Vera 'Headcase' Zvonareva's emotional meltdown

I was lucky to be able to catch the repeat match between Flavia Pennetta and Vera Zvonareva last night.

I have to tell you it was the ultimate meltdown ever happened on any WTA or grand slam tennis tournament!

I couldn't find any youtube video yet... probably someone will upload it soon. But in the meanwhile you can find it at the US Open website. Just find under Audio & Video and look for Pennetta vs Zvonareva match on September 6, 2009.

Chris Chase wrote sort of a chronology of what had actually happened in Yahoo! Tennis.

• Zvonareva cried on the court during the second set tiebreak.
• Hysterically cried in the locker room in between the second and third sets.
• Ripped off a portion of the medical tape that was wrapped around her thighs.
• Complained to the chair umpire that the remaining tape left around her thighs prevented her from playing.
• Screamed an obscenity at the chair umpire when she wouldn't give her a medical timeout to fix said medical tape.
• Loudly yelled a compound word/profanity after hitting an unforced error.
• Continued to rip the tape off her leg.
• Smashed her racquet into a post.
• Spent the final changeover sitting in her chair with a white towel draped over her head.
• Lost the third set 6-0.

What was not mentioned by Chris in detail was, when Zvonareva skidded and fell, did the splits, she just sat there on the ground, pounding on her leg with her palm.

You can see that in the US Open website.

The scariest part was (also not mentioned by Chris) Zvonareva knocked her head several times while being attended by a trainer. Luckily she did not pull a Mikhail Youzhny that night.

While leaving the court, she something like "I hate the crowd"....

This year's US Open has to be the wackiest of all times, and Zvonareva's behaviour was simply the climax of a truly bizarre week.

US Open Day 7 Wrap-up: Lack of star power, Clijster, Pennetta steal the show

I remember very well that in the last couple of years, there were quite a number of celebrities who added glitter to the US Open every single day.

So what happen this year?

Besides Alec Baldwin, Will Ferrell, Kim Cattrall, Patrick Stewart, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Love Hewitt, I haven't really seen any hotter stars than those I just mentioned.

Celebrities aside, I think the player of the day is Kim Clijsters.

Clijsters marked her dazzling return to the grand slam by ousting Venus Williams with a wild yet weird 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 victory!

The Belgian mum will face Li Na next after the Chinese beat Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3.

In another exciting match, Flavia Pennetta saved six match points to advance to the quarterfinal with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-0 victory over Vera Zvonareva.

Pennetta will face Serena Williams next!

In the men's singles, Andy Murray joined Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez to the next round.

Earlier of the day, Nadal knocked off compatriot Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

During the match, Nadal was treated for a stomach muscle problem while Almagro also received a treatment for back problem.

Nadal's next opponent is Gael Monfils who advanced when Jose Acasuso quit because of left knee pain while trailing 6-3, 6-4, 1-0.

In the last match of the day, Murray, needed only 90 minutes to sent off Taylor Dent 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and set up a fourth-round encounter with Marin Cilic.

US Open men's singles third round results from New York on Monday (prefix denotes seeding)

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Taylor Dent (US) 6-3 6-2 6-2
6-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Daniel Koellerer (Austria) 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-3
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6(4) 6-2 6-4
11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat 17-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 7-5 6-4 6-4
3-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat 32-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-5 6-4 6-4
24-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat 9-Gilles Simon (France) 1-6 6-4 7-6(5) 1-0 (Simon retired)

US Open women's singles fourth round results from New York on Monday (prefix denotes seeding)

10-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat 7-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 3-6, 7-6, 6-0
Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat 3-Venus Williams (US) 6-0 0-6 6-4
18-Li Na (China) beat 26-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-2 6-3
2-Serena Williams (US) beat 22-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-2 6-0

(Via AP, Reuters, TVNZ, US Open website)

Juan Martin del Potro thinks he'll be better when Federer, Nadal, Murray retire...

Either he is lack of confidence or he's humble...

Read this excerpt taken from the post-match interview with Juan Martin del Potro after he defeated Austrian Daniel Koellerer.

Q. Djokovic said a few weeks ago that with all these great players coming around maybe he came around at the wrong era. Do you feel that way?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, my feeling is I have very good players from me to the No. 1. For sure, Roger, Rafa, Murray, they are two or three step more than me. I working hard every day hard to be like them.

But if I play for many years in this level, then they gonna retire and I gonna be much better, so...

(Via US Open website; Image via Yahoo! Sports)

Royal treatment awaits Rafael Nadal in Bangkok

As you've already know, Rafael Nadal will be playing at the PTT Thailand Open this month.

The official hotel sponsor, Intercontinental Hotel, has opened the door and let fans take a glimpse of Nadal's luxurious Royal Suite Room.

Remember his face... Mr. Warachai, Nadal's butler

(via PTT Thailand Open website)