Cleveland Cavaliers Win; So are the Fans

It wasn’t surprising for my Facebook timeline to be filled with NBA posts.  My friends are very passionate about this American sport. I could not help but post a few entries myself just to balance it out because most of them were rooting for the Golden State Warriors.  It’s Game 7 and the Warriors home court. How could LeBron and his team beat that?

Today, as I drove to the office, I kept checking the scores online and posted the FB suggestion.   All the write-ups prior to Game 7, and the betting odds were on the Warriors favour’. Cavs lead 70-63 when I first checked.  It changed favour, 76-75, a few minutes later.  I heard it rained treys in that span of time.  As I sat on my desk, I heard the chatter from the IT boys who were also monitoring the game on their PC.  It’s a seesaw battle they say.

My boss asked me to join him watch the game on TV.  How could I refuse?  He already knew that I had an outstanding bet with another colleague. It’s just a buffet lunch that could cost me my pants should Cleveland lose. Last 4 minutes and the game was tied at 89-all.

What I saw next were heart-thumping events: The block by James, the miss by Curry, the trey of Irving and the bad landing of James.  Whew! Stephen Curry, from being the unanimous season MVP, was brought down to earth by LeBron James.  “From unanimous to anonymous MVP” state a friend on his FB post.

Then all of a sudden, the FB posts of those rooting for the Cavaliers came rushing. I was all smiles as I read them.  Where are the GSW fans now?  Probably eating chicken curry.

During lunch with our company officers, the topic was still the game 7 results.  Those who rooted for the Cavs were all smiles now coz they won themselves free lunch.  It wasn’t really the buffet that I expected but at least it silenced all the pseudo-analysts of the opposing teams.  

One officer, who reluctantly rooted for the Cavs earlier in the series, quipped, “Our janitors are wiser than most of you because they are now collecting their wins.  They wisely rooted for the Cavs”.  We all had a good laugh.

Manny Pacquiao Is Not Superman

I must admit that in every Pacquiao fight, I want him to crush the opponent in 5 or 6 rounds.  My friends have the same expectation.  In my coworkers betting circle, Manny losing the bout is no longer the question.  It is just KO or UD. 

Well,  to those of us who followed Pacman's early boxing years, we are used to seeing him flattening his rivals.  The KO loss to Marquez in their fourth encounter last December 2012 was a shock to me and everyone else.  I remember the people in the crowd I was with that day looking at the big screen speechless.  Eery silence, really.  "Is Pacquiao dead?"  someone whispered.

April 2014 and we say that Pacquiao is back.  He didn't really lose that first fight with Bradley. But the latter couldn't sleep over it because many were saying that the American actually lost that fight.  And there was no other viable option for the Pacman.  The Rios fight was just a tuneup.  Marquez wanted to held on and savor his knockout victory for the longest time.  And Mayweather is always ducking the Filipino prizefighter.

Many online articles I read says that the Pacquiao of old hasn't exactly come back.  Well, I think they were referring to the reckless, rapid-firing, stone-fisted Pacquiao that can floor any challenger with one wicked blow.  Just like me, they think that Pacquiao is Superman.

But look at it this way.  His opponents now are in their comfortable fighting weight, not their deflated weights. They are also known to have solid chin and can take hard punches.  They are not paltry fighters but top-rated warriors. Sometimes, we expect too much from the warrior from Gensan. But I guess he is wiser now.  Punishing the opponent for 12 rounds is more cruel that knocking him out in 5 or 6 rounds. 

I am sure Bradley knows what hit him.  It wasn't Superman but the Pacman who gobbles up slowly his fighting psyche. 

Thoughts on the World Cup 2010 Semis

The FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, which opened last June 11, 2010, is now on its last stages of the tournament. Only 4 teams remain. Some teams had already left the tournament, including the favorites France, Italy, England, Brazil and Argentina.

Who would have thought that Italy and France, both football powerhouses in Europe and finalists in the 2006 edition, were eliminated in the first round? Their awful performance was jeered by fans, and they went home in humiliation. France had a star player sent home because of some verbal tussle with the coach. The other players went on strike. The Prime Minister wanted to intervene and demanded some explanation.

In Italy, it was just a shame for the defending champ. They don’t have the glitter and the legs to perform at the top level anymore.

So, how about England? They are very strong on paper. They have one of the best coaches in the world named Fabio Capello. But their stars brought no ammunition in the actual battle at the football field. Wayne Rooney, despite being dubbed as one of the best soccer players in the world, was a major disappointment. He even had some ugly confrontation with a few of the English fans. Lampard, Gerrard and Terry were no shows. Even against teams like USA and Algeria, they failed to win. Their early and embarrassing exit at the hands of a young German team was not a surprise anymore.

At the quarters, there were 4 teams from South Africa, 3 from Europe and one from Africa. Brazil, the current no. 1 team in the world and the favorite to win the Cup, was also favored to win against Netherlands. They looked lethal on paper and they easily beat their opponents. But even great teams crumble. After the unfortunate own goal from Felipe Melo, Brazil never recovered and lost 1-2 to the Oranges. The coach was immediately sacked. 4 years of preparation, and winning every game along the way, was all for naught because they failed to win the greatest prize of them all – the World Cup. That could have been their sixth. But they will have a chance against as they will host the 2014 edition in Sao Paulo.

Cry for Argentina this time. They were badly humiliated by the Germans, despite having one of the most solid and experienced squad in the tournament. 0-4 is such an embarrassing defeat that it need a National Day of mourning. I cried for Messi and for Diego. The latter will no longer have to run naked in Buenos Aires, as he promised if his team wins the Cup.

Who are the teams left? It is such an unlikely group. Netherlands, Uruguay, Germany and Spain remained standing after the other fell along the way. Spain is the next favorite to win, but their performance in South Africa is suspect. They lost their first game again Switzerland. No team that lost its first game ever won the Cup. Can they break that jinx? Germany, on the other hand, is riding high on its trashing of Argentina. The young Germans are lethal on the attack and yet solid on defense. Spain has to be lucky to win against the mighty Germans.

In the other semis match, it is Netherlands vs Uruguay. The South American came off with a controversial win against Ghana. The ‘hand of Suarez’ rescued them. And luck was not on the Africans side as they missed the ensuing penalty. Uruguay will be without their main striker. But Netherlands, the team that dismantled Brazil, has all the chances to win the Cup now. They’ve never won the tournament before, despite being in the finals twice. Maybe, this is their chance to surpass the greatness of Johan Cruyff’s team of ’74.

The semis matches are both good to watch. All four are known not to play boring football. Expect more goals. But I like to see a finals of Netherlands vs Germany. That would be a remake of their 1974 encounter.


See also - Netherlands vs Uruguay: World Cup 2010 Semis Preview and Results Prediction

Champions League Obsession

I've written a lot of post about football here in this blog. And plenty of those are about UEFA champion league matches. The 2010 season is about to end, and in a few hours from now, we will know who will face each other in the Finals.

Bayern Munich is already in. They are now waiting for the results of the other semifinals match. I am raring to watch Barcelona vs Inter Milan champions league match via free live streaming. I already know where to locate the free stuff. But quality-wise, you will certainly not enjoy it.

Last year, I saw the finals match between Manchester United and Barcelona when I sneaked in to the hotel room of a travelling work colleague. Since he was alone on a 2-bed room, I stayed there for a night just to watch the game.

But for this year, I still don't have a cable TV. I tried to scout for cheap cable companies offering Star Sports and ESPN. But so far, there's none in the place where I live. So I was will just watch the match online, and skip sleep once again. Ah, this is obsession!

Barcelona Wins UEFA Champions League 2009

Barcelona wins over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League 2009. The newly-crowned Spanish Champions have shown their class and masterful football by foiling all attempts of FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo, and breaking the Red Devils' defense in their brutal yet fluid attack. Eto'o provided the first goal at the 9th minute. Later in the game, Messi headed the ball beating Van der Sar.

My predictions of the Barcelona vs Manchester United game went to naught. The 2-0 score at the end of regulation was too much for the English Champions. I was really hoping for a comeback, but the I knew the game ended with the first shot that hit the back of the net. Ronaldo and Rooney wasted too many opportunities. Too bad.

I am in a hotel room watching the UEFA Champions League finals. I didn't rent a room. I had no budget for that. I just hitched room from an officemate who came from head office and was billeted in a hotel nearby. I'm so disappointed that the game wasn't even close.

Congratulations to Barca for winning in 2006 and now in 2009! It was really beautiful football!

The Boxing Fan

So when did I become a boxing fan? I can’t recall really. I did not become a fan because of Manny Pacquiao or Gerry Penalosa or Nonito Donaire. Don’t mention Flash Elorde as I wasn’t born yet during his prime. We’ll maybe I followed the fights of Dodie Boy then and that of Luisito Espinosa.

Probably because of my uncle who was into martial arts and he watch boxing everytime it was shown on TV. Or was it because when I was still 9, my neighbors got boxing gloves and we were paired to fight off each other in a totally sporty fashion? Brutal grown-ups! I remembered a classmate who threw fists like he was into free-style swimming. There was one who fights like a shrimp, back-pedaling after throwing a punch.

Nah, I wasn’t really into a lot of fights. Only one that I can recall. A classmate threw a challenge and I was even smiling during the bout. He was serious in covering his face and since I was taller he can’t hit my face well. A lucky punch was all it took for his gums to bleed. No, not a tooth flew. It was just a bleeding gum and a red face. I must have hit him badly that his eyes turned red. Whatever that was, I quit, apologized and shook hands with him. I can’t punish anyone even if it’s just for sports.

Ok, that was my boxing story, twenty plus years ago. Don’t ever think I can still box now. Perhaps, only in Wii.

So I decided that I’ll just become a fan of boxing. I’ll root for every Filipino who comes on stage to fight a foreigner. I root for anyone who goes up against De La Hoya. I still think he’s overrated. And Pacquiao confirmed that. I was for Holyfield when he fought against Lewis.

Even in this era of online media and blogging, I can’t help writing about boxing. So friends, if you are reading this, you might want to read also my take on the following fights:

Donaire vs Martinez – April 19, Araneta Coliseum
Pacquiao vs Hatton – May 2, MGM Las Vegas
Peñalosa vs Lopez – April 25, Puerto Rico

For the first two, I think the Pinoy boxers can easily beat their foe. But for Gerry, he faces a very tough young warrior in Juanma Lopez. Still, I’ll root for our kababayans.

Sports and Everything

This 3 year old blog of mine is filled with posts about sports. Yeah, 34 entries under Sports category. It is my habit to read first the sports section of the newspaper and check espn, philboxing, and yahoo sports every now and them. And when I find an interesting item, I blog about it.

And so I set up a sports blog wherein I could write anything and everything about the different sports I love and are familiar with. I had my own predictions of the Pacquiao vs Hatton boxing fight. If the bout will be held in UK, our own hero is in great danger.

As to tennis, my predictions for the Australian Open 2009 Men's Finals is a match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Of course, King Roger will have to win. (With apologies to Rafa fans).

As to my sports life, I guess living alone here in Manila will give me more time to blog and play real sports. I can play badminton every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. A work colleague set up the pingpong table at our company's warehouse. A basketball court is right there in front of our house in Sucat. But a busy work schedule and laziness are two things that would deter me from getting back into shape.

I Got A New Pair Of Badminton Shoes

I don't keep plenty pairs of shoes. I usually only have one good pair for work, and another pair for recreation. I don't usually buy a replacement unless the other is totally worn-out.

My SOTX badminton shoes which I bought sometime in early 2006 is in such a bad shape since late last year. I talked of buying a new pair but I kept on procrastinating. My playing days have reduced from twice a week to once every two weeks this year, so I thought putting off the purchase for a while is justifiable.


But my shoes had it's way of telling me of letting it retire. The leather and the rubber opened up making it difficult for me to move. So, I finally decided to buy a new pair. But what brand, what type?

For those of you who knows nothing about badminton shoes, these type of shoes are common these days. They are basically gum-soled (yellowish color), non-marking, and great for indoor sports. Most badminton courts require that you wear badminton shoes when you play on their courts. This is to protect the specialized mats and of course, to protect the players. You can easily slip in the taraflex mats if you don't use gum-soled shoes. These soles are great for those quick steps, stops and turns while playing.

But it took me probably a hundred visits to the various shoe stores in Cebu before I actually bought one: A Mizuno. I hope this pair of new shoes help me get back to playing badminton again. I miss playing in the tournaments.

US vs China in the 2008 Beijing Olympics

The others should give up dreaming of landing at the top two in this 2008 Beijing Olympics. It's now US vs China. Currently, China is on the lead with 43-14-19, Gold-silver-bronze medals. US is in far second at 26-26-27, but still leads in medal total. In determining the winner, we all know that it's the number of gold that counts.

But there are so many who complained about the judging and all sorts of accusations. Here are some of them:

1. Obscure tie-break system in judging (particularly in the gymnastics)
2. Titanium robots as divers (i read this in a comment in another blog featured at yahoo)
3. Underage gymnasts (looks like the chinese are really underaged. Or they are just cute.)

There was even one medal count table which displays the rankings based on the number of medals won. Of course, it's the US on top. But it won't be for long. And when you browse on some sites and blogs that features the Olympics, it's mostly the US athletes on the front page. Michael Phelps won 8 golds alright. And it can't be disputed. But there are really sour-graping posts.

As to the judging, it is a fact that judges are prone to errors. But they are the best people for the job. In boxing, the best way to avoid biased judging is to knock out the opponent. But I don't know how they do it in gymnastics, diving, and other sports which are won by judges scores.

And where is the Philippines in the 2008 Beijing Olympics medal standings? As of today, we are nowhere in the table. Let's better be spectators to the two world superpower in sports. Their rivalry is fun to follow. I hope the politicians will not involve theirselves here.

It's Bowling Season Again

It's bowling season once again and our company team will compete against other teams starting tonight. The last tournament, we were the fourth worst team. I even feared disbandment after that losing season. But we were given another lease of life as the budget was approved. And we have five new faces on our team.

We had our practice last Monday and my 1st and 3rd game were pretty bad. I couldn't hit those spares. The new players were doing great. A colleague of mine who is new to bowling and to the team, asked why we have special balls when there are plenty of house balls. I told him that players have special needs and these special balls are designed for it. For example, the reactive balls are good for players who threw curve balls, from the side then to the center. In my experience, my highest score of 228 (one time tsamba) was made possible by those reactive balls.

It's already a long time since I breached 200. My average even dropped to 140 the last tournament. How I wish I can play more often but rentals is getting very expensive. Though I now have my own bowling balls, I still lacked practice and consistency.

Wish us all the best for tonight. This is my last season for our Cebu team as my transfer will effect next month. The tournament will run till November so I won't be playing in most games.

Rafael Nadal Wins Wimbledon 2008

Rafael Nadal, the 22 year-old world no. 2 wins over the 5-time and current world no.1 Roger Federer in the finals of the 2008 Wimbledon Tennis. Rafa pushed Federer to the extremes from the start and lead 2-0. He broke the champion’s winning streak record and attempt to make it six in a row at the prestigious grass venue.

The game was suspended at 5-5 in the third set. I was glued in my set at aunt’s house at almost midnight. My wife was all smiles as she was cheering for Rafa. Oh, not that she’s a fan. She just wanted to take side on every opponent of my bet. Last night, I believed she got converted.

I was kind of frustrated at the many mistakes of Roger. I can also see frustration in his reactions. So many easy net shots went awry. He failed to convert many of the break points. Though it was obvious that Rafa always appeared stunned when Roger serves, the later was not able to break his opponent’s serves.

We went home at around midnight but I was not yet finished. I opened my laptop and immediately visited Wimbledon’s website. The game resumed many minutes after. I was also browsing other sites while waiting for scores updates. It was tied 6-all at the fourth set when I closed my laptop. I was too sleepy then and it seems that the game was halted for the second time. I slept hoping that Roger will survive another set.

As I was about to dress up for work this morning, my wife asked me about the results of the Wimbledon Finals. I forced myself to open my laptop. I was excited too expecting Roger to win. But I was disappointed to know that Wimbledon has a new champion.

The game was the longest in Wimbledon's history at 4 hours and 48 minutes. It also kind of repeat Bjorn Borg's stop of his 5-year winning streak. Final results: Nadal wins 6-4; 6-4; 6-7; 6-7; 9-7.

Sunday Lethal Combination

It's another war of the fists! I'm sure all of us Filipinos are waiting for the Pacquiao vs Diaz fight results come Sunday. This is just a temporary break to the problems this country is facing right now. Think about the victims of the typhoon Frank, the lost lives of the Princess of the Stars and 8 other vessels, those who died of the flood in the Iloilo area, the rising prices of rice and fuel, and the various unsolved murders.

I don't know. It seems like we are all seeking for a hero somewhere. He couldn't stop typhoons and rising inflation rates, but at least he gives us something to be proud of - even just in the world of boxing. If Pacquiao wins, let's not get lost in the euphoria. We still have suffering brothers and sisters.

If you are in Cebu, you can watch live feed at SM Cinema. Reserved seats are sold at P500 and P400 pesos. One can also go to Club Ultima, that high-rise structure near Fuente Osmeña. Or the cheapest that I gathered is the eat-all-you-can offer of Royal Concourse in Gorordo Cebu. Only for P298. Or if you have a large TV and cable subscription, you can buy pay-per-view from your cable operator. Gather all your friends, and prepare a feast.

Oh well, these are just suggestions! But don't forget that Sunday is church day!

Today I Played Pingpong

There are so many sports I played since I was kid. One of these is pingpong. I was in elementary when I first got hold of a pingpong racket. I can still picture the place where we played and how I returned the ball to my opponent, which was similar to my badminton lob. Of course I lost that game.

But I improved my game three years later when a neighbor bought a pingpong table and some kids from the neighborhood were lining up to play. My neighbors just designed and made their own rackets. I bought the cheapest one. There was a time when an adult ruled the table. But after a few months, another kid ruled. Then I had my time too of being the best in the neighborhod.

But in school, there were other better players. So I was not able to make the cut for the intrams. Besides, I was already a badminton player.

Last month, my wife's uncle bought a pingpong table hoping to encourage his son to play the game. He used to be a mainstay of the pingpong team when he was in the Philippine airforce. His father and brothers also played pingpong when they were young. But his son prefers the computer. Uncle asked my wife if I play pinpong. When my wife told me about it, I immediately bought a new racket.

Then the rivalry began. In our previous encounters, I usually win by large margins, 10-2, 11-3 but today, he was even ahead 8-6. Good thing I made some adjustments and took the next five games. So today, the score is 11-8. At 57, uncle is still a very good player, and I cannot keep up with his stamina. I have to call a time out a couple of times to rest and drink water.

After the game, he told me to return next Sunday. It would be another hell of a pingpong battle next time.

Still Nothing For Chelsea

Forgive me if you don’t know what my title is all about. The Chelsea I am referring to is not a name of a girl or that of Miss Clinton. If you have read my sports archives, you will know what I mean.

11 pm last night I browsed the sports channel in my hotel room here in Taft, (Yep, I’m in Manila since yesterday), looking for the schedule of the Finals game between Manchester United and Chelsea FC, two leading football clubs in England. It’s an all-English finals for Europe’s elite club tournament, the Champions’ League. It’s really very ironic. Two English clubs, one is majority owned by an American, the other by a Russian. They battled in Moscow. Despite their clubs’ strength, England will not be seen in Euro 2008 next month. Their national team failed the cut. So sad!

I woke up 2am and turned on the TV. I was just in time to watch my Chelsea team tormented by Ronaldo’s header that found its way to the goal. Just before half time, Lampard found the net to level the score at 1-1. I turned the TV off at half-time and slept. But my mind wandered into a deep sleep that I missed the whole second half and the extensions after that. By the time I pushed the button, it was already towards the end of the 30-minute final extension, and the score still tied at 1-1. It went into a more exciting finale, a kick-out.

I thought it was the end of Man U when their superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, failed to convert. At four all, everyone’s eyes were on John Terry, the Chelsea and England Captain. If his shot will go in, Chelsea will be a first time Champ. I was so confident that he’d deliver, but his ball missed the entire goal. Abramovich, the team’s Russian owner, could have had a heart attack at the owners’ box. He couldn’t believe what he just saw. Two more United players found the net, but Chelsea’s rarely used Anelka, had his ball blocked by Man U’s supergoalie.

It’s the end of Chelsea. Four times of reaching the semis in the past, and now the finals, this one should have been tailored fit for them. Yet they failed. They have not won any trophy this season, they failed to defend their titles, they lost their fiery coach earlier in the season, and they could lose more fans.

I am just happy for Manchester United. They deserve to win both the English Premier League and the Champions’ League this season. Cristiano Ronaldo is awesome too. The young Portuguese is truly deserving of all the awards he won. Had they lost, his miss on the box would have been remembered forever. I can also cheer for the team, since they are one of my top 5 faves. Cheers to Manchester United! Still nothing for Chelsea!

Play For Fun And Play To Win

The beach volleyball game had always been the highlight in our company beach outing, regardless of the weather. This time around was no different. But unlike in the previous years, the current edition requires at least two female players in the court.

The highest ranked officer in our team emphasized that our first objective is to have fun. And the second objective is to win. I am one of those who at any game want the best players on the court. But we cannot just turn away those players who want to play despite their lack of skills. Not in a company sportsfest.

The first set was close. The weaker players were obviously our team’s weakness. So the boss declared that for the second set, winning shall be our first objective. I assisted him in choosing the better players. But the other team was just so fortunate in their plays. We lost in two sets.

In the afternoon, we played against the loser in the other bracket. We were fighting for third place. The rules changed allowing us to bring in our best players with or without females. I thought that had it been the rule in the elimination round, we would have had a bigger chance of winning. It was also the same with our current opponent. The result: we won in two sets after exhausting ourselves under an early afternoon sun. Then after that, we watched our tormentor win the championship.

A teammate and I just shook our heads. Sometimes, the desire to win takes away the fun. And sometimes, there is no fun at all when you lose.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. KOs 7-footer Paul‘Big Show’ Wight at WrestleMania XXIV

This is one big show indeed! Floyd Mayweather Jr., the current WBC Welterweight Champion, is undefeated even in professional wrestling. He knocked out his opponent in his debut fight. So how did Floyd win it against a giant in front of the 74,635 fans at the Citrus Bowl? I really couldn’t imagine. First, it was the help from the corner. They gave the boxer a metal folding chair and brass knuckles. But it was a brass-knuckled right hook to Big Show’s jaw that brought the big man down.

What will Hatton, de la Hoya or even Manny Pacquiao say about it? Obviously, they’d chorus, “It’s plain entertainment and not a true fight.” Oh well, let them fight in WWE themselves and face giants. Fighting a 7-footer giant in 400-pounder Paul “Big Show” Wight is not a small joke. A choke from his bare hands or a bump from his body can make anyone spit blood.

Nicely choreographed, huh? So what? It’s the $20M that matters for Floyd’s camp. And for WWE, it a new record for live gate proceeds of $5.85M. Maybe they should feature Manny Pacquiao next time.

Pacquiao-Marquez Part 2: If Pacquiao Loses To Marquez

The whole of Mexico will definitely rejoice as if they conquered the whole of the Philippines. The streets will be filled with revelers, tables turned over at bars, stores looted and probably cars will be burned. I am imagining here a football world cup victory scenario which is unlikely to be matched by boxing, even if exaggerated.

De La Hoya would be smiling from ear to ear but it will be business as usual for Bob Arum. Those who wanted to beat Pacquiao like Valero, Diaz and Chris John will be filled with envy and would direct their ire at Marquez. Marquez will go to an undisclosed location to relax, still in awe of his controversial win despite his disfigured face. He will probably contemplate on retirement after having beaten the best fighter of his class.

What about the Philippines and the Filipinos? The streets will be empty and you will see people moving out from cinemas and bars with PPV airing the fight with heads bowed as if they lost half of their life and earnings along with loverboy Manny. They will go straight home, kick the dog on the door, sleep and avoid the sports news of the day.

After the brief undeclared ceasefire between the government and rebel forces, the sour losers will raise their arms and shoot like crazy. Those who win because they placed their bets on the Mexican will silently withdraw from the crowd and avoid any sign of ecstasy because a punch may fly anywhere. They too will wear a frown emphatizing with a mourning nation.

The day after, the protesters will be back on the streets demanding oil price rollback and for GMA to step down. Some sectors will even demand for Pacquiao’s retirement and a possibly, a senate inquiry of his winnings, and who gets kickbacks. It’s public knowledge that some high powers will be in Vegas on fight night.

To avert chaos, Manny should win this fight!

The Joker Runs Over The Fed Express

It should have been the other way around. 7-5 6-3 7-6 rampage against the defending champion and world no. 1, is totally out-of-this-world.

Fence and I were sitting on wedding reception of a college friend when he was itching to leave his seat and watch the Roger-Novak Australian Open semi-final match at the hotel bar lounge.

"First set, Novak" he said.

"He'll bounce back" I assured him.

"I'll be drunk if Rog loses" he said.

A few minutes later, he went out then returned with shoulders down. "Novak second set".

Then after dinner he excused himself again. "Fed leads 4-3".

All of us were enjoying our friend's big day, but Novak "the Joker" Djokovic left my friend broken-hearted. "Can he turn things around?" I asked.

We all know the rest of the story. There won't be a Roger-Rafa showdown this time. New faces are emerging in this year's Grand Slam Tennis opener. I'm turning into a Joker convert. (You should know that I'm not talking about the Batman movie here)

But I'm not sure if my friend got drunk last night. He might delay the ritual when he returns to Manila tomorrow.

Who Is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga?

In a post yesterday, I was assuming a Roger-Rafa final in the Australian open. Boring that would be, but that would have been the case if not for some miracle. Well, not really a miracle. It's a massacre. Tsonga fried Nadal in three straight sets. And the game was not even close.

With Nadal out of the picture, whoever Tsonga faces next should be in for a surprise. I still have no clear idea about who Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is. All I know is that, he broke the hearts of the many Rafa fans. I hope he won't break Fed's fans soon.

Those Tennis Beauties

The Australian Open is getting exciting these days. It’s an all-European semis for both the Men and the Ladies. I wonder what their diet is. They seem to have tennis running in their veins.

I will not be talking about the Roger-Rafa match-up coz Novak and the unseeded Tsonga (who’s he?) might spoil their reunion. I will be focusing on the beautiful side of tennis; those long-legged beauties on the court. Perhaps the most recognizable face and figure today belong to Maria Sharapova. She displayed court power and finesse when she eliminated the world no. 1 Justine Henin.

But there is another glamour girl who barged into the semis. She’s none other than Daniela Hantuchova. She got her first recognition in 2002 when she landed at the top 8, and got the attention of sports and fashion photographers. Now at 24, she might be the oldest at her first Grand Slam semis, but she’s got power and that sweet face that can take the trophy and the limelight from the other players.


(photo from http://www.dhantuchova.com/foto.php)

Consider me a fan. Go, Daniela!