Stan-ning...

...for the love of clay!
====================================================================
by PAM


Yep, I've been paying attention - I swear! :) 

Uh-huh, of course, the allure of the beautiful red clay distracted me some from my deadlines, what d'ya think!  I did see a little of that Roger Federer-Gael Monfils fourth round bit before passing out from exhaustion, working on something... and, of course, that Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray semi-final bit, too.  Before that, I was admiring the courage of David Ferrer as he battled Murray for a place in the semis, and how great it was to witness that muscled battle for a place in the semis between the King of Clay', Rafael Nadal, and the king of... uh, 'everything'?  As in, everything - now - Djoker, of course.  I remember being a bit shock as I watched Djoker unseat the King of Clay... whew!  I know that Nole has beaten Rafa a few times... but never in Paris, well, not until this year anyway.  And, the minute Stanislas Wawrinka secured a place in the semifinal, at the expense of RF, I knew he had a chance in conquering Paris... notwithstanding Djoker or Rafa and Murray.  The pounding of Jo-Wilfred Tsonga by 'the other Swiss' in their semifinal duel was a clear warning to Djoker that capturing Paris was not going to be a walk in the Park.  What with Stan's canon backhand?  

That dazzling 'dirt' in the City of Light...
...and the men that make it special.

I gotta admit though, great as tennis's big men were, and magnificent as they were on clay, they didn't have my full attention.  I was quite distracted by my-- well, ya know what - my work, what else. :(  Old news, old excuse... and, just what do we do about it?  We'll know in a few months... but that is not the point of this post. :)

Goin' back to tennis... I'm really glad to see 'Stan the Man' triumph in Paris, congrats to him!  He may have reduced RF to a mere QF-er, but the same feat kind of crowned him as the next victor of Paris... for it has become a pattern, whoever beats Federer in the QF or Semis, goes on  to win the final.  It's like an anointment to become a champion... the way Djoker rose to being the Number One player in the World, the way Nadal became another legend of tennis, the way Murray found and embraced his own greatness, the way Juan Martin Del Potro found the Champion's way.  They all had to go through the Swiss Maestro.  I know, I'm biased... too much of an RF fan, I am, admittedly. :)

***
Photo credit:  I took all the photos from the live coverage of the French Open 2015 by Balls, Channel 34 on Skycable.  

*** 

2012 French Open Quarterfinals...

...already?  Already!  Aww, not ready!
=================================================================
by PAM


I fell asleep, exhausted from the day's activities... some serious technical editing of something seriously technical, and an initial experimental run on something... uhm, experimental.  Haha...  And then those "experimental ventures" that are not really... uhm, actually, shouldn't really be treated "experimentally".  But enough about being cryptic on "real life"... 'cause there are quarterfinals worth investing time on over at the City of Lights. 

The "warm-up rounds" are over and the toughest are hangin' tough... the heat is on!  QF in the 2012 French Open, bebeh!

***
Novak broke back... and broken back, back-to-back!

So, I found a comfortable watching position somewhere in the middle of the second set of the aaargh-ugh-huh?-whoa-inducing QF match of the World #1, Novak Djokovic, and World #5, the French livewire tennis court showman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga....

With the first two sets gone and the men even on set winning, 6-1 and 5-7, Djoker taking the first and Tsonga taking the second, the third set was a "killer set".  The ice in my coke melted in just a couple of minutes from all the heat the two power-hitters generated from the scorching red clay.  At 1-1 on Tsonga's serve, he couldn't move on from a shot called long... and flopped a
Novak Djokovic, eyeballing the ball.slam, sending it to the net, 0-40. That bouyed the spirit of the visibly distrought Djoker who lost the 2nd set in a heartbreaking game that saw his serve broken by Tsonga. Djoker maintained his composure, or what's left of it... and he broke Tsonga on the Frenchman's serve... only to give up his own service game right after, 2-2. Whew!

At 2-3, 15-15 on Djoker's serve, the Frenchman showed a volley masterclass, digging deep to pick up a Djoker fine dropshot to send the ball right on the sideline - beautiful!  The crowd erupted in glee! Uhm, yeah... and me, too!  But the Serbian World #1 with beautiful blazing eyes held, 3-3. After flopping an easy volley big time, Tsonga sent a winner that Djoker had no hope of returning, 30-30.  And the Frenchman sailed, 4-3. The eight game was intense, Djoker trying to hold and Tsonga trying to steal a game... and the set.  But Djoker found his mojo... and his ace serves, and held, 4-4.  Tsonga came back... wild!  I mean, oh-yeah, wild!   Two consecutive BIG crosscourt winners and unreturnable serve, 40-0!  Djoker, stunned, almost visibly sinking... and Tsonga took the score to 5-4, with him on top.  Hot! 

2012 Aussie Open...

...now, before it 'closes'!
==========================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


I know, there have been two El Clásico matches between January 18 and today already via the two-leg quarter-final tie in the battle for the Copa del Rey. Both meetings featured "big dramas" the way Clásicos are usually "staged", and as we have come to expect now in these clashes between the two Spanish League giants, Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona. While Barça emerged victorious once again on aggregate score - the first leg, their 8th victory in 13 most recent Clásicos, where four ended in a draw (including the second leg of this tie) and only one won by Los Blancos - I also understand that Madridistas have finally seen something to hinge their hope upon in the way Los Blancos bonded like a 'real' team on the pitch in the second leg of the tie - a ray of hope to topple Barça in the next Clásicos. Good for them... and, uhm, ahem, good luck to them, too - just because they surely need it! :) Visca el Barça!

Yep, exciting things... and yet, there was a road block huge enough to prevent me from dropping by here to savor the excitement... work, what else? And health... to some extent. Oh, well....

But we'll tackle football later... right now, let's talk tennis, specifically, Aussie Open - before it closes!

***
The "Big 4" in men's tennis are the biggest


See, this is what I like about Men's tennis: the rankings make sense.  It was an exciting Round of 16 and even exciting quarterfinals... but, in the final analysis, the Top 4 men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, end up squaring off to win the two final slots in the battle for the first major silverware of the season.   

I've gotta admit though I only saw Roger Federer's run to get to the "last four" in the men's singles live. I pretty much skipped the rest... 'cause there's work. Man, I've never been this jealous of sports writers before - I want their life! *sigh*      

***
Federer can now put 2009 US Open to rest....

And so, one of the most awaited quarterfinal matches was played by Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro. And by
Roger Federer serving up "revenge" to his
2009 US Open conqueror, Juan Martin del Potro.the look in Federer's eyes, it was 2009 US Open all over again!  The Swiss Maestro was even wearing red shirt, too, like he did in the Arthur Ashe Arena where they last met for the 2009 US Open final. But will their match at the Rod Laver Arena end the same way it did in New York? Everyone was dying to know. Therefore, game on!

First set, was going on Federer's way.  And then at 2-4 for Federer, 30-30, on JMP's serve... JMP chased a Federer lob to the back court, barely getting there... and did a tweener - cute.  But it was punished by Fed with an overhead smash - breakpoint for Federer!  JMP somehow managed to hold.  And then Fed went on to win an easy service game... and eventually, the set. 

Second set, 1-2 for Federer, on JMP's serve, the Argentine's body language was not very encouraging... and Federer took advantage, kept pressing... the intensity in every Federer shot was apparent, with the Swiss steel focus radiating in his eyes - intimidating... even for diehard fans like myself. And then, JMP seemed to have resurrected his game in the face of a looming defeat.  At 3-5 for Federer, 30-40, on Fed's serve, JMP returned a shot long, for which Fed let out an intense yell - deuce. Adrenalin pump!
Grace, precision, power - breathtaking beauty!Whew! "Let's go, Roger. Let's go," chanted the endearingly rowdy Aussie crowd! (Oh, gosh! How I wish Andy Murray would learn to have "fun" like an Aussie fan... then he'd know that winning a Grand Slam was not impossible - with his talents.) Yeah, I can just imagine how the ghosts of 2009 US Open were hovering around Federer's head... but he managed to shoo them away. And then, impossible-to-return overhead and a big serve later, Fed took the set. Aaaawww!

At that point, I was chanting, "Man, intensity, intensity - too much! Let up, let up!" Whew!

In the third set, at 2-4, 40-30 on JMP serve, Fed punished a weak attack from the Argentine in a mini rally, banging in a beautiful, beautiful winner, which JMP didn't even bother to return as he, too, seemed mesmerized - deuce.  And then a big Federer shot zinged right before JMP's very eyes - an
...and "New York 2009" was finally laid to rest.awesome winner close to the sideline - breakpoint for the Maestro.  JMP seemed to have lost his footing, still figuring out what was "hammering" him, and sent a Fed return of serve against the net: 2-5 for Federer.

A couple of minutes later, with Federer serving for the match, at 30-15, Fed sent a crosscourt winner in front of the stunned JMP... another big winner at the center of JMP's half of the court, and bang! Win! And Federer raised his arms to savor the victory. What a way to exact revenge against the talented young man who gave him his first defeat in six years in the final in New York in 2009... the Swiss Maestro seemed to have finally put a closure to that bitter defeat, and approached the post-match on-court interviewer giddy and giggly happy! Aaaawww! :)

And so, the Maestro went on to the semis in a straight-sets victory, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, on his 1000th career singles match... to face Rafael Nadal, who took care of an incredible Thomas Berdych challenge in a heated match in their own quarterfinal meeting, in what could be expected as another classic tennis in its brilliance and intensity! Oy!

***
Oh, and there's that nice fella from Japan...

So, if you were wondering why the #6 guy, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France was "missing" in the "last 8", it’s because someone edged him out – unexpectedly. Remember that guy who challenged Federer in Basel last year... the Japanese fella with a smiling face? Yeah, Kei Nishikori, seeded 24 in the Aussie Open this year... he outwitted Tsonga in their Round of 16 meeting. And, it was a rather enjoyable match, too....

After the players won two sets each - with lots of intensity... and smiles, in the fifth set, and at 4-2 for the
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kei Noshikori...
intensity, smiles, brilliance - what fun!Japanese, on Nishikori's serve, just when everybody thought Tsonga was about to break back at 15-40, the Frenchman missed a shot... and then could not return Nishikori's next serve. Deuce. Whew! Nishikori then rushed to finish the game, 5-2.

Tsonga came back with a VERY strong service game - three aces and an unassailable one! They went 5-3. On Nishikori's serve, they went on a long tense rally, when Tsonga could not catch a Nishikori shot sent on the corner, 15-0. The Japanese then served up an unassailable ball... and then an ace, 40-0! The crowd erupted! Tsonga came back with a strong return of serve and a follow-up, 40-15! A long rally followed, I was at the edge of my seat... and Tsonga ran out of gas. And so, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3... just like that and the young player with a winsome personality became the first Japanese to reach the quarter finals in the Australian Open in 80 years! Woohoo!

The Japanese went up against the #4 in the world, Andy Murray, in the quarterfinals. Oh, I saw the first set of Murray's Round of 16 match with Kushkushin... I fell asleep somewhere in the fifth game. :) OK, I was sleep-deprived waiting for the Lunar New Year the night before, so don't take it personally, AM fans... although, a more colorful AM outfit would've probably made my eyes more cooperative, I guess. :)


Alright, there's something big in my University in a couple of hours... I'll go and have fun with everyone. We'll talk tennis again later.

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

Somebody got their mojo back...

...Roger that! :)
============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


So, what did I tell ya a few days back? The Swiss Maestro has gone out of the limelight after his US Open semi-final choke-up against Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the tournament, and his Davis Cup stint in Australia with the Swiss National Team. He then returned with a vangeance! He mounted a "mini-comeback" in Basel, which he followed up with another win in Paris. And now, after the other three in the "Big Four" of men's tennis - Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (who was thoroughly beaten by the Maestro himself in their round-robin, 6-3, 6-0), and Andy Murray (who dropped out of the competition due to injury) - fell one by one in the O2 arena in London as the Top 8 in men's tennis clashed in the ATP World Tours Finals, Roger Federer claimed his record-breaking sixth year-ender trophy against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga! And he did it in three sets, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 that effectively engaged the thrilled audience.

The King is back! Therefore, happy days in tennis are here again, woohoo!

Uhm, ahem, of course, there are those usual RF "yeah-I-know-I'm-awesome-thanks" talk, just very mild this time though. In fact, he sounded a bit philosophical and nostalgic...

"It's one of my greatest accomplishments...
I love this game... I'm not gonna wake up suddenly one morning and say I don't like it anymore... moments like this, it's priceless."

...but, hey, the man just proved everybody wrong again - that his career was over when he turned 30 last August, especially after that Wimbledon QF exit via a wasted two-set lead against Tsonga, which got repeated in the hands of Djokovic in the semis at the US Open. Obviously, he worked so hard to get his mojo back after that, and renewed his commitment to the sport that he loves. His stamina and fitness all throughout the Finals was amazing! How did he regain all that again?? Ah, "it must be love" - for the game, indeed! So, I guess he deserves some "dang-I did-amazing" moment there... just not a la José Mourinho. =) It's one of "his things" that us, fans, have grown to accept about him - part of his love of tennis, and his amazement of what focus, a desire to win and play beautifully on court could do. He balances it with awesome sense of humor and cuteness, too, on other occasions anyway... so, I guess, it's fine. Nah, it is fine!

And so, to celebrate RF's ATP year-ender victory, I rummaged through my fave RF-related YouTube videos, and found one that contained two of my biggest faves in the whole universe - RF and chocolate!

"Swiss... tennis player."

Well, actually, this is so much better...

:D Yowzer!

***

Alright, work, work, work... work!

***
Video credits: Thanks, YouTube, for the videolinks.

A couple more things before going back to work...

...'cause these are 'rather important', y'see. :)
==========================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


I do need to post this here... just because I really need some football sustenance, and to make a case to sports (cable) channels to air live La Liga coverage here in Manila. That David Villa monster header via an Isaac Cuenca brilliant cross is something that should be written in gold ink in football history books for extreme awesomeness! And it did collect the fourth goal for FC Barcelona in their 4-0 win against Real Zaragoza in Camp Nou, too. Here, see for yourself...

Now, if that didn't make those Manila sports cable channels owners, who are obviously huge golf fans, waver in their devotion for their kind of green - at the expense of football air time - then... maybe they should get a bigger TV/computer monitor, so they'd have a better appreciation of so much beauty - on my kind of green? :D Otherwise... I therefore conclude that I should move to Spain - soon! Olé, olé! =)

***

Just when I was swearing to high heavens what a beautiful tennis Roger Federer plays, tennis bloggers are, all of a sudden, talking about how RF 'won ugly' against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their match at the Barclays ATP Tour Finals in London yesterday! :)

A-ha, so now the Maestro has learned something new... regaining composure against Tsonga when the going gets tough. I hope he remembers that lesson learned when he faces Novak Djokovic at some point. :)

***
Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the videolinks.

US Open, uh-hmm...

...trying to focus, but work and these football men are "distracting" me! :)
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


I am totally putting myself in a lot of "trouble" sitting here writing this rather than enslaving myself some more... to work! It's my "free day" from work... but I have "six-feet tall" of workload beside me as I write this, almost "killed" myself yesterday from crazy workload. I've already given up "my" Sunday for lab work, and now used six hours of "my" day on work stuff... so, maybe, I deserve some "fun time"? No? Ah, whatever! My brain says "fun", and refuses to recognize things like "refrigeration", "mechanical energy losses in pipelines", or "permeate flux"! "Love", "deuce", "ace", "goal", and their variants are all that it recognizes right now... so, "fun" it is then! Yay!

***
US Open, finally!

It is unbelievable that the US Open is already on its eighth day today and I only got to sit to pay "serious attention" to the goings on at Flushing Meadows. I did say that work was threatening to crush me flat this month... and the threat turned to a real crushing force. *sigh* And this is why, I need some serious fun time. :) Besides, after seeing the Rafa Nadal "cramping episode" during his press conference yesterday (and reading about the funny comments from people later), I got really curious! Haha... uhm, ahem, excuse me... sorry (hahaha...).

Moving on...

***
Excitement in the women's singles

Ah, finally, World #1 Caroline Wozniacki triumphed in a BIG match - against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. It was an exciting match... I know, it sounds weird that the word "exciting" is in the same sentence as "Caroline Wozniacki" (hehe...), but there is no other word to describe that match though. It was exciting... and mostly because of, ahem, the Kuznetsova forehand! =)

The first set was stretched to maximum tension in a tie break, where Kuznetsova assumed the "attacker's role", and Wozniacki took the
Wozniacki, on a fighting mode.defensive end. Both were fantastic in the roles they chose for themselves. Between the two, Kuznetsova had the bigger artillery of shots, with her tricky Nadal-like topspins and incredible forehand as her biggest guns, therefore, she fits the offensive role like a glove in this match. She took several shots at Wozniacki with her forehand, and Wozniacki defended with fast reaction and her usual ball-scampering moves. Wozniacki wore her "wheeled tennis shoes" today, and she covered the court with it without reserve as she tried to return the spinning balls from the Kuznetsova racket. But, everytime, Wozniacki's attention strayed in split second, the Kuznetsova forehand collected points... and so, the first set went to the Russian's way, 7(8)-6(6).

The second set started with a Wozniacki defeat written all over it, with a break of serve in favor of Kuznetsova... until the Russian's tank ran empty at around the 8th game when Wozniacki pulled Kuznetsova's cushion of break of serve under the Russian with a break of serve of her own. The young Dane, whose biggest attributes are stamina and positive attitude (that, sadly, is enough to catapult one to the top of the women's ranking these days), recognized the weakening forehand and the less lethal topspins as Kuznetsova started to succumb to fatigue. The smart Wozniacki then went for a reversal of roles, using her speed to beat the Russian to the points by
Svetlana Kuznetsova, running on empty tank. split seconds. The delayed reaction of the Russian to the Wozniacki balls erased her early lead as Wozniacki snatched the second set. And, in the third set, Kuznetsova was not only running on empty tank, but she was running on flat tires, too. And the Dane took advantage of it, rushing to every point with a speed that the fatigued Russian cannot match. With that, Wozniacki received her pass to the quarterfinals to meet with 10th seed, Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who earlier took out the returning-to-top-form, Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, in straight sets.

So, how do I feel about Wozniacki's chances this year in the US Open? Hopeful, but not exactly excited. While she won a big match against Kuznetsova, she won it by her tenacity to run after the ball, and Kuznetsova's lack of fitness, rather than by talent and patented shots. She will continue to outdo less fit and less patient players along the way... but once she's faced with fit and talented players, she'll assume her boring defensive position again. She might bag the US Open this year... and keep the #1 Rank... but that doesn't mean she's the best in the women's side. In fact, she will continue to be the symbol of the lackluster bunch of inconsistent performers, so lacking of passion for the sport, that women in tennis have become these days... until she
Williams and Ivanovic, former #1 in the World both,
when ranking was still a reliable barometer of
greatness in women's tennis.packed her bag with exciting shots artillery the next time she steps into the big stage, of course. I hope that that comes soon enough. Well, she's dressed quite decently - by her patented "free-skin peek" standard - for the US Open this year. That's a start. :) While she's no sister - yet - I still wish her the best, of course.

In the other big matches in the women's side, two former #1 in the World ladies, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic, exchanged fire powers. Williams prevailed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, but not without a fierce resistance from Ivanovic, especially in the second set. The American is on collision course with Wozniacki in the semis. If no one upsets the Dane along the way :), Serena would have a chance to show the #1 in the World who, actually, was boss in women's tennis. :). Well, that would be a must-see. Another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, moved on to the QFs after outlasting the 2010 Roland Garros champ, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, in three sets. I have yet to see the Aussie, Sam Stosur, in action... I like her brand of tennis, actually. She will meet the #2 seed, Vera Zvonareva, tomorrow in one of the first women's QFs. Hmmm... I hope to find a hole in my packed sked tomorrow to catch that. Good luck to me! =)

***
The men are on fire... as usual

Roger Federer, finally! Yeah, it's my first time to see
Roger Federer... oy!him in action in the 2011 US Open - I'm serious! :) That's how monstrous my work sked is these days. :( Oh. well... but, let's be positive and think about the RF shots hotness, shall we? OK... so, he was awesome! He took out Lionel Messi's compatriot, Juan Monaco of Argentina in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. Yeah, I know... poor Monaco! RF played like a man who needed to get home soon to feed her little twin girls... and didn't carry an umbrella, and the rain threatened to pour at Arthur Ashe. :) He didn't give Monaco time to get into the match at all. It was a victory obtained in a hurried New Yorker's pace! :) But, he did give the fans something - a lot of things - to dream about. Whew, hot! But that's all that I'm willing to say right now, considering he's facing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again in the QF. Remember, 2011 Wimbledon QF? And then three weeks ago, Montreal? I hope he... nah, I'll stop here. :)

Speaking of Tsonga, he beat the top American player, Mardy Fish, in their
Fish and Tsonga, impressive.incredible fourth-round five-setter match earlier today. Tsonga claimed the first set in his characteristic energetic game... and then Fish fought back, in a fantastic way that I've never seen him play before, to claim the next two sets - deflating the Tsonga livewire enthusiasm. But the "comeback kid" Tsonga, accepted the fact that the New York crowd will not play "I heart Tsonga" with his "showman antics", which included changing his shorts on the sidelines within a makeshift wall of towels held by the ballboys. =) The Frenchman refused to go for a restroom break as suggested by the chair umpire, and insisted to change on the sidelines after Fish received naughty whistles when he changed shirts there during the break. Oh, well... that's Tsonga for you! :) And then at two-sets all, on the fifth set, with the men one game a piece and at 40-40, Tsonga started talking to himself instead when the NY crowd refused to side with him. He sucked it all in, moved on... and then claimed victory from the pained Fish - on his own! :)

World #1, Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, while claiming a straight-sets victory, 7(16)-6(14), 6-4, 6-2, over Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, was tested rather heavily in a totally
Djokovic and Dolgopolov: talent,
focus, adventure and sense of
humor.entertaining match! Both men were unleashing ferocious shots through awesome athletic, sometimes even acrobatic, moves. The tie break in the first set was of championship quality - a crazy exchange of great shots that sent the NY tennis fans in Arthur Ashe to their feet. After snatching the prized win of the first set, The Djoker celebrated like he's already won the tournament... and quite understandly so!

I was almost sad to see Dolgopolov exit. While defeated by the #1 man in tennis on the planet, NY showed tremendous appreciation for the Ukrainians's performance - and he totally deserved it, too. Dolgopolov is one very talented chap! He will rise to the rankings soon, that's for sure... uhm, Andy Murray, are you paying attention? =)

Speaking of Murray, I did see him in action - albeit fleetingly and
Murray and Haase, incredible
match - uber!without my full concentration - when he crossed swords with Robin Haase of Netherlands in the second round as I prepared to go to work. The match started out as a "sigh-sigh-sigh-what-are-you-thinking-Andy" sort of a match as I watched Murray being hammered by Haase in the first two sets... and then, Murray seemed to wake up from a trance induced by the fourth-in-the-world boredom, realized he hasn't won a major, and this might be his chance... and pouced back! His "awakening" was too powerful that in the fourth set, Haase looked like he didn't know what tsunami was attacking him - Murray won that set, 6-0! Simply amazing! He won the match eventually... well, I found out about the result after work... I had to leave Murray's in his third round saga in the middle of the fifth set for... uh, work, what else! :(

***
Ah, these scene stealers...

When you see news stories like this, this, and this... and, well, this, it's hard not to pay attention! :)

After watching the new UEFA Champions League video magazine which featured Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Cristiano Ronaldo, pangs of guilt bit painfully. I've been meaning to write
Midfield Maestro, Xavi Hernandez.a feature on Xavi when UEFA announced last July the Top 3 contenders for the inaugual of the "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award": two of Barça's superplayers, Messi and Xavi, and Real Madrid's Ronaldo... with Andres Iniesta - another Barça genius - coming in as a close fourth. Of course, we know now that Messi won the award in an overwhelming domination of votes two weeks ago.

While I am a BIG Lionel Messi fan, I am also a HUGE admirer of the "Midfield Genius", Xavi... and I have to admit that, while I am happy to see Messi collect those individual awards, it's kinda painful, too, to realize after the jubilation that Xavi missed yet another opportunity to be recognized for his own genius. Okay... I'll save this topic for when I have enough time to write about it. Xavi is too awesome, he deserves full attention.

'Til later...

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

It's a man's world!

Sackur as anchor, hurrah for Guardiola, etc., etc.!
=====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


While I believe, with unshakable conviction, in the awesomeness of the "fairer gender" (yaay, sisters!), I have no qualms about admitting that there really is such thing as "awesome men", too. :)

***
An intellectual man, and a man of vision

Earlier this evening, BBC News surprised me once again. The network gave me another one of those "whoa!" moments. Stephen Sackur is achoring "GMT" on BBC... again! Really? Really! :) I caught him last week doing the same thing as I collapsed on my bed to decompress from a long day at work. Of course, right away, I got absorbed in the fantastic way he was manning the GMT helm, with most of their interviewees being subjected to tough questioning - in HARDtalk fashion - uncharacteristic of a "regular" news segment. :) The shaky stock market everywhere in the world was the center of discussion that time, and he tackled the issue with his usual "in command" intellectual stance. He then went on to lead a "short-selling for the dummies" dicussion/micro-lecture with the indomitable Aaron Heslehurst, using an apple. Happily, this dummy got it! =)

Here's an old clip... one of those instances when Sackur showed why he could be worthy of admiration:

"My job is to absolutely, rigorously challenge and test assumptions on all sides... to try to dig deep and get to, if there is such a thing, the truth of all these contentious issues."

If half of the journalists in the world (and especially here in the Philippines) were as intellectually endowed and as responsible as Sackur rather than as news sensationalism-driven and rating-conscious as most these days, then people in the world would be more well-informed and in a less-confused and confusing chaos. Yes, I certainly believe that Stephen Sackur is worthy of admiration! And I am definitely a big fan... and a very proud one, too. :)

Speaking of BBC, they will air their feature on the great Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, in Manila this weekend. Mr. Gorbachev's face was the inspiring image in my head everytime I sang along Sting's brilliant and valiant "Russians" - one of my favorite songs - on the radio in my teenage days in the '80s:

"We share the same biology regardless of ideology... there's no such thing as a winnable war, it's a lie we don't believe anymore."

The BBC's "Mikhail Gorbachev: The great dissident" promises to be an interesting feature... and quite nostalgic, too, for young people from the '80s who had witnessed the end of the "Cold War" and the fall of the Berlin Wall, thanks to Gorbachev's vision, wisdom and goodwill - embodied in "Perestroika". I can't wait!

***
Sportsmen

Tennis. I know I have been posting more on football lately... but, no, I haven't forgotten tennis - that's not possible! First of all, I have been having a very limited "hobby time"... my schedule in my "day job" these days is a complete monstrosity, and it eats tennis blogging time like a, uhm, terrible monster. :( But, while I'm still smarting from the
Roger Federer getting back to (winning) form.QF exit of Roger Federer in the 2011 Wimbledon, I have been paying attention to the goings on here and there. Actually, I was finding things a bit weird last week, with World #2, Rafael Nadal, getting ousted from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in the second round of the tournament! And then, the following day, Roger Federer crashed in the third round - a repeat of his 2011 Wimbledon QF exit in the hands of Frenchman, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, after cruising into the third round. And the Wimbledon hurt was renewed - for me! ;)

Tsonga went on to beat the Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, to reach the semi-final against Novak Djokovic, only to retire in the
Novak Djokovic, with his 5th ATP title for the season.second set. That set up a final between the World #1, Djokovic, and the American, Mardy Fish, who put aside the "other Swiss", Stanislas Wawrinka, in their three-set semi-final match. Of course, The Djoker went on to win the title... okay, I concede, nothing "weird" about that one! :) Seriously, the guy is simply unstoppable! As for Andy Murray... uhm, sorry, he vanished in the draw before I could pay him any attention. Nah, nothing weird about that either! ;)

The men are currently competing again over at Cincinnati for the last tournament before the last Grand Slam of the Season - the US Open - next week. Although work is threatening to crush me flat in the coming weeks (so, what's new, right? *sigh*), I'll try to make time to post some on US Open. Good luck to me! :)

Football. In the football front, Chelsea's hotshot new boss, Andre Villas-Boas, flopped in his debut as The Blues helmsman. The always surprising Stoke City sneaked a goal through Chelsea's defense, which The Blues didn't have an answer for in their season opening match... not that they had time to answer anyway. The pretty-boy Portuguese tactician
Sergio Agüero, Manchester City's new lethal weapon.will have a chance to right his slip-up as The Blues face West Brom tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.

Over in Manchester, many are awed by the newly acquired Machester City striker, the Argentine, Sergio "Kun" Agüero - formerly from Atletico Madrid - fresh from a fine showing at the Copa America last summer. Needless to say, after seeing his spectacular two-goal showing, debuting as a substitute in the second-half of Machester City's clash with the EPL "new boys", Swansea City, I share most pundits' opinion: Roberto Mancini is in serious business this season! However, I'm not sure if I could say the same thing about the embattled Arsenal FC boss, Arsene Wenger, these days. Oh, dear....

Speaking of Wenger and his sorrows, stories about how former Gunner captain and now Barça's new "precious one", Cesc Fàbregas (yes, he who launched Barça's bench to
Cesc Fàbregas (second from left),
a silverware in just three days.touchline "war" with Real Madrid), won his first silverware in six years - only three days after his unveiling at Barça - still proliferate in the internet. He played a part in the crucial Lionel Messi goal that secured the win for the Catalans in the Spanish Supercopa, too. The "brutal welcome" of Cesc to Spanish Liga of Real Madrid's Marcelo via a horrifically dangerous tackle, which sparked the latest El Clásico brawl, is still one of the most talked about incidents in the football world as well. The wonderful thing about Cesc is that he is not making a mountain out of it, regardless of it not being a molehill either... with José Mourinho and his destroyers' latest despicable antics going from ugly to really, really cheap!

Speaking of "wonderful conduct", Barça's boss, Pep Guardiola is doing a good job avoiding a "word war" with the deranged Madrid boss,
Guardiola and Mourinho, a contrast
in personality and winning style.Mourinho. He sticks to the issue of football on the pitch, and Barça's goal of retaining their hard-won glory in the previous season through commitment to honest playing of the beautiful game. He is not washing Barça's hands in the unfortunate brawl towards the end of the Supercopa final last Wednesday, however, and issued a warning that if both teams did not make real efforts to stick to football on and off the pitch, the bitterness and hot tempers on the pitch might boil over off the pitch, too... and not among the players either. That is actually a worth-heeding warning as Barça's and Madrid's most passionate fans exchange bitter words following the brawls that have become a usual spectacle in El Clásico.

Whether Pep's call for calm would be heeded by the two sides remains to be seen. In the mean time, many football fans are excited by how Real Madrid seemed to be getting closer to matching Barça's prowess on the pitch, as shown by the 5-4 score in the Supercopa. That was a BIG improvement from the 5-0 brutal thrashing they endured in the hands of Barça last November 2010. Whether Los Blancos would be able to sustain their momentum, despite their mentally and emotionallly out-of-control Portuguese boss, will be known when the new season opens. However, the Spanish La Liga's opening is postponed due to the players strike and the negotiation deadlock between the Professional Football League, LFP, and the players union. So, we wait.

Yep, it's been a "man's world" the past few days. Nope, not complaining! ;)

***
Photos: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Videos: Thanks, YouTube for the videos.

SW19 "tragedy": Big Four - 1

Aaargh...
==================================================
Philipina A. Marcelo


And so, Roger Federer did it again! *sigh* Yeah... he messed with our minds again, and it's so not funny! No! Especially not in Wimbledon, no! Grrrr...

I'm mad! I'm not happy! I want to scream... especially that RF has not
Uh, yeah, that's right... think
about it all, RF!been screaming after letting the live-wire Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, snatch victory from him after a 2 sets to love "almost victory"... yeah, almost, just almost! And that's all that it will ever be! Ugh! Losing to Rafael Nadal in the could've-gone-the-other-way final at Roland Garros, while disappointing, was forgivable. But in Wimbledon... it's a different story altogether! I don't understand... how, how, and how? How could a legendary grass champion go two sets up and in control of most of the third set against a player he'd beaten four times in their five previous meetings only to lose in the end... and in the quarter final where he arrived dropping only one set, too? It's unthinkable! Yes, that's what it is - unthinkable! Incredible, illogical, unbelievable! I'm mad - so, so mad!

No, I am not trying to diminish the brilliance with which Tsonga played to dig himself out of the two-set hole in which RF buried him at the beginning of the match. The Frenchman played with a single mind - to win the match regardless
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, flying high! of the legend on the other side of the net! He didn't stop giving himself chances even when the numbers on the score board were damning, to say the least! In the end, he managed to turn the table around... and prevailed! It was heroic, fantastic, admirable! And yet, what RF fan could take all this without feeling cheated, betrayed... abandoned in the hope of seeing the great champ re-write history once again in the most legible and beautiful strokes that only he could ever do??? Aaaargh...

OK, I know, I'm not being fair... I'm being a terrible bully. I'm sure RF does not enjoy losing, too. But that's exactly the point, he doesn't have to! *sigh* I think I need time... away from my precious tennis
The Centre Court of the All England Club, the most
hallowed ground of tennis where the very best and
legendary Champions emerge.world for a while! This is too hurtful. It is! And it is unbelievable that the terrible hurting was caused by the tennis champion who, I will always believe, is the very best to walk the earth - even now when I thought he did some terribly disappointing thing out there in SW19 - letting it all slip away as if the "love and lust" for tennis of half of the tennis world did not depend on him holding on... in his favorite court of all places - the same court most tennis fans consider the most revered of all courts in the universe! Aaaargh... No one, just no one, should step onto the Centre Court of Wimbledon - and all the hallowed grounds of SW19, for that matter - without winning in his/her mind - seriously! Ugh, Roger! *sigh* :(

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

Bits and pieces, and some tasty chunks of Wimbledon

The heat is on in SW19!
====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


And so, the courts at SW19 sizzled as the remaining 16 men and 16 women in whites battled one another to book their places in the quarter-finals of the 125th Championships at Wimbledon. Most matches were heart-thumping... and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wowified the audience in the Centre Court, too. Oy! :)

***
World No. 1 beaten by a fiery little one

So, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships was not going to be "the one" for the
Wozniacki, not again.World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki - yet again. She was ousted by the "little lady" from Slovakia, Dominika Cibulkova in their Round of 16 match. Wozniacki, in her usual less than modest attire and interestingly lacquered nails, was out in Court No. 2 with her boringly predictable game... what else? *sigh* She took the first set... but Cibulkova decided to inject some excitement into their match with fiery shots - good for her! - and took the second set in a tie break. At 1 set all and 5 games all in the third set, on Wozniacki’s serve, 0-40,
Cibulkova, fantastic win!Wozniacki moved Cibulkova around and then hit an overhead, which Cibulkova had no hope of saving. There was an emphatic “oh” from the crowd... but no appreciative clap! :) At that point, there was no denying who the crowd was supporting. I know I also gasped with an “oh”... in my disappointment – I would’ve wanted Cibulkova to have caught it! :) But the "little one" went on to break Wozniacki and then took the match on her serve, 1-6, 7(7)-6(5), 7-5. Brilliant! :)

***
An Aussie in the House!

So, the teenager from the Land Down Under, Bernard Tomic,
Bernard Tomic, hot!who sent Robin Soderling packing from the third round, got rid of the tough Belgian, Xavier Malisse, in a straight sets win. He booked a big place in a quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic, who put away the Frenchman, Michael Llodra, in their own Round of 16 match - nothing spectacular, just routine win for The Djoker. Tomic, on the other hand, looked sharp. And the teenager seemed to be having fun - and it was nice to see. :)

***
Sisters, over and out!

Venus Williams was totally murdered by Tsavetana Pironkova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Williams was moving like she needed help to get her through the match... from whom? If she was expecting a helping hand from her defending Champ little sister, tough luck for her because, unfortunately, Serena Williams, was already out of the Championships as Venus struggled in the Centre Court. Serena was walloped by the Frenchwoman Marion Bartolli in straight sets, 6-3, 7(8)-6(6).

***
La guerra en SW19!

There was a WAR in the Centre Court, and it’s between the defending Champ Rafael Nadal and the 22-year old 2009 US Open Champ Juan Martin del Potro! The two men started out taking the Centre Court
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge... wow!crowd, which included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to a tense atmosphere right away! Big points were played from the beginning, and even bigger serves were issued from the racquets of the two power hitters! Rafa showed off surprising volleys, which are brilliant, too. Both men were dissipating the tension by taking a long time in-between points (both averaging 26 sec). At 4-4 on Rafa’s serve and at 15-0, the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, warned him for exceeding the max 25 sec in-between points service time, and the Majorcan warrior was, of course, pissed... and protested heatedly. His annoyance was not helped by del Potro’s reminding the umpire about taking a point from Nadal, which made the defending champ fumed... and he retaliated with an ace! WAR!!

At 5-5 and 30-30 on Rafa’s serve in the first set, a HUGE point was played won by del Potro – break point for del Potro, which sent the crowd surging to an appreciative clap! And then, Nadal regrouped... an awesome passing
Rafa Nadal, needed more than just brilliance
to go through... he had to "sacrifice" a foot. :(shot here, a hot volley there, and he moved on to 6-5! On del Potro’s serve... the big Argentine was moving slow and tentative, even if he won the first point – via a fantastic winner! Nadal retaliated with a brilliant passing shot! Wow! And then they went seesaw on points – fantastic point, each time... del Potro held, 6-6! And then Nadal, typically, called for a trainer... his left ankle hurt (or foot, was it?) – from a big point he played, which happened to be a game point. Of course! Haven’t we seen this before in his third round match with Gilles Muller... and in many other occasions in the past? That's just the way he plays - he kills himself. Tsk! Del Potro protested the game delay, which was reasonable as far as rules were concerned. Hey, the Matador is defending his crown here, let’s be patient, OK? :) The tie break was painful to watch as Rafa Nadal pushed his left ankle (or was it his foot?) to severe punishments, del Potro going ahead 3-0. Oh, dear... But del Potro has been making unforced errors... 3-3 – shame! At 5-5, Nadal missed a forehand, and he grimaced in pain – around his ankle and the way he couldn’t control the ball via impaired ankle. Oh, gosh.... And then, Nadal powered his shots through the complacent Argentine... and took the set, 7(7)-6(5)! Vamos!

The second set was a display of brilliance from the two men - too awesome! And then, at 4-3 for Del Potro on Rafa's serve, something big happened: a break of serve - first in the match! Del Potro howled! And
Juan Martin del Potro, the big
and hard-hitting Argentine is a
formidable competitor. then he went on to win the set with a fantastic serve-and-volley and a great dropshot - awesome! :)

Nadal opened the third set... more fiery shots! At 2-2, on Nadal's serve, he double-faulted! Just an indication of the killer heat in Centre Court... and then he returned with a beautifully set game, finished with a smash and an applaud from del Potro! Next point, del Potro went down, holding on to the side of his stomach... and a trainer was called in - 15-minute injury break. The game resumed... both men held serves. Nadal shaking head over how long del Potro taking time in between points - so, the Matador met his match, huh? ;) They slugged it out, both holding serves... and took the third set of their WAR to a tie break - once again! Rafa won it... vamos!

After more than three hours, the drama continued in the fourth set... both men holding serves at 2-2. And then, at 30-40 on del Potro's serve, the Argentine served and followed up with a half-hearted shot, which Nadal punished to a terrific winner - break of serve!! And then there were brilliant rallies and mini-rallies - too good! Holding serve, the Argentine brought the set to 5-4 in favor of Nadal... and on Nadal's serve, the epic war ended with the defending Champ claiming a spectacular victory! Whew!

***
El Maestro was pushed... and he pushed back - hard!

There is no way one could ever discount the do-or-die Russian player, Mikhail Youzhny. And now that he is in-form, his middle name might
El Maestro, into the
quarter-finals.as well have been the celebratory "C'mon"... regardless of the legendary Roger Federer on the other side of the net at Court No. 1! :) The Russian pushed hard, taking the Swiss Maestro to tie break in the first set of their match where the determined Russian prevailed. But RF was not going to be derailed... he pushed back and claimed the second and third sets. Youzhny hanged on to dear life in the third set... but RF prevailed. The Russian proving his staying power at 5-3 in the fourth set to RF, and 15-40 on Youzhny's serve, the Russian climbed his way up to survival for a deuce and then going up before RF bringing the game back to deuce... and then a repeat of the deuce-and-then-up before the Russian double faulted - back to deuce! Another Russian double fault gave RF a matchpoint, which he completed to a win! El Maestro is through to the quarter-final - nice! :) He will face the on-a-roll Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who earlier put away David Ferrer in their own fourth round match. Oh... :(

***
Sweet bits of grass delight

Sabine Lisicki, the wild card who downed the 2011 Roland Garros Champ from China, Li Na, in the second round, lived up to expectations. She moved on to the quater-finals to face Serena Williams' conqueror, Marion Bartoli. Maria Sharapova, who has been looking quite good, screamed (and incredibly and super-annoyingly loudly, too! Dang!)her way to the quarter-finals against Shuai Peng of China. She will face the fiery "little one", Cibulkova. I heard that Andy Murray was through to the quarters, having downed Richard Gasquet in straight sets with Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the audience... okay, fine. Didn't see him though. Tomas Berdych was routed by the American, Mardy Fish, in a surprising less than stellar performance by the Czech... then again, maybe Fish just played stellar!

Can't wait for the quarter-finals! Uhmm... of course there's (huge) work to do though!

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

Red hot in white on green...

...in the All England Club!
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


There's serious work, of course... but there's also serious play - courtesy of Wimbledon!

Just three weeks after my Knights' successful negotiation with the "hooded one" for my "visa extension" in this "valley of tears", I'm just very thankful to be back in the swing of things at España Blvd. While I'm only about 70% fine, all at once, busy, busy, busy is the story of my life again... but I'm not complaining. After all, I imagine it's a (big) "clause" in the negotiation "agreement": I'd get an "extension", I'd use my time productively... not that I haven't been trying to do exactly that. But it's a fair enough "clause"... therefore, I'm just very happy to comply. :) However, no matter the level of "busyness", there's always time to enjoy the fabulous tennis on display at the 2011 Championships, Wimbledon. I have to make time... it's a part of the "negotiation", too, you know. ;)

***
First and second rounds roundabout...

So, the Big Four in men's tennis are once again parading their tennis hotness... with the other men close "behind them" making the "grass show" at SW19 all the more alluring. And yes, there had been a number of well-documented baring of chest and abs on court, too, among the beautiful men, which received a lot of ooohs and aaahs from the smitten crowd. :) And from the looks of it, unlike in football world, I don't think the officials of tennis are about to outlaw such acts. Uhmm, nah, not complaining - never! ;)

The first round was full of heart-stopping "scares". The defending
Rafa Nadal, having fun? Champion, Rafael Nadal, was broken in the first set by USA's Michael Russel in their first round match on Day 1, going down to 0-2. Of course, after that first round scare courtesy of John Isner in Roland Garros, this was kind of unbearable - emotionally unacceptable! I had to give up my lecture slides preparation for a bit to pay close attention. But the World No. 1 recovered fast, re-calibrated his game to beat the American, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. I was too tired to stay up all night on Day 3 to see him take care of another American, Ryan Sweeting, in the second round. But I had just enough viewing time to notice that while he still glared a lot on court like the hot Spanish Matador that he is, he had been more than generous in flashing his charming Mallorcan smile in the first and second rounds - sweet! Purr.... :)

Roger Federer walked into Centre Court for his first-round match with Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin with the "gentleman of distinction" swagger that only he can carry without looking in-your-face arrogant - I think it's called "elegance". He seemed very aware of the admiring smiles all around him, obviously still conveying their appreciation of his good run in Roland Garros... and hoping he'd exceed his performance in the City of Lights at the All
The Swiss Maestro, en concieto.England Club. The Swiss Maestro most graciously returned the open admiration with an awesome grass repertoire: beautiful full-body lift for right-on-the-tee serves, full-body twist in mid-air for a blistering forehand down the line, full stretch of the sexy chest with a twist of the torso and a graceful bending of the knees to issue a precise one-handed backhand, brilliantly executed serve-and-volley, graceful groundstrokes that earned breathtaking winners... too beautiful! Undeterred, Kukushkin pushed El Maestro to earn his swagger to a tie break in the first set... kinda scary. But RF was not about to be robbed of "his moment", and went on to beat the Kazakh, 7(7)-6(2), 6-4, 6-2. While I enjoyed the match... I felt there was a bit too much of the RF awagger though as he went deep into the match... and I'm not liking it too much. He'd better concentrate on his game more, I think. Then again, it's his opening match... he's allowed a little All England "grass flirting". :) He was more of his serene and focused self in his second round straight sets victory, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, over Adrian Mannarino of France, which was good. And he was fantastic to watch, of course! He will face the dangerous Argentine, David Nalbandian, in the third round. And the uphill climb begins....

No. 2 in the World Novak Djokovic has been winning clinically as he resumes his phenomenal 2011 run, suffering a hitch only from that
Novak Djokovic, look-at-me, look-at-me!derailment courtesy of RF in Roland Garros. He dismissed Jeremy Chardy of France via a convincing 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win in no more than 80 minutes in the first round. He followed that up with another clinical straight sets win over Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. He's living up to expectations, that's for sure. However, somewhat like RF, he's been walking with swagger, too. His is a bit overdone though... and there are some of those tell-tale signs of ego-swell with a "look-at-me, look-at-me" show on court that I can surely do without. As if the whole tennis planet's attention wasn't enough! Ugh! Then again, who am I to judge? Nobody, I guess... it's just that I prefer The Djoker in the brilliant Djokovic.

British Numero Uno, Andy Murray, scared the hell out of me in his first-round match with Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver. The
Andy Murray, British #1.
Aaaw-wooo... Scot looked red hot as he started his SW19 campaign... until he was broken, and lost the first set, 4-6! Into the second set, he was looking vulnerable - again! Dang! I had to make tea in the middle of the night to force butterflies in my stomach to settle down! But he prevailed... 6-3. And then, he realized that he had a "mission" to fulfill in SW19... he then gripped his racquet with a steel determination and downed the Spaniard, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0! Of course, he growled in the end! Aawww-wooo! His second-round match with Tobias Kamke of Germany was less tense, winning it in straight sets... and I hope it stays like that for him for the rest of the tournament... except that he's in the same half of the draw as Rafa Nadal! Aaaawww...

Of course, I've been watching Robin Soderling, too. It scared me
Robin Soderling escapes!silly, too, to see him being pushed to four sets by the German, Philipp Petzschner, losing the third set, and going on a heart-stopping tie break in the fourth! He won, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 7(7)-6(5). As if that wasn't enough, the Swede had to dig deep in his shots kit to prevail in his second-round confrontation with former No. 1 in the World and 2002 Wimbledon Champ, the Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the second round. I was torn, of course, because I like both men! I was glad to see Hewitt finally broke through his bout with injuries and arrive
Lleyton Hewitt, nice try. healthy in SW19 this season... but I couldn't completely celebrate as I watched him kill Soderling's "programmed game" in the first and second sets! Hewitt, brought his champion caliber game to Soderling, displayed fantastic moves that shook Soderling some... and more! But the Swede re-grouped... concentrated in winning points - one at a time - to re-emerge from a two-set deficit to go even in the fourth. He barely edged the passionate Aussie in a heart-thumping five-set battle, 6(5)-7(7), 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. Whew, too hot!

***
Bits and pieces of awesomeness...

Speaking of "scares", Roland Garros 2011 finalist and 2010 Champ, Italian Francesca Schiavone, made me sit up as she battled
Dokic & Schiavone, tight match!Australia's Jelena Dokic in a three-set first-round thriller! I couldn't make up my mind between the two ladies as I like Dokic, too. To be honest, I think the former Juniors World No. 1 Dokic was shooting the more outstanding winners - such a natural talent... but she looked rusty and "too heavy" to effect her former top caliber moves. She has been in and out of the tour due to various reasons... and it's a pity how her natural talents are being put to waste... I'm glad she's back, but Schiavone was too much of a wild force for her to tame. Maybe next time....

Of course, the big Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro, is making his presence felt once again with his booming shots! But I have been too busy to include his matches in my limited "relaxation time". Caught a few of his big shots though - whew, frightening! He just set up a third-round match-up with the brilliant Frenchman, Gilles Simon! Dang, how exciting is that! For sure, that's a must-see match... and it's going to be one of my priority matches in the third round! :)

Serena Williams has been moving beautifully on court. She's
Serena Williams, too good!playing a perfect game so far - fast, powerful shots, nicely put games for impressive winners. But then again, it's Serena. What else can be expected? She's too good, it's almost boring! Venus Williams, on the other hand, is painful to watch in her yet again trying-hard-to-wow outfit. Sorry, I know she's a great champ, and I like her personality... but that's exactly the point - she plays brilliant tennis, she doesn't have to try too hard to wow!

Ana Ivanovic is looking like she's on the right track... and I'm so
Ana Ivanovic, getting there.glad. I'd really like this former No. 1 in the World Serb to regain her great form and her Top 10 status. She's one of those great ambassadresses of tennis - very talented, and with a wonderful personality, too. She's through to the third round! Yaay! :)

The French Showman, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, once again wowed the crowd with his emphatic second round four-set win over Gregor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, 6(4)-7(7), 6-4, 6-4, 7(10)-6(8) - very exciting and emotionally charged match. Tomas Berdych is flying under the radar, gliding from one round to the other without hitches. I haven't seen David Ferrer in action, but he seem to be doing fine, playing the second round now with American, Ryan Harrison. I'm hoping to see Julia Goerges of Germany in action, too. She's through to the third round - good. I've yet to see Maria Sharapova's outfit... okay, and her, too. :) I'm not too excited to see Caroline Wozniacki in action though... could this be "the one" for her? I wish her luck... I'm serious! :)

***
And then the upsets...

While Robin Soderling marginally escaped a second round upset as Lleyton
Sabine Lisicki, sweet
victory!Hewitt faltered on critical points in their match, the 2011 French Open Champ, Li Na, was not as lucky. She was ousted by the wild card Sabine Lisicki of Germany in a truly fantastic second-round match that turned out to be the biggest upset so far! The 21-year old German had an answer to all the great shots thrown at her by China's No. 1. Li Na's usually unruffled faҫade was visibly shaken and in distress as the German assaulted her with big forehand shots send in winners and sprinted blindingly fast, covering the court easily, to save points! The high intensity of the match and her dramatic win, 3-6, 6-4, 8-6, sent Lisicki to her knees as she shook from tears of joy. Great match!

Seeded #13, Viktor Troicki of Serbia - the man who pushed Andy Murray to his limit in Roland Garros, was sent packing by Taipe's aggressive Yen-Shun Lu in a straight sets second round victory. Another high-quality match right there. #20 seed, Florian Meyer of Germany, suffered a second round ouster from the hands of unseeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Fernando Verdasco of Spain, a former Top 10 player and now seeded #21, exited in the second round after a four-set upset in the hands of Robin Haase of the Netherlands. Verdasco is slowly slipping down in the ranking - pity.


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