnati Masters to No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic and voiced his displeasure about the plethora of hard-court tournaments and the inherent injury risk of playing on the unforgiving surface. After arriving in Beijing, the Spaniard gave hints of being exhausted from the grueling battle to reach the top, referring to the calendar this year as "terrorizing." Not the pronouncements of a happy camper. Djokovic, extremely talented and winner of the Australian Open earlier this year, seems somewhat uncomfortable with the mantle of heir apparent to Federer and Nadal hanging over his head. The Swiss Maestro is still the most gifted and best all around player on tour in my estimation. All he's lacking is confidence and nerve. If he gets that back in Beijing, look out Flushing Meadows. Federer plays his opening round match later today against dangerous Russian Dmitry Tursunov.

Anul acesta este fara nici o indoiala anul spaniolilor. Astia chiar vor sa castige tot, nu e de gluma cu ei. Nu numai ca au reusit sa castige competita verii (Campionatul European) dar acum nu se mai satura. Daca si la Olimpiada de la Beijing se claseaza in primele 5 natiuni la medalii nu stiu ce sa mai zic.

Sincer sa fiu am tinut cu Spania la Campionatul European. Au avut cel mai valoros lot, avand cei mai scumpi jucatori pe piata transferurilor. De altfel cred ca ca meritau pe deplin sa castige competita, avand in vedere ca au fost cea mai constanta echipa.

Un alt spaniol, foarte cunoscut este Rafael Nadal. (este detinatorul unui record fiind jucatorul ce a stat cel mai mult pe pozitia secunda in clasamentul ATP ). Rafa se pare ca s-a saturat sa fie eternul secund si s-a hotarat sa atace poztia fruntasa, profitand si de un sezon foarte slab al elvetianului Roger Federer. Desi nu a inceput foarte bine acest an, la Australia Open a fost invins in semi-finale, spaniolul a reusit sa isi revina si sa castige pentru a 4-a oara consecutiv Roland Garros si mai apoi a intrerupt seria de victorii a lui Federer la Wimbendon intr-un meci legendar. Acum in turneul de la Cincinnati, un spaniol are ocazia sa devina numarul 1 mondial in tenisul de camp.

De parca nu ar fi de ajuns, Turul Frantei a fost castigat de Carlos Sastre. De la retragerea lui Lance Armstrong (care dupa ce a invins cancerul nu a incetat sa ne plictiseasca in fiecare an cu cate o victorie) din Turul Frantei, spaniolii fac legea: in 2006 Oscar Pereiro, in 2007 Alberto Contador iar anul acesta Sastre au primit tricoul galben.

Ma intreb unde se vor opri spaniolii cu victoriile anul acesta? Oare va fi vreodata si anul romanilor? Voi ce credeti? :-)

The Rogers Cup, the first of back-to-back Masters Series tournaments prior to the Olympics, began yesterday in Toronto. The Canadian tennis event and the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters next week in Cincinnati, both hard-court tournaments featuring all the big guns, could help settle who is really numero uno as well as provide a preview for the U.S. Open in late August. Questions, questions. Can struggling world No. 1 Roger Federer extend his 234-week reign at the top of the game or will surging Rafael Nadal supplant the Swiss Maestro with a torrid summer? The No. 2-ranked Spaniard certainly has momentum in his corner after blitzing Federer in the French Open final and then following that up with an epic five-set victory over the five-time defending champion at Wimbledon a month later. Also in the mix, at least for bragging rights if not the points race, is Novak Djokovic, last year's Rogers Cup champion. The No. 3-ranked Serbian is arguably the best hard-court player in the game, with titles at the Australian Open and Indian Wells earlier this year. Federer has been shut out of the first three grand slam tournaments for the first time since 2002 and desperately wants to regain his dominance prior to the U.S, Open. Nadal, who pulled out of a clay-court tournament with a knee injury the week following Wimbledon, must prove his knees can withstand the rigors of the summer hard-court season. After winning the same tournament in Stuttgart last July, Nadal, plagued off and on with knee tendinitis, went without a title until April of this year when he won Monte Carlo. Included in that drought were straight-set, one-sided losses to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis at Melbourne, Djokovic in the final at Indian Wells, and Nikolay Davydenko in the final at Miami. The common factor in the defeats: all were on hard courts. In fact, just five of Nadal's 29 career titles have been on hard courts. So the Mallorcan has something to prove. The effort is always there, no question, but the knees don't always seem to hold up to all the pounding on unforgiving surfaces. I look for Djokovic to emerge as the dominant player this summer, even if he can't garner enough points to supplant either of his rivals in the rankings. He really has very little pressure on him. All the interest and scrutiny is focused on the rivalry between Federer and Nadal and their duel for No. 1. Djokovic has defeated Federer two of the last three times they've met on hard courts and has posted a 3-2 record against Nadal on surfaces other than clay or grass. Serve 'em up.

"Alla Kudryavtseva caused one of the biggest upsets of the 2008 tennis season by ousting third seed Maria Sharapova in straight sets at Wimbledon" (On the Baseline).

I've heard that said about Maria so many times. Not that Maria has upset anyone: Maria has been upset'd so many times. U.S. Open 2007: 3nd-round lost. French Open 2008 (where she was the top seed): pre-quarterfinal lost. And now, at Wimbledon, a 2nd-round lost to a player ranked at #154.

But she's won the Australian Open this year, with stunning straight-set wins in every match that she played. It was simply amazing to watch. Seeing how she breezed through every match, the commentators noted that there was no way Maria Sharapova could have lost the tournament, no matter how lucky her opponents got.

But at the French, where she double-faulted in double-digits for every match, I thought I was seeing a different Maria Sharapova. And that Maria Sharapova was who played against her countrywoman in the Wimbledon 2nd round in June.

It seems like Maria's #3 ranking comes from her two alter-egos: one who plays at the level of a World #1 player and one who plays at the level of a 50+ ranked player. So Maria's "stunning upset" at the hands of #154 Alla Kudryavtseva isn't really that stunning after all. Maria doesn't deserve to make history by setting the record for "worst performance of a top-seeded player against lowest-ranked opponent."

Kudryavtseva also rubs salt into the wound during her press conference:

“I don’t know her well. I think I’m quite sure no one on the tour knows Maria well because she’s not a very talkative girl and not very outgoing,” Kudryavtseva said.

“But we were in the same team for Fed Cup. After that she started saying hello. That’s nice.

“It’s very pleasant to beat Maria. Why? Well, I don’t like her outfit. Can I put it this way? It’s a little too much of everything.

“It was one of the motivations to beat her.”

“If I’m not afraid to go play her and she’s world No.3, I’m not afraid she’s going to catch me in the dressing room and say, ‘You know what, you said you don’t like my outfit. You were wrong’.” Kudryavtseva said.

“I will say, “Sorry. That’s just my opinion’.”

Yes, there is no comparison in Tennis...yet. Maybe the next U.S.Open, where Federer is again favorite (since the hard court is way faster than grass) will hopefully see a similar final.

Though Nadal won, to be fair to Roger, with the light so poor the last 4 games of the 5th set was simply a matter of luck...They should've stopped play. Similarly, it would have been unfair to Nadal too if he had lost the match instead of Roger. The light was terrible and not fit for professional play.

What does the future now hold for ROGER FEDERER? For starters, the grass is so slow nowadays, that baseliners will continue to dominate Wimbledon like the French Open. But Rafa Nadal, who dominates on clay, is still weaker on grass, and weakest on hardcourts. The slower the court the more dominating Nadal is. In contrast, Federer's game becomes better & better as the courts turn faster.  This means, the only way he can beat Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams, is by going for the US and Australian Opens. Because Nadal will continue to win grass & clay, next 2-3 years.

But then again, Federer can surprise everyone by bouncing back to win not just the US and Australian this year, but next Wimbeldon as well... Nadal will end up with 7-8 French opens, and maybe 3-4 Wimbledons... but to me Roger Federer IS the greatest tennis player of all time. Remember, he is the ONLY player to win 3 GRAND SLAMS in the same year, THRICE.