This past weekend was my warm-up tournament in Dallas, TX before my first major tournament in Austin, TX this coming Friday.

Friday (3/13)

1st match - Won: 6-4, 6-0

My match was suppose to start at 5pm, but due to a rain delay my match didn't start until 8pm. The guy I played was okay, but I couldn't return his serve at all. I finally broke his serve at 4-4 and didn't look back. The match was played indoors, which is fine, but I prefer to be outside. At the end of the match of the match, the guy I played thought I would be in a higher level. I guess all the winter practice paid off.

Saturday (3/14)

2nd match - Won: 6-1, 6-1

This match was suppose to start at 8am but was delayed until 12pm. I didn't do much this match but just keep the ball in play. My opponent was okay but he was very predictable. He would serve and run to the net. I would hit a passing shot or lob it over his head, with various results.

After the match was I had a chat with my opponent. I met him a couple years ago, and he is currently friends with an ex ... and he started to question my abilities as a player. He thought I should be at a higher level, and we talked for a bit. We said our goodbyes and prepared for my next match. But I started to wonder if I really should in a higher level.

3rd match - Lost: 5-7, 6-3, 9-11 (first to 10 points)

This match was interesting. In the first set, I was up 4-0 and I realized that maybe my last opponent was correct and I was in the wrong level. So I decided to not try so hard to win this match. I was doing a bunch of crazy things that I wouldn't normally do. I lost the first set, and the I was down 0-3 in the second when i decided that I didn't want to lost in straight set. I won easily won the next 6 games to take the set. The third set I was just trying different shots (slices, drop shots, angles etc...) and I was up 8-5 in the 10 point tie-breaker. I was like "oh, crap ... I don't want to win this match." Took it down a couple of notches and lost 9-11. When people ask about the tournament I downplay that fact I took a dive, because it would hard for them to believe. I am not hyper-competitive, I am all about fun.

So, 4 more day until Austin.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

Dear Roger,

So ... it looks like Mirka finally did it. She has finally trapped you in a relationship that we both know you don't want to be in. You know who you really want to be with, don't you?

Well congratulations on the impeding birth of your child, and good look at BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Bitterly yours,

Killervirgo

(source: Down the Line!)

Labels: roger federer, tennis

It's been a while since my last post, but you know how things go when you are busy. I am in the process of looking out houses/condos to possibly move to. I have a couple of months on my current lease, so I have been really focusing on that. I would like to stay in my current area, but I haven't found anything I really loved and had to have. I found 10 more properties outside of my target area, so we'll see what will happen.

The 2009 tennis has officially started and I am trying to get match ready before my first major tournament in 6 weeks. I am still knocking off the rust but I think I have the time to get things in order before the tournament in Austin, TX. Historically, I have never done well at the tournament because of lack of preparation ... so I am looking to change things.

With all of this, I am contemplating recapping Project Runway Canada Season 2. But I am not sure if time will allow. I am hoping to a recap on ep 1 and 2 on Monday .

Labels: project runway canada, property virgin, tennis

... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO!

more on this later today!

edit

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

First Match - Main Draw

Won: 6-3, 6-4

I played well, but my serve has been erratic the past week or so. Luckily my forehand and backhand were more consistent and I was able to pull out the win.

Second Match - Main Draw

Won - Opponent withdrew due to injury

Third Match - Main Draw

Lost: 0-6, 4-6

I was not in this match mentally. The guy I played used the "server and volley" technique on every single point and I rarely play people who do this. I was unprepared. The first set I was just trying to figure out how to play him and I was annoyed that he took way too long in between points. The second set tried different tactics and I was able to stay in the game. I was serving at 4-5 and my serve let me down and I was broken.

I played well, but there is still room for improvement. My next tournaments won't be until September so I will be working on serve and taking a couple of tennis drills to help improve. My fitness has been great and I was not affect by the heat, which is good.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

7/25/2008

First Match - Main Draw

Lost: 1-6, 0-6

AWFUL! This was my first tournament since the beginning of May 2008, and I haven't been playing a lot of singles in preparation for tournament. I played a half set the Tuesday before, but nothing more. My serve was really off, my forehand was horrible, and I don't want to even mention my backhand. It was hard to concentrate on the match because during the change-overs the guy I was playing was hitting on me. He was 19 years old and in the Army. While cute, he was not my type -- too young and too thin.

Second Match - Consolation Draw

Won: 6-3, 6-2

I was more warmed up and my game started to click. My first serve was more consistent, and my second serve was much better. I only double faulted 2 times compared to the 8 times the previous match. The guy I played had a very inconsistent backhand so I took advantage of that. The guy also didn't have a good serve so I pounced on his weak second serves. It was 99 degrees during this match (not sure of the on-court temp), but I didn't feel any affects from it. I drank a lot of ice water and I didn't feel tired.

7/26/2008

Third Match - Consolation Draw

Won: 6-4, 6-0

At the very beginning of the match neither I or my opponent could hold serve. It wasn't until 3-3 where I broke his serve, and then held mine for 5-3 ... only to be broken again. I broke his server giving me the first set. I wasn't happy with my performance and decided to step it up a notch. My ground stroke and serve improved dramatically during the second set and I bagel'd my opponent.

Fourth Match - Consolation Draw

Lost: 2-6, 6-3, 8-10 (super tie-breaker)

Again my serve and ground strokes were off and I couldn't get it together the first set. I used my frustration to focus for the second set, where I improved and won 6-3. The last set, which was a super tie-break (first person to 10 points), I was up 6-1 and I got ahead of myself and lost focus and made many errors. I ended up losing 6 straight points and ultimately the match. I began to think about the next day's match instead of closing out the current match. I tend to loss focus a lot when I play, because, for me, it is just a game so I don't ultra competitive. I would like to win all my matches, but if I lose, it is not a big deal. Each match you learn how to improve for the next match.

I really didn't think I would do this well consider my recently health issues, but the past 6 weeks in the gym helped me out tremendously. I feel fit and healthy again for my next tournament starting on Aug 8th.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

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

Photo credit: Getty Images
Miss Venus Williams has successfully defended her 2007 Wimbledon title for her 5th 'Venus Rosewater Dish'. She was my favorite from the beginning and she didn't drop a set during this year's tournament. She was briefly challenged by Serena Williams in the final today, but managed to pull out the win. After the utter devastation of the ladies' side of the tournament, thanks to Zheng Jie of China, it was Venus' tournament to lose.

Congrats, Venus!

Labels: tennis, venus williams, wimbledon

Week two of Wimbledon is upon us and it has been interesting Grand Slam. A lot of top people were defeated early, and it left the Ladies' Singles wide open.

My picks for this year were:

Venus Williams - Ladies' Singles Champion


I picked Venus Williams because she is my favorite female player on Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the grass courts of Wimbledon is her best surface. Not to mention that she is the defending champion and has won 4 times.

Rafael Nadal - Gentleman's Singles Champion


I picked Rafael Nadal because there were reports that the grass this year at Wimbledon was playing slower than usual. I really want Roger Federer to win but something tells me that Rafael Nadal may take it this year.

So hopefully my picks will win.

To commemorate the early lost of so many top players, I made this video:


Better luck next year!

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

This tournament was at a country club that I played at before, but I haven't played on their recently painted USTA color courts.

Match 1: Lost - 2-6, 2-6

I was hopeful but I was not on my game for the first match. I couldn't keep a ball in the court due to the swirling winds. And the points that would have been winners my opponent got them back. I guess that is the difference between 3.0 and 3.5. Also, my competitor was kind of annoying. During each change-over he would pat himself and say things like "Oh, you are playing well but I am at the top of my game today." I was trying to be friendly with the guy but by the end of the first set I just got a drink of water and walked away from him.

Match 2 (Consolation): Won - 6-2, 6-1

I felt good during this match and I felt that I was doing everything right. My opponent was a "serve and volley" player but I was able to overcome this game with some passing shot and lobs. We had some really long rallies but I played a bit cleaner and not give away many points.

Match 3 (Consolation): Won - 6-1, 6-1

This was a gimmie match. The guy I played wasn't playing well and he hit every ball out after 2 shots rallies. I was up 5-0 in the second set and I decided to stand in really close to the service line and try to take the ball early. I lost that point but I served for the match afterwards.

Match 4 (Consolation): Won - 6-7(6), 6-3, 10-5

I played against my nemesis who I have played 4 times prior, and we were tied 2-2. I served really awful during the first set and only held my serve 3 times. I was down 3-5 but won the next 3 games to serve for the set...I was broken, and we headed to a tie-break. I was up again 6-5 serving for the set. I lost my serve and the next two points and the set. I was not happy and I played really well the second set. The super-tie breaker started with me double faulting and I was down 0-3. I was kind of down on myself but hyped myself up and won the next 5 points and the match. The match was 2.5 hours but it was a good match.

Match 5 (Consolation): Lost - 5-7, 0-6

This was the toughest played I've played in a long time. The was playing extremely hard the first set and I wore myself out and didn't have much to give in the second set. My opponent was a lefty, and dread playing lefties because my game is geared for right-handed opponents. The guy had a good server, backhand and forehand which made it hard for to get anything past him. He deserved to win, but it was a fun/challenging match.

This was the first USTA tournament of the year in 3.5 division. I didn't plan plan on winning the tournament but I never thought I would have done as well as I did. I have about 8 more tournament this year, so hopefully I will improve and get further into the main draw.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

This past weekend I took part in a non-USTA sanctioned tennis tournament in order practice. There was only three people in my division and so we played a round robin match format.

First match: Won 6-2, 7-5

I should have won the second set 6-2, but I lost focus while up 4-1 and then lost the next 3 games. I have a tendency to think the match is over and become less aggressive, and I end up losing a couple a games because I get my focus back. I found my serve and the rest of my game and I won. I really didn't want to play a 3rd set tie-breaking because I don't have a good track record in those.

Second match: Lost 5-7, 7-6(5), 8-10 (super tie-breaker)

I was totally off my game during this match. It lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes but the match should have been much shorter. The first set I was serving 5-3, and I lost the next four games. The second set I was serving 5-4 and and was broken. I completely lost focus but I managed to say in the set and win to take it to a 3rd set super tie-breaker. I was down 1-5 but I rallied to 8-9 and I lost the game point on a bad forehand.

It was a good match and I had fun, but I squandered many opportunities to win the match. It was a learning experience and I think I now know what I need to improve on for my next tournament. I have a stay aggressive until the end of the game. Once I think I got the match won, it is over.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

Well, hello again readers! It has been a while since I have posted, but I am back with stories to share of my travels to Austin, TX this past weekend.

Tennis

I was in Austin for a tennis tournament and it was my first tournament in the B division. I had a great year last year with tournaments and I felt it was time to move up a level. I had no expectations that I would get very deep in the tournament, but I wanted to at least win my first round in single. I did that, pretty easily in fact, but lost in the second round.

The weather was good compared to other years, but it was windy as heck. I would toss the all in the air in it would float, almost pause in the air and move either left or right depending on the wind. That coupled with the highest bouncing courts I've played on made the conditions a bit difficult. I didn't adjust to the conditions well and blew a lead of 4-2 in the first set of the 2nd match. I was just completely frustrated and just gave up because I couldn't serve due to the wind. My serve is my "bread and butter" and if that goes I usually have a tough time. But even with the tough conditions I served pretty clean with only 5 double faults. I have been working on developing a kick serve since January and it really helped my game.

My doubles partner and I lost both our doubles matches. It was a combination of bad play and the wind ... but mostly bad play. After winning a tournament and being in the finals in another in the C division, we decided to move up a level. It was a learning experience and showed up what we need to work on to become competitive.

I am going over my tournament schedule for the next year and I want to add a couple out of state tournaments. I am thinking of going to New Orleans, LA for a tournament in April, but more than likely I will head to San Diego, CA. I think I will be heading to Houston, TX for a club team tournament in May if I make the team. Other than that, I will be doing tournaments around DFW.

Night Life

Friday (3/14):

Since I was out of the tournament fairly early I decided to go out with some friends and do the bar thing. The first night we went out to a bar called Charlie's and it was just a simple local bar. When we arrived there around 10:30pm there wasn't many people -- but when go-go boys took the stage the place began to fill up. This when the night started to get interesting.

There was this tranny there wearing a HUGE fake ass. I mean the girl has legs like pipe cleaners, but the hips and butt of Beyonce. It was so abnormally big that she had to continuously pull down this short dress she was wearing because her ass was trying to escape. I was dared to go and grab it, but I declined.

Later we were talking and having drinks -- Sprite for me -- when we were approached by this older gentleman from New Orleans who wanted to take a picture 2 of the 4 people in our group. I was pushed aside and the photo was taken. It was just a (not so clever) ruse to introduce one of my friends to his 60+ year-old friend. My friend JH was cordial but declined his advances. About 10 minutes later the 60+ year-old guy came up to us. We all thought he was interested in my friend, which he may still have been, but he ended up hitting on me. It was a bit awkward ... for me that is, but my friends were having a ball. My friend CS mentioned that we were thinking of going to a bard called Chain Drive, and the 60+ year-old guy began touching my chest and telling me how much I would be loved there. It was all in good fun. He offered to buy us drinks but we declined and headed to a new location.

We ran into the tranny again and my friend JH was dared to get a photo of her butt. He isn't one to back away from a challenge. So he walked over to her and asked for a picture. The tranny was with her friend but she like "Girl, hold my purse." She gave her best over the-shoulder-against-the-wall-while-poking-the-ass-out pose and smiled for the camera. JH must have taken 8 pictures of tranny, and one of her friend so she wasn't left out. If I get one of the photos I will post it.

We left the bar around 12:30am and headed for the hotel.

Saturday (3/15):

After our tennis banquet, a group of people when to 4th Street and hit up a couple of bars.

We first went to Rain. When we entered the bar I expected to get carded so I reached for my wallet but the security guy just waved me in. I really thought I would get carded but the fact that he didn't kind of made me sad. I guess when I haven't shaved in a week I no longer look underage. The person after me, who was in our group, got carded and he's in his mid-thirties and had gray hair ...and he got carded ... but whatever.

We get in and we see some people we know from Dallas and begin to chat. We get our drinks and find a place to chill. My friend CS is trying to figure out what kind of guys I like but point out people in the club and asking if I am interested. This goes on the entire night. I was being goaded into dancing by my friend but I declined their offers. We watched people dance while talking and witness all kinds of foolishness.

There was this one girl attacking gay men on the floor. I am sure she thought she was dancing, but she was basically performing simple assault on them. Miming fellatio, taking off their clothes and very aggressively pulling on their jeans and belts. We thought it was fun ... until I was in her line of fire. She looked at my group and everyone was pointed to me to be her next victim. I declined, but she keep coming towards me. I declined again and the girl gave her purse to her friend, jumped over the railing onto a speaker and then leaped at me. The next thing I knew I had this 98 lbs. girl in my arms writhing wildly. So I had my drink in one hand and her in the other. It all lasted for about a minute before it was over. And to be truthful, it kind of loosened me up a bit.

After a couple more drinks and a Beyonce club mix, we went on to the next place.

We were greeted with two lines in front of Oil Can Harry's: VIP and non-VIP. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before entering the bar. I never been to OCH before and the atmosphere was a bit different than Rain: the guys were older, the music was better, and just seemed like the people were friendlier.

I was in the middle of a conversation when this guy comes up to me and start grabbing me. I seen this guy giving me "the look" at Rain but I wasn't interested. Started rubbing my chest, caressing my face and kiss my cheek. Even with all this he seemed like a nice guy and we chatted for a bit. He told me that he was from Irving, TX (near Dallas) and he thought I wasn't like the other Black guys in Austin because I wasn't weird. He asked if I was embarrassing him, which he was, but I decided to just roll with things because he doing this in a non-threatening way. We has a laugh and I broke away to rejoin my friends. It was around 2am and they stopped serving drinks it was almost time for us to go ... but not before the got a show.

There was this guy dancing around throughout the bar like it was his one private stage. He was dancing on the bar, the railing, and the stage making sure he was the center of attention. The had his target set SW, one of the people in my group, and it got kind of out control. Grind, kissing, tea-bagging ensued. I guess SW forgot he had a man at home. But I guess what happens in Austin, stays in Austin.

We were getting ready to leave when I spotted this guy. He was about 6'1" with broad shoulders wearing plaid shorts, t-shirt, and canvas slip on sneakers with socks. He was kind of nerdy looking ... but I like nerdy guys. I was going to make a move but he got pull on dance floor by some people and the dance floor is like my kryptonite. Soon after we left the bar.

Other

I was really looking forward to Austin because there is this guy I met Houston, TX, who lives in Austin and was attending the tournament. I wasn't sure of his status but I later found out that he was seeing someone through a friend, but through the tournament I felt him looking in my general direction at lot. The only interaction we had was at our banquet. I was behind him in line and he said:

"What is this? (referring to the Alfredo sauce with chicken chucks)
Maybe it's calm chowdah?
"I know, right."

Fascinating, huh?

Anyway ... I had fun and I will be returning to Austin next year for the tournament. If not sooner.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament, travel

The tournament is now over and I can happily say that I won my division.


I was really not excepting to win because I worried about the knee injury I sustained in Houston, TX. My knee felt great, and I didn't feel any pain at all throughout the tournament.

I won my first match 6-2, 6-1 but I could have won the second set 6-0 but I decided to take some risky shots because I didn't want to bagel my opponent. My second match was a bit tougher but I managed to win 6-2, 6-3. There were a lot of deuce points but my opponent started to lose his temper and his game went to hell after that. I made it to the finals where I had to play my nemesis.

I was ranked number 1 and my nemesis was ranked number 2, and were hoping to meet in the final. He has beaten me twice, and I finally got my first win against him this past October.

The first set was very sloppy and I had 4 double faults and I lost 3 of my service games, which is very unlike me. I managed to win the set 7-5. The second set I lost the first two games, and that just put a fire in my belly. I went on to win the next six games and the set. And to celebrate:

chocolate chip cookie from Whole Foods topped with Butter Pecan frozen yogurt

I wanted to end 2007 with a win before I move up to the 3.5 division starting in January. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me but I am looking for to a great 2008. Hopefully I will be able to add some more trophies to my collection.

Labels: tennis, tennis tournament

I have been out of town since Thursday to participate in a tennis tournament in Houston, TX. I went to the event last year with disastrous results, but this year was far better.


I came back with some hardware to add to the collection. My doubles partner and I finished in 2nd place in our division, and I feel good about our pairing. This is only the second tournament together and we made the finals each time.

Our final match yesterday we won our first set 6-0, but in the beginning of the second set I became injured. It wasn't bad at first but it progressively got worst to the point were I couldn't run or move as agilely as I did in the first set. I kept it hidden as much as I could until the third set when I told my partner. He didn't care whether or not I retired from the match, but I still wanted to play because I still wanted to make my opponents work for the win. I strapped my knee/calf injury with tape and continued to play but my injury was now apparent and the opposing team used it to their advantage. And, you know, I don't blame them. They played really well and deserved to win the match. Congrats to them!

I also made the semifinals of my singles division, which I lost 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. My opponent found a weakness in my game and used it to his advantage. My weakness: slow, high-arching lobs. It makes me have to generate my own power which could create a lot of unforced errors on my part. I have to practice taking the ball out of the air to take time away from my opponent. This is one of many things I will be working on before I move up a division in January 2008.

There was a bit of drama in one match, but this is the second year I had some type of drama in Houston. My quarter-final opponent basically called me a cheater and requested the official to judge line calls. Which was fine with because all the questionable "out" calls were four or more inches out of bounds, so I didn't sweat it. I began not to like this guy when after he won the first set 7-5 and then condescendingly told me what a great player I was and I should be winning everything. That is such a head game. I tuned him out, and won the set second in a tie-breaking 7-3 after a two hour rain delay.

I won the third set 7-5 but I was not excite with my overall experience. This by far was the worst experience at a tournament. This guy repeatedly yelled and screamed obscenities, took a minute or more between points (when the max. allotted time is 20 seconds), and I never said a word ... until he pissed me off. He twice called the official during middle of a game, thereby delaying it, and once refused to wait for the official to arrive before resuming play. I called him out on all his behaviors in front of the official. I took some satisfaction when I won this match with a couple a fist pumps, and shook his hand. To make things worst, this dude had the audacity to come to my semifinal match AND try to give me tips. Instead of reading him before sending him on his way, I decided to be polite because I was representing my tennis club in Dallas since I am a board member. Luckily he left before he pushed me over the edge.

Overall, I had a great time in Houston. I had some delicious Greek food at Niko Niko's, got to hang out with some great people, did a bit of clubbing, and developed a crush on this very handsome guy from Austin (who I think was giving me "the look" during our banquet). Unfortunately, this was the second time I didn't get a chance to explore the mall to which our host hotel was attached.

Maybe next year.

Labels: tennis, travel

I originally planned to nothing for my birthday but watch Footballers' Wives - Series 3 and tennis all day. That all changed yesterday.


I got invited to play tennis on this morning on a USTA colored court. I never played on those type of courts, and they were beautiful. The people I played with didn't know it was birthday until I told them during lunch. Once they heard, they started to plan something for me. The reason I usually don't tell people about my birthday is because I don't want to be made a fuss over. But once the wheels started churning, there was no stopping them.


I also received another invite to watch the US Open 2007 Women's Final. I thought Venus Williams would be there, but, unfortunately, she was beat by Justine Henin (BOO!). We ate, we laughed, and watched Henin win another Grand Slam title this year. It didn't make my special day any much better. Until the birthday cake time, that is.

I am now home, on my third piece of cake, watching the first episode of the third season of Footballers' Wives.

It was a good day. Thanks to all that sent me birthday wishes!

Labels: birthday, footballers' wives, party, tennis, us open 2007, venus williams

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

The US Open has begun, and it hard to determined who will come out the winners. But I have made my predictions:


Men's Winner: Roger Federer
Reason: I really think Roger has the tools to win another US Open title, but after the lose to Novak Djokovic at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Quebec a few weeks ago, I am not sure if he is match fit. He won against James Blake in Cincinnati, OH but the only really competition he had was Llyeton Hewitt. I have my fingers crossed.


Women's Winner: Venus Williams
Reason: With a big serve and a powerful ground strokes, she is the the favorite to win on the fast hard courts of Flusing Meadows. Her only challenge will come in the Quarterfinals when she may meet up with Maria Sharapova.

I made a friendly wager regarding my predictions ... hopefully I will win. I got shoes to buy.

Labels: roger federer, tennis, us open 2007, venus williams

I am alive and well, just have been really busy with a bunch of things. I will give a brief rundown of what I have done since I last posted.

Parties: Pool party, House-warming party, Tennis viewing parties
Going to the Movies: The Bourne Ultimatum, A Death at a Funeral, Hairspray
Watch TV shows on DVD: House, M.D - Season 2, Footballers' Wives - Season 1

I have been also working a tennis tournament website which required me to build a online registration system using PHP and MySQL. It has been a while since I've coded so it took a bit of time but it is finally up and running.

Speaking of tennis, I had a tournament August 10-12 and I ended up placing 2nd. I lost to a guy that beat me once before. His style of play frustrates me which causes me to commit a lot of unforced errors. I have 4 tournaments scheduled between now and December, so I have tighten up my game so I can end my 3.0 career on a high note before I move up to 3.5 in January.

I return to regular posting this week and hopefully finish my Road Trip 2007 posts. In order to finish them, they will be shorter with less detail. I will just get to the good stuff.

So I am fine (for those who were worried) and doing well.

I may have a new crush developing but I am not quite sure if there is any interested on his part. There is something keeping me from exploring it further: he's in the military. This guy invited me and a select few to a pre-Labor Day BBQ. So I will test out the waters.

Labels: dvd, footballers' wives, house, movies, television, tennis

After singing his praises yesterday, On The Baseline showed that even the "perfect" Federer have imperfect moments. After beating Nadal in Wimbledon finals on Sunday, he was so overcome by emotion that he didn't realize that he put his pants on backwards. Mirka, you are sooo fired.


Poor Roger. But he still looked dapper, so I guess it doesn't matter if his pants were a bit askew. He may start a new trend in tennis ... much like Kris Kross.

[photo source: On The Baseline, Getty Images]

Labels: fashion, roger federer, tennis

Congratulations, Miss Venus Williams, on your fourth Wimbledon title!


I just take great pleasure that she won Wimbledon this year because it will hopefully boost her confidence, and amongst my friends, I was the only person who picked her to win. Most picked either Justine Henin or Serena Williams to win, but after I saw Venus play at the French Open I knew she could win Wimbledon. She has to body meant for grass. She is tall, long-limbed, athletic and has so much power on her ground strokes.


She has that same joy from when she won two years ago.


Congrats again on the win ... and for landing your new boyfriend Hank Kuehne. Well done. Hope to see you around Dallas sometime.

And I saved the best for last ...


... Roger Federer.

It was a scary match but he pulled it together during the 5th set to win he 5th straight Wimbledon title, which tied the record held by Bjorn Borg. I could gush all day about this man but I will just post a few pictures.

With my favorite umpire, Carlos Ramos of Portugal.
Bonus Hotness



[photo sources: Tennis Week, Tennis Magazine, AP, Yahoo! Sports]

Labels: roger federer, television, tennis, venus williams, wimbledon

So I was playing tennis with someone I have known for a while. When he said something that did really bother me at first, but I brought it to his attention.

What did he say? He said the n-word, ending with an 'a'. It wasn't directed toward me, but that doesn't really matter. It was said in my presence.

I asked why he dropped the n-bomb, only for him to say that he had black friends so I shouldn't worry about. Really? I told him that didn't matter. Then he said his friend was blacker than me AND he was blacker than me, which was suppose to make it okay. Oh, did I mention that the guy is from Albania? We finished the match and even though I was not happy about the situation and decided to let it drop because I didn't want to make a scene.

I am not sure what to be more offended by: the n-word or the person who uttered the word (who is not black) claims to be more black than I am?

The level of blackness remark hurts the most. Because I don't fit the stereotype of a black male does not make me any less black. I have friends, and hang out with people of all racist, so I have never before had this issue come up. And it really hurts. I don't use the n-word, I don't allow the n-word to be applied to me (by any race), and I just don't tolerate it in general.

I am going to have to pull this guy aside at tennis tomorrow and have chat with him.

Here a clip of Big Brother 8 UK where the n-bomb was dropped:

The Emily was wrong for saying it, and the look on her face immediately afterwards knew it was wrong. Charlie (the black girl) was wrong for applying the word to herself.

Labels: big brother, drama, racism, tennis, video, youtube

I had a tennis tournament in Richardson, Texas, which lasted from this past Friday and ended Sunday. My first round match I had to play someone I know from my tennis club. For some reason I was nervous about playing him, even though I am undefeated against him. I ended up beating him 6-0, 6-1. After that, I began to calm down and was more relaxed in my other rounds. I ended up winning the tournament.


I should have won the tournament considering that it was in Richardson and tennis courts were on Syracuse drive. I mean, really. It was like I ordained to win this tournament. My final round I won 6-4, 6-3. It was so humid outside that you could wring sweat from my dri-fit shirt. But in the end I pulled out another win.

I have another tournament coming weekend and I decided to play a level higher. Mostly because I have some friends how are playing in the same tournament who are in the same level as I am, but I don't want to play them because I can definitely beat them and I want them to get far in the tournament. I've been criticized by people saying I should play in a higher level, but it comes from those I've beaten. So I am not sure how to process their suggestion. I have been beaten in two tournament so far this year, so I am not beating everyone, which suggests that I am in the correct division.

Sour grapes, maybe? I don't know ... moving on.

This past weekend were the French Open Finals.


As I predicted, Justine Henin won the Women's final against Ana Ivanovic. The match could have been good if Ana didn't get nervous. But it ended up being a total bore.


And, sadly, Rafael Nadal beat my boyfriend Roger Federer for the second straight French Open final. It looked like he was on the verge of tears because this was the third year that Nadal denied him his place in tennis history.


Don't fret, Roger, there is always next year. Focus on winning your 5th Wimbledon title.

Rafael Nadal, Gustavo Kuerten, Roger Federer
It was good to see Gustavo Kuerten at the tournament. He has been plagued with hip problems for a couple of years so ranking has fallen. I hope to see him back in action soon.


GUGA!!!!

Edited: Take a look at this frisky woman touching Nadal's butt after the French Open


By the pimp hand her husband is displaying, he wasn't happy about her copping a feel.

[photo credits: Yahoo! Sports, AFP, Getty Images]

Labels: awards, television, tennis, youtube

I have been watching the Tennis Channel enjoying the French Open. There was a commercial for Bullfrog, which is a sunscreen/bug repellent and I figured that I should pick some up because the bugs are eating me alive during tennis. The bugs are really coming out due to all of the rain Dallas has been getting.

Today before work, I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up some Bullfrog. After looking through all of the types I decided not to get it because I figured that mosquitoes weren't bad enough for bug repellent. I ended up getting some Oil Free Coppertone SPF 50 with Broad Spectrum UVA/UBA protection, because even a black people need to protect their skin. I was on the verge of burning a couple of weeks ago because I forgot to put on sunscreen, and that's not good.

I went to the self-checkout register, paid and left the store. I was about 5 feet out the store when a mosquito landed on my neck, and bit me.

Is that ironic?

Well, is it ... because I am not sure if i am apply the word 'ironic' properly. Would is this be more of a coincidence? Thanks to Alanis Morrisette I lost all meaning of the word.

off topic:

Maybe I should ask Marius -- because he is brainy and he loves Alanis. Just kidding ... he hates her. We had a heated exchange about Alanis, but I can't remember where. It was either when we went to the Toronto Gay Pride Parade (pictures) in 2004, or at a Record Theater in Buffalo. I can't remember ... a little help, please?

Labels: nostalgia, Random, tennis

I have been in a battle with my cable company, Charter Communications, for several weeks now. Actually, I have been battling with them for about a year now for a variety of issues with my service. My most recent battle is regarding the cablecards that are installed in my HD TiVo.

On May 8th I got Digital/HD service added to my account, and I wanted to have the installer check my line to make sure that my signals were good. He refused because the picture at the time was clear, but I made him sign that he didn't check the signal on my work order. After the installer left, my digital and HD channels cut in and out. I eventually got rid of Charter's HD DVR and I got two cablecards installed on May 15th and I was still having an issue where most of my digital and HD channels were not coming in. I was told by the installed that it takes 24-48 hours for the channels to download to the cablecards. That didn't make any sense to me but I let the install off the hook.

48 hours later, I was still having a issue with my cable.

I had them come back on May 18th between 11am and 2pm, and they didn't show it until 2:40pm. They reactivated my cablecards, so I thought, and my service returned and I asked them to check my signals to make sure they were okay. I was pissed with them because they showed up late, messed up the initial installation, and made me return to my office late after working from home for a couple of hours. I just wanted them gone so they forgot to check the signal. Made an emergency appointment for the next day.

May 19th: Charter never showed for the appointment. Totally annoyed, I called and had to deal with their inept customer service staff who knew absolutely nothing about cablecards. After spinning my wheels for about an hour, I had to make another appointment. I wasn't going to take more time off of work so I made it for the following Saturday.

May 26th: Charter never showed for the appointment schedule between 8am-11am. I called and they send a message to the installer and they were supposed to call me within an hour. They never did.

I meet up with a friend for lunch and came back home around 2:30pm. Called Charter to let them know their installer never show up. They gave me a $25 missed appointment credit (which I didn't receive last time two times) and spoke with the installers dispatching office. They were scheduled to come up withing 1.5 hours.

I fell asleep on the couch with my (loud) cordless phone near my head. I woke up around 4:20pm and did not receive any calls from Charter. Their policy is to call you when they are on their way ... but they never called. I called Charter to let them know that the installer never called me for the appointment, but was told that the installer came at 4:16pm without calling. I was livid. They made another appointment for me for the following Monday between 1-5pm. I took it ... but I wasn't happy about it.

May 28th: Around 11:30am I heard a knock at my door. I thought it might be my neighbour because I listening to music on my desktop computer at a high volume. It wasn't ... it was actually the Charter installer 1.5 hours early for my appointment. Luckily I was home or else I would have missed another appointment. Once again, they didn't not call before showing up for the appointment.

One of my cablecards was swapped out but it wasn't pairing with systems. The installer tried to blame my Monster power filter/surge protector for the problem before I had to set him straight and let him know the problems were associated with the device. I asked him to check my signal, but the installed tried to tell me that the signal was fine and a booster was recently added to the main line to improve the signal. I adamantly asked him to check my signal because it has been an issue for at least two years. It was the reason why I couldn't get a cable modem in my apartment. He wasn't happy but he went to his truck, got his equipment, checked the signal, and lo and behold ... my signal completely out of range.

I asked the installer if he could fix the problem, but he said he couldn't. Not only did he not have the equipment to do so, I was told that it possible couldn't be fixed because I lived in a apartment. Ummm ... what? I have been paying a home wiring maintenance fee (which covers repairs to faulty wiring) for 1.5 years and now I was being told that I can't have maintenance on my wires? How does that make any sense?

After taking a look at existing wiring, he called his HQ and they scheduled an in-house installer to rewire my apartment June 2nd. They should be able to run a new line from the main box to my apartment, which should solve all my problems. I just have to get approval from the apartment managers.

Hopefully, everything goes as planned because the Roland Garros-French Open has started and I don't want my tennis coverage interrupted.

Labels: customer service, drama, television, tennis, tivo

Ugh. I have been feeling like crap for the past couple of days.

It all started this past Wednesday when I felt a bit of a tickle in the back my throat. I reach for my stash of Ricola I have in my office drawer and hoped for the best. But, that wasn't enough. Thursday morning I felt about the same, but Thursday night I could not breathe because I was so congested. I managed to get about 5 hours a sleep before I had to be at work on at 6:45am Friday. Before work I made a detour at Wal-Mart to get some Kleenex and Theraflu to drink to help alleviate some of my symptoms. My sneezing, coughing and nose-blowing lasted throughout the day until I got off work at 7:45pm. I was trying to get better as fast as possible because I had a tennis tournament the next day.

Saturday morning, and I felt a lot better than the previous day and I thought I was on the mend. I played two rounds of my USTA tournament round-robin and I won the tournament.


Yay, for me!

I returned home with my trophy in hand feeling good about 2nd win this year. I hit the couch and I began to feel weak and had chills throughout my body. The Greek wanted to take me out to dinner but I knew that I wasn't going to be well enough to do that. I went to the bathroom and turned up the hot water in the shower to full blast to create my own personal steam room. It worked ... but a little too well as it caused the paint on the walls to bubble. 15 minutes steam and a shower and I was still feeling the chills. I got my comforter, a mini-trashcan, and a box of tissue and parked my self on the couch.

I ended up watching the last 7 episodes of Heroes and they were interesting (I am now all caught up to see the season finale airing tonight). I watched Saturday Night Live, hosted by Zach Braff before heading to be in a Nyquil induced coma.

Sunday I was feeling even worst. I skipped Sunday morning tennis because I was feeling so lousy and made my way back to the couch to see the Hamburg Masters Final on The Tennis Channel.


My Federer finally beat Nadal on Clay after two years and five tries. This should give him that extra boost of confidence for the French Open.

Around 3pm I realized that I to finish a project for work. I tried to do this remotely but someone changed the standard password for a couple training PC that needed to be configured. I drove hazily to work and finished the project in about 30 minutes. I was out of Nyquil so I made a stop at the Wal-Mart. Along with my Nyquil, I bought Vicks Vaporub and humidifier. I get to the self-check out station and scan my Nyquil only to receive a message stating that I needed customer assistance. Apparently, you now have to be 18 years of age to purchase a variety of cold products because people make a drug called Cheese from it. It has caused a number of deaths in the Dallas area (story).

I returned home, covered my chest with Vicks, and fired up humidifier. I finally started to feel better because the air was no longer dry. I've been meaning to get a humidifier for months now, like this one. But the $9 humidifier, which doesn't look as nice, did the trick.

Today I work from home most of the day before coming into the office around 2pm. The is A/C vent right above my cube and it is made me feel miserable. Luckily I was only in for a couple of hours, and I brought a hooded sweatshirt to keep me warm.

But enough about me. How was your weekend?

Labels: drama, television, tennis

Is the week over yet? This past week was extremely busy.

I had to go on a very short notice trip to San Antonio, TX for work. I was suppose to go this week but for a project, that has been nothing but problems, got bumped up to immediate priority and I had like 36 hours to prepare for the trip. I left this past Thursday at 6am and I got into San Antonio at 10am. It was a really good drive. There was hardly any traffic and I had my iPod full of music to keep me entertained.


I am totally obsessed with Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album. I listened to it at least 10 times during my trip. I've only seen Amy Winehouse in pictures and thought she was rock and/or pop singers. I was reading a blog post on Dallaspenn.com and he posted some songs from her latest album. I was shocked to heard a r&b/jazz/soul type voice coming out of this girl. I download the album and been listening to it for a couple of weeks now. When I get my Björk CD next week, I will have to purchase Back to Black as well.

This past Saturday, I was in a tennis tournament at a country club in North Dallas area. I won my quarter final round, but lost in the semifinals to the number 2 seed in my division. I wasn't sure joining the tournament because it was being held at a location frequently visited by a guy I used to date name Michael. I haven't seen or heard from him since the last tournament because, basically, I didn't want to. I thought if I saw during the tournament I would be with my group of people and I would be able to brush him off. But this didn't happen. During the middle of first round match he placed on the court right next to me. I was not happy about that because they guy I was trying to avoid was now in my eye line and I couldn't avoid him. By tried my hardest to do so.

He continuously stared at me during my match, but I refused to make any eye contact thereby avoiding making any kind of connection with him. I did take a few glances at him while he played and, I must admit, he looked good. The long curly hair was much shorter, and he lost about 15-20 pounds. If I were a masochist I would totally tried to make something happen between us ... but I am not, so I didn't. But he looked really good. Is there something wrong with me for saying that? I think if I find a guy I am attracted to, I will always be attracted to them for some biological reason. Or maybe I am just attracted to the wrong people?

I wonder if I could be the problem?

Labels: drama, music, tennis, the ex files, travel

I can not believe that Roger Federer -- MY ROGER!! -- lost to Guillermo Cañas ... AGAIN. I was not able to see the match because my TiVo cut out after Roger was down 1-3. Cañas has made his way back to the tennis scene after being busted for doping, and had been out of the ATP for 15 months. I wonder since Roger has not played him before he is not used to his game? I don't what is going on, but Roger needs to do something before heading to the French Open. (related story - Yahoo! Sports)

In better news ...


Serena Williams spanked Maria Sharapova (6-1, 6-1). Serena continued to crush Maria's weak serves and it didn't help that Maria double-faulted 8 times. It has been reported that Maria suffered from severe menstrual cramps during the match which could have affected her game. Either way, I am glad Serena is winning again; I hope she can keep up this momentum into the French Open and Wimbledon. (story)

Labels: tennis

Well, I missed my goal of 20 lbs by March 9th. So far, I have lost 18 lbs and I currently weight 207 lbs. Which is good, but it was my fault I didn't do better.

After my tennis win I decided to treat myself to Pei Wei and Marble Slab. And the next day I went to McDonald's because I didn't feel like cooking. I know, I am a horrible person ... but I am not perfect. Luckily, I have been getting a lot of exercise so I didn't gain any weight.

My diet was over in Austin. Amy's Ice Cream, Magnolia Cafe desserts, Rio Grande for dinner, Dan's Hamburger for lunch ... I didn't stand a chance. I tried not to eat beef but when you are in a burger joint you are short on options. Also, I think my body craves beef after really strenuous exercise. Is that weird?

Anyway ... My next goal is to get down to 195 (190 maybe pushing it) by May 1st. My company has this health & fitness competition were they give out prizes for people who loses the most weight. See that I didn't have much too lose I won't be winning that competition. But I am currently in second place for total exercise minutes with 3116 since February 1st. There's this girl show is currently at 3364 but I will easily pass her when I ramp my fitness routine.

Also, she taunted me, so I must beat her.

Updates on 5/1/07.

Labels: goals, tennis

I got back from Austin yesterday afternoon, but ended up sleeping the entire day. I was exhausted from the drive and from all of the tennis. My body is still sore from a grueling 2.5 hours two set match, which I lost 7-6(4), 7-5. My serve was on, my backhand was steady, but my forehand sucked so badly. I lost so many points on my forehand.

I reached my goal and I didn't get bounced in the 1st round. And my doubles partner and I made it to the Quarters. So all in all, I did fairly well. I pulled out of a tournament this Saturday because I need to recover. My next tournament is on March 24th.

I will be soaking in Icy/Hot until then.

Labels: tennis, travel

Results: I won 6-1, 6-0

Tonight I played like crap but the score doesn't really reflect that. My serve was really off and forehand was really bad. I am going to blame the horrible lighting on the court I was on. I tossed the ball in the air and it disappeared into the light. At the last second it reappeared and I was able to hit it.

Anyway...

I won the league and I didn't even get a trophy. This is my last league at this particular facility. Not because I didn't get a trophy. It has more to do with the poor conditions of the courts and the management of the league.

Labels: tennis

The weather yesterday was absolutely horrible for tennis play. The were winds in excess of 50 mph here in Dallas and it make serving and play difficult. On top of that ... there was a huge dust storm caused by the winds. I have seen any like it. There was so much dust that it blocked out the sun on a clear day. It was one of those "is the world going to end?" events.

But I managed to overcome adversity.

Match 1: I won 6-3, 6-2

The guy I played was okay but it was hard to tell because of the wind.

Match 2: I won 6-0, 6-2

The wind really picked up during this match. But the wind wasn't the big distraction on the court. My opponent, who was a nice guy, chose not to wear underwear underneath his thin dri-fit shorts. I mean you could see everything. His arse wobbling, and the outline of his ... ahem ... frontal area. Who plays tennis without underwear?

Match 3: I won 7-6 (tiebreaker 7-3), 6-3

At this point sky was covered with dust and the sun was turned into a spotlight highlighting this final match. My opponent had only been playing for 1.5 years but he is one of those young athletic guys who will chase everything down ... and he did. I was not comfortable with my play with the high winds and the dust. Each side of the court had different conditions. One side the wind was coming at your face and you had to hit the ball a bit hard, the other side the wind was your back and you had to hit the ball bit softer or use more topspin to keep the ball in play.

The first set I could not get the ball past him because he would approach the net and the wind made lobbing really difficult. I had to step up my serve game and create shot that would cause him to force an error. I was up 5-4 and serving for the set when I got broken and end up losing the next two games. I was down 6-5 and I managed to break his serve and won the tie break.

Second set was just like the first but my opponent was making more errors. I was up 5-2 serving for match and I lost my serve to go bring the game to 5-3. I was down 30-love on his serve before I managed win the next three points. My opponent hit the ball wide, which gave me the win. It was a battle and it showed me what my weaknesses are which I will have to address before Austin.



So here is another trophy to added to the two that I already have.

Labels: tennis

Results - I won 6-2, 6-0

They guy who I played last night was really annoying. He is a nice guy, but the take like 1-2 minutes in points retrieving balls or just milling about. I like faster play because when I find my groove it allow me to maintain my level of play. Fed up, I had to spank him ... metaphorically. My backhand wasn't that great but my serve was on point and I only had 2 double faults the entire match.

The weather last night was beautiful. It was about 70 degrees, clear sky and calm winds. I wish we could have played during daylight hours because the lighting is horrible at the courts during the evenings.

I have my tournament on Saturday but the weather calls for rain. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Labels: tennis

I really hurt myself yesterday.

I was playing a set of doubles when a member of the opposing hit a drop shot. I was on the baseline, but I saw the shot coming so I sprinted toward the net. I was moving diagonally from right to left straight toward to a net post. I was going so fast, and I was so close to the ball that I didn't slow down. I got my racquet on the ball but I wasn't fast enough to get it over the net ... and then --- SMACK!!

I hit the post with my left shoulder and right arm. I immediately felt the pain on my inner right arm and my right thumb. I sprain my right thumb last year and it has been bothering me for months and I definitely re-injured myself. I shook it off and continued to play the match with a bloody thumb. We lost the game and I tended to my wound during the changeover. Rummaging through my bag for my first-aid kit only to find I was without bandages. Luckily, a friend of mine offered me a couple of bandages. I cleaned myself up and continued to play. It wasn't until today I felt the pain of my injuries.

My right thumb is a bit swollen, my inner right arm is black and blue, and my entire upper left arm is painful. When I woke up this morning, I couldn't figure out why my left side was so painful. I realized why I hurt so much when I was work when I was lifting a printer. Things could have been worst though. If I hit the pole 3 inches to the right, I would have impaled myself on a crank that tightens the net.

So I am counting my blessings.

I am on my couch healing for my tennis match tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be almost healed.

However, nothing hurt me more than that lame episode of Heroes.

... but more on that tomorrow.

Labels: tennis

Last Tuesday the weather was really cold for tennis, so my opponent and I rescheduled for this past Friday.

Results: I won 6-0, 6-0 (double bagel!!)

I played really well, obviously. My backhand was a bit shaky but I managed not to lose a game. I decided to work mixing up my serve with various spins. It was effective and I was able to keep my opponent off guard because he wasn't sure what serve was coming.

I have a warm-up tournament on 2/24/07-2/25/07 and it will be a good way to gauge my game before my Austin tournament. Will post the results of that tournament.

Labels: tennis

The last time I completed a book was 3 years ago and that was "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown. After reading "The Da Vinci Code" I got all he books and read them all except for "Deception Point". I have been reading "Deception Point" on and off for 3 years but never has been able to finish it. I will put it on the list for next month ... but this month's book is "Venus Envy" by L. Jon Wertheim.

source: amazon.com
"Venus Envy" gives the reader a peek behind the curtain of the Women's Tennis Association, in the process it dishes a lot dirt about some the top players. The book revolves heavily around the Venus and Serena Williams and their family's ups and downs on and off the court, the sister's relationship, and how all the players hate them. I got the book on Monday and I am almost half through it. If you like tennis, I think this is a good read. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book thus far:

Even the outgoing message on [Richard Williams'] answering machine are newsworthy. One message several years ago said: "There are those that ask me what I think of intermarriage. Anyone that's marrying outside of this race that's black should be hung by their necks at sundown. Please leave a message."

Richard Williams if freakin' crazy! I laughed out loud when I read that passage because it is so absurdly funny.

I got a used a used copy from Amazon Marketplace for $3.50, which includes shipping. It is like eBay but you don't to bid on items.

If you like tennis, crazy people, the Williams sisters, and gossip ... I would recommend this book.

Labels: books, tennis

Match Results: Loss 5-7, 7-5, 4-7(tiebreaker)

The opponent I was scheduled to play didn't show, but there a sub there to take his place. He was an older guy who is coming back from an injury. We warmed up and he insisted on hitting the ball, not to me, but cross court so I would I would have to run to retrieve them. This is a bit of a no-no because it doesn't allow your opponent to warm-up properly. The more he did it, the more annoyed I got.

We finally started play and it became clear that he was well above my level of play. When I asked him about he said that he usually plays 2 levels higher, and just subbed to practice. He was a good player but what killed me because he was a lefty. I don't play many lefties, so it was good to see how I will need to adjust my game.

The good: I only double faulted twice and I was able to use my slice backhand effectively.

The bad: The first serve wasn't as "on" as it was this past weekend.

The ugly: Once again my forehand let me down because I am not getting in proper position to make my shot. I am not moving my feet and just forcing shots causing them to go long, or into the net. NEED. TO. HIT. MORE. BALLS!

Labels: tennis

I am pleased to say that I am on course to reach my goal to lose 20 lbs. by March 9th.

[drumroll please]

So far, I have lost 13 lbs.

I started at 225 on January 1st, and I am a bit lighter.

Losing that weight was pretty actually pretty easy. I haven't had beef in over a month, I've only eaten out twice this month, added 45 - 60 minutes of cardio 4x a week, and cleaned my diet. It's not that hard, really.

A typical day of meals:

• 7:30am (breakfast) - 3 eggs (2 whites and 1 whole egg), toast w/ jam, orange juice
• 10:30am (snack 1)- fruit and granola bar
• 1:00pm (lunch) - sandwich, chips or soup
• 4:30pm (snack 2) - nuts or wheat thins, and fruit
• 8ish (dinner) - meat, brown rice and vegetables or pasta or salad

I try to eat something at every 3 hours so I can speed up my metabolism and so that I don't get hungry. I will not have any "diet" foods. They don't taste good, and the usually have more sugar than normal food. Water, water, water ... water is the key. I drink at least a gallon and more when I play tennis.

I've been doing a lot of cardio this past month, but this month I will be adding weights to my program. I am looking to gain some lean muscle I lost since I have lifted in about 4 years. But it's going to be at least 3 months before I see any real results.

When I reach my good I will post some tasteful nude pics .... okay, I'm kidding. No one needs to see that.

Labels: goals, tennis

Results: I won 6-4, 6-3

The match went on for 1.5 hours and it should have only been a 50 minute match. I had to dig myself out of 0-40 score on several occasions and that is never good.

The Good:

• My second serve has gotten a lot better since I practiced it this past weekend. I am now able get different spins in addition to power.
• My backhand has become really consistent.

The Bad:

• My movement has not improved due to all of the doubles matches I've been playing. I really need to play more singles matches to improve my mobility.

The Ugly:

• My forehand SUCKED!! This used to be my weapon but now it is very unreliable. I think it mostly has to do with me switching from a Western grip to a Semi-Western grip late last year. I am going to use a ball machine 2x a week in order to work out the kinks in my forehand. I think all have to do is hit a lot of balls to fix the problem.
  

I have 5 weeks until my tournament in Austin, so I have a lot of work to do.

Labels: tennis

Edited:

WOOOHOOO!
Serena spanked Maria in the finals 6-1, 6-2. This was the best match I have seen Serena play, ever. Even in her prime she didn't dominate like this. I hope that she stays healthy, get more fit, and win at least one more Grand Slam this year. Her game is best suited for hard court so she can get far at the US Open. Wimbledon is also a possibility, but Venus' game is best suited for that surface.

CONGRATS SERENA!!!

--------------------
Tonight (or tomorrow because of the 14 hour time change) is the Australian Open Women's Final.


Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova (aka Shrieky McShouty)
Let me just say that I love Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters made me enjoy tennis on television and real life. Even with all their health issues, I think are still the best players in the WTA.

Serena, who is clearly not as fit as she once was, is in the finals of a Grand Slam and could possibly pull off a major upset against Maria Sharapova.

This should be a great match. It is hard for me to watch Serena match because I have mini-panic attacks when she misses shots. But I will sit through the entire match live and not use my TiVo to fast-forward through coverage.

COME ON, SERENA!!

Labels: tennis

Match Results: I won 6-3, 6-1

I played like crap but still managed to get the win due to all the errors by my opponent. I have realized that either I am in the wrong division, or my opponents are. It is a 3.0 league, but I really think I should be in 3.5. My match yesterday took 50 minutes without providing me with any real challenge. This is not going to help me for my tournament in 6 weeks. I can't move up because the schedule has been made so I am basically stuck in a group that can offer any real opposition. I know after I write this I will end up losing next week.

Problems in my game:

• Not keeping eyes on the ball.
• Not following through on my ground strokes.
• The timing of my serve is off. Will need (recorded?) practice session to iron out the kinks.
• Mobility: I have been playing so much doubles that I don't know how to move when playing singles matches.
• Focus: mentally when I am in a match I can't be aggressive as a result I become tentative and miss shots.

I will be doing to some drill sessions as well as using the ball machine to work on my ground strokes. I need to hit a lot of balls to regain my form.

Labels: tennis

With below freezing temperatures, I was sure that the first night of my tennis league would be canceled. I was so sure I didn't bring my my gear. I called the tennis center just to confirm the cancellation only to be told that we were going to play despite the weather. That sucked. I had to drive all the way home, luckily it was against traffic. I got home and proceed to layer up:

• 2 pairs of socks, thermal top and bottom, stripper pants (breakaway gym pants with snaps), tennis shirt, 7 year-old Old Navy polar fleece (the warmest sweater I have that doesn't restrict my movement).

The tennis center 30 minutes north of where I live. I usually go directly from work and it only takes me 5 minutes. While stopped at a traffic light, I reached in my tennis bag to retrieve my first aid kit containing my lip balm ... and I sliced my knuckle on my middle finger. Ironic, huh? Blood is pouring out and there is nothing I can do because the light just turned green. I finally arrived at the tennis center with blood covering my finger, and I dashed inside to use the restroom to attend to my wound. I washed off the blood, used some disinfectant and applied a bandage. I met my opponent and we began warming up.

Match Results: I won (6-3, 6-2)

We should have postponed the matches because the cold air affected the bounce of the ball and my strings. My left hand was the coldest part after the match since I used that part of my body the least. I was trying to end the match as soon as possible, and it took about 50 minutes to get the win.

Next week it will be much warmer (forcasted to be around 60 degrees) and I will be able to play without all the layers.

Labels: tennis

Outfit du Jour


I lost my singles consolation match in a tie-break 7 (5) - 8 (7). I should have won this freaking match but I got nervous and lost the match. I was up 7-4 on serve and I was not able to close out the match. I lost the next three games and ended up losing the match. I suck!

I lost my 3rd round doubles match 3-6, 6-3, 4-6.

I am done with tennis in Houston and I didn't win anything. I have to do some serious training to do before my next GLTA tournament in Austin. I need to get some more tournament experience and get thee to the gym.

Labels: tennis

Outfit du Jour


I lost my first singles match 4-6, 5-7. my doubles match is in an hour.

update:

My partner and I won our doubles match 6-3, 6-1 and we are now in the third round. Yay!

Labels: tennis