the Love Tennis blog
Check out the WTA hottest stars in this photoshoot for the New York Times. See Clijsters, Serena, Vika, Elena and a few other familiar faces get on their glad rags for the New York paper! We are loving the dirty beats as the soundtrack too! The second video is the slow mo of the photoshoot, gripping.
Click the link for some slow mo of the girls by photographer Dewey Hicks-http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/29/magazine/tennis-hard-hitters.html
Murray entered Arthur Ashe today and battled not only his first round opponent Lukas Lacko but also the searing temperartures that exceeded
100′. In the end cool hand Andy stayed out of trouble as he casually eased past his 71 ranked opponent with ease 6-3 6-2 6-2. He next faces enormous Jamaican Dustin Brown who is having a career year having made his first ATP semi final in South Africa; a tough ask but certainly within Murray’s compass, he should expect to come through with ease. Murrays path to the final will be a little easier now that one of his biggest rivals and French Open conqueror Tomas Berdych lost in alarming fashion to an inspired Michel Llodra.
Shockingly and rather alarmingly earlier in the day we saw one the games next rising stars Vika Victoria Azarenka collapse during her match due to the heat and have to be removed on a wheelchair, the Belorussian later revealed she had suffered a fall whilst warming up and had suffered mild concussion. Our Ana is also beginning to show some well needed form the Serbian finally looked like herself again trouncing Jie Zheng 3 & 0. Venus also showed some sort of form but made hard work of her 2nd round opponent Rebecca Marino.
Clijsters and Andy Roddick are in action tonight on Ashe…more to follow tomorrow!
Ana and Andy
It seems like only yesterday that we were talking up the Aussie Open in January. Now we are beginning the last slam of the year, a year that has seen the rise and fall of Federer, the return of the King of Clay, the longest match in history and the top ladies who seem genuinely undecided on who actually wants to be world number one. The US Open Singles titles appear the most open they have been for years, will Nadal finally land the only slam to elude him, will the next generation of ladies stand up, will Sharapova arrest the slump and will Andy Murray finally get the monkey off his back?
So lets look at the real contenders for the mens crown. Roger Federer for one has a fantastic record at Flushing, having won the event 5 times in a row only to be defeated by Delpo in last years showpiece, he has also shown good form in Cincy and Toronto and with the help of his new coach Paul Annacone could do it again. Roger has a pretty easy first week and could face Robin Soderling in the Quarters with Novak in the semis ( hypothetically speaking) Andy Murray, the pride of Scotland will also harbour hopes of winning his favourite Grandslam, to do so he must beat big serving Tommy Berdych in the quarters and Nadal ( whom he owns on HC) in the semis. Having recently split from his coach of 3 years Miles MacLagan Murray has being playing a new brand of attacking net rushing tennis, scarcily seen in his career before. If he can blend his new style with his defensive game Andy Murray can certainly win the title.
Bob bryan and Novak
Novak Djokovic on his day can win on the HC of flushing but in recent years has become better known for his late night impersonations on Ashe. Can he sustain his form and keep it together for 7 games. Undoubtedly he can but will he? I think it would be unlikely. Novak can only play one way which for the crowd is entertaining to see the fantastic drawn out baseline rallies but for his physical wellbeing his style isnt conducive to winning slams. He is a threat, however if he is unfortunate enough to get an afternoon game in the heat of the day he could struggle. Nadal has shown some awesome form earlier on in the year especially on the red clay. He is still a fearsome competitor despite his topspin not working so well on the hardcourts. The US Open is the last major Nadal has yet to win, he has made the semis these past two years, maybe like Wimbledon after 2 semis he is ready to get to the final this time.
Caro will fancy her chances
Aside from the big four there are a few guys looking to stand up and be counted. Fat Dave has been in awesome form all summer on the hardcourts, winning in Washington against another comeback kid Marcos Baghdatis, both are hugely dangerous and will cause an upset. The New York crowd always seems to take to a plucky american punching above their weight, last year it was Melanie Oudin who made all the headlines beating 3 big names on her way to the QFs. It has been a long time since Andy Roddick won this tournament and with luck he can go deep in the draw, perhaps his game is a little limited to go all the way but who knows what the crazy crowd could do for him. John Isner and Sam Querrey have the games to do the damage on the HC. Mardy Fish is having a career year narrowly loosing to Fed in Cincy, he cannot be discounted but can go deep. Berdych fresh from a great spring and summer will also feel he has a genuine chance of lifting silverware this time around. His big serve and flat groundstrokes take away any time his opponent may have and caused Federer severe trouble in their SW19 quarterfinal and work well on the fast Queen’s courts. Similarly made up Soderling will have his sights set on dethroning Roger again in the Quarterfinals. I hate picking a winner, in fact I am gonna hold fire until the first few rounds.
New York City - Concrete jungle where dreams are made
There seems to be no city quite like New York. So much has been said and sung about this amazing metropolis never mind all the movies and TV shows filmed there. It’s a city I’ve yet to visit but it’s definitely on my hit list and right now there are two overwhelming reasons why I’d love to be there in New York. Firstly, to visit the US Open and secondly, to watch Mad Men series 4.
As a Grand Slam venue, it comes across, on those rare occasions that I’ve been able to watch it online, as a brash, loud, fun and in-your-face tournament, the complete opposite to polite, well mannered, sneeze-if-you-dare ambiance nurtured and adored at the All England Club in South West London. Perhaps if the US Open was played in Manhattan, it might be slightly different, but in Queens, you take the tennis as you find it.
New York as Jay Z sang is indeed the “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of”, but which female tennis players dream will become reality in 2010?
The tournament has suffered a little as Wimbledon champion Serena Williams had to pull out with a foot injury but still made it along to the player party with sister Venus, sporting a new look on designer shoes. One wonders if Carrie Bradshaw would approve of Serena’s red carpet look?
Venus & Serena Williams at the USTA US Open Player Party
Speaking of Venus, she must really be looking for a home Slam title having not won in New York since 2001. She too has been suffering with injury of late so it might have to be a case of mind over matter for her to come through.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki is in fine form for going one step further than her performance at Flushing Meadows last year. By winning in New Haven and Montreal, she is confident and surely ready to take the next step and bring home a Slam title to Denmark.
The one person who got in her way last year, Kim Clijsters hasn’t had the best 12 months but may be inspired by the city that has given the Belgian comeback queen her only Slams to date. Kim was out hitting balls at the Mets game this week and was one of seven players who took part in an amazing photo and video shoot for The New York Times Magazine.
Check out these amazing James Bond style slow motion video clips complete with special orchestrated music as the girls, in designer outfits, play some shots in the more glamorous surroundings of a downtown studio.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/29/magazine/womens-tennis.html?ref=magazine
The talented Dewey Nicks also directed the still photography which is definitely worth a look. He captures Samantha Stosur like a ballerina with her famous strong arms basked in sweaty sunlight and Suzanne Lenglen look-a-like bandana, the Australian is almost unrecognisable from how she normally looks on court.
Victoria Azarenka as photographed by Dewey Nicks for The New York Times Magazine
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/29/magazine/tennis-hard-hitters.html
LTB will once again be scanning through all the outfits the players wear in New York and be awarding our winners with the now coveted, Fabulous Frock Award so stay tuned, the NY Tennis Fashion Police are on their way…
Looking back at Andy in 2008, who would have guessed from his baggy white Fred Perry T-shirt and unruly hair that in two years time he’d be posing in front of photographer Mario Testino for Vogue Magazine (America’s Fashion Bible). In this recent shoot taken in his gym at his Surrey home, Andy is almost unrecognisable with his chiselled jaw and toned physique below his weighted vest and low-rise jeans. The photographer decided to do the shoot in Andy’s garage/gym as he was so impressed with the dedication and all-consuming daily routine of athletes to get in shape and stay in shape.
I think his hard work has paid off!
The names is Murray, Andy Murray
Tennis fans have reason for optimism after young Laura Robson made it through the 2nd round of US Open
and faces one more hurdle before she can play in the first round proper at Flushing. Laura has never qualified for a slam automatically ( as her ranking is not quite high enough) despite her making appearances at Wimbledon for the past number of years. In the first round of qualies Laura shocked former Top Tenner and Australian Darling Jelena Dokic 6-4 6-1 which certainly will have raised a few eyebrows in the locker room. She followed that win up by beating Vesna Manasieva 6-3 6-2, she faces her 3rd and final game of qualifiying later on this weekend! ( pending the weather)
The mens and ladies draw have been completed with Nadal and Murray in the same half and poised to meet in the semis pending Murray beats the in form Tomas Berdych. In the bottom half Novak is paired with Roger in the semis should the Suisse overcome his grandslam semi final record wrecker Robin Soderling. Check out our full US Open Preview tomorrow were we will pick the potential winners and loosers and the dark horses!
Smile
The Federer trick shot video has kept us tennis fans in debate this past week, with many calling it fake and camera trickery! This new video which was recorded last week in Cincy shows our two favourite tennis stars Roger and Rafa burst into fits of laughter trying to film a scripted advertisement for a exhibition match later on in the year. You would think Barry and Paul Chuckle were directing this one!
that was a cracker joke Rafa!
They may collide in just a few days in the US Open, but the two tennis greats left the rivalry on the court to share a few fun, comedic moments during this taping of a promo and isnt it great to see? LOVEtennis Blog thinks so!
Heres some of the leaked transcript!:
“So Rafa, you know what you are going to give me for Christmas yet?”
Nadal, “You know what? I gonna play an exhibition.” And then the hilarity ensues.
“His English is the best, how can you not laugh,” jokes Federer.
Based on the conversation the promo is for an exhibition Nadal will play against Federer in Switzerland this Christmas. The proceeds will go toward Federer’s foundation.
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