Tennis Tournament (3/13 - 3/14)

This past weekend was my warm-up tournament in Dallas, TX before my first major tournament in Austin, TX this coming Friday.

Friday (3/13)

1st match - Won: 6-4, 6-0

My match was suppose to start at 5pm, but due to a rain delay my match didn't start until 8pm. The guy I played was okay, but I couldn't return his serve at all. I finally broke his serve at 4-4 and didn't look back. The match was played indoors, which is fine, but I prefer to be outside. At the end of the match of the match, the guy I played thought I would be in a higher level. I guess all the winter practice paid off.

Saturday (3/14)

2nd match - Won: 6-1, 6-1

This match was suppose to start at 8am but was delayed until 12pm. I didn't do much this match but just keep the ball in play. My opponent was okay but he was very predictable. He would serve and run to the net. I would hit a passing shot or lob it over his head, with various results.

After the match was I had a chat with my opponent. I met him a couple years ago, and he is currently friends with an ex ... and he started to question my abilities as a player. He thought I should be at a higher level, and we talked for a bit. We said our goodbyes and prepared for my next match. But I started to wonder if I really should in a higher level.

3rd match - Lost: 5-7, 6-3, 9-11 (first to 10 points)

This match was interesting. In the first set, I was up 4-0 and I realized that maybe my last opponent was correct and I was in the wrong level. So I decided to not try so hard to win this match. I was doing a bunch of crazy things that I wouldn't normally do. I lost the first set, and the I was down 0-3 in the second when i decided that I didn't want to lost in straight set. I won easily won the next 6 games to take the set. The third set I was just trying different shots (slices, drop shots, angles etc...) and I was up 8-5 in the 10 point tie-breaker. I was like "oh, crap ... I don't want to win this match." Took it down a couple of notches and lost 9-11. When people ask about the tournament I downplay that fact I took a dive, because it would hard for them to believe. I am not hyper-competitive, I am all about fun.

So, 4 more day until Austin.

Open Letter to Roger Federer

Dear Roger,

So ... it looks like Mirka finally did it. She has finally trapped you in a relationship that we both know you don't want to be in. You know who you really want to be with, don't you?

Well congratulations on the impeding birth of your child, and good look at BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Bitterly yours,

Killervirgo

(source: Down the Line!)

Hello, Hello, Hello

It's been a while since my last post, but you know how things go when you are busy. I am in the process of looking out houses/condos to possibly move to. I have a couple of months on my current lease, so I have been really focusing on that. I would like to stay in my current area, but I haven't found anything I really loved and had to have. I found 10 more properties outside of my target area, so we'll see what will happen.

The 2009 tennis has officially started and I am trying to get match ready before my first major tournament in 6 weeks. I am still knocking off the rust but I think I have the time to get things in order before the tournament in Austin, TX. Historically, I have never done well at the tournament because of lack of preparation ... so I am looking to change things.

With all of this, I am contemplating recapping Project Runway Canada Season 2. But I am not sure if time will allow. I am hoping to a recap on ep 1 and 2 on Monday .

NOOOOOOOOO ...

... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO!

more on this later today!

edit

source: AP Sports
I think I have recovered from the upsets of Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Roger Federer in Olympic tennis quarterfinals. They all looked like they were playing so well up until they were defeated. I was really rooting for Venus to take home the gold in women's singles, but hopefully Venus and Serena can get it together and win the women's doubles gold medal.

I am really feeling bad for Federer because this hasn't been his year. When you are the best, it is only a matter of time before people start to figure you out and start pushing you. It all started with Janko Tipsarivic at the Australian Open, then Andy Roddick in Dubai, and most recently Gilles Simon at the Rogers Cup last month. My hopes for him at this year's US Open are really low. He needs to really set up his game if he wants to win this major.

It's a sad say for tennis. On the bright side, U.S. player James Blake beat Federer is now in the semi-finals. I guess it is nice to have an American player still in it consider the decline in American tennis.

Tennis Tournament - Dallas, TX (8/8 - 8/10)

First Match - Main Draw

Won: 6-3, 6-4

I played well, but my serve has been erratic the past week or so. Luckily my forehand and backhand were more consistent and I was able to pull out the win.

Second Match - Main Draw

Won - Opponent withdrew due to injury

Third Match - Main Draw

Lost: 0-6, 4-6

I was not in this match mentally. The guy I played used the "server and volley" technique on every single point and I rarely play people who do this. I was unprepared. The first set I was just trying to figure out how to play him and I was annoyed that he took way too long in between points. The second set tried different tactics and I was able to stay in the game. I was serving at 4-5 and my serve let me down and I was broken.

I played well, but there is still room for improvement. My next tournaments won't be until September so I will be working on serve and taking a couple of tennis drills to help improve. My fitness has been great and I was not affect by the heat, which is good.

Tennis Tournament - Fort Worth, TX (7/25-7/27)

7/25/2008

First Match - Main Draw

Lost: 1-6, 0-6

AWFUL! This was my first tournament since the beginning of May 2008, and I haven't been playing a lot of singles in preparation for tournament. I played a half set the Tuesday before, but nothing more. My serve was really off, my forehand was horrible, and I don't want to even mention my backhand. It was hard to concentrate on the match because during the change-overs the guy I was playing was hitting on me. He was 19 years old and in the Army. While cute, he was not my type -- too young and too thin.

Second Match - Consolation Draw

Won: 6-3, 6-2

I was more warmed up and my game started to click. My first serve was more consistent, and my second serve was much better. I only double faulted 2 times compared to the 8 times the previous match. The guy I played had a very inconsistent backhand so I took advantage of that. The guy also didn't have a good serve so I pounced on his weak second serves. It was 99 degrees during this match (not sure of the on-court temp), but I didn't feel any affects from it. I drank a lot of ice water and I didn't feel tired.

7/26/2008

Third Match - Consolation Draw

Won: 6-4, 6-0

At the very beginning of the match neither I or my opponent could hold serve. It wasn't until 3-3 where I broke his serve, and then held mine for 5-3 ... only to be broken again. I broke his server giving me the first set. I wasn't happy with my performance and decided to step it up a notch. My ground stroke and serve improved dramatically during the second set and I bagel'd my opponent.

Fourth Match - Consolation Draw

Lost: 2-6, 6-3, 8-10 (super tie-breaker)

Again my serve and ground strokes were off and I couldn't get it together the first set. I used my frustration to focus for the second set, where I improved and won 6-3. The last set, which was a super tie-break (first person to 10 points), I was up 6-1 and I got ahead of myself and lost focus and made many errors. I ended up losing 6 straight points and ultimately the match. I began to think about the next day's match instead of closing out the current match. I tend to loss focus a lot when I play, because, for me, it is just a game so I don't ultra competitive. I would like to win all my matches, but if I lose, it is not a big deal. Each match you learn how to improve for the next match.

I really didn't think I would do this well consider my recently health issues, but the past 6 weeks in the gym helped me out tremendously. I feel fit and healthy again for my next tournament starting on Aug 8th.

Wimbledon 2008: Gentleman's Champ and Ladies' Doubles Champs

Rafael Nadal overcame Roger Federer to win his first Wimbledon title. The match went on for over 4.5 hours and it was the longest final match in the history of Wimbledon. Also, Rafael is the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. While I am happy Nadal won since I picked him, I was really rooting for Roger to win.


Venus and Serena Williams won the ladies' doubles title yesterday, which is their their third. The Williamses are prepping for the Olympics and looking to win their second gold medal in doubles.

Congrats to them all!

Photo credits: AP/Yahoo! Sports

Wimbledon 2008 - Ladies' Champ

Photo credit: Getty Images
Miss Venus Williams has successfully defended her 2007 Wimbledon title for her 5th 'Venus Rosewater Dish'. She was my favorite from the beginning and she didn't drop a set during this year's tournament. She was briefly challenged by Serena Williams in the final today, but managed to pull out the win. After the utter devastation of the ladies' side of the tournament, thanks to Zheng Jie of China, it was Venus' tournament to lose.

Congrats, Venus!

Wimbledon 2008: Week 2

Week two of Wimbledon is upon us and it has been interesting Grand Slam. A lot of top people were defeated early, and it left the Ladies' Singles wide open.

My picks for this year were:

Venus Williams - Ladies' Singles Champion


I picked Venus Williams because she is my favorite female player on Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the grass courts of Wimbledon is her best surface. Not to mention that she is the defending champion and has won 4 times.

Rafael Nadal - Gentleman's Singles Champion


I picked Rafael Nadal because there were reports that the grass this year at Wimbledon was playing slower than usual. I really want Roger Federer to win but something tells me that Rafael Nadal may take it this year.

So hopefully my picks will win.

To commemorate the early lost of so many top players, I made this video:


Better luck next year!

Tennis Tournament: 4/25-4/27

This tournament was at a country club that I played at before, but I haven't played on their recently painted USTA color courts.

Match 1: Lost - 2-6, 2-6

I was hopeful but I was not on my game for the first match. I couldn't keep a ball in the court due to the swirling winds. And the points that would have been winners my opponent got them back. I guess that is the difference between 3.0 and 3.5. Also, my competitor was kind of annoying. During each change-over he would pat himself and say things like "Oh, you are playing well but I am at the top of my game today." I was trying to be friendly with the guy but by the end of the first set I just got a drink of water and walked away from him.

Match 2 (Consolation): Won - 6-2, 6-1

I felt good during this match and I felt that I was doing everything right. My opponent was a "serve and volley" player but I was able to overcome this game with some passing shot and lobs. We had some really long rallies but I played a bit cleaner and not give away many points.

Match 3 (Consolation): Won - 6-1, 6-1

This was a gimmie match. The guy I played wasn't playing well and he hit every ball out after 2 shots rallies. I was up 5-0 in the second set and I decided to stand in really close to the service line and try to take the ball early. I lost that point but I served for the match afterwards.

Match 4 (Consolation): Won - 6-7(6), 6-3, 10-5

I played against my nemesis who I have played 4 times prior, and we were tied 2-2. I served really awful during the first set and only held my serve 3 times. I was down 3-5 but won the next 3 games to serve for the set...I was broken, and we headed to a tie-break. I was up again 6-5 serving for the set. I lost my serve and the next two points and the set. I was not happy and I played really well the second set. The super-tie breaker started with me double faulting and I was down 0-3. I was kind of down on myself but hyped myself up and won the next 5 points and the match. The match was 2.5 hours but it was a good match.

Match 5 (Consolation): Lost - 5-7, 0-6

This was the toughest played I've played in a long time. The was playing extremely hard the first set and I wore myself out and didn't have much to give in the second set. My opponent was a lefty, and dread playing lefties because my game is geared for right-handed opponents. The guy had a good server, backhand and forehand which made it hard for to get anything past him. He deserved to win, but it was a fun/challenging match.

This was the first USTA tournament of the year in 3.5 division. I didn't plan plan on winning the tournament but I never thought I would have done as well as I did. I have about 8 more tournament this year, so hopefully I will improve and get further into the main draw.

Tennis Tournament: Dallas, TX

This past weekend I took part in a non-USTA sanctioned tennis tournament in order practice. There was only three people in my division and so we played a round robin match format.

First match: Won 6-2, 7-5

I should have won the second set 6-2, but I lost focus while up 4-1 and then lost the next 3 games. I have a tendency to think the match is over and become less aggressive, and I end up losing a couple a games because I get my focus back. I found my serve and the rest of my game and I won. I really didn't want to play a 3rd set tie-breaking because I don't have a good track record in those.

Second match: Lost 5-7, 7-6(5), 8-10 (super tie-breaker)

I was totally off my game during this match. It lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes but the match should have been much shorter. The first set I was serving 5-3, and I lost the next four games. The second set I was serving 5-4 and and was broken. I completely lost focus but I managed to say in the set and win to take it to a 3rd set super tie-breaker. I was down 1-5 but I rallied to 8-9 and I lost the game point on a bad forehand.

It was a good match and I had fun, but I squandered many opportunities to win the match. It was a learning experience and I think I now know what I need to improve on for my next tournament. I have a stay aggressive until the end of the game. Once I think I got the match won, it is over.

Tournament: Austin, TX

Well, hello again readers! It has been a while since I have posted, but I am back with stories to share of my travels to Austin, TX this past weekend.

Tennis

I was in Austin for a tennis tournament and it was my first tournament in the B division. I had a great year last year with tournaments and I felt it was time to move up a level. I had no expectations that I would get very deep in the tournament, but I wanted to at least win my first round in single. I did that, pretty easily in fact, but lost in the second round.

The weather was good compared to other years, but it was windy as heck. I would toss the all in the air in it would float, almost pause in the air and move either left or right depending on the wind. That coupled with the highest bouncing courts I've played on made the conditions a bit difficult. I didn't adjust to the conditions well and blew a lead of 4-2 in the first set of the 2nd match. I was just completely frustrated and just gave up because I couldn't serve due to the wind. My serve is my "bread and butter" and if that goes I usually have a tough time. But even with the tough conditions I served pretty clean with only 5 double faults. I have been working on developing a kick serve since January and it really helped my game.

My doubles partner and I lost both our doubles matches. It was a combination of bad play and the wind ... but mostly bad play. After winning a tournament and being in the finals in another in the C division, we decided to move up a level. It was a learning experience and showed up what we need to work on to become competitive.

I am going over my tournament schedule for the next year and I want to add a couple out of state tournaments. I am thinking of going to New Orleans, LA for a tournament in April, but more than likely I will head to San Diego, CA. I think I will be heading to Houston, TX for a club team tournament in May if I make the team. Other than that, I will be doing tournaments around DFW.

Night Life

Friday (3/14):

Since I was out of the tournament fairly early I decided to go out with some friends and do the bar thing. The first night we went out to a bar called Charlie's and it was just a simple local bar. When we arrived there around 10:30pm there wasn't many people -- but when go-go boys took the stage the place began to fill up. This when the night started to get interesting.

There was this tranny there wearing a HUGE fake ass. I mean the girl has legs like pipe cleaners, but the hips and butt of Beyonce. It was so abnormally big that she had to continuously pull down this short dress she was wearing because her ass was trying to escape. I was dared to go and grab it, but I declined.

Later we were talking and having drinks -- Sprite for me -- when we were approached by this older gentleman from New Orleans who wanted to take a picture 2 of the 4 people in our group. I was pushed aside and the photo was taken. It was just a (not so clever) ruse to introduce one of my friends to his 60+ year-old friend. My friend JH was cordial but declined his advances. About 10 minutes later the 60+ year-old guy came up to us. We all thought he was interested in my friend, which he may still have been, but he ended up hitting on me. It was a bit awkward ... for me that is, but my friends were having a ball. My friend CS mentioned that we were thinking of going to a bard called Chain Drive, and the 60+ year-old guy began touching my chest and telling me how much I would be loved there. It was all in good fun. He offered to buy us drinks but we declined and headed to a new location.

We ran into the tranny again and my friend JH was dared to get a photo of her butt. He isn't one to back away from a challenge. So he walked over to her and asked for a picture. The tranny was with her friend but she like "Girl, hold my purse." She gave her best over the-shoulder-against-the-wall-while-poking-the-ass-out pose and smiled for the camera. JH must have taken 8 pictures of tranny, and one of her friend so she wasn't left out. If I get one of the photos I will post it.

We left the bar around 12:30am and headed for the hotel.

Saturday (3/15):

After our tennis banquet, a group of people when to 4th Street and hit up a couple of bars.

We first went to Rain. When we entered the bar I expected to get carded so I reached for my wallet but the security guy just waved me in. I really thought I would get carded but the fact that he didn't kind of made me sad. I guess when I haven't shaved in a week I no longer look underage. The person after me, who was in our group, got carded and he's in his mid-thirties and had gray hair ...and he got carded ... but whatever.

We get in and we see some people we know from Dallas and begin to chat. We get our drinks and find a place to chill. My friend CS is trying to figure out what kind of guys I like but point out people in the club and asking if I am interested. This goes on the entire night. I was being goaded into dancing by my friend but I declined their offers. We watched people dance while talking and witness all kinds of foolishness.

There was this one girl attacking gay men on the floor. I am sure she thought she was dancing, but she was basically performing simple assault on them. Miming fellatio, taking off their clothes and very aggressively pulling on their jeans and belts. We thought it was fun ... until I was in her line of fire. She looked at my group and everyone was pointed to me to be her next victim. I declined, but she keep coming towards me. I declined again and the girl gave her purse to her friend, jumped over the railing onto a speaker and then leaped at me. The next thing I knew I had this 98 lbs. girl in my arms writhing wildly. So I had my drink in one hand and her in the other. It all lasted for about a minute before it was over. And to be truthful, it kind of loosened me up a bit.

After a couple more drinks and a Beyonce club mix, we went on to the next place.

We were greeted with two lines in front of Oil Can Harry's: VIP and non-VIP. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before entering the bar. I never been to OCH before and the atmosphere was a bit different than Rain: the guys were older, the music was better, and just seemed like the people were friendlier.

I was in the middle of a conversation when this guy comes up to me and start grabbing me. I seen this guy giving me "the look" at Rain but I wasn't interested. Started rubbing my chest, caressing my face and kiss my cheek. Even with all this he seemed like a nice guy and we chatted for a bit. He told me that he was from Irving, TX (near Dallas) and he thought I wasn't like the other Black guys in Austin because I wasn't weird. He asked if I was embarrassing him, which he was, but I decided to just roll with things because he doing this in a non-threatening way. We has a laugh and I broke away to rejoin my friends. It was around 2am and they stopped serving drinks it was almost time for us to go ... but not before the got a show.

There was this guy dancing around throughout the bar like it was his one private stage. He was dancing on the bar, the railing, and the stage making sure he was the center of attention. The had his target set SW, one of the people in my group, and it got kind of out control. Grind, kissing, tea-bagging ensued. I guess SW forgot he had a man at home. But I guess what happens in Austin, stays in Austin.

We were getting ready to leave when I spotted this guy. He was about 6'1" with broad shoulders wearing plaid shorts, t-shirt, and canvas slip on sneakers with socks. He was kind of nerdy looking ... but I like nerdy guys. I was going to make a move but he got pull on dance floor by some people and the dance floor is like my kryptonite. Soon after we left the bar.

Other

I was really looking forward to Austin because there is this guy I met Houston, TX, who lives in Austin and was attending the tournament. I wasn't sure of his status but I later found out that he was seeing someone through a friend, but through the tournament I felt him looking in my general direction at lot. The only interaction we had was at our banquet. I was behind him in line and he said:

"What is this? (referring to the Alfredo sauce with chicken chucks)
Maybe it's calm chowdah?
"I know, right."

Fascinating, huh?

Anyway ... I had fun and I will be returning to Austin next year for the tournament. If not sooner.

Tennis Tournament: Dallas, TX

The tournament is now over and I can happily say that I won my division.


I was really not excepting to win because I worried about the knee injury I sustained in Houston, TX. My knee felt great, and I didn't feel any pain at all throughout the tournament.

I won my first match 6-2, 6-1 but I could have won the second set 6-0 but I decided to take some risky shots because I didn't want to bagel my opponent. My second match was a bit tougher but I managed to win 6-2, 6-3. There were a lot of deuce points but my opponent started to lose his temper and his game went to hell after that. I made it to the finals where I had to play my nemesis.

I was ranked number 1 and my nemesis was ranked number 2, and were hoping to meet in the final. He has beaten me twice, and I finally got my first win against him this past October.

The first set was very sloppy and I had 4 double faults and I lost 3 of my service games, which is very unlike me. I managed to win the set 7-5. The second set I lost the first two games, and that just put a fire in my belly. I went on to win the next six games and the set. And to celebrate:

chocolate chip cookie from Whole Foods topped with Butter Pecan frozen yogurt

I wanted to end 2007 with a win before I move up to the 3.5 division starting in January. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me but I am looking for to a great 2008. Hopefully I will be able to add some more trophies to my collection.

Tennis Tournament: Houston, TX

I have been out of town since Thursday to participate in a tennis tournament in Houston, TX. I went to the event last year with disastrous results, but this year was far better.


I came back with some hardware to add to the collection. My doubles partner and I finished in 2nd place in our division, and I feel good about our pairing. This is only the second tournament together and we made the finals each time.

Our final match yesterday we won our first set 6-0, but in the beginning of the second set I became injured. It wasn't bad at first but it progressively got worst to the point were I couldn't run or move as agilely as I did in the first set. I kept it hidden as much as I could until the third set when I told my partner. He didn't care whether or not I retired from the match, but I still wanted to play because I still wanted to make my opponents work for the win. I strapped my knee/calf injury with tape and continued to play but my injury was now apparent and the opposing team used it to their advantage. And, you know, I don't blame them. They played really well and deserved to win the match. Congrats to them!

I also made the semifinals of my singles division, which I lost 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. My opponent found a weakness in my game and used it to his advantage. My weakness: slow, high-arching lobs. It makes me have to generate my own power which could create a lot of unforced errors on my part. I have to practice taking the ball out of the air to take time away from my opponent. This is one of many things I will be working on before I move up a division in January 2008.

There was a bit of drama in one match, but this is the second year I had some type of drama in Houston. My quarter-final opponent basically called me a cheater and requested the official to judge line calls. Which was fine with because all the questionable "out" calls were four or more inches out of bounds, so I didn't sweat it. I began not to like this guy when after he won the first set 7-5 and then condescendingly told me what a great player I was and I should be winning everything. That is such a head game. I tuned him out, and won the set second in a tie-breaking 7-3 after a two hour rain delay.

I won the third set 7-5 but I was not excite with my overall experience. This by far was the worst experience at a tournament. This guy repeatedly yelled and screamed obscenities, took a minute or more between points (when the max. allotted time is 20 seconds), and I never said a word ... until he pissed me off. He twice called the official during middle of a game, thereby delaying it, and once refused to wait for the official to arrive before resuming play. I called him out on all his behaviors in front of the official. I took some satisfaction when I won this match with a couple a fist pumps, and shook his hand. To make things worst, this dude had the audacity to come to my semifinal match AND try to give me tips. Instead of reading him before sending him on his way, I decided to be polite because I was representing my tennis club in Dallas since I am a board member. Luckily he left before he pushed me over the edge.

Overall, I had a great time in Houston. I had some delicious Greek food at Niko Niko's, got to hang out with some great people, did a bit of clubbing, and developed a crush on this very handsome guy from Austin (who I think was giving me "the look" during our banquet). Unfortunately, this was the second time I didn't get a chance to explore the mall to which our host hotel was attached.

Maybe next year.

So Today Was My Birthday

I originally planned to nothing for my birthday but watch Footballers' Wives - Series 3 and tennis all day. That all changed yesterday.


I got invited to play tennis on this morning on a USTA colored court. I never played on those type of courts, and they were beautiful. The people I played with didn't know it was birthday until I told them during lunch. Once they heard, they started to plan something for me. The reason I usually don't tell people about my birthday is because I don't want to be made a fuss over. But once the wheels started churning, there was no stopping them.


I also received another invite to watch the US Open 2007 Women's Final. I thought Venus Williams would be there, but, unfortunately, she was beat by Justine Henin (BOO!). We ate, we laughed, and watched Henin win another Grand Slam title this year. It didn't make my special day any much better. Until the birthday cake time, that is.

I am now home, on my third piece of cake, watching the first episode of the third season of Footballers' Wives.

It was a good day. Thanks to all that sent me birthday wishes!

US Open 2007: Venus' Third and Fourth Outfits

Venus Williams third outfit was this all black which was worn last week during her night match against Alona Bondarenko. This has been my favorite outfit she has debuted during the US Open. The has been a lot of black being worn during night matches. Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams were the other players to wear black during their night matches.


The fourth outfit was similar to her second, but in a different color combination. The second was white/pewter and the fourth is white/teal which was worn during her quarter-final match against Jelena Jankovic. I like this ensemble but I am starting to think the shorts are a bit too short. I think I there was almost a wardrobe malfunction in the nether region. But I like the look overall.

Venus plays her semi-final match tonight against Justin Henin (BOO! HISS!!), and I am hoping she will be debuting a new outfit. Maybe an all white version of the third outfit?

Tune into CBS tonight to find out.

photo sources: AP Images, Getting Images, TSF

US Open 2007: On Court Fashions

With the US Open now a few days old, most of the players have debuted their latest on-courts fashions.

Roger Federer rocked his all black looked for his first evening match of the tournament. This is the first time I have seen Roger wear black, and he looked good. His shorts were like a tuxedo pant with the satin strip down the side.


He always seems to look classy when he is on the court. Everything is fitted with no excess material flapping in the breeze. I heard a rumor that there is a jacket to go along with look, but I think that would have been overkill. To top off his look he has a black patent leather bags.


I, personally, wouldn't rock the bag, but I would definitely wear everything else he wore. I think I will have to rethink my outfit for an upcoming tournament.

Serena Williams is keeping it simple this year with a black dress with a hot pink strip around the bust line.

I think she just saw what Bethanie Mattek was wearing. (see below)
It this is very demure look for Serena ... remember the cat suit? I was loving the outfit until I saw that Ana Ivanovic were almost the same thing at the 2007 French Open.


The design of the outfit is a bit different, but the hot pink stripe makes it too similar. Serena hasn't debuted her day outfit yet because she had two night matches. I wondering if will be a pair of shorts.

Speaking of shorts, Venus Williams has been wearing her own line of tennis clothing called eleVen from Steve and Barry's.


Her day outfit consists of a pair of short-shorts, with a fitted polo with poofy (I don't know actual fashion term for it) sleeves. I like it because she has the body for it. The night outfit, on the other hand, I am not liking so much.


When I first saw it, I thought it was two pieces, then I realized it was just one piece. It looks like a throwback to the 70s Women's Virginia Slims Tour.


I loved the Diane von Furstenberg designs for Reebok Venus wore in 2003 and 2004. I like the color, but not the outfit. Hopefully, there will be another night outfit to make me forget about this one.

Maria Shriek Sharapova debuted "the red dress" (coral, actually) this past Tuesday.


It's okay. I don't love it, but I don't hate either. The Swarovski crystals seem to be a bit too much. What I REALLY hated about the outfit was the jacket she had the nerve to wear.


Sheer sleeves? ... really!?!? What the hell were you thinking? But at least she can take solace in knowing that she wasn't the worst dressed person playing.

That honor goes to Bethanie Mattek:


Really?!?! Gold lamé??? I seriously have no words.

Finally, what's with all the guys wearing the same Nike outfit?






Donald Young, Feliciano Lopez, Max Mirnyi, Tomas Berdych, John Isner, Frank Dancevic and Nicolas Devilder all forgot to call one another before deciding on what to wear.

How embarrassing.

Sources: AP Images, www.dvf.com, downthelinetennis.com, Yahoo! Sports

US Open 2007: My Predictions

The US Open has begun, and it hard to determined who will come out the winners. But I have made my predictions:


Men's Winner: Roger Federer
Reason: I really think Roger has the tools to win another US Open title, but after the lose to Novak Djokovic at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Quebec a few weeks ago, I am not sure if he is match fit. He won against James Blake in Cincinnati, OH but the only really competition he had was Llyeton Hewitt. I have my fingers crossed.


Women's Winner: Venus Williams
Reason: With a big serve and a powerful ground strokes, she is the the favorite to win on the fast hard courts of Flusing Meadows. Her only challenge will come in the Quarterfinals when she may meet up with Maria Sharapova.

I made a friendly wager regarding my predictions ... hopefully I will win. I got shoes to buy.

13 days later ....

I am alive and well, just have been really busy with a bunch of things. I will give a brief rundown of what I have done since I last posted.

Parties: Pool party, House-warming party, Tennis viewing parties
Going to the Movies: The Bourne Ultimatum, A Death at a Funeral, Hairspray
Watch TV shows on DVD: House, M.D - Season 2, Footballers' Wives - Season 1

I have been also working a tennis tournament website which required me to build a online registration system using PHP and MySQL. It has been a while since I've coded so it took a bit of time but it is finally up and running.

Speaking of tennis, I had a tournament August 10-12 and I ended up placing 2nd. I lost to a guy that beat me once before. His style of play frustrates me which causes me to commit a lot of unforced errors. I have 4 tournaments scheduled between now and December, so I have tighten up my game so I can end my 3.0 career on a high note before I move up to 3.5 in January.

I return to regular posting this week and hopefully finish my Road Trip 2007 posts. In order to finish them, they will be shorter with less detail. I will just get to the good stuff.

So I am fine (for those who were worried) and doing well.

I may have a new crush developing but I am not quite sure if there is any interested on his part. There is something keeping me from exploring it further: he's in the military. This guy invited me and a select few to a pre-Labor Day BBQ. So I will test out the waters.

Fashion: Roger Federer's Faux-Pas

After singing his praises yesterday, On The Baseline showed that even the "perfect" Federer have imperfect moments. After beating Nadal in Wimbledon finals on Sunday, he was so overcome by emotion that he didn't realize that he put his pants on backwards. Mirka, you are sooo fired.


Poor Roger. But he still looked dapper, so I guess it doesn't matter if his pants were a bit askew. He may start a new trend in tennis ... much like Kris Kross.

[photo source: On The Baseline, Getty Images]