Hot Rod

Welcome everyone to the latest thread devoted to the very lovely and talented Maria Sharapova. Everyone is welcome to discuss all things that are Maria as long it`s not too dirty(lets keep it PG-13 for the younger posters) and negative toward Maria. We don`t put up with any Maria haters here.


If you want to be a member, just ask and you shall be added.

Hot Rod

Sure this thread is devoted to Maria, but we like to discuss some of her competitors who are pretty talented and beautiful in their own right. So here`s a little introduction to them and some friendships, partnerships and/or associations involving some of the ladies:

Hot Rod

Here`s an update on the rest of yesterday`s matches in Toronto.

First of all in the marquee match that was delayed by rain, Masha defeated Vera Z 6-2, 7-6(3). Masha really came out strong to start the match and dominated the first set. It looked like she was going to run away with the match by jumping out to a 2-0 lead to start the second set, but then Vera finally got it going by winning the next four games. However Masha leveled things up and later on, really took control in the tiebreaker to clinch the win. So good win for Masha. This was a big improvement for her compared to the slopfest in her previous match, especially on her serve. Plus Masha did a good job of keeping her poise and stepping up her play midway in the second set. As for Vera, obviously this is a disappointing result for her. She did a good job of getting it together midway in the second set, but unfortunately was unable withstand Masha`s good form. Plus her serve let her down at times in the match as evident by the eight double faults.

In the other all hotties matchup earlier in the afternoon, Aggie defeated Kat 7-5, 6-3. Good win for Aggie. She did a good job of putting together another solid performance. As for Kat, she kept things even for a while until she was broken late in the first set. From then onward, she was unable to keep up with Aggie.

Also in a match that just finished a few minutes earlier, JJ defeated Kim Clijsters 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. Good win for JJ. This was quite a battle for her as expected. She did a good job of rebounding after a dismal first set. Then late in the third set, JJ found herself down 5-3, but she fought back and found a way to win the last four games to close out the match. This was a very good win for JJ, who really went the extra mile to comeback and beat the very dangerous Kim Clijsters. A lot of players would`ve folded mentally down 3-5 in the third set, but once again JJ showed her toughness by coming back from a few games away from defeat to get the win.

Lastly in doubles, Dani and Ai Sugiyama defeated Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-3. Good win for Hantuyama. Nice to see them with a solid performance.

So in all it was pretty good day for some of our favorites in Toronto. Here is the schedule for later today:



Obviously the Masha-Aggie match will be the marquee match of the day. I think that this could be a tight match, however if Masha can come out strong like she did earlier tonight, then i think that it could be a hard match for Aggie. Plus JJ has a potential tricky match against Alisa Kleybanova and Iveta and Barbora Zahlavova Srycova will play the Spanish Armanda`s #2 team. I really hope that all of our remaining favorites will do well later today and we`ll get a pretty good match between Masha and Aggie.

Anyway here are some pics from tonight`s matches.

Hot Rod

Here`s an update on yesterday`s matches in Toronto.

First of all in the latest all hotties matchup, Masha defeated Aggie 6-2, 7-6(5). Masha came out strong in the first set with some good play to win it convincingly. However Aggie came back strong in the second set by jumping out to a 5-2 and then Masha got it back going again to win the next four games to take a 6-5 lead. Masha had a chance to close out the match on her and had match point, but was unable to convert and got broken shortly after to send it into a tiebreaker. Aggie jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but once again Masha really got it going by winning the next six points to pretty much put the match out of reach, well almost. So good win for Masha. Once again she delivers another nice solid performance and did a good job of coming back a couple of times in the second set. However i was disappointed by her inability to close out the match. As for Aggie, she did a good job coming out strong in the second set, but was unable to get that one game to win the second set. Plus her serve really let her down, especially late in the second set. Aggie obviously needs to work on it, because that is one of the few things that is holding her back from competing with the big hitters like Masha and the Williams sisters.

Also in the preceding match, JJ was upset by Alisa Kleybanova 7-6(6), 6-7(7), 2-6. What a tough loss for JJ. The first two sets were very thrilling to follow with plenty of twists and turns. In fact JJ had a match point, but was unable to convert it. That would prove costly because unfortunately she ran out of gas in the third set. I really hate that JJ missed out a good win. I think that she would`ve been better off winning it in straight sets, because it was apparent early in the third set that the tough match against Kim Clijsters along with the first two sets took a lot out of her. Hopefully JJ will take a few days off before getting ready for the US Open.

Lastly in doubles, Iveta and Barbora Zahlavova Srycova were defeated by Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Martinez Jose Sanchez 6-4, 3-6, 4-10. Tough loss there for Iveta. I hate that another good run in doubles came to an end with a tough loss.

So in all it was an alright day with the Masha-Aggie match being the highlight out of the day. Here is the schedule for later today. First of all, Masha will take on Alisa Kleybanova. This looks like a tough match for Masha. I think that she`s going to need to come out strong again. Also Dani and Ai Sugiyama will face Nuria Llagostera and Maria Martinez Jose Sanchez. I really hope that both of our remaining favorites will do well later today.

Anyway here are some pics from tonight`s matches.










Good job Masha.

Hot Rod

Here`s an update on today`s matches in Toronto.

First of all in the evening match, Masha defeated Alisa Kleybanova 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Good win for Masha. This was a pretty tough match as expected. Masha played very well in the first set. Then at the start of the second set, she got off to a slow start, falling behind 0-3. However she came back to get the break back and kept it close until she was broken for the set. In the third set, Masha got off to a slow start, falling behind 1-3. Then she came back and really elevated her play to win five out of the last six games to clinch the match. I`m really pleased with Masha`s performance in tonight`s match. She showed trademark toughness and poise by coming back from down 1-3 in the third set. Plus she had a nice winners in the third set, especially a great cross court shot that won her a game late in the match.

Also earlier in the afternoon, Dani and Ai Sugiyama were defeated by Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Martinez Jose Sanchez 4-6, 4-6. Tough loss for Hantuyama. Once again they come up after a good run. I really feel that they`re due for a title sooner or later.

So in all it was a so so day for Masha and Dani. Later on this afternoon, Masha will take on Elena Dementieva in the finals. This will be Masha`s first final since Doha last year. Obviously this looks like another tough match for her, but at the same time, this is a great opportunity for her. I really hope that Masha will do well later today.

Anyway here are some pics from tonight`s match.


















Good job Masha.

The Daywalker

Good luck to Masha in the finals!

Hot Rod

Earlier today, Masha played in her first final since she came back in May and unfortunately she was defeated by Elena Dementieva 4-6, 3-6.


What a tough loss for Masha.

She really struggled with her serve in the first set and looked a step slower than Dementieva, but she really put up quite a fight throughout the match. Unfortunately she had a lot of unforced errors that doomed any chances of winning, especially a few on what would`ve been sure winners. Even with today`s loss, i`m very proud of Masha for making it to her first final since she came back. I think that this is a nice step forward for her. However today`s match showed that she`s still not quite there to her old form yet.

So that`s the story on the Rogers Cup in Toronto. The next tournament will be the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven where Caroline is the reigning champion. In fact the tournament got underway today.

First of all, Anna upset Nadia Petrova 0-6, 7-6(4), 6-4. Good win for Anna. She did a great job of coming back after being bageled in the first set to win two tough sets, especially the third set, where she nearly blew a 5-1 lead. Hopefully this win will be the step back in the right direction for Anna.

Meanwhile in doubles, a couple of our favorites played each other where Iveta and Lucie Hradecka crushed Flavia and Sara Errani 6-1, 6-1. This is quite a surprising result there. Good win for Iveta. Nice to see her get another good win in doubles. As for Flavia, i`m disappointed that she got routed like this.

So that`s the story on the early matches in New Haven. Alona is currently playing Meghann Shaughnessy, while Makiri and Alize are playing their doubles matches. Hopefully those three will do well in their matches.

I`ll have the draws for the Pilot Pen later this evening.

Hot Rod

Sorry i`m late with this, but here are the ladies` singles and doubles draws for the Pilot Pen Tennis.

Also here`s an update from New Haven.

First of all in an all hotties matchup, Elena defeated Gisela 7-6(6), 6-2. Good win for Elena. It`s nice to see her finally getting a win in singles again. As for Gisela, i hate that she lost in straight sets.

Also Aggie defeated Roberta Vinci 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) and Iveta defeated Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Good wins for those two. Both of them good jobs of bouncing back after the first sets in their matches.

So in all it was a pretty good day for some of our favorites in New Haven. I`ll have the schedule for tomorrow`s matches later this evening.

In the meantime, here are some pics of Flavia and Caroline at a promo thing at the Yale Bowl earlier today or yesterday.


Finally we get to see a couple of our favorites wearing football jersey. Flavia and Caroline look pretty good in the blue and white of the Bulldogs , however i think that Flavia would look better wearing a Bama road jersey and Caroline wearing the orange Miami home jersey.


It`s nice to see Flavia and Caroline having some fun.

The Daywalker

I would be more than willing to make that compromise. I think all of our tennis hotties should branch out like this.

I won a nice $0.17 on Elena today. It's nice! We just have to keep her away from Zheng Jie.

Hot Rod

I fully agree with you on this Chris. In fact i`ve been wanting to see this for a while. Hopefully Flavia and Caroline can help start a trend among our favorite tennis hotties.

Also congrats on your little winnings on Elena today. She`s safely far away from the dangerous Jie Zheng and will play the winner of another all hotties matchup between Alize and Domi next. I hate that Alize and Domi will have to play each other in the first round, especially given their struggles for a while.

Lastly the Bondarenko sisters and Ula are currently playing their doubles matches. Alona and Kat has just started their match and has just been broken to start the match, while Ula is in the super tiebreaker of her`s. Hopefully those three can end the day on a good note.

The Daywalker

Jersey over button down
^ Better morning after, post nookie girl look.

Hot Rod

I agree with you on that, although i have to say that the button down shirt is also a pretty hot look on a hottie in the morning as evident in this classic pic.



Also earlier this evening, the Bondarenko sisters and Ula won their doubles matches. Good wins for those ladies. It`s a nice way to close out the day.

Here is the schedule for tomorrow`s matches:



Obviously Alize, Alona and Anna has very tough looking matches. I really hope that all of our favorites will do well tomorrow.

Hot Rod

Here`s an update on today`s matches in New Haven.

First of all earlier this evening, Caroline destroyed Edina Gallovits 6-0, 6-0. Good win for Caroline. Obviously this is a very impressive performance by her, which i think is the first double bagel of her career. This is a excellent start for Caroline.

Earlier this afternoon, Flavia routed Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-1, 6-2 and Anna defeated Sybille Bammer 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. Good wins for those two. I`m especially pleased with Anna`s win. She had a chance to serve for match up 5-4, but was unable to do so. However she didn`t panic, got the break in the next game and finally closed it out on her serve.

Unfortunately it wasn`t all good news as Alona was crushed by Amelie Mauresmo 1-6, 1-6 and Alize was defeated by Samantha Stosur 7-6(8), 2-6, 4-6. Obviously a very disappointing showing from Alona, who stunk up the place, while Alize had a tough loss against the always tough Samantha Stosur. She was more competitive than i expected, but unfortunately couldn`t keep up the good play in the last two sets.

Lastly in doubles, Iveta and Lucie Hradecka defeated Ula and Liga Dekmeijere 3-6, 6-2, 10-7. Good win for Iveta. I`m glad that she and Ula went the full three sets, although i wish the first two were closer.

So in all it was a good day for some of our favorites. Here is the schedule for tomorrow`s matches:



Elena and Aggie has very tough looking matches, while we`re going to get all hotties matchups between Flavia and Iveta and Alona and the Bondarenko sisters. I really hope that all of our favorites will do well tomorrow and the all hotties matchups will be pretty good.

In other news, Domi withdrew from the US Open earlier today due to a rib injury. What a disappointing turn of events for Domi. She has had such bad luck with injuries for much of the year. Hopefully she`ll get well soon.

Anyway here are some pics from Caroline`s match.






Good job Caroline.

Hot Rod

Here`s an update on today`s matches in New Haven.

First of all, we got another all hotties matchup where Flavia defeated Iveta 7-6(1), 6-4. Nice to see both sets were very competitive. Good win for Flavia.

Also Elena upset Samantha Stosur 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Caroline defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-4. Good wins for those ladies. I`m especially pleased with Elena`s big win over the very tough Samantha Stosur. She was due for a big win like this sooner or later.

Unfortunately we got some bad news as Aggie was forced to retire in her match against Virginie Razzano after splitting the first two sets 3-6, 6-4 due to an imflammation of tendon of the wrist. Tough end to the tournament for Aggie. Hopefully this injury isn`t serious.

Lastly in doubles, the Bondarenko sisters defeated Alize and Edina Gallovits 6-3, 7-5. Good win for Alona and Kat. Nice to see them deliver a solid performance.

So in all it was pretty good day for some of our favorites in New Haven, however Aggie`s withdrawal obviously puts a dark cloud on the day. I`ll have the schedule for tomorrow`s matches when it becomes available later this evening.

In the meantime, here are some pics from Caroline`s match along with some pics of Masha at some fashion event last night.






Good job Caroline.




It is so great to see Masha and Blake together. Hopefully Blake will be at one of Masha`s matches at the US Open. Of course it would be nice if she brought Leighton, Jessica and/or Taylor with her.

Hot Rod

Here`s the latest update from New Haven.

First of all, we got a matchup between two of Team Russia`s finest where Elena defeated Anna 6-1, 7-5. Good win for Elena. She got off to a great start with a strong performance in the first set and did a good job of keeping it going in the second set to win the match in straight sets. As for Anna, she had a golden opportunity to even up the match, up 5-3 in the second set, but unfortunately couldn`t win that last game and instead lost the last four games of the match. Still i don`t think that Anna should be too down about today`s match. She got a couple of pretty good wins in New Haven. Hopefully she can build on this at the US Open next week.

Also Flavia defeated Magdalena Rybarkikova 6-2, 6-2 and Caroline defeated Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3. Good wins for those ladies. Nice to see them with solid performances again.

Lastly in doubles, Iveta and the Bondarenko sisters played each other and unfortunately the Bondarenko sisters had to retire due to Kat suffering a left thigh strain with the Iveta and Lucie Hradecka leading 6-4, 2-0. While i`m happy for Iveta, i hate that the Bondarenko sisters` run had to end like this. Hopefully this injury isn`t serious and will require some rest for Kat.

So in all it was a pretty good day for most of our remaining favorites in New Haven. Here is the schedule for tomorrow`s matches:



First of all, the Caroline/Flavia match looks like a potential pretty good match, which will be shown live on ESPN 2 tomorrow afternoon. Also later in the evening, Elena will take on Amelie Mauresmo. Obviously this will be a very tough match for Elena, but at the same time, this is a great opportunity for her. I really hope that all of our favorites will do well tomorrow and we`ll get a pretty good match between Caroline and Flavia.

Anyway here are some pics the Elena/Anna match and Caroline`s match along with some practice pics of Dani, JJ and Masha in Flushing Meadows.