Fast track to quater-finals in Roland Garros

It sure felt like people were in a hurry!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Newsbreak: Just saw the live press conference of FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich. *sigh* He looked like he was trying to keep his head above hot soup in a pressure cooker there... and was in a big hurry to escape! He took a defensive posture as he faced accusations that while he may not be directly involved in corrupt activities, he had been ignoring corruption in FIFA. But he did insist that, amidst all the Qatar World Cup 2022 bribery talks, "FIFA is not in crisis." Uh, what? Come again, Mr. Blatter. Have you been "around" FIFA lately, sir? Journalists were disappointed by Mr. Blatter's failure to show fangs and hardline commitment to bite-off corruption heads in FIFA. Hmmm... it's going to be a long week for Sepp Blatter for sure as the FIFA Congress convene on Wednesday. Good luck to him... and the football world! *sigh*

***
Back to the Roland Garros business

There's so much to do... and hobbies have to take the back seat as usual. Just when I finally paid decent amount of attention to this blog - and enjoying it, too, immensely, fate is bidding me to take a few "days off" from it and mind a "crisis" brewing. Bummer! And since I don't think Sepp Blatter is a good example in "crisis management", I'm compelled to take the "days off". *sigh* But I do have a few more minutes to write this entry, after all, it's that period in the tournament when the two halves of the draw combine for the Round of 16 in Roland Garros. And everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get the Round of 16 done and over with!

So, game on! :)

All-Swiss affair. Sorry, Fed... I was busy savoring the "Messi Magic" and the "Barҫa Day in Wembley", my mind flew as I watched you take care of "Stan, the Man" yesterday. Don't lie now, you were happy you didn't have to play on Saturday, weren't you? huh, fellow football fan? :)

So, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka spin in the Round of 16. It was a contest of one-handed backhands, big serves and serve-and-volleys. It looked like Stan, who is being coached by RF's former coach, had the more powerful backhand there, but Fed's was more precise and he moved better on court to put his backhand to a better use, too. It was puzzling though how Stan could haul himself from two sets down in that raucous match with Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the third round, and then go very subdued and looking without a fight against RF. Is The Man intimidated by El Maestro? Hmmm... he did look like he was thinking about an "against Tsonga" comeback in the third set... RF seemed to have sensed it, and he locked himself in the zone and hurriedly finished the match with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 straight sets win.

Aside from the All-Swiss affair and the David Ferrer and Gael Monfils match postponement for the next day, Day 8 was nothing special. Novak Djokovic, of course, took care of business... sending "local guy", Richard Gasquet, to his Round 4 exit from Roland Garros this year in straight sets win of 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. It was easy, considering he got "shaken" by Juan Martin del Potro's huge shots previously and had to concede a set - for the first time in the tournament.

Seriously, I am not sure what or who could stop The Djoker from winning Roland Garros this year. RF looked like he's hardly sweated so far, showed his impressive shots repertoire, and his game has been impeccable as well, but does his tank have enough mileage to cover a four-setter or a five-setter in case the Djoker would be in the mood to wow the French crowd a la Tsonga? We know the "old Djoker" was prone to something like that, too... but this is a new Djoker we're dealing with here. Anyway, before any confrontation with Djoke, El Maestro has to take care of the mini ball of fire, Gael Monfils first in the quarter-finals, actually... and with the crowd blowing to propel the Frenchman's sail for sure, too! And, I know I have my clay money on Rafa Nadal to clinch his sixth French Open title to equal the Great One, Bjorn Borg's record... but after watching Nole make Juan Martin del Potro surrender with a shake of the head as if he didn't know what hit him, he totally looked unstoppable. And Rafa is looking a bit like it has been a real effort for him to stay alive... not moving as nimbly and fast as Le Djokeur. Hmmm... I really hope to get back to my hobby soon! :)

The end of the Ferrer affair. Who would have thought? Who would have thought that it's going to be the ever inconsistent Gael Monfils who would put an end to the steady Spaniard trigger David Ferrer's run in Roland Garros this year? Certainly not me! But after the two mismatched warriors - personality wise - went two sets even, with the momentum on David Ferrer having won the fourth set, 6-1, I thought it was a Ferrer win for sure. And then, the Frenchman, with impressive winners and good serves, brought the fifth set to 5-3... with two match points! Unbelievable! But the 9th seed Frenchman was unable to finish it up. David Ferrer brought it to 6-6. At the extension, Monfils once again had another match point, which he again squandered with a lot of pressure from Ferrer. And then, on his serve, Ferrer committed heartbreaking unforced errors, one after another - very, very expensive ones, too... giving the set, and the match (6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 1-6, 8-6) to Monfils! How incredible! Whew!

Roger Federer once commented that Gael Monfils is a very talented player and has a lot of potential to get to the top, if he could stay focused on his game, that is. I agree completely... when he's concentrating, Monfils could create great variety of shots - more than Andy Murray is capable of, just because the lad has to divide his energy between winning and overcoming boredom on court - and then, he shifts to a Tsonga-like crowd-pleasing showmanship... and that's it, he loses concentration and kills his own game! Therefore, it has always been very hard for me to support him, because he seemed to be more interested in having childish fun on court rather than in winning, giving away crucial points to his opponents. After seeing him topple the 7th seed Spaniard earlier though, it looked like he's decided to take winning seriously now. Ironically, it's going to be El Maestro himself who will find out tomorrow.

The Swede swayed! I really like Robin Soderling - very much! :) I like the way he keeps things simple on court, almost clinical in winning matches... and then gets creative, even shows Viking-like aggression, when challenged. Whatever the situation though, he's almost always composed... celebrates points with quiet fist pumps with a pursing of the lips that shows his dimples... and so, you thought he smiled, but not really! :) And then back to business... winning. :)

But in his fourth-round match with Gilles Simon - the Frenchman who gained fame (or notoriety, depending on your RF fanatism level) by almost ousting Roger Federer in the second round of the US Open last year - I was surprised to see him show extreme amount of emotion after the match, even when he won in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, 7(7)-6(5)! It's the same kind of emotion RF showed when he finally broke to escape ouster by Simon in the 2010 US Open! Hmmm... Simon-induced extreme emotion? Interesting! I think it's more of a show of "wanting" to stay in the tournament... and eventually win it! And he's well-capable of doing that as well. The two-time Roland Garros runner-up who has beaten both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer is not Number 5 in the World for nothing! And he will face the King of Clay in the quarter-finals! Nadal, for his part, countered an Ivan Ljubicic challenge with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win.

Sharp Sharapova. Yes!! I survived the screaming and the shrieking of Maria Sharapova as she powered her way past the 12th seed Agnieszka Radswanska of Poland, 7(7)-6(4), 7-5, to advance to the quarter-finals. It was worth it, she was brilliant - I mean it. :) She wants to win this, it's very evident by the way she saved each point and made each winner. I say she's got a good shot at it, too! C'MON!!! :)

A murmur for Murray... ... and it isn't a prayer either! Dude, play tennis - brilliant, jaw-dropping, killer tennis! And tell your Mum to stay home while you show Viktor Troicki who is Number 4 in the World tomorrow, alright? You only have one shot... go hot and stay hot, dammit!

Uhm, ahem, ahem... go, get him, lad! :)

***
Photo credit: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks. :)

Sunday foodie...

...healthy refreshment.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Too many things going on this Sunday. First of all, it's Church day... and then there's the UEFA Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC at 2:45 AM, and then the start of the Round of 16 in Roland Garros, where an "all-Swiss affair" in the men's draw will be one of the main showpieces. High-intensity stuff... hot! Therefore, some "cooling" is needed.

My nephew and niece who are spending the weekend at our place spotted the cantaloupe in my fruit tray... and I think I knew just what they had in mind! And so, I set out to the kitchen. I took my knife to cut the cantaloupe in half. Hmmm... a refreshing aroma - sweet and cool - filled the kitchen, and it reached the living room! I removed the seeds and grated the pulp. As I did, tasty juice was released, and my mouth watered!

I poured the grated pulp in two separate containers. I took a can of evaporated milk from the cupboard and a bottle of melon-flavored milk from the fridge, a little sugar and a jug of water. I applied a little bit of my Analytical Chemistry know-how (*wink*, *wink*, haha...) for my cantaloupe concoction to fill two pitchers. I stored the pitchers in the fridge. After watching some heavy ball-hitting with ultra-light racquets, and blisteringly hot ball kicking on cool grass, it was time to cool down. As I opened the fridge, the sweet aroma was inviting... the kids and I helped ourselves with a glass each of the cantaloupe concoction... and enjoyed.

Gooooooooaaaaaaaaal!! :)

***

More than a Club... and they are European Champions, too!!

Barҫa, Barҫa... Barҫaaaaaaaaa!!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


And they did it! They are the 2011 European Champions! Woohoo!! Woot-woot!

They battled the Kings of English Football, Manchester United, and the Kings of Spanish Football prevailed, 3-1!! Hail the Kings of European Football! Barҫa, Barҫa... Barҫaaaaaaaaa!!

Greatness in all three Barҫa goals: Uno, after a wonderfully orchestrated play that almost culminated to a Pedro Rodríguez goal, the smooth Xavi Hernandez orchestrated another one... and Pedro Rodríguez completed it to a fantastic first goal! Sweet! A few minutes later, down but not (yet) out, Wayne Rooney exchanged a pass with Ryan Giggs, which momentarily sliced up the Barcelona defense as Gerard Piqué barred Giggs who was dangerously close to the goal. Wayne Rooney quickly took advantage and kicked an equalizer past Victor Valdes who was still eyeing Javier Hernandez and closely watching Ryan Giggs. That brought both Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola on their feet! And so, the first half closed with the two sides even on goals. Moving on... Dos, after a series of Barҫa attempts that scattered the Manchester defense to desperate disarray, bringing down Lionel Messi on the grass a number of times to cut the amazing thread of magic the little genius was weaving, Xavi "called things to order" with the ball. Andrés Iniesta received and passed, and Lionel Messi smashed the second goal in a flash around three stunned Manchester defenders - his first on English soil, and the one that dampened Manchester's spirit! Brilliant!! Of course, it smelled like a win from then on. Tres, Messi set it up, Sergio Busquets picked up and made a brilliant turn around to safety, passed it, David Villa received and kicked it - into the Manchester goal, over the stretched Edwin van der Sar! The third Barҫa goal that sealed the European championship! And there were many, many more fantastic attempts (16 total, 12 on target) with Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves, Ibrahim Afellay, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Piqué taking a shot, and a few more, at the Manchester goal coming out from some exquisite build ups via tiki-taka vs. meager attempts (three to be exact, only one on target) from the English Premier League's best. Edwin van der Sar was ManU's hero... the score would've been 3++ to 1 if not for his incredible focus and valiant saves.

It was a beautiful match. Barҫa playing their mesmerizing fast-paced football of lyrical beauty that involved every single body in Blaugrana jerseys on the pitch moving in such incredible synchronicity, and ManU trying to keep up with a lot of personality, too. Without a Mourinho hand anywhere in the New Wembley, there were no silliness nor ugliness... only mutual respect, brilliance, fun and excitement... and engaging football wholesomeness in a breathtaking "big boys' play" at the very apex of football beauty. Pep Guardiola once again showed the world that in football, the tiki-taka beauty can be both a delight and a formidable tactical offense - unbeatable, in fact.

People will continue putting "Pep Guardiola's Barҫa" and "the greatest football team ever" in the same sentence when they talk of the beautiful sport that's football, and the gentleman and ever humble Pep will continue to discourage such talk. But after being beaten - and beaten well - by Barҫa in the biggest football stage in Europe, Sir Alex Ferguson - himself, one of football's biggest fans - recognizes Guardiola's Barҫa as "the best in Europe, there's no question of that." And as the Catalans savored their moment of triumph in New Wembley, Sir Alex saluted them with a "they're enjoying the moment... and they deserve to because they are playing football the right way." As for me, words are not enough to describe any part of Barcelona's wonderful 2011 Champions League final showpiece. It's disrespectful to even try! Therefore, I'll leave it at that for now, with a simple CONGRATULATIONS!!! :) I'm a VERY PROUD fan!!! Woohoo!

Visca, el Barҫa!!!

***

New Wembley Day!

Here we go... game on in the New Wembley!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


The day has finally arrived... the Kings of Spanish Football, FC Barcelona, up against the Kings of English Football, Manchester United FC, for the 2011 UEFA Champions League title!

Who will prevail? We know which Club I'm rooting for, of course... and it's more than a Club, too! :) No amount of British sports reporting that buttered up ManU's chances against the Catalans, and Pep Guardiola's caballero humility can hide the fact in my head - one of these sides is better than the other - on all fronts! But this is football... anything can happen! And, a few hours before the opening whistle, and after witnessing a complete Juan Martin del Potro demolition by Novak Djokovic as they continued their third round rumble in Roland Garros with booming huge shots that involved all their body parts, I'm still gauging my heart... is it still "healthy enough" to endure the 90-minute battle? Loud thump, thump, thump.... Of course, I'm nervous! It's Champions League final, for crying out loud!

Oh, boy!

***

More big-name crashes and exquisite showpieces...

...on Day 6 at Roland Garros.
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


I was much more "prepared" this time. I was home before the first match went on air, and with lots of healthy bites and drinks in stock as well. Game on!

***
Roland Garros blown wide open for the women

Champ Agression. So, the defending champion, Francesca Schiavone, moved on to Round 4 as her opponent, Shuai Peng of China, retired in the second set with the score nailed at 6-3, 1-2. The Number 5 seed Schiavone was superior over her 29 seed opponent, and showed her usual shots variety on clay at the Suzanne Lenglen Court.

Nerves vs. Courage. Over at Philippe Chatrier, 8th seed Australian Samantha Stosur, with all her shotmaking arsenal, was looking all vulnerable against the gregarious Gisella Dulko of Argentina in the first set. The Australian bowed at 4-6 to the unseeded Argentine who showed her fantastic form on clay. Stosur then revived her hard-hitting player self, coming back strong in the second set with a fantastic result of 6-1 while Dulko tried to steady herself courageously. The petite Argentine, who is half of the fantastic Penetta-Dolku women's doubles team, then proved herself up to the challenge, playing consistently well with her smart ball placements and serve-and-volleys, usually on display in her doubles matches. She forcefully broke Stosur and then shut the door to the nervy Australian with fiery assaults, winning the third set at 6-3! And so, Dolku went on to the fourth round, leaving Stosur as another big-name casualty!

Biggest and most spectacular crash. And so, the Number One in the World, Caroline Wozniacki, will have to wait some more to take another shot at her first ever Grand Slam title as she went crashing - BIG TIME - in the third round at Roland Garros... and no one in Suzanne Lenglen was crying for her as she made her final exit on the first week. The woman who went out to do the irrepairable damage was Slovak Daniela Hantuchova... of all people! Yes, Hantuchova... she with an impressive variety of shots but who used to struggle - painfully - to win the battle against her own nerves on court, and usually failed - frustrating to watch. She held her nerves this time, and stayed mostly solid on her attack, finishing the first set at 6-1 with a delightful variety of shots, surprising confidence and focus. Wozniacki, who seemed to be more interested in wow-ing tennis fans with her pink bra peeping through the see-through windows in the front of her blue dress, was completely stunned! I was awed by Hantuchova! They went into the second set with Hantuchova still red-hot, making Wozniacki running around, scampering to save points - to no avail. At some point, Wozniacki's frustration showed with another bitching to the umpire over how long Hantuchova was taking time between points - Hantuchova's own points anyway! :) And then, the Number One in the World angrily charged at Hantuchova while the latter was two games up on her serve. Hantuchova wavered... and I thought I saw a flash of the "old Hantuchova"... but she quickly regained balance and charged back - winning the game... and eventually the set, and the match, 6-1, 6-3! She then celebrated with the appreciative Suzanne Lenglen crowd while the defeated Wozniacki walked away, ignored by the crowd. Awesome!

Now that the women's tennis lame, er, Dane diva is out, it's going to be high-quality tennis from now on - I'm sure of it! :) Let me guess, Wozniacki went crying in Fernando Verdasco's arms? C'mon, Caroline, the wonderful Ana Ivanovic had been there before when she was #1, too... we know what happened to her, and her career - what a pity. And you're showing all signs of Ivanovic-ish spontaneous combustion... at least, Ana won Roland Garros before she went on a decline... but it's great to see her coming back now. So, smart up, woman!

Genius vs. Big heart. As if the emotional seesaw in the Stosur-Dulko battle at Philippe Chatrier was not enough, it was followed by a fantastic match between the young German genius, Julia Goerges, and the 11th seed Marion Bartoli - the Frenchwoman with an Italian name. Bartoli was stunned in the first set by fantastic crisp and clean shotmaking from the gorgeous 18-seed genius. The German took the first set, 6-3, with glorious shotmaking - too awesome! France's Number One was eager to give her French fans a great showing, and so, she regrouped and fought back in the second set, winning it with a 6-2 score, while the Gorgeous One blinked watery right eye that caught something in the air. The third set was a nail-biting affair for tennis fans. With Bartoli leading at 4-1 and on her serve, the Genius and the fighter with the Big Heart locked horns, going back and forth between deuce and one of them going one point up several times. Bartoli invested tremendous amount of effort and emotional energy to take the set to 5-1 before Goerges takes her turn to serve. But Goerges resisted with awesome returns, totally murdering Bartoli's second serves, and beautiful, beautiful winners that all looked effortless, it was hardly fair for Bartoli who was making all sorts of efforts to stay in the lead! But Bartoli's big heart prevailed, in spite of Goerges's 48 winners against her meager 14, winning the set... and the match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

That's the way tennis should be played - great shotmaking and commitment from both women... pay attention, Caroline Wozniacki!

***
Oh, man, what men!

*sigh* Men's tennis is too exciting compared to women's tennis... it's heartbreaking! Then again, maybe it's okay... let's just call it "eye candies con adrenalin rush feast"... that women can enjoy - tremendously! 'Cause that's what I've been doing! :)

That Ferrer affair. It's quiet, efficient, powerful, fast and a sure winner. No, I'm not talking about the new Mercedes-Benz S250, I'm talking about the Roland Garros run of David Ferrer - the "Other Spaniard" who oozes awesomeness. But that comparison is not too inappropriate either 'cause that's what David Ferrer has been doing... when his name turns up in the draw, he is a sure bet to win, especially in these stages of the tournament. He just secured a place in the Round of 16 in another straight-set win - quietly, efficiently, powerfully, fastly but surely... plus the all-important Spaniard passion! It's a smooth clay affair so far for the No. 7 in the World, and I'm totally liking him, too! :) Vamos!

Round of 16 safe landing... Roger that. The Serbian Janko Tipsarevic is usually an unpredictable player - in a good way to tennis fans, but in dangerous ways for his opponents! He serves great, with some reliable aces when the situation calls for them. He can even use them to get out of trouble in a tight set. He is fast and aggressive, and can mix up shots to outmaneuver and outfox his opponents. But what is most dangerous about Tipsarevic for Roger Federer is that the Serbian National team-mate of Novak Djokovic has lofty ambitions... and he knows he's got the talents to accomplish them as well! Being faced with highly accomplished players like Roger Federer is not a challenge for him but rather an opportunity to measure up with men's tennis's great ones today, and he takes them with gusto as well. But Roger knows all this. And so, early on, he played smartly, turning all his game knobs to maximum, throwing winner after winner in Tipsarevic's half of the court... taking an early lead, 6-1 in the first set. Before Tipsarevic recovered from the early onslaught of killer shots, Roger resumed his attack in the second set. And as Tipsarevic found his way into the match to assert himself, Roger was already wrapping up the second set, taking it at 6-4. By the time Tipsarevic got his rhythm, Roger changed tactic, finishing his service games fast by unleashing aces to keep the 29 seed Serb at "re-start" mode, which eventually frustrated him, losing esteem and interest, and surrendering to El Maestro in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, in only 90 minutes.

Smart? Uh-huh.... Genius? Roger that!

Showman vs. The Man. It was only last year when Stanislas Wawrinka, one-half of the Swiss duo who won gold medal in the Beijing Olympics men's doubles in 2008 where the other half is Roger Federer, hit the gossip headlines when he reportedly left his young family to concentrate on his tennis career. He was then tauntedly called, "Stan, the Man". Since then he has improved his serve, his speed, his one-hand backhand, and his shotmaking kit, affording himself a climb to the rankings, getting to #14 in the World today. But when he met the French flamboyant "Showman", Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, in Roland Garros, however, it didn't look like he had a chance. The fast and furious #17 in the World, banged in winner after winner at Stan Wawrinka's half of the court in the first set to the crowd's delight. While Stan quietly offered a lot of resistance, cutting Tsonga's big serves speed with his one-handed backhand, he was unable to stop Tsonga from taking the first set, 6-4. The "Showman" involved the willing crowd in his play, taking time to celebrate every point with relish. By the time they got into the second set, Wawrinka was asserting himself, taking the set to a tie break. But Tsonga and the crowd was much too much for his "all business" approach, losing the set to Tsonga at 7(7)-6(3). When the third set started, it surely looked like a straight-set win for Tsonga... until the turning point in the match. At 4-2 on Wawrinka's serve, the Swiss was trying to hold serve, and was engaged in a rally with the Frenchman. He sent a ball at the corner and followed it up quickly with an exquisite cross-court shot. Tsonga sprinted from the corner to catch the ball but it was too good for him, and fell on his face, dropping his racquet, on the clay. He stood up covered with the red clay powder. Stan Wawrinka celebrated quietly while Tsonga picked himself up minus the showmanship and dusted himself off, looking defeated. Little did anyone knew that that was how the match was going to end. Stanislas Wawrinka hauled himself from two sets down to a most spectacular five-set win against Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3!

"The Man" prevailed over "The Showman"! Awesome match!!

Fire vs. Megaforce. Hmmm... I don't recall seeing the 2009 US Open Champ, the hard-hitting Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, crossed swords with the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open Champ, the Serbian hotshot Novak Djokovic before. And I admit that although I've been waiting for this tornado of a match to land in Roland Garros, I haven't really imagined how these two would match up. Both have great serves - well, now, at least, after Djoker improved his over the past months - and both have great variety of shots on court. While Nole has the bigger advantage on the mobility side, being leaner and more nimble, JMdP has "The Force" with him in his every shot. I like both men a lot, actually, even when both beat Roger Federer on big stages on certain occasions. :) And, I do remember RF mentioning JMdP specifically when asked a year ago about those with great potentials to dominate men's tennis. El Maestro praised the Argentine's powerful shots, which he said would take a lot of force and smart tactics if his opponents were to counter them. The Argentine famously prevailed over RF in the 2009 US Open, of course. And here we are, watching Nole Djokovic, the main man of the hour, trying to figure out how to stop the big man's big shots!

The first set of their match saw Nole on top, 6-3. He asserted his fiery self early, and JMdP was testing the Djoke... seeing how fast he goes, how strong he can return and how patient he was to retrieve points. He got a great idea now of the Djoke. And then the second set came... BOOM! Juan Martin del Potro in the house! I could almost hear the booming sound of his shots... and Djoker's beautiful fiery eyes were wide open in disbelief - he even double faulted! He was definitely feeling the heat! Every single point was faught like a championship point! Before people, including myself, could recover, the score board showed 5-2 - in JMdP's way! With that score, and on his serve, Djoker started talking to himself as he wasted a game point as he returned a JMdP smash as a drop shot that didn't go over the net - not a good sign! But Djoker held, and took the score to 5-3. At 15-40 on JMdP's serve, the huge Argentine served FOUR BIG ONES in a row to claim the second set, 6-3! Dang, it's TRULY GAME ON in Roland Garros!

And then, the umpire called the the game for a postponement due to fading sunlight. Djoker hastily gathered his belongings and made his way to the dressing room, briefly stopping by to sign autographs for the fans - looking shaken! JMdP took his time in the court, and made his way out... looking relax! Why??? what did he find out about Djoker??? What????? Aaaargh, frustrating!

***
Photo credit: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.

Big crashes, great comebacks...

...and some fantastic wins, too!
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


They sighed, wimpered, screamed (a lot, in the case of Maria Sharapova)... and then celebrated - a win! And, on the other side of the net, head hung with the devastating agony... of defeat.

***
Big-name crash, underdog comeback

I rushed home from some big meetings at work, sprinted to my room, dropped my bag on the rug by my bed, kicked off my shoes, and breathlessly switched on my TV - fifth day of the French Open, second round for the other half of the men's and women's draws. Game on!

What greeted me was Kim Clijsters - in her new hair style, of course - battling Arantxa Rus of Netherlands. Clijsters arrived in Roland Garros a little "cold", barely recovering from a twisted ankle, which she said she sustained while having fun in her cousin's wedding. She went through the first round though with relative ease to set up a meeting with Rus. And now, they were on... wait, third set?? And the score was 3-6, 7-5, 4-1 in favor of... Rus?? Yes, Rus! The 20-year old Dutch came back from one set down to go even with the No. 2 in the World, Clijsters. And Rus was trying to close the third set, hammering Clijsters, who was looking painfully vulnerable amidst disappointed "ooohs" and then appreciative claps - for Rus - from the crowd. I had to pour myself a tall glass of watermelon flavored Fit n' Right on a pile of ice cubes to take that all in. Before, I could even peel off my "restraining" blouse for a more comfortable tank top, the young Dutchwoman caused the biggest upset so far at Roland Garros: she sent the No. 2 in the World to a shocking second-round exit! And Clijsters's young conqueror stood there with a charming smile and a quiet and unassuming shrug after her 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win - very adorable. :)

Another big-name crash and underdog comeback played up in Roland Garros when the former #3 in the World, now seeded #28, Russian Nikolay Davydenko let unseeded Croat Antonio Veic come back into the match, to go one set even with him after the second set. The Croat then took the third set, while the Russian himself came back in the fourth before finally crashing in the fifth set. The Croat took the match with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win.

But, perhaps, the most heartbreaking big-name crash of the day was that of Number 8 in the World, Germany's Jurgen Melzer's. He went first on a seesaw win-lose contest with unseeded Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, until they went two sets even to go into the fifth set. The duo opened the match with a tightly contested first set, which went on a tie breaker, and eventually won by the German, 7(7)-6(4). Rosol came back strong in the second set, taking it at 6-4 before giving the third set to the German, 4-6. The fourth set, once again went into tie break, which Rosol won 7(7)-6(3). Rosol went into the fifth set charging and took it 6-4, advancing to the third round over the disappointed German.

The focus shifted to Andy Murray's match with Simone Bolleli over at Philippe Chatrier. Hmmm... it was like watching Caroline Wozniacki. Zzzzzzzzzzz....

***
Intensity and big name comebacks

Guess what brought me back to planet earth from my Murray-induced enthusiasm crash (ok, ok... I was tired from work, too)... Maria Sharapova's ear-splitting lung-power, of course! Ugh! Uhm, mute button, quick! *press* There! Whew!

The Shrieking One amazingly came back from one set down to go even with the brilliant Caroline Garcia... and I mean, "brilliant" as in "really brilliant"! Yes, Sharapova was completely outshone (but not outscreamed, of course) by the Frenchwoman in the first set... and half of second set. But experience and intensity (and her annoying shrieks?) helped her get back into the game, getting Garcia commit a lot of errors, and then finally taking the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 win and a very loud "c'mon" plus a swirl of the skirt of her pretty picnic, er, tennis dress! *yawn*

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And, hey, hey, hey, what have we got here... an all-Spaniard second round showpiece starring The King of Clay, Rafa Nadal, and the late John F. Kennedy Jr. look-alike, Pablo Andujar at the Court Suzanne Lenglen. The match started out with an early struggle for Rafa Nadal to win the first game! Oh, gosh, I have take-home work to do tonight... no more of that five-setter, please, Rafa! Actually, I should've been talking to Andujar... 'cause, with his passing shots and some powerful forehand shots there, he took The King up to his game, making Rafa work hard to shakily win the first set, 7-5. And then, Rafa Nadal had to hold his game up to assert himself in the second set, taking it convincingly at 6-3. But Andujar reminded himself that John Isner almost managed to demolish the King of Clay two days ago... and so, he tried his luck in the third set... impressing the crowd with awesome shotmaking. All of a sudden, the third set score was 5-1... in favor of Andujar!!! I needed another tall glass of iced watermelon Fit n' Right! And then, with the hallmark of his distinguished kingship on clay, Rafa Nadal, picked his tempo up, saving several set points, and toiled his way back patiently to take control of the third set despite fantastic showing by Andujar. One game at a time, he reached the tie break to take control of the third set, 7(7)-6(4). And he did it - through to the third round! Vamos!

---

Although, this is not our traditional big-name comeback, Andy Murray had to keep coming back - to his own mind - as he faced Simone Bolleli at Court Philippe Chatrier. Bolleli forced the No. 4 in the World Scot from a languid first-round run to a more spirited showing... and was handed some success by the Scot with almost a full mental presence on court. The match was peppered with breaks and break-backs, down on points and comebacks, as Murray went hot and cold... and back again. So, what's new? But he did bring the match to a three-set finish with a 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 win at the approval of his Mum (is it just me, or is Andy's Mum's presence in every single match he played has already become very annoying?). To be honest though Andy Murray's less than committed run sent my mind flying somewhere else, and I didn't see most of the third set... somebody crashed, big time - me. :)

---
Comeback nuggets:

While #5 in the World and two-time Roland Garros runner-up Swede, Robin Soderling (I really like his "all business" stance everytime he steps on the court), had an easy passage through to the third round, Fernando Verdasco of Spain had to comeback from one set down to go even in the second set with Belgian, Xavier Malisse. He then had to dig deep from his tennis emergency shotmaking kit to win the tie break in the critical third set. He eventually clinched his second-round match, 4-6, 6-3, 7(7)-6(5), 6-1. Verdasco will be up against Croat Ivan Ljubicic, who beat American Sam Querrey, in the third round, while Soderling will be facing Argentina's Leonardo Mayer who beat Marcos Baghdatis in another tight contest.

Edward Cullen look-alike, #18 Gilles Simon looked rusty as he let the first set slip in his own match with fellow Frenchman, the unseeded Jeremy Chardy. But, he came back strong to win the match in four sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.


***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks!

Not leaving anything to chance...

...is the theme of the day.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Ashed out of Barcelona

I've just been watching BBC's Sports Today segment... and what did I see? Well, the "little" Andres Iniesta smiling adorably as he squeezed his little frame through a thick crowd in... an airport! :) It appeared that he just took his luggage from the baggage carousel. And then... oops, was that Carles Puyol behind him? Hmmm... whoa, Pep Guardiola! Dang, wasn't that Lionel Messi there? It was the whole Barҫa squad, actually, in London airport! :)

Pep Guardiola and his first team traveled two days ahead of schedule to avoid air travel delay due to thick ash being spewed by volcano Grimsvotn in Iceland. No more of that 600-mile busride that they had to endure going into the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Inter Milan last season in Italy as air travel was hindered by the Eyjafjallajokull (whew!)volcano eruption. In an all-important match as the final on Saturday, Barҫa are not leaving anything to chance. And so, US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama just have to share the limelight with Barҫa as the Spanish Football Kings land in England during the American First Couple's State Visit. :)

***
El Maestro on second-round cruise control

After seeing Rafa Nadal struggle in a five setter against John Isner in Roland Garros - a first for the King of Clay - it was fantastic to see Roger Federer not leaving anything to chance as he put away wild card Maxime Teixeira in their second-round encounter at the Suzanne Lenglen Court, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2.

El Maestro tested the Frenchman in the first set... and, perhaps, realizing that his opponent was fearless in his enthusiasm to hurt El Maestro's glide into the third round, he quickly finished the first set to a win, and then secure the lock to bar the young Frenchman completely from getting into the second round, and went on a "cruise control". From the last four games he won in the first set to the first three he won in the third set, the showpiece looked like 13 consecutive games of El Maestro's mesmerizing concierto of breathtaking lyrical moves on the red clay of Roland Garros! His beautifully elegant one-handed backhand, his graceful mid-air body twist to unleash a powerful forehand, the lovely passing shots, and the well-executed serve-and-volleys were all on display, I almost forgot that Teixeira was there! Dang, what a treat! Too beautiful! Woot-woot!

With the crowd prodding the enthusiastic Frenchman to avoid a double-bagel finish as they played the third set, Roger softened a little and allowed his young challenger to show his stuff. And it was a delightful display from the Frenchman as well. Teixeira raised both arms - as if in victory - after he won one game in the third set, to the crowd's booming cheers. :) Roger seemed to have gotten carried away in the joyous atmosphere, too, that he let another game slipped in the Frenchman's way... and then he went back to business, closing the set... and the match - leaving nothing to chance. Grande, El Maestro!

***
No way through Nole

It seems that there really is no to beat the red-hot Novak Djokovic! Romania's Victor Hanescu is the latest to confirm that. Hanescu retired in the middle of the third set due to injury with the score at 6-4, 6-1, 2-3, saving Nole more sweat... although he seemed to hardly have sweated at all, even when he was obviously leaving nothing to chance!

But the third round may prove different for The Djoker - I sure hope so for the sake of excitement - when he faces Argentina's hard-hitting 2009 US Open Champ, Juan Martin del Potro, who finished the second round - not leaving anything to chance this time - with a straight sets win, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, over Blaz Kavcic of Slovakia.

---
Nuggets of rants: Is it just me, or Caroline Wozniacki is really annoying? First of all, it's painful to watch her in her "trying hard" fashion statement on court - it's distracting! Not that her playing style is anything worth-watching anyway - she has no style whatsoever, she just runs around on court and hits the ball like a robot with an exposed cleavage. No passion, no enthusiasm - very, very boring!! That's "second", by the way. :) Third, she's been "bitching" a lot on court, arguing exasperatingly with the umpire, in her second-round match with Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak - so unbecoming of the World's Number One! Ugh, shame!

I can't believe there's no one else who could be Number One in the World in Women's tennis! Seriously!!

***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Roland Garros website and Zimbio - thanks.

Sumptuous Nadal awesomeness in Roland Garros...

...and it's only Round One!
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


I thought I've seen enough of heart-thumping first-round French Open matches in those of Juan Martin del Potro and Ivo Karlovic, and Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez yesterday... but I was so wrong! The big matches kept coming today!

Earlier today, Sam Querrey and Philipp Kohlschreiber engaged each other in a four-set duel, which the former won... and later, the impressive five-set match between Nicolas Almagro and Lukasz Kubot, which the latter amazingly won, sent their clay court on a roaring noise. Yup, "exciting" is the operative word for the men's first-round encounters at Roland Garros, which made the women's side even more drab than it already was. While Andy Murray cruised to the second round, leaving French qualifier Eric Prodon (my first time to see him play) as a first-round casualty, the lad didn't demonstrate any sort of greatness worthy of comparison with two-time first runner-up Robin Soderling's first-round showpiece against the spirited challenge of American Ryan Harrison. But what made me gasp non-stop for four hours was Rafa Nadal's tooth-and-nail battle with the taller-than-tall American John Isner. I had to check my calendar there for a while, just to make sure that I was watching a first-round match rather than the final match! Yes, it was too amazing for a first-round match!

***
Nadal vs. Isner: An epic of a first-round match in Roland Garros

Rafa opened up the match with a first-set win, 6-4... and it made me feel kinda bad for John Isner, expecting that he'd be joining Murray's hunt, Eric Prodon, in the first-round Roland Garros casualties in three sets. After all, he was confronting Rafael Nadal - the undisputed King of Clay! And then, the American showed some amazing esteem and steam... matching The King point for point, and eventually murdering the second set in a tie-breaker with awesome variety of shots and HUGE serves in the 220++ kph regime, to go one set even with Rafa Nadal... yes, he who is the King of Clay - the one and only!

Rafa took a deep breath and began the third set with some awesome shotmaking of his own, determined to show Isner why he was the King of Clay. But Isner was not paying attention... he was in the zone, and continued to send great variety of shots on the other side of the net... his serve-and-volley was a perfection, it totally took the better of the seemingly surprised Rafa in the third set! John Isner demonstrated the advantage of his long reach, stretching nicely all over the court to save points and to send winners from all angles possible - beautiful to watch... except that it was at the expense of Rafa. When it looked like Rafa was about to take the third set, John Isner came back from 15-40 at 5-6 on his serve. All of a sudden, the score board showed 6-6 in the third set... and so, into the tie-breaker they went - again! Dang, The King was being forced into a five-setter in his own kingdom... and in the first round, too!!! Isner served up huge balls to Nadal, as big as 232 kph! In only a few minutes, there was a look of grimness in Rafa's eyes as the tie breaker score went 6-2, on his serve... and then, with a huge return, the sizzling hot John Isner eventually took the third set! He went one set up over Nadal! Unbelievable!! I was up on my feet, mouth open - totally speechless, but absolutely awed!

And so, The King, who is Number One in the World, was going into a five-setter in the first round of the French Open. Roland Garros was in a state of shock! While Isner didn't look spent as they went into the fourth round, he moved languidly in the court as Rafa's power and his will to win got renewed... and surged! Rafa charged like a wounded bull, running at top speed to save points, spraying winner after winner in Isner's half of the court - absolutely beautiful ones, too!! In a few minutes, Isner was looking confused as the ball flew past him and over him in blinding speed... Nadal took the fourth set from the stunned Isner, 6-2! An impassioned fist pump and a vamos that reverberated all around Roland Garros sealed it, too! Just beautiful!

While Isner showed some admirable resistance up to the very end for which he totally deserved a great round of impassioned applause, the fifth set was a vintage King of Clay masterpiece! There are no words to describe it. Absolutely most amazing shotmaking on that beautiful red clay that only The King himself could ever make - I'm 100% positive about that, too!

And so, The King of Clay prevailed in a gruelling four-hour five-setter, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. Whew! CONGRATULATIONS, RAFA!!!

***
My clay money

I know, I know, I said I'd decide on my bet whether or not Rafa Nadal would equal Bjorn Borg's six French Open titles after Rafa's first-round meeting with John Isner. More than the brilliant shotmaking, it was the way Rafa kept his composure after falling one set down going into the fourth set, and battled for five sets to come back and take the match that compelled me to put my money on The King in Roland Garros this year. He did show vulnerability out there, but he also showed the BIG HEART of a true fighter on court, overcoming even himself to secure a win! While it's true that all Nole Djokovic has to do is get into the final in Roland Garros - he doesn't even have to win it - to take the Number One in the World spot, I think that Rafa will be making his own mark in tennis history this year. I think that the King of Clay is on his way to equal the Great One's clay record this year! Vamos!! :)

***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Roland Garros 2011 website and from Zimbio - thanks.

Footie junkie, tennis fanatic...

...and a very proud one, too!
==================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Footie-yay!

Have I become such a "terrible" footie junkie or this article on Andrés Iniesta is really just a tear-jerker that it left me teary-eyed? While I don't mind the former,
Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta - the
incredible "midget duo" of Camp Nou,
La Masia boys both.please tell me it's the latter! :)

And, yeah... just marvelling about how these great footballers are so attached to their mothers. A story on Lionel Messi's early days in La Masia as a tiny 13-year old related that his first few months away from home were hard - he was missing his Mum that he used to cry himself to sleep sometimes. A story about Gerard Piqué's move to England as a 16-year old related that he used to get saddened by his situation at Old Trafford and he would usually call his Mum for comfort but held back tears when he spoke to her so she wouldn't worry about him. And now, this article about Andrés Iniesta about an emotional Mum who brought him to Barcelona with his Dad and and his Grandfather... too heartwarming. I also found this wonderful article about the Barca boys' La Masia days... such a wonderful read, and I'm falling deeper, and deeper... and deeper still!

---

Ouch, Carlo Ancelotti had been sacked... and in an ugly way,
Richer, but with bruised ego.too! Well, it's not like we didn't see this coming, right? We knew it will come to this after that Chelsea quarter-final loss to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League. No, I wasn't about to cry for Ancelotti... he parted ways with Roman Abramovich's Club £6.5M richer. OK, with a bruised ego, too... but, c'mon, José Mourinho watched Lionel Messi singlehandedly demolish his 500M++ euro squad from the stands, and in his home stadium, too! In that respect, life is kinder to Ancelotti... then again, he's way nicer, too, than the One who is Special! :)

***
It's game on in Paris!

Long wait 'til the European showdown in the New Wembley - one week... aaargh! In the meantime, French Open kicks off... and life makes sense again! Aaaaaw!! :)

Saw some of the first-round matches...

Italy's Francesca Schiavone showed no mercy as she thrashed Melanie
Francesca Schiavone, hitting hard.Oudin of the US, 6-2, 6-0. As usual, the defending champion, Schiavone, played with so much passion that she was like playing in the final already rather than just sending the stunned Oudin packing so she, Schiavone, could get on with her title defense into the second round.

The man to watch, Novak Djokovic, continued his 2011 unbeaten run at the expense of Thiemo de Bakker, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. While the Djokovic fiery shots were exhibited only sparingly in his opening round, it took care of business... he's through to the second round with a 40-0 win-
The man to watch, Nole Djokovic.lose tally, which is only two wins below John McEnroe's record of 42-0. And so, here we are talking about Djokovic breaking records in the second Grand Slam tournament of the season rather than talking about whether or not the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, would equal Bjorn Borg's six-title record in Roland Garros. Therefore, I insist on the Nadal-related discussion!! So, would he or would he not? I'll have to see how his first-round match with John Isner of the US look like, and then decide.

Argentina's comebacking injury-troubled 2009 US Open Champion, Juan Martin del Potro, on the other hand, was pushed to his limits by Croatian Ivo Karlovic, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 before getting the pass to the second round. It was a hard-to-watch match for me... it looked like it could go either way. And it made me wonder how such match was in the first round!

Speaking of first-round big matches, Roger Federer had to braid together genius and magic to weave enough spell to put away one of the
Roger Federer. Red dirt, red shirt - game on!Spanish clay specialists in the men's draw, Feliciano Lopez. While the score, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6, looked like a straightforward win, it wasn't the usual "first-round warm-up" for RF... or, maybe it's just me, I've been "worrying" about his will to win these days that every match is a "labor" to watch for me (yeah, some fanatic I am!). :) I go back and forth between, "whoa, awesome shot!" and "gosh, how could he have missed that? What's going on?" Anyway, as usual, many shots from the RF racquet induced loud whoa's and appreciative claps from the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd... and from me, too... from thousands of miles away!

***
Photo credit: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks.

Sunday foodie...

...Filipinized Italian staple and something Spanish.
================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


To put some order in this blog, while maintaining "variety", I decided to have a (semi)regular "Sunday foodie" blog. I'm not sure if I could maintain it when the going gets tough in the University, as we enter a new Academic Year in June... but I'll do my best to get this going. Hopefully, that would also break weekly monotony at work. :)

Although I tried a few exciting things in the kitchen over the past days while on summer break (summer break in the Philippines is April and May), it didn't occur to me to take photos. This afternoon, I decided to prepare a popular Filipino merienda or snack - Spaghetti, Filipino style. And, I only needed 25-30 minutes - enough time to relax the mind, enjoy the soothing aromas in the kitchen with some nice music in the background. :)

***
The pasta should not be pasty

The key to Spaghettiliciousness is the cooked pasta's al dente quality. I am meticulous when it comes to this. After adding the pasta in boiling salted water, added with a little bit of oil, I stir for the first two minutes of cooking. I usually set my cooking timer 2 minutes short of the specified cooking time in the packet, and then stir the pasta the rest of the time until I get what I'm looking for - tender but firm, with smooth "skin", that you can bite cleanly into it. I then wash the pasta with cold water right after cooking, drain the wash water, add generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking with each other as they dry, and a rich sprinkle of herbs, usually basil. I then shake vigorously and set it aside.

The "Filipino sauce" or "Pinoy sauce" is a "sweet" tomato sauce with a choice of meat and/or veggies. Simply put, it is sweetened tomato sauce - popular among Filipino kids and kids at heart. I usually prepare it from scratch using fresh tomatoes, with their seeds removed, and the pulp pureed and cooked to smooth consistency with sugar. Or, on busy days, canned tomato sauce or tomato paste is acceptable. Today, I decided to prepare Pinoy sauce with chicken, using cubed lean chicken meat and freshly prepared chicken broth to cook the tomato sauce with. The chicken meat was sauteed in light butter with finely chopped garlic and onion before adding the tomato sauce. The buttery aroma cuts the sourness of the tomato sauce, and blends better with the sweetness, while it coats the bland chicken meat with rich buttery flavor. For some "kick" (optional), a dash of cayene powder may be added. The sauce is added to the pasta, topped with grated cheese for added richness, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar (optional)... and served immediately.

Oh, and it's the last day of Spanish La Liga, too. To add to the excitement of watching replay of FC Barcelona's second team victory over Malaga CF, 1-3 (a record-breaking away win for Barҫa - 14 in one season), I ate my merienda with warm Spanish bread, which is basically a butter and caramel roll - again, a Filipinized variety. Hmmm... this food blog is going to be worth it, I just know it! :)

***
Photo: Filipino spaghetti and Spanish bread. I took this photo in my kitchen.

No messin' with Messi...

...even when he messes up world's football heads with his brilliance!
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Just a couple of days ago, a feature article on FC Barcelona on The Economist has got me grinnin' from ear to ear. :) Today, I'm on Cloud 9 after finding a full-length feature on Lionel Messi in the Sports Section of NY Times, which remains to be my fave everyday news source. The article, "Lionel Messi: Boy Genius", contains nothing new for avid fans like myself, but it's still wonderful that NY Times features Lionel Messi while Cristiano Ronaldo picks up this year's Pichichi with a record-setting 40 goals in the Spanish La Liga. :) Many of CR7's goals though were from free kicks and penalty shots, I must emphasize, with 11 goals made after Real Madrid practically lost the La Liga title to Barҫa with four more matches to play, and Lionel Messi sitting it out on the Barca bench in preparation for the UEFA Championship.

The NY Times article described in colorful details the two magnificientfirst leg of Barҫa's UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid
A flea against three giants... and the flea prevailed! goals made by Messi in the in Estadio Santiago Bernabéu last month. Messi's brace of goals, which brought his total goal tally for the season to 52, effectively helped carry Barҫa through to the Championship against the English Premier League Champions, Manchester United FC, in New Wembley next Saturday. While Leo's La Liga total goals of 31 ranked second to CR7's 40, he made enough to help Barҫa in lifting the 2010-2011 La Liga Campeones trophy -
The Catalans - the 2011 La Liga Campeones!for the third time in three consecutive years with Pep Guardiola as manager!

Therefore, I say it again, "It is the critical points you earn, the manner by which the points were earned, and the quality of the points you earn that make you the best." Lionel Messi is simply the best in today's generation of football greats. Even readers of Time Magazine hail him as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2011... and he's only 23 years old! Indeed, I am absolutely delighted and proud to be living in his generation!

Visca, La Pulga! Visca, el Barҫa!

***
Photo credit: Photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks!

I fan-cy Barҫa...

...and it's fan-tastic!
================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


So, what do you know... one of my fave news magazines featured my fave footie team! Of course, I'm thrilled to find the notification in my inbox today! :) The article is aptly entitled, "The Catalan kings, The management secrets of Barcelona Football Club". While managing the Club is the least of my concerns about Barҫa as I trust that Sandro Rosell and his cohorts know what they are doing, it's good to know that, as pointed out in the article, "Barça’s management style chimes in with the thinking of two admired theorists" - Boris Groysberg and Jim Collins.

It just gets better everyday, this Barҫa admiration of mine. I just hope they don't jump into the "Roger Federer winning fatigue bandwagon" anytime soon... or even much later! :) Visca, el Barҫa!

***
Photo credit: The graphic design is an accompanying graphic from the Economist article - thanks.

The Djoker is in, but RF still...

...is the best - for me!
================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


I know, I know, I just put my money on Novak Djokovic to grab the Numero Uno spot in Men's tennis ranking within the next three Grand Slams two days ago, and here I am proclaiming RF as "the best". No, no, I'm not contradicting myself here... I'm just offering two separate arguments while I insist on looking at one subject matter on men's tennis in two different ways.

***
The hotness of the Djoke is no joke

Forget "red hot"! Novak Djokovic is a ball of raging flames, ravaging everything in its way, regardless of ranks and stature in the tennis world! He's already destroyed the Number One Man in men's tennis today, Rafa Nadal - four tournament finals in a row... twice in hard courts where Rafa just successfully asserted "ownership" by winning the US Open for the first time last year, and twice in clay courts where Rafa is King. Unheard of? Totally! Scary? Definitely! Exciting? ABSOLUTELY!

I think it all began from that five-set epic of a semi-final megabattle with Roger Federer in Flushing Meadows last year, which he won! Although, initially I thought it was just another one of those growing list of "megasigns" of a Federer "decline" in the rankings rather than the beginning of The Djoker Era. After all, there's still that fiery warrior from Mallorca who was picking up where El Maestro left off in the Tennis History books... and he's only just begun. We were yet to see the "Nadal Years" where the limelight of tennis will be solely on Rafa, weren't we?

Perhaps, I was just all wrapped up in my "approaching" post-Federer "active worship" that I set aside the impending Djokovic domination as an I'll-deal-with-you-later-please-wait issue... especially after El Maestro emerged victorious in the ATP Season Finale in London in November 2010 where he battled the rest of the Top 8 in the Men's ranking. I was like, "Whoa, the man's libido for winning was revived! Yowser!" Of course, I was ecstatic! The other thing is, I'd like to give Rafa his time of day... okay, a few years, actually. I think that after those many years of patiently playing "Robin" to Federer's "Batman" in the Men's rankings, he deserves longer time at the top, too. He's worked so hard to improve his game - his serve, making adjustments in his phenomenal clay court game to adapt to grass and hard courts, steadying his overall physical health to put injuries to minimum so he can participate in year-long tours to accumulate ranking points. He did whatever it took to deserve the top spot. And so, when he did ascend to #1 in the World, it was a delight to see as well.

But, after Novak Djokovic captained and carried his Serbian National Team to Davis Cup victory in December 2010, he became this ball of fire that kept raging, and raging, and raging! Now, he's on an incredible 37-0 run in 2011 so far, with all the ranking greats actively running with him - Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling to name a few... all have been playing at the very top of their game to quench the Djokovic fire, but their efforts seemed to have fanned the flame to bigger fire instead! He's unstoppable! He goes down on points in the court, but he pulls himself up over and over again... and goes on to win each time! He's in-form for complete domination - physically and mentally. Who can stop him when he believes that he can win it all? And he's winning 'em all, too! Incredible!

Therefore, it is inevitable that Novak Djokovic will rise to the top. It's only a matter of time now... sooner than the tennis world could have ever expected or imagined. After all, Rafa Nadal has barely warmed his Number One in the World seat. And, yeah, I'd bet on The Djoker, too... regardless of my wanting for a longer Nadal reign. But is Novak Djokovic the best now? That remains to be seen.

***
The best... although not the top guy

Is that possible at all? Sure... said I! :)

I was just watching again the semi-final match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Madrid two weeks ago, and it still sent my heart pounding! Fantastic match! Federer may have been surpassed in the men's tennis ranking, but the most incredibly beautiful tennis he still plays today is unsurpassed - not even by the longest reigning King of Clay himself, Rafa Nadal! And for me, that's the basis of being the best. Okay, okay... I know, I need to explain this.

The reason why Federer is not on top in the rankings today is because of the growing frequency of big match losses to his name lately. But, does that diminish his greatness as a tennis player. I say, no. But does that remove him as the best tennis player today? Maybe, but only maybe. While the ability to win matches is one measure of being the best, it isn't the only one. RF still refuses to compromise his beautiful game to beat raging bulls like Rafa Nadal, and now that ball of fire called Novak Djokovic, who both figured out that the best way to beat Roger Federer is to force him to abandon his beautiful tennis... because chances are, he wouldn't, and he'd fight to keep it... and that's how he loses the match. On court, RF fights to keep his tennis rather than try to beat his opponent. He asserts his beautiful game rather than asserting himself to his opponent. While it's painful to see him lose, it's still fantastic to see all those wonderful shots that come from his racquet - those that could only come from his racquet. I'm not sure if he cared about losing as much as he used to though. As RF's mother, Lynette Federer, who admitted that she used to not able to withstand watching RF play tennis on court because it was nerve-wracking for her. But she admits now that she can watch RF play on court and enjoy it, too, because "he doesn't have to win every match anymore."

And so, El Maestro still weaves the Federer genius spell on court. He "accelerates" his graceful glides on court to return shots, but he rarely breaks into a savage "sprint" to scavenge for points. If it was an "ugly point", he'd let it go. He is always looking for that dream-like perfect shots that only his genius mind could conjure, patiently sets up a play to make them happen, and execute them when opportunity arises, while his opponents - who look for a win - take every shot, and all sorts of shots, to gain points from him. And this is the reason why, when you watch him play (and you listen to commentators, too), the loudest clap of appreciation and the loudest ooohs and aaahs of fascination are from the Federer racquet... that, to me, is the bigger measure of being the best. Who can make tennis a sport worth loving? Who can make moves that leave spectator breathless and make tennis such a unique sport because of those breathtaking shotmaking? Who can make those shots that register in the mind and resides there for a long, long time... even in the minds of other players, who unconsciously copy them in their own game? Example: tweener winners. And he does all of that in a quiet manner that belies the genius behind all his moves.

However, these days, the score board shows RF at the losing end, especially when he is battling Nadal - the point scavenging machine, or Djokovic - the hungriest for winning to finally deserve his time of day, too. But Nadal has never been described as "genius" or "maestro" or "a sublime talent"... instead he is often called a "fighter"... because that's what he is. He "fights" with all his heart to win. A Nadal game on court has never been a display of "genius", but rather an exciting "struggle", a heart-thumping "fight" for winning. Is that enough to be called "the best" though? I don't think so... but that could be enough to bring one to the very top of the rankings, and even on the pages of sports history books.

And, perhaps, my fascination for Federer-like lyrical moves on tennis court is the reason why I am inclined to support Novak Djokovic, next to Roger Federer. He plays with a touch of beauty in his shots and a kind of grace in his glides that are similar to Roger's. The difference is that he adds a little more power, of the Nadal variety, to his shots that compromises some of the beauty, and runs with a tad of ruggedness that chips off some from the grace... but the combination of which effectively gets the job done... and the score board shows it, too. At this early stage of the top-spot-snatching point in his career though, perhaps the compromise could be excused. One has to reach the top first before orchestrating a symphony of shotmaking beauty. Ask Roger, he knows! And, maybe he's the only one who does! As for our Mallorcan Warrior, unfortunately, it seems that that day may never come for him... he seems to have reached his peak chasing RF in the rankings rather than when he took his seat at the very top. It hardly is fair, too.

While you may argue that the guy who gets things done to win is the best, I'd say the best is not quantifiable by points or ranks. The guy who accumulates the highest point is the "top guy", but he isn't necessarily the best. But Djokovic has a lot of potential... and he is showing now that he is capable and willing to fine-tune his game to perfection. So, who knows, he might get to be "the best" at some point, too. As for now, El Maestro is still the best - for me.

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RF should learn from Pep Guardiola and Barҫa

Because I am usually 99% passion and 1% human being... I like romantic guys. :) Uhmm... yeah, we're still talking sports here! =) This is why I support Pep Guardiola and FC Barcelona, and Roger Federer, because they all play their respective sport with a vivid touch of romanticism - too beautiful, too breathtaking. Aaaaah.... sports, sports, sports - we're talking sports! :)

When Barҫa plays, they "dance" on the pitch in a beautifully Pep Guardiola-choreographed tiki-taka, with Xavi leading, and everyone else following his lead. There is no savageness in their movements, there's only grace and awesome coordination that result in blinding speed of play and usually unforgettable goalmaking care of Lionel Messi and David Villa, or Pedro Rodriguez and Ibrahim Affellay, or Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez himself. They are that all-skills and genius lot, and just a little bit of muscular strength. And it leaves you in awe how those diminutive figures of theirs could afford win after win on the pitch against physically towering opponents of massive muscular arsenal!

With his encyclopedic mind that could spew tennis records and history highlights faster than a ball machine could, you can tell, Roger Federer loves tennis. When he plays on whatever surface, his feet touch the court in featherlike softness. The beauty by which he twists his body in mid-air to send the ball down the line in a blinding speed with not so much as a quiet swoosh is mesmerizing. The beauty by which he bends his knees to get his body on a graceful angle to scoop the ball from the ground and then power it for a perfect blistering one-handed backhand shot is unbelievable. Without him, people might mistake tennis as a war of amply clothed medium-sized wrestlers who looked akward as they wield their racquets in a seemingly savage fury. Federer makes "finesse" synonymous to tennis in a truly classy way - a total brilliance.

When Pep Guardiola talks about his La Masia "upbringing", he glows... and its beautiful to see. When he talks about La Masia's products in the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi, he ascends somewhere high and beautiful, and he takes you there with him, and it renews your love for football to an even higher level as well. But Pep is a brilliant manager, too - practical and wise. Playing beautifully is his second nature, and it's plain to see how he's passed on that DNA to his players. But Guardiola also understands that winning is the passport to allow his side to keep playing beautifully. And so, while he asserts Barҫa's brand of beautiful football in all their matches, he makes sure that he takes care of business first - winning. And he makes use of his beautiful football to claim victory rather than just an impressive display of pure genius on the pitch. He understands that for the world to appreciate Barҫa's beautiful football, he has got to show that the beauty is a mighty weapon that can cut opponents to pieces as well. And so, the beauty becomes brilliance, and brilliance becomes a phenomenon... a phenomenon that his Barҫa is today.

Roger Federer's love for tennis is undeniable, and his insistence to play beautiful tennis on court is unmistakable. However, these days, he seemed to have relegated winning to layers of folds below his priorities when he steps on court. Like Lynette Federer, maybe he believes he doesn't have to win matches anymore. And maybe that's reasonable, too, after all he's set so many records already... the ones that Nadal, Djokovic and the others have set out to surpass. But, where's the fun in that? If winning becomes a "non-goal", then the beauty of his tennis gets marred by the ugliness of losing... until it no longer is recognizable for the beauty that it is.

Therefore, if Roger Federer is no longer as interested in winning the way he used to some years ago as many suspect, he owes it to tennis fans to preserve the memory of the beautiful tennis that he created, and allow tennis fans to savor in their memory that breathtaking symphony of tennis pure brilliance that he has orchestrated when winning was still a practical business... by finally hanging his racquet on the wall. To just sit back while others try to reach the mark of greatness that he has set so high, even he is finding it quite a labor to reach when his mind is not 100% into competitive tennis. But if he decides to keep playing, he should do as Pep Guardiola and his Barҫa does: business first... winning first.

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Another example of best vs. top

Forgive me, but I just have to do this: Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo in best vs. top.

With four more matches to play in the La Liga title race three weeks ago, Lionel Messi had accumulated 31 goals, helping put FC Barcelona in an almost-victory situation, with 8 points above second place Real Madrid FC in the points tally. Ronaldo had 29 goals at this stage. In the latter part of the season, both Barҫa and Real Madrid got into the UEFA Champions League where they faced each other in the semi-finals. In the first leg of their tie, Messi scored two magnificent goals, one of them of absolute brilliance that wowed the whole football universe! Uhm, ahem, ahem... with the exception of Pele, maybe. But more importantly, the brace almost ensured Barҫa's advance to the finals with a 2-0 score card ahead of the second leg. Messi didn't score in the second leg, which they drew at 1-1, but neither did Ronaldo score. And yet, Messi's brace from the first leg brought Barҫa to the final with a 3-1 score on aggregate.

With the La Liga title almost in the bag now, the Catalans then shifted greater focus on the UEFA final. Messi lied low on goal scoring in La Liga, even made "to rest" a couple of times, perhaps, to avoid injuries in preparation for the Champions League final... after all, all they needed was to draw all four remaining matches to win the title, making Real Madrid's hope next to impossibility. It was at this stage when, curiously, Cristiano Ronaldo started going on goal rampage, accumulating 9 goals in three matches, and effectively leapfrogging Messi by 7 goals after three matches. Some of the 9 goals were from free kicks as a lot more in his previous 29 goals. On the other hand, with two more matches to play, Barҫa sealed their hold on the La Liga title, claiming the third of their three-in-a-row La Liga Primera Division title under Pep Guardiola.

With Messi's 31 goals, Barҫa moved on to lift the La Liga Campiones trophy, and with the record-breaking 38+ goals of Ronaldo, Real Madrid had to settle for second place... but Ronaldo will surely go on to win the individual award, the Pichichi, as top goal scorer in La Liga for the season.

Ronaldo may be winning the top individual prize, but it didn't bring victory to his team. He may have scored the most number of goals (many of which are from free kicks, I must stress again), but their impact is nothing compared to Messi's spectacular goals at critical moments that helped win his squad the championship. Ronaldo gets the job done to ensure being at the top of individual glory, but Messi consistently brings on his individual magic to blend with that of Barҫa's collective brilliance to help carry his squad to victory, which matters more, because football is a team sport. Therefore, being on top, is not always a guarantee of being the best. It is the critical points you earn, the manner by which the points were earned, and the quality of the points you earn that make you the best.


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Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from Zimbio - thanks.