Note: I was asked to remove this post by the organiser (not the first time I was asked to do so) but I'm going to repost this anyway.
I'm a blogger. I write based on what I heard and experienced. I can write whatever I want without reporting or explaining to anyone.
Besides, I don't think there's any harm in creating a buzz about this event. It's just like spreading the buzz about Justine Henin's comeback. It was good for her publicity. The same thing applies to this event too.
I'm still thinking about last week's ATP tournament and now I heard there could be another exhibition match in Kuala Lumpur coming this December.
And let's not forget that in February next year, Kuala Lumpur will host the WTA players in the Malaysia Tennis Classic.
My source (quite a reliable one) informed me that Showdown of Champions is set to take place sometime on December 19 & 20, 2009 at the Melawati Stadium.
The launching could be sometime on October 26 by Anna Kournikova; possibly going to take place at Starhill.
My source also added that 2 Russians, 1 from China and 1 from India will take part in this classy event. If the Showdown organisers keep their promise to the fans at the Putra Stadium last year, we could be having Maria Sharapova right here in Kuala Lumpur.
Congrats to Zahed for being a featured topic in Tennis Week.
Here's an excerpt from the article which I want to highlight:
"When I was in Shanghai for Tennis Masters Cup I was walking around wearing the "RF" cap and a fan walked up to me and said 'I have some extra tickets for the exhibition'," Khan said.
"So I ended up going (to Kuala Lumpur) to watch Roger, Borg, Blake and McEnroe. I wasn't planning on going but went."
"Roger was doing an autograph signing at a mall before the match and my mom and I went and as soon as he saw us, he remembered us from Shanghai and said 'Hey, it's you again.' He was very nice to my mom. She made a special Olympic t-shirt for him and he shook her hand."
Esther, a regular contributor at HCFoo's Tennis Blog, met Zahed at Shanghai and invited him and his mom to KL for the exhibition match and meet-the-fans session as the three of them didn't have a chance to see Roger in action as he missed the TMC final.
Here's a lovely photo of Zahed and his mom taken during lunch after Roger's autograph session. And that's their infamous t-shirts :D
The American is currently back in the states to watch a series of tournaments including the BNP Paribas Open and the Sony Ericsson Open.
Roger Federer wraps up his 2008 season in Macau last night as he, James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe conclude this week's lucrative pair of Asian paydays.
Personally I don't care about the results as these are only exhibition tours.
Nevertheless, here are the final scores:
Kuala Lumpur Borg vs McENROE 6-7 (11-13) FEDERER vs Blake 7-6 (10-7) TEAM AMERICA (McEnroe & Blake) vs Team Europe (Borg & Federer) 7-5
Macau BORG vs McEnroe 7-6 FEDERER vs Blake 6-4, 6-4 Team America (McEnroe & Blake) vs Team Europe (Borg & Federer) (No results provided)
Here are some photos before and during the exhibition match as well as post match press conference photos in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.
Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
And here are some photos of the players in gondolas during their appearance at the Macau Tennis Showdown at the Venetian resort.
While Roger and Blake have wrapped up their Asian exhibition, Borg and McEnroe will continue to play in Bangkok tomorrow. (Images via Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images)
While Roger Federer was at the meet-the-fans session, Esther who had just attended the tennis clinic conducted James Blake, walked towards the Mandarin Oriental hotel entrance.
By the way Esther is a huge tennis fan (and also very tennis-savvy) whom I get to know through my blog. For the past one year we have been exchanging information and she helped me a lot in doing research and contacting media and organisers as well.
There she bumped into Mirka. It wasn't easy to get a personal photo with Mirka but Esther was really lucky that day (*Esther just gave me the green light to post her photo with Mirka here).
I walked back to Mandarin Oriental after Roger's meet-the-fans session and reunited with Esther.
At the hotel lobby, we saw Mirka coming back from grocery shopping! Not sure what she bought though. The yellow plastic bag shows two chinese/japanese-looking characters. We asked for photos but she declined and kept saying, "Sorry, I don't take photos. Sorry!" So we let her go :D
Later in the evening, Esther, Siti (a tennis fan whom we met that day) and I walked back from Starbucks towards the hotel lobby hoping to catch the players before they head to the stadium.
On the way, we saw Mirka again! She was right in front of us and we asked for photos again.
She refused to take photos and repeated sorry countless times, "Sorry, I don't take photos. Sorry!"
Then Mirka and her lady friend walked towards KLCC for shopping. It seems like nobody recognize Mirka. Now I must tell you how regretful I am for not following Mirka to the shopping mall. Then we saw her coming back to the hotel in a new black and white striped cardigan.
She was late and Roger had to wait for her for awhile before they headed to the stadium for the exhibition match.
While Roger Federer were meeting fans at KLCC, James Blake spent his time conducting a sparring session with 16 national junior players at the Mandarin Oriental tennis arena in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
I spent some time at this clinic before dashing to the meet-the-fans session. Esther stayed on and managed shoot a lot of great photos.
The juniors received tips on footwork, service and other techniques.
Blake reminded them to concentrate on improving their footwork as it's the most important part of tennis.
"Tennis is a game of movement. Correct footwork can mean the difference between winning and losing," said Blake.
Among those who attended the clinic were national Under-10 champion Talhah Rahizam, Faiz Samsuddin, Tobias Waldau and Damien Rocky. Talhah, the son of national coach Rahizam Rahin, and Faiz were the stars of the day when they managed to earn a few points during the coaching-cum-sparring session with Blake.
Talhah said it's a dream come true to spar with Blake and win points.
"My ambition is to become a world class player and the session with Blake is something I will cherish forever," said the 10-year-old Talhah.
Here's a great photo of Blake. No wonder Evian water wants to partner with him.
For a country like Malaysia who prefers badminton and football, it's amazing to see fans queuing up for almost 4 hours just to catch a glimpse of Roger Federer and get his autograph.
When Esther and I arrived at the KLCC foyer, we met up with some fans from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and also from Japan!
As a Rafatard, I must say that Roger is still a King here in Asia, and ASEAN to be specific.
I'm exhausted after covering the event for 2 days, I said to myself, I'm glad I'm just a tennis blogger, not a reporter or photographer.
I'm really happy to meet so many tennis enthusiasts from so many places.
Sorry for those whom I can't return call or couldn't meet up. I've tried to return as much calls as I can but at certain situation, I wasn't convenient to do that.
I hope you guys enjoy the event. Do write to me on how you felt.
Now I believe the WTA Tier II event could be a reality next year.
I'll come back to you guys soon on photos and videos of the activities took place yesterday: James Blake tennis clinic, Roger's meet-the-fans/autograph-signing session, Mirka, at the exhibition match and post match press conference.
I've just called Esther, who's at the Mandarin Oriental now. She said she managed to meet the players and take photos and autographs!
The players will be heading to the Subang airport at 10 a.m. on private jet to Macau for another exho.
Tennis legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe together with Roger Federer and James Blake are already in Malaysia!
Thanks to the management and media team at LD Sports and Media 247, I had the opportunity to attend the press conference today at Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
I arrived early hoping to catch a glimpse of the players' arrival at the official hotel, Mandarin Oriental.
I missed the opportunity to witness Blake, McEnroe and Borg's arrival although I reached the hotel at about 10.30 a.m.
Roger and Mirka arrived almost at approximately 4 p.m. Mirka is so much prettier in person!
Together with my Sis, Nick and Jamie who are hardcore Roger fans, we had the opportunity to welcome them from afar (as we were brushed off by the huge and not-so-friendly bodyguards who are just doing their job :D).
Roger and Mirka were lead to their suite while Blake, Borg and McEnroe were nowhere to be seen. They must have been locking up themselves (or by the organizer) in the suites since morning.
I quickly registered myself for the press conference and Jamie was brave enough to ask for a permission to join the press conference as a representative from Roger Federer's Malaysia Fan Club :D.
Then I humbly joined the other photographers (with big huge DSLRs and video cameras) to go outdoor shooting at the bridge near the park overlooking the proudly erected Petronas Twin Towers.
According to Jamie back at the hotel, Roger managed to grab some bites before heading to the photoshoot location.
(Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)
I gotta admit that I took bad photos as I can't fit in the players and the towers together into my sis's humble Sony digital camera. Not to mention that I had to 'wrestle' with the other professional photographers who know exactly what they are doing.
After that I was back to the hotel waiting for the press conference to start. My Sis, Jamie and Nick joined me in the conference room.
The press conference was moderated by Mahadzir Lokman, who will also be the MC for tomorrow's Showdown of Champions. (At the end of the press conference, Mahadzir asked the players to do the thumbs up gesture and he chuckled when they did!)
The players were really ecstatic about the exhibition match tomorrow. According to Bjorn Borg, who is 'missing' from the video, said he wished the exhibition match is tonight!
Roger Federer said he is recovering fast from his back injury and is really looking forward to team up with Borg for the first time.
John McEnroe is as usual, funny and yet serious-looking while Blake is simply a gorgeous guy (drooling!).
I managed to ask two questions, one for Blake and one for Roger (which the question was suggested by Rizal of LD Sports).
1. Blake, you'll be teaming up with Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup early next year. What do you think of the brother and sister team, Marat Safin and Dinara Safina?
2. You are a big fan of the FC Basel. What is your plan after retiring from tennis? I mean are you going to buy a football club or something?
:D tennis legends, Borg and McEnroe have retired long, long time ago and yet still involved with so many activities (be it tennis or non-tennis related) so I guess it was appropriate to ask Roger what he's looking forward when he decides to hang his tennis racquet.
The press conference ended at about 5.30 p.m.
Fans were already outside waiting for the players (Roger to be exact) to come out. The bodyguards were trying to do their job brushing away fans but Roger was so sweet to stop and take pictures with rogerfederer.commers! At this time I had the opportunity to get Blake to sign his autobiography and took a picture with him, thanks to my Sis.
(Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)
(Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)
I bet Roger fans who were there today will be having sweet dreams tonight (or maybe they can't sleep tonight). Glad you guys had the opportunity to meet and took photos with him. Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines fans united!
Stay tune for more.
(All photo credit should read HCFoo's Tennis Blog except those stated by Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)
Yesterday evening, I had an opportunity to attend a press conference call with Roger Federer from Shanghai organised by the guys at LD Sports.
Well, I tried to load my video but it seems that the connection in Bukit Jalil is painstakingly slow.
But thanks to Nazz for giving me a link to a video on TV3's Berita Utama.
In that press conference call, Federer talked about looking forward to play doubles with tennis legend Bjorn Borg, whom he never play together before.
He also assured fans that he's recovering fast from his back injury.
Federer, James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will be touching down Malaysia today. They'll be staying at the official hotel, Mandarin Oriental, next to KLCC.
So are you ready for Showdown of Champions? This is the second year Federer is here in Malaysia and I don't think you'll have a chance to see him here for the third time. Grab this opportunity to watch the players play.
If you are really a hardcore Roger Federer's fan, don't miss the opportunity to see him at the autograph-signing session at KLCC foyer at 11.45 a.m. on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.
The foyer is actually in between the two towers, near Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. Ask the information counter if you are not able to find the place. They should be able to help to direct you.
You just have to blog about Showdown of Champions, the players (Roger Federer, James Blake, Bjorn Borg or John McEnroe), your experience from Clash of Titans, last year's tennis exhibition match, or anything regarding about tennis.
Just make sure your post link back to this post. Then inform me by posting in the comment box.
The first 10 bloggers who submit their posts will walk away with 2 tickets to the Showdown of Champions on November 18, 2008. The venue is Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil and the event will start at 7.30 p.m.
Winners will be announced tomorrow (Sunday Nov 16, 2008) at 8.00 p.m. I will also personally contact you via email on prize collection.
The organiser confirmed that there will be a meet-the-fans/autograph-signing session with Roger Federer on November 18 at KLCC foyer from 1145 - 1225.
During the same time, James Blake will be conducting a tennis clinic for the LTAM juniors at Mandarin Oriental tennis court.
So who will you choose???
But let me remind you, Roger seldom do meet-the-fans or autograph-signing session, so grab this opportunity alright?!!
Come join us in stalking the players at the official hotel Mandarin Oriental and KLCC :D
And if you still haven't get your tickets to the Showdown of Champions range from RM188 to RM498, and are obtainable at the official website www.showdownkl2008.com.
But I advise you guys to get the tickets from Axcess outlet directly instead of going through the online method. I said so because because I thought it's kinda hassle to queue up again on event day to get the actual tickets.
Hey guys, if you're still confused, Kings of Tennis HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH Showdown of Champions!
Roger Federer and James Blake as well as tennis legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will be arriving Malaysia on Monday!
Federer and Blake will not only be playing each other in the Showdown of Champions tennis exhibition on Nov 18 but will also be giving valuable tips to the national junior players.
But you must be asking, what's in store for the fans?
The organiser confirmed that there will be a meet-the-fans/autograph-signing session with Roger Federer on November 18 at KLCC foyer from 1145 - 1225.
During the same time, James Blake will personally conduct a tennis clinic for the LTAM juniors at Mandarin Oriental tennis court. Aren't they lucky???
Blake is like the tai-kor in the US after Andy Roddick. If you have followed my post on the US Open, you know Blake is so huge, you don't want to miss the opportunity to meet this player in person!
And guys, if you are a fan of Roger, don't neglect Mirka too, ok? Ask her for a photo, if you have the opportunity. She gets bored too easily especially when Roger is busy entertaining his fans.
Last week, the CEO of LD Sports Adlan "Mr Blackberry Guy" Zabri told the press that fans should not wait too long to get their tickets as nearly half have been sold.
If you still haven't know, one lucky fan will drive out of Putra Stadium on Nov 18 in a Proton Neo car.
"The cheapest tickers (RM108) have been sold out and the most expensive (RM498) are nearly gone leaving only the intermediate ones available."
"We can also announce that a Proton Neo car will be given away on the night of the matches to one lucky fan," he said.
Also Ning Baizura and Jaclyn Victor will be performing at the pre-event and during game change overs ! Yay! Now that's some class (compared to last year's boy group).
Tickets for the Showdown of Champions range from RM188 to RM498, and are obtainable at the official website www.showdownkl2008.com.
Here's my tickets already! Are you sitting somewhere near me at the silver category??? I advise you guys to get the tickets from Axcess outlet directly instead of going through the online method. I said so because I thought it's kinda hassle to queue up again on event day to get the actual tickets.
Unfortunately, the first ever team event featuring former world no. 1 players, Kings of Tennis, will not be realized in Penang.
The event dubbed as Big Bang Penang is confirmed canceled today.
In their e-mail, the press officer at Kings of Tennis explained that the event has to be canceled due to the current financial crisis and the uncertainty of the world economics which resulted in the pulling out of some of their key sponsors.
As what SK Boey has predicted, Big Bang Penang has blown up.
The showdown in November will features Roger Federer, James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe going head-to-head in a one-night exhibition match in Macao and also another in Kuala Lumpur.
You might want to drop by in Kuala Lumpur instead as tickets are still available here but I doubt you'll get any good front seats either.
My tickets are on the L6 section (silver category) and 6th row from the front. To get your tickets, you can purchase online from the Axcess website.
For local fans, if possible, buy your tickets from the Axcess outlet instead (offline purchasing) so that you don't have to waste time queuing up for ticket collection on event day (Ticket collection for online purchase is at venue only on the event day, 2 hours before the show time).
Here's a bit of the itinerary on that day:
Live musical entertainment (I hope not some stupid boy band performance like last year! We need some class in a tennis event)
Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe - 1 Set
Roger Federer vs James Blake - Best-of-3 Sets(Yahooooo!)
Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe and James Blake. - A Ten Point Doubles Tie Breaker
For a diehard fan like me, this event is way beyond my dream. Honestly, this is better than meeting Rafael Nadal in person! How often can you get to meet tennis legends like Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe?
Recently I have been reading Blake's autobigraphy, Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life. Blake who overcame a broken neck and shingles, which paralysed half his face, is one of the greatest comeback stories ever. If you are an Oprah fan, you'll probably catch the episode where Oprah interviewed Blake about what he had gone through. So for me, the urge to meet James Blake is huge!
I'll come up with more post on this event in the next few days providing info like places to stay and go in KL, how you can get there at the Putra Stadium, etc.
In the meanwhile, you might want to drop by Showdown KL official site and participate in the auction and do a bit of charity.
Honestly I felt cheated by the announcement that Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer will be making way to Asia for exhibition matches in Macau and Kuala Lumpur, only to have Nadal unconfirmed and possibly replaced by James Blake three days later.
They should know that there is almost 0% chance for Nadal to play in the exho matches on Nov 18 and 20. Before I make my point, let's flash back why there's a sudden change in the line up for the exho match.
The reason why Nadal MIGHT NOT be able to make it is due to the clash with the Davis Cup final.
“The decision as to who will play in Malaysia will hinge on the outcome of the Davis Cup semi-final clash between Spain and the United States (US) in Madrid on Sept 21,” said Nick Freyer, senior vice-president and head of tennis of IMG Asia, the event organisers, at a news conference, here today.
Freyer said if Spain were to lose, Nadal will travel to Kuala Lumpur but if the US were to lose the clash, Blake, who is currently world no. 8, will make his way here.
Spain and the US team will be playing in Madrid, on CLAY COURTS in their semifinal ties. The Spaniards are well known for their exceptional skills on clay while the US team whose expertise on hardcourts has already earned them the Davis Cup last year, are never convincing enough on the slow surface.
With Nadal teaming up with Tommy Robredo, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer (possible line up) representing Spain, any tennis fans would know there's no way for Andy Roddick and team mates to go through the semifinal.
Well, IMG, LTAM or the Ministry of Sports might have cheated on us with that cheap gimmick but it's still worth it to buy the tickets. There are still Federer, Borg, McEnroe and Blake LIVE in Malaysia. Just that, it wasn't the same excitement anymore.
World no. 1 Roger Federer and two tennis legends, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe has confirmed their participation for the Showdown of Champions 2008, to be be held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 18.
However the fourth player will either be the newly crowned Wimbledon champion and world no. 2, Rafael Nadal, or American hottie James Blake to complete the cast of this 'chance of a lifetime' star-studded show.
The reason why Nadal might not be able to make it is due to the clash with the Davis Cup final.
“The decision as to who will play in Malaysia will hinge on the outcome of the Davis Cup semi-final clash between Spain and the United States (US) in Madrid on Sept 21,” said Nick Freyer, senior vice-president and head of tennis of IMG Asia, the event organisers, at a news conference, here today.
Freyer said if Spain were to lose, Nadal will travel to Kuala Lumpur but if the US were to lose the clash, Blake, who is currently world no. 8, will make his way here. Personally I don't mind because Nadal will have a chance to grab the Davis Cup for his country and I'll get to see Blake, who is also one of my favourite player.
“We will watch the lively battles between the 80’s stars, Borg and McEnroe followed by Federer and the fourth player. Then the final set will be Federer and Borg against McEnroe and the other star,” Freyer said.
Three matches with one ticket, wow, that's worth enough to pay for the best seat.
Tickets for the showdown, priced between RM108 and RM498, are on sale at all Ticket Axcess outlets from yesterday or call +603 7711 5000 for enquiries. The official Showdown of Champions website is www.showdownkl2008.com.
KUALA LUMPUR: Tennis fans are in for treat in November with exhibition matches featuring Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg against John McEnroe.
Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) executive secretary Jaafar Abu said yesterday that the four had confirmed participation in the “Countdown of Champions”, set for Nov 18 at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
“Last year, we had Pete Sampras and Richard Gasquet along with Nadal and Federer,” he said.
World No. 1 Federer will get another chance to avenge his defeats by world No. 2 Nadal in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
Borg, 52, and McEnroe, 49, will take the fans a chance to walk down memory lane, remembering the highs and lows of their bitter rivalry, typified by the 1980 Wimbledon final won by Borg in five gruelling sets. – AFP
OMIGOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could this be real? Let's wait for more updates.
Updates: This exhibition match was mentioned in Tennis Week. Just got to know that this exho is known as "Showdown of Champions".
The launching could be sometime on October 26 by Anna Kournikova; possibly going to take place at Starhill.
