My world of sports...

...can it get worse? ==================================================================================
by PAM


Tennis, football... what on earth is happening?  It feels like the planets have been re-aligning or something.  Yes, of course, I've been paying attention!  I just didn't have enough leisure time to supply the sports ingredient in my blog these days.  But today, I feel I need to make time for it... or the balance in my world would tip to the dangerous 'burnout' end.  I have to say though that all is satisfying in the work front as far as outcomes are concerned... but burnout is slowly creeping in, too... and it's not even one year yet.  I'm feeling the pressure on my body... and it doesn't feel good. 

Therefore, bring on football and tennis!

***
Alright, football first... let's break it down.

First, Sir Alex Ferguson retired, ending his 27-year tenure as Manchester United's big boss... but that happened ages ago already, it seems, at the rate things are going in the football world.  It's just that Foodball Captain chose to write about David Beckham's retirement - only - when the 'shake-up' was happening.  I needed to rely on FC that time just because I was too busy with my 'day job' to write about my sentiments.  Oh, well... what can I say, except you go for what's in front of you... and complain later? :)

Second, Pep Guardiola, my man, finally started his stint with FC Bayern Munich last month... and it felt odd to see the cule legendary coach mentoring the already 

Pep Guardiola (5th from left, 2nd row) is the Bundesliga

Champs' new boss.

(Photo credit:  grabbed from Daily Mail UK.)

'perfect' Bundesliga current champions... okay, not to mention the UEFA Champions League holders, too. Okay, in fact, they are treble winners last season.  So, there, big job to keep that up - perhaps, even for Pep!  Pep was greeted by a jab on the face by Bayern Munich's reserve goal keeper, Tom Starke.

On the other hand, Barça's future seems uncertain, even when they regained the Spanish La Liga Primera crown back to Camp Nou (yaay!)... an achievement that contributed to the shortened stint in Madrid of the, now confirmed, not-so-special-one, Jose Mourinho, who is now back at Chelsea FC's helm.  Yep, when a 'Pep news' comes up, somewhere, somehow, a 'Mou news' pops up, too.  But, who cares?  About the Mourinho out-of-Madrid, gone-to-Chelsea piece of news, I mean.  Well, it matters to Roman Abramovich, obviously... and, perhaps, John Terry, who was assured - not - by Mou of being in the first team.  Alright, here we go... more colorful drama at Stamford Bridge next season!  Bring on the popcorn!   In the meantime, we wait in giddy anticipation of the Bayern Munich-Chelsea match soon... and the Bayern Munich-Barça match even sooner!  Big matches, alright.  Hah, sorry work, you just gotta share time with football now - seriously! :)

Third, so many player movements across teams and Leagues... and even across continents!  Barça's very good home-grown young midfielder, Thiago Alcantara, for instance, is now Pep's new recruit - from Catalunya to Bavaria.  David Villa now plays for Atletico Madrid.  Brazil's current best player, Neymar, is Barça's newest 'boy wonder #2'... Lionel Messi being (and always will be) #1.  How would that figure in Leo's false 9 position in the Barça scheme... we shall see - soon enough.

Fourth, Tito Vilanova's cancer so sadly recurred... and he had to step down as FC Barcelona coach two days ago to resume treatments. :(  Oh, boy... talk about uncertain future!  That piece of news was

Snatched from the touchline by a horrible illness... anims, Tito!

(Photo credit:  Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

the turning point for me.  It made me decide to snatch back some of my personal time from my 'day job' to write something here!  Just when I'm beginning to really, really like Tito's calmness, and his thoughtful and serene-looking face in a handsome stance on the Barca touchline... he leaves!  What's more, it's all because of a life-threatening illness. :(  I feel guilty for not writing about his stint with Barça, which I appreciated and enjoyed, too.  The Barça players lead the football world in wishing Tito the very best... because, as Andres Iniesta points out, in the end, this more about a man's life rather than just football.  Anims, Tito! 

Now, the search is on for the next Barça coach. Who would it be? I hope it'd be Rubi. His ideas seem fresh, and his personality seems right for the Barca philosophy: work hard, observe discipline, be a teamplayer, keep ball possession and bring it to the goal, play well - to win... and play beautifully.  He seems to be passionate enough about leading and leading well a great football team, and he seems to have enough youthful energy to match that passion.  He could be in the same wavelength as most of the key Barça players.  He has Pep's aura... not to say that Barça needs to look for another Pep, because there is only one Pep Guardiola... and he is now in Allianz Arena in Bavaria.  Just look for one who respects the Barca philosophy, and will keep it alive and well.

Man, I lied low on my 'football thing' here for a few months, and I came back to a completely new world of football!   Whew!  But, life goes on... the ball rolls on the turf, and the men kick it to keep the beautiful game alive and well.  Therefore, we hope for the best... and we get ready for schedule adjustments to accommodate football in my sked.  I'm excited!  :)

***
Next, tennis...

Yes, yes, and yes, I have been paying attention to tennis, too! 

And yes, I did follow the French Open and the Championships at Wimbledon... alright, I admit, I did an unacceptable in-and-out (of consciousness) in the middle of matches.  I was just too tired to stay awake most days... but, hey, I exerted tremendous effort to stay awake.  That should keep my "licensed" tennis fan status! :)  

I have to admit that I almost fell from my seat when Roger Federer exited Roland Garros in the quarter-finals.  But, I was totally, totally awed by the greatness on clay by Rafael Nadal!  He was sooooo awesome - on clay - the greatest ever, in my book!  I'm so glad he was back to play strong, and regain his seat as one of the Top 4 players in the world.

Ooops, I know, I know, I spoke too soon... because Rafa exited Wimbledon, a few days later - in the (freak of a) first round - against an unseeded player!  Imagine?  A day later... there went the defending Champ, Roger Federer, out of Wimbledon, too - in the second round!  Ow!  Just a year ago, after bowing to Andy Murray in the London Games to claim the silver medal, the King of Grass was back, and made history by claiming his 17th Grand Slam in Wimbledon - the most GS ever by a male tennis player in the Open Era.  This year, he was not good enough to overcome the challenge of another unseeded player, 'causing him to slide down the ranking to #5 - for the first time since 2002!  Ow, ow, ow!  Too bad, there hasn't been enough time for the world to watch the cute antics of his adorable twin girls.  Oh, well....

There's a saving grace though... Juan Martin del Potro is towering tall again on court, giving Novak Djokovic a spirited run for his money in the Wimbledon semis, and the Andy Garcia look-alike, the beautiful Spaniard, David Ferrer, went up to #4 in the ranking, for the first time... and played in the semis in Wimbledon - for the first time, too.  Woot-woot!  And the biggest tennis drama of the year went off from the tough, tough racket of Andy Murray... he claimed his FIRST Wimbledon Cup - the first British man to win in more than 70 years!  Woohoo!  You can just imagine how happy Judy Murray was... immensely happy - maybe, happier than Andy himself! ;)  By the way, that was heartfelt, the woot-woot, I mean... CONGRATULATIONS, Andy!  :)

Alright, I have work to do *sigh* .... ciao!

***

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.

Tennis talk time...

...and it's about time, too!
================================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Oy, oy, oy!  2012 Aussie Open... Day 7 - already!  Too many things, too little time... but let's make time for one match today... it's worth it!

***
Men's Round of 16... Tomic vs. Federer - it's a thriller!

So, what did I tell ya?  That Aussie teenager, Bernard Tomic, will be wow-ing tennis fans this year at Aussie Open, and therefore, it is worth it to pay attention to his matches... and he didn't disappoint! 

In Wimbledon last year, he did a great job, reaching the quarter-finals in a duel with no less than Novak Djokovic, where the young Aussie was absolutely impressive.  This year in the Aussie Open, he went to punish Spain's Fernando Verdasco when they collided in a five-set whoa!-inducing match in the first round, which he won, 4-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5, in an incredibly sizzling performance.  And then after putting away the American Sam Querrey in an exciting four-set victory on Day 3, he treated the audience yet again with another show of brilliance in his next appearance.  On Day 5, he put every tennis fan who enjoyed adrenalin rush 'on a high' in a big, big, BIG match with an equally talented young man from Ukraine, the 13th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov.  Tomic held on, and matched Dolgopolov's brilliant tennis down to the exciting finish with his own brand of brilliance - ground stroke por ground stroke, winner por winner - superb, super tennis from the two young men! 

After four enthralling hours with Dolgopolov's knotted back getting in the way a bit, Melbourne saw the 38th seed Tomic emerging as winner, 4-6, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3.  That set him up to a Round of 16 confrontation with his idol: the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer, who had his hands full with the big guy from Croatia, Ivo Karlovic, in their third round match but he went through nevertheless, 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-3.  It is easy to imagine how the Swiss 16-time Grand Slam winner, who admitted having thoroughly enjoyed the Tomic-Dolgopolov match, might have had his brows knitted together after watching the match, and asking himself, "hmmm... how do I get past this sizzling-hot talent?  Whatever way, I'd get burnt a bit."  

Here we go, Tomic up against Federer at the Rod Laver Arena....

In the first set, all is perfect for the 19-year old Tomic, he was holding his ground against the pushing Federer... and all, including myself, was wondering when will the Aussie teenager's guard fall to let Federer break. It didn't look like it was forthcoming - afterall, the Aussie boy was playing superbly against one of the very best the world has ever seen to play the game.   And then, in the 9th game, at 4-4 and 30-30 on Tomic serve, the Aussie kid double faulted!  Ah, pity!  And then Federer mercilessly killed a Tomic shot to get
Bernard Tomic... the (near)future Superstar
of men's tennis!his long-awaited break! It was heart-breaking for the Aussies watching in the Rod Laver Arena, I can just imagine. And then Federer served beautifully to take the first set in about 35 minutes. Aaawww!

In the second set, Tomic returned with a vangeance!  He opened with an awesome serve!  But Federer was not about to yield easily, they went on a deuce... and then with a weak Federer backhand, which the Aussie killed ferociously, Tomic went up. Another deuce-Advantage Tomic swing before Tomic gained the upperhand - with a lot of help from the audience, too.  At 1-1 and 40-40 on Tomic serve, Tomic kept pushing Federer to the far side... and then punished a reaching Federer backhand and went up - "Advantage Tomic"!  The audience roared!  But Federer came back right away without letting the audience and Tomic savor the sweet sound of the "Advantage Tomic" announcement... the Maestro came back with the prettiest of drop shots... aaaawwww!  And then another one, even prettier this time - to go ahead of Tomic. Whew!  Devastated and understandably so, too, Tomic sent a nice Federer return wide, letting Federer break once again, 1-2. The next game was a beautiful show of vintage Federer... until winning the game with an incredible pass that took everyone's breath away - too beautiful! Oy! :)

I don't think that the brilliant Aussie kid who murdered Fernando Verdasco in their fantastic first round meeting recovered yet from all the beauty that The Swiss Maestro was weaving around the blue court of the Rod Laver Arena... and before he realized it, he was broken once again, 1-4. In the 6th game, at 30-40 on Federer's serve... in a 27-shot rally, which was nicely played by
Roger Federer... too massive of a gate to
Superstardom to knockdown.both, Tomic committed an error... ow!  But the Aussie fought back - hard - to level again... and break back, 2-4!  Woot-woot! 

On Tomic serve, at 30-30, Tomic finally unleashed an ace, against Federer's mountain of 8 aces. But Federer came back... to break, 2-5!  Whew!  Of course, experience dictated Federer's handling of the next game - short balls, big serves... and then he took the second set.  Yep, you gotta feel for the young Aussie... I did.

The third set seemed like an "in the bag affair" for Federer... and then at 2-1 and 30-40 on Federer's serve, Tomic wowed with a fantastic cross court winner that sent many, including myself, on their feet to applaud! :)  It was too beautiful, I don't think Federer would mind that I did either!  Hahaha... yep, it was too good. But, after that, Federer took his game up a notch... and it was all downhill for the awesome Aussie.  And with Federer playing like "that" - the way the biggest genius of the game should - I'm afraid Tomic had to gain a few more "big time" matches win under his belt to match the Federer brilliance and experience.  But he'll get there... in fact, when Federer finally decides to hang his racquet up (not that I'm dreaming of it to be soon - definitely not), Tomic will be "my own number one"!  Oy, oy, oy! :)

Anyway, Federer won the match to advance to the quarter-finals, where the big and hard-hitting guy from Argentina, the 2009 US Open Champ, Juan Martin del Potro, awaits him.  Yes, JMP... he who gave Federer his first defeat in Flushing Meadows since 2003 in that hot-tempered five-set final match in New York!  I, of course, love Federer, and hope that he gets past Lionel Messi's talented compatriot... but I also know that JMP is one capable of staging an upset.  Oh, boy... it's going to be a nerve-wracking match, I'm sure!  

Alright, here we go... the Aussie Open is beginning to hiss now, reaching its boiling point.  Uhm, can I take a break from work... please???  (*wink*)  Hehe...

***
Photo credit:  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.

All-day Monday...

...because I'm back in the grind!
=====================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Once again, doing that thing I (usually) do (for a living) with enjoyment, acute fascination, and severe passion...

...and yet, I wish there was time to write about Wimbledon... the fantastic way by which Roger Federer ousted old nemesis,
El Maestro, through to
the Round of 16.David Nalbandian of Argentina, from the Championships in SW19... the nerve-wracking way by which the defending Champ Rafa Nadal had to dig deep to push through to the Round of 16 via a hard-fought straight sets victory over Gilles Muller in their two-day rain-delayed third-round match... the way 2010 Roland Garros Champ Francesca Schiavone was sent out of the Championships by the unseeded Austrian, Tamira Paszek, in an epic third-round battle (3-6, 6-4, 11-9) that showed off their very best grass tennis - truly engaging! The way the hard-hitting Argentine warrior Juan Martin del Potro just barely edged off the brilliant Frenchman Gilles Simon last Friday, 7(10)-6(8), 7(7)-6(5), 7-5, to book a place opposite Rafa Nadal in a Round of 16 WAR today... the distasteful way by which Novak Djokovic
An "ugly win" for Novak Djokovic
in a beautiful third round
showing by Marcos Baghdatis.lost his cool (as in his old, immature days) while he figured out a way to prevail over the upbeat and crowd favorite Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis, who pushed the annoyed Serb to an exciting four-set duel... how the #5 in the World Robin Soderling ran out of gas to manage another escape from the fiery attacks of yet another Aussie, Bernard Tomic, and exited the Championships disappointingly... the same goes in the case of the lady who has been attempting a return to the Top 10 limelight, Ana Ivanovic.

Oh, well...

***

More big-name crashes and exquisite showpieces...

...on Day 6 at Roland Garros.
======================================================
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.