Australian Open Day 3 Wrap-up: Brutal end for Dementieva, Blake, Tomic

It's another missed opportunity for Elena Dementieva at the Grand Slam after beaten by comeback queen Justine Henin yesterday.

Fresh from winning in Sydney last week, she came to Melbourne with confidence to clinch a Grand Slam title which is still missing from her trophy list.

Dementieva lost 7-5, 7-6 in the high-pressure match at Rod Laver Arena.

In the men's singles, US Open champ Juan Martin del Potro battled for over four hours before winning 6-4, 6-7, 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 against James Blake to reach the third round of the Australian Open.

Another notable match yesterday was the one between Marin Cilic and local boy Bernard Tomic.

Cilic survived the match with a 6-7, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over the 17-year old.

Here's the rest of the results from the Australian Open singles and doubles on Day 3 (prefix number denotes seeding):

Round 2 - Men's Singles
14-Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-7(6) 6-3 4-6 6-2 6-4.
4-Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) bt James Blake (USA) 6-4 6-7(3) 5-7 6-3 10-8.
Florent Serra (FRA) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 3-6 6-4 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5.
5-Andy Murray (GBR) bt Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-1 6-4 6-3
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-3.
Florian Mayer (GER) bt 29-Viktor Troicki (SRB) 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 6-1.
12-Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Q-Antonio Veic (CRO) 6-4 6-4 6-4.
19-Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-3 6-2 6-2.
24-Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) bt Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-3
27-Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2
Evgeny Korolev (RUS) bt 21-Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-4 6-4 7-5
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Rainer Schuttler (GER) 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-2
33-John Isner (USA) bt Louk Sorensen (IRL) 6-3 7-6(4) 7-5
2-Rafael Nadal (ESP) bt Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-2 6-2 6-2
7-Andy Roddick (USA) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-3 6-4 6-4
11-Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bt Marsel Ilhan (TUR) 6-3 6-4 7-5

Round 1 - Women's SIngles
22-Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 3-6 6-1 7-5
29-Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-1
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Jarmila Groth (AUS) 6-4 2-6 6-4
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) bt 28-Elena Vesnina (RUS) 7-6(5) 6-4
Julia Gorges (GER) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-0 3-6 6-3
7-Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 6-2 6-0
9-Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Kristina Kucova (SVK) 6-2 6-0
Melinda Czink (HUN) bt Stefanie Vogele (SUI) 5-7.
16-Li Na (CHN) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-2 6-0
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-4 6-4.
Julia Gorges (GER) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-0 3-6 6-3.
4-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-4 6-2.
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-4 6-2
Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 7-5 6-2.
Agnes Szavay (HUN) bt Stephanie Dubois (CAN) 6-3 6-2

Round 2 - Women's Singles
Justine Henin (BEL) bt 5-Elena Dementieva (RUS) 7-5 7-6(6).
Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Vania King (USA) 7-6(7) 7-5.
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-3 6-1.
8-Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Katie O'Brien (GBR) 6-2 6-2.
Sara Errani (ITA) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-2 6-3.
27-Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-4 6-3.
2-Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-3 6-4.
31-Alona Bondarenko (UKR) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-4 7-5.
Angelique Kerber (GER) bt 26-Aravane Rezai (FRA) 6-2 6-3.
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt 12-Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 7-6(2) 6-1.
19-Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 6-4 6-4.
Zheng Jie (CHN) bt 24-Maria Jose Martinez (ESP) 2-6 6-2 6-3.
11-Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 6-4 6-4.
15-Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-3 6-3.
Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt 30-Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-2 7-5.
3-Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2 6-2

Round 1 - Men's Doubles
2-Daniel Nestor (CAN)/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) bt Samuel Groth/Jason Kubler (AUS) 7-6(5) 6-3.
Kaden Hensel/Greg Jones (AUS) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)/Christophe Rochus (BEL) 7-6(3) 3-6 7-6(2).
Leonardo Mayer/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) bt 12-Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA) 7-6 6-4.
Lucas Arnold (ARG)/Horia Tecau (ROU) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA)/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 4-6 7-6(4) 7-5.
Colin Fleming/Ken Skupski (GBR) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)/Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 7-5 6-4.
17-Jurgen Melzer (AUT)/Philipp Petzschner (GER) bt Marc Lopez/Santiago Ventura (ESP) 6-4 6-1.
8-Marcel Granollers/Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Matthew Ebden/Brydan Klein (AUS) 6-2 6-4.
5-Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)/Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 6-7(1) 6-3 6-1.
Albert Montanes (ESP)/Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) bt Jose Acasuso/Sebastian Prieto (ARG) 6-4 6-4
5-Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Oliver Marach (AUT) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG)/Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 6-7(1) 6-3 6-1
Colin Fleming/Ken Skupski (GBR) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)/Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 7-5 6-4
17-Jurgen Melzer (AUT)/Philipp Petzschner (GER) bt Marc Lopez/Santiago Ventura (ESP) 6-4 6-1
1-Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA) bt Michael Berrer/Simon Greul (GER) 6-4 7-5.
7-Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL) bt Ross Hutchins (GBR)/Jordan Kerr (AUS) 6-4 2-6 7-6(4)
Rik De Voest (RSA)/Scott Lipsky (USA) bt Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Aisam Qureshi (PAK) 4-6 6-1 7-6(6).
Arnaud Clement (FRA)/Jonathan Erlich (ISR) bt 10-Julian Knowle (AUT)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) 6-7(3) 6-4 6-4
Rameez Junaid/Peter Luczak (AUS) bt 15-Jaroslav Levinsky (CZE)/Travis Parrott (USA) 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2
Johan Brunstrom (SWE)/Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)/Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-2 6-3
Philipp Marx (GER)/Igor Zelenay (SVK) bt Nick Lindahl/Matt Reid (AUS) 6-3 6-4
Prakash Amritraj/Somdev Devvarman (IND) bt James Cerretani/Travis Rettenmaier (USA) 5-7 6-4 7-5

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

TENNIS WATCH: On coaches, nudity, money & power, retirement & comeback, etc.

Since I'll be away for a couple of days, here's a longer than usual brief tennis news for you to read. Have a good weekend!

• Finally James Blake has stopped working with long time coach Brian Barker after the US Open. He is now coached by Kelly Jones in Beijing. Although lost to Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 in the second round yesterday, Blake saved a match point to claw back to 5-5 and eventually won the second set.

• Ernests Gulbis seems to improve a lot after getting help from new coach Hernan Gumy. He has won back-to-back ATP matches for the first time this season and advanced to the quarterfinals of Tokyo when Juan Monaco retired at 6-3, 4-1 yesterday.

• Have we forgotten about Mario Ancic? I guess not. The Croatian has not retire from tennis to become a full time lawyer. He is expected to get medical clearance (from mononucleosis) to begin training again. Ancic hopes to return to the tour next January.

• No.1 again next week, Serena Williams, on posing nude for the cover of ESPN The Magazine, "ESPN had a body issue, and they told me I had a great body and wanted me to be on the cover. So I was super flattered, but I wanted to do it classy and not trampy, for lack of a better word. It's tasteful and super cool, and I love it."

• It's not a surprise when AskMen.com poll voted tennis stars Roger Federer (no. 8) and Andy Roddick (no. 35) as among the world's most influential men of the year.

• Andy Murray is the 8th highest-earning sportsman in Britain with an annual income of £7 million, according to The Daily Telegraph.
  

• Still on money, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, like many other sportsmen who resides in Switzerland for tax purposes, will be unable to play in Basel. Tsonga's tax agreement with local Swiss authorities would become invalid if he were to earn money inside Switzerland.

• Justine Henin will make her Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley confirmed at the official event launch. Henin's first tournment back will probably be Brisbane Open.

• While veteran players are planning a strong comeback, Amelie Mauresmo is considering retiring from tennis. In her website, she said, “Since I came back from the U.S. Open, I’ve been trying to practice but I can’t find again the desire to come back to competition. I don’t want to rush or force things. (I will take) some time to think before making a decision regarding the remainder of my career.”

• Martina Hingis who is now given the green light to return to the tennis circuit after her two-year cocaine ban, chose to return to competition - but in horse riding. She is set to make an appearance in a show jumping contest in Switzerland this week.

• Jelena Dokic's dad, Damir is on a hunger strike to protest his jail sentence for making threats against the Australian ambassador.

• The Spanish tennis federation has narrowed its choice of venue for the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic to Valencia or Barcelona. The final decision to be announced this Saturday.

(Via AP, tennis.com)

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)

US Open Day 4 Wrap-up: Elena Dementieva blows $1mil bonus, another smooth day for men's seeded players

It was another disastrous day at the US Open where several women's seeded players were knocked out from the season ending Grand Slam — no. 4 Elena Dementieva, no. 5 Jelena Jankovic, no. 19 Patty Schnyder, no. 23 Sabine Lisicki and no. 30 Alona Bondarenko.

Elena Dementieva blew her $1 million bonus after being stunned by American teenager Melanie Oudin 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

The 17-year-old Oudin will set up a third-round match against Maria Sharapova who eliminated another 17-year-old American, Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1.

Dinara Safina was lucky to stay in the tournament, overcoming her second poor performance of the week before defeating Kristina Barrois 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3.

It was whole different scenario with the guys as no seeded men lost on Day 4 at the US Open.

Surprisingly, the Americans did pretty well as they sailed through to the next round — Andy Roddick, James Blake, Sam Querrey, John Isner and the unknown Jesse Witten.

Swiss Marco Chiudinelli currently ranked 161 in the world, surprised many after defeating Mikhail Youzhny 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3.

Somdev Devvarman managed to bageled Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third set before he was shown the exit door by the German who won 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

US Open men's singles second round results from New York on Friday (prefix denotes seeding)

5-Andy Roddick (US) beat Marc Gicquel (France) 6-1 6-4 6-4
23-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 6-3 6-4 0-6 6-2
John Isner (US) beat Marsel Ilhan (Turkey) 6-3 6-4 7-6(1)
21-James Blake (US) beat Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-4 3-6 7-6(6) 6-3
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Carsten Ball (Australia) 6-3 6-4 6-4
15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4
Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 6-3
14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-4
12-Robin Soederling (Sweden) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 2-0 (Granollers retired)
8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-1 6-2
22-Sam Querrey (US) beat Kevin Kim (U.S.) 7-5 6-7(6) 6-4 6-4
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-0 6-3
Jesse Witten (US) beat Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) 6-7(3) 6-4 7-5 6-2
20-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Robert Kendrick (US) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)

US Open women's singles second round results from New York on Friday (prefix denotes seeding)

29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Christina McHale (US) 6-2 6-1
Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-2 6-0
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) 6-4 6-2
Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) beat 23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 6-3 3-6 7-5
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat 5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(6)
Sara Errani (Italy) beat 19-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 7-5 6-2
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Peng Shuai (China) 2-6 6-1 6-4
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-1 6-3
21-Zheng Jie (China) beat Alize Cornet (France) 1-6 6-3 6-3
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Petra Martic (Croatia) 6-1 6-0
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Shenay Perry (US) 6-1 6-1
Melanie Oudin (US) beat 4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 5-7 6-4 6-3
24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 6-4 5-7 6-4
1-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Kristina Barrois (Germany) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Julie Coin (France) 6-4 7-6(3)
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat 30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4 6-0

(Via AP, TVNZ, US Open website)

TENNIS WATCH: NIKE or ADIDAS, FILA's headband not allowed

No other player can make bigger statement with her tennis dress than Maria Sharapova.

The Russian beauty is simply stunning in her NIKE black dress with silver straps and a matching silver headband.

Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki who debut her Stella McCartney's Adidas dress was far from impressive.

I'm a fan of Wozniacki but to be honest, that dress would have suited Maria Kirilenko better.

*******

Something bizzare happened to James Blake when an umpire wipe an advertising logo off his headband before his first round match at the US Open.

"I didn't know the rule," said Blake, who played without the FILA logo on the headband

"I didn't know you couldn't have any writing on the headband or wristband. With the new logo, new design, there's always the logo. I didn't know we couldn't do that."

"I don't know why the ATP does some of the things it does, or if it is just the (International Tennis Federation)," Blake said.

"A quarter-inch here, a quarter-inch there, they make all these rules. That's for them to deal with, the sponsors and everything. It's not my place to say."

(Via AFP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

VIDEO: 2009 Arthur Ashe Kids Day

The US Open Arthur Ashe Kids' Day — an annual kid-centric event for families — got off to a rainy start on Saturday and all morning activities were cancelled.

By afternoon, all the programmes went on according to schedule.

Event highlights included musical performances and appearances by popular tennis stars and celebrities — Andy Roddick, James Blake, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Will Ferrell, Jordin Sparks and many more.

Jordin Sparks

The performance by funnyman Will Ferrell was probably the highlight of the day, when he appeared wearing the same outfit as Blake and a rubber hairpiece to mimic Blake's clean shaven head.

He then climbed clumsily into the umpire's chair and made a shout out at Blake's exhibition doubles match, offering funny advice like, "Get closer. Try to kiss your opponent."

Here's the video made by tennisnakama of the event:

(Images by Rob Loud/Getty Images North America)

US Open Player Party presented by Heineken

I'm not sure if it's just me... I think this year's party at the Skyline Studios was almost as bland as James Blake's performance on court.

And none of the celebrities excite me...

James Blake and The City's star Olivia Palermo

Venus Williams... the queen of cool

Gossip Girls' star Penn Badgley

Emmy Rossum

(Images by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America)

Pre-US Open: Pretty practice photos

Now that the US Open draw is out, let's see who has been practicing hard on court over the week.

Here are some eye candies for your viewing pleasure...

Juicy Jo-Willy

Flawless Ferrer

Mikhail Youzhny and Andy Murray

Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic


Lleyton Hewitt and James Blake

Cuddly Cilic


Mighty Monfils

Rusty Roddick

(Images via US Open official website)

TENNIS WATCH: Kid's Day, Minar denies doping, Agassi opens up, Srichaphan's adult product

James Blake and Mardy Fish attended Kid's Day at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament in New Haven yesterday.

Blake, however chose not to enter the tournament in order to prepare for the US Open.

*******

Czech tennis player Ivo Minar was tested positive for a banned substance after a Davis Cup quarterfinal victory over Argentine on July 10-12.

Minar was said to have taken an unspecified supplement that apparently contained a derivative of the banned stimulant pseudoephedrine.

Currently ranked at no. 66, he denied he had never 'consciously' taken a banned substance.

*******

Andre Agassi’s autobiography, OPEN, is heading to book stores in November.

In the book, Agassi discusses his start in tennis as a child, his relationship with his father and his failed marriage to Brooke Shields.

*******

Is Paradorn Srichaphan selling adult product?

According to Srichaphan, he hoped his latest business, a herbal-product company called Magic Thaiherbs, will not tarnish his image as a national hero.

"Unlike Viagra, my product is more like a tonic which is good for men's bodies. When men are happy and healthy, they make married life better,'' said the former Thai no.1.