Ferrer-Fish, briefly

Say hello to the new best American and Miami semifinalist....*drums*

Maaaardy Fiiiish!

Seriously, since when hasn't Roddick been dethroned from the American No.1 position? And in these moments, with all my respects for Andy, the new rankings seem about right.

After beating del Potro in two tight sets, he sent Ferrer packing, again in straights. An unpleasant incident happened during the match, everything because of a baby's bawls. The kid was crying in the stands and Ferru was so annoyed that he sent a forehand lob towards him after losing his serve in the second set. Fortunately, the ball didn't come close by the infant.

This is the media's version, which, like many times, is wrong. He didn't aim the ball to the kid, he hit the ball in the stands and didn't even use too much power, so the only victim could have been what? A pigeon?! And also, who comes with such a little kid to a tennis match? There are babysitters, you know... Here is what actually happened.

After the match, Mardy said he didn't catch the moment, but declared: "He'd probably take that one back if he could. He's a very nice guy. Obviously flustered."

There you go, Ferru! Safer way to express your frustration!

Sorana as a godmommy

While some people are working in Miami, others are having fun at home. This week Sorana became the godmother of a baby boy, David, in her hometown, Targoviste. Here are some photos she posted on her official Facebook page.


Usually I don't like writing silly posts like this, but look how beautiful they are!!! :)

Evolution of my Petkorazzi love

First thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Andrea Petkovic? Clearly a special girl, very different from the other WTA stars, surely one of the funniest. Inventor of the famous Petkorazzi Dance which I just love. Also a strong player, with some bad moments like any player, but never one to underrate.

This week at Miami she did a great thing not just for her, but also for Germany. By beating Wozniacki she scored her first victory against someone in Top 5 and became the first player from Germany who wins against a world No.1 since Steffi Graf (1999 against Martina Hingis).

As my sympathy for Caroline was never too big and seems to shrink even more, I was happier than ever to see the Petko dance, without knowing her next opponent. Jelena. Oh, come on! I was hoping Andrea would make a big result here at Miami after that victory, but against JJ?... No. Sorry, but no.

Well, she didn't really care about what I wanted and took Jankovic out in three. Sometimes, after someone beats one of my biggest favourites, there are a few matches when I won't support him/her and I thought this was going to be the case, although my love for Petkovic grows with every match.

But when I found out that Andrea's next opponent will be Sharapova, who for me is in the same category with Wozniacki and also beat Alexandra Dulgheru in an extremely close match, I realized I can't wait to see the Petko dance again.

I would like to say that she has a pretty big chance against Masha, but I don't want to jinx her. So I'll stick to a sincere 'GOOO, PETKORAZZI!!!".

'Hope for Japan' Highlights

Here are some highlights and interviews of the 'Hope for Japan' charity soccer match. The ATP All Stars faced the Fort Lauderdale Strikes in an exciting and well-attended match and battled for the biggest trophy of all: the Heart of the Japanese people.

Ultimately, the Strikers took the match 4-2, but surely both teams won the trophy.



Nice goal, Andy! After the past few weeks, maybe you could actually stick to soccer.

ATP All Stars

Starting: Gasquet's physical aid (GK), Novak Djokovic (cpt.), Kei Nishikori, Feliciano Lopez, Juan Monaco, Richard Gasquet, Viktor Troicki, Andy Murray, Marcos Baghdatis, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Jurgen Melzer
Substitutes: Alexandr Dolgopolov, Potito Starace, Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, David Marrero, Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer

Source: TennisNow

Who are you...

...and what have you done to Robin?!

After his impressing start of the year, I was like 'Good, it's his year'. (And Novak's, but anyway...) Last week at Indian Wells he lost against Kohlschreiber. I was shocked, but everyone has his bad days... Now in Miami the one who ended way too quickly his way to a second Masters title was Juan Martin del Potro. Don't get me wrong, I like Delpo and I am really happy for his comeback, but talking about Soderling, he could have done much better.

Anyway I'm sure he will have other good tournaments and winning streaks this year, maybe on clay, which is not too far away. One of the reasons I do like the clay seasons while most people don't! ;)

From one match... to Miami quarters

IN YOUR FACE, HATERS!

Alexandra Dulgheru advanced into the Miami quarters after defeating Chanelle Scheepers, Johanna Larsson and Shuai Peng without dropping a set. To everyone who slightly wonders how the hell she got there, I'll tell you this: she might have lost some matches at this start of the year, but she is not a loser! Despite her negative 2011 record, she is still in Top 30 WTA and she had to prove it at a moment, no?

In the quarterfinals she will face Sharapova, so I don't expect too much from this match (although I would love to see Alex beating her!). They have never played before. The first encounters between two players are always interesting, as none of them knows the other's game too well, but the Russian seems to be in a great form.

P.S.: For all the "Dulger-who?" people... I guess you know now! ;)

THE Novak

When you continue your winning streak which seems to never come to an end by beating world No.1 Rafael Nadal in three sets, but still relatively easily, you are the one who deserves everybody to take their hat off to.

With this victory, Nole extended his 2011 record to 18-0 and won his 21st career title, his sixth Masters 1000 and his second Indian Wells trophy.

Now, the main question is 'Who can stop him?'. When will he be stopped? This year no Nadal, Murray or Troicki, the man who almost beat him at the end of last year, were able to do anything in front of Djokovic. Federer lost three matches this year, all of them against him. Even more, Novak replaced Roger in the ATP rankings, claiming the No.2 position and having a chance to become even No.1, as Rafa himself declared.

Now there are only a few days until the Miami Masters begins. As Nole's power grows, the opponents' determination to take him down should do the same, no? Two Masters titles in two consecutive weeks seem almost impossible for most of the players, but what is impossible for Djokovic now?

Still unbeaten. Will he?

Oh.My.GOD! *Janice*

I know you can find this in almost ANY Djokovic article, but this guy hasn't lost a match since December 2010! He won Davis Cup, he won a Grand Slam and he does very well in Indian Wells. He took his 2011 record at 17-0 by beating Federer in the semifinals in three, 6-3 3-6 6-2, to set up a clash between the best players of the past few months.

Next he faces Nadal who defeated Delpo in two, 6-4 6-4. Now, will he be able to continue his winning streak? I know this is not clay, but it's Rafa. You never can underestimate him, even if his opponent is in his best form, as happens with Novak now, but there is a big chance for him.

"Well, I want to talk to Rafa because whoever wins tomorrow has to lose [the exo] in Colombia," Djokovic said after his semifinal match.

Personally, I hope Rafa will win in Colombia. Idemo! :)

Novak and Bros

It seems like the Djokovic family truly believes that Djordje can follow Novak's footsteps and become a Grand Slam champion. After their mother said her youngest son is the most talented, Nole himself thinks he is the one to watch.

"He's very talented and actually Stepanek was just telling me a couple days ago that he practiced with him and he's a copy/paste of my forehand," he said.

"I'm really happy to see my brothers, especially the younger one, doing well now in tennis. Because it's not easy for them. They're still not matured enough to be able to face these really difficult mental struggles all the time and practicing in front of 20, 30 people, because they're carrying the burden of Djokovic family."

(Very modest, Nole!)

"For them it's not really the best situation you can ask for, but it makes them stronger. They are really fighting. They understand that they have to fight their own way through and hopefully they will."

I guess everyone hopes they will. I am still waiting for my 2015 Djordje-Novak Australian Open final, guys! :)

Source : www.espn.co.uk

A shadow starts to become real

As I said, the shadow of old Dinara slowly starts to become Dinara again. After last year's series of injuries, things have gone from bad to worse, but at Indian Wells she defeated Parra Santonja and the twenty-third favourite Hantuchova. Better and better!

"So, for me it was tough, you know, because I love the sport," she said. "And once you're not enjoying it, you struggle."

"Like when you have some bad moments, like your head's falling down. But when you're believing you're like 'Okay, it's not my day. I'm just gonna keep working hard."

I was very sorry when she stopped working with Zeljko Krajan. He is the man who made her No.1 and their relationship seemed to be a great one. Then she worked with an Argentinian coach and now she seems to get along well with her new coach, former player David Sanguinetti.

"I really like David, he was really positive everytime. There were moments in the practice I would go down. He's like 'Come on, keep it up, let's work hard'."

I think this is a good start for her to recover her position. She is ranked outside of Top 100 and this certainly isn't her real place. The attitude however is great. Leave the past, live in the present and just learn from the old mistakes. Davai!

Romania down, Ungur up

Luptam, luptam, luptam si castigam! Well, not Romania but Adrian Ungur. With the chance of repeating myself, he was ranked 183 as of 28th of February, we must not forget that. After he took a set to Nalbandian on Friday, yesterday, in a dead rubber, he brought Romania's first and only point by beating Monaco!

Argentina's captain Tito Vasquez had declared before the tie that they "can beat Romania with 5-0," while Nalbandian said that he "doesn't know anything about Ungur." Very modest, people! At 4-0 for Argentina, the newest member of the Romanian team was entering the court, hoping to save the honour. Opponent : Monaco. Shoot! I wasn't expecting too much as the crowd was adding a huge pressure. I don't think that after a first serve of Ungur which would not be in the booing and hissing would be necessary.

Anyway, the pretty guys played three pretty sets. You know, for the prettiness of the match. First set Ungur, second one Monaco. The decisive was, of course, the most tensed and interesting. Adi was just amazing and prooved he is way better than someone ranked 180 ATP. The huge one-handed backhand impressed many people, probably even the crowd, as no one was applauding the Romanians' winners or good shots. And this backhand was certainly not very applauded. He managed to save break points, thanks to a strong serve with a perfect placement. We can't say Pico did not play at a high level, despite the fact that he seemed to have some problems with his shoulder at the end of the first set. In the third, Adi's great shots made him throw his racquet and almost break it. Finally, Ungur stole Argentina's last point, 6-3 2-6 6-3, and stopped them from reaching their boastful goal.

"I'm happy with the win. 4-1 is better than 5-0," he said after the match. That's right! I have seen many smiles and good disposition in the Romanian team on Sunday. Life goes on, so does Davis Cup. We will see them reunited in September for the competition's play-offs, when they could do again a great job. I can not wait until the draw ceremony. Hopefully they will have luck and maybe they will play at home, in front of their own crowd.

Argentina leads 2-0 after Day 1

Not the best start for our team. They, just like us, were probably hoping for a 1-1, as Hanescu faced Monaco. Now, the doubles victory is vital but first, a really short summary of yesterday.

Nalbandian - Ungur : 6-3 6-2 5-7 6-4

He took a set. To Nalbandian. It means something! No one can say Ungur didn't play good or felt the pressure of the crowd. He was calm and focused and was able to keep the Argentinian on the court for three hours and four minutes, at a high level. The third set was the magical one for Adi. After wasting break points in all sets, at 5-all he managed to win on Nalbandian's serve and take the set. Especially now he prooved that his best shot is a strong one-handed backhand which can make even a former world No. 3 scream and get angry.

In the fourth, David overcame the killing pain to play for his country and did it so well that I can't not mention all my respects for him. 6-3 and he raises his head to the sky. He shakes Ungur's and Pavel's hand and bursts intro tears. Adrian goes back to the bench and receives a hand shake and a warm hug from Andrei. Could you ask for more from him, a guy ranked 164 places below his opponent, who played from equal to equal?

"I can't walk a single step," Nalbandian said after the match. "I thought I would be in better shape but I have felt really bad since the first set. If it was a tournament in the tour, I would have retired in the second set. But here, I play for my country."
"I had luck in the third set," Adi admitted. "In the fourth, Nalbandian's experience and greatness were decisive."

Monaco - Hanescu : 7-6 1-6 6-1 6-1

Here is the match which could have brought a point for us. Two players of close values, despite the fact that in the last time Monaco did a lot better. The first set was decided only in a tie-break and Victor managed to save three set points. Finally, after more than an hour, the Argentinian was taking it with 7 points to 5. The second set was a fabulous one for Victor, no one can deny it! Two breaks, 6-1 and Pico having an argument with his racquet = PERFECT. However, the last two... Well, do I have to say anything about them? The score says it all. Hanescu's problem was not physical though.

At the beginning of third set, everything was working for Monaco. Every ball was in and he was able to hit a winner from any corner of the court. This destabilized the Romanian, as he himself admitted later.
"It was a pity I lost a close first set," Victor said. "Then I won easy the second. He was lucky in the beginning of the third set and then I lost the rythm, the focus on the game."

Argentina - Romania : Thoughts

As we know, Romania faces Argentina in the Davis Cup first round tie this weekend, in Buenos Aires. The hosts have the first chance, but everything can happen in Davis Cup. Here are some of the players' and close people's thoughts.

Nalbandian - Ungur

Adrian Ungur (183 ATP) will play the opening rubber against world No. 19 and Argentinian leader Nalbandian. David is still recovering from an hernia and admitted he is not in the best shape, but he is able and willing to play. "I feel good. I'm not at a 100 percent, but good enough. Davis Cup is completely different from the tour... the pressure, the people, the team. I enjoy very much playing in front of my own crowd," he said.
I agree with that. In Davis Cup, the crowd is very important. I don't mean that if the guests lose, they lose because of this, but it is a competition between countries, so the countrymen's support means a lot for every player. "Argentina is the favourite, for sure," Andrei Pavel said. "As we know, the crowd can get behind really bad, especially in such an event as Davis Cup, but I believe in my team, I believe in my players. They've worked hard the last couple of weeks."
Pavel had to choose the second singles player between Crivoi and Ungur, who are very close in the rankings. 'Cneazul', as he is nicknamed in Romania (meaning 'The Duke') finally decided in Adi's favour, probably because he played last week in Acapulco against Ferrer, who is a Top 10 player. "The match against David Nalbandian is not the most important of Adrian's career. If you ask Tiriac or Nastase, they will also say Argentina is the favourite. But as a proverb says, 'if you're afraid of water, don't go fishing'," said Ungur's mother-in-law.

Monaco - Hanescu

Victor is set once again to play on all three days. He has no negative records against the players in the Argentinian team (4-0 against Chela, 1-0 against Nalbandian and 1-1 against Schwank and Monaco). "I would have preferred to play the first match, but in the end it is almost the same," he said. "I want to give Romania the point. I feel good right now, after a couple of weeks playing in South America to adapt to the conditions and the surface."

With Hanescu in a good day, it could be 1-1 after the first two rubbers. The problem is that in the last time he didn't play at his best level in singles and he faces Monaco, who is a tough opponent. However, maybe one of the many Davis Cup miracles will happen today.

Chela/Schwank - Hanescu/Tecau

Here is the match whence I believe Romania will take the point (one of the points, guys!). Horia and Victor keep growing as a team and Lindstedt's injury gave them a chance to play together apart Davis Cup, in Acapulco, where they took the trophy. This certainly means a lot for them, they should be confident and relaxed. "We have our chance, especially now that Horia and Victor Hanescu are in a great form. In doubles we are over Argentina," said former captain Florin Segarceanu.

I tried to stay objective, but I have to say that. You may have Pico, but... Our guys are prettier!

Rafa gets pranked! (Video)

While being in Belgium for Davis Cup first tie, Rafa Nadal became the victim of a prank call. Monday morning he was awaken by a call from a Belgian radio show.

Local celebrity Maria del Rio called the hotel and told the operator she was Rafa's mother! I guess you could tell them you're the Queen of Egypt and they would still believe you.



"Yes, I was also very happy sleeping." You gotta love him!