Huh? Aussie Open 2013...

...what do you mean, you're almost over?
====================================================================
by PAM


Just a few days ago... well, at least, that's how it seems, a High School classmate was so generously offering to treat me to the Aussie Open, the first Grand Slam of the new Tennis season.  My classmate was fanning me with
The Tennis Superstars were 'Nickolodeoned'.
(Photo credit: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)tickets to the men's single semi-finals and the men's single final at the Rod Laver Arena.  "All you have to do," the classmate admonished, "is to stop being boring, make the time, and get on that plane!"   

"Make the time", sure... I wish it's that simple.  I know I'm a big fan of Star Trek, and that's one of my fave topics: making time when something is important enough.  The fact that I have not seen a single match - live - not one, nah-ah, in the Aussie Open 2013 confirms that, sadly, Sports is taking the back seat in my 2013 agenda. :(  I'm not sure if I could stand by that tall order... 'cause it's like asking your lungs to make the most out of 'rationed oxygen'.  But a few things have become more important than, say, the great desire to find out whether Roger Federer would shed tears - again - this year, or to find out if this would be the year when he would actually lose his Swiss cool and smash his racquet in the Marat Safin ultimate mental breakdown fashion.  Or, is this the year when Maria Sharapova would find the volume dial to her throat, which seemed to be synchronized with the movement of
Winners: Viktoria Azarenka and Li Na.
(Photo credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)her right wrist?  Apparently, Li Na cannot stand the noise either (well, her husband's mere snoring disturbs her) that she found it in her to silence the leggy Russian in their semi-final match with a straight-sets win.  Ah, relief... for our ears, thanks, Li Na!  Unfortunately, for the powerful Chinese lady, she could not find the right touch and will her bones to stop from breaking so she could silence the 'other noisy' woman on the court, Viktoria Azarenka.  The #1 in the world, Vika, became the least favorite woman by the 2013 Aussie Open crowd after her controversial win over the rising American tennis teenage star, Sloane Stephens - the same girl whose brilliance caused Serena Williams to lose it, and go on spontaneous combustion - on court... again. The win by VA over SS was described by many as undeserved... and I can't argue with that.  Nevertheless, VA went on to snatch the Championship cup - for the second time in a row, despite being walloped by Li Na in the first set.  Too bad for the Chinese lady... and us, who are not all that amused by VA's rough manners on court, not to mention, weird fashion sense. 

Don't get me wrong though... it isn't like I wasn't following the event.  I saw parts of the Federer-Tsonga QF match as I rushed through breakfast a few days back to catch a 9 AM - 12 PM meeting, and it took the heart of me a little, to watch RF finding the true Champion's touch to stop
Roger Federer @ 31: genius, elegance and grace in pink.
(Photo credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)the gritty Frenchman from advancing to the semis.  That's as good as the final for me as far as RF is concerned.  I also saw some parts of the Djokovic-Ferrer semi-final match (on replay, of course).  And, while I was wow-ing and awesome-ing through the beautiful shots from the Djoker racquet, my heart completely bled for the admirable Spaniard who is #5 in the World, David Ferrer, trying to equal Djoker and trying to fill-in the Rafael Nadal shoes in the 'Big Four', but coming up short... too short, actually.  I was especially ouch-ing for DF when he tried to return that baseline powershot from the Djoker racquet, but couldn't jump high enough to catch the ball.  Oh, boy... tough!  And, I dizzied myself to sleep through the (replay of) Federer-Murray semi-final match.  RF was cursing... hah!  Mental breakdown?  Nah... just weird officiating that ought to be questioned, really.  But, that was the first time that these two ran the distance in a Grand Slam:  fiver-setter.  Man, RF still has it in him at 31 to challenge these younger players in the 'Big Four' with iron abs and biceps - awesome!  Oh, and loving the baby pink trimmings of his gear and baby pink shoe laces - too cute. :)

Hmm... how will I maintain my status as a 'card-carrying' tennis fan, when I have not seen any match - live - in the Aussie Open this year?  I'm fearing disbarment from the 'federation of tennis geeks'!  Tsk!   :(  Oh, well....  Fortunately, YouTube is there to the rescue... while it's
Iron men: Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray, who's tougher?
(Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)not as exciting to watch the replay as the live match (and what is Sports if you take away that sort of nail-biting, nerve wracking excitement?), at least you don't feel left out when your fellow tennis geeks are passionately discussing how incredible it is that Caroline Wozniacki had miraculously held on until the fourth round!  Yeah, imagine that!  :)

Well, it would be exciting to see if, finally, Andy Murray, would find the true 'Brit grit' a la James Bond under a 'licensed-to-kill' sort of a tennis hero mission, as he did in the London Summer Games, and whip the butt of Novak Djokovic to finally earn the right to raise the Normal Brookes Challenge Cup above his head!  Now, this one, I'm going to have make the time for.  I'm really curious to see if they could match the incredible Nofael Djodal iron men match-up last year in Melbourne... and I want to follow - as it happens, live!  With the gruelling grind I had to go through last week and the week before that, I deserve this much! 

Therefore, sorry, work... you are taking the backseat within the next few hours.  Besides, it's weekend for cryin' out loud!  Alright, work, scoot over - now! 

Oy, oy, oy, Aussie, Aussie, oy, oy, oy!  :)

***

Dang, Citizen Bill!

"Hillary's guy" haven't lost his touch... he just got better!
========================================================================
by PAM

He brought the house down - as usual!  Only this time, he was so much better than ever before... and I didn't think that was possible at all!

Former United States President, Bill Clinton, formally nominated the current President, Barack Obama, for re-election in the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.  And, man, was he AWESOME!  He has always been a charismatic leader and exceptionally good orator, but I
Bill Clinton: "What works in the real world
is cooperation." (Photo: Charlie Neibergall/AP)don't think I've seen him give such an incredibly eloquent, engaging, heavy-punching and humorous speech ever before. Ah, talk about wine getting better with age!  Bill Clinton made a case for Mr. Obama's re-election in a way that no one - not even Mr. Obama himself, I think - could ever do.  His speech was well-written, brilliantly structured to send an irresistible message about Obama's inclusive policies and essentially "Middle Class First" Programs while assuring the world that "America is your friend" through his foreign policies. This as he leads the US to a long and hard road to recovery after eight years of war and gut-churning excesses at Wall Street that brought their economy (and the world's economy with it) to its knees four years ago under the watch of the Republicans.  Without sounding like offering an excuse for Pres. Obama's failure to make good his promises from four years ago, Mr. Clinton delivered the message so effectively that it electrified the Democrats - worldwide, I suppose - and maybe brought an approving smile to the "undecided" voters' lips. My attention was glued to the TV screen - in awe - the whole time.  It's a good thing that he didn't talk about abortion though.   

I specifically liked how he emphasized "advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right and good economics, because discrimination, poverty and ignorance restrict growth, while investments in education, infrastructure and scientific and technological research increase it, creating good jobs and new wealth for all of us" just because they were some of the things that I appreciated in the State of the Nation Address of our own President, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, in July.

I was just recovering from the 'man, that Paul Ryan charisma has serious wattage, it actually convinces' thing, and the 'hey, Mitt is human, too' dramatic revelation in the Republican National Convention last week.  Those got me seriously
Obama + Clinton, 44 + 42... "Arithmetic!"
(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)'scared'. Oh, boy, Americans aren't letting those Wall Street vultures take us to another free-falling economic ride, are they???  But the Democrats came back punching - with their biggest and most dazzling superstar no less.  If there had been doubts as to whether or not Mr. Obama can win the election in November against the gathering momentum of the Romney-Ryan campaign... well, it looks like Citizen Bill might have just won it for him right there!  I think it might just be 'game over' for Mitt Romney. Too bad for Paul Ryan.

Former President Clinton's leadership was one of my inspirations in pursuing the dream to obtain Fulbright Scholarship about ten years ago or so... to learn the positive things about the American Higher Education System and the American "can-do" attitude and bring them home to hopefully help complement ours in the Philippines, and keep moving forward.  I was fortunate to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York for five years.  His wife, Sec. Hillary Clinton, of the Department of State now was the New York State Senator then, and she visited Cornell a few times while I was there to look at progress in research at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that would help the New York Agriculture sector. It was a most wonderful experience, of course.  Then again, it's probably the people I met - in Cornell and in Fulbright (and the US Department of Agriculture and Department of State) - who became very good friends that made the experience wonderful more than anything else.

***
In the local politics front...

I had a tough day yesterday and I woke up late today.  But I woke up to Karen Davila's interview of the newly appointed Department of Transportation and
Sec. Jun Abaya and Karen Davila at "Headstart".
(Photo: Karen Davila)Communications (DOTC) Secretary, who is also the elected Representative of Cavite, Sec. Joseph Emilio Abaya.  It did give me a good "Headstart" that I even found the time to drop by here and talk a little bit - to the cyberspace.  Sec. Abaya is a University of the Philippines Applied Physics guy who obtained his M.S. in Electrical Engineering in Cornell, which I know for a fact to be a very tough Program, among many other outstanding academic achievements.  I think the Basic Science and Engineering training is very useful for systematic, disciplined, problem solving-savvy and low-profile sort of leadership.  Just look at the late Sec. Jesse Robredo whose basic training was Engineering - he made problem solving in governance looked so easy.  While he has yet to obtain the nod of the Commission on Appointments, I think Sec. Abaya will do a great job at the DOTC because he has a very good track record in his relatively short career in public service and politics... but more than that, he has good things in mind that he wants to accomplish for the country's better future.  Looks like we have another young and brilliant, less-talk-more-positive-action guy in the Aquino administration - excellent!

Good luck, Sec. Abaya!

***  
Wait... tennis and football!

Oh, and I enjoyed Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli's quarter-final match at the 2012 US Open!  Maria dug herself out of a deep hole where the gritty
Maria Shhhh... (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)Frenchwoman pushed her in in the first set and first half of the second set... and the stylish Russian screamed herself out the hole - emerging as the winner in a three-set battle of wits and wills, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.  Maria's consistently steel determination to win is so awesome!  Win or lose, you know for sure that she always puts up a good fight.  Respect.  Never mind how loud she plays (boy, she's loud!) - ear plugs help, ya know.

Aw, wait... did Roger Federer just crashed in four sets against Tomas Berdych in their QF match??  Dang, I was just going to write about his Olympics Silver medal, Cincinnati triumph and nice form getting into the US Open (eons ago, of course)!  What can I say...  besides 'I am a grown up with grown up concerns who blogs during free time' that is?  Oh, well....

The footie boys are on an International break... and Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently 'sad' at Real Madrid, and it isn't about the money, mind you (according to him, anyway)...and that Lionel Messi couldn't be bothered to comment! :)  And Barça's "pale assassin", who tied the knot last summer, showed both Crissy and Messi who was boss - he won the 2012 UEFA Best European Player award!  So, is that why Crissy is sad?  Aw!  Congratulations, Andrés Iniesta!  Better late than never.

***    

2012 French Open Semis...

...and the "dirty" road that led to it.
================================================================
by PAM


So, here we are finally... into the "for the Big Boys only" Round at the 2012 french Open.  Yeah, there were "big girl" matches, too, of course... but they're a bit too "girlie" for my adrenaline rush need right now.  I know, I'm bad... I should be more supportive of Women's tennis. I know I should, I want to... but how?  See, ya don't know how either! ;)  

***
Sliding on dirt... to the final round!

It's the semis.  Of course, it was probably reasonable to assume that former (*sigh*) #1 in the World, Caroline Wozniacki, was out of the contest already?  Uhmm, yeah.  It's the 'all-big-girl' part of the Slam, so what d'ya expect!  But so were the Williams sisters - out already... a long time ago, in
Sara Errani, ferociously 'upsetting'. fact.  But, hey, so was the four-month immediate former #1 in the World, Viktoria Azarenka!  (another *sigh*)  The over confident VA (uh, yeah, she is!) was ousted in the 4th round by the little lady from Slovakia, Dominika Cibulkova, who also ousted the then #1 Wozniacki last year in Wimbledon. Incidentally, this fiery #1 in the World eliminator went all giddy meeting Lionel Messi in Barcelona a couple of months back during the WTA Barcelona tour. Cutesy! :)  Cibulkova, in turn, was downed by the reigning "Queen's Queen" from the Land Down Under, Samantha Stosur.  The in-form Aussie, who was getting a lot of positive attention (she should!) for her powerful playing style was shockingly ousted by the seeded 24th Italian, Sara Errani, in a three-set upset.  Dang!  Then again, Errani was already showing a lot of grit and nerve of steel, ousting former #1s, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic on her way to the semis... so, Sam ought to have been more careful with the Italian gal, after all, another Italian beat her in Roland Garros final two years ago, Francesca Schiavone.  I guess, the Italian spirit is too powerful for the Aussie's precarious nerves.

So, yeah, Errani and the most dazzling poster and pin-up (or is it 'Pinterest' now?) girl of Women's tennis for the longest time now, Maria Sharapova, are up for a red dirt face-off in the final!  So, yeah, one more day of beautiful sight against the French red powder backdrop that hurts the... uhm, ears. ;)  Having powered her way to the SF, through a big challenge from Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic, winning Roland Garros would mean "personal Grand Slam" for the leggy Russian Goddess of Beauty who speaks with
The new #1 in the World, Maria Sharapova.overdone American twang.  I'd go for Rafa Nadal's lost-in-translation Spanglish anytime, no?  You?  I heart Rafa! :)

Also, a Sharaaaap-aaaaw win would mean that the new (yes, again! *sigh*) #1 in the World in Women's Tennis, with enviably flat belly, would be a current holder of a Grand Slam silverware, with three more in the cabinet, completing shiny silverware pieces from all four surfaces.  It would be a great advertisement for Women's Tennis... here's the #1, young and beautiful, charming and lovable, and undeniably highly accomplished on all tennis court surfaces.  Dazzling on the red carpet, ferocious on the tennis court - whatever surface it is.  Grande, no? Si, si! Vamos!  :)

Therefore, good luck, Mariaaaaa-aaaaw!  Ooowww, caramba, my ears... that hurts!  Mute button, quick! :)

***
Some a-blah, a-blah.... like I know what I'm talking about!

David Ferrer vs. Rafael Nadal in the semis?  This one was a little bit easy to predict.  The defending Champ from Spain, Rafael Nadal, hasn't dropped a set on his way to the semis.  While the other 'Clay Specialist' left in the tournament, David Ferrer, also from Spain, did a good job ousting British #1, Andy Murray, in their QF match... unsurprisingly, I must add, 'cause it was the clay surface after all  (and it's Andy Murray?
David Ferrer... focus, efficiency, win.yeah, that, too), the adorable little Spaniard, who works so hard on the court, always after the ball, just didn't have the variety of shots to handle Nadal's heavy clay artillery... and we're not even talking about Nadal's shipload of shimmering reserves at the dock!

Ferrer plays powerful baseline game, in spite of his size, which apparently is enough to earn him the #6 in the World honor today, which is huge considering all those talents in men's tennis these days.  He is efficient in his game, and his speed behind the ball could easily put his opponents on the defensive, but the lack of shots variety and less than impressive groundstrokes make him predictable.  While he is one of the best serve returners in the business, his own serve isn't powerful enough to win him easy points when the going gets tough.  When taking on lower ranked opponents, these issues aren't much of a problem for Ferrer, because he normally just rushes to 'demolition mode' efficiently to score a win before his opponent realizes what was going on... but for the more seasoned Grand Slam specialists, high-ranked opponents, dismantling the Ferrer game is easy. In fact, Murray showed more variety in their QF match... but Ferrer's focus, consistent tenacity and willingness to go after the ball, and overall efficiency proved to
El Maestro... he who started "it" all. be the more effective weapon over Murray's hot-cold-colder-and back-again emotional, often defensive, approach to his game that usually prevents him from dynamically and smartly analyzing his opponent's game to launch the perfect attack.  Plus, clay is Murray's least favorite surface.

Talking about dynamic court analysis of an opponent's gameplan, Roger Federer is the smartest of them all.  The Swiss Maestro wins not only because he had powerful shot artillery... but understated because he doesn't make noise when he unleashes big shots.  He wins because he can come up with a winning tactical gameplan as soon as the first game in the first set was played.  He deploys his weaponry smartly and strategically per his gameplan, and calibrates and recalibrates dynamically as the match proceeds.  He plays a "cerebral game"... that's why he is almost emotionless when he is playing.  So, I imagine, RF's opponents do not get tired so much physically as mentally.  Therefore, the most effective way to defeat the Swiss genius

US Open...

...I just got in the loop, and it's the second round already.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Nope, nope, and nope! I admit, I've not been paying attention the past four days or so - to tennis, US Open notwithstanding! Been very busy... aaaargh!

But, I surrendered a few minutes of my work time - at 3:30 AM... and on a Saturday, too! *sigh* Yes, I worked at those hours and day while "normal" people slept. :( I know, I need to seriously look for a less enslaving (and more rewarding) job! ;)

Anyway, back to tennis... I was almost blown away by "that" wailing scream as my TV came to life... I'm sure you know from whom - Maria Sharapova,
Maria Sharapova, "silenced" in the 2nd Round.of course! *sigh* Maria's screams and shrieks are the equivalent of the bubuzela in football - annoying... to the maximum level! Her determination to win is always admirable, you could almost ignore her obsessive concern for what she wears on court... but all that wonderful things about her champion-caliber self are lost in the deafening sound of her screams on court! It bores into one's brain - painfully! It's not fair to her opponent - and to the fans, too! Well, some, of course, (men, mostly, I must add) would endure that just to see her long, very shapely and nicely tanned legs cover the court in long strides... and to enjoy the "view" as the naughty New York wind does its work on her flirty asking-for-it skirt. *sigh*

Ah, so how do you solve a noisy problem like Maria? Well, ask Flavia Pennetta and she'd tell you how... three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, that's how! Yay! I really like this Italian
Flavia Pennetta, human bubuzela dispatcher.gal, with her quiet composure, great shots, class... and understated glamour - on and off the court! She ousted the Russian girl with an exaggerated American twang (okay, I admit, I'm being mean... blame it on Novak Djokovic! Haha...) in the second round of the US Open! And, beautifully, too! Pennetta took the early lead, winning the first set, but Sharapova came back, winning the second set. With the women 1 set a piece, I thought, Sharapova was going to make a remarkable comeback when she evened out to 4-4 with a hold of serve at 40-15 in the third set, after a 3-0 deficit. But, the Italian took a deep breath, held serve to 5-4, and then muffled the Russian's screams for good as she steadied herself to claim victory! Shaaaa-raaaaaaap! Sure, sure, I'm mean... sorry. =)

Nice job, Flavia. Thanks for sparing us from the bubuzela-like-induced annoyance in the next rounds... but more, importantly, superb showing out there, sister! All the best in the next rounds. :)

I'm really a big fan of women's tennis in the old days, when there were great champions to admire like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and then later, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. These days, women in tennis are most unrealiable in their ability to bring on entertaining competitive tennis, and most inconsistent in their performance. Exhibit A: most of the top seeds, including the 2011 French Open Champ, Li Na, are already out as early as the second round... the biggest upset so far was that of third seed Sharapova's ouster in the second round via a Pennetta win. Exhibit B: the #1 in the World, Caroline Wozniacki, has not managed to win a Major... and is a perennial casualty in big games, too. Oh, well...

Alright, speaking of "upsets"... that's all the fun I could have today. Back to work... and it runs until tomorrow evening - Sunday - too! Ugh! :(

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

Happy time again...

...hobby time again! And I'm glad to be back!
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


Five days out... so, what did I miss?? A lot, apparently!

***
Roland Garros 2011 time ticked off while I was sleeping!

I got out of unconsciousness... and what greeted me was the big news from the City of Lights. Hmmm... they're wrapping things up at Roland Garros!

The top 4 men in the world are all in the semi-finals. Nice! But it's men's tennis - only the very, very best and the very, very "hot" talentwise get to the Top 10. So, no surprise there. Every single one of the extremely talented men are up for something. Rafa Nadal is out
Rafael Nadal. The "King of Clay" has so much
on the line in Roland Garros this year. Defending the
title, retaining the No. 1 in the World spot in the
rankings, and a possible sweet rendezvous with
history yet again with a sixth title.to try to capture his sixth French Open title to equal Bjorn Borg's record for the most number of French trophies in the Open era. The "Spanish Matador" is also fighting to retain his Number One in the World spot. The 24-year old Serb, Novak Djokovic, with his 41 winning streak in 2011 (43 overall) going into the semis, is trying to surpass John McEnroe's record of 42 winning streak in all ATP Tours. If he advanced to the final, even if he doesn't win it, he would also snatch the Number One spot in men's tennis world ranking from the 25-year old Rafa Nadal. That would end the seven-year Federer-Nadal duopoly of the Top 2 spots in men's tennis. Britain's Numero Uno, Andy Murray, who just turned 24 years a few days ago in May, is the only one who does not have a Grand Slam trophy on his shelves among these current crop of young brilliant tennis greats, and he is
Novak Djokovic. No. 1 in the World?
So close, and yet so far. trying to win his first. Roger Federer, the eldest among the quartet at 29 years, is out to assert himself as the rightful owner of the Number One spot, and to keep reminding everyone how tennis should be played - beautiful, lyrical, sublime - and, add another one to his amazing world record of 16 Grand Slam singles titles. All are worthy causes, all worth a shot - a big blisteringly hot shot - as the fine clay powder on Philippe Chatrier flies on semi-finals day!

But I can't believe I missed the live telecast of both semi-final matches! A "crisis management" consequence... it's worth it, of course! After all, there are always replays. :) For now, what I know is that: (1) my question about who or what would stop the red-hot Le Djokeur from winning the 2011 French Open title has been answered. It's El Maestro, of course! Am I surprised? Yes... and no! Yes, because The Djoke defeated RF thrice - in the semis in Melbourne and Indian Wells, and in the final in Dubai - en route to Roland Garros. While those are all hardcourts, they improved The Djoke's head-to-head with RF. No, because RF is in such a fine form
Andy Murray. One reason...
just one good reason to win a big one. in Roland Garros so far, he seemed to have decided that he wanted to be the legendary Roger Federer... again! His chest and his stomach are so flat these days, and his legs looked the way they did in 2005-2007, that he's hardly been sweating heavily so far. Yeah, I'm that big of a fan, I notice those sort of things. :) And so, apparently, the "boy wonder" Le Djokeur was shown who his daddy was in the semis - as in the old days. (2) Rafa Nadal put an end to Andy Murray's aspiration for a Roland Garros title this year. Am I surprised? Uhm, not really. Andy does not lack talent, that's for sure. What he needs is a more meaningful inspiration and a truly convincing reason to really, and actually, push his way through these three giants in front of him... he really does. And then winning the Grand Slam will come with it in a neat package. Just like Rafa Nadal, I also believe that Murray should win one soon!

And so, when all is said and done about the exciting status of men's tennis, it all boils down to this: a Federer-Nadal (or Nadal-Federer
Roger Federer. The sublime Genius's legendary
career is not just about his world record of 16 Grand
Slam singles titles, it's also about his beautiful
tennis... and he's using it again to rake up big wins.depending on your fan group affiliation) showdown in Roland Garros! Yowzer! Most naturally, I think it's awesome! I have put my "clay money" on the King of Clay after seeing him haul himself from the pit of losing the first round to John Isner - like a real king, King of Clay, that is. While there is no one else who is happier than me to see El Maestro revive his appetite for winning - and winning beautifully as well - I am not taking my money off the King in this one. He has the more compelling and the more meaningful reasons to win a sixth title... and he knows it, and he's got the heart to do it as well. But with El Maestro on the opposite side of the net, I am sure that the 2011 Roland Garros men's championship is going to be another one for the history books!

***
Passion is the fashion where the arduous is glamorous!

I did catch the women's final between the defending champ, 30-year old Francesca Schiavone, and China's hope for a first Grand Slam, 29-year old Li Na. Now, this is an interesting match... a big Italian heart worn on an Italian sleeve vs. a cool, methodical and gregarious Chinese practicality - on a clay court.
Li Na. Cool and efficient, methodical and practical.
Her ardour to win catapulted her to the glamorous
circle of Grand Slam finalists.With teenagers and players in their early 20's in colorful and glamorous outfits parading the tennis courts these days, both Schiavone and Li are considered "old" by today's pre-dominant age groups. But both are physically fit, easily seen in their powerful shots and nimble movements. Both are hungry for winning as shown by their well-oiled shots arsenal that intimidate the most valiant of players on court. Both are all about serious tennis... with very little concern about Houte Couture. And yet, when they started hitting the ball on Philippe Chatrier's red clay, they enthralled!

Schiavone wowed the Melbourne audience in January, fighting an epic 47-game fourth-round battle with Russia's two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, and prevailing spectacularly after four hours and 44 minutes. She then exited via a three-set quarter-final loss to the
Francesca Schiavone. With her
Italian fashion statement - passion -
she sets out to win. methodical and gregarious shooting of Caroline Wozniacki. In Roland Garros this time, with Schiavone's first-round complete demolition of Melanie Oudin, it was obvious that the defending Champ is in Roland Garros with only one thing in mind - lift the trophy once again! Her aggression met a lot of resistance though in her part of the draw, including some flashes of wanting for a win from former No. 1 in the World, Jelena Jankovic, in a three-set fourth round battle, and a highly spirited challenge from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, where the Italian was pushed to another three sets. As always, Schiavone battled with her heart, relying on her instincts to go for a kill, willing her self to achieve the seemingly unachievable feat.

Li Na, the runner-up in this year's Australian Open, on the other hand, programmed her 2011 Roland Garros GPS
Maria Sharapova digging deep,
to no avail against Li Na.to the final... and to the final she arrived - safely! Of course, there was that semi-final Maria Sharapova bump that threatened to derail her cruise into the final (saw replays, of course). But Li Na played consistent, playing each point with a "mini objective" each time - to win it. That frustrated the fighter in the leggy Miss Couture of women's tennis who, in the end, double faulted her way to her own semi-final exit, giving Li Na a straight sets win of 6-4, 7-5.

In the final between Li and Schiavone, it was obvious to me that the Italian has got one foot in the grave. Li's game plan has what usually conquers Schiavone: methodical and gregarious earning of points, one by one, one step at a time. Li is not one to give in to outrageous show of emotions easily and gets agitated by spirited agression, as she's shown in her match with Sharapova. She is patient, steady and composed. When she loses a point, it was because she committed an error or she was not prepared to counter an attack, that's all. And then, she re-starts, both eye on the next point - again. Schiavone is a big-stage player. She
Li Na (left) of China win in straight sets, 6-4, 7(7)-6(0)
over Francesca Schiavone (right) of Italy in the 2011
French Open women's singles final. likes drama... she thrives in it, she plays better with it. But with Li's Programmed run, "drama" is a rarely used word.

And so, after arriving in the final, Li Na, re-adjusted her 2011 Roland Garros GPS to a win! She cruised to a win in the first set. There were a few Schiavone-induced potholes in the second set, but Li's shock absorber of reliable big forehand thrown in with her full body weight took them all without much damage. She wowed with big serves and big, accurate shots... winners, usually coming from moving Schiavone from side to side. While Schiavone pre-occupied herself with effecting the drama of chasing the ball from all over the place, hoping to involve the crowd, Li was always preparing for a kill - from one point to the next. In the end, it was Li who was being cheered by the crowd, and Schiavone had to ask the umpire to request the crowd to be quiet when points were being played in the tie break in the second set. :) Of course, when a request like that would come from the one who, on good days, would prefer to involve the crowd, we knew for sure
Li Na became the first Chinese to win the Coupe
Suzanne Lenglen after beating Italian Francesca
Schiavone in the 2011 French Open championship. that Li was only moments away from lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen!

And so, the 6th seed Li Na made history as the first Chinese and Asian to ever win a Grand Slam, and the first Chinese and Asian to ever win Roland Garros, with her straight sets championship victory over defending champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone, 6-4, 7(7)-6(0). It was a wonderful moment for the lady with endearing sense of humor, who revealed in her post-match courtside interview in the Australian Open this year that she lost sleep the night before her semi-final match with No. 1 in the World Caroline Wozniacki... because of her husband snoring loudly! :) She won the match in three sets, and went on to a runner-up finish against No. 2 in the World Kim Clijsters. In Roland Garros this year, however, a runner-up finish simply wasn't good enough for her... which is more like it!

Congratulations, Li Na!! :)

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

Fast track to quater-finals in Roland Garros

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


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

***
Back to the Roland Garros business

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

So, game on! :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big crashes, great comebacks...

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


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

***
Big-name crash, underdog comeback

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

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

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

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

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

***
Intensity and big name comebacks

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

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

---

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

---

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

---
Comeback nuggets:

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

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


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