1.Oh my gosh you would have to be glad for Marcos Baghdatis that he doesn’t pay for his tennis racquets. Players were impressed that he was able to smash four racquets, two were still in plastic wrapping from the...
1.Oh my gosh you would have to be glad for Marcos Baghdatis that he doesn’t pay for his tennis racquets. Players were impressed that he was able to smash four racquets, two were still in plastic wrapping from the stringer, in about a minute and if you want you can see the result check it out on You Tube. Players were amusingly impressed. Serena said: “Wow. I’ve never done that.”
2. Serena Williams was not partial to playing at night because the longer the lights were on the more bugs like grasshoppers were attracted to the area. “I hate bugs,” she said. “Two of them landed on my dress. I really hate bugs. Yuk.” She added: “I’m going to ask not to play at night, except the final and I won’t mind then.”
3. Women tennis players have on a few occasions been attracted to golfers. Two current players in that category are Caroline Wozniacki with Rory McIlroy and Ana Ivanovic with Adam Scott. Caroline was asked about her own golf prowess: “I've been out playing a little bit. It's good when you have someone there saying, Okay, remember these few key points. Then I can hit it far. Once I'm out there alone and have to start playing, it goes right and left and up and down. I get so frustrated. Feel like I just want to break the clubs and go home.”
4. As if the grind of the tennis tour isn’t heavy enough, why would you want to be reading something suggesting the end of the world? Maria Sharapova is currently reading George Orwell’s “1984”. Amusing, in that days before she was asked about the end of the world by a journalist. No he wasn’t a tennis journalist.
5. Kim Clijsters asked the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to her sister who wasn’t even in the stadium. Kim joined in the singing. Kimmy you are the sweetest person but … please … stick to the day job.
6. Rafa Nadal has quite a reputation for being late even though he does wear a $250,000 Richard Mille watch, but then some things can still surprise, like this in his press conference: Q. Was that the perfect kind of match for you? Because you played well, but you got tested by a good player and you get through in straight sets. RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if it's the perfect match, but I won in three sets. I started match playing fantastic, especially the first seven games. (He pauses with a smile) So everybody arrives late because they thought that I am late, no? (Laughter.) I usually am very late, so they know that.”
7. Talk about ambush marketing. The hot story for Australian tennis during the Australian Open was the run teenager Bernard Tomic was having. His father and coach was always in the players’ box during matches and the TV cameras constantly swung to him. John Tomic was wearing a cap given to him with the logo for QANTAS Australia’s iconic airline. The issue is the rival airline Virgin Australia is the sponsor at the Australian Open. Now there’s a bumpy landing.
8. Almost everyone has some comment about the grunting/squeaking noises mainly women players make while hitting a ball. Vika Azarenka receives the most flak. During a match at the Open some in the crowd started to copy her. She was asked if she heard it: “Of course I hear it. I mean, I'm not deaf (laughter).”
9. Ahhh the ever articulate and disarming Roger Federer at a post-match media conference. Q. You have attended probably 2000 press conferences in your life. Have you never been worried about facing any of them in certain specific situations? ROGER FEDERER: I would be sad if I weren't facing you guys. Is that the question? (Laughter.) I did try to get out of the press conference in my last match because I didn't play. They still said I have to come to press because it's a scheduled match. I was like, ‘a scheduled match?’ There was better stories than me telling you about a non-match, so... But anyway, look, as long as you guys are happy, that's all that counts, right?” (Laughter.)
10. Aussie teenager Bernard Tomic might want to take up a course in weather forecasting. He played first day and it was blistering hot. “I requested that. Silly me (smiling). Did not know that the heat was going to be like this. It's the first day in the last few months where it's actually been this hot. I chose the wrong time to play. But lucky I won.”
