Team Europe reunited for a dinner together in Shanghai

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal together with their Laver Cup Team Europe mates and captain were pictured together having dinner in Shanghai this week. The picture was shared by Marin Cilic in his Instagram account.

Amazing time with great guys. #TeamEurope gathering in Shanghai. #Tomasgetwellsoon @rogerfederer @rafaelnadal @domithiem @alexzverev123 #bjornborg

A post shared by Marin Čilić (@marincilic_official) on Oct 9, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

Federer and Nadal who share one of the most intense rivalries in tennis history are obviously became teammates for the first time and they were even paired up as doubles partners at the inaugural Laver Cup.

Team Europe which was also featuring Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych, Alexander Zverev and captain Bjorn Borg took the championship after thrashing Team World 15-9 in Prague.

The victorious team, unfortunately without Berdych, was reunited on Monday as the dined together ahead of the Shanghai Masters.

If you're a big fan of online betting for ATP tennis matches, do follow up on the performances of the players in the Shanghai Masters during this period.

Source: Laver Cup website

Zverev who sat next to Nadal, also posted a similar group photo on Instagram with the caption: "Awesome dinner back with my #teameurope teammates".

Federer reposted the picture, alongside the words: "We all missed the Laver Cup so much that we had to have a reunion in Shanghai... Tomas Berdych we saved you a seat!"

Berdych exited the China Open in the last 16 courtesy of a shock defeat at the hands of Andrey Rublev. Nadal has better luck, beating Nick Kyrgios on last Sunday's final in Beijing.

Federer, meanwhile, did not enter the ATP 500 tournament, instead opting to save himself for this week's ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

Robin Soderling, Yanina Wickmayer kung fu fighting in Beijing

Robin Soderling and Yanina Wickmayer were said to receive some kung fu lessons at the China Open promotional event yesterday evening.

Using my research skill, I managed to find this picture of Soderling. His pose looked quite convincing, right? No?

Earlier, a teacher and his students from the Shaolin Temple put up a display before the players arrived, showing off different skills in kung fu, with some of them even breaking small metal rods over their heads.

(Via China Open official website)

Rafael Nadal goes green to win

I can't believe I still haven't write a single post about Rafael Nadal this week.

Do you like this green polo shirt and chequered navy blue shorts? I think this is his best gear so far after he ditched those sleeveless shirts and pirate pants.

After a successful start against Marcos Baghdatis on Tuesday, which he won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, Nadal will play American James Blake in the second round tomorrow.

Hopefully this new gear will be his greencard to win a title in Beijing.

(Images by Feng Li/Getty Images)

Party like a rock star at China Open's dinner party

I love players party. It was a shame that HCFoo wasn't invited to the Batik party held at Mandarin Oriental Hotel last week. Hmmphh....

It looked like a MTV awards show at China Open's dinner party last night.

The players including Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and James Blake dressed up like rockstars while Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko, Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova glammed up for the evening party.

Serena Williams: I'm shy... 'cause y'all have seen me nude by now.

Short pants made of garbage bag and a see-through shirt? Bad taste.

Marat Safin can wear whatever he wants and still look pretty.

Poor Makiri. First it was Stella Mccartney... now it's Andy and Shrieky.

(Images via sports.sina.com.cn)

China Open upsets Marat Safin fans over farewell party

Marat Safin: I can't believe you did that to my fans...

The organiser of China Open recently announced in their official website that they are planning to throw a party for Marat Safin who is about to retire end of this season.

The party is supposed to involve some hardcore Safinator fans.

However things didn't work out between the fans and the organiser.

Now, probably there'll be no ceremony after all. Maybe a 'fake' one, according to fino7marat, one of the fan who's involved in the issue.

SORRY, We are cheated by China Open

I apologize for making a new thread, but there is something really important to tell you.

Weeks ago I posted a thread about asking for ideas of marat's retiring ceremony, but things changed now.

I bet you have read the interview after round 1, and obviously Marat did not know about the ceremony.

A few days before I posted the idea thread, the organizer of China Open contacted our forum and said we would design the ceremony and we spent a long time trying to make our design better. But things going on changed thoroughly.

They only wanted the ceremony to last for onlt 5~7 mins and we, yes, argued with the organizer and the ceremony might last for 15 mins. that could be OK.

Oh, and the organizer said that all our designs as well as our hard work had gone to dustbin. They will design the ceremony.

Today, they told us the ceremony will last for only a few minutes and my friends were angry about that because they are not informed about the decrease of time.

They were not ever offered tickets for today's match. how much did my Friends helped the organizers to make it better!

OK, my friends showed their objection, saying that they will not take part in the ceremony which they devoted themselves to.

And the Organizer refused their demand to increase the ceremony time at last.

so there won't be a ceremony. that's ok, because marat doesn't want to have one.

Oh, they did not even contact with Marat before but they said that Marat was happy to have one, on the official website.

http://www.chinaopen.com.cn/news/en/...9/195960.shtml

there won't be a ceremony. perhaps there will be a faked one.

True safinholics will not give marat our wishes but some faked ones who work for China Open may appear at the party.

I am just soooo sad now.

Sorry to fino7marat and the rest of the Safinator fans. It must be a huge disappointment for you guys after all the brainstorming.

(Via menstennisforums.com)

More tennis on Astro SuperSport, Eurosport in October

ATP World Tour 500's: China Open 2009

(Channel 811)
09 Oct 1100 Quarter Finals: Session 1 (Live)
09 Oct 1900 Quarter Finals: Session 2 (Live)
10 Oct 1200 Semi Finals (Live)
11 Oct 1530 Final (Live)

WTA Tour Beijing (Live)

(Channel 814)
05 Oct 1500 1st Round
06 Oct 1500 1st Round
07 Oct 1500 2nd Round
08 Oct 1500 Round of 16
09 Oct 1500 Quarter Final
10 Oct 1600 Semi Final
11 Oct 1900 Final

ATP World Tour 500's: Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship 2009

(Channel 816)
09 Oct 1100 Quarter Finals (Live)
10 Oct 1100 Semi Finals (Live)
11 Oct 1230 Final (Live)

ATP World Tour 1000's: Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 presented by Rolex

(Channel 816)
12 Oct 1400 1st Round (Live)
13 Oct 1400 1st Round (Live)
14 Oct 1400 2nd Round (Live)
15 Oct 1400 Last of 16 Round (Live)
16 Oct 1400 Quarter Finals (Live)
17 Oct 1630 Semi Finals 1 (Live)
17 Oct 2000 Semi Finals 2 (Live)
18 Oct 1630 Final (Live)

(Images via menstennisforums.com)

Jelena Jankovic downs Svetlana Kuznetsova to clinch China Open title; Medina Garrigues & Caroline Wozniacki take women's dubs

World no. 2 Jelena Jankovic won her second tour title of the year after thrashing fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-3 6-2 at the China Open today.

The 23-year-old Serb looked confident in the final of the $600,000 Beijing tournament, getting revenge for her quarter-final defeat by the Russian world number seven at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week.

Jankovic’s victory avenged two losses this season to Kuznetsova, one just a week ago in Tokyo.

“When I came on court I really was motivated and came out with a game plan, especially after playing her last week,” said Jankovic, a former top-ranked player.

Though she could replace Williams as No. 1 after next week’s tournament in Stuttgart, Jankovic would prefer to be in that spot when the season ends. She also has winning her first grand slam in mind.

“I will work very hard in the offseason, trying to get stronger and fitter and trying to bring my tennis game to the next level,” Jankovic said.

“Hopefully I can win a grand slam next year.”

In the women's doubles final, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Caroline Wozniacki defeated China's Han Xinyun and Xu Yi-Fan in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

(Via AFP; Image by PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

Andy Roddick wins China Open beating Dudi Sela; Ross Hutchins & Stephen Huss take the men's dubs

Andy Roddick claimed his third ATP title of the season, beating unseeded giant-killer Dudi Sela of Israel 6-4, 6-7 (6) 6-3 today in the final of the China Open.

Roddick struggled all the way against Sela, who reached the final by beating top-seeded seed David Ferrer, fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo and Rainer Schuettler of Germany.

It was the first ATP final of Sela's career. Sela is only No. 92 in the ATP rankings and is the first Israeli to reach an ATP final since Harel Levy in 2000.

Announced in the official China Open website, Roddick's agent confirmed that the winner has contributed 25 thousand dollars to China Tennis Association (CTA), the first contribution by a foreign player .

In the men's doubles final, Great Britain’s Ross Hutchins and Australian Stephen Huss (pictured) captured their first team ATP title after defeating No. 3 seeds Ashley Fisher and Bobby Reynolds 7-5, 6-4.

“It went fantastically for us, Ross and I played really well,” said the Melbourne resident Huss.

“We’ve played solid all week and haven’t done anything wrong. We really played to the top of our level and that’s been good enough this week to win. It was awesome."

"It’s very satisfying (to win another ATP title), it’s been a long time since I won one at ATP level so that gives me confidence going forward and I hope there’s more round the corner.”

(Images via Yahoo! Sport, atp.com)

Now tell me if something's going on between Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic

Alright now. I still can't get over this photo of Fernando Verdasco flirting with Ana Ivanovic.

For the past couple of days, 'Verdasco and Ivanovic' is the most searched keyword in my blog.

Now there are more pictures found!

Looks like Verdasco was trying very hard jocking Ivanovic at the official reception of the 2008 China Open.

And check out more pictures taken during Ivanovic practice. Guess who was in the background?

Yes, that was Verdasco right there!

I wonder if something is going on here between the two hotties? Someone please enlighten me :D

By the way, Ivanovic is out of the tournament after losing in the quarterfinal against Zheng Jie 6-7, 6-2, 4-6. Verdasco suffered the same fate after beaten by Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-4 which denied him from moving into the quarterfinal.

Updates: More pictures!

So the older woman sitting beside Verdasco is Ivanovic's mom, Dragana.

When you want to impress the girl, you must impress the mom too. And Verdasco did just that.

And by the way, most probably Verdasco is single now because he hasn't been seeing Priscila de Gustin for months.

Updates: More pictures!

A Chinese fan, Lola, captured these pictures hanging out together. Looks like a hotel in the background I suppose.

More info: Ivanovic and Verdasco are with Adidas together. Sven, Ivanovic´s coach, also a part-time coach of Verdasco. Both of them also share the same sparring partner (info from menstennisforums)


(Images from sina.com, menstennisforums,sports266.com)

Don't you think Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic are a perfect match?

So what do you get when you put two beautiful and famous tennis players like Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic together?

Do they create spark and chemistry?

Anyone looking at this picture might thought some flirting is going on *evil grin*. They could be the hottest item!

Updates: Check out more pictures here!

And it seems that David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet aren't comfortable seeing someone flirting there :P

So, Ferrer find someone else to kiss with. And that's Svetlana Kuznetsova.


So much drama going on here? Haha.

Well, guys, Verdasco is already attached to a hot Spanish model Priscila de Gustin.

And Ferrer's kiss isn't a romantic one either.


Apparently the players along with others like Jelena Jankovic, Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey were only catching up with each other while attending the official reception of the 2008 China Open at Shangri-La Hotel yesterday.


(Images via Yahoo! Sport, sina.com)