Africa Day: What I Wanted To Say Yesterday

Yesterday was a day to celebrate the continent and our freedom to forge our own destinies.  I was unaware until I had a chat with MINI MI that for some African countries, this day is just another day even though it marks the commemoration of the African Union as well.  Nigeria does not seem to acknowledge the day.  It has been an official holiday in Zambia as far as I can remember. I think it is an important day for the continent to reflect, to take pride in who we are and resolve to be trailblazers who defy the world's expectations and become the great peoples we have the potential to be.  I say peoples as although we share a commonality in the African experience, we have unparalleled diversity that should be preserved and celebrated as well. 

It is an interesting time for Africa.  Sudan will be split into two soon.  Egypt is witnessing the cost of freedom.  Revolution is a long process and the media have not helped in perpetuating the illusion that demanding change culminates to democracy overnight and when they aren't oversimplifying they are spreading gloom and doom.  Unfortunately the Libya situation is worse than ever, and my fears have been realised.

However, progress has been made in Cote D'Ivoire with President Ouattara rightfully being sworn in as President as the people had chosen at the end of last year.  Let us hope that this is a huge step towards sustained peace in the region.  I hope that they finally deal with their human rights issues.  Here is a video of the inauguration:


As for me Africa Day was particularly invigorating.  The day before I saw David and Goliath battle in the 21st Century, when Rafa beat John Isner after being pushed to 5 sets for the first time at Roland Garros.  I have gushed about Nadal before, but I have gained a new level of respect for him after watching that match.  Watching him fail to find a way to penetrate Isner's game after he lost the break in the second set and seeing him transform in the fourth by taking a chance and going for Isner's mammoth serve and finally making inroads to break and take the last two sets to win was awesome possum :)))))).  Seeing him adapt and change, persevere and call on his inner-strength to will victory was just wow! My favourite match of his on clay for sure. Definitely a classic. You can watch his interview after the match here, (look for Day 3).

How does this relate to my Africa Day? Nadal's win despite what seemed to an insurmountable obstacle in his way gave me the strength to declutter my life literally and figuratively so that I can be receptive to God through faith in myself and my abilities.  The only person who can help you is yourself.  You have to find the strength within when you are faced with external trials and tribulations.  So I spent the day cleaning my personal space and clearing my head and I am now prepared to move forward with energy and optimism and most importantly faith in myself, my abilities and my contributions to life.

I will end with my fav African song of the moment.  Africa let's "hustle and stay focused" :)

Regeneration

Usually to regenerate I watch films and sport.  However, this is heavy season in Hollywood and even though I enjoyed Black Swan immensely, it did nothing for my mental peace! Sooooo good I highly recommend.  I also highly recommend the King's Speech.  Very excited for Oscar night...





Unfortunately, I cannot rely on Chelsea for a pick-me-up either seeing as it seems their good fortune has gone down the toilet since their brilliant start to the season.  I have no idea why Torres is now on the squad, I feel another Schevschenko (no idea if that is the right spelling and I don't care that is how much I couldn't stand his uselessness) coming on and I am not amused. AT ALL.

And to make it worse, Rafa got injured at the Aussie Open (yes it has taken me this long to recover from seeing him reduced to tears as he fought on so as not to retire in the quarter finals against his countryman Ferrer).  After such a brilliant 2010, I am sad to see his season start out this way.  I hope he recovers for the American hard court interlude before the clay court season start.  I love seeing him win the French - it never gets old, so I am hoping that things will work themselves out. I am glad he was honoured with the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award this year because he deserves it.  He works so hard and fights to the bitter end.  Very inspiring. Looking at his lovely bod as he models for Armani Jeans is a great substitute for the lack of gratification from sport at the moment though he he he...

My Favourite Time Of The Year

Okay, I must confess this is the first of my favourite times of the year.  Not because of new year's resolutions, (my formal setting of a to-do list, as documented here, is a real first for me), but in terms of what is going on in the world calender.  It's the start of awards season in the entertainment world, and for some reason looking at what people are wearing and picking my favs to win this and that award is highly exciting for me.  I love films - I watch an inordinate amount and I love to hear people's acceptance speeches and wonder what possessed that person to pick what they wore.  Unfortunately, due to my peripatetic semi-homeless state, this year is the first year in 11 years that I will not be able to watch all the award shows on time, but luckily due to the technology that is the pvr, my sister is taping everything for me so I can enjoy when I get home in a coupla months.  Unfortunately that means avoiding the news for the next two months but I have already found out that Natalie Portman did win the Golden Globe, which I am very happy about, but now I know darn it! I don't know how I'm going to keep this up.

The big sports tournament season starts too with the Australian Open that I have only been able to watch one match of :(.  Yesterday I was able to catch the Nadal-Tomic match and probably will not be able to catch another match till the Finals due to time-difference and work.  I really hope he can make the career slam and history.  His after-match speech reminded me how much I love him as an athlete.  I really love strength that comes from accepting vulnerability and being comfortable in honesty.  I am to write a post about that soon. Yes, another post added to my never-ending list that is constantly being invaded and usurped by things that need to be dealt with in a timely fashion.

These are the times I miss working from home and/or being a student which is what I have been for the last four years.  Luckily the Africa Cup of Nations that traditionally happens in January is only on even years so I have time to rectify the situation for next year.  It is at time like this that I feel the holes in my life too.  My enjoyment of film and sport as a fan sort of fills the hole that has been created by not being able to play sport or pursue acting which I was able to do as a student.  These passions provided great relief and clarity to think and be and do in life.

It makes me think about what I want to be as an adult.  Technically I have been an adult for quite a while but I have never really felt like one to be quite honest.  I have come to a point in my life where I have definitely finished my education, as I have no inclination to pursue a PhD and have to figure out who I want to be both professionally and personally and whether I have the courage to do what it takes in both areas. To figure out how to reconcile the intertwining and complementary yet polarising dichotomies that these two parts of life create.  How to figure out the concatenations that make the simplicity of the many dualities in life complicated.  Steps have been made but where will they lead?

As much as I am addicted to uncertainty, there is comfort in at least knowing that the path is set even if you have no idea which direction you are going in.  I am currently waiting for that comfort.  Unfortunately I'm the most patient impatient person.  So I am currently driving myself crazy by recognising that all good things are worth the wait, but the wait is killing me! So I am currently trapped in a vicious cycle of applying logic to the illogical to stay sane which could possibly lead me to further craziness. Great! NOT!

Gyan Named African Footballer of the Year And Other Sports News...

I am so happy to report that my voting enabled Asamoah Gyan of Ghana/ Sunderland to be named BBC's African Footballer of the year ha ha ha!   With his leadership during the World Cup I am not surprised.  We Africans truly appreciated how he helped Ghana step up to the plate to keep an African Nation visible and relevant during the tournament.  I would split my pajama bottoms while in the process of falling to my knees before the nail biting penalty in front of the TV for him again any day.  He is truly a Black Star ;}.

You can watch his thank you and read more about it here.

I have not mentioned the fact that Nadal lost to Federer in the ATP Finals last month due to the fact that I don't want to dwell on that because he had such a stellar year.  However, Federer is hosting an exhibition match in Switzerland this Tuesday to raise money for his Foundation that does work in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.  I know that it is only an exhibition match but I want Nadal to win. It will make me feel better.  And I hope he wears the purple again.  He wears my favourite colour well ha ha ha ha. And I happen to be in Switzerland so I should be able to catch it. Problem is there are so many random Arabic Channels to sort through hopefully find the Swiss one it is showing on. Federer's Facebook page also indicates it will be shown on other channels so you can check there to see if you can catch it too.

Darkness While In The Sunshine

Even though I am finally feeling warmth from the bright African sun after freezing most of the summer in California, darkness has fallen on my blog. It pains me to know it is in indefinite umbra and it seems the only way to be able to blog via mobile is to do the final setup from a computer. So I have to get out of my hazy malaise that I have been enjoying. Life has slowed considerably and I think I have indulged that too much. It is time to create waves in my now placid waters.

I do have to say that I have been active in spurts by reconnecting with friends and fighting with a very fiesty mosquito for the 1st couple of days. It used to have a posse but I sent them to sleep with th fishes. However this mozi refuses to be laid to rest and has retaliated by biting me a few times. I am not amused by its petulance. I will win this battle, I will not be taken down by some upstart insect with ridiculously long legs ;}!

I am going to go back to being useless and watch the us open that is turning out to be very interesting and with murray out, Nadal's half of the draw is opening up nicely so he really could make it to the final this year and complete his career slam. I have also learnt from my couch potato tennis watching that it is not wise to watch football in Germany. Poor Serena got injured by glass severing a tendon in her foot after they lost in the World Cup semis! She now has to have surgery to fix her now droopy big toe! I think that however sad this is for the women's game, I think it helps Venus. At least she doesn't have to worry about the possibility of having to play her sister and maybe she can win a title other than Wimbledon, which she hasn't been able to do since 2001!

This Is Ridiculous!

The Christiano Ronaldo baby mama daddy story just gets stranger by the minute.  Why does he have black toenails? I think my sister and I should stop digging for clues because we just find nonsense instead!

Another bit of ridiculousness!! Nadal passed by the Victoria Falls on his way to watch La Furia Roja!!! Of course he would have to visit my country while I am stuck overseas! I am not a happy puppy bob, not a happy puppy.

And all of you who know my love for Nadal please stop telling me about this.  This coupled with not being able to be in SA for the World Cup has completely ruined my summer.  Je suis tres upset.

La Roja Gana La Copa Mundial!

My roommate is very pleased that Spain reigned supreme! She bet months ago they would take home the gold and has won 3 times what she put in.  I am glad someone got something out of the Final.  I was completely out of it emotionally.  The game was absolutely horrendous! Terrible play...so many unexploited chances and a whole load of ridiculously dangerous and petulant play.  And it took the Dutch being handicapped, going down to ten men for Spain to be able to convert.

I am happy for Casillas, he's really one of the best goalies ever.  His good looks have nothing to do with it.  And I am a sucker for men who cry with pure emotion at at least this time it was not painful like when Gyan was reduced to tears. The Spanish did have more convincing shots on goal. I particularly Sergio Ramos's two header attempts (again focusing more on the looks of the person to try and get my temperature rise to fever pitch) and having Paul the Octopus on their side didn't seem to hurt either.

However I have been left unsatisfied.  What a anticlimactic end!!!!!  I feel really bad for the Dutch.  They didn't handle themselves well, they let themselves be sucked into into Spain's play.  This game was very reminiscent of the '06 Final, with Spain using dodgy psych tactics, though not as dirty as Italy's and with the Dutch getting red carded as did France, although not in as dramatic a fashion, leading them to lose the game, though thankfully not in penalties!

In the end the team who wanted it more won.  Will recap the World Cup when I have let this marinate and I am in a more reflective mood...And I am also giving interneters enough time to update so I can find me some photos or possibly footage of Nadal watching the match he he he he...

A World Cup of Firsts

So now that Spain has ousted Germany, we await the final on Sunday.  Even though an African team did not make it past the Quarter Finals once again, this will still be a historic Cup that will be remembered for years to come.

This is Spain's first trip to the finals, this will be the first time that a European side will win the World Cup beyond the shores of Europe, either side will win the Cup for the first time and I think this may be the first time these two teams have met at the World Cup too! I think that South African winter weather was not enough of a factor, which I think has affected European teams before. In fact I think it played right into European hands.  We need a West African World Cup to really take advantage of being at home...

I must apologise for my useless support of Germany.  Possessing fruit from Mr. Boateng's loins on your team is really not a compelling reason for support.  When I had my senses before World Cup fever seized my body and subsequently my mind, I was all for La Roja - thought I should keep an eye on them and have been impressed with their play ever since Euro 2008. And Nadal loves them.  Okay that is also not a compelling reason either ;}.

But I do hope that Germany at least continue in the vengeance mandate that has unofficially been effected on Uruguay by winning 3rd place.

And I continue to figure out the whole Ronaldo baby mama daddy drama.  My sister and I have decided that until proof of baby-making is produced in the form of a picture, DNA test or other compelling evidence, this whole thing is all rather dodgy.

Nadal And Serena Sitting In a Tree...

Ok they aren't sitting in a tree, but they are the 2010 Wimbledon Champions! Yay!!! That's all I have to say really.  Both Finals weren't the most riveting, but all that matters is who won.  I am glad Nadal has bounced back, and I'm glad a Williams sister kept the dish in the family.

All the upsets will make for a great US hard court season.  I always thought Berdych had the chops and he is finally coming through.  Will Gulbis and Del Potro be back? Del Potro came through last year by winning the US but Gulbis has yet to prove whether he can stand the pressure.  Enough of the Djokovics and Murrays who lead us to believe that they are more than what they are.  Don't even get me started on the women's game - Jankovic, Ivanovic, Safina, Sharapova...

Now maybe I can reenter the world and think about things other than sport for a while ;}

Nadal and Serena

So the Men's Semi Finals are on tomorrow.  Was I surprised that Fed was Exed? Yes and No.  Not for the same reason as Venus's, but I am not too shocked that he bowed out.  He did so at the French.  He has not won a tournament since the Australian.  He says he has back and leg injuries that stopped him from playing his best.  If that is the case he should rest and get better.  It is a pity that he will drop out of the Top 2 for the first time since the dark ages. Once again we ask if he has the motivation to play through injuries and setbacks...Only time will tell.

Nadal has been under the radar, despite having won the French and being No. 1 in the world.  Being seeded 2 has not affected him. Early round 5 set matches were just what he needed I think.  I am glad he was able to beat Soderling.  He has finally gotten his number.  Nadal's interview afterwards shows that he is not really bothered by what he is going on about him - all the speculation and rediscovery of his talent.  I always find it funny how they keep talking about how aggressive he is on grass and how his game changes like it is something new.  He's done this for years and that is how he was able to win the French-Wimbledon double in 2008 and has appeared in the Wimbledon Final multiple times.  I wonder why people still underestimate him?!  Thank god he has a good head on his shoulders.  Great interview after the match.  I hope he wins and shuts up all the people who keep talking nonsense about him.

His match tomorrow is big, playing against Murray who now cannot escape the media by hiding behind the World Cup.  I don't think Murray is  mentally fit enough to handle the pressure personally if he cannot handle the expectation that comes with greatness.  Murray has had ample chances to move up to the next level of tennis and hasn't done so. I think it will be a great match but Nadal has more passion and motivation.  Nadal wants to defend the title he couldn't last year.
And he is less likely to buy into the hype too I think.

Congrats to Tsonga for making it to the Quarter Finals.  Hopefully he will take this success through to the US hard courts and position himself as a real threat.

Serena is through to the final and is to play the woman who ended Venus's run.  As it should be so she can avenge her sister. I am very into avenging at the moment...

Wimbledon Focus: Women Quarter Finals

The women's draw has been pretty predictable.  Once again Jankovic lives up to expectation of falling short.  I do not know whether she is prone to injury or she's just not mentally fit, as athletes are never 100% and sometimes need to fight through the pain to cross that thin line between the potential of greatness and the achievement of it. Reminds me of Djokovic! It still amazes me that in Women's tennis you can have a No. 1 that has not won a Grand Slam or at least achieved one on the way to the top, as we have had with Jankovic and Safina, whereas in the men's that doesn't happen.

Sharapova gives the impression that she can improve on the fine start she had in her career.  I have always thought she was at the right place at the right time and benefited from the flux in the game with the Williams Sisters in and out and Henin being a small player when she came in.  A true champion is always able to fight back, as the Williams Sisters, Federer and of course most recently, Nadal, have shown. I am not surprised that Serena got the better of her, even though she struggled.  Sharapova has no creativity.  She has not been able to find a way around her injuries to improve her game and stay competitive either.  I do have to hand it to her though, she could have been another Kournikova.  Sharapova reminds me of the dude Ed Norton plays in The Italian Job.  He's told by Mark Wahlberg's character he has "no imagination", as he know that he gives a great false impression of possessing more talent than he does.

Am I surprised about Venus's untimely exit? Yes and no.  Her last game against Groth in the 4th round showed signs of vulnerability, but I did not expect her to go out in straight sets!!! She herself admits to not bringing her game.  She is No. 2 in the world, only her sister can beat her regularly and she is a 5 time Wimbledon Champion. She has been able to come in and out the game and dominate at will. Recently it has been reported that she is thinking more about her ranking, but really I think Venus plays for the love of the game, and that might be her flaw.  She has tweaked her forehand which was said to be her big weakness, but I think it is the fact that she doesn't necessarily play to win that is fascinating but also confusing.  If Borg ever had a twin, it was Venus.  She is as transparent as ice, you can see right through her and yet gain nothing at all.  This enigmatic quality is where the answer lies.  Something was not right within today, that is certain.

I don't really care much for the Clijsters-Henin comeback hype.  One went out yesterday, the other today.  End of story.  I don't think either of them has the game to dominate again, even in their prime it was hard work to stay at the top, especially for Henin. I do respect Henin for doing the work, unlike Hingis who found loopholes.  What I do care about - seeing Serena doing what she does best - winning.  She will fight to the death.  It is important to her.  She does not hide it.  That is her reason for being on court.  She loves to win and she loves the pomp and show that comes with it.  That is why she is never amused when she is bumped off the show courts.  I really felt for her after watching her talking about playing in front of the Queen and showing us her curtsy, only to be moved from Centre! So long as the Venus Rose Water Dish stays in the Williams family, I'm good!

As Rafiki Said "It Is Time"!!!!! :)

OMG I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO PROUD TO BE AN AFRICAN!!! THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS WORTH WAKING UP IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING FOR!!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!! TKZEE PERFORMED SHIBOBO, THE CHOREOGRAPHY AND COSTUMES WERE VIBRANT AND PASSIONATE, AND THE CREATIVITY WAS OFF THE CHARTS MAN!!!! MY FAV MOMENTS WERE THE BAOBAB TREE REPRESENTING THE 6 AFRICAN TEAMS, THE SPINNING FLAGS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOCCER BALLS SPELLING OUT THE 32 TEAMS IN CONTENTION AND THE CREATION OF THE LOGO.

WORLD CUP MADNESS IS AT FEVER PITCH AND A FOOT HAS NOT EVEN TOUCHED A BALL YET!!!

I need to take a time out from the sensory and emotional overload...missing home a lot right now so I think watching Nadal play Feliciano Lopez while waiting for Bafana Bafana to start things off is the only remedy ;}.

It's Raining Sports!

Nadal has transitioned to grass seemlessly, winning his first match at Queen's Club decisively.  He is also the first player to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London as well!

The Lakers won at Boston yesterday and now lead the series 2-1.  Game 4 is going to be awesome!!!

And these are the teams I will be following to see how they fare in the first round. Of course all African teams are included, plus ones I have attributed an African connection to over the years and teams to keep an eye on for sentimental and/ or potential threat reasons. This culminates in following almost half the teams in the draw ha ha ha! They are listed in order of preference in each category too ;}

Africa: Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroun, Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa

Africa around the World: Brazil, France

Teams to Keep an Eye on: Spain, England, Argentina, Portugal, Germany

VAMOS RAFA!!! :)

YES!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS!!! I am so happy for Nadal, he played one of the best matches of his clay court career.  Roland Garros for the 5th time, only the second man to win the French Open that many times. Borg still trumps him with 6 all-time wins. Weird he won on Borg's birthday.

I think Soderling and the pundits underestimated Nadal, thinking that the win last year meant that Nadal was vulnerable and that he had nowhere left to go.  But what I saw today is the reason why I fell in love with this man's tennis: he is mutable, adaptable - never complacent, he is a perpetual innovator and harbinger of change.  And that is why he won 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 - he was never broken in the final and never dropped a set the whole tournament! He changed his strings, continued to work on his serve and cut out his tendency to play short when too far back in the court and playing with such top spin.  Such a class act.  I shed tears when he shed tears man it was beautiful!!!!! He is now ranked No. 1 too which bodes well for his draw at Wimbledon.  I really hope he and Federer can meet on the grass!!!

I'll let the man say what I have been saying throughout the two weeks in his own words:



Here is a video with the Final highlights:



You can find more videos on Nadal and the final here.  Click on the latest videos tab.

:)

Revenge On The Cards?

So it will be a Nadal  vs. Soderling final!!! Nadal played his best match yet, even with the little wobble in the third set.  Nice to see that he is not complacent about winning and that he is happily human, admitting to nerves and  how it still means a lot to him to reach the final.  I wonder if he is playing within his limits so as not get any body niggles.  I hope he will let it all out come Sunday though. Soderling had to take Berdych to five but got through.  We shall see if this will be a factor, he does have a whole day to rest though.

Venus and Serena claimed the doubles and are now also ranked number 1 and 2 in the world.  As happy as I am about their accomplishments, they also show what is wrong with the Womens' game.  The Williams sisters can come in and out as they please and no matter what can find their way to the top in the singles and doubles.  Everyone else just scrambles for what they can get which creates ebbs and flows of good play and bad matches :(. Is it a drought or are the younger ones either physically and/ or mentally just not as strong these days?!

Nadal Wins :) Serena Loses :(

Great tennis today.  First the shocker with Serena losing to Stosur, mirroring yesterday's events with Federer and Soderling!  Another number on trampled on by a dark horse.  I now have no real interest in the women's game.  I don't think that Jankovic has lived up to her potential and don't really follow the rest so I'm rather disappointed.  Nadal thankfully did not turn my angina into a full blown heart attack and played a very smart game against someone he really doesn't like playing against. Almagro brought his A+ game today, which made for a interesting Quarter-Final.

He may have started off slow going down 0-3 in the first set but I was not worried.  Nadal is notoriously slow at the start and can get bogged down in taking his time between points (he got a warning for it), but once he gets going he is able to break back and get on with it.  You need at least 2 breaks on clay to make sure you have a fighting chance against him because he always finds a way to bounce back.  He however only needs one, the others I think are just to break the opponents spirit.  The first two sets were decided by tie-breaks and that is where we were able to witness the Nadal of old that we love and know.  The King of Clay displayed beautiful shots, and his favourite play with the serve out wide and the inside-out forehand to the opposite corner came out  to party.  I hope that he gets used to the new strings that commentators have been saying give him less spin but more depth.  He is clearly having problems adjusting to the way his game matches up to his modified equipment.  But tweaking his game is what he does best, I'm sure he'll figure it out. :) You can read his thoughts on the match here.

Women's Semi's up tomorrow, and Nadal will be facing Meltzer, who was able to beat Djokovic to make it to the Semi's on Friday.  It seems the men's game is not done with surprises!

OMG What Is Going On In The World???!!!

Volcanoes, earthquakes, sinkholes and Soderling that's what! Instead of Fed-Exing we saw Fed axed from the French, so he is unable to defend his title.  I had this horrible feeling that Soderling would do it again at the French and he did. He is the "Giant Killer", he has ousted the defending champ two years in a row now.  I have no words.  So here is Federer's take. He brings up Del Potro, whom I do miss, he's one of my babies. He has lived up to his potential quite nicely, it is a pity he is currently sidelined. Now more than ever it is pivotal that Nadal make it to the final, the thought of Soderling making it there and winning does not sit well with me at all!!!!!  There were a lot of winners from both players in that game, so if Soderling makes it to the final he know he has to have even more than that to win against Nadal if it is their destiny to meet again at the French. But that is not going to happen. Because I said so.


This chain of events has ramifications of great magnitude.  This play-by-play of the whole day's events gave a great synopsis of what this one game means for the men's game over the next few months:


"Robin Soderling – the era-ender. Nadal had won 31 consecutive matches at Roland Garros (in fact he’d never been beaten here) – then along came Rockin’ Robin. Federer had reached 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals (since losing to Guga Kuerten here in the third round in 2004) – then along came Rockin’ Robin. He simply did not miss a shot. He hit the ball with such alarming strength and absolutely unfeasible accuracy.


And now, if Rafa wins the tournament, Federer will be knocked off his number one perch and not break Pistol Pete Sampras’ record of 286 weeks in the top spot (he’s agonisingly on 285). And with Nadal having precisely zero points to defend at Wimbledon and Federer 2,000, we’re in for a sea change. Federer was toppled two years ago when Rafa “did a Borg” and won here then at Wimbledon. Roger came right back and “did a Rafa”, taking the two European Slams in 2009. And who knows what’s going to happen here now – I bet Rafa’s quaking! He’s always had the measure of Federer on clay, but now his road to the title – his Roland Garros title – has a certain Robin Soderling blocking the way. Oh yes, and the small matter of Almagro, then Djokovic or Melzer."


Soderling will play a resurgent Berdych in the Semis.  I always thought Berdych hadn't lived up to his potential.  He seems to be realising it now.  I guess I was complaining about there not being a shake up on the men's side. I got my wish unfortunately.  I do wish to see Nadal and Federer battle it out in a final, hopefully that will come at Wimbledon. I now have to go and consult my sangoma and make sure that Soderling's juju does not cause further damage and Nadal is protected for the rest of the tournament! ;}

Good News And Bad News

The good news is that the bull has been awakened, Nadal played a good and competitive match.  I know I was talking about him lassoing his opponents into submission with his forehand but I forget how good he is on the run with his backhand passing shot when opponents are up at net.  He showed this strength a coupla times throughout his match with Bellucci.  He made up for not closing the second set out the first time at 5-4 by breaking in the next game to go up 6-5 with a backhand passing shot that gave us not only a "Vamos!", but some serious fist-pumping.  You can tell he wants to regain his title as the King of Clay badly! :)  Check out the highlights here. Choose Highlights > May 31, 2010 > Highlights - Day 9 Part. 3.  He is set to play his countryman Nicolas Almagro in the Quarter Finals.

It also seems that the watch thing is not an anomaly, he wore it again throughout the match...

Serena is back to killer form and wasted no time with a straight sets win 6-2, 6-2, breezing into the Quarter Finals to face Samantha Stosur, the woman who cut Henin's bid to regain this title, post-retirement, short. It will be interesting to see if she will continue to upset top players - Stosur did this at the Aussie Open too.

I was wondering where Gulbis was, after his match in Rome against Nadal, I thought he would be a real contender and could cause a few upsets, spicing up the mix.  However, he pulled out in the first round due to injury, which is why there has been nothing on him. I wonder if he played out of his skin against Nadal and this setback is a repercussion.  He notched around 50 winners in that semi-final and still lost.  It always amazes me how people continuously play out of their skins and still lose on the clay to Nadal.

The bad news is that Essien is not going to play at the World Cup.  However the team is optimistic.  They were able to go to the Africa Cup Finals without their best players and were runners-up, so there are people to step up to the challenge.

Balls And Genethlia

Very eventful day today on  Court Philip Chatrier. Fed had no mercy for his countryman Wawrinka and has set up a quarterfinal with Soderling, and hopefully will get the better of him as he did in last year's final.  Soderling has never beaten him and I'm sure Federer would like to keep it that way. I also really don't like Soderling, he had always rubbed me the wrong way - his history with Nadal is long, and I'm still not recovered from him being Nadal last year and if Nadal can't avenge himself, I'm quite happy to have him Fed-Exed instead! Tsonga unfortunately had to retire, clearly the pain was too much to bear poor guy, hope he is able to recover in time for Wimbledon :(.  Doctors think it's his thigh, he has to go in tomorrow for tests to figure out exactly what he has done to it. Venus continues her bad luck at the French and went out in straight sets and Henin ended Sharapova's hopes.  I think it is time to spend less time thinking about outfits and more about tennis girls.  Venus seems more focused in the doubles, and her outfit is better there too!

Here is a transcript of Nadal's interview after his match yesterday.   He dismisses people talking about him being the kryptonite to Federer's Superman.  He has a great perspective, a good head on his shoulders. A champion already and set to be one of the greats in years to come, just like Federer.  He also excited about the World Cup and is of course supporting Spain (who I will be following as their play impressed me when they won Euro 2008). However I am all for an African country holding the trophy come July 11th. More to come on that later :)

Tomorrow we have Serena and Nadal up on Philip Chatrier.  I expect everything to go according to plan, today was enough craziness, my heart can't take it.

And here is something to ponder: If Marcos Baghdatis were a song he would be called Genethlia. Do with that what you will...It means birthday in Greek people! ;}  He also would be Wayne Rooney if he were a football player. Again do with that what you will....

A Little Rain, Lots Of Fire

Serena started off well, then seemed to have a brain fart in the second set and then came back to fighting form to make it through to the fourth round and Nadal had to battle "Never Say Die" Hewitt, wind and a little rain to make it through in straight sets.  I think this match was a good one for Nadal, the elements, Hewitt included, seemed to awaken the sleeping bull.  Even though he conceded more games, he definitely improved on his previous performances, despite the conditions.

The Lakers are the Western Conference Champions, after coming close to being scorched by the Suns.  This game reminded me why football and tennis are top on my list and I can only watch basketball during the play-offs.  This was a particularly dirty game. The Lakers had the upper hand from the start scoring the first point and by the 3rd quarter had a 15 point lead.  And then the dirtiness came.  Playing on rivalries with the Slovenians caused a flagrant foul against the Lakers' Slovenian dude that was then the catalyst that turned the game into a lot of fumbling on the Lakers part and a lot of bravado on the Suns' part. The Suns' Slovenian went on a scoring frenzy (which eventually made him too big for his britches and he started going for really ridiculous shots) and Lopez, an awkwardly tall dude, was being all "in your face" from the bench every time more points were added to the Sun's tally, lessening their deficit.  Kobe did not appreciate this chain of events, as he expressed in his interview on-court post-game.  If you hear he has been arrested for murder, there is evidence to show it was premeditated.

Steven Nash however was all class, trying to rally his team and Frye was awesome with his 3-pointers throughout the game.   Kobe may be an awesome player but when he scored that ridiculous 3 while being double-teamed, smacked Gentry on the butt and then put out his hands and glided towards the Lakers huddle after the timeout was called was just so crass.  Really! Really! I don't find that sort of conduct sportmanly.  And it got worse, especially at the end when it really got down to poor Grant Hill having to do the whole "yes  I know I'm pulling on your arm but I have to foul you Kobe" dance,  Gentry calling a timeout  to gain ground, Steve Nash hauling to the other end to try score a 3 or Kobe going up to foul line.  Such play just chops up the game, although not as badly as in American football (and don't get me started on that).  That last minute was really stretched into what felt like forever - it was excruciatingly painful to watch, not nail-biting like in game 5. The whole" in your face" things is a huge part of strategy but I think it takes away from the talent and fun of the sport. And timeouts really just break up the flow of the game - let them hash it out!  Like when Stoudemire scrambled for the ball and ended up on the floor, Gentry called a time out to save him from a travelling call -that seems like messing with fate man. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth. But I'm sure all the Lakers' care about is they had enough water to put out the fire the Suns' tried to start towards the end.

I am curious to see what the next chapter of the Celtics and the Lakers rivalry holds.  I just hope there will be less of all the bravado and more of just playing the game.  To get ready for the first game on Thursday, keep up-to-date here.

Which reminds me, I didn't really appreciate Hewitt in the game today - throwing out expletives, throwing his racquet and basically throwing tantrums.  Nadal was having to deal with the same conditions - get it together, just play the game man, just play the game. To make it worse Hewitt didn't get a warning, but Nadal did for time violation. Not a happy puppy about that.

This is completely unrelated but it really bothered me that Nadal was wearing his watch today while playing.  He never does that.  What does it mean?  As an admirer of his little quirks on-court I was quite perturbed by the whole thing - silly I know :}.  He usually puts it on after the game just before he signs the camera when he wins. But he had it on, and he didn't sign the camera until he was almost off the court.  At least it didn't affect his play.

Sharapova and Henin finish up tomorrow, followed by Federer and Tsonga, all on Court Philip Chatrier! YAY!