Too happy, too soon?

After listed for just one day in the ATP World Tour calendar, ATP 250 Malaysian Open (tentative name), a USD500k outdoor hard court event has disappeared from the list!

Click image to enlarge

Now first of all, let me show you how I knew that Malaysia was bidding for the ATP event:

January 2009

• LTAM wrote in their website that "an ATP official, together with a foreign organiser, visited the NTC two weeks earlier".
  
• LTAM president Datuk Abdul Razak Latif 'confirmed' to a daily (which is NST) that "Andy Roddick is highly tipped to play in an ATP Tour event in KL come September".
• I wrote an email to LTAM and they confirmed the reports but said they are still in the bidding process.
• The manager of a Top 100 player confirmed there's indeed a TBA (to be announced) event.
• Esther and I speculated that the TBA event should be not very far from Thailand, hence we thought Malaysia had a good chance to win the bid.
  

February 2009

• I wrote to the CEO of ATP Adam Helfant regarding the TBA event and asked about the bidding process.
• Mr Helfant forwarded my email to Brad Drewett, the CEO of ATP International. This is what Brad replied to me: No decision has been made regarding the TBA event in September. I expect a decision to be made sometime in the next three months. I am unable to confirm which cities are candidates for this event due to confidentiality requirements.

May 12, 2009

• I check the ATP calendar and google for any news every single day from May onwards as I believe the results will be out any time soon.
  
• I saw the updated ATP World Tour calendar which listed Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in an ATP 250 event, same week as Thailand Open. Someone informed about the updated calendar in this forum too.

May 13, 2009

• The supposedly ATP 250 event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been taken off the ATP World Tour calendar.
  

I will not make any speculation now until I dig deep into this event.

Anyone who has information can email to me at hcfoo7@gmail.com.

You read it here first! Malaysia to host ATP 250 event in September 2009

I cannot describe how happy I was when I checked the ATP World Tour calendar this morning.

Click the image to enlarge.

Malaysia, my home country, has won the bid to organize an ATP 250 event which is scheduled to start on September 28, the same week as the Thailand Open!

Earlier this year, Andy Roddick was speculated to play here.

I'll keep you guys posted if I received any latest updates.

Rafael Nadal is 17 again, never too young to pen a memoir

Madrid Masters favourite Rafael Nadal was spotted with a new shorter hairstyle during a practice on court.

Doesn't he look young, like 17 again?

LOL what the heck am I talking about, Nadal is only 22 going to 23!

Recently Crain's New York Business reported that Nadal might be on the verge of writing a book about his career.

The report said literary agent Larry Kirshbaum has been speaking with publishers about a book from Nadal, an Olympic and multiple Grand Slams champion who has overtaken Swiss star Roger Federer for the top spot in the global tennis rankings.

Well, you're never be too young to write a memoir, especially for someone who has great achievement like Nadal.

(Via AFP; Images via menstennisforums.com)

Now HCFoo takes Serena Williams seriously

Serena Williams really mean it this time.

After blasted the WTA Tour over its policy for dealing with players who pull out of tournaments through injury, Serena Williams 'had no choice' but to play at the Madrid Open Tennis only to retire after the first set citing a right leg injury.

Francesca Schiavone was leading 6-4.

Although her participation was cut short, at least Serena had fun yesterday hanging out with Juan Martin del Potro test-driving a new Toyota Lexus.

Serena likes blogging, twittering and now fangirling.

Serena is no.1. Del Potro gives a cynical smile.

Take it easy, Serena!

(Images by Photo Agency via zimbio.com)