Sports - Maria Sharapova #8: Because she`ll be back in action soon and stronger than ever!

**Hot Rod** · 08-22-2008, 09:33 PM

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.

Biography

Date of Birth: April 19, 1987
Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia (Siberian Region)
Residence: Bradenton, Florida and Manhattan Beach, California, USA
Nationality: Russian
Height: 6'2
Weight: 130 lbs. (59 kg)
Plays: Right-handed
Clothing: Nike
Racquet: Prince
Endorsements: Gatorade, Tropicana, Samantha Thavasa , Sony Ericsson, Parlux Fragrances, Canon, TAG Heuer, Honda Japan & Colgate-Palmolive

PERSONAL
*Coached by her father Yuri Sharapov and Michael Joyce
*Mother's name is Yelena
*Nickname is Masha
*Has a Pomeranian named Dolce
*Started hitting tennis balls at age four; at six, participated in exhibition in Moscow that featured Martina Navratilova
*Began training at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, at age nine (which required a two-year separation from mother due to visa restrictions and finances)
*Off-court interests include fashion, singing, dancing and movies (favorites are Mona Lisa Smile, Something's Gotta Give and Love Actually)
*In second year of high school and studies via an Internet school.
*Enjoys reading books in the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series.
*Prefers Russian and Thai cuisine
*Favorite dessert is French crepes with Nutella.
*Favorite drinks are orangina and virgin strawberry daiquiris
*Signed with IMG Models in November 2003

CAREER TITLES
Singles
2003: Tokyo & Quebec City
2004: Birmingham, Wimbledon, Seoul, Tokyo & WTA Championships
2005: Tokyo, Doha & Birmingham
2006: Indian Wells, San Diego, US Open, Zurich & Linz
2007: San Diego
2008: Australian Open, Doha, Amelia Island
Doubles
2003: Tokyo, Luxembourg
2004: Birmingham

HIGHEST RANKINGS
Singles: 1 (2005, 2007, and 2008)
Doubles: 41 (14/6/2004)

BEST GRAND SLAM PERFORMANCES
Australian Open: Champion
Roland Garros: Semifinals
Wimbledon: Champion
US Open: Champion

Maria in action on the court

and off it

Maria Sharapova.com

The Mashaholics:

1. Hot Rod(Rod)
2. The Daywalker(Chris)

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

**Hot Rod** · 08-22-2008, 09:36 PM

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:

Maria Kirilenko
Country: Russia
Birthday: January 25, 1987
Turned pro: 2001
Nickname: Makiri
Career titles: 5 singles and 5 doubles(including Birmingham in `04 with Masha)
Record against Maria: 1-2
Others info: Masha`s best friend on the tour and widely considered to be one of the cutest players on the tour.
Maria KIRILENKO - Official website

Anastasia Myskina
Country: Russia
Birthday: July 8, 1981
Turned pro: 1998
Nickname: Nastya
Career titles: 10 singles(including the French Open in 2004) and 5 doubles
Record against Maria: 3-2(lost the last two meetings)
Other info: The first Russian woman to win a grand slam title and one of the more animated players on the tour with her fiery on court demeanor. A long time member of Team Russia, including their first Fed Cup championship teams in 2004 and 2005. Gave birth to son Zhenya on April 28, 2008

Vera Zvonareva
Country: Russia
Birthday: September 7, 1984
Turned pro: 2000
Career titles: 7 singles and 4 doubles(including the 2006 US Open)
Record against Maria: 3-5
Other info: Widely considered to be one of the most solid players on any surface on the tour. Won the bronze medal in singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the mixed doubles title at the US Open in 2004 with Bob Bryan and Wimbledon in 2006 with Andy Ram.
Vera`s official website

Daniela Hantuchová
Country: Slovakia
Birthday: April 23, 1983
Turned pro: 1999
Nicknames: Danka in eastern Europe and Dani in the English speaking countries
Career titles: 3 singles and 8 doubles
Record against Maria: 1-7
Other info: Looks a lot like actresses Mischa Barton and Kate Bosworth, was trained as a classical pianist and is one of five women to have the career grand slam in mixed doubles. A long time member of Team Slovakia, including their Fed Cup championship team in 2002. Named the WTA`s Newcomer of the Year in 2001 and Most Improved Player in 2002.
Dani`s official website

Nicole Vaidišová
Country: Czech Republic
Birthday: April 23, 1989
Turned pro: 2003
Nickname: Nikki
Career titles: 6 singles
Record against Maria: Hasn`t played each other to date.
Other info: One of the tallest players in the WTA at 6', also one of the most quick tempered players on tour and won her first title at the age of 15.
Nicole Vaidisova On-Line

Ana Ivanović
Country: Serbia
Birthday: November 6, 1987
Turned pro: 2003
Nickname: Anči
Career titles: 8 singles(Including the 2008 French Open)
Record against Maria: 2-3(Including the finals of the 2008 Australian Open)
Other info: Also one of the tallest players in the WTA at 6'1" and widely considered to be one of the most engaging and friendliest personalties on the tour. Named the WTA`s Most Improved Player in 2005 and 2007 and awarded the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award 2007.
Ana Ivanovic.com

Jelena Jankovic
Country: Serbia
Birthday: February 25, 1985
Turned pro: 2000
Nicknames: J.J. and Jeca
Career titles: 10 singles and 1 doubles
Record against Maria: 1-4
Other info: One of the most outgoing personalities on the tour. Widely noted for her excellent fitness and strong all around game on all surfaces. Won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with Jamie Murray in 2007. Named the WTA`s Most Improved Player in 2006.
Jelena Jankovic.com

Tatiana Golovin
Country: France (born in Russia)
Birthday: January 25, 1988
Turned pro: 2002
Nickname: Tati
Career titles: 2 singles
Record against Maria: 0-5(including two tough matches in `06 in Miami and in the US Open)
Other info: Is a classmate of Masha from their days at the world famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and has remained good friends with her. Won the French Open mixed doubles title with compatriot Richard Gasquet in 2004. Named the WTA`s Newcomer of the Year in 2004.
Golovin Attitude.com

Flavia Pennetta
Country: Italy
Birthday: February 25, 1982
Turned pro: 2000
Career titles: 6 singles and 3 doubles
Record against Maria: 0-2
Other info: A long time member of Team Italy, including their Fed Cup championship team in 2006. Noted for her good play on clay and looks a lot like actress Shiri Appleby.
Flavia Pennetta.com

The Bondarenko sisters
Country: Ukraine

Alona
Birthday: August 13, 1984
Turned pro: 1999
Career titles: 1 singles and 3 doubles(including the 2008 Australian Open women`s doubles title)
Record against Maria: 0-2(two tough matches in Indian Wells and Amelia Island)
Other info: Noted for her strong resemblance to former pro Anna Kournikova and her sexy ad for K-Swiss.

Kateryna
Birthday: August 8, 1986
Turned pro: 2000
Nickname: Kat
Career titles: 1 singles and 2 doubles(including the 2008 Australian Open women`s doubles title)
Record against Maria: Haven`t played each other to date.
Other info: Began playing at age 4. Speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, English. Enjoys dancing and hanging out with friends.

Team info: Became the second sister team to win a Grand Slam title with their victory in the 2008 Australian Open. Comes from a tennis playing family that includes older sister Valeria and mother Natalia, who coaches them. Noted for their fiery temperments, which causes some arguments on the court.
Bondarenko Sisters.com

Alize Cornet
Country: France
Birthday: January 22, 1990
Turned pro: 2006
Career titles: 1 singles and 1 doubles
Record against Maria: Haven`t played each other to date.
Other info: Also widely considered to be one of the cutest players on the tour. Likes playing piano and basketball and listening to music.
Alize Cornet.com

Caroline Wozniacki
Country: Denmark
Birthday: July 11, 1990
Turned pro: 2005
Career titles: 3 singles and 1 doubles
Record against Maria: 0-2
Other info: Also widely consider to be one of the cutest players on the tour. Comes from an athletic family. Her father Piotr played professional football(soccer) in Germany and Denmark, her mother Anna played on the Polish national volleyball team and her older brother Patrick is a profesional football player, playing for BK Frem in Copenhagen.
Caroline`s Official site

The Russian Hottie Mafia

Team Czechoslovakia

The Sunshine Girls

The Starlets

The Cover Girls

The Sexy Serbs

The Dream Team

The Daywalker · 08-23-2008, 07:15 AM

Awesome intro, sir. We've quite the collection of hotness on tour at the moment and they are all playing at a high level - which can be troublesome as they all continue to knock each other off preventing "great seasons" but definitely progress for most of them.

I loved JJ's red practice and new US Open outfits

Doesn't get much better than that on her.

**Hot Rod** · 08-23-2008, 12:34 PM

Glad that you like the intro Chris. I decided to make some changes to it like adding Alize and Caroline to the second OP. Both ladies has certainly earned the right to be added there.

I`m also pleased with the depth of hotties on the tour. It is definitely a huge upgrade from a few years ago. Obviously we won`t be seeing many great seasons from them, having to knock each other off. In fact Masha is the only one i can see having a great season since she has dominated most of her fellow hotties. I really hope that we`ll get to see continuing progress for the hotties.

The latest all hotties final in New Haven ended a few minutes ago. The match went the full three sets and in the end Caroline defeated Anna 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to capture her second title. Great win by Caroline.

She struggled in the first set, but did a great job of keeping her composure and elevating her play, especially in the third set. As for Anna, disappointing loss for her.

She put together some nice shotmaking early, but really struggled with her serve throughout the match, especially in the last set and had way too many unforced errors on her forehand. In the last part of the match, Anna`s confidence really went downhill and she was ready to get the match over with as soon as possible. So it was a good match between Anna and Caroline. I liked the nice shotmaking from both ladies, but there`s still work for them to do with their serves, especially Anna. Still i like their chances of going on nice runs in the US Open. Plus i must add that this title win will be a huge confidence booster for Caroline heading into the US Open.

While i`m on the subject of the US Open, i`ll have the draw for it later today. In the meantime here are some pics of Masha at last night`s USTA and Heineken US Open party.

**Hot Rod** · 08-23-2008, 06:04 PM

As promised earlier today, here is the draw for the US Open:

[1] Ana IVANOVIC vs Vera DUSHEVINA
QUALIFIER vs Casey DELLACQUA
Kaia KANEPI vs Monica NICULESCU
[32] Amelie MAURESMO vs Nathalie DECHY

[19] Nadia PETROVA vs Olivia SANCHEZ
QUALIFIER vs Evgeniya RODINA
Shuai PENG vs Eleni DANIILIDOU
[16] Flavia PENNETTA vs QUALIFIER

[11] Daniela HANTUCHOVA vs QUALIFIER
Jessica MOORE vs Melanie OUDIN
Marta DOMACHOWSKA vs Bethanie MATTEK
[17] Alize CORNET vs Camille PIN

[31] Virginie RAZZANO vs Timea BACSINSZKY
Alla KUDRYAVTSEVA vs Yung-Jan CHAN
Stephanie COHEN-ALORO vs QUALIFIER
[6] Dinara SAFINA vs QUALIFIER

[4] Serena WILLIAMS vs Kateryna BONDARENKO
Elena VESNINA vs Julia VAKULENKO
Olga GOVORTSOVA vs QUALIFIER
[30] Ai SUGIYAMA vs Andreja KLEPAC

[20] Nicole VAIDISOVA vs Petra CETKOVSKA
Severine BREMOND vs Julia GOERGES
Maret ANI vs Tathiana GARBIN
[13] Agnes SZAVAY vs Gail BRODSKY

[9] Agnieszka RADWANSKA vs QUALIFIER
Tamarine TANASUGARN vs QUALIFIER
QUALIFIER vs Edina GALLOVITS
[18] Dominika CIBULKOVA vs Jill CRAYBAS

[27] Alona BONDARENKO vs Jamea JACKSON
Maria MARTINEZ SANCHEZ vs Sabine LISICKI
QUALIFIER vs QUALIFIER
[7] Venus WILLIAMS vs Samantha STOSUR

[5] Elena DEMENTIEVA vs Akgul AMANMURADOVA
Pauline PARMENTIER vs Marina ERAKOVIC
QUALIFIER vs Anne KEOTHAVONG
[25] Francesca SCHIAVONE vs Nuria LLAGOSTERA VIVES

[24] Shahar PEER vs Na LI
Jelena KOSTANIC TOSIC vs Sara ERRANI
Ekaterina BYCHKOVA vs Anastasia RODIONOVA
[10] Anna CHAKVETADZE vs Ekaterina MAKAROVA

[15] Patty SCHNYDER vs QUALIFIER
Vania KING vs Anastasia PAVLYUCHENKOVA
Gisela DULKO vs Magdalena RYBARIKOVA
[22] Maria KIRILENKO vs Tamira PASZEK

[28] Katarina SREBOTNIK vs Yanina WICKMAYER
Lourdes DOMINGUEZ LINO vs Yvonne MEUSBURGER
Lucie SAFAROVA vs Sorana CIRSTEA
[3] Svetlana KUZNETSOVA vs QUALIFIER

[8] Vera ZVONAREVA vs Barbora ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA
Tatiana PEREBIYNIS vs Mariya KORYTTSEVA
Aravane REZAI vs Asia MUHAMMAD
[29] Sybille BAMMER vs Aiko NAKAMURA

[23] Lindsay DAVENPORT vs Aleksandra WOZNIAK
Alisa KLEYBANOVA vs Carla SUAREZ NAVARRO
Petra KVITOVA vs Virginia RUANO PASCUAL
[12] Marion BARTOLI vs Galina VOSKOBOEVA

[14] Victoria AZARENKA vs Klara ZAKOPALOVA
Karin KNAPP vs Iveta BENESOVA
Emilie LOIT vs QUALIFIER
[21] Caroline WOZNIACKI vs Ahsha ROLLE

[26] Anabel MEDINA GARRIGUES vs Tsvetana PIRONKOVA
Jie ZHENG vs QUALIFIER
Zi YAN vs Sofia ARVIDSSON
[2] Jelena JANKOVIC vs Coco VANDEWEGHE

Starting from the top, Ana will face Vera Dushevina in the first round. Dushevina isn`t your typical first round opponent and could give Ana a tussle, especially if she`s still struggling with her thumb injury. However Ana has defeated Dushevina in Flushing Meadows in the last couple of years, including a 6-1, 6-3 rout in the fourth round last year. So barring any kind of disaster, she should get through that match. Ana would likely face Casey Dellacqua in the second round, which is a favorable matchup since Dellacqua hasn`t done much of note lately. So i like Ana`s chances in that matchup. If she likely moves on, then she will likely play Amelie Mauresmo in the third round. Amelie has had her struggles this year, but is still capable of showing the form that got her to titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon a couple of years ago. So Ana obviously shouldn`t take her lightly. Still if her thumb is feeling better and she can rediscover the good form from earlier this year, then Ana should get through her section.

The next section has Flavia in it. She plays a qualifier in the first round, which she should beat. The second round match will an intriguing one against either Shuai Peng or Eleni Danilidou. Both ladies look like favorable matchups for Flavia, especially Danilidou, who is just coming back from a knee injury. However i`m pretty wary about this match after Flavia`s upset loss in New Haven earlier this week. Still i think that she should get through to the third round where she`ll likely face Nadia Petrova. I think that this a tough match for Flavia since Nadia is coming in with a lot of confidence after winning the title in Cincinnati last week. I really feel if Flavia can rediscover the good form she showed in L.A., i like her chances of going on a nice run.

The next section is a more hotties filled one with Dani, Marta and Alize. First of all Dani has a pretty favorable looking early draw that i think she should get through. Meanwhile Marta will take on Bethanie Mattek in the first round. Marta recently defeated Mattek in Montreal, however i`m still wary about Mattek, who has really shown some great improvement this summer. So hopefully Marta can repeat the same feat from Montreal. Also Alize will face compatriot Camille Pin in her first round match. This is a very favorable match that Alize should get through without much trouble. I really think that Alize has the best chance of getting out of this section. After all she has been playing very well lately and did beat Dani earlier this week in New Haven.

Moving lower in the draw, Kat has a very brutal first round match against Serena Williams.

I hope that Kat can keep it competitive. Meanwhile Elena will take on Julia Vakulenko in her first round match. This is a rare favorable first round match for Elena, which i think that she can get through. It would be a nice feat if Elena can get through to the second round.

The next section has Nikki in it. She will start out with a first round match against compatriot Petra Cetkovska. The section looks favorable for Nikki with most of the players ranked in the lower part of the rankings and the only seeded player, Agnes Szavay, struggling lately. However we all know too well given Nikki`s form for much of the year that it isn`t a sure thing. Still if she can somehow return to the good form she showed at Wimbledon, i like Nikki`s chances of going on a nice run.

The next section is dominated by Aggie and Domi. They both have very favorable early draws and should meet up in the third round.

In the last section of the top half, Alona will face Jamea Jackson in her first round match. Even though she`s trying to make her way back from her knee injury, i think that Alona should get through that match. Also Sabrine has Maria Martinez Sanchez in the first round. This is a favorable looking match for Sabrine, who recently advanced to the quarterfinals in Cincinnati last week. She and Alona would likely meet up in the second round for an all hotties matchup. Unfortunately for the winner, they`ll most likely have to face Venus Williams. I have to be realistic and say that i don`t like Alona or Sabrine`s chances against Venus. So hopefully one of them can keep the match respectable.\

Moving lower in the order, Anna has a favorable looking section early on, but it could get much tougher for her in the third round likely against either Shahar Peer or Na Li. If Anna can improve on her serve, then she has a good chance to get through her section.

The next section has Makiri in it. She will play Tamira Paszek in the first round. This could be a very tough match for Makiri, especially since Paszek routed Makiri 6-1, 6-3 in Auckland at the start of the year and she recently upset Ana in Montreal. So Makiri will need to come out strong in the match. If she can get through Paszek, then she`ll likely face Gisela Dulko in the second round, which is a pretty favorable matchup for Makiri since Dulko is more of a clay court player and is 0-4 against Makiri. Should she get past that match, then Makiri will likely take on veteran Patty Schynder in the third round. This is a great looking section for Makiri to go on a nice run.

Moving lower in the draw, Vera Z has a pretty favorable early part of the draw, which she should get through. It could much tougher for her in the third round if she has to play Sybille Bammer, who recently gave Vera a tough match at the Olympics. Still Vera is coming in with a lot of confidence after winning the bronze medal in Beijing. So i think that she should get through her section.

Moving down in the draw, Caroline is the headliner in her section along with Iveta. Caroline is obviously coming in with a lot of confidence after winning the Pilot Pen in New Haven today. Her early part of the draw looks very favorable for her. As Iveta, she has Karin Knapp in the first round. This match looks like a tossup, although i give Iveta a slight edge due to her nice run to the semifinals in Forest Hills this week. It would be nice to see her get a win. I think that Caroline should get through the third round without much trouble, but it could get much tougher for her if she has to play Victoria Azarenka in the third round. Still i like Caroline`s chances of getting through.

In the final section, Jelena is the headliner there. She will face Coco Vandeweghe in the first round, which is a very favorable looking matchup for her. However it could get tougher for JJ in the second against either Sofia Arvidsson, who gave her a really tough match in Miami or Zi Yan, who defeated her in Bangalore. However both ladies` play hasn`t been that good lately. So JJ should get through without much trouble. However it could get much tougher for her in the third round if she has to face Jie Zhang, who has been very well lately as evident by her great run in Wimbledon where she upset Ana and Nikki. So JJ will really need to come strong should she meet up with Zhang. Still i like her chances of getting through the section, especially if her knee is feeling better.

The US Open looks very wide open with no clear favorite and some of the stars like Ana and JJ struggling with injuries. However i think that this is a good opportunity for our favorite hotties. After all some of our more heralded stars avoids the Williams sisters and Dinara Safina until the later round. Plus i really think that Alize and Caroline will make a nice run in Flushing Meadows. Both ladies has been playing well lately and will come in with a lot of confidence. I really hope that our favorite hotties will do well in Flushing Meadows. It would be great to see them improve on last year`s lackluster tournament and make up for Wimbledon with some great runs in Flushing Meadows.

Anyway here are some pics from today`s final in New Haven along with some new pics of Ana in Flushing Meadows at Kids` Day.

Great job Caroline!

Thanks for giving us a good match today ladies.

Don`t feel too bad Anna.

**Hot Rod** · 08-24-2008, 03:47 PM

Here is the ladies doubles draw that was just released:

Cara Black ZIM (1)
Liezel Huber USA (1)
v

Petra Cetkovska CZE
Yanina Wickmayer BEL

Lucie Hradecka CZE
Renata Voracova CZE
v

Christina Fusano USA
Shenay Perry USA

Julie Ditty USA
Carly Gullickson USA
v

Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ
Tamarine Tanasugarn THA

Tathiana Garbin ITA
Tamira Paszek AUT
v

Maria Kirilenko RUS (15)
Flavia Pennetta ITA (15)

Janette Husarova SVK (11)
Shuai Peng CHN (11)
v

Sofia Arvidsson SWE
Selima Sfar TUN

Liga Dekmeijere LAT
Tsvetana Pironkova BUL
v

Angela Haynes USA
Ahsha Rolle USA

Lucie Safarova CZE
Mara Santangelo ITA
v

Anne Keothavong GBR
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS

Agnieszka Radwanska POL
Urszula Radwanska POL
v

Zi Yan CHN (8)
Jie Zheng CHN (8)

Yung-Jan Chan TPE (3)
Chia-Jung Chuang TPE (3)
v

Raquel Kops-Jones USA
Abigail Spears USA

Elena Likhovtseva RUS
Evgeniya Rodina RUS
v

Catalina Castano COL
Kaia Kanepi EST

Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP
Carla Suarez Navarro ESP
v

Tracy Lin USA
Riza Zalameda USA

Stephanie Foretz FRA
Camille Pin FRA
v

Eva Hrdinova CZE (16)
Vladimira Uhlirova CZE (16)

Nathalie Dechy FRA (9)
Casey Dellacqua AUS (9)
v

Klaudia Jans POL
Alicja Rosolska POL

Asia Muhammad USA
Melanie Oudin USA
v

Sorana Cirstea ROU
Monica Niculescu ROU

Marta Domachowska POL
Caroline Wozniacki DEN
v

Sybille Bammer AUT
Martina Muller GER

Rika Fujiwara JPN
Su-Wei Hsieh TPE
v

Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP (5)
Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP (5)

Victoria Azarenka BLR (6)
Shahar Peer ISR (6)
v

Nadia Petrova RUS
Francesca Schiavone ITA

Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER
Patty Schnyder SUI
v

Vania King USA
Alla Kudryavtseva RUS

Timea Bacsinszky SUI
Alize Cornet FRA
v

Dominika Cibulkova SVK
Virginie Razzano FRA

Petra Kvitova CZE
Gabriela Navratilova CZE
v

Iveta Benesova CZE (12)
Galina Voskoboeva RUS (12)

Elena Vesnina RUS (13)
Vera Zvonareva RUS (13)
v

Jill Craybas USA
Olga Govortsova BLR

Mariya Koryttseva UKR
Tatiana Perebiynis UKR
v

Lindsay Davenport USA
Daniela Hantuchova SVK

Sabine Lisicki GER
Aravane Rezai FRA
v

Magdalena Rybarikova SVK
Ipek Senoglu TUR

Sara Errani ITA
Karin Knapp ITA
v

Katarina Srebotnik SLO (4)
Ai Sugiyama JPN (4)

Alona Bondarenko UKR (7)
Kateryna Bondarenko UKR (7)
v

Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
Darya Kustova BLR

Natalie Grandin RSA
Aleksandra Wozniak CAN
v

Alisa Kleybanova RUS
Ekaterina Makarova RUS

Vera Dushevina RUS
Ekaterina Dzehalevich BLR
v

Eleni Daniilidou GRE
Jasmin Woehr GER

Emilie Loit FRA
Pauline Parmentier FRA
v

Lisa Raymond USA (10)
Samantha Stosur AUS (10)

Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP (14)
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP (14)
v

Gail Brodsky USA
Mallory Cecil USA

Tatiana Poutchek BLR
Anastasia Rodionova AUS
v

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE
Klara Zakopalova CZE

Maria Elena Camerin ITA
Gisela Dulko ARG
v

Jamie Hampton USA
Coco Vandeweghe USA

Marina Erakovic NZL
Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO
v

Kveta Peschke CZE (2)
Rennae Stubbs AUS (2)

First of all i`m very pleased to see a few all hotties teams in the US Open. I`m especially glad to see Flavia and Makiri and Elena and Vera Z teaming up.

Also i`m equally pleased to see the Radwanska sisters playing together. Unfortunately they have the Chinese team of Zi Yan and Jie Zhang in the first round.

Why couldn`t they have gotten the Bondarenko sisters instead. Now that would be quite a hot match. Out of the hotties teams, i think that the Bondarenko sisters and Elena and Vera has the best chance at the doubles title. I really hope that we`ll get to see some good showings from our favorite ladies in doubles.

The US Open will get underway tomorrow. Jelena will be playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium in primetime against Coco Vandeweghe. Also Anna, Caroline, Iveta, Makiri and Vera will be in action as well. I really hope that they can get off to good starts in Flushing Meadows tomorrow.

Anyway here are some practice pics of the Sexy Serbs.

**Hot Rod** · 08-25-2008, 05:07 PM

Here`s the first US Open update.

First of all Caroline, Iveta and Vera Z won their matches pretty handlely in straight sets. Good jobs by those three, especially Iveta, who won more convincing that usual.

Unfortunately we`ve already lost a couple of our favorites as Anna was upset by Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 2-6, 3-6 and just a few minutes ago, Makiri was beaten by Tamira Paszek 6-3, 3-6, 4-6. Very disappointing results by both ladies.

Anna got off to a pretty good start in the first set, but afterwards, her erratic play came back, causing her play to go downhill in the last two sets. As for Makiri, this is what i was afraid would happen. The match was a tight one and Makiri was up 4-2 in the third set, but sadly as it has become too much of a trend this year, blew the lead and lost the last four games of the match. I really don`t know what else to say other than i`m very disappointed with Anna and Makiri. Now Anna will lose all the points she got from her run to the semifinals last year, which will cause her to fall down in the rankings.

So that`s the story for the afternoon matches. Jelena`s first match against Coco Vandeweghe will begin in a few minutes as soon as they end the never ending Parade of Champions, which Masha is in. She looked very good as usual in the ceremony

Hopefully JJ can end the day on a good note.

Anyway here are some pics from today`s matches.

Caroline`s new outfit, which is likely the same one that Ana will be wearing, isn`t bad looking. She looks lovely as usual.

Hopefully Adidas will give her some nice outfits soon. After all she is one of tennis` rising stars and a beauty like her deserves to go on the court in style like Masha. It`s so frustrating that Adidas has yet to realize this with Caroline and Ana.

Vera`s outfit is a good one. It has that nice schoolgirl look, which is always very appealing.

Here`s a new hottie we have to keep our eyes on.

Her name is Sorana Cirstea. She`s from Romania, is ranked #53 entering the US Open and won her first round match today. Sorana is very lovely IMO at least.

She reminds me of a couple of actresses. Also she has beaten Anna, Makiri and Flavia this year.

**Hot Rod** · 08-25-2008, 09:56 PM

In an update from the first primetime match, Jelena defeated Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-1. Good win for JJ.

She played a nice solid match and did a good job of taking care of business against the inexperienced Coco, who is quite a cutie.

JJ`s win was a nice end to a good first day of the US Open. While i`m glad that JJ, Vera, Caroline and Iveta got off to good starts in Flushing Meadows, it`s a bit overshadowed by Anna and Makiri`s losses. I`m still disappointed with their performances today.

Tomorrow Ana will start out the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium with her first round match against Vera Dushevina. Obviously the big question is how well Ana`s thumb is. Hopefully it`s much better now and she can return to the good form from earlier in the spring. Also Kat will be playing on Arthur Ashe later in the afternoon for her first round match against Serena Williams. This is a very tall task for Kat going up against the always dangerous Serena. Like i`ve said earlier, i hope that she keep it competitive. Also Dani, Elena, Domi, Flavia, Aggie, Alona and Alize will be in action as well. I really hope that they`ll do well tomorrow.

Anyway here are some pics from Jelena`s match along with a couple of pics of Masha during the Parade of Champions ceremony before the primetime matches.

Nice to see JJ give us what we like to see.

Good job JJ.

It was so great to see Masha tonight.

I`m glad that she participated in tonight`s ceremony unlike a few former champions like Justine Henin, not that anyone would`ve really cared about her. BTW it looks like Masha is telling Andy Roddick to invite us to his upcoming wedding to Brooklyn Decker, which would love to go to. It would be fun if we liven things up at that ceremony and party Wedding Crashers style Chris. Of course Masha and Ana will obviously be our dates along with Dani, Makiri and/or Flavia just to name a few.

**Hot Rod** · 08-26-2008, 04:34 PM

Here`s an update on the afternoon matches.

First of all Ana got the day started with her first round match against Vera Dushevina. Ana had a much tougher match than expected, but managed to pull out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win. Good win for Ana.

She looked pretty sharp in the first set and it looked like she was going to win the match in straight sets up 4-2 in the second set. However things fell apart for her in the last part of the set where she lost the last four games. The third set was pretty tight until Ana finally took control late in it to seal the win. I had a feeling that Ana would be tested today. She struggled finishing forehands, but managed to get it together late in the match. Today`s match was a good gauge of where Ana`s game is after the layoff since Montreal. Obviously she needs to be more consistant with her forehand.

Meanwhile some of Team Czechoslovakia`s biggest stars were in action as well. Domi also had a tougher match than expected against Jill Craybas, but came out with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win, while Nikki routed compatriot Petra Cetkovska 6-1, 6-2. Good wins for those two.

I`m especially pleased with Nikki`s win, which i hope will be a nice confidence booster for her. Unfortunately Dani became the latest upset victim with a 4-6, 2-6 loss to Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Another disappointing loss for Dani.

She had no answer for Groenefeld`s big serve and her play gradually declined as the match progressed. This is pretty disappointing that Dani is knocked out in the first round at the US Open for the second year in a row, especially with a favorable looking early part of the draw.

Flavia also had a tougher than expected match against Stefanie Vogele, but managed to come out with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win, while Aggie took care of business against Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-2. Good wins by those two.

Lastly Kat was not surprisingly defeated by Serena Williams 1-6, 4-6. Kat got schooled in the first set, but did a good job of keeping the second set competitive. Unfortunately her serve deserted her late in the match and she came a bit unglued emotionally as well. So it was a respectable showing from Kat.

So that`s the story with the afternoon matches. Alize will be up later on. Hopefully she can get off to a good start. Also Marta`s match just ended and sadly she was defeated by Bethanie Mattek 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4. Tough loss there for Marta.

Anyway here are some pics from today`s matches.

Good job Ana.

Nice to see Reebok give Nikki another nice outfit, which showcases her nice curves.

It`s also nice to see her with that confident look again.

This pic obviously illustrates how the match went for Kat.

Dani`s latest outfit isn`t bad looking,

but it pales in comparison to her hot outfit she wore at the Olympics and New Haven recently.

The frustration in Flushing Meadows continues for Dani.

The Daywalker · 08-26-2008, 04:45 PM

I hope to have some better attendance here, at least for the tournament. I can't believe Ana almost lost and then Dani fell. This is not the way we want to start off a major. We are already down Masha.

**Hot Rod** · 08-26-2008, 06:58 PM

I`m with you on that Chris. I was pretty worried for a while with Ana, but i`m glad that she got the win.

Here`s an update on the late matches.

First of all in a match that just finished a few minutes ago, Alize defeated compatriot Camille Pin 7-5, 6-0. Good win for Alize.

She got off to a slow start, falling behind 0-2, but she quickly erased that deficit and pulled out a tough first set. From then on, she was in control of the rest of the match. I must add that it`s nice to see Alize serve up a bagel.

Also Alona defeated Jamea Jackson 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, while Sabrine defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 6-4. Good wins by those two.

I`m especially pleased with how well Alona came back after the first set. This is a nice step forward for her on her comeback from the recent knee injury.

Lastly Elena defeated Julia Vakulenko 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Very good win for Elena.

She came back very strong after the first set. I`m glad to see her get a win like this.

So it was a pretty good day for our favorite hotties. Some of them like Ana and Flavia had tougher than expected matches, but did good jobs of pulling out their wins. The only real blemish was Dani`s loss.

Tomorrow we`ll be seeing a lot of action.

First of all Sorana will start out the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium with her second round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova. Obviously this is a very tall task for Romania`s hottest star going up against one of the top players in the world. Hopefully she`ll do her best and keep it competitive. After that match is over, Jelena will be up next on Arthur Ashe for her second round match against Sofia Arvidsson. Hopefully JJ will have an easier match against the Swede than their previous meeting in Miami earlier this spring.

Also Caroline will take on Maria Elena Camerin, Iveta will face Victoria Azarenka and Vera Z will play Tatiana Perebiynis.

Doubles gets underway for the ladies tomorrow and will feature our top teams of the Bondarenko sisters, Elena & Vera Z and Flavia & Makiri all playing their first round matches. I`m sure they will draw some larger than usual crowds at the outer courts. Also Alize and Domi will be playing each other in doubles. Now that would be quite a very lovely sight to see those two cuties on the court at the same time.

Anyway i really hope that all of our favorite hotties will do well tomorrow.

**Hot Rod** · 08-27-2008, 04:35 PM

Here`s an update on the afternoon matches.

First of all Jelena got another very tough match against Sofia Arvidsson, but managed to pull a out 6-3, 6-7(), 7-5 win. Good win by JJ. She looked pretty solid in the first set, but squandered a chance to close out the match with a match point up 5-4. Also she really struggled with Arvidsson`s strong forehand for much of the last part of the match. Fortunately JJ got it together when she needed to late in the match. So it was a good win for JJ, but this match raises some concerns for her in the later rounds.

Vera Z became the latest upset victim with a 3-6, 3-6 loss to Tatiana Perebiynis. What a shockingly disappointing result for Vera.

From what i saw in the highlights she was really outplayed today. This is such a disappointing performance from the usually Vera. In fact she hasn`t done well in the Slams lately and sadly it continued today.

Also Sorana Cirstea started out the day against Svetlana Kuznetsova and was defeated 6-7(3), 1-6. Sorana was pretty competitive in the first set, but Kuznetsova really turned it up in the second set. I thought that Sorana gave a good showing. I liked what i saw from her serve, but she`s still behind in her shotmaking compared to fellow young guns like Alize and Caroline. If Sorana can improve on that, then she should rise in the ranking.

Meanwhile in doubles, our three top teams were in action today. The Bondarenko sisters and Elena and Vera won their first matches in straight sets. Good wins by both teams.

They had some trouble in the first sets of their matches, but did good jobs of delivering solid performances.

Unfortunately Flavia and Makiri were upset by Tathiana Garbin and Tamira Paszek 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. What a tough loss for them.

They really were having a lot of trouble after winning the first set. However they were mounting a comeback from down 2-5 in the third set and were a break away from leveling it at 5 all, but sadly they couldn`t convert on the break point and shortly after that, the match was finished. This is a sad early exit for Flavia and Makiri. I really was hoping that they could go on a nice run after some good results recently, but sadly it isn`t the case. Now the US Open is over already for Makiri.

Lastly Domi and Virginia Razzano defeated Alize and Timea Bacsinsky 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. Good win for Domi.

I`m glad that the match was relatively competitive.

So that`s the story with the afternoon matches. Caroline and Iveta are currently playing their matches, which i`ll have an update on later tonight. In the meantime here are some pics from today`s matches.

I`m very surprised that JJ went without the fingernail polish.

Good job JJ.

**Hot Rod** · 08-27-2008, 09:28 PM

It was a mixed bag in the last two matches of the day involving the hotties as Caroline routed Maria Elena Camerin 6-1, 6-2, while Iveta was defeated by Victoria Azarenka 2-6, 3-6. Very good win from Caroline.

It`s nice to see her taking care of business with very little trouble. As for Iveta, this was an expected result. This was the type of match where she really needed bring her A game and hope that Victoria Azarenka was off her`s and unfortunately it wasn`t the case for Iveta.

So in all it was a good day for most of our favorites. Jelena had a big scare, but did a good job of coming through with a win, while Caroline continued her good play with another excellent performance. On the other hand Vera`s loss in singles and Flavia and Makiri`s in doubles has put a dark cloud on the day.

Tomorrow Ana will return to the court for her second round match against Julie Coin. This is a pretty favorable match for Ana and a chance for her to sharpen up her game. Alize also returns to action as she will take on Bethanie Mattek. I think that Mattek could give Alize a tough match, but at the same time, if Alize