TENNISPHILE, new: AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012

                                         SERBIAN INDIGESTION

                                                                           Australian Open Men’s Final 2012

                                                                                             29 January 2012

 Honking, screaming, crossing himself backwards, and making his signature indigestion sign, Novak Djokovic, 24 years old, from Serbia, defeated the 25-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 5 sets. The match lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes, the longest men’s final ever in a major. The score was 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5.

 After Nadal won the first set. Djokovic dominated the second and third sets. The fourth set was much closer. Nadal won in a tiebreak.

 By the fifth set at 4-4, both players looked as though they would collapse from exhaustion.  Nadal made an error and Djokovic regained momentum to win 7-5.

 This rivalry is not over. While Djokovic remains  number 1 in the world, Nadal, the number 2 player, does not seem to be going anywhere.

 Nadal has won 10 major championships and 46 titles. Djokovic has won 5 major championships and 29 titles. Now that Federer is essentially out of the way, tennis fans can look forward to further developments between Nadal and Djokovic, hopefully with Andy Murray joining the fray.

The Wikipedia article on Djokovic contains a noteworthy observation about him and Donald Trump.

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                                    FISH THROWS A TANTRUM

                                         JANUARY 17, 2012

                                        Australian Open; Men's second round

       Gesticulating to his box, cursing, and taunting his opponent, 8^th seeded Mardy Fish lost in three sets to the 28-year-old Colombian --  Alejandro Falla. Falla won 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.

      Falla kept his cool as Fish dove onto the court in frustration following a mis-hit. When Falla asked if Fish were okay, Fish ignored him. The two have trained together at the Bollettieri camp in Florida.

      Ahead by two sets and a break, Falla began to stretch and bend over during the third set. “He’s cramping!” Fish yelled to his box. When Falla took a 3-minute medical treatment during the changeover, Fish complained loudly, saying, “I have 3 medical time-outs. No, four if you count the changeover.” Falla remained unperturbed.

      When the third set went to a tiebreak, Falla gained and lost a number of breaks. The Colombian gained a definitive advantage with a backhand lob that hit the line and exasperated Fish.

      With the Australian weather cool and calm, it was difficult to tell why the muscular Falla would suffer from cramps which are usually brought on by excessive heat.

            

               1/15/2012 -- Australian Open, First Day

        Red hair, red fingernails. flaming red dress. All of it dyed. Agnieszka Radwanska, from Poland, won 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 against the American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who put up a huge fight on the windy first day of the 2012 Australian Open.

       Mattek-Sands played a whole lot of drop shots, most of which earned her the point. After taking an injury time-out in the second set, Mattak-Sands seemed to regain her momentum. In the end, Mattek-Sands lost because she chocked on the important points. She was up two breaks in the first set but Radwanska forced the set to a tie break before losing that round.

        The match went on forever. Radwanska won because she had more gas in the tank.

        Both Radwanska (22 years old) and Mattek-Sands (26) are fashionistas. Mattek-Sands has an official website with altered images that look nothing like she does on the court.

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                                    TENNIS RITUALS AT WIMBLEDON

                                   JULY 3, 2011

            Serbian player Novak Djokovic celebrated his 4-set win over Rafael Nadal by falling flat on the court, eating a piece of grass, making the sign of the cross (Eastern Orthodox style) and throwing four rackets into the crowd. It was fun to watch. The audience wishes he would do more imitations of players like in the old days when he imitated Nadal and Sharaopova at the U.S Open. Maybe now, with this victory, Djokovic will relax and oblige us.

            Djokovic out-ran and out-volleyed Nadal during most of the four sets, especially the first two. The final score was 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

            In post-match interviews, Djokovic failed to mention his gluten-free diet, which he has been following since before winning the Australian Open in January 2011. Before switching to that diet, Djokovic would become noticeably breathless during matches. Since giving up wheat, Djokovic has been able to move with lightning speed over the tennis court. In this Wimbledon final, Nadal hit several shots that looked impossible to return, but Djokovic was there, catching Nadal off guard.

           This was the first Wimbledon victory for Djokovic. Nadal won the tournament in 2008 and 2010.

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                                                FRENCH OPEN 2011

                                                MEN’S & WOMEN”S FO’URTH ROUND

                                              TO THE BASTILLE!

                                                 May 29, 2011

               During all major tennis tournaments (and all of them are major to a tennis fan!) golf geeks and NBC programming executives should be put in the tower. When the flamboyant Frenchman Gael Monfils is playing the persistent Spaniard David Ferrer, we want to see the entire match. Even when it is suspended because of darkness with Monfils having won two sets (6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 0-2). Those last two games must have been exciting, at Roland Garros, with the French fans shouting “Allez” to Monfils, and the Spanish fans shouting “Dav- EEED!” Don’t switch to any PGA sissy golf tournament in the middle of this!

           We want to see all the Gael Monfis we can get – with those guns, that quirky hairstyle, those purple tennis togs, and that attitude. Who will win this fourth round match-up? The steadfast Ferrer, or the crazy Monfils? Tune in tomorrow, just in case they care to show us the results.

             On the women’s side, there was an exciting match-up between the Russian big woman, Svetlana Kusnetsova (25 years old), and the Czech thin woman, Daniela  Hantuchova (27 years old). We were fed snippets of this excellent show. According to the Roland Garros webiste, Kuznetsova won 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, even though Hantuchova looked to be stronger-willed and was playing the best tennis of her career.

            John McEnroe, whose comments are always entertaining and often infuriating, said of Hantuchova, “It’s good to see her want to make a name for herself on the court; not just rely on her looks.” That’s not fair. Monfils relies on his looks!

             The Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli advanced when Gisela Dulko retired during the second set. Sigh. We need 6 hours of this tournament. Come on, NBC!

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                                          FRENCH OPEN

                                     French toast [pain perdu]

                                            May 26, 2011

                                    Women's Second Round

            Seventh seeded Maria Sharapova dug herself out of a hole and won in three sets against the 17-year-old French woman, Carolina Garcia: 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. After a stunning first set, the wild card, Garcia, seemed to fold in the wind as Sharapova recouped her game. Viewing Sharapova's resolve and clenched fists, fans never gave up on her chances, even when she was down a set and two breaks.

            Garcia showed a very promising form -- strong and precise even in windy conditions. She looked as though she could win the entire slam. Plus she looked great in black, purple, and white tennis duds.

           But Maria, always steely, never looked soft. She ended the match by signaling "no" to her fiance, Lakers basketball player Sasha Vujacic, in sign language. "No" to Garcia, probably. Sharapova was 17 years old when she won Wimbledon.

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                                                                   January 29, 2011

                                    Women’s Final: Clijsters defeats Li in Three

     Ni hao!

     The Belgian woman, Kim Clijsters (27 years old) won her first Australian Open title earlier this morning, but her opponent, Li Na from China, was the star of the tournament.

     After winning the first set, 6-3, Li (28 years old) seemed to lose confidence. She began yelling at herself, her coach-husband Jiang Shen, and the raucous crowd. Several times she asked the chair umpire (Allison Lang) to quiet the crowd, stop flash photography, and instruct the Chinese fans to quit telling her how to play tennis. Li swiped her racket at some large bugs that flew on the court.

     The match was a break-fest throughout, with both players returning well and breaking each other's service games several times. Clijsters won 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. 

     It’s too bad Li became angry. With her tattoo, her honest attitude ("I'm here for the money!"), and her defiance of the Chinese Federation (Li fought to keep 90 percent of her tennis earnings as opposed to the 60 percent she was allowed to keep before), Li has become a symbol of the new China. Li looked good in her Nike clothing, and she seemed powerful during the first set. We hope to see more of her at tournaments in the future.

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                                                                                   GYM SNARK

     What is it about Pump Class? The women come in and save two or three spots for their friends who show up 15 minutes late for class. Come on, people. This is a first-come, first-served situation. We're not at a garden party. This is Pump, where women feel strong.

     Thank goodness we had some Ludacris in class today! January 2012, and we're finally getting hip. We do miss Pump Head 2, however, who kept us entertained with stories about her pharmaceutical clients who did not celebrate Christmas! What part of South Carolina are they from?

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 ALL THREE OF LAURA'S PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE 2010 U.S. OPEN CAME TRUE! SEE BELOW! (SEVERAL ARTICLES DOWN)

US Open

September 13, 2010

                                                   VAMANOS!

       RAFAEL NADAL COMPLETES CAREER GRAND SLAM

             Playing incredible tennis, Rafael Nadal, from Majorca, Spain, defeated the Serb, Novak Djokovic in a hard-fought, entertaining final. The start of the match was delayed 24 hours because of rain and interrupted by rain at 4-4 in the second set. The final score was 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

            Novak looked exhausted and pale throughout the match, even following the two-hour rain delay. Nevertheless he let loose with some incredible forehands. During the fourth set he ran out of steam, possibly because of his wrenching five –setter against Roger Federer in the semi-final two days ago.

            Rafael exhibited superior stamina, the strength of his shots never wavering. Rafael also displayed some fine net play. He ran without hesitation after impossible points, making them more often than not.

            At the age of 24, Rafael has won nine grand slam titles, three more than Roger Federer had won at that age.  Because Rafael has won the Australian, the French, Wimbledon and the US Open, he now has a career grand slam

            Rafael and Novak seem to be friendly with each other. In the trophy acceptance speech Rafael took the time to congratulate Novak on his behavior at losing, saying that Novak set a positive example for the young players. Roger Federer, the number two seed and Rafael’s historic rival, has typically broken down in tears at losing a grand slam event.

            This year Novak won back his fan base at the U.S. Open. His parents’ boorish behavior has been forgotten and forgiven. The New York crowd now embraces Novak’s sense of humor and sportsmanship.

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                            STOP WAR, START TENNIS

 Mike and Bob Bryan won the U.S. Open men’s doubles final (7-6, 7-6) on September 10, 2010, defeating Rohan Bopanna from India and Alsam Qureshi from Pakistan. This makes nine grand slam doubles titles for the Bryan Brothers from the United States. The Bryans have won a total of 65 ATP titles.

 Bopanna and Qureshi drew attention as a successful doubles team from two countries hostile to each other. The pair have played together for seven years. They propose playing a cross-borders singles match at Wagah, which overlaps the border between India and Pakistan. Their slogan is “Stop War, Start Tennis.”

 See Aljazeera.net for a photo of all four players

Books by Laura P. Valtorta

Family Meal

Start your own Law Practice

Social Security Disability Practice, (Knowles Publishing)

www.knowlespublishing.com

 Dante and Marco on the boat to Bermuda, June 2008