semi finals

Shoaib Akhtar: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

“I don’t believe in teamwork; give me a team that works!”

Shoaib Akhtar asserts that it’s his favourite quote.

What he really meant:

“Teamwork is about doing your job and allowing,ensuring and facilitating your teammates to do theirs well or better.”

“Everyone works but not all pull in the same direction.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“’Working in Teams’ —That’s the next stop on my motivational speeches tour.”

Davydenko rides the tail of a tiger: Llodra sails through

Image via Wikipedia

How does it feel to ride the tail of a tiger?

Nikolay Davydenko found out when he took on Michael Llodra in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.

The 10th seed must have felt secure leading 4-3 in the first set, serving for the 8th game.

But Llodra broke back and the scores were soon level at 5-5.

Continue reading →

Tennis Bytes: Wozniacki stays No. 1

Caroline Wozniacki ensured that she retained her No. 1 ranking for the year by winning her first match at the WTA Doha championships.

She beat Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in three sets.

Vera Zvonareva stays No. 2  behind the sizzling Dane.

It would have been interesting if Zvonareva had come through to be ranked No.1.

I wonder how many instances are there of two different players ranked No. 1 in the same year without ever having won a Grand Slam?

Any bets as to which of these two will clinch a Slam first?

Samantha Stosur lost to Elena Dementieva 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in her third round robin match.

But her earlier victories against Wozniacki and Schiavone have propelled her into the semi-finals.

Clijsters, too, has made her way to the semis triumphing over Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.

All Time No. 1s in Women’s Tennis

Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open. Anonymous

Source: http://quotes4all.net/quote_573.html

[Powered by QuotesPlugin v1.0 for Windows Live Writer]

The US Open 2010: The Ladies Fab Four

All good things must finally come to an end and so must this year’s US Open.

But before the tennis concludes , there’s just enough time for the artistes to hit the high notes and close the Flushing Meadows symphony on a crescendo.

The final three days will bring fans more mouth-watering, lip-smacking , engrossing wizardry, not to mention coquetry.

A quick dekko at the women’s singles semi-finalists.

Continue reading →

A marketer’s dream, tennis nightmare?

Image via Wikipedia

She was the young nymphet, the minx on court who seduced the spectators with her dazzling  blonde beauty.

She was the Lolita, the male spectator’s fantasy, who seemed to sound the siren call , the ‘come hither’ every time she stepped on court.

She was the young upstart, the agent provocateur, who stirred up a storm of protests when she was rewarded with center court at Wimbledon  ahead of her fellow – much higher ranked – players on the  WTA tour.Wimbledon broke tradition for her justifying their decision saying that they were giving the paying public what they wanted.

Continue reading →

Capping It All!

Image via Wikipedia

If you were a newbie following women’s tennis when Jennifer Capriati won the Australian & French Opens in 2001 and followed it up with the Australian Open again the following year, you would not have been surprised to see her at the pinnacle of women’s tennis, holding the No. 1 ranking.

But as avid followers of the game can testify, there is a very interesting and heart-warming story behind Capriati’s success.

Capriati was a prodigy—a teen prodigy no less—and made her professional debut on March 5, 1990,  three weeks before her 14th birthday.

Success was quick to follow!

She reached the final of her debut tournament at Boca Raton, Florida, losing to Gabriela Sabatini in the final.

She reached the finals of her next tournament as well, losing to none other than, in her own words "the lege", Martina Navratilova.

Quote of the day:
Whoever ceases to be a student has never been a student. – George Iles

Continue reading →