Australian Open 2017 Players Party

Some of the biggest names in tennis were missing from the weekend's 2017 Australian Open players party at Crown in Melbourne, Australia. Nevertheless it was very refreshing to see some of the most familiar faces in tennis below all dressed up in their casual outfit to the party. The tournament has officially kicked off today and we're looking forward to exciting tennis as well as upsets over the course of the next two weeks.

Garbine Muguruza

Kei Nishikori

Agnieszka Radwanska

Stanislas Wawrinka

Gael Monfils

Bryan brothers

Images via zimbio

Novak Djokovic continues to dominate men's tennis with 63rd career title in Miami

World no.1 Novak Djokovic continued his domination of men's tennis with a 6-3 6-3 win over fellow Uniqlo's ambassador Kei Nishikori in the Miami Open final at Key Biscayne, a win which sees him become tennis' all-time leading money winner.

Djokovic collected a sum of USD1,028,300 on weekend and his career earnings has approached USD100 million.

With four titles in 2016, following victories at the Australian Open, Qatar and Indian Wells, Djokovic will definitely be looking forward to the upcoming clay court season. The French Open remains to be the only Grand Slam title that is missing from his collection.

The Serbian only needed 85 minutes to join Andre Agassi as a six-time Miami Open winner.

Djokovic said his first Miami win in 2007 paved the way for a career that now includes a massive total of 63 ATP titles.

"It gave me a lot of confidence, a lot of self belief that I can finally win these big tournaments, finally beat the top players," he said.

"Every year I come back to this tournament I get goose bumps from those days. I was still 19 years old and making my way to the top."

Djokovic seems invincible and untouchable at the moment

It was his fourth consecutive championship, and a record 28th overall, in the Masters 1000.

(Images via Zimbio)

Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell: Will Nadal be able to bounce back?

Despite another disappointed year at the Monte Carlo Masters, Rafael Nadal still hasn't given up on his favourite clay surface. In fact he is aiming for a ninth title at the Barcelona Open happening this week.

Last Saturday, the Nadal was defeated in straight sets by world no.1 Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. However, the Spaniard insisted he was pleased by his progress after a poor start at the beginning of the year due to injury

"For me, it's a very positive week. The most positive week of the season, without any doubt," said Nadal.

"If I am able to keep doing that in the next tournament in Barcelona, and I have a tough draw, I will say that I am very well again."

The 8-time champion is seeded second after defending champion Kei Nishikori who ended a nine-year streak by Nadal in 2014. Other players who will be playing in Barcelona are David Ferrer, Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Feliciano Lopez, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ernests Gulbis. However, the odds are high that Nishikori will give Nadal a run for the money.

Image via tennisplanet.me

Kei Nishikori
The world no. 4, reigning champion and top seed Kei Nishikori makes his fifth straight appearance in Barcelona with a 10-3 career tournament record. A year ago Nishikori entered the Barcelona tournament ranked no. 17 and he only dropped one set en route to his first career ATP World Tour clay court title. This season Nishikori is 21-5 with a title in Memphis. This is the fifth time in Nishikori’s career he is the top seed in an ATP tournament. He has quite an outstanding 16-1 record as the top seed with his only loss to Ferrer in the Acapulco final. Nishikori was absent from the recent Monte Carlo Masters.

Image via Skysports

Rafael Nadal
Nadal is aiming for the ninth title here. He comes into Barcelona with a brilliant 42-2 career tournament record. His 41-match winning streak in Barcelona came to an end after beaten by fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals last year. Eight of Nadal’s titles came in the past 10 years (he did not play in 2010). This is the fourth time Nadal is not the top seed i.e. in the year 2013, 2005 and 2003. This is going to be an interesting tournament that could make or break Nadal in the subsequent clay court tournaments before the French Open.

Malaysian Open, PTT Thailand Open named their marquee players

I'm all excited because the Malaysian Open has named Juan Monaco as one of the four marquee players for this year's tournament. The Argentinian who is a fresh face to the tournament just won the Hamburg title on Sunday and enters the top 10  for the first time today.

The other three marquee players are David Ferrer, Kei Nishikori and Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Meanwhile, PTT Thailand Open who will be celebrating its 10th anniversary has named their marquee players as well. They are Janko Tipsarevic, Gilles Simon, Fernando Verdasco, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils and Bernard Tomic.

(Images via Malaysian Open and PTT Thailand Open's Facebook fan pages)

ITF launches Olympic Book at Wimbledon

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) yesterday announced the publication of its official Olympic Book Aspire, Inspire: Celebrating Tennis at the Olympics 2012. 

Roger Federer at the photo shoot

Thirty-six of the world’s leading tennis players took part in the ITF project to help promote the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Tennis Events.

Andy Murray during the photo shoot

The 140-page publication features a series of specially commissioned photographs of the game’s top names posing with pictures of themselves as a child and talking about their sporting heroes. 

Here are some of the pictures:

Rafael Nadal

Juan Martin Del Potro

Kim Clijsters

David Ferrer

Francesca Schiavone

Kei Nishikori

  

Sam Stosur

(Via ITF website)

JK Rowling makes rare public appearance; Rafael Nadal works his magic

Author J. K. Rowling (L) made a rare public appearance sitting in the Royal Box on Day 2 at Wimbledon yesterday.

Meanwhile Rafael Nadal worked his magic last night after a slow start with 4 games down against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci. Nadal survived an early scare to kick off his bid for a third Wimbledon title with a 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Rafael Nadal

Others who also made it to the second round were Grigor Dimitrov, David Goffin, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori and Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga.

Grigor Dimitrov

Kei Nishikori

It has been rumoured that the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton will attend the championships later this week with her mother Carole Middleton, and possibly her sister Pippa.

(Via Telegraph, Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Novak Djokovic signs clothing deal with Japanese UNIQLO

Novak Djokovic has dropped his Sergio Tacchini clothing sponsorship and has reportedly signed a 5-year deal with Japanese brand UNIQLO heading into the French Open.

The brand also sponsors Japan's top-ranked player Kei Nishikori.

I'm looking forward to see Djokovic debut in his new UNIQLO gear in Paris next week.

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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Kei Nishikori honours earthquake, tsunami victims

I hope it's not too late for me to express my sadness over the biggest earthquake that triggered a monstrous tsunami waves that washed away the coastal towns in Japan last week.

Very quickly I would think of Japanese pro tennis player Kei Nishikori.

According to Nishikori, he couldn't help but think of the devastating news as he played his opening match againts Igor Andreev at the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells on Friday.

"I was shocked yesterday and today, but I had to concentrate on my game,' said Nishikori who lost 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4."

The 20-year-old Nishikori wore a black ribbon on his chest in honour of those who who died in the devastation. He said his heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and their livelihoods.

"(Earthquakes) happen a lot in Japan especially," he said. "I knew it was going to happen sometime in a hundred years, but I didn't know it's going to happen like soon, like yesterday. Suddenly it came and so I don't think everybody was ready."

Nishikori's hometown of Shimane is in south-west Japan and far from the centre of the earthquake which struck off the northeast coast. Shimane is a one hour flight to Sendai which was the hardest hit area. As soon has he heard the news he phoned his family and friends back home.

"At least they are fine. My family is okay," he said. "I talked to them this morning. My town was okay. It wasn't too bad. But, you know, around Tokyo and others it's bad."

(Via The Straits Times, Image via Yahoo Sports)

Fernando Verdasco: Impossible is nothing

I'm a Nike person never an Adidas.

And I'm not observant either. But my eyes were pretty quick when it comes to Fernando Verdasco when I saw this advertising display in front of an Adidas shop in Pavilion, KL yesterday.

Speaking of the Australian Open, Verdasco made quite an impression after saving match points in a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Wednesday.

Verdasco rallied from a two-set deficit and saved three match points in the fourth set against Janko Tipsarevic, to eventually claim the match 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0), 6-0.

He's scheduled to play Kei Nishikori today, who defeated Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in the second round.

(Images by hcfoo, Yahoo! Sports)

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Kei Nishikori endorses UNIQLO apparel

It was my first time at UNIQLO outlet last weekend and I find the Japanese high-street fashion brand rather affordable yet stylish.

Coincidentally, Kei Nishikori has also signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with UNIQLO earlier this month wearing the apparel at Aircel Chennai Open for the first time and now at the Australian Open.

Nishikori who made a winning start in the first round at the Australian Open defeated Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4.

Back to UNIQLO, the Japanese brand, which boasts an impressive lineup of trendy wear, is also endorsed by high profile celebrities, Charlize Theron and Orlando Bloom.

For more info of the UNIQLO brand, go to its Japanese website, US website or Malaysian website.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

It's not easy being Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori is probably one of the few players whom I want to meet personally.

My wish came true yesterday when he was present at the Malaysian Open Main Draw ceremony.


Poor Nishikori... he suffered jet lag and couldn't stop yawning from the moment he sat down during the event which was made public this year.

Yawning or not I'm still cute :D

After the Main Draw ceremony, Nishikori went to the Wilson booth for an autograph session. The crowd was quite amazing!

Hope you like the candid photos and the video below.



For original photos without watermark, you can request from me at hcfoo7@gmail.com


(Images by HSFoo of HCFoo's Tennis Blog)

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