Mesh Tennis

Formidable fashionista editrix Anna Wintour is just crushin’ on Roger Federer.

The tennis star has even managed to put a smile on that famously pinched face. Thrice Wintour has shown up to cheer Federer at the US Open, swanning magisterially into the player’s box. And before the tournament began, the imperious doyenne of chic hosted a soirée in his honour, tout le monde – well, at least the crème of the monde – summoned to swish in presence of Vogue and vogue.

The world’s top tennis ace – Men’s Vogue cover-boy – is not merely playing celebri-jock pawn, flaunted like a fashion accessory. His Nike contract is about to expire and Wintour, with her global command of the style industry, is rumoured to be providing advice on how Federer can maximize his marketing potential, particularly in carriage trade endorsements beyond the sweatband audience.

She’s said to be highly approving of the Swiss stud’s new Man in Black and vaguely Goth silhouette. At Wimbledon, Federer was all about the crested blazer, worn to and from court. At Flushing Meadows, he’s introduced tuxedo shorts – silk trim along the sides – and black socks to match. “I’ve gotten into fashion the last few years, done my own fashion statements on centre court at Wimbledon,” Federer told the New York Times.
thestar.com

I personally think that Federer’s fashion choices for the Slams has sucked. I don’t want to hang out with a guy in a crested blazer - just so lame! He should definitely try to break out of his good guy image and go edgier - and tuxedos aren’t edgy. He probably doesn’t have the fashion confidence to pull it off.

After getting axed from the team, she will be there to cheer them on.

Russia’s former world No.1 Maria Sharapova said Friday she will join the Russian team for the 2007 Federation Cup final in Moscow, but only as a spectator and practice partner.

Sharapova said on her official Web site that she was pleasantly surprised to receive a telephone call from Shamil Tarpishchev, the captain of the Russian tennis team, who asked her whether she would like to play in the 2007 Fed Cup final encounter against Italy at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on September 15-16.

“Unfortunately he called me the day I was visiting a doctor in Toronto, who said the best way to get rid of that 20% nagging shoulder pain… is if I don’t put any impinging overhead pressure on it for the next three weeks. Which basically means I can’t hit anything over my head,” Sharapova said.

Sharapova, who has been plagued by a shoulder injury since the summer, said the good news was that she will be able to start hitting this week without any problems and plans to fly to Moscow to help the team practice.

“The least I could do is fly over there and be their practice partner for the week and cheer them on from the stands,” said the 20-year-old tennis star, who is currently ranked 2nd in the WTA rating list.
huliq.com

Hasn’t she had this shoulder injury for about 2 years now?

As he accepted a wild card into the season-ending BlackRock Masters at the Royal Albert Hall in London, December 4 to 9, Borg said he expected Federer to collect his 12th Grand Slam title in New York this week, but that Nadal would end the World No.1’s run at Wimbledon in 2008.

“I would still pick Federer to win the US Open this year,” said Borg.

“But, Nadal can play on any surface, he wants to prove to the whole world that he can win Grand Slam tournaments on different surfaces and I’m sure he will, absolutely,” he added.

“If I would pick a winner for Wimbledon next year, I would pick Nadal.

“I think he’s really ready to win Wimbledon. He’s improving every year. Even last year in the final was a close match, and he was even closer this year. He knows he can play on grass now and he knows he can win at Wimbledon. I was happy to be there and to watch the final this year. It was a great final. Rafa was unlucky not to win that final. He’s a great player and a great person.” Peninsula Online

I would be in heaven if that last prediction came true.

This commercial drove me slightly crazy during last weekend’s TV coverage.

The 30-second ad for the Canon PowerShot digital camera features the photogenic tennis star, who was the tournament’s defending champion, and her equally photogenic dog, Dolce.

Actually, the Pomeranian in the ad is an actor named Beowulf. No matter. Sharapova bonded with the stand-in who looks just like Dolce and is handled by the Castaic, Calif.-based Studio Animal Services.

“We wanted to get beyond Maria, the tennis player, to Maria, the person, and one of the things Maria loves most is her dog, Dolce,” says Mike Wilson, Dentsu America’s chief creative officer.

Wilson says one of the ad agency’s biggest decisions was whether to have Dolce speak his lines in a Russian accent or a Italian accent more appropriate to his name than Sharapova’s Russian heritage. Italian won with actor/comedian Fred Armisen as the voice of Dolce.

“He had the right snarky touch to take Maria off a pedestal and show her with a beautiful sense of humor,” says Wilson.

While the commercial ends with Dolce admiring a wall of dog photos, the home is not Sharapova’s, but instead is a private Miami residence once called home by Cher.

But Sharapova does admit to taking “tons of photos” of the real Dolce, who is a homebody and does not travel to tournaments. usatoday.com

At least Maria played herself…

Here’s a collection of images from the usopen.org site - all are of the outfits Venus has been wearing for play.

Charging to the net all night, Williams attacked for a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory, advancing to the semifinals here for the first time since 2002. She will now play No. 1 Justine Henin, who dismantled Venus’s younger sister, Serena, in the quarterfinals the night before.

“I wasn’t happy with the result, at all, to say the very least,” Williams said of her sister’s defeat. “I was sad that Serena lost. I didn’t like to see her so upset. I definitely will have to win for Williams.”

Unlike Serena Williams’s loss to Henin, which ended with Williams’s sour lack of respect for her opponent, this match held both sizzle and sportsmanship, delivering as promised.

Of course, Jankovic did not like the promises she had heard over the past two days.

“I was listening to the commentators,” she said. “I was so sure that Venus was the favorite. They kept going, ‘Venus will play Justine. Venus will do this.’ They already put me out, and I’d beaten her the last three times.”

Later, she had to laugh.

“I guess they were right,” she said.
nytimes.com

I’m just going to write this story up so that I can fill in the blanks and change numbers to fit future matches.

Why does Roger Federer still own Andy Roddick. The answer is rather simple although maybe not that simple for Roddick to accept — Federer is a much better player, perhaps the greatest of all-time.

After his 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2, win over Roddick in Wednesday night’s U.S. Open quarterfinals, Federer improved his record over the tough-battling Texan — who’s one career major title came here in 2003 — to 14-1.

The only time these two have shaken hands at the net after a match with Roddick walking off court the winner was in 2003 on a hard surface in Canada. Since then for Roddick to soak in any success over the Swiss Master he’s had to resort to taking a trip down memory lane to recall his three-set win north of the border four years ago. msnbc.com

BCBG’s young fans in the entertainment world turned out to the tents at Bryant Park, where Azria will also show his signature upscale collection Friday. Ashlee Simpson, Sophia Bush and Ciara were in the front row as was tennis star Martina Hingis, who people seemed surprised to see in a gold sequin top, black jumper and black booties.

“It was all very pretty,” Hingis said after the show. “The satin _ that was really nice.” Washington Post

It’s set to be a Russian showdown between the beastmaster Kuz (sorry, I just can’t help but get creeped out by her court presence - she is built like a truck!) and Anna Chakvetadze. I’m leaning toward the Kuz winning that one. Here’s the info on the match and some photos.

No. 4 Seed Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 in a Fourth Round match on Day 8 of the 2007 US Open. usopen.org

Azarenka is the player who defeated Hingis.

Kuz:

Azarenka:

Carlos Moya, 31, may be the oldest man standing, but any the effects of age on the Spaniard were definitely not apparent in his fourth-round match against Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, the youngest player in the draw at 19.

As would be expected, experience played out to Moya’s advantage against the ATP Tour newcomer, and he defeated Gulbis in four sets. By reaching the quarterfinals of this, his 12th straight US Open appearance, Moya is one win away from equaling his best result at Flushing Meadows, a feat he accomplished in 1998.

The 1998 Roland Garros champ’s road to the 2007 Open’s final eight started out smoothly with straight-set wins over Bjorn Phau and Igor Kunitsyn before he was tested in five against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round and then again by Gulbis.

When match point against the Latvian teen was decided, Moya fell back on the court in sheer joy. The weight of having been denied a spot in the quarters at the Open for the past nine years was finally lifted.

“(It) is a great feeling to be in the quarters again after such a long time,” he said. “Also quarters this year in French Open. It’s great for me to do well in such a big tournament. You know, I’m very happy the way I’m playing. I’m very happy that I beat these guys. It’s good to keep dreaming, you know. That’s what I’m doing right now.”

The former world No. 1 admitted that though he is the oldest player in the draw, he still feels — and most observes say plays — like a 20-year-old. It is the adrenaline rush he gets from winning big matches against today’s young guns that keeps him going.

“(These kind of matches) are the ones that keep me very motivated,” Moya said. “The match I won the other day against Kohlschreiber, it’s amazing. That feeling gives me 10 years more of career, I would say. You’re so happy when you finish that kind of matches. Like today in such a great stadium, fourth round of a Grand Slam, still beating these young guys. These are the things that give me so much motivation to keep going.”

With the way he’s been playing so far this tournament, there’s no doubt Moya has what it takes to contest another Grand Slam title to add to his 1998 Roland Garros championship. And he’s certainly proved that he is capable of competing with the younger top players on tour. In fact, he’s dispelled any rumors or questions that have arisen with respect to his retirement.

“I never been close to retire, to be honest,” he said. “I was hundred percent sure that I still had good tennis ahead of me, good matches like I’m playing this year. So it was about being motivated again and being lucky. I’m enjoying as I never did before. If I’m playing at this level, there is no way that I’ll be retiring soon.”
usopen.org