Dinara 'Giantkiller' Safina ends Serena Williams unbeaten run

Safina celebrates victory.

Out of a sudden (or maybe since the Australian Open earlier this year), the top and favourite players suddenly seems so vulnerable.

Williams looks dejected.

24 hours after booted off Justine Henin at the German Open, Dinara Safina out-muscled Serena Williams in a dramatic 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 match to end Williams 17-match unbeaten run and of course book her way into the semifinal.

(Images from STEFANIE DODEL/AFP/Getty Images)

AS Roma football players are into tennis

It seems that tennis is a favourite sports among the AS Roma football players. Besides Francesco Totti, other players from the same club, Alberto Aquilani (left) and Mancini of Brazil also taking time off to watch the men's quarter-final match between Roger Federer and Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek at the Rome Master tennis tournament, in Rome. Unbelievably, the match saw Federer lost 6-7, 6-7 to Stepanek.

(Images from (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Is tennis a boring sports or it's just Roger Federer?

Miroslava 'Mirka' Vavrinec, girlfiend of Roger Federer looks rather bored while watching him play against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during the third round match at the Rome Master Series.

(Images by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Weekend Challenger: Guess who and win RM50

Guess who are these players and walk away with RM50 (so that you can buy your mom a cup of coffee this weekend). I've raised up the money this week and of course in return pose more challenging pictures. And don't forget to tell me who is your favourite tennis player.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Read the following:
This contest is simple. Just do the following in the comment page of this post. No emails will be entertained.

1. Guess who are the tennis players in the pictures.
2. Tell me in 20 words or less who is your favourite tennis player and why.
3. Leave your email address.

The first contestant who guess it right will win. If there are more than one correct entries, winner will be based on your creativity in answering task no. 2. Winner will be contacted via email.

Conditions: I will only bank in RM50 to the winner via Maybank2U or Public Bank. Contest only open for Malaysians.

Closing date of submission is tomorrow, 10 May, 2008 midnight (Saturday).

It's not the end of clay court dominance for Nadal

Sometimes you just can't have it all.

Rafael Nadal who has just won the Monte Carlo Open and at Barcelona last Sunday, didn't have a chance defend his three straight wins at the Rome Masters after stumbled at the first hurdle when the Spaniard lost 7-5, 6-1 to compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero yesterday.

I wasn't really disappointed as Nadal has been playing non-stop for the past 2 weeks and defended 2 titles. This is the only second time in his last 104 games that Nadal has lost on clay. Ferrero now meets Andy Murray's conqueror, Stanislas Wawrinka, in the third round.

Ferrero who has never beaten Nadal on clay consistently put Nadal under pressure in the first set and then went on to win over his compatriot in eight encounters and his first on clay.

(Images from AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Footballers fancy tennis too

AS Roma's forward and captain Francesco Totti and team-mate Chilean midfielder David Pizarro were spotted at the WTA Italian Tennis Open in Rome. They were following the match between Roger Federer and Guillermo Canas. Federer won the game 6-3, 6-3.

(Images from FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

What I've missed over the weekend

Another 4th consecutive win for Rafael Nadal at Barcelona. I'm always worry when Nadal play against David Ferrer but not on clay. Althought Nadal dropped a set against his Spanish compatriot, he came back and win 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. What a remarkable result!

In Munich, Fernando Gonzalez won the BMW Open, which is exactly what I expected. He won the match 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 against Simone Bolelli.

So how the guys celebrate their wins? Nadal was thrown into a pool while Gonzalez can proudly pose in front of his new BMW.

(Images from Getty Images)