Whine & Cheese

Fernando Verdasco: Tongue Thai'd

I had planned to try and do a book post today since yet again I have fallen behind, but then these pictures cropped up on my radar this morning... and, oh well!

It seems like every year at the men's tennis tournament in Bangkok they have some player go and participate in a Thai boxing "exhibition"... which translates to a bunch of pictures of some tennis pro just wearing some boxing shorts (here's a link to Jo Wilfried Tsonga's pix from 2008).  Needless to say when I saw this year's volunteer, I was quite happy.  Granted Rafa Nadal is making his Thailand debut, but he was too busy planting trees... but no worries as his considerably less modest countryman (he tweeted links to these photos!), Fernando Verdasco, was up for this year's boxing lessons:

Also making a shirtless appearance (lower right) is Paradorn Srichaphan, Thailand's most successful men's tennis player who sadly had his career cut short due to injury.

It appears Singha beer sponsored this little event... and while I do get a bottle of it every time we go to our favorite Thai restaurant, I will be sure to raise a glass and thank them for this year's exhibition.

For more shirtless Fernando Verdasco, be sure to check out the W&C archive on him.

Verdasco, Rated X: Part 2

If you're just checking in this afternoon, make sure to check out this morning's post as I stumbled upon even more pix from Fernando Verdasco's Calvin Klein undie campaign.  I chatted a bit in that post, but I'll just let the pictures to the talking on this post...yowza!

Verdasco, Rated X

... or X marks the spot!

It's been July since I last used my Fernando Verdasco blog category, so we're long overdue... even if it has nothing to do with the Spaniard not quite doing as well as this year at the Australian Open.

Apparently Fernando has been doing a bit of (extra) modeling on the side and fortunately for us it's for underwear... though he hasn't been exactly shy being in front of the camera wearing even less!  If you are annoyed by the big X as I am, there is a good reason reason for it as Fernando is among the "celebrity" models for their new "X" underwear line.

Also, featured in the campaign is Mehcad Brooks who showed off his washboard abs (and a bit more than that too!) as "Eggs" on the 2nd season of HBO's True Blood.  He's also on that new ABC law firm series "The Deep End" (haven't seen it).  Here his "X" shot:

To review, for Google search hits we have:

Fernando Verdasco Shirtless, Fernando Verdasco Underwear, Fernando Verdasco Calvin Klein

Mehcad Brooks Shirtless, Mechad Brooks Underwear, Mechad Brooks Calvin Klein

Eye-Opener

It's been about a month since I provided any sort of eye candy here on W&C, so what better than a little eye-opener for this Monday!

May I present Fernando Verdasco during a Davis Cup changeover this past weekend!

After the French Open/Wimbledon one-two punch, I tend to not pay much attention to tennis until the US Open warm-up tournaments begin... so just kind of skimmed over this week's minor tourneys and Davis Cup action... but this picture certainly caught my eye (thanks good for female and/or gay photographers who keep their cameras ready during breaks in the on-court play!).

I do know the US suffered a somewhat embarrassing lost to Croatia sans Roddick... who bowed out citing a hip injury, though I think even Roddick would admit it was more of mental beating after that epic Wimbledon final... and not that you could fault him for it.  But given the in-decline James Blake and the clay surface that did no favors to fill-in Mardy Fish (despite two tight 5-set opening matches)... but with that US line-up....

I would have preferred if The Tennis Channel aired the Spain-Germany tie, at least that would have been something prettier to look at... especially the doubles when Verdasco teamed up with the similarly ridiculously hot Feliciano Lopez (and we'll just conveniently ignore rumors that they have egos to match their good looks).  Verdasco lost a tough 8-6 fifth set opening match, but won his other two to advance Spain to semifinals where they should be heavy favorites against Israel, even if Rafa is still not back in action and/or limiting his play.

If you want to see more Shirtless Fernando Verdasco, be sure to browse my special category for him... believe me, it's all pictures all the time!

Fernando Verdasco Shirtless

Ok, thanks the Aussie Open semifinal tennis match that I wrote about early today, I am getting a whole slew of search hits for:

fernando verdasco shirtless

And every so often, I very innocently check in to see where W&C places among a particular (and popular) search.  On this one, I was #2 ... pretty darn good and again thanks to that photo of  Verdasco's comfort in getting nekkid for a good cause.  But my eyes bugged out (likely with the accompanying booooi-ng cartoon character sound effects) when I looked at the other image results on the page of some recent (this new-ish pompadour-y hairstyle was mostly the give-away) photo shoot of the Spaniard... in the immortal words of the Food Network's Paula Deen...

GREAT. TIME. OF. DAY.

It's almost enough for me to say... Rafa who?!   Almost.

Hee hee! Anyhow, I've decide to throw in the towel (and given Fernando's apparent lack of modesty, I think he'd be more than happy to do that... literally!!) and created a Fernando Verdasco category for everyone's viewing pleasure... along with my words of wisdom, of course!

The Thrill Of Victory

WARNING:  SPOILER ALERT of Nadal/Verdasco Aussie Open Semifinal Match

(Ok, that takes care of possibly the 2 or 3 people that may care/be potentially affected)

I was (and well, wasn't surprised) to see that the Aussie Open semifinal match between Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco was still going on when I checked into the home office this morning.  It was on serve in the 4th set, so while I sometimes go back to bed (particularly this time of the year when it's still not light out) if this is no urgent work (like today), I decided to stay awake and watch the rest of the match... and I am certainly glad I did!

It was a high-quality match to the end... and the longest ever Australian Open match, 5 hours and 14 minutes with #1 ranked Rafa advancing to the final by a score of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4!

Thanks to this "bringing sexy back" match-up between the two Spaniards, I am getting a ton of search hits thanks to my long-term obsession admiration of Rafa and my more recent stalking appreciation of Fernando.  I had over 400+ hits before 7am, which is what I usually what I pull in on a typical day!

Of course, most folks are looking for them naked (which surprisingly enough I kinda sorta have for both Rafa and Fernando) and shirtless, which I have plenty for Rafa (I point folks to peruse my Rafa category)... but I still be nice and post each player here during a changeover during this match:

I can't really explain the expression on Verdasco's face other than I'm guessing a lot of us have funny expressions when we are pulling a shirt over our head.

When Rafa reached triple-match point (and it would take 3 of them), I awaited his "I gutted it out" post-match celebration.  Rafa is definitely Obsessive Compulsive a creature of habit, so I suspected he would exuberantly tumble onto the court, and he didn't disappoint me... and kudos to the photographers from catching the moment from every conceivable angle!

After sorting through these pictures, I think the only thing that was missing was one from Rafa's perspective!

But as often the case in sports, "the thrill of victory" that I mention in the title is coupled with "the agony of defeat"... and likewise, a commentator will more often than not utter the obvious "it's a shame there has to be a loser."   And while the crowd roared over Rafa's win and celebration, I think this picture of Verdasco captures the solitude, despair, exhaustion on the other side of the net:

Can You Hear The Drums Fernando?

Or is it just the beating of my heart!  

Last night when I was watching Australian Open coverage there was a brief split screen of both Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco playing their Round of 16 matches in Melbourne... the good news/bad news scenario was they weren't playing against each other, so I only got to see one of them... that being Rafa, so no complaints!

The Aussie Open is the toughest Slam for me to keep tabs thanks to the time difference, matches start here in the early evening (which is the morning the next day Down Under), with actual coverage often starting a tad later... so I only catch a bit before reading/bed time... and then it's the decision/attempt to avoid/not avoid seeing scores during my morning Internets rounds.  Usually I don't do a good job of avoiding 'em.

But as usual I am scouring the photo galleries for good pics.  I don't know if I am still a bit miffed that Rafa has gone with sleeves this year... and I already spend plenty of W&C airspace on him... but I seem to have an increasing fascination with his countryman Verdasco.  The Spaniards always catch my eye, but again it was very likely Fernando's decision to drop trou (and shirt and sock and shoe!) for a good cause that got me on his bandwagon. 

And I am not alone in my admiration, I had to laugh when I caught this picture from a Verdasco match earlier this week:

... and I am pretty sure it was directed at Spaniard and not his Czech opponent.

So here is another little Fernando collage (if the one from last week wasn't enough) of some recent Fernando pix from the past few days.  If he couldn't get any more adorable, in the lower right hand one he had to go to the Melbourne Aquarium to play with penguins! 

Again, I'm thinking I need to postpone any plans to go to Spain until I am able to convince myself that I wouldn't be constantly walking into light poles.

Ay Fernando!

Gotta love those Spanish tennis players - always willing to get naked for a good cause - first it it was Tommy Robredo who struck a naked pose for U.K. Cosmopolitan -- now it is Fernando Verdasco doing the same, ditching his clothes for the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign raising awareness (I'd say!) and funds for testicular and prostrate cancer.

While he got smoked in the 4th Round of this year's French Open by Rafael Nadal (c'mon Rafa it's for a good cause!)... we still couldn't help but admire what a hunk Fernando, currently ranked #20, was... and that was with clothes on!

In the upcoming July issue, Verdasco says "I've never posed naked before but it was really fun"... hopefully he'll inspire many others... though I am doubt we'll see any American male tennis players rise to the challenge!

Mucho Gracias to my friend Beth for tipping me off to the pic -- I couldn't get it up quicker!  Errr... umm... I mean posted more quickly!