Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday photo
Saw this on my way to the Faculty of Engineering from the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex in my (present) University. Obviously, I found it irresistible.
This post is quite special... because it's my last post from my old address... and now, preparing for a new address. :) Bye, house... it's been awesome!
***
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wednesday nostalgia...
...Santana + Rob Thomas = Smooth, whew!
==========================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
"You're my reason for reason, the step in my groove...
I could change my life to better suit your mood...."
I am sooo tired... and sick of... ugh, nevermind!
But I am so enjoying this song right now, I can't be bothered to say anything else! So, just do the same... and let's all be merry, okay?
***
Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the video link!
==========================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
"You're my reason for reason, the step in my groove...
I could change my life to better suit your mood...."
I am sooo tired... and sick of... ugh, nevermind!
But I am so enjoying this song right now, I can't be bothered to say anything else! So, just do the same... and let's all be merry, okay?
***
Video credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the video link!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Busy, but never busy enough...
...to ignore Barça's awesomeness! :)
==============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
You bet, I've been waiting for an excuse good enough to set aside work for a few minutes to drop by here - yes, work on a Sunday night. *sigh*
September has been unkind so far... and I'm praying that it stops harrassing me with work and many other concerns. But it doesn't look like work will let up until the middle of October... so, I'm preparing to coil flat until then. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about my "lab affairs" lately... but the work involved to keep the "excitement" going while making sure that I stand between the students and the white board - on a regular basis - is horrendous! Aargh, I wish teaching didn't involve too much gear shifting... it's too energy taxing, even when one summons the ideality of Brayton Cycle! Ugh! I know... what a nerdy thing to say - and on a Sunday night, too! Tsk!
But enough about work... at least, for the next few minutes!
***
A thorough and painful sanding of the blade...
Ya know, I'd be lying if I'd say that the FC Barcelona - AC Milan 2-2 draw in their first outing in the Group Stage of the
Strike a pose. Barça's frontline and midfield
figuring out the AC Milan "Pato-esque" surprise.Champions League - in Camp Nou, no less - didn't shake me a litte bit... especially that it happened after another draw - with Real Sociedad at the Spanish La Liga. Barça conceded a super-early goal on the 24th second after the opening whistle via a superb Alexandre Pato runaway shot that took Victor Valdes - and millions of fans for that matter - by surprise. It was only after the scoreboard confirmed the Pato goal that Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets realized what happened - the Brazilian ghosted by them while they were still telling themselves what their roles were at the back. While uncomfortably stunned, the Catalans regrouped immediately and went on their attacking football game, with the forwards and the midfielders
Pato, surprises Barça. concealing a makeshift defense with fast passing. But Milan wasn't fooled, they kept pushing to exploit the thin defense during the first 15 minutes or so in the first-half, and Barcelona seemed to realize the opponents' awareness of their weak points at the back, and it affected their focus on the attack.
While the Catalans moved forward with one eye at the back, one genius in their side wasn't straying from the goal though. Lionel Messi kept the visitors busy all night, especially Alessandro Nesta, who did well trying to prevent the little bag of football fireworks from exploding. La Pulga set up Pedro Rodriguez for an exciting equalizer, and then David Villa sent a curling shot to the Milanese goal, via free kick, in a fist-pump-evoking beauty! Woohoo! It
Lionel Messi, always superb.did look like the Catalans were closing Camp Nou last Tuesday with a 2-1 win against the visitors from Milan, keeping ball possession almost all throughout the second half to protect their precarious lead, and trying to penetrate the Milanese defense for a cushion of a goal. But, on stoppage time, Thiago Silva found an "anomalous opportunity" and took his chance against Sergio Busquets via a header winner. That gave the Italian side their second goal and earning them the bragging right of having survived Camp Nou with a 2-2 draw - in their opening match against the reigning European Champs. I have to admit, it was quite a feat! Then again, AC Milan is Italy's best - the 2010-2011 Serie A champions... something that the Catalans seemed to have missed in their "reminders list" before setting out to meet Massimiliano Allegri's side from San Siro.
***
And brilliance blinded the football universe again!
While the season has merely kicked off, for a Barça fan, two consecutive draws in big games was quite worrisome. The Catalans set themselves up in a spectacularly high standards that a draw has become
Fabregas and Messi: megabrilliance.synonymous to defeat. But, just when pundits started writing-off (would you believe it???) the best club in the business today, the Catalans went on a goal rampage against CA Osasuna over at La Liga. The 2010-2011 Campeones treated their fans at Camp Nou (and elsewhere in the universe) with an 8-0 win. While that, in my opinion, does not make up for that losst opportunity in the AC Milan draw at Camp Nou last week, it did assure fans that the last two draws were anomalies rather than the tone of the Barça symphony this season. Nevermind what unreasonable pundits shove in front of us... and what José Mourinho thinks!
Yep, after a "Pep talk" on complacency in view of the previous two draws, Pep Guardiola loaded his big guns... and the Catalans fired at will in the field - mostly, from Osasuna's half of the field - clearly taking out "complacency" in their game equation. Prompted by Busquets, Dani Alves, who was playing in the right wing (and moving "all-natural" in that position, too, I must add) set the scoring pace with the opening big assist. Lionel Messi picked it up and turned it into an early lead. Cesc Fábregas then completed a nice
David Villa... and his new hairdo are lethal.Messi assist with a truly lovely volley. Later, David Villa joined the scoring party with a little zigzag here and a kick there. Fábregas then returned the favor to Messi as he set up the Best Football Player in the World to pick up a brace as the first-half closes with Barça tallying five goals, including an own goal from Roversio.
Pep Guardiola's men opened the second-half with "murder" rather than "complacency" in mind. The midfield maestro, Xavi Hernandez, put his boots on scoring mode, and picked up one via a follow-through from a Messi rebound. Fábregas then kicked one to a well-positioned Villa for a seventh goal, and a Villa brace. The Catalans closed the scoring spree by letting
Dani Alves, a pleasant surprise on the right wing.Lionel Messi give an all-in-one display of footballing prowess with a little help from Cesc Fàbregas, picking up his first hat-trick of the season - to the fans' tingling delight! Barça, Barça, Barçaaaaaaaaa!
Barça will face the current occupant of the La Liga Table top spot, Valencia CF, next. Surely, Valencia will take off shooting to defend their sumptuous rank... but Guardiola's men seem to have been cured from their alleged complacency syndrome that allowed the draw with Real Sociedad and AC Milan. Valencia will push them - hard - and I'm hoping that the Blaugranas will stand their ground... and go on attack - like there's no tomorrow! Visca el Barça!
***
And then there's this and that...
So, after Barça picked up 3 points to better their La Liga Primera Division standing,
If only Mourinho
could cover his (foul)
mouth like that...
more often!Real Madrid CF fell in the hands of Levante UD via a 0-1 loss, keeping their Liga points nailed at 6 and kicked down to 5th place... for now. Los Blancos opened their match against Levante with the injured Cristiano Ronaldo sitting it out on the bench, and had to finish the match with 10 men as Sami Khedira was shown two yellow cards before half-time.
Always looking for an excuse/scapegoat in defeat, José Mourinho naturally, and most specially, pointed at Khedira as the culprit... before adding his part of the blame, that is - just to avoid Madridistas wrath? And then, as his usual obssession of Barcelona, he said, "All points are important and it's better to lose one game than to draw two. Losing is tougher psychologically than drawing a match, but drawing two is worse than losing one." Sure, sure, Mou... now, would you like vinegar to dip those grapes in... just in case they aren't sour enough? And, oh, oh, by the way, would you please comment on Marcelo's second yellow card (which got converted to red card) for diving during your UEFA meeting with Dinamo Zagreb? :)
The good news is, Mou didn't poke anybody's eye this time. Now, that's an improvement! Looks like the psychiatric division of Real Madrid had been absolutely busy the past how many days. Poor Real Madrid... 'cause they have to put up with a jerk (sorry, can't find a polite term to describe Mourinho) like Mourinho! *sigh* And pity for the Madridistas 'cause they have no choice but to side with a deranged person like Mou, and make all sorts of pathetic excuses in doing so. *sigh*
Over at EPL, the pretty Portuguese tactician, Andre Villas-Boas, suffered his first
Red Devil Nani, impressive!defeat as Chelsea manager when Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils slapped The Blues with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford. While Chelsea went on ferocious attack that was more than impressive, Manchester United's speed and mind-connection-on-the-pitch was on such high level that there was no way for The Blues to match it. While Wayne Rooney went from a brilliant goal to a "say-what??" unbelievable miss, Nani was pure brilliance on the pitch, it was impressive! On the Blues side, while Fernando Torres did play wonderfully, and in fact, clicked with a goal
Fernando Torres, his best wasn't good enough.in the first half - hurray! - he blew a big opportunity (in a "most unforgettable" fashion, too - not in a good way) a few minutes before the final whistle... which sent Chelsea's confidence (mostly in him) blown to pieces. While ManU's fantastic win was at the expense of Stamford Bridge's pride, the match was a classic in its peculiar ups-and-downs, highs-and-lows, brilliance-and-booboos - one for the books! :) But the way ManU are running these days, they look like a side that is looking to win it all this season! That's good news to all football fans - excitement is in the offing.
Alright, I think that's all the fun I could have today. I have to do something to this threatening flu, while I set out to yet another BIG WEEK of incredible WORKLOAD! *sigh*
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!
==============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
You bet, I've been waiting for an excuse good enough to set aside work for a few minutes to drop by here - yes, work on a Sunday night. *sigh*
September has been unkind so far... and I'm praying that it stops harrassing me with work and many other concerns. But it doesn't look like work will let up until the middle of October... so, I'm preparing to coil flat until then. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about my "lab affairs" lately... but the work involved to keep the "excitement" going while making sure that I stand between the students and the white board - on a regular basis - is horrendous! Aargh, I wish teaching didn't involve too much gear shifting... it's too energy taxing, even when one summons the ideality of Brayton Cycle! Ugh! I know... what a nerdy thing to say - and on a Sunday night, too! Tsk!
But enough about work... at least, for the next few minutes!
***
A thorough and painful sanding of the blade...
Ya know, I'd be lying if I'd say that the FC Barcelona - AC Milan 2-2 draw in their first outing in the Group Stage of the
Strike a pose. Barça's frontline and midfield
figuring out the AC Milan "Pato-esque" surprise.Champions League - in Camp Nou, no less - didn't shake me a litte bit... especially that it happened after another draw - with Real Sociedad at the Spanish La Liga. Barça conceded a super-early goal on the 24th second after the opening whistle via a superb Alexandre Pato runaway shot that took Victor Valdes - and millions of fans for that matter - by surprise. It was only after the scoreboard confirmed the Pato goal that Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets realized what happened - the Brazilian ghosted by them while they were still telling themselves what their roles were at the back. While uncomfortably stunned, the Catalans regrouped immediately and went on their attacking football game, with the forwards and the midfielders
Pato, surprises Barça. concealing a makeshift defense with fast passing. But Milan wasn't fooled, they kept pushing to exploit the thin defense during the first 15 minutes or so in the first-half, and Barcelona seemed to realize the opponents' awareness of their weak points at the back, and it affected their focus on the attack.
While the Catalans moved forward with one eye at the back, one genius in their side wasn't straying from the goal though. Lionel Messi kept the visitors busy all night, especially Alessandro Nesta, who did well trying to prevent the little bag of football fireworks from exploding. La Pulga set up Pedro Rodriguez for an exciting equalizer, and then David Villa sent a curling shot to the Milanese goal, via free kick, in a fist-pump-evoking beauty! Woohoo! It
Lionel Messi, always superb.did look like the Catalans were closing Camp Nou last Tuesday with a 2-1 win against the visitors from Milan, keeping ball possession almost all throughout the second half to protect their precarious lead, and trying to penetrate the Milanese defense for a cushion of a goal. But, on stoppage time, Thiago Silva found an "anomalous opportunity" and took his chance against Sergio Busquets via a header winner. That gave the Italian side their second goal and earning them the bragging right of having survived Camp Nou with a 2-2 draw - in their opening match against the reigning European Champs. I have to admit, it was quite a feat! Then again, AC Milan is Italy's best - the 2010-2011 Serie A champions... something that the Catalans seemed to have missed in their "reminders list" before setting out to meet Massimiliano Allegri's side from San Siro.
***
And brilliance blinded the football universe again!
While the season has merely kicked off, for a Barça fan, two consecutive draws in big games was quite worrisome. The Catalans set themselves up in a spectacularly high standards that a draw has become
Fabregas and Messi: megabrilliance.synonymous to defeat. But, just when pundits started writing-off (would you believe it???) the best club in the business today, the Catalans went on a goal rampage against CA Osasuna over at La Liga. The 2010-2011 Campeones treated their fans at Camp Nou (and elsewhere in the universe) with an 8-0 win. While that, in my opinion, does not make up for that losst opportunity in the AC Milan draw at Camp Nou last week, it did assure fans that the last two draws were anomalies rather than the tone of the Barça symphony this season. Nevermind what unreasonable pundits shove in front of us... and what José Mourinho thinks!
Yep, after a "Pep talk" on complacency in view of the previous two draws, Pep Guardiola loaded his big guns... and the Catalans fired at will in the field - mostly, from Osasuna's half of the field - clearly taking out "complacency" in their game equation. Prompted by Busquets, Dani Alves, who was playing in the right wing (and moving "all-natural" in that position, too, I must add) set the scoring pace with the opening big assist. Lionel Messi picked it up and turned it into an early lead. Cesc Fábregas then completed a nice
David Villa... and his new hairdo are lethal.Messi assist with a truly lovely volley. Later, David Villa joined the scoring party with a little zigzag here and a kick there. Fábregas then returned the favor to Messi as he set up the Best Football Player in the World to pick up a brace as the first-half closes with Barça tallying five goals, including an own goal from Roversio.
Pep Guardiola's men opened the second-half with "murder" rather than "complacency" in mind. The midfield maestro, Xavi Hernandez, put his boots on scoring mode, and picked up one via a follow-through from a Messi rebound. Fábregas then kicked one to a well-positioned Villa for a seventh goal, and a Villa brace. The Catalans closed the scoring spree by letting
Dani Alves, a pleasant surprise on the right wing.Lionel Messi give an all-in-one display of footballing prowess with a little help from Cesc Fàbregas, picking up his first hat-trick of the season - to the fans' tingling delight! Barça, Barça, Barçaaaaaaaaa!
Barça will face the current occupant of the La Liga Table top spot, Valencia CF, next. Surely, Valencia will take off shooting to defend their sumptuous rank... but Guardiola's men seem to have been cured from their alleged complacency syndrome that allowed the draw with Real Sociedad and AC Milan. Valencia will push them - hard - and I'm hoping that the Blaugranas will stand their ground... and go on attack - like there's no tomorrow! Visca el Barça!
***
And then there's this and that...
So, after Barça picked up 3 points to better their La Liga Primera Division standing,
If only Mourinho
could cover his (foul)
mouth like that...
more often!Real Madrid CF fell in the hands of Levante UD via a 0-1 loss, keeping their Liga points nailed at 6 and kicked down to 5th place... for now. Los Blancos opened their match against Levante with the injured Cristiano Ronaldo sitting it out on the bench, and had to finish the match with 10 men as Sami Khedira was shown two yellow cards before half-time.
Always looking for an excuse/scapegoat in defeat, José Mourinho naturally, and most specially, pointed at Khedira as the culprit... before adding his part of the blame, that is - just to avoid Madridistas wrath? And then, as his usual obssession of Barcelona, he said, "All points are important and it's better to lose one game than to draw two. Losing is tougher psychologically than drawing a match, but drawing two is worse than losing one." Sure, sure, Mou... now, would you like vinegar to dip those grapes in... just in case they aren't sour enough? And, oh, oh, by the way, would you please comment on Marcelo's second yellow card (which got converted to red card) for diving during your UEFA meeting with Dinamo Zagreb? :)
The good news is, Mou didn't poke anybody's eye this time. Now, that's an improvement! Looks like the psychiatric division of Real Madrid had been absolutely busy the past how many days. Poor Real Madrid... 'cause they have to put up with a jerk (sorry, can't find a polite term to describe Mourinho) like Mourinho! *sigh* And pity for the Madridistas 'cause they have no choice but to side with a deranged person like Mou, and make all sorts of pathetic excuses in doing so. *sigh*
Over at EPL, the pretty Portuguese tactician, Andre Villas-Boas, suffered his first
Red Devil Nani, impressive!defeat as Chelsea manager when Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils slapped The Blues with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford. While Chelsea went on ferocious attack that was more than impressive, Manchester United's speed and mind-connection-on-the-pitch was on such high level that there was no way for The Blues to match it. While Wayne Rooney went from a brilliant goal to a "say-what??" unbelievable miss, Nani was pure brilliance on the pitch, it was impressive! On the Blues side, while Fernando Torres did play wonderfully, and in fact, clicked with a goal
Fernando Torres, his best wasn't good enough.in the first half - hurray! - he blew a big opportunity (in a "most unforgettable" fashion, too - not in a good way) a few minutes before the final whistle... which sent Chelsea's confidence (mostly in him) blown to pieces. While ManU's fantastic win was at the expense of Stamford Bridge's pride, the match was a classic in its peculiar ups-and-downs, highs-and-lows, brilliance-and-booboos - one for the books! :) But the way ManU are running these days, they look like a side that is looking to win it all this season! That's good news to all football fans - excitement is in the offing.
Alright, I think that's all the fun I could have today. I have to do something to this threatening flu, while I set out to yet another BIG WEEK of incredible WORKLOAD! *sigh*
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Adrenalin flooded Arthur Ashe...
...not just from the players but from the "tennis mob gone-mad" as well!
============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
The cavernous stadium in Flushing Meadows was filled with raging adrenalin to the brim! And it spilled over the four corners of the planet in every tennis fan's TV/computer/mobile phone - what a championship match, AWESOME!!!
The #1 in the World, Novak Djokovic, battled the #2 in the World
Queens has a new King...
and it's a Djoker!and defending US Open champ, Rafael Nadal, for a first US Open title, amidst an extremely riotous crowd that screamed, yelled, clapped, woot-wooted, joked, stomped their feet, jumped in celebration of extra-ordinary moves shown on court, whined loudly over squandered opportunities, jumped to their feet in appreciation of an incredible point won - it was a "mob" gone mad! And theirs was an apt response, too, as rubber squeaked on the court loudly and the ball flew back and forth with blistering zing through the electrified New York air! The two incredible champions of men's tennis battled relentlessly with pure testosterone cursing through every single polymerized material in the strings of their rackets, smashing the ball with brute force as if there was not going to be tennis balls tomorrow - or ever again! And the whole tennis world erupted in glorious cheers as the Arthur Ashe crowd's loud celebration was echoed from Queens, NY throughout the world! Woohoo!
Yep, I am actually saying these things - from the bottom of my heart - and I'm a HUGE Roger Federer fan... from the bottom of my heart, too! :). I guess, as far as rackets and balls are concerned, I'm a tennis fan first, and an RF fan, second. :)
***
Don't let the numbers fool you
I know the scoreboard said 6-2, in favor of Novak Djokovic, in the first set, but none of the men were actually "murdered" - it was a close affair, with one fierce wallop returned with another fierce wallop at every point. Boy, if those balls could talk!
The first four games were played like they were the last four games in a championship match. The men stepped into the court with their big games... it felt like we saw every single "exhibition shot" ever invented in tennis out there from the Serbian and the Spaniard champs... a slice with a topspin here, a sharp power forehand there, a both-leg-stretched return here, a turn-around shot there, a blistering corner winner here, a cute volley there... Aaah, you name it,
Novak Djokovic faded out the Nadal force with
incredible focus and almost superhuman talents.they did it all! Whew! Too exciting and too blindingly fast, there was hardly time for an apt reaction. And, the champs were obviously feeling the heat... Rafa Nadal approached the chair umpire to complain with a "bitch face" - now, that's a first... and Djoker pleaded for the crowd to please, please, pleeeeaase be less riotous when points were being played! Aw, gosh!
At the end of the first set, one of the men were stunned in incredulous surprise for being overpowered... and the other, exuberant with relief and... yeah, incredulous surprise, too, for having overpowered the other! :) I don't think any of them were paying very close attention to the score... I think they were simply trying to win every point - it's the only way to play a "2 against 1" match, I think. But, it is true, too, that Rafael Nadal didn't look like he was the strongest warrior on the tennis court like he used to... fading a little bit in a spectacle that was the on-fire Djokovic.
The second set was played with even greater intensity... more exciting shotmaking from the incredible men, who seemed to have gained some superpower overnight when they found out that they were playing each other. One trying to protect a precarious, hard-earned but totally
The defending champ, Rafael Nadal, battled
fiercely with the Arthur Ashe crowd behind him.sweet one-set lead, the other, defiant to defeat until the very last point, trying to go even on sets won, rally after freakishly long rally! Dang, too awesome!! Nadal took it to 2-0 early on with a break of the Djoker serve. But, alas, it was a deceptive tide of awesome energy... Djoker broke back through a Nadal double fault after a "forever" of deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage saga! Aw, gosh!! Nadal sat mumbling and glaring at the chair umpire during the break... and then went back on court seeming distracted, making huge mistakes - costly mistakes, mostly through vulnerable, highly assailable serves that have been failing him tremendously, and that weak backhand that exposed him to attack... and Djoker smartly took advantage - attack, he did! And then, just when it felt like Djoker was going to sail through, Rafa broke the Djoker, 4-4! But, Djoker broke right back - in a truly, truly incredible fashion, too - via a fly ball return from Nadal of a spinning high-velocity ball! Dang! With a crazy margin, one was overmuscled by the other... and the score was 6-4 - in favor of the #1 Man in the World from Planet Krypton, er, Serbia!
The third set was played with incredible brilliance from both men - it was unbelievable! Down two sets, the ultimate fighter from Majorca regrouped and broke through the Djokovic serve at 2-2. The overly enthusiastic NY crowd went wild! And then... Djoker broke back! And he did so in just about 5 minutes or so, despite the massive wall of NY tennis mob-reinforced Spaniard resistance! Whew! The intensity of the match showed by the seesaw of break of serves, like both men were on their attacking game, not wanting to be on the defensive end, engaging each other in lengthy rallies (31 shots at more than one point) - where variety of shots, stamina, athletic moves, speed and focus amidst the noise of the New York crowd were displayed by both - too awesome! It went on like that until the scoreboard showed 6-6, with Djokovic
"2 against 1"... two awesome champions clashed, and
pure energy flooded the tennis world. Thanks for the
"championship special" treat, guys!looking to call a medical timeout in between to loosen a tight lower back, but never did until the fourth set. Nadal, for his part, soothe frayed nerves. In the tiebreak, the Spaniard went on ahead, kicking to a higher gear that, I suspect, he didn't know he had - until today - with two points... and prevailed eventually with the slimmest of margin! Woot-woot! The crowd erupted, of course! On to fourth set - game on!!! Woohoo!
In the fourth set, Djokovic resumed with tight back from the previous set that limited his mobility... and Nadal was showing tight nerves. But the Djokovic medical timeout seemed to have cooled the Nadal adrenalin. Djokovic pulled away with a 3-0 lead against the visibly exhausted Nadal. It was curious how Nadal's fitness (did he gain weight?), volatile temper, and nerves were issues in this match. He struggled to push himself to apt speed to keep up with Djokovic, to power his shots with the right velocity to match the Djoker power, to keep positive vibes and decisiveness on key moments - he kept going for the backhand when all he was getting in return were punishing pounding from the Djoker forehand. But the New York crowd willed the Spanish warrior to fight on... and he did - out of pure adrenalin! But Djokovic found another full tank of red-hot pure energy in his stamina reservoir, and kicked to a higher gear - full throttle!. And he just unlatched the brakes and pushed forward with nothing else but winning in mind! He was such a slithering ribbon of
The fiery Serbian eyes look to breaking many
records soon. All the best, Djoker! But, ahem,
time your medical timeouts "better" next time, ok?uncontainable energy. Even the string of his racket snapped when he unleashed a huge forehand to punish a Nadal topspin. Next to crack under the crushing energy was the Spanish defense wall, and the energy ribbon went slithering its way through, burning the wall to ashes as it did.
In the end, Nadal just couldn't keep up with the speeding Djokovic no matter how hard he tried - and he tried mightily hard! Djokovic was absolutely incredible, it's no joke! Therefore, Queens annointed its new King - and it's a Djoker! Nevermind that he walks with an annoying swagger - for now - he deserves to have his time... to savor it. He redefined brilliance in tennis out there, and it's... yeah, no joke!
Congratulations, Nole! Oh, and nice touch with the FDNY effects at the awarding. :) I say, that made up for that NY crowd "quiet,dammit please!" admonition. :)
***
Tennis saves sanity as God saves lives
I had to deal with an emergency today. It's too crazy that even my own "medical timeout" on my free day from work had to take the backseat. Tennis gave me a break from the insane incident. Therefore, thanks, Nole and Rafa, for the much-needed break - from the bottom of my heart! :) Thank God, for another miracle sent my family's way - we're His big fans! And we're big fans of Our Lady of Manaoag, too. Woohoo! :). Thanks for taking care of us, Apo Baket!
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!
============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
The cavernous stadium in Flushing Meadows was filled with raging adrenalin to the brim! And it spilled over the four corners of the planet in every tennis fan's TV/computer/mobile phone - what a championship match, AWESOME!!!
The #1 in the World, Novak Djokovic, battled the #2 in the World
Queens has a new King...
and it's a Djoker!and defending US Open champ, Rafael Nadal, for a first US Open title, amidst an extremely riotous crowd that screamed, yelled, clapped, woot-wooted, joked, stomped their feet, jumped in celebration of extra-ordinary moves shown on court, whined loudly over squandered opportunities, jumped to their feet in appreciation of an incredible point won - it was a "mob" gone mad! And theirs was an apt response, too, as rubber squeaked on the court loudly and the ball flew back and forth with blistering zing through the electrified New York air! The two incredible champions of men's tennis battled relentlessly with pure testosterone cursing through every single polymerized material in the strings of their rackets, smashing the ball with brute force as if there was not going to be tennis balls tomorrow - or ever again! And the whole tennis world erupted in glorious cheers as the Arthur Ashe crowd's loud celebration was echoed from Queens, NY throughout the world! Woohoo!
Yep, I am actually saying these things - from the bottom of my heart - and I'm a HUGE Roger Federer fan... from the bottom of my heart, too! :). I guess, as far as rackets and balls are concerned, I'm a tennis fan first, and an RF fan, second. :)
***
Don't let the numbers fool you
I know the scoreboard said 6-2, in favor of Novak Djokovic, in the first set, but none of the men were actually "murdered" - it was a close affair, with one fierce wallop returned with another fierce wallop at every point. Boy, if those balls could talk!
The first four games were played like they were the last four games in a championship match. The men stepped into the court with their big games... it felt like we saw every single "exhibition shot" ever invented in tennis out there from the Serbian and the Spaniard champs... a slice with a topspin here, a sharp power forehand there, a both-leg-stretched return here, a turn-around shot there, a blistering corner winner here, a cute volley there... Aaah, you name it,
Novak Djokovic faded out the Nadal force with
incredible focus and almost superhuman talents.they did it all! Whew! Too exciting and too blindingly fast, there was hardly time for an apt reaction. And, the champs were obviously feeling the heat... Rafa Nadal approached the chair umpire to complain with a "bitch face" - now, that's a first... and Djoker pleaded for the crowd to please, please, pleeeeaase be less riotous when points were being played! Aw, gosh!
At the end of the first set, one of the men were stunned in incredulous surprise for being overpowered... and the other, exuberant with relief and... yeah, incredulous surprise, too, for having overpowered the other! :) I don't think any of them were paying very close attention to the score... I think they were simply trying to win every point - it's the only way to play a "2 against 1" match, I think. But, it is true, too, that Rafael Nadal didn't look like he was the strongest warrior on the tennis court like he used to... fading a little bit in a spectacle that was the on-fire Djokovic.
The second set was played with even greater intensity... more exciting shotmaking from the incredible men, who seemed to have gained some superpower overnight when they found out that they were playing each other. One trying to protect a precarious, hard-earned but totally
The defending champ, Rafael Nadal, battled
fiercely with the Arthur Ashe crowd behind him.sweet one-set lead, the other, defiant to defeat until the very last point, trying to go even on sets won, rally after freakishly long rally! Dang, too awesome!! Nadal took it to 2-0 early on with a break of the Djoker serve. But, alas, it was a deceptive tide of awesome energy... Djoker broke back through a Nadal double fault after a "forever" of deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage saga! Aw, gosh!! Nadal sat mumbling and glaring at the chair umpire during the break... and then went back on court seeming distracted, making huge mistakes - costly mistakes, mostly through vulnerable, highly assailable serves that have been failing him tremendously, and that weak backhand that exposed him to attack... and Djoker smartly took advantage - attack, he did! And then, just when it felt like Djoker was going to sail through, Rafa broke the Djoker, 4-4! But, Djoker broke right back - in a truly, truly incredible fashion, too - via a fly ball return from Nadal of a spinning high-velocity ball! Dang! With a crazy margin, one was overmuscled by the other... and the score was 6-4 - in favor of the #1 Man in the World from Planet Krypton, er, Serbia!
The third set was played with incredible brilliance from both men - it was unbelievable! Down two sets, the ultimate fighter from Majorca regrouped and broke through the Djokovic serve at 2-2. The overly enthusiastic NY crowd went wild! And then... Djoker broke back! And he did so in just about 5 minutes or so, despite the massive wall of NY tennis mob-reinforced Spaniard resistance! Whew! The intensity of the match showed by the seesaw of break of serves, like both men were on their attacking game, not wanting to be on the defensive end, engaging each other in lengthy rallies (31 shots at more than one point) - where variety of shots, stamina, athletic moves, speed and focus amidst the noise of the New York crowd were displayed by both - too awesome! It went on like that until the scoreboard showed 6-6, with Djokovic
"2 against 1"... two awesome champions clashed, and
pure energy flooded the tennis world. Thanks for the
"championship special" treat, guys!looking to call a medical timeout in between to loosen a tight lower back, but never did until the fourth set. Nadal, for his part, soothe frayed nerves. In the tiebreak, the Spaniard went on ahead, kicking to a higher gear that, I suspect, he didn't know he had - until today - with two points... and prevailed eventually with the slimmest of margin! Woot-woot! The crowd erupted, of course! On to fourth set - game on!!! Woohoo!
In the fourth set, Djokovic resumed with tight back from the previous set that limited his mobility... and Nadal was showing tight nerves. But the Djokovic medical timeout seemed to have cooled the Nadal adrenalin. Djokovic pulled away with a 3-0 lead against the visibly exhausted Nadal. It was curious how Nadal's fitness (did he gain weight?), volatile temper, and nerves were issues in this match. He struggled to push himself to apt speed to keep up with Djokovic, to power his shots with the right velocity to match the Djoker power, to keep positive vibes and decisiveness on key moments - he kept going for the backhand when all he was getting in return were punishing pounding from the Djoker forehand. But the New York crowd willed the Spanish warrior to fight on... and he did - out of pure adrenalin! But Djokovic found another full tank of red-hot pure energy in his stamina reservoir, and kicked to a higher gear - full throttle!. And he just unlatched the brakes and pushed forward with nothing else but winning in mind! He was such a slithering ribbon of
The fiery Serbian eyes look to breaking many
records soon. All the best, Djoker! But, ahem,
time your medical timeouts "better" next time, ok?uncontainable energy. Even the string of his racket snapped when he unleashed a huge forehand to punish a Nadal topspin. Next to crack under the crushing energy was the Spanish defense wall, and the energy ribbon went slithering its way through, burning the wall to ashes as it did.
In the end, Nadal just couldn't keep up with the speeding Djokovic no matter how hard he tried - and he tried mightily hard! Djokovic was absolutely incredible, it's no joke! Therefore, Queens annointed its new King - and it's a Djoker! Nevermind that he walks with an annoying swagger - for now - he deserves to have his time... to savor it. He redefined brilliance in tennis out there, and it's... yeah, no joke!
Congratulations, Nole! Oh, and nice touch with the FDNY effects at the awarding. :) I say, that made up for that NY crowd "quiet,
***
Tennis saves sanity as God saves lives
I had to deal with an emergency today. It's too crazy that even my own "medical timeout" on my free day from work had to take the backseat. Tennis gave me a break from the insane incident. Therefore, thanks, Nole and Rafa, for the much-needed break - from the bottom of my heart! :) Thank God, for another miracle sent my family's way - we're His big fans! And we're big fans of Our Lady of Manaoag, too. Woohoo! :). Thanks for taking care of us, Apo Baket!
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sam Stosur, oy, oy, oy!
Cool, talented and humble... Sam Stosur becomes the new Queen of Flushing Meadows! Yay!
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
The wait is so worth it! Samantha Stosur signed on as a new member of the "elite circle" of champs in women's tennis via a straight-sets win over Serena Williams at Arthur Ashe. Sam lifted the US
Sam Stosur, 2011 US Open Champ. Open Women's Championship trophy this year... and she did it in a truly sensational way, too! What a way to win one's first Grand Slam!
Among the active women in tennis these days, I've always liked Sam Stosur, Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic and Flavia Pennetta. Stosur is a fantastic tennis player - very talented - and, like the other three women, she seems to have a great personality as well. That's why it had been truly frustrating to see her often succumbing to nerves on big moments in her Grand Slam matches... and her bout with nerves had rendered her an inconsistent performer on court, too. But she's got the game of a champ - spectacular forehand, variety of shots, speed, athleticism, strength, good serve, the tenacity to track down balls all over the court... and she's so cool and smart. I thought she'll never get her chance to lift a Major silverware... but she's worked hard in the US Open this year. There was a huge improvement in her mental toughness and composure under pressure, allowing her big guns to dominate her game instead... and her opponents, too.
En route to the championship, she "murdered" the #2 in the World, Vera Zvonareva, in a slew of winners - 25 to Zvonareva's 9 - with 84% first-serve wins in their quarter-final meeting, which she won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3! While her unforced errors (27) were almost as many as the winners she produced (30) in her semi-final match with Germany's Angelique Kerber, she held her nerves when they went even on set won, and went on to grab the third set to book a championship meeting with 13-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams.
***
The new champ is cool
Sam Stosur's forehand proved to be too much of a wild force for Serena Williams to handle. The Aussie sprayed the American with tremendous firepower early on in the first set... and the American was almost visibly shaken, committing 25 unforced errors - more than double of
In the zone. Stosur, unleashing the killer forehand.Sam's 12! Stosur was all-business, sending winners over the net that Williams could only follow with her eyes resignedly. The Aussie grabbed the first set in a convincing and decisive manner, 6-2.
In the second set, out of desperation, Williams sent a burgeoning shot to the corner, which Stosur tried to chase on wheeled feet. But before the play finished and Stosur still on the run, Williams celebrated the would-be point with a yell. The chair umpire nullified the play, warned Williams for unsportsmanlike behavior, and ruled to re-play the point. Williams went ballistic, of course - vintage Serena mental meltdown! *sigh* She approached the chair umpire and engaged the official in a heated debate... and when it was clear that the umpire was sticking to
Mental meltdown. Tsk, tsk... ah, Serena. her decision, Williams refused to re-play the point and conceded the point instead to Stosur... and she went about her frustrating way of defying an official like she did in her semi-final match with Kim Clijsters in the 2009 US Open, when she verbally abused a line official. *sigh* Aaargh, Serena!
Just like Kim Clijsters in 2009, Sam Stosur stayed calm in the midst of an ugly Serena mental meltdown and went on with her business. The Aussie refused to give anyone a reason to entertain doubt that she deserved to win the match. She showed that she is well-capable of winning remarkable points without a pathetic "donation" from Serena via an overruled winner. She continued to "kill" Serena with big forehand winners, to which Serena had no answer! Sam won the second set, and the championship, convincingly and admirably, 6-3!
AWESOME! Congratulations, Sam! Oy, oy, oy!
***
The former champ went out of control... again.
As for Serena, well, she approached the net graciously and congratulated Stosur with a kiss on the cheek after the match... but she ignored the chair umpire - no handshake, nothing. Tsk, tsk...
Serena Williams is no doubt a talented champion... but her attitude makes it hard for so many tennis fans to appreciate her "brand of tennis". Alas, brilliance is not all that fans look for in sportsmen and women... conduct is part of one's "brand of sport", too. Afterall, sportsmanship is a part of any sport. And it is for this reason that talented champions like Serena Williams do not come to mind often when listing down "admired people" in sports. What a shame!
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
The wait is so worth it! Samantha Stosur signed on as a new member of the "elite circle" of champs in women's tennis via a straight-sets win over Serena Williams at Arthur Ashe. Sam lifted the US
Sam Stosur, 2011 US Open Champ. Open Women's Championship trophy this year... and she did it in a truly sensational way, too! What a way to win one's first Grand Slam!
Among the active women in tennis these days, I've always liked Sam Stosur, Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic and Flavia Pennetta. Stosur is a fantastic tennis player - very talented - and, like the other three women, she seems to have a great personality as well. That's why it had been truly frustrating to see her often succumbing to nerves on big moments in her Grand Slam matches... and her bout with nerves had rendered her an inconsistent performer on court, too. But she's got the game of a champ - spectacular forehand, variety of shots, speed, athleticism, strength, good serve, the tenacity to track down balls all over the court... and she's so cool and smart. I thought she'll never get her chance to lift a Major silverware... but she's worked hard in the US Open this year. There was a huge improvement in her mental toughness and composure under pressure, allowing her big guns to dominate her game instead... and her opponents, too.
En route to the championship, she "murdered" the #2 in the World, Vera Zvonareva, in a slew of winners - 25 to Zvonareva's 9 - with 84% first-serve wins in their quarter-final meeting, which she won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3! While her unforced errors (27) were almost as many as the winners she produced (30) in her semi-final match with Germany's Angelique Kerber, she held her nerves when they went even on set won, and went on to grab the third set to book a championship meeting with 13-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams.
***
The new champ is cool
Sam Stosur's forehand proved to be too much of a wild force for Serena Williams to handle. The Aussie sprayed the American with tremendous firepower early on in the first set... and the American was almost visibly shaken, committing 25 unforced errors - more than double of
In the zone. Stosur, unleashing the killer forehand.Sam's 12! Stosur was all-business, sending winners over the net that Williams could only follow with her eyes resignedly. The Aussie grabbed the first set in a convincing and decisive manner, 6-2.
In the second set, out of desperation, Williams sent a burgeoning shot to the corner, which Stosur tried to chase on wheeled feet. But before the play finished and Stosur still on the run, Williams celebrated the would-be point with a yell. The chair umpire nullified the play, warned Williams for unsportsmanlike behavior, and ruled to re-play the point. Williams went ballistic, of course - vintage Serena mental meltdown! *sigh* She approached the chair umpire and engaged the official in a heated debate... and when it was clear that the umpire was sticking to
Mental meltdown. Tsk, tsk... ah, Serena. her decision, Williams refused to re-play the point and conceded the point instead to Stosur... and she went about her frustrating way of defying an official like she did in her semi-final match with Kim Clijsters in the 2009 US Open, when she verbally abused a line official. *sigh* Aaargh, Serena!
Just like Kim Clijsters in 2009, Sam Stosur stayed calm in the midst of an ugly Serena mental meltdown and went on with her business. The Aussie refused to give anyone a reason to entertain doubt that she deserved to win the match. She showed that she is well-capable of winning remarkable points without a pathetic "donation" from Serena via an overruled winner. She continued to "kill" Serena with big forehand winners, to which Serena had no answer! Sam won the second set, and the championship, convincingly and admirably, 6-3!
AWESOME! Congratulations, Sam! Oy, oy, oy!
***
The former champ went out of control... again.
As for Serena, well, she approached the net graciously and congratulated Stosur with a kiss on the cheek after the match... but she ignored the chair umpire - no handshake, nothing. Tsk, tsk...
Serena Williams is no doubt a talented champion... but her attitude makes it hard for so many tennis fans to appreciate her "brand of tennis". Alas, brilliance is not all that fans look for in sportsmen and women... conduct is part of one's "brand of sport", too. Afterall, sportsmanship is a part of any sport. And it is for this reason that talented champions like Serena Williams do not come to mind often when listing down "admired people" in sports. What a shame!
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Super Saturday at the US Open...
...features the very best in men's tennis today, and some in the women's.
===============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
This deserves time. Seriously. Therefore, while (unreasonable) workload "demands" attention again - yes, on a Saturday midnight (Manila time) - I'm making time for this!
***
Oops, rain delay... in the meantime, let's get briefed
And so, after a generous show of incredible tennis in many exciting matches in the last Grand Slam of the season, the BIG FOUR in men's tennis are in the LAST FOUR - again. A familiar scenario that speaks of the consistency and brilliance of the men in tennis today.
#1 + #3 = one championship place. World #3, Roger Federer, after finally asserting
Roger Federer, a man
on a mission.himself for good, on his third try this year, against the man who ousted him in the QF at Wimbledon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, faces the man who ousted him at this stage in the US Open in an unforgettable match last year. RF crosses swords with the #1 in the World today, Novak Djokovic. The Djokovic racket has been on fire since the season opened, with an incredible 62-2 win-loss record to the Serbian's name and two Grand Slams - Aussie Open and Wimbledon - added to his silverware collection. His defeat of RF to move to the championship in the US Open last year earned him the momentum to bring the Davis Cup trophy to Serbia through a team he captained. He hasn't looked back since then.
This year, both men strutted their brilliant tennis stuff in Flushing Meadows, earning their places in the Semis ever so convincingly through tough tests. The Federer racket has been sending laser-sharp powershots, stabbing opponents on the other side of the net. The 30-year-old Swiss
Novak Djokovic, reaching
for greatness.has been moving with the confidence and the "deceptive" speed and agility that defined his dominance of men's tennis in most of the previous decade. Obviously, he is gunning for his first Major this season - a tall order for himself, considering that that would mean stopping the blistering "ball of fire" that is Djokovic. Does he have the stamina to match that of Djoker's if the competition shoved to a five-setter? But then, the only loss in a completed match that mars the Djokovic win-loss stat this season was handed to him by Federer himself in the QF at Roland Garros! Therefore, this match can go either way... and it will be explosive - that's for sure!
#2 + #4 = one championship place. The other two great men in
Rafael Nadal, eyes
the top spot again.the Top 4, World #2, Rafael Nadal, and World #4, Andy Murray, will face off in the other semi-final match. This is going to be a high-intensity, high-energy match... big reasons for both men to win: Nadal looking to assert himself at the top of the ranking, and the Scot looking to capture his first ever Major. Both men are very fast... could play both offense and defense with topnotch quality. Rafa is ahead in the "mental toughness" division, but Andy had been sharpening his mental guns, too. Away from the UK grass of Wimbledon, that seems more doable for the Scot.
While Rafa Nadal has reached the semis with clinical wins over his
Andy Murray, eyes on the
big prize.opponents who all posted very little danger, Andy Murray had been going up and down the score board in his matches, and in scary fashion, too, sometimes. It almost looked like Murray had been pushing and streching himself in all directions to get ready to contain the ferocious topspin shotmaking machine, that is Rafa Nadal... and maybe, later, one of Federer and Djokovic - in the Championship. If you're Andy Murray, you would hope for the same thing, too, wouldn't you? Therefore, the lad is worth watching as he goes up against the ultimate fighter of men's tennis from Majorca! The question is, would he finally find a crack in the massive Nadal armory this time around? Hmmm... one can dream!
Ah, the New York skies let up... here we go - game on!
***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
===============================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
This deserves time. Seriously. Therefore, while (unreasonable) workload "demands" attention again - yes, on a Saturday midnight (Manila time) - I'm making time for this!
***
Oops, rain delay... in the meantime, let's get briefed
And so, after a generous show of incredible tennis in many exciting matches in the last Grand Slam of the season, the BIG FOUR in men's tennis are in the LAST FOUR - again. A familiar scenario that speaks of the consistency and brilliance of the men in tennis today.
#1 + #3 = one championship place. World #3, Roger Federer, after finally asserting
Roger Federer, a man
on a mission.himself for good, on his third try this year, against the man who ousted him in the QF at Wimbledon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, faces the man who ousted him at this stage in the US Open in an unforgettable match last year. RF crosses swords with the #1 in the World today, Novak Djokovic. The Djokovic racket has been on fire since the season opened, with an incredible 62-2 win-loss record to the Serbian's name and two Grand Slams - Aussie Open and Wimbledon - added to his silverware collection. His defeat of RF to move to the championship in the US Open last year earned him the momentum to bring the Davis Cup trophy to Serbia through a team he captained. He hasn't looked back since then.
This year, both men strutted their brilliant tennis stuff in Flushing Meadows, earning their places in the Semis ever so convincingly through tough tests. The Federer racket has been sending laser-sharp powershots, stabbing opponents on the other side of the net. The 30-year-old Swiss
Novak Djokovic, reaching
for greatness.has been moving with the confidence and the "deceptive" speed and agility that defined his dominance of men's tennis in most of the previous decade. Obviously, he is gunning for his first Major this season - a tall order for himself, considering that that would mean stopping the blistering "ball of fire" that is Djokovic. Does he have the stamina to match that of Djoker's if the competition shoved to a five-setter? But then, the only loss in a completed match that mars the Djokovic win-loss stat this season was handed to him by Federer himself in the QF at Roland Garros! Therefore, this match can go either way... and it will be explosive - that's for sure!
#2 + #4 = one championship place. The other two great men in
Rafael Nadal, eyes
the top spot again.the Top 4, World #2, Rafael Nadal, and World #4, Andy Murray, will face off in the other semi-final match. This is going to be a high-intensity, high-energy match... big reasons for both men to win: Nadal looking to assert himself at the top of the ranking, and the Scot looking to capture his first ever Major. Both men are very fast... could play both offense and defense with topnotch quality. Rafa is ahead in the "mental toughness" division, but Andy had been sharpening his mental guns, too. Away from the UK grass of Wimbledon, that seems more doable for the Scot.
While Rafa Nadal has reached the semis with clinical wins over his
Andy Murray, eyes on the
big prize.opponents who all posted very little danger, Andy Murray had been going up and down the score board in his matches, and in scary fashion, too, sometimes. It almost looked like Murray had been pushing and streching himself in all directions to get ready to contain the ferocious topspin shotmaking machine, that is Rafa Nadal... and maybe, later, one of Federer and Djokovic - in the Championship. If you're Andy Murray, you would hope for the same thing, too, wouldn't you? Therefore, the lad is worth watching as he goes up against the ultimate fighter of men's tennis from Majorca! The question is, would he finally find a crack in the massive Nadal armory this time around? Hmmm... one can dream!
Ah, the New York skies let up... here we go - game on!
***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Saturday photo
A solemnly murmured prayer... the tympanum and archivolt at the main entrance of the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - the seat of the Archbishop of Manila. The minor basilica is more popularly known as "Manila Cathedral".
Good times, hard times... prayers are a good company - the best company.
***
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Wednesday nostalgia...
...outside, looking in.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
Gin Blossoms... they crept into the airwaves in the late '80s, hit it big in the '90s, and they're one of the bands that left a mark in my '90s memories with songs like "Hey, jealousy", "Allison Road", "Found out about you" and "Follow you down". And when I finally became financially independent, brave enough to unreasonably spend "serious money" on records (hehe...), theirs was one of the first few I bought. "New Miserable Experience" was the first Gin Blossoms album I bought in the early '90s. And I patiently waited for what seemed like a long time to sing "29" with feelings...
"There's no intentions worthy of mention if you never tried. So hang your hopes on rusted-out hinges, take 'em for a ride ...only time will tell if wishing wells can bring us anything...."
...and when I was finally "old enough" to sing it with "meaningful feelings", hmm, it felt absolutely wonderful! :) Ah,
"The past is gone but something
might be found to take its place..."time flies... now, I wish I was still waiting for 29. But "time won't stand by forever"... I know that now.
In November 2010, my sister and I had a fantastic time catching the band from Tempe, Arizona via "Gin Blossoms Live in Manila" at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines - yes, LIVE! They sounded almost the same as in the late '80s and early '90s. Their music was as beautiful as ever, they made me want to cry! And, we sang along happily with them as they rummaged through their old and not-so-old hits. Of course, "'Til I hear it from you" made me feel warm with nostalgia... and it felt quite right as well. :)
"I didn't ask, they shouldn't have told me..."
***
Acknowledgement: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
Gin Blossoms... they crept into the airwaves in the late '80s, hit it big in the '90s, and they're one of the bands that left a mark in my '90s memories with songs like "Hey, jealousy", "Allison Road", "Found out about you" and "Follow you down". And when I finally became financially independent, brave enough to unreasonably spend "serious money" on records (hehe...), theirs was one of the first few I bought. "New Miserable Experience" was the first Gin Blossoms album I bought in the early '90s. And I patiently waited for what seemed like a long time to sing "29" with feelings...
"There's no intentions worthy of mention if you never tried. So hang your hopes on rusted-out hinges, take 'em for a ride ...only time will tell if wishing wells can bring us anything...."
...and when I was finally "old enough" to sing it with "meaningful feelings", hmm, it felt absolutely wonderful! :) Ah,
"The past is gone but something
might be found to take its place..."time flies... now, I wish I was still waiting for 29. But "time won't stand by forever"... I know that now.
In November 2010, my sister and I had a fantastic time catching the band from Tempe, Arizona via "Gin Blossoms Live in Manila" at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines - yes, LIVE! They sounded almost the same as in the late '80s and early '90s. Their music was as beautiful as ever, they made me want to cry! And, we sang along happily with them as they rummaged through their old and not-so-old hits. Of course, "'Til I hear it from you" made me feel warm with nostalgia... and it felt quite right as well. :)
"I didn't ask, they shouldn't have told me..."
***
Acknowledgement: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
US Open, uh-hmm...
...trying to focus, but work and these football men are "distracting" me! :)
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
I am totally putting myself in a lot of "trouble" sitting here writing this rather than enslaving myself some more... to work! It's my "free day" from work... but I have "six-feet tall" of workload beside me as I write this, almost "killed" myself yesterday from crazy workload. I've already given up "my" Sunday for lab work, and now used six hours of "my" day on work stuff... so, maybe, I deserve some "fun time"? No? Ah, whatever! My brain says "fun", and refuses to recognize things like "refrigeration", "mechanical energy losses in pipelines", or "permeate flux"! "Love", "deuce", "ace", "goal", and their variants are all that it recognizes right now... so, "fun" it is then! Yay!
***
US Open, finally!
It is unbelievable that the US Open is already on its eighth day today and I only got to sit to pay "serious attention" to the goings on at Flushing Meadows. I did say that work was threatening to crush me flat this month... and the threat turned to a real crushing force. *sigh* And this is why, I need some serious fun time. :) Besides, after seeing the Rafa Nadal "cramping episode" during his press conference yesterday (and reading about the funny comments from people later), I got really curious! Haha... uhm, ahem, excuse me... sorry (hahaha...).
Moving on...
***
Excitement in the women's singles
Ah, finally, World #1 Caroline Wozniacki triumphed in a BIG match - against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. It was an exciting match... I know, it sounds weird that the word "exciting" is in the same sentence as "Caroline Wozniacki" (hehe...), but there is no other word to describe that match though. It was exciting... and mostly because of, ahem, the Kuznetsova forehand! =)
The first set was stretched to maximum tension in a tie break, where Kuznetsova assumed the "attacker's role", and Wozniacki took the
Wozniacki, on a fighting mode.defensive end. Both were fantastic in the roles they chose for themselves. Between the two, Kuznetsova had the bigger artillery of shots, with her tricky Nadal-like topspins and incredible forehand as her biggest guns, therefore, she fits the offensive role like a glove in this match. She took several shots at Wozniacki with her forehand, and Wozniacki defended with fast reaction and her usual ball-scampering moves. Wozniacki wore her "wheeled tennis shoes" today, and she covered the court with it without reserve as she tried to return the spinning balls from the Kuznetsova racket. But, everytime, Wozniacki's attention strayed in split second, the Kuznetsova forehand collected points... and so, the first set went to the Russian's way, 7(8)-6(6).
The second set started with a Wozniacki defeat written all over it, with a break of serve in favor of Kuznetsova... until the Russian's tank ran empty at around the 8th game when Wozniacki pulled Kuznetsova's cushion of break of serve under the Russian with a break of serve of her own. The young Dane, whose biggest attributes are stamina and positive attitude (that, sadly, is enough to catapult one to the top of the women's ranking these days), recognized the weakening forehand and the less lethal topspins as Kuznetsova started to succumb to fatigue. The smart Wozniacki then went for a reversal of roles, using her speed to beat the Russian to the points by
Svetlana Kuznetsova, running on empty tank. split seconds. The delayed reaction of the Russian to the Wozniacki balls erased her early lead as Wozniacki snatched the second set. And, in the third set, Kuznetsova was not only running on empty tank, but she was running on flat tires, too. And the Dane took advantage of it, rushing to every point with a speed that the fatigued Russian cannot match. With that, Wozniacki received her pass to the quarterfinals to meet with 10th seed, Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who earlier took out the returning-to-top-form, Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, in straight sets.
So, how do I feel about Wozniacki's chances this year in the US Open? Hopeful, but not exactly excited. While she won a big match against Kuznetsova, she won it by her tenacity to run after the ball, and Kuznetsova's lack of fitness, rather than by talent and patented shots. She will continue to outdo less fit and less patient players along the way... but once she's faced with fit and talented players, she'll assume her boring defensive position again. She might bag the US Open this year... and keep the #1 Rank... but that doesn't mean she's the best in the women's side. In fact, she will continue to be the symbol of the lackluster bunch of inconsistent performers, so lacking of passion for the sport, that women in tennis have become these days... until she
Williams and Ivanovic, former #1 in the World both,
when ranking was still a reliable barometer of
greatness in women's tennis.packed her bag with exciting shots artillery the next time she steps into the big stage, of course. I hope that that comes soon enough. Well, she's dressed quite decently - by her patented "free-skin peek" standard - for the US Open this year. That's a start. :) While she's no sister - yet - I still wish her the best, of course.
In the other big matches in the women's side, two former #1 in the World ladies, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic, exchanged fire powers. Williams prevailed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, but not without a fierce resistance from Ivanovic, especially in the second set. The American is on collision course with Wozniacki in the semis. If no one upsets the Dane along the way :), Serena would have a chance to show the #1 in the World who, actually, was boss in women's tennis. :). Well, that would be a must-see. Another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, moved on to the QFs after outlasting the 2010 Roland Garros champ, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, in three sets. I have yet to see the Aussie, Sam Stosur, in action... I like her brand of tennis, actually. She will meet the #2 seed, Vera Zvonareva, tomorrow in one of the first women's QFs. Hmmm... I hope to find a hole in my packed sked tomorrow to catch that. Good luck to me! =)
***
The men are on fire... as usual
Roger Federer, finally! Yeah, it's my first time to see
Roger Federer... oy!him in action in the 2011 US Open - I'm serious! :) That's how monstrous my work sked is these days. :( Oh. well... but, let's be positive and think about the RF shots hotness, shall we? OK... so, he was awesome! He took out Lionel Messi's compatriot, Juan Monaco of Argentina in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. Yeah, I know... poor Monaco! RF played like a man who needed to get home soon to feed her little twin girls... and didn't carry an umbrella, and the rain threatened to pour at Arthur Ashe. :) He didn't give Monaco time to get into the match at all. It was a victory obtained in a hurried New Yorker's pace! :) But, he did give the fans something - a lot of things - to dream about. Whew, hot! But that's all that I'm willing to say right now, considering he's facing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again in the QF. Remember, 2011 Wimbledon QF? And then three weeks ago, Montreal? I hope he... nah, I'll stop here. :)
Speaking of Tsonga, he beat the top American player, Mardy Fish, in their
Fish and Tsonga, impressive.incredible fourth-round five-setter match earlier today. Tsonga claimed the first set in his characteristic energetic game... and then Fish fought back, in a fantastic way that I've never seen him play before, to claim the next two sets - deflating the Tsonga livewire enthusiasm. But the "comeback kid" Tsonga, accepted the fact that the New York crowd will not play "I heart Tsonga" with his "showman antics", which included changing his shorts on the sidelines within a makeshift wall of towels held by the ballboys. =) The Frenchman refused to go for a restroom break as suggested by the chair umpire, and insisted to change on the sidelines after Fish received naughty whistles when he changed shirts there during the break. Oh, well... that's Tsonga for you! :) And then at two-sets all, on the fifth set, with the men one game a piece and at 40-40, Tsonga started talking to himself instead when the NY crowd refused to side with him. He sucked it all in, moved on... and then claimed victory from the pained Fish - on his own! :)
World #1, Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, while claiming a straight-sets victory, 7(16)-6(14), 6-4, 6-2, over Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, was tested rather heavily in a totally
Djokovic and Dolgopolov: talent,
focus, adventure and sense of
humor.entertaining match! Both men were unleashing ferocious shots through awesome athletic, sometimes even acrobatic, moves. The tie break in the first set was of championship quality - a crazy exchange of great shots that sent the NY tennis fans in Arthur Ashe to their feet. After snatching the prized win of the first set, The Djoker celebrated like he's already won the tournament... and quite understandly so!
I was almost sad to see Dolgopolov exit. While defeated by the #1 man in tennis on the planet, NY showed tremendous appreciation for the Ukrainians's performance - and he totally deserved it, too. Dolgopolov is one very talented chap! He will rise to the rankings soon, that's for sure... uhm, Andy Murray, are you paying attention? =)
Speaking of Murray, I did see him in action - albeit fleetingly and
Murray and Haase, incredible
match - uber!without my full concentration - when he crossed swords with Robin Haase of Netherlands in the second round as I prepared to go to work. The match started out as a "sigh-sigh-sigh-what-are-you-thinking-Andy" sort of a match as I watched Murray being hammered by Haase in the first two sets... and then, Murray seemed to wake up from a trance induced by the fourth-in-the-world boredom, realized he hasn't won a major, and this might be his chance... and pouced back! His "awakening" was too powerful that in the fourth set, Haase looked like he didn't know what tsunami was attacking him - Murray won that set, 6-0! Simply amazing! He won the match eventually... well, I found out about the result after work... I had to leave Murray's in his third round saga in the middle of the fifth set for... uh, work, what else! :(
***
Ah, these scene stealers...
When you see news stories like this, this, and this... and, well, this, it's hard not to pay attention! :)
After watching the new UEFA Champions League video magazine which featured Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Cristiano Ronaldo, pangs of guilt bit painfully. I've been meaning to write
Midfield Maestro, Xavi Hernandez.a feature on Xavi when UEFA announced last July the Top 3 contenders for the inaugual of the "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award": two of Barça's superplayers, Messi and Xavi, and Real Madrid's Ronaldo... with Andres Iniesta - another Barça genius - coming in as a close fourth. Of course, we know now that Messi won the award in an overwhelming domination of votes two weeks ago.
While I am a BIG Lionel Messi fan, I am also a HUGE admirer of the "Midfield Genius", Xavi... and I have to admit that, while I am happy to see Messi collect those individual awards, it's kinda painful, too, to realize after the jubilation that Xavi missed yet another opportunity to be recognized for his own genius. Okay... I'll save this topic for when I have enough time to write about it. Xavi is too awesome, he deserves full attention.
'Til later...
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo
I am totally putting myself in a lot of "trouble" sitting here writing this rather than enslaving myself some more... to work! It's my "free day" from work... but I have "six-feet tall" of workload beside me as I write this, almost "killed" myself yesterday from crazy workload. I've already given up "my" Sunday for lab work, and now used six hours of "my" day on work stuff... so, maybe, I deserve some "fun time"? No? Ah, whatever! My brain says "fun", and refuses to recognize things like "refrigeration", "mechanical energy losses in pipelines", or "permeate flux"! "Love", "deuce", "ace", "goal", and their variants are all that it recognizes right now... so, "fun" it is then! Yay!
***
US Open, finally!
It is unbelievable that the US Open is already on its eighth day today and I only got to sit to pay "serious attention" to the goings on at Flushing Meadows. I did say that work was threatening to crush me flat this month... and the threat turned to a real crushing force. *sigh* And this is why, I need some serious fun time. :) Besides, after seeing the Rafa Nadal "cramping episode" during his press conference yesterday (and reading about the funny comments from people later), I got really curious! Haha... uhm, ahem, excuse me... sorry (hahaha...).
Moving on...
***
Excitement in the women's singles
Ah, finally, World #1 Caroline Wozniacki triumphed in a BIG match - against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. It was an exciting match... I know, it sounds weird that the word "exciting" is in the same sentence as "Caroline Wozniacki" (hehe...), but there is no other word to describe that match though. It was exciting... and mostly because of, ahem, the Kuznetsova forehand! =)
The first set was stretched to maximum tension in a tie break, where Kuznetsova assumed the "attacker's role", and Wozniacki took the
Wozniacki, on a fighting mode.defensive end. Both were fantastic in the roles they chose for themselves. Between the two, Kuznetsova had the bigger artillery of shots, with her tricky Nadal-like topspins and incredible forehand as her biggest guns, therefore, she fits the offensive role like a glove in this match. She took several shots at Wozniacki with her forehand, and Wozniacki defended with fast reaction and her usual ball-scampering moves. Wozniacki wore her "wheeled tennis shoes" today, and she covered the court with it without reserve as she tried to return the spinning balls from the Kuznetsova racket. But, everytime, Wozniacki's attention strayed in split second, the Kuznetsova forehand collected points... and so, the first set went to the Russian's way, 7(8)-6(6).
The second set started with a Wozniacki defeat written all over it, with a break of serve in favor of Kuznetsova... until the Russian's tank ran empty at around the 8th game when Wozniacki pulled Kuznetsova's cushion of break of serve under the Russian with a break of serve of her own. The young Dane, whose biggest attributes are stamina and positive attitude (that, sadly, is enough to catapult one to the top of the women's ranking these days), recognized the weakening forehand and the less lethal topspins as Kuznetsova started to succumb to fatigue. The smart Wozniacki then went for a reversal of roles, using her speed to beat the Russian to the points by
Svetlana Kuznetsova, running on empty tank. split seconds. The delayed reaction of the Russian to the Wozniacki balls erased her early lead as Wozniacki snatched the second set. And, in the third set, Kuznetsova was not only running on empty tank, but she was running on flat tires, too. And the Dane took advantage of it, rushing to every point with a speed that the fatigued Russian cannot match. With that, Wozniacki received her pass to the quarterfinals to meet with 10th seed, Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who earlier took out the returning-to-top-form, Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, in straight sets.
So, how do I feel about Wozniacki's chances this year in the US Open? Hopeful, but not exactly excited. While she won a big match against Kuznetsova, she won it by her tenacity to run after the ball, and Kuznetsova's lack of fitness, rather than by talent and patented shots. She will continue to outdo less fit and less patient players along the way... but once she's faced with fit and talented players, she'll assume her boring defensive position again. She might bag the US Open this year... and keep the #1 Rank... but that doesn't mean she's the best in the women's side. In fact, she will continue to be the symbol of the lackluster bunch of inconsistent performers, so lacking of passion for the sport, that women in tennis have become these days... until she
Williams and Ivanovic, former #1 in the World both,
when ranking was still a reliable barometer of
greatness in women's tennis.packed her bag with exciting shots artillery the next time she steps into the big stage, of course. I hope that that comes soon enough. Well, she's dressed quite decently - by her patented "free-skin peek" standard - for the US Open this year. That's a start. :) While she's no sister - yet - I still wish her the best, of course.
In the other big matches in the women's side, two former #1 in the World ladies, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic, exchanged fire powers. Williams prevailed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, but not without a fierce resistance from Ivanovic, especially in the second set. The American is on collision course with Wozniacki in the semis. If no one upsets the Dane along the way :), Serena would have a chance to show the #1 in the World who, actually, was boss in women's tennis. :). Well, that would be a must-see. Another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, moved on to the QFs after outlasting the 2010 Roland Garros champ, Francesca Schiavone of Italy, in three sets. I have yet to see the Aussie, Sam Stosur, in action... I like her brand of tennis, actually. She will meet the #2 seed, Vera Zvonareva, tomorrow in one of the first women's QFs. Hmmm... I hope to find a hole in my packed sked tomorrow to catch that. Good luck to me! =)
***
The men are on fire... as usual
Roger Federer, finally! Yeah, it's my first time to see
Roger Federer... oy!him in action in the 2011 US Open - I'm serious! :) That's how monstrous my work sked is these days. :( Oh. well... but, let's be positive and think about the RF shots hotness, shall we? OK... so, he was awesome! He took out Lionel Messi's compatriot, Juan Monaco of Argentina in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. Yeah, I know... poor Monaco! RF played like a man who needed to get home soon to feed her little twin girls... and didn't carry an umbrella, and the rain threatened to pour at Arthur Ashe. :) He didn't give Monaco time to get into the match at all. It was a victory obtained in a hurried New Yorker's pace! :) But, he did give the fans something - a lot of things - to dream about. Whew, hot! But that's all that I'm willing to say right now, considering he's facing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again in the QF. Remember, 2011 Wimbledon QF? And then three weeks ago, Montreal? I hope he... nah, I'll stop here. :)
Speaking of Tsonga, he beat the top American player, Mardy Fish, in their
Fish and Tsonga, impressive.incredible fourth-round five-setter match earlier today. Tsonga claimed the first set in his characteristic energetic game... and then Fish fought back, in a fantastic way that I've never seen him play before, to claim the next two sets - deflating the Tsonga livewire enthusiasm. But the "comeback kid" Tsonga, accepted the fact that the New York crowd will not play "I heart Tsonga" with his "showman antics", which included changing his shorts on the sidelines within a makeshift wall of towels held by the ballboys. =) The Frenchman refused to go for a restroom break as suggested by the chair umpire, and insisted to change on the sidelines after Fish received naughty whistles when he changed shirts there during the break. Oh, well... that's Tsonga for you! :) And then at two-sets all, on the fifth set, with the men one game a piece and at 40-40, Tsonga started talking to himself instead when the NY crowd refused to side with him. He sucked it all in, moved on... and then claimed victory from the pained Fish - on his own! :)
World #1, Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, while claiming a straight-sets victory, 7(16)-6(14), 6-4, 6-2, over Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, was tested rather heavily in a totally
Djokovic and Dolgopolov: talent,
focus, adventure and sense of
humor.entertaining match! Both men were unleashing ferocious shots through awesome athletic, sometimes even acrobatic, moves. The tie break in the first set was of championship quality - a crazy exchange of great shots that sent the NY tennis fans in Arthur Ashe to their feet. After snatching the prized win of the first set, The Djoker celebrated like he's already won the tournament... and quite understandly so!
I was almost sad to see Dolgopolov exit. While defeated by the #1 man in tennis on the planet, NY showed tremendous appreciation for the Ukrainians's performance - and he totally deserved it, too. Dolgopolov is one very talented chap! He will rise to the rankings soon, that's for sure... uhm, Andy Murray, are you paying attention? =)
Speaking of Murray, I did see him in action - albeit fleetingly and
Murray and Haase, incredible
match - uber!without my full concentration - when he crossed swords with Robin Haase of Netherlands in the second round as I prepared to go to work. The match started out as a "sigh-sigh-sigh-what-are-you-thinking-Andy" sort of a match as I watched Murray being hammered by Haase in the first two sets... and then, Murray seemed to wake up from a trance induced by the fourth-in-the-world boredom, realized he hasn't won a major, and this might be his chance... and pouced back! His "awakening" was too powerful that in the fourth set, Haase looked like he didn't know what tsunami was attacking him - Murray won that set, 6-0! Simply amazing! He won the match eventually... well, I found out about the result after work... I had to leave Murray's in his third round saga in the middle of the fifth set for... uh, work, what else! :(
***
Ah, these scene stealers...
When you see news stories like this, this, and this... and, well, this, it's hard not to pay attention! :)
After watching the new UEFA Champions League video magazine which featured Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Cristiano Ronaldo, pangs of guilt bit painfully. I've been meaning to write
Midfield Maestro, Xavi Hernandez.a feature on Xavi when UEFA announced last July the Top 3 contenders for the inaugual of the "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award": two of Barça's superplayers, Messi and Xavi, and Real Madrid's Ronaldo... with Andres Iniesta - another Barça genius - coming in as a close fourth. Of course, we know now that Messi won the award in an overwhelming domination of votes two weeks ago.
While I am a BIG Lionel Messi fan, I am also a HUGE admirer of the "Midfield Genius", Xavi... and I have to admit that, while I am happy to see Messi collect those individual awards, it's kinda painful, too, to realize after the jubilation that Xavi missed yet another opportunity to be recognized for his own genius. Okay... I'll save this topic for when I have enough time to write about it. Xavi is too awesome, he deserves full attention.
'Til later...
***
Photo credits: All photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
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.
======================================================
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.
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