Wimbledon whites? Folks are packing in the color wherever they can, and no one’s getting more bang for their buck than Feliciano Lopez and his bracelets. The 22nd-seed is now through to the second round after beating Jesse Levine 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Up next is Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis and a potential third-rounder against Roger Federer. (Draw: See Feli’s section here.)
(image via Getty Images)
Now we’re loving this. Click the image to view Wilson‘s new ad featuring Federer and the “Feel Couch.”
(screen grab via youtube)
Our resident bracketologist Chris is also helping us tease out the 2010 Wimbledon Men’s Singles bracket. He has Murray crashing out of the fourth round to Sam Querrey (?!), and the lanky Socal native joining Roddick, Nadal, and Federer in the semis.
(Who do you have going deep into the event? Share your picks in the comments of this past week’s Sunday Survey!)
Read on: Chris’ Men’s Picks after the cut…
We had Chris look through the 2010 Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Draw and give us his picks for the Sweet Sixteen and onwards. He roots for the undervalued Sam Stosur and bets on the Williams sisters overcoming tough draws to face each other in the finals. He’s also gunning for Venus to brush off last year’s 7-6, 6-2 drubbing and take back the title.
(And poor darling Brit Laura Robson for drawing Jankovic in the first round.)
All the nitty gritty: Chris’ 2010 Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles picks for the final rounds, the first-round notables, and potential upsets — all after the cut…
Who knew Mary Kate and Ashley would make such prophetic statements about the Williams Sisters’ careers at Wimbledon?! Brilliance.
(TSF illustration by troy venechanos)
Wimbledon is less than 24 hours away, and it’s hard to pick who is going to walk away with the title in each respective draw. Federer has been less than himself lately, and it’s impossible to tell which Nadal will show up on the grounds of the All England Club.
For the women, it could be the Williams show once again. But who is going to win Best Actress on tennis’ biggest and most dramatic stage? And who’ll slump away playing second fiddle?!
Let us know your picks for Wimbledon champions in the comments section.
That couch sure does look comfy…
(screen grab via facebook)
Just in time for Wimbledon, TSF discovered a big-time Roger Federer fan who wears her pride on her sleeve… er, to be exact, the underside of her wrist. Always.
Michele Drohan is avid tennis player who lives in Manhattan and works for a video and TV product company called Sling Media. She also happens to have the RF logo tattooed onto her wrist, something few fans can claim. We bring you the story of Michele, her tattoo, and the way it all came about.
TSF: When did you get the tattoo?
Michele Doran: I got the tattoo the same day Fed (finally!) won the French Open, in 2009.
TSF: Good timing. Tell me about the thought process of why you got it.
MD: The fact that Fed had completed the career grand slam and tied Sampras‘s record was a special moment for me as a long-time, die-hard fan. My best friend, Caroline, jokingly bet me that if he won I should get a tattoo. And it just made sense at the time. It might sound strange to the non-fan, but I did it, in part, because I felt I wanted to honor his accomplishments, like I owed him. He’s brought me so much joy, and a fair share of anxiety, watching him play and I truly believe there will never be another like him.
TSF: Fair enough. But what about those people in your life who have brought you joy (and anxiety) personally? Weren’t there a few that were completely against it?
MD: Nobody influential was against it, but I have friends who bristle at it, mostly because they’re jealous, frustrated Roddick fans. (Insert sly laughter here.) Again, Caroline my best friend — and fellow fanatic — was totally for it and with me when I got it. She got a tattoo, too, but nothing tennis related. It was definitely a celebratory day. Maybe we were a little drunk. But I don’t regret it at all.
TSF: More power to you (and Caroline)! Do you have other tattoos?
MD: I have three other tattoos. A small rose on my back, a snake on my arm (which I tried to get removed unsuccessfully — long story) and another flower on my ankle. So getting the RF tattoo wasn’t a stretch per se. Once you have one tattoo, getting another isn’t a huge deal.
TSF: OK, got it. I haven’t delved into that yet. But I was thinking of a vintage Mary Pierce pony tail down my neck and back. No? For you, why the RF? Do you have a big obsession with Roger? Or just love the design? Or both?
MD: As for the RF, it was totally and completely for Federer. Yes, some would say I’m obsessed. I guess I’m just lucky he has such a fabulous logo.
More from Michele and shots of her RF ink after the cut. (more…)
Alex Bogdanovic is no Andy Murray, but it’s gotta be heart-breaking to go out 24-22 in the third set of qualies, no?
(screen grab via wimbledon.org)
The entire British population is hoping that Andy Murray can bring the kind of magic to Wimbledon that video editors brought to his new, catchy ad for Head.
The nearly-two-minute spot has a sort of Powerade-impossible feel to it, as Murray saunters through the streets of (what seems to be) London and performs trick after trick with racket and ball. Could this thing go viral? A day after I found the link, it gained 9,000 views online. Kudos to the folks at Head, who need to re-think the entry page to their web site using the same brain that made this video, which – no surprise – is on the jump page inside the site.
The World Cup has seemingly captured the world’s attention, though some folks quite disagree with that fact. As Ben Bergman writes on NPR, he’s flat out bored with the soccer, and thinks most of America is, as well. Several sports journalists that TSF follows on Twitter have mentioned how few goals have been scored in this year’s Cup thus far (9 scoreless halves, to note). Maybe that’ll up the chances for folks to turn the tube to another sporting event on grass next week, no? Just in case you’re still interested, the Village Voice has a hilarious guide on how to pretend to know what you’re talking about while watching the world’s game played out in bars across the country. Brush up on your futbol facts!
Prince’s apparel (and footwear) digital catalogue is out, and while we’re not necessarily sure what to think of what’s inside, we do dig the looks of Alina Jidkova and Kveta Peschke. The girls are lookin’ good in ‘P’!
See our favorite new Chinese trend and speed read what has been happening in the two-week sandwich known as the “grass court season”. (more…)
A Chinese company called PEAK has signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the WTA Tour. In an article for the Associated Press, Anita Chang characterizes PEAK as a company that is cash rich in China, but is none by “virtually no one outside of the country.”
The company’s only office outside of the mainland is housed in Hong Kong (a Chinese holding) and their web site leaves much to be wondered about what this brand will bring (other than more cash) to the table for women’s tennis. NBA player and former Duke star Shane Battier graces the site in promotion of the “Battier III” shoes.
Our favorite shoe is posted above, a pair of casual kicks in China-inspired red and a European look. Chang notes the company is worth $6 billion and quotes their CEO as saying they’d like to “catch and surpass” the sale numbers of Nike.
While Li Na might have beaten Maria Sharapova at Birmingham this weekend (another good sign for Chinese tennis and a market of 1.3 billion fans), they both played while wearing – you guessed it – Nike.
(photo via peak web site)
Click the image to watch video of Mauresmo displaying her masterful hands at Queens. Will Amelie pull a Clijsters-like comeback?!
Recently there has been plenty of comeback speculation on the WTA Tour. Lindsay Davenport is playing mixed doubles at Wimbledon (with Bob Bryan) and two tour events (with Liezel Huber) in California this summer. Martina Hingis is playing World Team Tennis, which Billie Jean King thinks will lead to a return in doubles for the Swiss Miss. And Amelie Mauresmo was spotted at Queen’s helping out with Michael Llorda‘s grasscourt campaign.
With Kimiko Date Krumm stunning Dinara Safina in the first round of the French Open and Francesca Schiavone taking the whole enchilada, is there any reason to believe that none of these ‘over the hill’ gals could not come back?! We’d love to see that happen…
If you could pick just one to make a return, it would be…
(screen shot from acetennismagazine’s youtube page)
Ed note: We were planning on getting a podcast up for djy’all’s enjoyment this week, but real life got in the way. Check out TSF early next week for a Roland Garros wrap-up and a look-ahead to The Championships, Wimbledon. -NM
In case you missed it in our last post, there is something called the World Cup going on in South Africa. It’s the biggest athletic event of its kind on the globe, and will be happening for the next month (!) as 32 teams battle it out for the cup. The media has covered this event from every possible angle, and I wanted to share a couple of those with you faithful folk. The first is a bit historical and artsy: the history of the World Cup soccer ball (compiled by the NYT). The second is a bit of the shallow variety, but it’s worth it.
While some people might not be very impressed with Maria Sharapova‘s Birmingham warm-up frocks (and we sort of agree), the Russian lady was out in the community supporting the game of tennis for youth and unveiling a mural put together by local artists. The WTA put together a video of the scene (linked above in the image, too).
One former player who knew how to paint the court with winners, Monica Seles, was featured on the WTA’s web site last week. Can she joing the comeback train, too?! She’s our second pick behind Mary, Our Lady of Roland Garrolupe. Seeing as though there are now two Italians in the WTA’s top ten, it wouldn’t be the craziest of things to happen.
Laura Robson was in a bit of hot water over the weekend for quotes that she provided to Vogue UK for an upcoming article in the British pub. From the looks of her Twitter account, Robson got the memo from her PR team to issue some sort of response (later a full press release was issued) and since then has been a rather silent Sally while winning four matches (three in qualifying) at Birmingham. Talk about adding to the pressure for this year’s Championships.
After the cut: Shorter balls and a look at the second-ever outdoor WNBA game (along with the first!). (more…)
First off, let me be professional for just a minute… and say that, for full disclosure, I work for Housing Works at their bookstore in Soho. Housing Works is a tremendous non-profit in New York that benefits homeless New Yorkers living with HIV AIDS. As a non-profit that runs on a social entrepreneurship model, we’re always looking for new ways to bring in bucks for the tremendous services that we offer our clients. Below are two events over the next four days that NYers can plug into. If you’re not in NYC and just want to learn more about HW in general, here’s our homepage.
Wimbledon on the Hudson – A Tennis Tournament Benefitting Housing Works is the first-ever tennis tournament fundraiser that Housing Works has put on and it’s happening this coming Monday, June 14th from 6 to 9 PM. Though the tourney itself is happening on the East River (Roosevelt Racquet Club, to be exact) and not the Hudson, we still thought the name rang well with the big thing happening across the pond in one week’s time. This isn’t a tournament for the serious of the serious though, it’ll be a light-hearted affair to hit and giggle over some strawberries and cream. Players are asked to pay a $150 entry fee (all money benefitting HW), while audience members are welcome to buy $25 tickets to chomp on those strawberries and sip on some flutes of champagne. Â A raffle includes prizes from the USTA, Wilson, Fila, Tennis Magazine and Mason’s Tennis Mart.
More slammin’ Housing Works events after the cut. (more…)
In case you missed our photoblog post of the French Open women’s trophy ceremony, TSF illustrator Troy Venechanos recaptured Mary, Our Lady of Roland Garrolupe floating down from her perch on the clouds to assist in the presentation of the trophies. She looks simply heavenly, doesn’t she?
(tsf illustration by troy venechanos)
5:39 PM 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 Game, set, match, Nadal I’m pretty happy for Rafa and that win. He definitely deserved it. Congrats, big guy.
5:24 PM 6-4, 6-2, 5-3 Nadal Time for the Robin Soderling to pull out the gladiator armor. He’s neeeeeeeeding it.
5:07 PM 6-4, 6-2, 3-1 Nadal No, we have no idea who the junior champions are, either. And so much for Bode Miller‘s U.S. Open bid. Kind of rough for the USTA‘s number one story line to flame out in the first round. McEnroe is really doing his best to verbally route for Sod to take this to four or five.
We understand the photos might be low-quality, but we loved NBC‘s coverage of the trophy ceremony (the whole thing) and took advantage with some cell-phone camera action… let the comic commentary begin.
In case you missed it, Franny grabbed the mike a second time to make sure that she gave props to Mary, the Queen Mother of All Tennis.
Alicia Molik was in Stosur‘s box for the match. She displayed the sort of emotion that Sam had on court during the ceremony: sad and near-tears. Chin up, Mollie.
Remember that suggestion from the live blog about a spin-off Jersey Shore reality show starring Franny and The Fanatics?! Here’s your perfect promo poster…
Kiss that clay, Francesca. It’s all yours.
One more awkward group shot. Oh, how graceful Mother Mary is.
(crappy photos by tsf)
4:56 PM, Game, set and match, Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (2) Well big props to Schiavone for closing out the match like she did. We really dig the whole kissing-the-clay thing. Upping Guga‘s classic heart by making love to the clay with your mouth, not your racket.
4:41 PM, Schiavone leads 6-4, 6-all There is now the potential for this thing to turn into a high-quality, dramatic three-set affair. Could the WTA actually see its saviors in the games of these two relative unknowns? It’s been dang fun to watch such good tennis for two sets and 90 minutes thus far. I’m also digging the extra-cheesy Geico and Billie Jean King commercial.
4:29 PM, Schiavone leads 6-4, 4-all Stosur is tightening up here as the Italian has won the last three games to even up the second set. Can we see the first three-set women’s final since 2001?
4:07 PM, Schiavone leads 6-4, 1-2 Loving the NBC editors for their choice of exit-out music for commercials, so far including the SATC2 theme song, Beyonce and Britney. Diva music for two non-divas.
Meanwhile, we’re thinking that the Franny Faithful would make a great Jersey Shore spin-off. The hair! The muscles! The sunglasses! Stosur has nothing on these boys.
3:57 PM, Schiavone wins first set 6-4 (Good news!) Schiavone is playing with heart and (bad news!) Stosur is playing with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Let’s see if a clean court can give Sammy a clean conscience. (BEST news!) Mary Pierce sighting in the first row of the far side of the court. Like a summer bride, she’s wearing all white.
james speaks for hundreds of players, still can’t quiet pam
June 22, 2010James Blake spoke out for hundreds of players who, over the last ten years, have heard Pam Shriver‘s voice carry on to the court, by shushing the ESPN correspondent today, but Shriver’s decibels didn’t drop after his initial rant.
While Blake was clearly irritated on his way to a three-set flop-out, he called out Shriver on being too loud while doing sideline commentary above Court 5. Shriver relays the details, but as she does so, she speaks at the same volume she had been the entire time, choosing to continue to get under the skin of the American. He let her know again how frustrated he was, and P-Shrive still couldn’t get a clue. (Click image to watch video.)
Later, we suspect, James received hundreds – if not thousands – of appreciative text messages from fellow players for his actions. He also, we (still) suspect, is crafting a Commentate-o-Meter to measure the decibels of on-court reporters. Shriver is expected to give Michelle Larcher de Brito a run for her high-pitched money.
(screen grab via youtube)
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Posted in commentators, espn, james blake, nick mccarvel, pam shriver, television, wimbledon | 3 Comments »