WTA Tour "Superheroes" marketing campaign

Here is the behind-the-seen images and video of the multi-million dollar WTA Tour "Superheroes" marketing campaign photo shoot. The advertisement was shot around some historic sites in Rome.

Jelena Jankovic to the rescue!

Ana Ivanovic runs rather gracefully, isn't she?

Serena Williams looks as if she's on a regular jog in the evening.

So, Venus Williams is the real superhero.

Maria Kirilenko and Ana Ivanovic sat at an outdoor cafe during the shooting of
the "Superhero" marketing campaign TV commercial.

(Images from Getty Images)

Justine Henin retires from tennis

Coach Carlos Rodriguez is sad now that he has lost his job due to Henin's retirement.

It is confirmed. Top-ranked Justine Henin has announced her retirement from professional tennis at a press conference in her native Belgium. So this means that the no. 1 spot on the WTA Rankings will go to Maria Sharapova and tailed very closely by Ana Ivanovic.

After her loss to Safina in Berlin, following a month of rest, Henin said:

"What I am have just gone through is not very reassuring."

"I was hoping to rediscover my confidence, and it is not easy."

"I don't know if something is broken, but I seem to lack the ability. I need to think about."

The 25-year-old Belgian, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, is making the surprising announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.

Henin’s decision comes less than two weeks before the start of the French Open. She has won that clay court tournament four times. The only Grand Slam still out of reach is the Wimbledon.

Henin won 10 tournaments last year, but has been in one of the worst slumps of her career this season. She lost last week in the third round of the German Open and pulled out of this week’s Italian Open, citing fatigue.

Henin admitted she'd like to have some time to study and travel away from tennis.

(Image from DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

The winners are Nole and Dinara

Last weekend win proves to me that Novak Djokovic is an opportunist and seriously working his way to the no. 1 spot over taking Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

And even though Stanislas Wawrinka lost to Djokovic at the ATP Rome Masters, he is definitely the new name in the men's tennis. Now he has reached the an all-time high Top 10 in the ATP rankings making him the next best tennis player from Switzerland after Roger Federer.

At the German Open, Dinara Safina snatches the title after beating Elena Dementieva. If you still haven't know, Safina's brother is Marat Safin.

(Images from Getty Images)

The 'Worm' got the girl and a short success

Boy shows off his move.

Radek 'The Worm' Stepanek success is at Rome didn't last long. He might have beaten World No. 1 Roger Federer but he couldn't survived the match against Novak Djokovic due to wrist injury.

Girl in love.

But what the heck, he still got the girl. While playing against Roger Federer, girlfriend and tennis player Nicole Vaidisova was spotted supporting his match. Ah, isn't that sweet?

(Images from Getty Images)

Congrats to the winner of last week's Weekend Challenger!

Congrats to AndroJ for being the winner of last week's contest!

The answers are:
1. Rafael Nadal
2. Fernando Gonzalez

The winning weekly question is:
My favourite player is Roger Federer because he is a record breaker and tennis legend who is such a classy player and able to play effortlessly.

For those who did not win, don't give up. Try again end of this week!

What the f@#% is going on at the semifinals?!

Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka just got free tickets to enter the final at Rome Open.

What the heck is going on? There are two injuries in the semifinals where Radek Stepanek had to stop playing due to wrist injury and overheating while Andy Roddick had to pull out due to a back problem. And the day before, during one of the quarterfinal, Nicolas Almagro had to retire while playing against Djokovic due to wrist injury.

Stepanek complaining wrist injury and overheating.

Roddick experiencing back injury.

Perhaps it's a bad timing for the Italian Masters. These players are having physical injuries and there's nothing can be done to avoid it. These retirements are definitely not the same as Djokovic's pull from Monte Carlo recently. Hopefully Djokovic-virus won't spread and spoil the world of men's tennis.

(Images from (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Dinara 'Giantkiller' Safina ends Serena Williams unbeaten run

Safina celebrates victory.

Out of a sudden (or maybe since the Australian Open earlier this year), the top and favourite players suddenly seems so vulnerable.

Williams looks dejected.

24 hours after booted off Justine Henin at the German Open, Dinara Safina out-muscled Serena Williams in a dramatic 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 match to end Williams 17-match unbeaten run and of course book her way into the semifinal.

(Images from STEFANIE DODEL/AFP/Getty Images)

AS Roma football players are into tennis

It seems that tennis is a favourite sports among the AS Roma football players. Besides Francesco Totti, other players from the same club, Alberto Aquilani (left) and Mancini of Brazil also taking time off to watch the men's quarter-final match between Roger Federer and Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek at the Rome Master tennis tournament, in Rome. Unbelievably, the match saw Federer lost 6-7, 6-7 to Stepanek.

(Images from (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Is tennis a boring sports or it's just Roger Federer?

Miroslava 'Mirka' Vavrinec, girlfiend of Roger Federer looks rather bored while watching him play against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during the third round match at the Rome Master Series.

(Images by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

It's not the end of clay court dominance for Nadal

Sometimes you just can't have it all.

Rafael Nadal who has just won the Monte Carlo Open and at Barcelona last Sunday, didn't have a chance defend his three straight wins at the Rome Masters after stumbled at the first hurdle when the Spaniard lost 7-5, 6-1 to compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero yesterday.

I wasn't really disappointed as Nadal has been playing non-stop for the past 2 weeks and defended 2 titles. This is the only second time in his last 104 games that Nadal has lost on clay. Ferrero now meets Andy Murray's conqueror, Stanislas Wawrinka, in the third round.

Ferrero who has never beaten Nadal on clay consistently put Nadal under pressure in the first set and then went on to win over his compatriot in eight encounters and his first on clay.

(Images from AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

What I've missed over the weekend

Another 4th consecutive win for Rafael Nadal at Barcelona. I'm always worry when Nadal play against David Ferrer but not on clay. Althought Nadal dropped a set against his Spanish compatriot, he came back and win 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. What a remarkable result!

In Munich, Fernando Gonzalez won the BMW Open, which is exactly what I expected. He won the match 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 against Simone Bolelli.

So how the guys celebrate their wins? Nadal was thrown into a pool while Gonzalez can proudly pose in front of his new BMW.

(Images from Getty Images)

Will be back next Monday

Younes El Aynaoui and Igor Andreev pose for photos at the BMW Open player part.

Tommy Haas plays an interactive golf computer game.

While the players at BMW Open are taking a break to attend the player party, I'll be taking a break from tomorrow onwards till Monday.

I'll be back again with more tennis updates in and off courts next week.

(Images from ATP)

Dress up in Munich, strip off in Barcelona

Gael Monfils and Fernando Gonzalez are not only making their debuts in the BMW Open at Munich this week but it is also their first time dressed up in lederhosen (leather trousers) and a full traditional Bavarian costume.
They took time out to visit Munich’s world famous restaurant and brewery ‘Hofbräuhaus’.

However, in Barcelona where Rafael Nadal is also playing, another player Fernando Verdasco is not interested in dressing up. He followed compatriot Tommy Robredo's footsteps as he posed in the buff for UK Cosmopolitan magazine's Everyman campaign.

Verdasco felt that entire Barcelona could see him naked during the rooftop shoot (click here to see Verdasco's version here). He is scheduled to appear in the July edition of the magazine.

(Images from Thomas Exler/ATP)

Rafael Nadal launches new website

Still fresh from winning at the Monte Carlo Tennis Tournament, Nadal is already aiming for another 4th straight wins at Barcelona.

Before getting down and dirty, Nadal managed to take some time to launch his newly revamped website.

(Images from JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

Federer shuts up Djokovic family

Well, it's not exactly parent-bashing as what Down the Line! claimed in his blog. It's not that serious actually. I must say that Roger Federer has been quite a gentleman for just saying "Be Quiet".



Personally I find Novak Djokovic is the one who is annoying (and his family too). It's not the first time he pulls out from critical matches halfway through especially playing against big players. I can't really remember the exact matches but Down the Line! has cited:

"It sounds like he gave up big time. But, no one knows how serious or not his condition is right now. However, this retirement is the fourth since 2007: two in Davis Cup play, semifinals of Wimbledon '07, and Monte Carlo - all big matches, right?"

Djokovic pulls out from the match citing sore throat, dizziness and fatigue.That's very unprofessional, isn't it?

Rafael Nadal the King of Clay in Monte Carlo, again

"Maybe I didn't play my best for sure. But it's tough against him and he deserves to win in the end... because he's a hell of a clay court player" - Roger Federer

Rafael is definitely the best clay court specialist in the Open Era. He has just made a historic win last night at Monte Carlo by winning 4 consecutive titles in a row. What more he won the doubles final on the same night together with Tommy Robredo!

I was worrying in the second set when Federer lead by 4-0. Who knows Nadal will fight back and win the second set 7-5. That's exactly the same Rafael Nadal and his fighting spirit when I first saw him play at the Australian Open against Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinal.

Now, Rafael Nadal, the undisputed claycourt king, will be out to maintain his dominance when he chases a record fourth consecutive title at the Barcelona Open, which starts today.

(Photo by Claude Paris/Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Birthday bash for Maria Sharapova

I guess Maria Sharapova is one of the very few women tennis players that has posh birthday bash every year hosted by their sponsors.

This year, again, luxury watch brand TAG Heuer hosted another invitation-only birthday party for Sharapova set in New York hotspot Tenjune. Of course there are a whole bunch of well-known people attended the party such as Michelle Trachtenberg and Vera Wang.

During the night's celebration, TAG Heuer President and CEO, Ulrich Wohn toasted the 21 year-old before presenting her with an elegant white and pink eight-tier cake.

"Maria is part of the TAG Heuer family and we are honored that we were able to celebrate this special day with her. To have accomplished so much by this age is truly amazing and the embodiment of TAG Heuer’s ‘What are you made of?’ principle.”

(Image from celebrity-gossip.net)

Rafael Nadal shows he rules the clay court

Nadal had a fierce start at the Monte Carlo Tennis Tournament. After all this is his favourite surface. With the result 6-0, 6-3 in just 76 minutes over Croatian Mario Ancic, I believe Nadal still got what it takes to win his first title of the year and his 4th (!) consecutive Monte Carlo titles.

Believe it or not, Nadal has 94 out of 95 clay court matches since April 2005. He only lost to Roger Federer at the Hamburg final last year.

By the way, Rafael Nadal has revamped his official website. I really love the favicon and the flash in the middle that features the main links to the rest of the site.


(Image from Getty Images and rafaelnadal.com)

Monte Carlo Royalties

Robin Soderling and Jose Acususo

It's funny to see Tennis Served Fresh highlighted some photos taken at the Monte Carlo Masters in this blog post. I agree the photographers must be having a blast at the city that is famous for its casinos.

There are more of those pictures here.

Igor Andreev

Ivo Karlovic

(Images from Getty Images)

Nadal and Djokovic ala-James Bond in Monte Carlo

Both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic might look like winners in their James Bond suits but ultimately who has the winning hand?

It's the start of Monte-Carlo Masters, and Nadal has won here in the last three consecutive years. Will he make it a triple? Personally I believe Nadal still has it on clay surface. However I do not want to undermine Djokovic although I think he is a much better player on hard court.




Well, before the real title chase begin, let them enjoy a good game on the blackjack table.

(Images from Getty Images)