Tennis Update: May 13, 2013

I don't even know if this kind of blog even matters anymore. But whatever. It's not really a hassle since I basically don't have anything else to do right now. Well Nadal has won Madrid for the fifth time! Guess his knees don't hurt anymore. Do you think he is going to win the French too? It would be amazing if he just came back and casually won a grand slam. Serena Williams won the women's title against Sharapova. She just refuses to lose to her. It's kind of amazing.


There was this interesting issue about a player theoretically "coming out" on tour. They asked players how they would feel about it. Federer, one of the players asked, said that it would be fine because they are "very relaxed" about these kinds of things. Andy Murray said he wouldn't have a problem with it either. But really. They wouldn't say they did even because it would be against their reputation. Seriously. It's not really a valid response to the question because it sounds a bit scripted and stuff. It would be more honest if it was a candid response. I'm not saying these players are lying, but do journalists really believe that what people say on record are completely according to their real opinions?

Tennis Update: May 9, 2013

So Grigor Dimitrov is all the craze now! He's deemed Baby Federer, and I agree. His strokes are exactly the same. From far away, you could confuse the two. The only thing that is slightly different is the footwork. Dimitrov's isn't as smooth and glide-y as Federer's, but other than that minor difference, they are very very similar. And he's also dating Maria Sharapova, just so you know. Now I know who I'll be rooting for after Federer retires! It's really super exciting. I hope he doesn't do anything dumb to his body and get injured though. Or do drugs like Richard Gasquet, the original Baby Federer.
I'm not in the mood to continue this right now. Whatever. 200 words psh. As if. I've been having the worst day, so a little slack would be cool. I work hard, I swear. I deserve this blogging grade because, honestly, no one does it on time. I at least remember to do it. Even if it gets done at midnight on the deadline. Also, my computer is running low on battery, so it will shut down soon. I don't care. At this point I want to go to bed and just end this day as quickly as possible. My dreams are happier than real life. Plus Youtube is pissing me off right now; the recommendations aren't showing up so I can't go on a video spree. OMG though. The Voice was so good last night. Or whenever, Tuesday night. Go Kris Thomas! lolollol

Tennis Updates: May 6, 2013

So it's been 40 years since WTA has served women's tennis. Wow that's not a long time haha. Anyway, I heard some juicy news today. Apparently Sloan Stevens has been talking about how Serena Williams is really bitter with her. Stevens says that Williams doesn't acknowledge her as they walk by each other since her victory over the higher ranked player recently. Stevens also says that Williams unfollowed her on Twitter and removed her from her Blackberry Messanger as soon as she lost that match to her. Really, that's kind of immature from Serena. Plus, right after their match (where Serena lost), Serena tweeted "I made you" and that was obviously targeted at Stevens. Stevens says that Serena was not part of her tennis process at all; she never spoke to her or watched her or helped her. This is probably true since they are from different sides of the US, Serena from Compton and Stevens from Plantation, Florida. Maybe she's jealous because Stevens is African-American just like her and she's supposed to be the only black person to play tennis? I don't know; Serena is just acting really childish right now. Really, she should be a role model, but right now she's acting like really stupid. But you know, all this could just be lies. You never know with news nowadays. Everything is blown out of proportion. I really hope they get along, or at least move on and not be so tense with each other.

Tennis Quotes: May 5, 2013

I'm in an angry mood right now, I feel like John McEnroe. His quotes just have the essence of my feelings right now.

Princess Diana, she used to come watch the tennis [at Wimbledon]. And even though she had it 1,000 times worse than I ever did, she pulled me aside a few times and said, 'I really feel for you.'

Now I get docked 10 to 20 per cent (of my appearance fee) if I don't yell at some people and break at least one racquet.

You'll be sorry you hit me, you fucking Communist asshole.

Over 1,000 officials to choose from and I get a moron like you.

This taught me a lesson, but I'm not quite sure what it is.

Do you have any problems, other than that you're unemployed, a moron, and a dork?

Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people

Eye dee kay. It's kind of just like I'm too lazy to write anything right now because it's late and I just have this sense of responsibility, like I HAVE TO WRITE THIS BLOG BECAUSE I JUST DO. I'm not whining, I'm just complaining like a bitch about writing this. 

Oh and that is me right there ^^^^^^^^

that's me too^^

 last week^^^^^^

Me after AP exams^^^^

Wow I know the quality of this blog is just like through the basement and things, but I'm going to have to go because the more tired I get, the more sarcastic I'll start sounding and I'll just end up sounding like a total butt. 

Update: May 1, 2013

Rafa Nadal is in the Barcelona finals. Yay for him! He's definitely going to win probably. He wins 60% of the time every time. And also Gilles Simon has a new coach. He's actually one of the players I like to watch because he's a good mover and he also is good at shotmaking. It's a shame he's in an era where there are soo many good players because I doubt he'll ever get to win a grandslam. It's sad isn't it? He's like one of the many French dudes that are like good but not good enough to dominate like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Speaking of Federer, he's like not renewing his contract with Basel for his appearance fee because he probably doesn't want to play so much. And Basel is getting pissed because they want him to show up all the time to raise the ticket fees and sales. Tennis is such a business sometimes, it's not fair for the players and the people who love to watch it.

Tennis Update: April 28th, 2013. Not really a tennis update. But it counts.

I MISSED A POST, SO I'M GOING TO ANSWER A DISCUSSION QUESTION. AND IT'S 11:45 ON SUNDAY NIGHT SO THIS STILL COUNTS FOR THIS WEEK!!!!!

So yea, tennis. That's what I was supposed to talk about...anyway...I just played a tournament. And it was rainy and stuff and I was really happy because I didn't have to think about school and all that shitty fuckery that is happening there. I really hate it right now. Like I just want to not go to school and just whatever. Like, I've been stressed before but this is just stupid. I'm like straddling the line between being burnt out and going insane. Like, who suddenly gets up from bed and starts blogging just to get a grade? Like, why are grades so important to me? I don't even know. Grades are just a number, literally just numbers. Who gives 2 shits? I shouldn't, but I do. I'm totally being a robot and I don't even know it. Tennis was just so great though. I got to actually talk to people instead of staring at my screen all day. And I got to do something that I really liked and wanted to do. School is seriously really terrible. I hate it so much. It's so miserable being a junior. Honestly. I am the face of misery. I want to fall asleep everyday at school. Some of the lessons I have to sit through are painful. I don't even do homework during my free periods anymore because I use them to relax and let my mind have a break. If I didn't have study halls, I would be dead meat. Ohh I better hurry and publish this before 12, if not it won't count. Ok yay. Blog. Done.

Tennis Update: April 22, 2013

Soo yesterday Djokovic ended Nadal's reign at Monte Carlo yesterday in a 2 set match 6-2 7-6. Novak actually thanked Rafa for "letting" him win. That's nice of him. Aw. Cute. They both seem happy though. Nadal had been the winner the last eight times. The points were a lot closer than the score indicated. Rafa had to save 5 set points in the first set just to avoid a 6-0 loss. Anyway, Novak is like super destroying everyone. It's not even fair anymore. I'm pretty sure he's going to win Roland Garros if he just keeps playing like that. His belief is unbelievable. I don't even think he is capable of losing anymore. Do any of you think that Nadal can beat Novak on clay this year? Will his body be strong enough to battle his knee issues? I don't know. It's a question that he'll have to answer. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Tennis Update: April 18, 2013

So the tournament at Monte Carlo is totally underway and it's exciting and stuff. Wawrinka completely destroyed Andy Murray in 58 minutes (what?!?). Murray was saying how his game was getting a lot better on clay and how he was going to win the French Open...but....I'm not so sure about it. He's also dropped down to #3 in the world, letting Federer back up to #2! Yay! I'm biased, not gonna lie. The Djokovic, Monaco match was a little closer. Djokovic had to fight for the 3-set victory. He's such a fighter. Seriously. I don't like him that much, but he was pretty great in that match. His returns were amazing. Nadal, Fognini and Tsonga are also in the quarters of the tournament. Whoo. It's so exciting to see the Big Four back in a tournament together.
Also well there's isn't anything else happening. I'm playing high school tennis and it's really boring and annoying because the courts where we play at are usually super windy. It's because it's on top of a hill and there's open fields around it. I mean, couldn't they have chosen a better place to put the courts? There's like a huge complex and there's no other place to put it? It really pisses me off sometimes. Like tennis is kind of neglected at our school. Other teams get water bottles, towels, personalized sweatshirts, and more things and we get tshirts. I'm being bratty, but really. Tennis is important too!

Tennis Update: April 15, 2013

So the winnings for early-round losers in the French Open is increased 25% this year. That's great news! It's good that people who aren't winning 5-6 rounds in grandslams are still getting money because tennis is such an expensive professional job. Most players who aren't top 50 in the world barely can pay for hotel rooms and plane tickets. It's a hard life. So you have to understand that the people who play, but struggle for their living really love the sport. They could easily just take a normal job like most people, but they choose to train and make sacrifices to play a game that makes them a little money.
Speaking of clay tournaments (sorta), the Monte Carlo tournament is this week for the men. Djokovic and Nadal are still unsure about it due to injuries. Djokovic has an injured ankle while Nadal's ongoing knee injury is posing problems.
I just wanted to say that the red clay is my favorite surface to watch. Players can slide with such ease, it's jealousy-invoking. I just want to roll around in that clay. Like that's weird, but it just looks so soft and fluffy. Whatever.

Tennis Update: April 11, 2013

The US Davis Cup Team is going against Sweden, led by the Williams sisters. But another thing about the Davis Cup is that Switzerland is upset that Federer isn't helping more with winning the team events in the early rounds. That's kinda unfair, I agree. He should play, but still, you have to give him credit for even participating sometimes because it's a voluntary thing. He doesn't have to do it. He already has hundreds of matches every year and that Davis Cup thing is really tiring. Plus now he has a family to spend time with. He's 31 years old and wants to spend that time watching his kids growing up instead of just playing tennis all the time. It's only fair for him. He's not only an athlete, but a family person too.
Also Rafael Nadal says his knee is sore, but he can keep going. He wasn't expecting it to hurt like this, but he says he will try to power through this. That's good, but really, even I'm worried about his knee. He's played hard for a few months and it's already hurting again. He really has bad knees and that makes me worried. I hope he doesn't have to cut his career short due to injury. You can tell he's really passionate about tennis and not being able to play would be a huge loss in his life. Oh well, good luck to him in his training and revitalizing.

Tennis Updates: April 8, 2013

So I'm getting new tennis shoes! The Nike Zoom Vapor Tour 9, the ones that Maria Sharapova wears, except in different colors. I tried them on and they were so light and comfortable. Nike's are notoriously narrow and uncomfortable for people with wide feet (like me), but these are really different! They don't hurt to wear and running in them isn't a problem. They also have a lot of colors and things you can do if you want to design them. It's all pretty interesting. I'm getting a pair and seeing if they are better than my old shoes, the Adidas Barricades. I felt like my shoes were too heavy and I just wanted a change. Nike does have better shoes than Adidas. The designs are usually more aesthetically appealing and they are usually lighter and also more comfortable to wear on court.
What else should I talk about? Well Novak Djokovic is injured and is unsure about playing the Monte Carlo Masters. And Serena is nearing 50 WTA victories (she has 49 right now). That's a ridiculous record. She's definitely going to reach it unless something downright strange happens, but seriously, even if she gets an injury she could still win something. She has won stuff with injuries. It's not a huge deal for her.  Good luck to her, not that she'll need it or anything. It'll be exciting to see that record being made!

Tennis Update: March 28, 2013

I'm fried, so the things I'm going to say next are going to be pretty low level intelligence. Actually I'm just going to judge people. 

Serena's playing the Miami Masters' tournament AND HER OUTFIT IS AMAZING! Like yes. Nike, you done did good. Maybe it's the picture too. So free and stuff. The colors are really nice for spring; not too bold and not too subtle. Everything goes together because of the neutral(?) white, then the blue and teals and pale yellow complement and contrast each other. I love it. Her shoes look good too. She looks really athletic wearing this, which is what most people are going for when playing a sport. Everything is balanced out with the royal blue. I'm proud of Nike. 10/10 yay.

I actually tried this shirt on once, but it looked so wrong on me. Like I can't hold it up like her. I can do the skirt, but the shirt is just no. The color blocking makes me look like a clown. Some people just look a lot better in certain clothes. See. According to fashion mags, I can't wear too many color together because I'm already short, so rainbow would make me look like a clown. But whatever. I like colors. 

Dude I'm so bored. Sorry this blog is terrible. My ears and head really hurts at this moment. 

Tennis Update: March 25, 2013

Since "spring" is here, tennis should be starting up soon. Yay. There was the Sony Open or something. I saw Li Na playing Lepchenko on tv, but that's about all the tennis I've had recently. Mostly it's been school and training for my own tennis stuff. Blogging is starting to get difficult; I'm running out of things to say. I almost went to watch a UK vs UGA men's match yesterday in my hometown, but I had too much homework. I regret not going; I heard it was great tennis and really exciting. College tennis is by far a lot more fun than junior tennis. You get to be on a team, so individual results don't matter as much. Also the focus is more on team bonding than on competing against your teammates, which is usually what ends up happening in regular tennis. The atmosphere is usually great too because there's a lot of fans and people hollering whenever you win a point or whenever you lose. It's not annoying, more fun and exhilarating. Super exciting. I am actually planning on playing in college too, so yay! I'm really looking forward to that. I need to take into consideration both academics and tennis and striking the perfect balance will be a real challenge, but I have some schools who have contacted me and I feel like they might be a good fit for me. But too much to consider!

Tennis Update: March 21, 2013

So I heard the ATP and the WTA are going to boost up prize money in the US Open this year. Last year the total prize money was $25 million and this year it will be $34 million. That's a lot of money dang. The schedule is changed too. The men's finals is on Monday. I'm thinking that will mean less viewers since people would be at work or at school, but maybe it can be an exception this time. Also it's scheduled for August 28-September 9, so if you like marking stuff down on our calendar, here ya go.
Also do you guys remember Justine Henin? She had a baby! That's kind of unexpected, I didn't even know she was pregnant! Her baby's name is Laila was just born a few hours ago. In case you don't know Justine Henin, she was a winner of 7 grandslams and an Olympic title, among other things. She retired I think because she had a bad back and also she just wanted to start a family. Her husband, Something Benoit and her are super excited for the baby of course. That's awesome. Yay. I have nothing else to say today except that it's a couples days into spring yet it's still raining.

Tennis Update: March 18, 2013

Sooo Rafa won the BNP Paribas tournament at Indian Wells, beating 3 top ten players en route to the title. What a beast! First he beat Roger Federer, then Tomas Berdych, then Juan Martin del Potro. That's REALLY impressive. Wow. Who would have thought that he would come back so strong especially on his weakest surface. There were even doubts that his knees would hold up for the weeks of the tournament since the hard courts are so taxing on his legs. Well congrats to him! On the WTA side, Maria Sharapova beat Caroline Wozniacki in a sweeping match. I don't even think it was close. Like 6-2 6-2. That's not surprising. Her aggressive style is going to fly through the courts whereas Wozniacki's defensive tendencies won't help much on this fast surface. This was a super enticing tournament. There's a lot of people who would've given a lot of money for a tickets to this event. It was basically a grandslam, but shorter.
I need to have 200 words in this blog, so I'll just keep going for a little longer. This was soo exciting. I really wish I could've actually watched some of the matches, but I had school and all that fun stuff, so that didn't work out for me. Oh well. At least I know when the French Open starts, I'll be out of school. Yay.

Tennis Update: March 14, 2013

Federer and Nadal will play in a few minutes at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, CA! So excited, you don't even know. It's been so long. Their rivalry is like fucking legendary. Like I don't even care who wins, I just want their match to be really long and exciting. It's only a quarterfinal match, but it's probably going to be more popular than the finals since soooo many people were looking forward to this. It's not that they were #1 and #2 for forever, it's more their playing styles that clash so well together. Federer is elegant and smooth, while Nadal is gritty and rough. When Federer goes on court, he has his blazer on and his fancy Rolex watch peeking out under the sleeve. Nadal has his blazing Nike outfit and runs out intensely. These two are the best of their styles and when they come together and compete, it's like magic. Plus they have great sportsmanship and everyone should learn from their attitudes on court.

Well here's Nadal's outfit. It's like his regular really bright colors. I think it reflects his culture; he's Spanish and I've found that there are a lot of bright colors that come with that country. I like it. His shoes are white and accented gray and neon yellow, so everything works. His bicep looks uncomfortable, but he's playing well, so I guess he's fine. It's a very Nadal-esque outfit. 

Federer here is going all USA style with his red, white and blue. That's nice of him, honoring the country hosting this tournament. As usual, he goes with bold, pretty primary colors. That's what works for him, so it's fine. See, Nike even gives him a collar on his shirt to play on his "elegant" style while Nadal gets the t-shirt fit and stuff. You can tell Nike knows what they're doing. Anyway, I really don't think this would look good on anyone else playing tennis. It's hard to pull of a polo while sweating and running around. So yay.

Tennis Updates: March 12, 2013

I think I heard somewhere that Jennifer Capriati got arrested for something. Or no, she's being charged for stalking and assaulting her former boyfriend. Wow. She used to be a top USA player, but now she's all over the news for crime. I'm pretty sure she was arrested for possession of marijuana and things like that. Her boyfriend, whose last name is Brannen, accused her of punching him in the chest and also stalking him at his workplace. She once called over 50 times to his work, which allegedly made him feel nervous. Capriati's representative says that all these things are one-sided and that when the real story comes out, she will be cleared.  It's kind of sad how she's had such a roller-coaster life ever since leaving tennis. She really needs to get her shit together.

For more uplifting news, Federer and Nadal are on track to play in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas tournament. That is so exciting. They haven't played in about 7 months, so it's going to be really fresh to see them play after such a long hiatus. So yea. Super exciting. BNP Paribas is always a really great tournament to watch each year. It's a really well put together tournament. Yay.

Tennis Update: March 7, 2013

More about doping in the game. The officials have decided to start using a "biological passport" that will track players' blood readings over time. Their blood will be tracked and if there are any curious changes in them, they will be tested for positive or negative. It is a good way to stop the doping rumors in the game; this "biological passport" was one of the ways cycling was able to control the doping in the sport. Of course blood and urine tests will increase over the years too. They are really cracking down on the doping in the game. Players are all for keeping the game "fair" but some like Nadal think that players should get their privacy while also getting a routine check. It just all has to balance out.
There is literally no tennis to talk about, so here's a weather report. It's been gloomy for the past two days and there was a little snow, nothing that could bring a snow day though. My car slipped a lot in the school alleyway because it was just a 1 in sheet of ice. My car is rear-wheel drive and had the hardest time steering and stoping. Even accelerating was hard. There was no traction. It was like driving on an ice rink. Actually it was exactly like driving on an ice rink. Super dangerous and stuff.

Tennis Update: March 4, 2013

Nadal defeated David Ferrer 6-0 6-2 in a startling match where Ferrer said he was outplayed and out lasted. He admitted to not being fit to compete with Nadal who was at his elite condition. It's a good sign that Nadal has gotten up to his regular level and there will be a huge competition at the top of the game, especially with an Andy Murray who has finally broken through.
Martina Hingis, a retired WTA player, is to be inducted into the tennis hall of fame for her accomplishments. I think it is deserved because she really has done a lot for the game. I'm young, but I remember hearing about her passion for the game (i.e: crying after losing and doing whatever it takes to win, including cheating), so it's great people will remember her for that...
I really have nothing to write about since it's between clay and hard court seasons, but if we keep waiting, I'm sure we'll see something interesting happen. Tennis season is so boring in March. Like really.
Well Ernest Gulbis won a title in somewhere. He's this rich guy who doesn't really do much, but gets to play tennis. He has a really bad temper on court. Not really a fan of him because he kind of acts like a brat. I really hate when people have bad attitudes on court. It's embarrassing to the game and the players who actually act nice.

Tennis Update: March 1, 2013

You know Nikolay Davydenko? The underachieving, slight Russian? Yes, him. He was talking about how he might enter politics after tennis just like his countryman, Marat Safin. He sees only about 1 or 2 years on tour left in himself, so he has to start making plans after tennis. This is just like what a lot of players encounter after playing a few years on tour. Not everyone is lucky like Federer, still at the top of the game into his 30s. Lots of players suffer a terrible injury or just lose their passion for the game and have nothing left for them to do outside of the game. This could be because they are not famous enough to be endorsed for things outside of tennis or that they had given up everything for tennis training and received no education as a child and can't find work. Not everyone has made enough money from tennis to support themselves and their family through retirement. It's a sad thing. Lots of players don't reach their potential and are left with almost nothing. They have to start over and get a degree to get a job and become a part of the community. I think it's good that Davydenko is using his public popularity to do something he likes, something in politics. At least he has a plan. That can't be said about everyone. So I hope everyone takes this as a good example of planning and make plans about what could happen if their dreams don't happen and they need a back up.