Whine & Cheese

Love All

Wimbledon starts on Monday... yes, yes I know what you are thinking... didn't  I just survived Ed's "can't talk about anything else" chatter?... well, yes you did... but this is one of the "what were they thinking?" times on the tennis schedule where two of the biggest crowns on the tennis calendar are contested just a few weeks apart.

It's a pretty interesting time in men's tennis... particularly (some would say, exclusively) among the top two players and two of my favorites (as you know!), Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.  Just when it looked like Roger was on the decline with Rafa powering past him with last year's Wimbledon, the Olympic gold, and this year's Australian that dissolved Roger to post-match tears... the seemingly impossible happened, Rafa losing at Roland Garros for the first time in 5 years and Roger going on to win the only Slam title missing on his resume.

Now it seems that Rafa is the one reeling... both emotionally and physically, so much so that as I write this the tennis world is waiting for the Spaniard to withdraw from Wimbledon.  The draw was announced earlier this morning and Rafa would have a tough road regardless... so I'm guessing it is the proverbial "rock and hard place" ... better to compete and lose not playing anywhere near 100% or not defend arguably the most prestigious title in tennis at all. 

There is an excellent article about Nadal in this weekend's New York Times Magazine.  While it is pretty much a love-letter to Nadal (one can hardly blame Cynthia Gorney, IMHO), she really was able to communicate the reasons why I seem to love both of the players/men fairly equally (though I'll admit to favoring Rog more since Rafa is his Achilles)... it is strange to feel that way in a rivalry like this... it tends to be "love" one/"hate" (or maybe, "respect but not love") the other.

I'd recommend reading the entire piece, Ripped (Or Torn Up?): Can Rafael Nadal Survive His Own Grueling Style of Tennis?... but it is fairly lengthy and likely for tennis die-hards... but here are some quotes from Gorney that I think perfectly sum up why it is easy to love both these guys:

"He (Nadal) thrills people. Federer thrills people, too, but the Nadal thrill is so different from the Federer thrill that studying the two of them is like a gorgeous immersion course in the varieties of athletic possibility. Federer is elegant and fluid and cerebral, so that his best tennis looks effortless even when he is making shots that ought to be physically impossible. Nadal is muscled-up and explosive and relentless, so that his best tennis looks not like a gift from heaven but instead like the product of ferocious will."

"That Nadal now has the capacity to outplay Federer on multiple surfaces ­ that the signature game of the world’s highest-ranked tennis player is not a beautiful ballet unto victory but an imperfect, bruising, savage refusal to yield ­ this is why Nadal thrills people. This and the biceps. “Every tennis lover would like, someday, to play like Federer,” Philippe Bouin (French writer, covering tennis for 30 years for the sports paper L’Équipe) told me. “But every man wants to be Rafael Nadal. Which is different.”"

UPDATE:  Rafa has withdrawn from Wimbledon.  After reading those quote, you can see why not having these two guys in the draw is a bit sad.. but go Roger!  Time to break Sampras' all-time Slam record with a win at the AELTC!

Triomphe!

My non-tennis blog readers are likely rejoicing that much of my tennis-related chatter is now elsewhere, but nothing like the good 'ole blog to babble on for a bit and share some pictures. 

But it was a very good day yesterday as Roger Federer won the French Open for the 1st time - completing a career Grand Slam... only the 6th man to do so... and only the second after Andre Agassi in the modern/Open era... given the different surfaces each Slam is now played on, I arguably think it is a much more difficult than the other legends of yore (but that's another debate for another blog post).

Give the triumphant nature of Roger's win, I predicted his next day photo shoot would be here: 

But given the historic nature of the win (Roger also tied Pete Sampras' all-time Grand Slam record of 14), Roger also got to saunter down to the Trocadero for some pix in front of Tour de Eiffel.

Now while I think Roger is an overly snappy dresser most of the time (his BFF Vogue editor Anna Wintour was in his box during the French), it is always nice to see him in more casual attire... but c'mon Roger, you couldn't find a better pair of jeans to put on for the big photo shoot!?  But what do I know, those jeans probably cost more $$ than I make in a month!

I think Roger got the extra photo location too because who knows if he'll ever win the French again... but who knows... despite his impressive bod and physicality, I always have feared that Rafa Nadal's body would betray him and that he would not have the longest of careers... and now there are whispers that he won't be able to defend his Wimbledon title in a few weeks due to knee problems... so again, who knows!

After his win, Fed noted that this elusive win "It takes away so much pressure. Now, I can play in peace for the rest of my career"... I am sure the rest of the players on the tour loved hearing that!   Given his domination of the men's tennis in the past 5 years, it is a little scary to think that pressure was holding him back in some way... ha! 

Should also give a quick note to the women's champ... Svetlana Kuznetsova ... or Sveta or Kuzzie... who now has a second Slam on her resume... this one slightly less, but still surprising as her US Open a few years back.  Sveta is one of those players who seems so talented and has underachieved thanks to being a bit of a head case. Good for her, she was playing an even bigger head case in Dinara Safina at this year's Roland Garros championship.  With Safina double-faulting on match point, it was almost like Kuznetsova couldn't believe that she had won and that it had been so easy... with Safina really crushed by the pressure of being the favorite and #1 ranked player in the world and the somewhat valid criticism of how one can be #1 and never have won a Major.  But then again, the women's game is a bit in disarray... and I personally don't have many quibbles with the ranking system, the numbers don't lie... but it does seem as if no one is really earning it ... or should I say being consistent enough to be considered THE top player. 

Sveta only got the Trocadero photo shoot... and I have to say it is sooooo much better watching the French Open having now been to Paris.  This is my 2nd post-Paris visit French Open... but we pretty much just arrived home when it was on last year (though it really seems like eons and eons ago), so I appreciated it much more this year. 

For you Paris virgins (go! go!), I highly encourage you to make the Trocadero vista the very first place you see the Eiffel Tower.  Granted it is pretty much impossible to not catch a view of the Tower wherever you are in the city, but this is very much the "Voila!" view... and it still gives me goose-bumps thinking about. After I soaked it in for a few seconds, this was my very first picture from the spot... and even though I know it's a shot that has been taken hundreds of thousands of times... it remains one of my favorites from Paris... just because I remember being uncontrollably happy at this very moment! :-) 

And finally (!!), usually at some point during a Slam I do some sort of hunky/beefcake picture review... and given that Rafa was knocked out halfway through (and his countryman and object of W&C drooling Fernando Verdasco not too far behind.... the tournament was somewhat lacking in eye candy. 

But you do know that I love Roger... and he was one a big search engine driver this weekend to W&C, so why not this one of a (Google! Google!) Shirtless Roger Federer that I stumbled onto at some point during the French. 

I am not sure where this one came from... as it seems a bit more "up close and personal" than the usual shirt change on a change-over type of shots that occasionally land on the sports sites, but heck no complaints.  In this era where a lot of 20-somethings are plucked and tweezed and shaved, it is nice to see a bit of hair... though I have no doubt that Rog engages in some manscaping.  

Here is a link to: all my Roger posts... and those who just want to skip ahead to more of the shirtless variety, the weekend search engine hits seemed to heading to this post in particular. 

ATP Trainer Reconsidered

Just to give this week its full circle moment (which started with Rafa)... maybe I should reconsider coming back as an ATP trainer in my next life, thanks to this picture of... 

... Roger Federer getting "back treatment"

I may be old-ish, but my mind/imagination is still young-ish (cue the porno music).

Actually, I do feel bad for Rog.  He's had a pretty tough year (well for him... it would be a career year for 98.764% of the rest of the players on the tour) and for someone who has not be beset with many injuries over the course of his career, it was a bit tough to see him go out like this at the year end Masters Cup, losing 2 of his 3 round robin matches.

Here are some wider shots (I did no cropping on that first one) of Roger getting treatment.  I can certainly relate as someone who has had their back (and particularly lower back) go out/seize up on him.... so I know this is no fun at all...

But still, I'm thinking this whole hands-on trainer treatment thing probably beats popping Tylenol and a heating pad.

We Are The Champions

If you'll indulge me one more tennis post today... always enjoy seeing the Grand Slam champions touring the town the day after their big wins... and always a bit disconcerting to see them in "normal" clothes!

I am thinking Serena Williams was definitely stopping traffic in Times Square on Monday!

While Roger Federer took his trophy photo shoot to the top of the Empire State Building on Tuesday!

I was sorta wondering how they got such a clear shot of the city... well, not clear as in the weather... but without that quite necessary observation deck protective fencing... but this next shot shows, that Roger (and I'm thinking just one photographer!) got to go where nary a tourist gets to go (I would think!)...

Yikes! 

Top Ranked, Bottoms Up

Definitely in "event" hangover mode this morning.  It is hard to believe that one month ago we were in Beijing for the big day... it seems like all that was eons ago... and our Olympic experience was really divided in two... being there... and then watching it at home for the second week.  That was followed by the back-to-back political conventions conventions and in the middle of that over 100 hours of US Open coverage... no, I didn't watch it all... but probably pretty darn close. 

So it is pretty bizarre to see that our TiVo isn't recording all that much ... or at least nothing compared to the 4+ hour chunks of HD programming it was churning out over the past month. 

I was thrilled with outcome of the US Open.  As the younger sibling, I have always had a soft spot for Serena Williams and it was cool to see her get so excited, despite all of her previous successes, over her win at the Open... and with that a return to the #1 ranking.  The 5+ years it took her to get back up there is the longest stretch in WTA history between stints at #1... and it also marked 6 years since her last win at Flushing.  Pretty amazing since many thought (myself included) that both Venus and Serena would long be gone from tennis way before their now-retired peers Hingis, Clijsters, and Henin.

On the men's side, while I was hoping for yet another meeting between my two favorites - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - it didn't quite happen... but it was hard to be mad at Andy Murray for raining on my parade as I was very impressed with the manner at which he took out Rafa in the semis. 

The silver lining is that Rafa should end the year with the #1 ranking ... and Roger did go on to win the Open, scoring a historic double consecutive quintet (5 in at a row at both Wimbledon and the US) and his 13th Grand Slam, now just one short of tying Sampras' record... and saved his "disastrous" year - which could only maybe kinda sorta be considered a "bad" year vs. what Nadal accomplished this year.

I don't think I have ever been pretty much 50/50 fans of the Top 2 ranked players, especially in the heat of their rivalry.  I warmed up to the likes of Navratilova and Graf towards the end of their careers, but rooted for Evert or Seles.  I respected Sampras' accomplishments but never was a devoted follower and again didn't warm up to Agassi until the end... so this is a bit unusual...

Though it has absolutely nothing to do with how they celebrate after their big wins (Rafa at the Olympics, Roger at the Open).... hello!

The Power of "Nude"

If anyone is looking for advice on how to increase traffic to their website or blog, my advice is pretty simple... use the words "nude," "naked," or "shirtless" somewhere/anywhere... and any person you ever mention will somehow be linked to those words ... and voila... lots of search hits. 

Granted you likely won't be giving them what they want, but you'll see those numbers rise regardless.  I am quite happy that I get, on average, about 700 visitors a day... granted I don't get too excited about that since the very large majority coming via search engines which again, more than likely results in the searcher not getting what they came for... though I do come thru on the occasional "shirtless" search. 

So when I got back from San Diego late Sunday afternoon, I was pretty shocked to see that my visit hits had exceeded 3,000... and ultimately would just break 4,000.  The next day, almost as good 3,100+... and trickling down on Tuesday and Wednesday (1,400+ and just short of 1,000 respectively)... before returning to "normal" by midweek.

Well, thanks to Site Meter I can figure out what exactly is bringing in the traffic... and I have the Wimbledon men's final to thank... and its two participants, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

I decided to investigate a bit further and Googled the most popular search... and lo and behold, this is largely the reason for the big spike in traffic: 

Hey, pretty impressive... I'm #1 at something!!   Again, too bad it's not accurate... ha!   For this particular search, I also come in at #8 (had to crop out some stuff on the right, that did feature some extra skin, needless to say, not Nadal)

Slipped a spot to #2 when it comes to Roger... but still not bad... and still not accurate... oh well!  Though I have to say the Fed skin I did share was a tad better than those around me ... though the first pic is also part of my little collage.

But nice to know I apparently have a little tennis skin niche going on...

Wimbledon Whites

We're onto the 2nd Round of Wimbledon... so that means we've already seen the big fashion statements of this year's competition... and it was the usual suspects who created a stir just by walking onto the court... Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova.... all wearing Nike.

After donning a sports jacket last year (I think), Federer is a bit more casual this year sporting a cream-colored cardigan emblazoned with his Tiger Woods-like "RF" initials logo/crest.  Nice, but a tad "won't you be my neighbor."  While his nemesis Nadal, has "Rafa" on his sneakers -- the back of Federer's tennis shoe has the Wimbledon trophy and the #5 or the number of consecutive Wimbledon titles he has won.

Serena William came out wearing a white trenchcoat that stopped just above the knees -- she even warmed up in it, before doffing it for a breezy sleeveless tank/skirt combo.  She dubbed her trenchcoat as "ladylike" which might have been a not so subtle jab at....

Maria Sharapova who said she was inspired by men's wear with her tuxedo-tailored outfit including a single-breasted jacket and, in a Grand Slam first for Sharapova... shorts! 

Whither Federer?

Wimbledon starts on Monday.  It's usually quite safe to pencil in - or heck put in permanent marker - Roger Federer as the champ... but this year, as Fed goes for his 6th straight title, things seem a bit different.

In previous years as Wimby rolls around, Roger usually has the Australian Open under his belt along with a handful of other titles... this year, just two small tournament wins (the 2nd only last week, keeping alive his 50+ match win streak on grass)... and while his loss to Rafa Nadal in the French Open final a few weeks ago was no surprise... but that it was his worst loss at a Slam, only managing to take 4 games off the Spaniard, was.

The smack talk has already started -- most predictably from cocky Serb, the #3-ranked and current Aussie Open champ, Novak Djokovic who said this week: “Some things are changing. I think he’s a little bit shaken with that loss (at the French) and mentally he has been struggling in the last couple of months. New names are coming, fresh talented players who believe more they can win against him and I am one of them. Suddenly he is worried a little bit.”  Djokovic will get his chance - with the Wimbledon draw just out - the two could meet in the semis... with Nadal looming on the other side of the draw.

Talk of a Federer Wimbledon demise even came off the lips of Bjorn Borg who says Federer is only the third favorite to win the title this year... preferring Djokovic and Nadal.  And if that wasn't a enough of a punch in the stomach, went on further to say he wouldn't be surprised if 26-year old Federer retired from tennis next year!  Yikes!

Federer can take some comfort from words coming from the current all-time Grand Slam champ, Pete Sampras, who still believes that the 12-time Slam champ will beat his record of 14.   Sampras said he would like to be there when he does...adding his hopes that he does it in London or New York and doesn't have to make the long trip down to Melbourne.  Reading between the lines, it appears Pete doesn't have much confidence that Roger will be able to accomplish something Pete never did - win at Roland Garros.

What do I think?  I wouldn't be surprised if Federer wins... or loses.  After the French, I suggested that Nadal could win Wimbledon... he has always been in Federer's head, but has to have gained even more  confidence from the French shallacking... plus having come pretty darn close in last year's Wimby final... and having won his first grass tournament last week (taking out Andy Roddick and Djokovic along the way) certainly did nothing to change my mind.

However, all this talk could only serve to motivate Federer... and just stepping on the grass has to give him confidence.  Perhaps, he only needs to be inspired by his buddy and closest peer in the world of sports peer, Tiger Woods, who pretty much did the impossible - winning the U.S. Open last week on a bum knee and a broken leg.  The difference though is that Tiger's mental strength ultimately triumphed over his physical... and one has to wonder if Roger can do the reverse... fascinating tennis days ahead!

The ATP Tour Wants You To... Feel It

The men's tennis tour announced it's new "Feel It" campaign today.

I sense my mind is making "it" into something much more literal than "it" is intended to be...

But they are certainly helping by going on about Nadal and Federer in "a one-on-one gladiatorial battle, full of intensity and passion" ... like I need that image dancing around in my head?!   

I bet it's hot and sweaty too?!?  And Rafa grunting and...

Oh, are you still here?  For more info about the campaign, go here.

Czech It Out

This past tennis weekend it was Davis Cup.  For my non-tennis fan readers choosing to read on, this is best-of-five match national "team" competition that occurs several times a year amongst professional male tennis players (the women's equivalent is called Fed(eration) Cup). I won't bore you with too many further details... and just get to the pictures.

Due to clothing contracts, more often than not the players are not particularly coordinated with each ohter or  wear anything particularly special... usually it's just their country's name tacked onto their backs in "kick me" style.

However, the Switzerland-Czech Republic "tie" caught my eye with quite patriotic attire.

If you're Roger Federer, your clothing company tends to whip up something for you.

Above, Rog is nattily attired in the Swiss colors... right down to his feet (of course!).  My only quibble was no red swooshes on his socks.

While de rigueur for Fed, his ensemble was a yawn inducing compared to what some of his Czech opponents were wearing...   

Here Radek Stepanek models what has to be one of the most creative (and goofiest) tennis ensembles I have ever seen.  I'm guessing Roger would have vetoed this one had Nike presented him with something comparable. 

If you are not familiar the flag of what happens to be my ancestral homeland, here's the Czech cheering session:

Alas it was no laughing matter as the Czechs defeated the Swiss team 3-2.  Federer predictably won both of his singles matches, but couldn't eke out the win in doubles.