Mirka shows off her baby bump

Mom-to-be Mirka Vavrinec was spotted in a perfect flowery maternity dress and showing off her growing belly at Indian Wells last week.


(Images via menstennisforums.com)

Venus Williams and Andy Murray stop the traffic in Miami

Andy Murray and Venus Williams appeared at an impromptu game of traffic tennis on Ocean Drive prior to the Sony Ericsson Open earlier today in Miami, Florida.

Sometimes I don't really understand all these promotional events. I don't mind seeing them play on a rooftop or on the beach but from the car roofs?

Can't they be more creative like this last year or like this?

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Sony Ericsson)

Fernando Verdasco stands for hope

While at Indian Wells, Fernando Verdasco did his part for charity by attending Eva Longoria's Stand for Hope! 5K Charity Run/Walk held at LA Memorial Coliseum on last Saturday.

A day earlier, Nando was spotted walking with Camilla Bella to her car. It looks like they are merely good friends.


(Images via blogografia.com; menstennisforums.com)

Rafael Nadal overcomes Murray-complex; Vera Zvonareva beats Ana Ivanovic

Rafael Nadal overcame Murray-complex and powered his way to a 6-1, 6-2 victory at the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells final this morning!

This championship not only avenged a loss to Andy Murray in the Rotterdam final this year but also shows that Nadal has already mastered the hard court surface.

“I felt I played really good,” Nadal said.

“Maybe I was a little bit more prepared. I think I accepted the conditions."

“I tried to play inside the court, go to the net some, move all the time. It’s important that you know you don’t have to find the lines all the time, but hit the ball inside, not so close to the lines.”

Murray said, “Rafa dealt with it well."

"He hit the ball cleaner and just seemed to get himself in better positions than I did. You want to be in the best position possible to hit each ball and I wasn’t."

"That’s why he managed to dictate most of the points.”

In the women's singles final, Vera Zvonareva defeated defending champion Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (5), 6-2.

“After a couple of games, I knew that the conditions were very difficult and it’s not going to probably change and I have to fight for every point, have to adjust my game,” Zvonareva said.

“Even though I had some mistakes and some frustrating points with the wind, I was still trying to put as many balls as I can in the court, try to concentrate.”

Ivanovic said the conditions were the worst she’s played in.

“It wasn’t much about the game plan. It was just who can handle the conditions better, and who can stay probably mentally tougher through it,” Ivanovic said.

“Today, she did. “Yeah, she played really well.”

The victory evened Zvonareva’s record against Ivanovic to 4-4.

(Via AP; Images by Matthew Stockman/Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)