Father-er

Hmmm... Now I know why/how he injured his back even though he did not play any competitive match since losing (and crying) last February 1.

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Roger Federer says girlfriend is pregnant

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)—Roger Federer is going to be a father.

The second-ranked Swiss tennis player says on his Web site that girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

Federer says: “This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.”

The 13-time Grand Slam champion is in Indian Wells, Calif., for the Masters tournament, which starts Thursday. He also says his injured back is “feeling better.”

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Off-Court - Great News

Dear Fans

I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court. My back is

feeling much better and I am ready to go.

I also have some really awesome news to share with all of you: Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.

Speak soon and thanks for all your continued support!

Roger

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Retirement, anyone?

Maybe, if he wants to be a full-time dad...

Well, anyway, congrats Rodge!

Aching Knee, There, Everywhere

After playing tennis in Meralco Ortigas this afternoon, I decided to visit Gold's Gym which is just walking-distance away from the tennis court. I ran a couple of KMs and lifted a few weights to at least shed the remaining pounds I accumulated during the holidays. I didn't finish my target 3K run on the tread mill because I felt a prickling pain on my left knee. I can tolerate the chronic pain on my right big toe joint (may be caused by uric acid - haha ayaw pa kasi mag-pacheck-up), but the one on my knee is excruciating (yes naman, excruciating daw o, hehe).

So I just went to Megamall to canvass prizes of latest sportswears, winter clothes and luggages and to buy groceries and stuff my father told me to purchase for him. While strolling, the hurting was aggravated by the low temperature inside the mall and the fact that I was just wearing a knee-level shorts.

Now at home, the weather is causing more severe pain and if this should become worse tomorrow, I might follow Cholle's advise to ask for Alaxan's help. Harhar.

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P.S.
To-do's for 2009:

1. Improve serve and groundstroke shot.
2. Heal this aching knee before the 5K run on January 25.
3. Focus on Gebze and on Gebze alone!

Losses Here, There, Everywhere for Federer

Is the "King" abdicating?

An image of frustration...

Last year, Roger Federer lost just 9 matches against 68 wins, taking 8 titles including 3 Grand Slam trophies, the Tennis Masters Cup and 2 ATP Masters Series shields. This year, four and a half months of the 2008 ATP Season has already passed, he has just managed to win a relatively minor clay tournament in Estoril - losing 7 battles already along the way.

1. Australian Open SF (vs Novak Djokovic) - 5-7, 3-6, 6-7 (5)
2. Dubai Tennis Championships 1R (vs Andy Murray) - 7-6 (6), 3-6, 4-6
3. Indian Wells Masters SF (vs Mardy Fish) - 3-6, 2-6
4. Key Biscayne Masters QF (vs Andy Roddick) - 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-6
5. Monte Carlo Masters F (vs Rafael Nadal) - 5-7 5-7
6. Rome Masters QF (vs Radek Stepanek) - 6-7 (4), 6-7 (7)
7. Hamburg Masters F (vs Rafael Nadal) - 5-7, 6-7 (3), 3-6

Who will take over?

So, are we crowning a new "King"?

A picture-perfect moment...

Rafael Nadal has been ranked #2 for a record 148 consecutive weeks, and has now won 108 of his last 110 matches on clay, including 81 straight from 2005-2007. He made a hat-trick in four different clay tournaments - Monte Carlo (2005-2008), Barcelona (2005-2008), Rome (2005-2007), and Roland Garros (2005-2007). He will try to tie Bjorn Borg's record of four-successive French Open victories next week. He was won 11 AMS shields, at least two each year, since 2005. He has been in the finals of all ATP Masters event except one - in Cincinnati. He has denied Federer a career Grand Slam three times already and sports a 10-6 (8-4 on ATP Finals and 8-1 on clay) lifetime win-loss record against the current #1.

Is Rafa the sole heir to the throne?


Or will the "Djoker" steal the limelight?

A shot filled with ecstasy...

He might not be the King nor the Ace, but this Joker from Serbia is a Jack of all trades. Novak Djokovic currently leads the ATP Champions' Race by grabbing his first career Grand Slam at Melbourne and 2 more AMS shields in Indian Wells and Rome. Last year, he made a great improvement climbing up from #16 to #3 in the world with AMS triumphs in Miami and Montreal plus a finals appearance in the US Open. Last week, for the first time in 147 weeks, Nadal's grip of the second-spot was in clear threat. He surely adds a little more spice to the epic rivalry Federer and Nadal have already established - making it a three-way fight.

But does he have what it takes to be the next-big-thing in men's tennis?


These questions will be answered as the next wave of ATP events unfolds with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati Masters, the Olympics and the US Open taking centerstage from May to September 2008.

Nike Everywhere

First, it was the Air Zoom Vapor IV "Federer Wimby07" edition...


Now, the City Court III Metallic...


Next, the Air Max Breathe Cage II "Vamos Rafa" edition.


I love Nike.

Just do it!

Federer here, Nadal there, Djokovic everywhere... plus Davydenko on the side.

For more than three years, Roger Federer and somehow Rafael Nadal dominated the men's draw of the professional tennis circuit. From 2005-2007, they won 11 straight grand slams between them and their #1 and #2 rankings were never threatened by anyone. Early last year, a 19 year old Serbian named Novak Djokovic made an introduction of himself via a finals appearance at Indian Wells and a championship at Key Biscayne - the first two ATP Masters Series events of the calendar. That is the beginning of his ascent up in the charts, leaping from 78th place in 2005 to 16th in 2006 and finally to a career-best 3rd position in the ATP ranking system during the first half of 2007 - bypassing Andy Roddick and other perennial top five players.

After Nole's (Djokovic's nickname) phenomenal year, the race for the top ranking has never been this closer. In the late 1980's and the whole 1990's, having 5000+ ATP points could already secure you of being #1 in the world. But after the results of Australian Open 2008 - where Djokovic defeated Federer in straight sets in the semifinals en route to his first grand slam win, and Dubai ATP Tour event - where Federer exited in the first round while Nadal reached the quarters and Djokovic the semis, came in, Federer (6330) led Nadal (5980) only by 350 points, the closest ever since Federer led Roddick by the same margin back in May 10, 2004. And Nadal (5705), interestingly, led Djokovic (5280) only by 425 points after the latter defeated Mardy Fish to collect his 3rd AMS shield in March 23, 2008.

Okay, before we get drowned with too much statistics, let's not forget Nikolay Davydenko, the consistent yet unlucky player from Russia (he is always in Federer's half of the draw) whose ranking since October 30, 2006 has never been lower than no.5. He reached no.3 spot a week after and is now the constant 4th-seed at every tournament he plays. Have I already mentioned that he recently upset Nadal in the Sony Ericsson Open 2008 (Miami AMS), 6-4 6-2? Now you know...

Going back to the numbers, the Big 3 of Fed, Rafa and Nole is now called the Big 4 - adding Davydenko to the list of potential heirs to the throne of King Roger. All in all, the Big 3 has a combined output of 16 grand slam titles under their belts - 16 out of the last 19 (only Roddick - US Open 2003, Gaston Gaudio - Roland Garros 2004 and Marat Safin - Australian Open 2005 won the remaining 3). Adding Nikolay to the limelight, at least one of the Big 4 contested each of the last 13 AMS final matches since Madrid Masters of 2006 - 11 of which they actually won (only David Nalbandian managed to get the other two - Madrid and Paris Masters 2007 - defeating Novak once, and Rafa and Roger twice).

This week, ATP released its latest ranking (see table below).

It has been a long time since the #1 player led the #2 by less than 1000, and though it's usual that the differences between the nos. 3, 4 and 5 are also more or less 1000 points, the race to the top has never been this exciting. In months' time, or even in weeks', we may welcome a new world no.1 in tennis. It may be Rafa, it may be Novak - more likely Novak.

By the way, almost four months came and went, but the top 2 players have gone without a single title. This just shows that the Big 2 - or even the Big 4, are now vulnerable to the insurgence of the likes of David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, Mikhail Youzhny, James Blake, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mardy Fish, Janko Tipsarevic and of course Roddick who all want to spoil the dominance of the Roger, Rafa, Nole and Nikolay.

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Sources: ATP and Wikipedia

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Next Issue: Formula One 2008 Season - Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain GPs in review.

Maria's and Nole's Stories Everywhere

Maria Sharápova wins her 1st Australian Open Championship

Maria Sharapova of Russia collected her third major tennis trophy - the Australian Open 2008 (adding to her Wimbledon 2004 and US Open 2006 wins) at Melbourne Park Saturday afternoon after dispatching Serbian sensation Ana Ivanovic in straight sets 7-5 6-3.

On her way to the finals, she never dropped a single set nor got engaged in any tiebreak. Seeded fifth this year, she defeated Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-4 6-3 in the 1st Round, former world #1 Lindsay Davenport 6-1 6-3 in the 2nd Round, fellow Russians Elena Vesnina 6-3 6-0 and Elena Dementieva 6-2 6-0 in the 3rd and 4th Rounds, top seed and current world #1 Justine Henin 6-4 6-0 in the Quarterfinals and third seed Jelena Jankovic 6-3 6-1 in the Semifinals.

Read more of the stories of her successful comeback here.

Novak Đoković wins his 1st Grand Slam Championship at Melbourne

Serbian Novak Djokovic ended Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's suprising run at the Australian Open 2008 by defeating the Frenchman at Rod Laver Arena Sunday evening 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (2) to grab his first ever Grand Slam trophy.

On his way to the finals, he never dropped a single set and even managed to conquer current world #1 Roger Federer in straight sets 7-5 6-3 7-6 (5) during their Semifinal showdown last Friday - ending Federer's run of 10 successive Grand Slam finals appearance and freezing his hopes to match Pete Sampras's record of 14 major championships. Seeded #3, he thrashed German Benjamin Becker 6-0 6-2 7-6 (5) in the 1st Round, Simone Bolelli 6-1 6-2 6-2 in the 2nd Round, Sam Querry 6-3 6-1 6-3 in the 3rd Round, local bet and former world #1 Lleyton Hewitt 7-5 6-3 6-3 in the 4th Round, and #5 seed David Ferrer 6-0 6-3 7-5 in the Quarterfinals.

Read more of the stories of this fast-rising tennis star here.

Rain Rain Go Away... Oh, No! Don't.

At last, Metro Manila is now experiencing frequent rainfall and now, at least, our water reservoirs may reach their normal levels.

The personal trade-off is my and my friend Judith's weekly tennis lessons at Ascott Hotel Makati. Due to afternoon rains, our game-cum-class has been suspended for the second straight week. As far as I know, our session next week will be 15-20 minutes as agreed by us, our respective coaches and the fitness centre's management.

Hopefully next Saturday, it will be a fine day for tennis.