As usual, I was punctual to the Malaysian Open media briefing.
I greeted the Event Director and the Media Director before took a seat at the Business Conference Room.
I could see four huge buntings of Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori, Serena Williams and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga standing proud in the room.
As you know, we won't be having Tsonga, Williams and Federer here but we do have Japanese teenage sensation Nishikori who is one of the star player to appear in the Malaysian Open next month.
The media briefing kicked off with a quiz and the prize was an autographed photo of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. I didn't even try to answer (you know why!), so someone else won it.
Then Tournament Director, Nick Freyer took time to explain about the hawk-eye system which is first used in this region.
Actually throughout that evening, I was busy twittering some of the information I gathered from the event.
- At Mandarin Oriental. Media briefing will start in 15min.
- http://twitpic.com/cpwzw - at the 2nd media briefing for Malaysian Open. They are going to announce Wilson as 1 of the official sponsor.
- Someone won an autograph photo of pete and roger
- http://twitpic.com/cpy32 - tourney director explaning the hawkeye system first used in this region
- Marcos Baghdatis' agent requested for a wildcard to play at the malaysian open
- Tomas Berdych is the player announced today to play at the @KLopentennis
- I've asked the tourney director abt the possibilities for Verdasco to play in dubs with Feli. Not sure yet but he doesn't deny
- One of the Indian dubs specialist will play in the Malaysian Open
- 5 candidates were shortlisted for interview for the 'best job'. That include @jitterbug70!
- Ok i'm off now to get my goodies bag
- http://twitpic.com/cq41g - more pic frm media briefing.. Tomas Berdych the latest to play in the Malaysian Open
- http://twitpic.com/cq63m - Malaysian Open have ballgirls too? Tourney director, Ltam president and wilson boss pose with the models
Check out the official uniform sponsored by Wilson for the Malaysian Open. 
LTAM President, Amer Sports (Wilson Malaysia) Country Manager, Tourney Director and the models need a giant racket each like the one Will Farrell used in an exho match back in May.
According to the Tournament Director, merchandises will only be available for sale in the second year. So probably you won't get to buy the tournament cap, balls, etc. this year.
Wilson gave away goodie bag to everyone who attended the media briefing.
Inside the Roger Federer-15th GS celebration-paperbag, there's a huge Malaysian Open tennis ball, an Australian Open key chain (this is what I've always wanted!), caps, socks, a K Factor t-shirt!
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back with more updated on the Malaysian Open soon.
For tickets information, go to: http://malaysianopentennis.com/tickets.html
(Photo credit: 3rd and 4th Images by IMG)
Vera Zvonareva, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Anne Keothavong, Ana Ivanovic and Elena Dementieva pose during a studio session at The Ralph Lauren Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party.
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party was hosted by Richard Branson at The Roof Gardens yesterday in London, England.
There are a lot of celebrities who attended this party like Sugarbabes, Blake, Kelly Rowlands, etc. But as usual, I'll only post the players' photos.
Here you go the pictures during the arrivals.
Ana Ivanovic and the host of the party that evening, Richard Branson.
I love Serena Williams' slick back hairstyle....
Vera Zvonareva looks very elegant... 
Woa... that's a bad make-up again by Svetlana Kuznetsova... 
One of the top tennis couples - Lucie Safarova and Tomas Berdych
Venus Williams and WTA CEO Larry Scott
Rome - World no.1 Dinara Safina won her first title of the year Saturday by defeating fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Italian Open.
Estoril - Spain’s Albert Montanes battled past American James Blake 5-7, 7-6, 6-0 to win the Estoril Open on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in the women's singles, Yanina Wickmayer claimed her first career title with a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-2 to pick up her maiden WTA Tour crown in Portugal.
Munich - Tomas Berdych rallied from four points down in the decisive tiebreaker to beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) in the final of the BMW Open Sunday for his first title of the year.
Belgrade - Top-seeded Novak Djokovic beat lucky loser Lukasz Kubot of Poland 6-3, 7-6 (0) in the Serbia Open final to win the first ATP Tour tournament held in his home country.
(Images via Yahoo! Sports, Djokovic's pic by Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images)
"I don't know how fit Murray is. I'll take him on any day in a five-setter. He's younger so he's probably not so experienced, you know. In the end it becomes very mental, and I know that this is where my biggest strengths always come into play." ~ Roger Federer
Roger Federer said today that he would take on Andy Murray any day over five sets after surviving a marathon match in the Australian Open fourth round against Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Roger who has lost his last four matches against the Murray, has fought a low-key war of words with the Scot since arriving here for the first Grand Slam of the season.
(Image via Yahoo! Sports)
Japanese rising star Kei Nishikori who has been granted a wildcard entry for the Heineken Open in Auckland did not disappoint in the first round.
Nishikori defeated Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round where he will meet Tomas Berdych.
According to tournament director Richard Palmer earlier last month,
"It's very exciting to have a player like him (Kei) in the field, especially since he is rated so highly by players and tennis officials around the world as someone who could be in the top-20 by the end of 2009."
(Images by William WestAFP/Getty Images)
I'm not sure if it's only me. I thought Roger Federer look pale. Hope he's not sick or experiencing fatigue still.
Last night, Federer returned from a 5-week break to beat Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the second round of the Madrid Masters.“Happy to be back on tour,” Federer said.
“Happy with this first round. it was always going to be tough against Radek and he played a great second set.”
Federer, playing his first ATP event since winning the U.S. Open last month, will face Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. “I’m excited. He’s had a rocky season with injuries this year, so I feel for the guy,” Federer said of his French opponent.
“He’s probably one of the guys you wanna be playing out there.”
In an earlier match, Novak Djokovic advanced after Victor Hanescu retired because of an apparent groin injury while trailing 6-7 (8), 7-6 (8), 3-1. “It’s a big relief to win … this is a big boost up for upcoming matches,” Djokovic said.
“He used his biggest weapon which was his serve. I couldn’t find any rhythm in return, so he used that wisely.”
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal pulled out of doubles with Carlos Moya on Tuesday because of a slight upper leg injury. “Every match is important, including doubles, but I’ve got priorities,” said Nadal, who will face Richard Gasquet of France in singles tonight.
“You can’t win everything.”
American qualifier Robby Ginepri had the biggest upset of the day, beating fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Andy Roddick had little trouble getting past Spain’s Tommy Robredo, 6-3, 6-4.
The 8th-ranked American’s booming serve was never seriously challenged by Robredo and Roddick used breaks in each of the sets to pace out his win.
David Nalbandian won his sixth straight match by defeating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Updates:
6th seed Ferrer suffered a shock defeat to fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, recording a 6-4 7-6 triumph.
There will be an all-Argentinean clash in the next round when Nalbandian will meet his Davis Cup team-mate Juan Martin del Potro, who was 6-4 6-2 ahead when his Finnish opponent, Jarrko Nieminen, retired.
(Via AP, Images via Yahoo! Sport)
Ninth seed Tomas Berdych powered past Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets to win the Japan Open, his first ATP title of the season.
In the women's competition, top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 win over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia to claim her third WTA title of the year.
Berdych, who shocked American second seed Andy Roddick and third seed Fernando Gonzalez on his way to the final, surprisingly had a one-sided 6-1, 6-4 victory over the fifth-seeded Del Potro. "In this condition and at this level of tennis, I think the most important thing is to... just be 100 percent on the court - then the results can come," said the 23-year-old Czech.
"I think it happened to me this week and I'm very happy for that. I'm really happy to win here, especially here in Tokyo, I hope I will be here next year."
Berdych, currently ranked 27th in the world, said his goal was to finish 2008 in or near the top 10.
Del Potro - ranked 12th after a blistering summer during which he won four titles - appeared to be off form, taking an injury time out during the first set and another before the start of the second set.
Del Potro said he had taken some medication, but did not blame the loss on his illness, saying: "He played much better than me. I was feeling confused (by his play), but he did a great match."
"After the first set I started to play a little better, but it was too late."
It was Berdych's first title since winning at Halle in June last year, and his fourth overall, after victories at Palermo in 2004 and Paris in 2005.
On the women's side, the 18-year-old Wozniacki added to her 2008 success, after winning in Stockholm and New Haven in August."I feel amazing. I just won another tournament. It's been an incredible year. This is my first title here in Japan and I'm very happy," said a jubilant Wozniacki, ranked 16th against Kanepi's 33rd.
"I think I improved a lot last year."
Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy's bid for a second successive ATP title ended in disappointment after the top seeds were stunned by the Russian-German pair of Mikhail Youzhny and Mischa Zverev in the finals of AIG Japan Open in Tokyo today.
The unseeded Youzhny and Zverev beat the Indo-Czech pair 6-3, 6-4 to capture their second ATP title together.
It is the second time this year that Youzhny and Zverev have combined to deny Paes and Dlouhy a title win, having also done so when they claimed their maiden ATP title at Halle in June.
(Via news.theage.com.au, Images via Yahoo! Sport, zimbio.com)
As you know, we won't be having Tsonga, Williams and Federer here but we do have Japanese teenage sensation Nishikori who is one of the star player to appear in the Malaysian Open next month.
LTAM President, Amer Sports (Wilson Malaysia) Country Manager, Tourney Director and the models need a giant racket each like the one Will Farrell used in an exho match back in May.
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back with more updated on the Malaysian Open soon.
