Rafael Nadal, Ana Ivanovic to play in Richard Branson's event this week

While Novak Djokovic is back to Belgrade to play in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic this weekend, Rafael Nadal is already in the Caribbean for Richard Branson's Necker Cup.

Nadal with girlfriend Maria Francisca and baby Kristian Kriek in a car ride to the hotel in Necker Island

The Necker Cup is an exclusive Pro-Am event held on Sir Richard Branson’s private island Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands held on November 12-16th. If the Necker Cup is not exciting enough for you, then it has to be Super Bowl to be held in February next year in New Orleans. To get yourself prepared for more winning moments, visit Super Bowl XLVIII Bets.

Cirstea and Ivanovic on a private flight to the Necker island

Back to the Necker Cup, some of us may not be too familiar with the event. Sixteen (16) ATP/WTA Tour Players/Legends are paired up with sixteen (16) amateur teams of all levels to compete in the fun tennis event. A handicapped scoring format is implemented to make it competitive for every player. Each team consists of one pro and up to two amateurs. Teams will compete to win their bracket and earn a chance to play in the Necker Cup Finals.

Of course besides playing tennis, participants also get to do a lot of island activities.

(Images via Facebook, Instagram)

Australian Open 2013 official players party

Players attended the official Australian Open players party at the Grand Hyatt last night. Those who attended were greeted by some wildlife e.g. koala, snake and a joey. There's a video at the end of this post.

Stanislas Wawrinka

Lucie Safarova

Chen Ti

Jelena Jankovic

Michael Llodra 

Radek Stepanek

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Petra Kvitova 

Sania Mirza

James Ward and Anne Keothavong

Daniela Hantuchova 

Denis Istomin

(Images via Zimbio)

WTA Tour pre-Wimbledon bash video and photos

The women's tennis players arrives at the WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party at The Roof Gardens, Kensington yesterday ahead of the SW19.

Maria Sharapova is the favourite player to win this tournament.

Petra Kvitova

Ana Ivanovic

Caroline Wozniacki

The Williams sisters

Li Na

Sorana Cirstea

(Images via Sina Sports)

Maria Sharapova bounces back to no.1, one step away from the French Open title

Maria Sharapova is back at the no.1 spot in the WTA rankings following her victory in the women's semi final match against Petra Kvitova at Roland Garros.

She first captured the top rank in 2005.

''It's a long road back; it's a long process. It's a lot of days of frustration and uncertainty, not knowing if you'll ever get there, not knowing how much you want it, not knowing whether (there) would be a moment like that for you again,'' Sharapova said at the press conference with the WTA's glass vase signifying her no. 1 status sitting inches away.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

ITF honours Novak Djokovic, Petra Kvitova, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

The World Champions Dinner was held last night to celebrate the achievements of the 2011 ITF World Champions.

Among the recipients were Novak Djokovic (who collected his award straight after his quarterfinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga), Petra Kvitova and Bob and Mike Bryan.

Petra Kvitova

The Bryan brothers and little Micaela

Wheelchair champion Esther Vergeer accepted her trophy for a record 12th year.

Spanish tennis star Arantxa Sanchez Vicario received ITF’s highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award.

(Images via French Open Facebook fan page)

French Open interviewer doesn't know Petra Kvitova is dating young boyfriend Adam Pavlasek

The interview with Petra Kvitova on the French Open website is quite bland.

I guess the interviewer doesn't know much about her. The silliest question would be whether it is easy for the Czech player to pick up boys since she is a top tennis player.

Kvitova said she met her boyfriend (Adam Pavlasek is 5 years younger) before her breakthrough season last year.

Petra Kvitova and Adam Pavlasek attended the awards ceremony for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011 last year.

(Images via French Open official website, zimbio.com)

US Open Week 1 Wrap-up: Bizarre weekend as Roddick, Sharapova, Safina oust in the third round

It seems like a bizarre day at Flushing Meadows as Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina were sent off by lesser known players, John Isner, Melanie Oudin and Petra Kvitova respectively.

Big-serving Roddick was defeated by the 6-foot-9 and countryman Isner who won 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6.

Another American who delivers one of the biggest shock is Oudin who sent off Sharapova in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory, followed up her win over another Russian Elena Dementieva in the earlier round.

In a late night match moment ago, top seed and world no. 1 Dinara Safina blowed a chance at the season ending Grand Slam after she was defeated 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 by little-known Petra Kvitova.

Earlier, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic led a parade of seeds — Nikolay Davydenko (8), Fernando Verdasco (10), Robin Soderling (12) and Radek Stepanek (15)—into the second week of the hardcourt major.

Kudos to American Jessie Witten who battled for almost 3 and a 1/2 hours before succumbing 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4 to Djokovic.

That was hell of an entertaining match as we saw Djokovic's racquet slipped off his hand several times.

I truly enjoyed this match although the LIVE coverage on TV kept hopping from court to court.

Since I did not post any updates on Saturday, here's the complete results for Day 5 and Day 6.

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

14-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat 21-James Blake (U.S.) 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4
John Isner (U.S.) beat 5-Andy Roddick (U.S.) 7-6(3) 6-3 3-6 5-7 7-6(5)
10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat 20-Tommy Haas (Germany) 3-6 7-5 7-6(8) 1-6 6-4
12-Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat 22-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 6-2 7-5 6-7(6) 6-1
8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Marco Chiudinelli (Switzerland) 6-4 7-5 7-5
4-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Jesse Witten (U.S.) 6-7(2) 6-3 7-6(2) 6-4
1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 31-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4
15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat 23-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3

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

Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 1-Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-4 2-6 7-6(5)
9-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 24-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-3 6-2
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 7-6(4) 6-4
6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Shahar Peer (Israel) 7-5 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Sara Errani (Italy) 6-3 6-4
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) beat Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-3 6-4
Melanie Oudin (U.S.) beat 29-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 3-6 6-4 7-5
13-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat 21-Zheng Jie (China) 6-4 6-1


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

3-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 6-0 3-6 6-3 6-4
Taylor Dent (US) beat Ivan Navarro (Spain) 6-4 5-7 6-7(1) 7-5 7-6(9)
Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat 18-David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-2
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Josselin Ouanna (France) 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4
13-Gael Monfils (France) beat Andreas Beck (Germany) 6-3 7-5 6-3
32-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Robby Ginepri (US) 6-7(7) 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-4
Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6(4)
2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Paul Capdeville (Chile) 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-2
Daniel Koellerer (Austria) beat Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-4
17-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-3 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-2
9-Gilles Simon (France) beat Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 6-3 6-2 6-4
6-Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) beat Juergen Melzer (Austria) 7-6(6) 6-3 6-3
24-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Philipp Petzschner (Germany) 1-6 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-4
16-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Jesse Levine (US) 4-6 2-6 6-0 6-3 6-0
Julien Benneteau (France) beat 30-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-0
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-5 6-3 6-4

US Open women's singles third round results from New York on Saturday (prefix number denotes seeding)

3-Venus Williams (US) beat Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-2 7-5
Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-0 6-2
18-Li Na (China) beat Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-4 6-2
7-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat 31-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-2 6-4
26-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat 8-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 4-6 6-2 6-2
2-Serena Williams (US) beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spain) 6-3 7-5
22-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Vania King (US) 6-2 6-2
10-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) 6-1 6-1

(Via AP, Reuters, TVNZ, US Open website)