Wimbledon is upon us once again, and clay courts have been replaced by grass. The news that Rafael Nadal, 2008 Gentlemen's Champion, will not be playing this year's tournament due to an injury. So who will be this year's champions? My picks were correct for last year that Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal would win, but this year tournament seems open to anyone.

2009 Picks

Gentlemen's Champion: Roger Federer


Hot off his 1st French Open title, which completes the career Grand Slam, and Nadal being out of the tourament ... it is his tournament to lose. Winning this title would put him past Pete Sampras for the most Slam titles in the open era AND he would regain his number 1 ranking from Rafael Nadal. Good luck, Roger!

Ladies' Champion: Serena Williams


I chose Venus Williams last year, because she is my favorite player (and namesake in my tennis club ... long story) and she won the year prior. She is reigning Queen of Grass having 5 titles on this surface ... but 2009 is not going to be her year. I think Serena will take home this year, provided that she doesn't have a meltdown and lose focus during a match. I want Venus to win, but I don't want to jinx it by picking her.

My picks have been committed to the blogosphere, and we will see in the next fortnight if I am correct.

[Photos: Yahoo! Sports via AP]

Labels: rafael nadal, roger federer, serena williams, venus williams, wimbledon

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more on this later today!

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source: AP Sports
I think I have recovered from the upsets of Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Roger Federer in Olympic tennis quarterfinals. They all looked like they were playing so well up until they were defeated. I was really rooting for Venus to take home the gold in women's singles, but hopefully Venus and Serena can get it together and win the women's doubles gold medal.

I am really feeling bad for Federer because this hasn't been his year. When you are the best, it is only a matter of time before people start to figure you out and start pushing you. It all started with Janko Tipsarivic at the Australian Open, then Andy Roddick in Dubai, and most recently Gilles Simon at the Rogers Cup last month. My hopes for him at this year's US Open are really low. He needs to really set up his game if he wants to win this major.

It's a sad say for tennis. On the bright side, U.S. player James Blake beat Federer is now in the semi-finals. I guess it is nice to have an American player still in it consider the decline in American tennis.

Labels: olympics 2008, roger federer, serena williams, tennis, venus williams

Rafael Nadal overcame Roger Federer to win his first Wimbledon title. The match went on for over 4.5 hours and it was the longest final match in the history of Wimbledon. Also, Rafael is the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. While I am happy Nadal won since I picked him, I was really rooting for Roger to win.


Venus and Serena Williams won the ladies' doubles title yesterday, which is their their third. The Williamses are prepping for the Olympics and looking to win their second gold medal in doubles.

Congrats to them all!

Photo credits: AP/Yahoo! Sports

Labels: rafael nadal, roger federer, serena williams, tennis, venus williams, wimbledon

Venus Williams third outfit was this all black which was worn last week during her night match against Alona Bondarenko. This has been my favorite outfit she has debuted during the US Open. The has been a lot of black being worn during night matches. Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams were the other players to wear black during their night matches.


The fourth outfit was similar to her second, but in a different color combination. The second was white/pewter and the fourth is white/teal which was worn during her quarter-final match against Jelena Jankovic. I like this ensemble but I am starting to think the shorts are a bit too short. I think I there was almost a wardrobe malfunction in the nether region. But I like the look overall.

Venus plays her semi-final match tonight against Justin Henin (BOO! HISS!!), and I am hoping she will be debuting a new outfit. Maybe an all white version of the third outfit?

Tune into CBS tonight to find out.

photo sources: AP Images, Getting Images, TSF

Labels: andy roddick, fashion, maria sharapova, roger federer, serena williams, television, tennis, us open 2007, venus williams

With the US Open now a few days old, most of the players have debuted their latest on-courts fashions.

Roger Federer rocked his all black looked for his first evening match of the tournament. This is the first time I have seen Roger wear black, and he looked good. His shorts were like a tuxedo pant with the satin strip down the side.


He always seems to look classy when he is on the court. Everything is fitted with no excess material flapping in the breeze. I heard a rumor that there is a jacket to go along with look, but I think that would have been overkill. To top off his look he has a black patent leather bags.


I, personally, wouldn't rock the bag, but I would definitely wear everything else he wore. I think I will have to rethink my outfit for an upcoming tournament.

Serena Williams is keeping it simple this year with a black dress with a hot pink strip around the bust line.

I think she just saw what Bethanie Mattek was wearing. (see below)
It this is very demure look for Serena ... remember the cat suit? I was loving the outfit until I saw that Ana Ivanovic were almost the same thing at the 2007 French Open.


The design of the outfit is a bit different, but the hot pink stripe makes it too similar. Serena hasn't debuted her day outfit yet because she had two night matches. I wondering if will be a pair of shorts.

Speaking of shorts, Venus Williams has been wearing her own line of tennis clothing called eleVen from Steve and Barry's.


Her day outfit consists of a pair of short-shorts, with a fitted polo with poofy (I don't know actual fashion term for it) sleeves. I like it because she has the body for it. The night outfit, on the other hand, I am not liking so much.


When I first saw it, I thought it was two pieces, then I realized it was just one piece. It looks like a throwback to the 70s Women's Virginia Slims Tour.


I loved the Diane von Furstenberg designs for Reebok Venus wore in 2003 and 2004. I like the color, but not the outfit. Hopefully, there will be another night outfit to make me forget about this one.

Maria Shriek Sharapova debuted "the red dress" (coral, actually) this past Tuesday.


It's okay. I don't love it, but I don't hate either. The Swarovski crystals seem to be a bit too much. What I REALLY hated about the outfit was the jacket she had the nerve to wear.


Sheer sleeves? ... really!?!? What the hell were you thinking? But at least she can take solace in knowing that she wasn't the worst dressed person playing.

That honor goes to Bethanie Mattek:


Really?!?! Gold lamé??? I seriously have no words.

Finally, what's with all the guys wearing the same Nike outfit?






Donald Young, Feliciano Lopez, Max Mirnyi, Tomas Berdych, John Isner, Frank Dancevic and Nicolas Devilder all forgot to call one another before deciding on what to wear.

How embarrassing.

Sources: AP Images, www.dvf.com, downthelinetennis.com, Yahoo! Sports

Labels: donald young, fashion, feliciano lopez, frank dancevic, john isner, maria sharapova, max mirnyi, nicolas devilder, roger federer, serena williams, tennis, tomas berdych, us open 2007, venus williams