Whine & Cheese

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. 

Back In Black

It's past 8 a.m. local time and shockingly enough I am not experiencing any serious withdrawal symptoms with no U.S. Open tennis coverage to watch... yet!   

During these past two weeks, I watched an unusually high amount of tennis... even more than normal (which is really saying something)... work has been slow and in combination with my head cold (still lingering 7+ days later)... vegetating in front the TV proved to be a quite desirable behavior... or the only valid activity that required some state of consciousness.

Anyhow, yesterday afternoon was the men's final between Roger Federer and Serbia's Novak Djokovic... and Fed's all-black attire was contagious...

Tennis legend, Guillermo Vilas, was on hand for the coin toss... and prior to that, black headband and all, Liza Minnelli belted out God Bless America (why not New York, New York!?!)... starting out quite traditionally before launching into a Vaudeville-ish, Mr. Bojangles finale.

And life was indeed a cabaret for Fed as he, in his 10th consecutive Grand Slam final appearance...  won his 12th Grand Slam title (now just two shy of Sampras' all-time record)... his 4th U.S. Open title... which also made it the 4th time he has won the Wimbledon-U.S. Open double... and the 3rd time he has won 3 of the 4 Slams in one year.

In this Federer cabaret, yesterday's "old chum" was the 20-year old Djokovic... who seemed so close to making it a real match (though I am starting to suspect it is just part of Fed's "strategy" to tease opponents with break and set points).   But the talented Serb proved he's a solid #3 in the rankings and won over fans with a sparkling personality... an anecdote to the Federer's icy demeanor... having the flashiness of Nadal, but without all that seriousness.

You even had to love the Djokovic support box...

For Saturday's semifinal match they color-coordinated by row to form the Serbian flag (above left) and for the final they all donned the same Adidas shirt Djokovic wore during the match (above right)... the only exceptions being Maria "we're just (wink) friends" Sharapova (upper left corner)... and no that's not Djokovic's grandpa dressed in grey in the front row... but Robert DeNiro.  The story goes Djokovic & Co. accidentally met up and DeNiro invited the Serbs over to his Japanese restaurant.

And these pix just in... Roger's "on the town" pix in Times Square this morning.

I guess when you start hanging out with fashion designers and the editor of Vogue, it's no more t-shirt and jeans when it comes to these photo shoots.

The Man In Black

You know I love the guy, but it's turning into "Bash Roger Week" here at W&C!

It was Federer the Fashionista debuting an all-black ensemble for his first night match of the 2007 U.S. Open.

Pictured above is Oscar de la Renta chatting with Roger's girlfriend/manager, Mirka... while Vogue editor Anna Wintour is likely annoying the people by following cell-phone non-etiquette... informing the call-ee she is at the U.S. Open watching Roger Federer. 

But what were these fashion icons really thinking?!?

Roger was almost downright giddy about it... noting the black satin stripes down the sides of the shorts were "a little bit of the tuxedo look, it's something special."

Having recently caught The Devil Wears Prada on HBO, we found ourselves in a fairly dismissive "fashion" spirit.

The phrase "a bit silly" I am sure was uttered, along with "the only proper place to wear black socks and shorts is at a  retirement village."

...in the immortal words of Devil's Miranda Priestley (inspired by Wintour herself -- allegedly!)...

That's all.

Ok, So He's Not Perfect

Last night at the U.S. Open, the late Althea Gibson was inducted into Court of Champions on the ground.  50 years ago, Gibson was the first African-American, male or female, to win the U.S. Nationals.  The night featured a parade of African-American female "firsts."  Gibson is often thought of as "the female Jackie Robinson" (his widow was also in attendance), breaking tennis' color barrier just three years after Robinson did it in baseball in 1947.  After the tribute capped off by Aretha Franklin belting out "Respect"... it was a rare all-female nighttime double-header as Venus and Serena Williams played (and won) their first round matches.

As Roger Federer continues to re-write the record books (this week's record-breaker: passing Steffi Graf's longest consecutive streak at #1 -- 187 weeks), he has come across as a historian of the game... but perhaps, his knowledge is limited to the records he has broken or plans to break.  Check out this exchange in his post-first round match press interview on Monday.

Q. What do you know about Althea Gibson?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. You're putting me on the spot. I don't know what you're talking about.

Q. She's being honored tonight.
ROGER FEDERER: Nothing, to be honest. It's before my time. Isn't much I can really say about it. I don't know, I'm sorry.

Now, I'm willing to cut Roger a little slack.  To say the Gibson tribute was overdue is an understatement.  In its 5th year of existence, Gibson becomes the 15th inductee into the Court of Champions.  Last night's ceremony also marked the 10th anniversary of the dedication of Arthur Ashe Stadium.  While not knocking Ashe's status as one of the sport's most beloved figure and the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam and the U.S. Open, Gibson pre-dated him by over a decade... and prior to the civil rights movement.

So while I don't think Gibson's story is out there/known as much as it should be in this country (heck, before last night I admit to not knowing much beyond the very basics) let alone Europe and beyond, I still would have thought that Federer could (or would) have danced around this one a bit better.

Frothy Federer

Todd becomes a tennis widower The U.S. Open starts Monday... while 127 out of 128 chances seem like pretty darn good odds... if you are gambling on the men's field this year, my guess is that you would make more $$$ placing a bet on "the field" rather than Roger Federer.

A cyber hat-tip to Kenneth for alerting me to Roger's "ambassador" status with Jura-Capresso, a Swiss company that makes "the finest super automatic coffee and espresso centers." 

Here are the four tennis-themed print campaigns (available for closer inspection here).

Now, Kenneth thought it a bit ridiculous the image of Roger serving up a couple of cappuccinos...

... but I will shamelessly admit to finding the ads to be quite dreamy... ok, even sexy.

Now what this says about me... fantasizing about Roger Federer and premium coffee beverages (not necessarily in that order)... that I will leave up to you, my dear readers.    

Bending Over For Beckham

The post title is a bit misleading... as a gay man, I am well aware I am supposed to be in a perpetual state of tizzy over David Beckham.  While I can admire his bod (that is, what I can see of it through the tatts)... as one of his fellow countryman once wrote, for me, it's much ado about nothing.

While I am fully aware that tennis is on the D-list of the sports world, this magazine cover still got my goat...

It couldn't wait another week?  I guess the country's premier sports magazine can't be outdone by W Magazine... though this is some serious journalism... Becks is fully clothed and Posh is no where to be seen (well, at least on the cover).   I guess I shouldn't be too upset... if you look really close... up in the corners are this year's Wimbledon champs.   

Roger Federer continued his charge into the tennis history books with a 5th consecutive Wimbledon title. It was one of those seemingly unbreakable records, accomplished just once in Open era by Bjorn Borg nearly 30 years ago... and he did it in a thrilling five-set match he probably should not have won vs. his nemesis, Rafael Nadal.  In an article I read this past week comparing Roger and his new BFF Tiger Woods, it mentioned that Roger has never made the SI cover... not sure if this corner shot "counts"... but that just seems so wrong.

Venus Williams captured her 4th Wimbledon crown. Despite her history at the All England Club, it was yet another unlikely title. Riddled with injuries and lack of match play, she became the lowest ranked woman to win (outdoing her previous "record" of being the lowest ranked player with her 2005 title).

Back in 1993, SI published an infamous cover story "Is Tennis Dying?" ... is it a question worth asking again in 2007... or not. 

If Roger and Venus get pushed aside for a pretty-boy Brit, getting paid an insane amount of money to play soccer (no less, in America!??!?!)... who will likely find his (and his wife's) picture more on the cover of tabloid magazines than the sports page as they host backyard BBQs with their neighbors, and fellow scientologists, Tom and Katie... well, some 14 years later after posing that ominous question, this cover may just be tennis' unofficial obituary.

But, as usual, tennis will get its due here at W&C.  Here are some shots of Roger and Venus looking all snazzy at this year's Wimbledon Ball.

Nadal Wins Dual Duel

Just a few more pictures from the half-grass, half-clay court match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that took place earlier today on the Nadal's home island of Mallorca, Spain.

If I didn't know that this was really real, I would swear the below picture was just a cut-and-paste Photoshop job...  and a not very good one at that... haha.

The players did switch sides and surfaces as they would in a normal tennis match... but the changeovers also entailed a change of shoes... the pros have different footwear for grass and clay.

Nadal took the victory 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8)... so it was a thriller of a match... or cynically, the players were nice enough to justify the expense and their paychecks (as mentioned in yesterday's post, these matches don't count for or against them... so, often times, the scoreline is quite competitive looking).

Here's a full article about the match: Nadal beats Federer on half-clay, half-grass court

Grass or Clay?

I don't know if this is silly or cool... ok, it's both.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you... it's a tennis court that is half grass, half clay... and the site of a big exhibition match (translation: big paychecks and doesn't "count") tomorrow.

Any guesses who's playing?

Who better than the man who is currently on a 48-match, 4 year win streak on grass vs. the man who is currently on a 72-match, 2+ year win streak on clay?!

Yes, it's Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal.

The court took 19 days to create at a cost of [cough, cough] $1.63 million... yikes!

So it should be interesting and fun... Nadal will certainly have the crowd advantage since the match is taking place on his home turf/dirt of Mallorca, Spain.

Roger gets to play on some cool and extreme tennis courts, that's for sure!

UPDATE: Here are some pre-match promo pics... the guys are looking good

Ah... only to have a nice head of hair... and a tan... and be 20-something... and be rich... and...

Roger & Jimmy

I first caught this picture on the discussion boards over at JD's Tennis Stock Market contest (and then traced it back to Roger's official site)... and thought it was just too cute not to share...

Jimmy Connors posing with a Roger Federer, recipient of an award for the best "under 14 years old" junior in Basel, Switzerland.

Connors likely never dreamed that this kid (or perhaps anyone!) would break one of his most impressive records - 160 consecutive weeks at #1 (from July 1974 to August 1977).

The top-ranked player since February 2, 2004... Federer notched consecutive week #161 last week.

If that's not enough, Federer is on the verge breaking yet another 30-year old record... longest win streak. 

Undefeated since August, Federer has won 41 matches in a row... a title next week in Indian Wells (where he is 3-time defending champion) would put him beyond Guillermo Vilas' all-time match win streak of 46 matches from 1977.

Federer Strikes A Pose

First off... Happy Thanksgiving!   There will be an Express Lane "update" posted sometime over the long weekend, but otherwise I'll be kicking back... likely recovering from a overeating, wine-induced haze.

Last week, Roger Federer capped off another remarkable year by capturing the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup.  We'll take a look at his 2006 accomplishments in a bit...

But first, a little eye candy.  Now, while the #1 tennis player may not be a drop-your-jaw "hunk"... there is still something quite appealing about him... People Magazine agreed, including him the latest edition of their "Sexiest Man Alive" issue... but, today I am borrowing sharing these pix from Roger's recent spread in Vogue. I think it really shows off his classic (and classy) good looks.

... and just not another handsome face... here are some of his 2006 on-court accomplishments...

• First player to earn $8 million in prize money in one season
• Most ever ranking points in a season (8,370 ... some perspective, #2 ranked Rafael Nadal has 4,470 points, #3 ranked Nikolay Davydenko has 2,825 points).
• Has already ensured himself of breaking Jimmy Connor's record of 160 consecutive weeks at #1 next February
• First man to win 10 or more titles in three consecutive years
• First man in 11 years to win 12 titles in one season
• First man in 24 years to win 90 or more matches in one season (92-5, 2006 w/l record)
• First man to ever reach 6 consecutive Grand Slam finals
• First man in 37 years to reach all 4 Grand Slam finals in one season
• Only second man to ever win 3 Grand Slam titles in two different seasons
• First man ever to win both Wimbledon-US Open three years in a row
• Extended the all-time win streak on grass to 48 matches (last loss on grass was in 2002)
• Since the beginning of 2004, has compiled a 246-15 win/loss record.

Pretty amazing!

tags:  roger federer

Satisfying Close to US Open

It was quite the satisfying close to the 2006 US Open over the weekend... after Andre Agassi's farewell last weekend, I thought the final weekend might pale in comparison... but there were still some great stories to be played out...

First off, we have our women's champion Maria Sharapova...

What I love most about Maria is her work ethic/drive... with sponsorships in the tens of millions of dollars it would be easy for her to view her on-court appearances as merely a second job.  But you sense, all Maria cares about is tennis... and most importantly, winning.  Now, I could do without the overbearing dad/coach and banana-gate... but it was nice to see her sincere joy in winning her 2nd major title... particularly when she flipped the lid of the trophy... it reminded me that she's still a teenager.  And yes, just a few photographers showed up the next day to take pictures of the new US Open champ.

Next up, the 3-peat men's champ, Roger Federer...

Despite being the dominant player in the world, I was cheering Roger on during the final vs. American Andy Roddick.  Now I may get kicked out of the gay blogger club, but I am really not a big fan of Mr. Roddick... at all.  Sure he is cute, but his on-court personality just drives me nuts... whether its overly whiny... or puffed-out arrogant (just my humble opinion).  And the addition of Jimmy Connors as his "coach" as done nothing to improve that.  I started following tennis back in the Jimbo-McEnroe era... but I never really liked either of them (it was the Chrissie-Martina rivalry that drew me in)... so I was going bonkers when the match was tied 5-5 in the 3rd set.  I don't know why I was worried? Roger did his usual thing... broke to take the 3rd set at 7-5, and kicked some Roddick butt winning 6-1 in the 4th.  Roger wins his 9th Major... and continues his march into the tennis history books.

Finally, the most amazing of all Martina Navratilova...

Martina who has been competing on the doubles circuit for the last couple years... but announced that the U.S. Open would be her final professional tournament appearance.  She made it to women's doubles quarterfinals... but ended up going all the way in mixed doubles, with half of the cutie identical Bryan men's doubles team... Bob Bryan.  It was her 59th Grand Slam title... and she did it just about one month short of her 50th birthday... incredible!

tags:  us open, maria sharapova, roger federer, martina navratilova

2006 Wimbledon Champs

I could not have been more pleased with this year's Wimbledon champions...

Since we so rarely see them in formal attire, I thought I'd share a couple of pix from last night's Champion's Ball Dinner

For those non-tennis fans, they are Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo.

It is somewhat unusual that I would be rooting for the current #1 players on their respective tours... but both Roger and Amelie had something to prove this past fortnight at the All England Club...

It is difficult to ever consider Roger Federer an underdog at Wimbledon... especially, the morning after winning his 4th consecutive Big W title.  But there were some doubts floating about as he faced his achille's heel, Rafael Nadal, in the final.  Much to the surprise of the tennis knowledgeable (I humbly include myself), Nadal made it to the final and there was very much an "anything can happen" feel to the match.  Federer had lost 6 of 7 matches against Nadal... including 4 meetings this year.  So while Fed certainly had the edge on grass, there was some doubts.  If Roger lost, the sports media were ready to transfer the "king of tennis" crowd quickly to Nadal... though the official rankings would have said otherwise (Nadal was/is still considerably behind Federer after missing the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne).

I cheered for Federer... who now joins Borg and Sampras as the only players to win 4 consecutive Wimbledon titles.  Likewise, I also was thrilled that this FedEx/Rafa "rivalry" received the life support it so badly needed... though Nadal still dominates, at least a 6-2 advantage is a move in the right direction.  It should make for a very interesting US Open and summer as these two battle it out on the more neutral hard-courts.  However, in the battle of "shirtless" search hits here on W&C ... Rafael is demolishing Roger.

But after being blown out 6-0 in the first set, I was happy to see Nadal battle back and make it a match.  It is pretty much impossible not to like Nadal... no matter what the score, he is so positive and spirited on the court.  So many players, both male and female (including those at the very top of the rankings), suffer from such poor body language when behind, that Nadal's attitude is truly refreshing.

While having less to lose, France's Amelie Mauresmo had more to prove with a win.  Despite holding the #1 ranking for a good part of this year, Mauremo's first ever Grand Slam title in Australia earlier this year was a bit tarnished.  First, there was the highly criticized withdrawal of her opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne, in the final... but her total campaign was "asterik-ed" with two earlier opponent withdrawals earlier in the tournament.  So while deserved, there were many who viewed her trophy more for being the "last woman standing."

So, it was ideal for Amelie to meet Justine in the Wimbledon final.  There was a lot on the line for both.  The Belgian was looking to complete a career Grand Slam, while Amelie was hoping for some respect (and, okay, revenge over JHH for denying her a championship point celebration). Often dubbed a choker, Mauresmo had to win the mental battle vs. her gifted athleticism that should have won her many Slams over the past few years.

So, during the post-match interview, one couldn't help but smile when a teary-eyed Mauresmo hugged the winner's plate and said "I don't want anybody to talk about my nerves anymore."

Finally, it is nice to have "one of our own" succeed at such a high level... and have it be such a non-event.  Mauresmo came out (arguably she was never "in") as a lesbian during her first big splash on the tennis circuit - a run to the finals of the 1999 Australian Open... and she has never been dubbed as the "gay" tennis player (or if she has, ironically enough, it has only been by gay media)... she is beloved in France (who can take Mauresmo's win as small consolation to finishing as the World Cup runner-ups) and her endorsements (most notably Nike) have never been lacking or serious jeopardized.

Wimbledon Fashion Do's & Dont's

For the most part, it is the ladies that make the fashion statements on the tennis courts... but on the first "real" day of the 2006 Wimbledon tournament... it was the guys that caught my eye.

Now, Roger Federer is always pretty classy.  But...

This is taken it a bit too far.  I was kinda okay with the golden sneakers of a last year (or the year before that?), but the cream-colored blazer that Nike made for the 3-time defending champion is bordering on the dorky... I guess it fits the whole All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club stodgy, snooty, pompous, elitist... ok, you get the point... stick-up-your-butt attitude... but I guess it comes in handy for schmancy post-match dinners where it's "jacket required."

Now "kid stuff" usually makes my eyes rollback into my head, but this one even warmed my heart...

Andre Agassi's necklace was a Father's Day gift from his 4 1/2 year old son Jaden Gil.  If your eyesight is as bad as mine, the homemade block necklace reads "Daddy Rocks."   With a gift like that, I guess it is easy to determine at least one reason Agassi announced he will be retiring following this year's U.S. Open.

Roger & Rafa: French Open '06

No matter who won the French Open men's final yesterday ... there was some history.  Roger Federer was going for a non-calendar year Slam... something that has not been achieved in men's tennis in over 30 years... while Rafael Nadal was looking to win back-to-back French titles and extend his win-streak on clay to 60 matches.

Though you can't tell by their facial expressions, it was Rafa who took home the title (clue #1: a cup is always better than a plate).  Roger pretty much would have cemented his place in tennis history with a win... but boy, the press can be rough.   CNN/SI's Jon Wertheim usually gets it right, but I thought this was a bit harsh:

"Through the quirks of the rankings, Roger Federer actually increased his points lead by reaching the final of the French. Still -- his protestations to the contrary -- it's hard to imagine him leaving Paris a contented man. His oddly neutered play in the final provoked a vexing question: How do we anoint a guy the best ever when it's no longer clear he's even the best in his era?"

C'mon Jon, you know how the tennis rankings work?!?  It is all based on defending points.  Last year, Roger lost in the semifinals (to Nadal)... while Nadal won the tournament.  So, Roger improved on his result from last year, while it was a "wash" for Nadal.   So what quirks do you speak of?

And now with a loss in a Grand Slam final (something 97% of tennis players can only dream of), he is now no longer in the "best ever" race... but now, he's not even the best player out there today?!?  HUH?!!   

In the latest rankings, Federer has 7035 points to Nadal's 4545 (#3 Nalbandian is at 3360)... and Nadal has two more tournaments in his point total than Federer. 

Now, I will certainly agree that Federer has a real problem with Nadal.  If someone watched these two for the first time on Sunday, I fully admit one would wonder what all the fuss is about Federer.  Nadal has won 6 of their 7 meetings... and probably should have won the one match that Roger (though on the other hand, there are a couple of matches in their that should have been won by Federer).  So with that kind of record, it is hard to speak of this as a rivalry.   But just because, Player B beats Player A doesn't make Player B the better (or best) player (this is the same faulty logic that was attempting to be used above re: the rankings).

But outside of Nadal, over the past two years Federer has an outrageous 95%+ win against all other players.. and he has not lost a match this year... again, outside of Nadal.  While Nadal's dominance over Federer is wildly impressive, I still do not think it diminishes any of Roger's accomplishments.  Heck, Federer's nearest "best ever" contemporary, Pete Sampras, never even made it to French final!

So, yes, the pause button was hit for "best ever" status for Federer on Sunday, but I certainly believe there is not an iota of doubt that he is the best player out there today.

And speaking of Nadal, is he tennis' version of Clark Kent/Superman, or what?

Check out this little photo montage:

Put him in street clothes and he's a long-lost member of the pre-pubescent boy-band Menudo... but get him in his Nike tennis attire and the 20-year old turns into a super-hero!!

Aussie Open '06: Aces & Faults

Sporting events are not exactly the biggest draw here at W&C, but after two weeks of watching the Australian Open... I am suffering some serious withdrawal (as usual) this morning... further exacerbated by the fact that there won't be any significant tennis television coverage until March... so, despite Kenneth already posted a brilliant (and succint!) recap of his own, but here are my rambling thoughts about the first Grand Slam of the year... I leave it up to you if it shows any brilliance...

So let's start off with the BAD:

Justine Henin-Hardenne: In about an hour's time, the former #1 player pretty much became tennis' version of James Frey... losing a lot of credibility which could have been easily avoided.

Henin has always been known and respected for her physical conditioning... particularly during her grueling 2003 US Open campaign and more recently successfully returning to the tour after a bizarre viral illness knocked her out of the game for a good six months.

But that reputation pretty much bit the dust after Henin decided to retire midway through from the women's final.  The Belgian claimed stomach problems... later noted it could have been side effects of anti-inflammatories she was taking for a shoulder problem...

Regardless... popular belief now is that she quit because she was getting her ass-kicked and just showed up hoping that her her head-case of an opponent would choke.

Her opponent, Amelie Mauresmo (shown in the reflection of Henin's runner-up plate in this "how cool is that?" photo) did more than the show up... but despite her spectacular that lead to her first Slam title... tennis fans were left with one of the most "not so nice" moments in recent memory. 

American Tennis:  Not a great showing for the USA.  Lindsay Davenport was the only American to get to the quarterfinals... but yet another freak on-court injury contributed to her loss in that round.  Despite holding the #1 ranking for a good portion of the last couple of years, Davenport has not been able to add a 4th Slam title to her resume.  Andy Roddick, seeded to make the finals, was bounced in the 4th Round.   Remember those "Where's Andy's Mojo?" TV ads?  Well, no one's laughing about that now.  Venus Williams couldn't get past the first round.  Serena made it through a couple of more rounds, but her inability to defend her title has dropped her down to #39 in the rankings.  She pulled out of her next tournament citing that she needs "more practice time on the court in order to compete at the highest level."  Not good.

Depth of women's tennis:  Everyone seems to be talking about the increased depth in the women's game... 8 different women have now won the last 8 Slams.  Dating back to the 2003 French Open they are: Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Serena Williams, Henin, Venus Williams, Clijsters... and now Mauresmo.  Great, huh?  Well, while this is thoroughly and unpredicatably interesting.  My theory is that it has little to do with depth and more that no one woman player can hold it together, either mentally or physically, to string together 7 match victories at one event.  With Clijsters and Mauresmo finally adding themselves to the list of Grand Slam champions, I can't even come up with a candidate on the women's side that qualifies for "best player to have never have won a major" tag.

Okay, now the GOOD stuff and there was plenty of that:

Kim Clijsters:  The Australian Open capped a remarkable comeback for the "nice" Belgian, who regained the #1 ranking this morning.  Clijsters had what many feared was a career-ending wrist injury, but she was able to return to the Tour last March and became the first player to climb from outside the Top 100 to the top ranking in less than 12 months.  Taking painkillers for a hip/back injury for most of her stay in Melbourne, Clijsters still made it through to the semifinals.  Unfortunately her stay at #1 this time around may be short... she went over on her ankle during that semifinal match vs. Mauresmo and is expected to be out for 8 weeks.

Martina Hingis:  Despite having some help (and luck) from the draw, Hingis' run to the quarters after a 3-year absence from the game is still mightily impressive.  Hingis also earned her 15th Grand Slam title, winning the mixed doubles title with Mahesh Bhupathi.  Hmm... I wonder who ever thought that could happen... thank you very much.

Marcos Baghdatis:  Who can turn the world on with their smile?   Me thinks, Baghdatis could give Mary Richards a run for her money!  The 20-year old from the island of Cyprus stunned pretty much anyone and everyone (including himself, I am guessing) by reaching the men's final... and knocking out 4 seeded players along the way (most notably Andy Roddick).  Already named "Man of the Year" in his island country for the past two years, I am guessing he has already has a lock on that title for 2006... rising to #27 in the latest rankings. 

Baghdatis, a former #1 juniors player, has flashy game and the x-factor when it comes to personality... so one hopes that this introduction to the big time is only the start of good things.  However, making an unexpected and flashy run to the Aussie final is not always an omen for immediate success in the Majors...

Amelie Mauresmo:  The 26-year old French woman made it to the Aussie Open final in 1999.  As an unseeded player with flashy one-handed backhand and an impressive build... it seemed only a matter of time that Mauresmo would go one match further and win a Slam.  Not-so fast forward, 7 years later... Mauresmo finally gets back to a Slam final... and is finally able to lift the trophy...  granted with some help from the tennis gods... in what has to be a Slam first, 3 out of her 7 opponents were unable to complete their matches.  While this may put a taint on Mauresmo's win, the morning after scuttlebutt offers little resistance that Mauresmo was playing well enough to defeat even a healthy set of opponents.  And despite being lured to say some (deservedly) nasty things over Henin's withdrawal, Mauresmo handled the situation with a great deal of aplomb... saying some things "between the lines" without adding fuel to the  fire.

Roger Federer: What is there really left to say about Roger Federer?  The superlatives have been exhausted and we just seem to be watch his inevitable march to "best ever" status every time he walks onto the tennis court.  Federer remains undefeated in Grand Slam finals (7-0) and has a stunning 167-10 match win/loss record since the beginning of 2004 (that's two years, folks!).  He maintained his winning streak on the hard courts (52 wins) and is the first player since Pete Sampras in 1993-94 to win three consecutive Slams.

Speaking of Sampras, Federer is now half way to the all-time Slam record of 14.  Though, before penciling in that particular record to Roger, it is worth noting that Sampras was the same age and had competed in nearly the same number of Slams when he notched his 7th Slam.  But most folks agree, that even at his best, Sampras did not dominate the game as much as this current run by the Fed-Express.

Federer was tested a couple of times during the Open... taken to fives sets by Fine Wine fave, Tommy Haas, in the 4th Round and also suprisingly challenged in the opening sets of the final vs. Baghdatis.  The Cypriote (a word that I will not be too sad to not hear again for just a little while) looked as if he was about to be on his way in what would have been one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history early in the match.

But Federer has this uncanny ability to shift into second (and third, and fourth gear) when he needs it... it is almost as if he is toying with his opponent.  He gives them the belief that they stand a chance and then just blind-side them... with the match over before you know it (just ask Andre Agassi, who played Federer quite tough for 2 1/2 sets in last year's US Open final).

Federer was quite emotional in his on-court victory speech (as seen in the first photo above).  He is usually quite the cool cat, rarely showing any emotion on the court, but the tears flowed a couple of times after the match.  Roger's water-works have made some appearances before (Wimbledon pops to mind)... but this time it was a bit of surprise... while the Aussie is a major title, it still does not have the aura of the other Slams.  But most pundits agree that he was probably a bit overwhelmed to receive the winner's cup from Rod Laver, a true living legend in the tennis world.  It is said that Roger is quite a tennis historian, so receiving the cup from the man who arguably holds the "best ever" status in the men's game was likely too much for Roger.  I thought it was a really nice moment and confess to getting a little misty about it myself!

Since we rarely get to see him in "street clothes," I had to add that second picture of Roger.  While I know he has kind of weird/pudgy nose/face, that probably would not get a second look if he wasn't a successful professional athlete...  I am still liking me some Rog... as my fave Food Network gal, Rachael Ray, would say... YUM-O! 

Tennis Down Under

Another good thing about January... the start of the tennis season!  And here are three good reasons, right up there with raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens:

Tommy Haas, Roger Federer, and Thomas Johansson are all in action this week as they prepare for the first Grand Slam of the Year, The Australian Open from Melbourne.  I am sure I will have more pictures of the men of tennis to share with you in the coming weeks. 

But the big story of the first week of the 2006 tennis season is the return of former #1 Martina Hingis.  Three years ago, riddled with injuries and not having much success against the "big babes" on the women's tennis, Hingis retired at age 22.

The "Swiss Miss" returned to tournament action this week at the Gold Coast tournament in Australia.  Thus far it has been successful, with Hingis advancing to the semifinals (as of this writing).  Hingis, always one of the smarter players on tour, was wise to begin her comeback at a lower-level tournament... so there is a bit of caveat emptor about these three wins, they were all against "no-names" (apologies to Maria Vento-Kabchi, Klara Koukalova, and Nuria Llagostera Vives - but I doubt that even the most die-hard tennis fan could rattle off those names - wel,l at least those not living in Venezuela, the Czech Republic, or Spain respectively).  Nevertheless, I am still impressed. Hingis tested the tennis waters out just once in 2005 and lost to a player of similar caliber (Marlene Weingartner... anyone? anyone?).

But the real test for Hingis will come in the next few weeks.  She has entered next week's tournament in Sydney, a more prestigious tournament with bigger names that will certainly test her physical conditioning.. and then its the biggie, the Australian Open, a place where she has had some of the greatest success (and a meltdown or two).  Hingis will certainly be praying for a favorable draw.  As an unseeded (and unranked!) player she could meet a top player in the first round.    

My prediction is that she will likely return to the Top 20.  I think she will still have serious problems with the likes of some of the power players, but with the WTA currently riddled with physical injuries and some serious head cases, it is well within the realm of possibility that Hingis could sneak into the second week of a Slam.  If she remains healthy and choses to play, I would not be surprised at all to see her take home a Slam championship in doubles.  (Hey, how about with Martina Navratilova, the person Hingis was named after?  Ironically enough, the 49-year old Navratilova has been a staple of the women's doubles circuit during the three years Hingis took off).

But there is one troubling thing about seeing Hingis again.  At age 25, it is more than a little scary that she has more of a receding hairline than I do (and that's saying something folks)!

Weekend Update #50911

Here's just a mish-mash of thoughts from the weekend... so get a drink of your choice, sit down, read, relax...

Ended up being pleasantly surprised with the musical Movin' Out on Friday night.  As I mentioned in my last post, I am a Billy Joel fan... so that show had a leg-up in the "like" department going in... but despite being a little heavy handed at times (c'mon trying to interpret Vietnam and drug addiction to pop songs?!) it was really well executed.  There was no dialogue so the dancers had to tell the "story" through dance... you have to think that Twyla Tharp is some kind of genius to have choreographed every move for about a dozen dancers for a nearly 2 hour show!  (Though I had trouble getting Robin Williams' famous line from The Birdcage out of my head: "You do Fosse, Fosse, Fosse!  You do Martha Graham, Martha Graham, Martha Graham!  Or Twyla, Twyla, Twyla!  Or Michael Kidde, Michael Kidde, Michael Kidde, Michael Kidde!  Or Madonna, Madonna, Madonna!").

And it surely made you appreciate the musical genius of Joel as well... his songs are definitely part of the songbook of my own life... so it was a blast from the past.  So if Movin' Out rolls through your town and you are a fan of Billy Joel, I would definitely give it a thumbs up... and, oh, yes the male dancers were pretty hot too!

We had a seriously elderly couple sitting next to us... I don't know how old they were, I mean my dad is like 70+ years old and these folks seemed waaaay older... but anyhow, when I saw them limping in I was thinking they were really not going to like this show... the band was already cranking up behind the stage curtain... so with the "rock" music plus no dialogue, this show was not one that was going to appeal to the senior circuit.  Sure enough they did not return after intermission.

Since this was also a new season, we also got new neighbors to the left of us.  There has been this older gay guy (not coupled, but usually rotating with another male friend) floating around us for several seasons, usually a row or two behind us... well this year they landed right next to us.  So after many years of "oh, there are some other fags" knowing glances ... we finally got around to chatting a bit.

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Today, I begin my withdrawal... from tennis.  Having watched (or at least had it on the TV) tennis for about 6-8 hours a day for the last two weeks of the US Open.. plus all the extended coverage of the lead-up tournaments for the past couple of months... tennis was my drug.  So I don't know what I am going to do now that there is not much (if anything!) on for the foreseeable future.

It was really a great tournament... and I could not be more pleased with the champions... Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer, arguably two of the nicest players on the tour... though I do have to say Roger is starting to sound a tad more arrogant these days (though deservedly so, but more on that in a bit).  But there were really some thrilling matches and storylines... 3 of the 4 men's quarterfinals went the distance while the ladies fought it out in the semifinals.  With the absence of the top-ranked American Andy Roddick (thanks to a shocking 1st round loss), the on-court success of James Blake and Robby Ginepri was nice to see... and although I have never been a big Andre Agassi fan, I have started to warm up to him... that usually happens when players get "old" like the 35 year old Las Vegan, ummm... not vegan, I am sure he eats meat... but you know what I mean!

But Roger is just amazing... he now has 6 Slams, only solidifying thoughts that he is one of the greatest male tennis players of all-time.  With a resume that already ensures him a first-round placement into the Hall of Fame, in my opinion, Roger just has to do one of the two things to ascend to "greatest" status... win the French Open or surpass Pete Sampras' 14 Slams.

A win at the French Open would give Federer a career Grand Slam... only 5 players have accomplished that (most recently Agassi) feat and only 2 have done it one year, though not in the "open era" of men's tennis... Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969).  Although he has never gone beyond the semifinals (Federer reached that round for the first time this past year), he is certainly capable of winning on the red clay at Roland Garros... something that was never a reality for Sampras.

So can Federer win more Slams than Sampras?  Potentially.  At age 24, Federer is the same age as Pete when he won his 6th Slam... Sampras won 14 Slams over a 12-year period, in 4 of those years he won 2 Slams... Federer has won his 6 Slams in a 3-year period (1 Slam in 2003, 3 in 2004, 2 this year, and was just one point away from 3rd in Australia)...  so I am leaning towards giving Federer the chance at the all-time record...  he is a serious threat in all 4 and, if nothing else, seems just as invincible as Pete was at Wimbledon.  But you just don't know what new players are on the horizon... or if the more physical rigors of tennis these days will give Federer that same kind of longevity.  Stay tuned!

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Finally (!) speaking of "old"... I have been dealing with a lower back thing over the past week or so.  Last weekend, I tweaked my lower back, which was only exacerbated by some work-related stress on Sunday and Monday... it was there but okay for most of last week, but it was (pardon the pun) back with a slight vengeance this weekend.

The best way I can describe it is that if my back is an accordian in 'stretched out' mode... it feels like my lower back is crunched down... this makes bending or getting up/down a tad difficult... has anyone else experienced anything like this?  What is it? What do you do?  I have had this happen before and it usually just works itself out... but just curious if anyone has any feedback.

Oh... one more thing (I see that eye roll!)... Can. not. stop. making new W&C banners... yet another one is in the rotation... if this blog needed to be a little more gay... there is a new "Divas" banner... so wait for it to pop up... or, if you are too impatient, check it out in the banner archive.

... AND!!   Entertainment Weekly finally posted their latest Matthew Fox cover in their archives... so I replaced it with my not-so great quality digital camera pic ... this one is much better! ;-)  Click here.

Fine Wine All-Time #6

We continue on... at #6, with a total of 69 days on the list is... Roger Federer.   

And I present you with not something you see every day... a shirtless shot of the #1 men's tennis player (thank you Getty Images... but darn the positioning of your text!)

Right now, Roger should be in Paris preparing for his first round match at the French Open, the 2nd Grand Slam of the tennis season.  While you can never count Roger out on any surface, this is probably the one place he is not considered a hands-down favorite to win.  This is the only Slam he has not won.

W&C is on vacation. Feel free to leave a comment, but this post will be deleted upon our return and replaced with a real vacation diary entry.

Fine Wine #8a: Roger Returns

Nope, the Fine Wine department has not been closed for renovations - just going through a serious dry spell.  We have not had a new entry since the very beginning of the month (Bobby Jon) and Brad & Nick have been pretty much coasted along since mid-February.   Just not a whole lot of new TV guys to speak of... American Idol & TAR7 have not provided much new eye candy... and heck if I nominate Constantine or Rob Mariano I think I would lose half of my "readership" (these guys are either love 'em or hate 'em)... but seriously they haven't seriously blipped on the radar.

So I am dipping back into the FW well and re-instating the #1-ranked men's tennis player... Roger Federer.  [As usual, click on the pic for a slightly larger view]  Federer first made the FW list late last year and has continued on the path of re-writing the tennis history books.  Roger is currently competing in the Nasdaq-100 Master Series tournament (often dubbed the 5th Slam) in Miami.  Through last week, here are some of Roger's current amazing stats:

• 26-1 win/loss record in 2005 (lost to Marat Safin in the Australian Open semifinals, but had a match point)
• Has won 4 tournament titles in 2005
• On a 16 match win streak
• 42-1 win/loss record since the 2004 Athens Olympics (again Aus Open)
• Has won 7 of his last 8 tournament appearances (again Aus Open)
• Has won 26 of his last 27 matches vs. Top 10 players (again Aus Open!)
• Has won 17 consecutive finals (an ATP record) - streak started Oct 2003

And he is only 23 years old!  Really quite amazing.

In the ATP media guide he is listed at 6'1" and 177 lbs.

Ok, enough with the stats.  Late last year, Roger cut his hair... well kind of.  He went from the slicked-back, mini-pony tail on court... to a more wild, free-flowing slightly shorter look.  I really like it (ok, maybe I am a bit jealous)... just love how his hair moves, especially during those slow-motion replays!  Again, he is not a classic cutie - but he is sure beautiful to watch!

To read Federer's first induction onto the Fine Wine list... click here.

Alas with a new entry, we usually say goodbye to another... and so we wave off Bradley Cooper.  Having finally caught up on our backlogged episodes of the WB's Jack & Bobby, it appears "Tom" may be getting the boot as well.  Not that any of us thought it would last, the Grace/Tom affair appeared to gasp its last breath in that last new episode.  But no need to feel bad... he has been tapped for a Fox comedy pilot, Kitchen Confidential (based on the best-selling book) "which explores the crazy world of upscale New York restaurants.  Bradley Cooper will play the bad-boy chef at the center of the show."

Extreme Tennis in Dubai

These pix were just too cool - so I had to share!

How would you like to play tennis on this court?!  The two lucky (well I guess lucky is a matter of opinion depending on how you deal with heights) guys that got to do it were Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, who are in Dubai to compete in a tennis tournament this week.

The helipad of the famous Burj Al Arab hotel was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court... 692 feet off the ground!   No doubt, this is something neither man will soon forget.   Agassi said:

"This was an absolutely amazing experience.  When you first get over how high you are and start playing it's an absolute joy and it was a great time."