Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray display football skills to aid Japan relief

Here are the photos of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and friends in a charity soccer match to support the relief effort in Japan.

Other players who joined this effort were Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco, Richard Gasquet, Feliciano Lopez, Viktor Troicki, Marcos Baghdatis, David Ferrer, Jurgen Melzer, etc.

Murray and Baghdatis scored, but the tennis players lost to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers professional team.

If you are thinking of contributing to this relief effort too, please visit this website and bid on something for a good cause.

This auction site was put up by Nishikori to raise funds for the Red Cross to help victims in Japan.

They will continue to fill the site with items as players and events continue to donate.

(Images via Sina Tennis)

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Players' arrival photos in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur

As a big tennis fan and tennis mamarazzi, nothing beats welcoming my favourite players at the airport with a bunch of flowers :D

Unlike last year, this time I only got to know Rendy Lu Yen-hsun's flight schedule. Rendy arrived together with his mom, brother and his team.

Meanwhile in Bangkok, the organiser sent me some arrival photos of their star players - Juan Martin Del Potro, Ernests Gulbis, Fernando Verdasco and Jurgen Melzer (in sequence).

Yay, Del Potro is back in tournament!

(Images via PTT Thailand Open 2010, HSFoo of HCFoo's Tennis Blog)

Fernando Verdasco, Caroline Wozniacki win US Open final tune-up

Fernando Verdasco won his first title of the season and third of his career on Saturday defeating American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6 (6) at the Pilot Pen tennis championship.

Meanwhile, in the women's singles Caroline Wozniacki won her second consecutive beating Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4 in the final tune-up for the U.S. Open.

Wozniacki’s championship was her sixth, third this year.

In men's the doubles final, Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle took down Bruno Soared and Kevin Ullyett 6-4, 7-6 (3).

In the women's doubles final, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated defeated Iveta Benesova and Lucie Hradecka, 6-2, 7-5.

(Via AP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Novak Djokovic stripped to his briefs in Montreal, again!

It seems like the Canadians enjoy watching Novak Djokovic stripped to his undies. He did it in Montreal back in 2007.

And he did it again last Sunday.

As he strutted down the catwalk in an oriental-style jacket, the Serbian was mentioned in the ATP website to have "provocatively teased the crowd as he made his way around the stage, before dropping the jacket to pose in just his underwear, much to the enjoyment of the audience".

I'm better on the catwalk than I'm in the court these days!

Tadaaaa!! Here's the proof!

Other ATP World Tour stars who made their appearances on the catwalk (no striptease, though) were Tommy Robredo, Jurgen Melzer, Jeremy Chardy, Mark Knowles, Yen-Hsun Lu, Simon Aspelin, Paul Hanley, Teimuraz Gabashvili, Milos Raonic and Mischa Zverev.

Rendy Lu Yen-hsun

Tommy Robredo

Jurgen Melzer

Jeremy Chardy

(Images by Arturo Velazque via ATP World Tour website)

Justin Timberlake & Chace Crawford spotted at Wimbledon

Is Justin Timberlake the biggest celebrity to have graced Wimbledon this year?

Someone needs to fill up that seat.

Dressed casually in a jeans, black T-shirt and granddad cap, Justin was there to support his friend Andy Roddick in the third round clash against Jurgen Melzer.

Roddick dropped the third set but eventually won 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.

Another celebrity spotted at Wimbledon was Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford.

Coffee, tea or me?

(Images by Getty Images)

Unusual betting on Jurgen Melzer vs Wayne Odesnik match

A number of betting companies contacted the Tennis Integrity Unit after thousands of pounds were staked at several betting shops on a straight-sets victory for Jurgen Melzer.

Paddy Power and Ladbrokes stopped taking bets more than hour before the match, while the online betting company, Betfair, became suspicious when more than £350,000 went on Melzer two hours before the start of play.

When asked about the furore, American Wayne Odesnik, said, "I would never do anything to jeopardise my future.”

The Tennis Integrity Unit is expected to look into the game to determine whether the patterns were sinister or simply reflected fans' judgment that the little-fancied Odesnik, who was carrying an injury, was likely to lose heavily.

(Via Times Online; Images by Getty Images)

A sneak peak inside Nicolas Kiefer's pants

Nicolas Kiefer retired with an abdominal muscle tear in the second round after down 1-6 against Jurgen Melzer at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

(Via Yahoo! Sports)

Rafael Nadal: The crowd-puller who didn't pull the ball girl to safety

If you're a Rafael Nadal, then you'll be guaranteed a sold-out crowd.

Playing in front of his homecrowd in his opening match in Madrid, Nadal had quite a number of VIPs who came to watch him play - Spanish Queen Sofia, Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, former Spanish tennis player Manolo Santana, football star Raul, Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos and film director Pedro Almodovar.

Rafael Nadal powered into the third round of the Madrid Open after a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over Jurgen Melzer.

During the match, one of the Madrid ball girl fainted and was brought to safety by a security guard.

I bet she was in shock because her rescuer didn't turn out to be Nadal :D

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Slovakia beats Russia to win Hopman Cup; Jurgen Melzer should be very jealous

Slovak Republic pair of Dominik Hrbaty and Dominika Cibulkova pulled off a major upset to win the $1-million ITF Hyundai Hopman Cup tennis championship in Perth’s Burswood Dome.

It was the Slovak nation’s 3rd Cup win in eight appearances at the international mixed teams championship.

The victory was clinched by Hrbaty in a thrilling singles battle, beating Russia’s Marat Safin, a former world No. 1, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3). Earlier, Cibulkova had beaten world no. 3 Dinara Safina 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-4.

In a power-packed six hours of tennis, the Slovaks survived against higher-ranked opponents after both teams had gone into the final undefeated from their three round robin matches.

The 19-year-old Cibulkova, ranked 19 in the world, converted five of her 10 break point opportunities in her singles win and completed the week unbeaten in four matches, plus two mixed doubles.

Her partner, who celebrated his 31st birthday earlier in Cup week, survived numerous crisis moments as the powerful Safin blasted 22 aces past him.

The victory belied Hrbaty’s singles ranking of 252 after a career high of 14. Safin, ranked at 29 after a year of injury, has announced that this could well be his last year on Tour.

The Slovaks shared a winner’s prize of A$250,000, plus two diamond-encrusted tennis balls.

P.S. If you do not know the relationship between Cibulkova and Jurgen Melzer, click here.

(Via Hopman Cup official website; Images by Tony Ashby/AFP/Getty Images))

Dominika Cibulkova is Slovakia's Women’s Tennis Player of the Year

Dominika Cibulkova received the 2008 Women’s Tennis Player Award in Slovakia.

And of course for amazing moment like this she shared it with boyfriend, Jurgen Melzer by inviting him to the ceremony.

By the way, Cibulkova will be teaming up with countryman Dominik Hrbaty in next month's Hopman Cup.

(Images via WTA Women Tennis)

Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic spotted together at Real Madrid match

There's no PDA (public display of affection) like Jurgen Melzer and Domonika Cibulkova yet.

But this is the first time we see Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic, or better known as Anando, together in a photo, off-court after China Open.

Verdasco (or Nando who is what he is affectionately called) flew all the way to Doha to support Ana at the WTA Championships and of course to celebrate Ana's birthday.

Now this week, Nando will be celebrating his birthday on Nov 15. So, to see them together at the Real Madrid vs Real Union match doesn't come as a surprise to me at all.

From the youtube video, it looks like the hottest couple in tennis right now is pretty comfortable opening up their relationship.



Come Anando, give us more...

(Via downthelinetennis.com, womenstennisblog.com)

Jurgen Melzer and Dominika Cibulkova's P.D.A in Maldives

Down the Line! thinks Jurgen Melzer and Dominika Cibulkova still aren't hot enough compare to Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco?

Aww, c'mon!

Melzer and Cibulkova fell in love at the US Open this year, where they played mixed doubles together.

The new couple have started their off season holiday vacationing in Maldives.

I'll pick them as my favourite sizzling hot couple for now... unless Anando start camwhoring and display their affection in public too!

Fans are waiting....

(First three images via downthelinetennis.com)

Wimbledon 2008: Racquet abuse

Every tennis player wants a piece of that fame and fortune and their names to be remembered in the history book of Grand Slam. The championships do not just take the physical toll out of the players but also their emotions as well.

I'm not a fan of racquet abusers but I guess I understand how frustrated these players are especially when they are playing in such a prestigious tournament like the Wimbledon.

Jurgen Melzer throws his racquet onto ground, during the third round match against Arnaud Clement. Arnaud won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Janko Tipsarevic throws his racquet, during the third round match against Dmitry Tursunov but won 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Dinara Safina's defeat to Shahar Peer is another upset of the day. Peer won 5-7, 7-6, 8-6.

A chair is broken after Czech' Radek Stepanek smashed on it during the match against Mikhael Youzhny. Youzhny won 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

Lucky no one is hurt in these racquet abuse incidents.

(Images by AP Photo/Sang Tan/CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)