Thursday, November 23, 2006

Apusbass also blogs

So Cana not only plays but also blogs!

Fancy discovering his blog. go visit it. ;)

http://canaplays.blogspot.com/

And if you dont follow use google translation tool. great to see buddy you have been blogging online for long... ;)

Mirza to star in Asian Hopman Cup

Although this was meant to be posted on the lawntennis site, Paddy beat me to it. So i will post the article here.


Mirza to star in inaugural Asian Hopman Cup
23 November 2006, Mumbai

Sania Mirza will be playing in the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup starting today in her hometown of Hyderabad. She will be partnering Rohan Bopanna after Leander Paes’ pull out.

Leander Paes pulled out to regain fitness keeping in mind his participation in the Doha Asian Games. Paes had injured his index finger in the semifinals of the recently concluded Masters Cup in Shanghai.


There was much speculation and confusion regarding who Paes’ replacement would be in the six nation event starting on Thursday.

Various names like those of Rohan Bopanna, Karan Rastogi, Prakash Amritraj and Harsh Mankad were doing the rounds. Eventually AITA (All India Tennis Association) made the announcement on Tuesday that it would be Bopanna who will partner Sania.

Regarding Paes’ pullout Mirza said, “Paes has his own thoughts on it. (withdrawal). He has to take a lot of things into consideration. And I am sure he has taken a decision which is better for him.”

Mirza father Imran Mirza though chimed in with “Atleast she(Mirza) should have been informed about her playing partner.” He also added that India wouldn’t miss Paes as India would find winning two matches easy against the other Asian teams. He was equally forthright about Mahesh Bhupathi not being drafted in Leander’s place by saying, “Mahesh doesn’t play singles anymore and doesn’t fit into the Hopman Cup format.”


About the opposition he said, “China and Chinese Taipei would be tough opponents. The rest wouldn’t be of much trouble.”

Lara gaining on Sachin

Lara gaining on Sachin!

Brian Lara proved yet again his class by emphatically scoring an unbeaten 196 of 230 balls in Multan in Pakistan. He has now equaled Gavaskar’s 34 test tons and is just one off Tendulkar’s 35 centuries. This was Lara’s 4th successive test century vs Pakistan.

Sachin has been seen to struggle over the last few years with injuries as well as indifferent form. Although both players are contemporaries of each other, Lara is far ahead in the record books.

With his latest feat he has now become the first player to score a 100 before lunch twice. He has broken Sir Bradman’s record with his 19th 150+ score.

He has become also the 1st batsman to score 26 or more runs twice in his career when he hit Danish Kaneria for 26 runs in an over. In addition he also holds the record for most runs in an over at 28 runs again RJ Peterson of S.A. at Johannesburg in 2003-2004.

This 77-ball hundred was also the 9th fastest test ton overall and he 4th fastest for the Windies. This was also the fastest test hundred scored in terms of balls faced by a visiting batsman in Pakistan.

Lara also equaled the Windies record of hitting 7 sixes in an innings. He is also now Viv Richards record for most runs scored by a West Indies player versus Pakistan having completed his 1000 runs against them!

In terms of partnerships, his 200 runs with Bravo for the 5th wicket is a record for Windies vs Pakistan.

Heh whats the correct spelling of my name

Ahh so "yahoo answers" has this questions posted!

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061118000426AAHiyoQ

Tell you what its still an undecided question so you can still swing it in my favour. ;)

Review of Janneman

I had seen the movie long back but i couldnt post this review before so here goes...

Janneman review:

Today I saw the latest release by director Shirish Kunder ‘Janneman’. That his films are different was evident to me from the very first time I saw his movie ‘Kya Kehna’. After all who in their right mind would have choosen a subject of a young college going unmarried pregnant girl then!?

That his unusual subject was well received then is a credit both to the write, director and actors. This time though Kunder has gone past his earlier creation in terms of the style of content presentation. Both unheard of and unseen in the past, this ‘new’ style has enhanced the look of the film.

The movie beginning in a space shuttle with the character Agastya’s (played by Akshay Khanna) current love & his flashback about his ex-love was a nice innovative introduction. Suhan Kapoor’s (Salman Khan) dream ‘Filmfare’ appearance was another nice idea.

Anupam Kher playing the role of Suhan’s uncle in the form of a dwarf was reminiscent of Kamal Hasan in the movie ‘Appu Raja’. What didn’t cut ice was his reappearance in New York as a restaurateur and this time in normal size just to re-emphasize that ‘every person has 7 people looking just like them’! Which is a nice theme otherwise Agastya’s fledging second romance would fall flat. The director didn’t need to cast Kher in this role needlessly.

Coming back to the story. Suhan is shown as a struggling actor and his life’s story is his failed attempts at being a superstar and his failed marriage. Suhan and his uncle/lawyer are looking to bail him out since his ex-wife Piya (Preity Zinta) has asked for a one time settlement of Rs.50 lakhs for his failure to pay her monthly alimony. Out of work Suhan is looking for an ‘angel’ to help him out.

Enter ‘angel’ Akshay (Agastya), a U.S.A. returned N.A.S.A. scientist who happens to be Piya’s college mate. Madly in love with her since the beginning but unable to confess his love to her, the nerd has lost her to Suhan only to return back 7 years later to find out she is divorced. Not knowing he is in her ex-husband’s house our nerd confesses his heart out to Suhan plus uncle. Lawyer uncle’s mind fast at work finds a way to spare his nephew his alimony settlement by the simple expedient of remarrying her off.

So Suhan volunteers to help Agastya get his ex-wife Piya all this while conveniently hiding his status. Enter New York, the current favourite location of all big name & big banner Indian directors and production houses. These guys make New York look more beautiful then any Hollywood guy would. Brooklyn Bridge is as ever always present.

Thanks to Suhan, Agastya is transformed into Suhan part 2. But he is only a pretender since he cannot do one thing without his guidance. Renting an apartment opposite to her home these two manage to take their mission forward. Meeting, chatting and catching up with Piya, Agastya who has engrained Suhan’s mannerisms impresses her. Soon she and Agastya get close all this while her ex-husband is gleefully drawing up further plans to get them closer. Finally when he does succeed in his mission, he finds out courtesy of Agastya’s telescope and the communication aid between himself & Agastya that his ex-wife has a little baby girl aptly name Suhani. Shocked to know about the existence of his own child, he now wants to get them both back. Only the problem now his own creation Agastya. So the rest of the movie falls into his efforts to make himself capable and eventually a sacrifice.

Akshay has acted remarkably well the role of a nerd complete with his weird laughter. Salman has done usual juggle act with a little bit of comedy, laughter, and tears all thrown in. Preity is her ownself thankfully atleast as the college going kid with the beaded hair et all. Although I thing she must now stop doing the young mother roles as was also the case in her previous movie KANK (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna). This is one actress who must never allow herself to be typecast, doesn’t quite fit her personality.


If this is anybody’s film more it’s the writer and the director who have collectively given a new take to the term ‘flashback’ presentation. One thing that is quite disheartening to see in the current crop of Bollywood movies that runs common even through this film is the ‘sacrifice’ bit. And this has been a trend for some years now. One love, enter two people, then one makes a sacrifice. It’s done too many times now. We want to see some people who don’t make sacrifices and are still happy for a change.

The tortoise is back

Heh heh so i am back to beat the crap out of your wits again!!! :P

Hmm i wonder where the silly lion is these days. I havnt been able to speak to him.

and Paddy has done great updates on the mirza site. I envy some of them. Hats of to the gal. :)

Ok so i just did an addy report to http://mirza.lawntennisnews.com/

Heck yeah and i got a new bicycle but i havnt been able to ride it with gusto since my sickness just came on after i landed with the bike at home...

So i am putting my Janneman review in here, which i saw long time back. Plus some other updates soon guys n gals. Enjoy!!! :D

Reasons for absense from blogger

Damn these viral illnesses. So after mom it was my turn to fall prey to the flu virus.

Down and out completely for 3 weeks i feel exhausted and like a sucked out lemon!!!

To top it all Manny made light fun of my loss of 3 Kgs in 1 week. Arghhh... :(

I also had an allergic cough for a 2 weeks which is just showing some signs of subsiding.

A combination of both illnesses really hampered my 'online' tasks with the blog not being updated plus everyone wondering where this Vicky gal is?!!!

Rest assured i am back. But not at the same level for sure atleast for the next few weeks while i recuperate. ;)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Justine Henin-Hardenne update

Henin-Hardenne happy to party at Adidas launch


Paris, Oct 25: The Champs Elysees hadn't seen such a fuss since "Les Blues" made it to the World Cup semi-finals this past summer.

Strobe lights, limos and outrageous sound effects drew passers-by who then waited patiently as their favourite athletes walked up a red and white stripped carpet to the grand opening of the world's largest Adidas store.

Zinedine Zidane, the footballer recently voted by the French as their favourite citizen, officially opened the store.

Also present were Mehdi Baala, Yohan Diniz, Laura Flessel and Djibril Cisse.

Belgian tennis ace Justine Henin-Hardenne, recuperating from a knee injury, enjoyed the party which drew hundreds of French showbiz and sports vips.

Talking about her season she told reporters, "it was more than I could dream of for sure. I wish I could have won more than once, but I got the one that is the most important for me."

New Zealand's Jonah Lomu was happy to pose for photos but withdrew when it came to answering questions about his future saying "I don't know, there's nothing to say in that area."

Bureau Report

A short video:

http://video.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_master/versie2/mediatheek/video-061025_henin_winkel/S_061025_Henin_Parijs-20061025-133406-HB.wmv

Technorati tags:

justine henin-hardenne

Monthly Column: Upside of Tennis

Tennis being a serious business for players, coaches, officials & tournaments organisers and consequently also for fans; most folks dont take to the fun side of sports in general when there are huge stakes involved.

So today i will start a monthly column to take a lighter look at tennis.

To begin with let us correlate between astrology and tennis. Now you may wonder 'what a lot of crap this astrology & whats the correlation here?'

Hey thats for you to figure out. I will just be giving you the 'fact' & the 'fiction' of it. You guys and gals are smart enough to figure out!

So there are the attributes assigned to each sign and the list of famous tennis personalities both current players and all-time greats with their birth dates attached. Intriguing interpretations may occur...


Aries: (Mar. 21- April 20)

Arian Attributes:
The Pioneer of the Zodiac, Aries is ruled by MARS, and its symbol is the RAM. Its natural place is the FIRST HOUSE, the house of Personal Identity. Independent Aries is a FIRE sign, impulsive and energetic. Rarely looking before it leaps, Aries sometimes has a problem completing tasks, too caught up in the allure of the Next Big Thing.

Someone we know?

Jack Crawford 22 March 1908
Jennifer Capriati 29 March 1976
Alex Corretja 11 April 1974
Maria Sharapova 19 April 1987

Taurus: (Apr. 21- may 21)

Taurean Attributes:
The Builder of the Zodiac, Taurus is ruled by VENUS, and its symbol is the BULL. Its natural place is the SECOND HOUSE, the house of Possessions. Productive Taurus is an EARTH sign, reliable and materialistic. With a fine aesthetic sense and stubborn will to have things its own way, Taurus invariably surrounds itself with material beauty -- be it artistic or natural.

Someone we know?

Andre Agassi 29 April 1970
Tommy Robredo 1 May 1982
Pancho Gonzales 9 May 1928
Gabriela Sabatini 16 May 1970
Tony Roche 17 May 1945
Fred Perry 18 May 1909
Yannick Noah 18 May 1960

Gemini: (May 22-June 21)

Geminian Attributes:
The Communicator of the Zodiac, Gemini is ruled by MERCURY, and its symbol is the TWINS. Its natural place is the THIRD HOUSE, the house of Communication. Curious Gemini is an AIR sign, analytical and ever-changing. Often times overly intellectual and unstable, Gemini reserves the right to change its mind, often "forgetting" to communicate the unpleasant.

Someone we know?

John Newcomb 23 May 1944
Jonas Bjorkman 23 May 1972
Suzanne Lenglen 24 May 1899
Justine Henin-Hardenne 1 June 1982
Rafael Nadal 3 June 1986
Bjorn Borg 6 June 1956
Anna Kournikova 7 June 1981
Lindsay Davenport 8 June 1976
Kim Clijsters 8 June 1983
Don Budge 13 June 1915
Steffi Graf 14 June 1969
Venus Williams 17 June 1980
Marcos Baghdatis 17 June 1985

Cancer: (June 22-July 22)

Cancerian Attributes:
The Home-Maker of the Zodiac, Cancer is ruled by THE MOON, and its symbol is the CRAB. Its natural place is the FOURTH HOUSE, which is concerned with Matters of Home Life. Nurturing Cancer is a WATER sign, supportive and emotional. Prone to emotional tides, a Cancer believes "a man's home is his castle" -- and cocooning a legitimate lifestyle choice.

Someone we know

Svetlana Kuznetsova 27 June 1985
Rene Lacoste 2 July 1904
Pam Shriver 4 July 1962
Dwight F. Davis 5 July 1879
Amelie Mauresmo 5 July 1979
Anastasia Myskina 8 July 1981
Arthur Ashe 10 July 1943
Virginia Wade 10 July 1945
Margaret Smith Court 16 July 1942
Ilie Nastase 19 July 1946
Evonne Goolagong 31 July 1951

Leo: (July 23-Aug 22)

Leoline Attributes:
The Entertainer of the Zodiac, Leo is ruled by THE SUN, and its symbol is the LION. Its natural place is the FIFTH HOUSE, the house of Children and Pleasure. Expressive Leo is a FIRE sign, creative and grandiose. Keep Leo at the center of attention, and you'll both be happy.

Someone we know?

Jack Kramer 1 August 1921
Roger Federer 8 August 1981
Rod Laver 9 August 1938
Harry Hopman 12 August 1906
Pete Sampras 12 August 1971
Guillermo Vilas 17 August 1952
Jim Courier 17 August 1970
Mary Joe Fernandez 19 August 1971
Mats Wilander 22 August 1964

Virgo: (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

Virgo Attributes:
The Perfectionist of the Zodiac, Virgo is ruled by MERCURY, and its symbol is the VIRGIN. Its natural place is the SIXTH HOUSE, the house of Work and Duty. Practical Virgo is an EARTH sign, detail-oriented and obsessive. Clean-freak Virgo wants a tidy desktop -- and will do anything to get it.

Someone we know?

Althea Gibson 25 August 1927
Carlos Moya 27 August 1976
Andy Roddick 30 August 1982
Jimmy Connors 2 September 1952
Tim Henman 6 September 1974
Gustavo Kuerten 10 September 1976
Goran Ivanisevic 13 September 1971
Maureen Connolly 17 September 1934

Libra: (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)

Libran Attributes:
The Diplomat of the Zodiac, Libra is ruled by VENUS, and its symbol is the SCALES. Its natural place is the SEVENTH HOUSE, the house of Partnerships. Peace-loving Libra is an AIR sign, tactful and indecisive. Depending on how the scales tip, Libra can be a brilliant creator -- or a babbling madman.

Someone we know?

Lottie Dod 24 September 1871
Serena Williams 26 September 1981
Hingis 30 September 1980
Thomas Muster 2 October 1967
Jana Novotna 2 October 1968
Neale Fraser 3 October 1933
Fred Stolle 8 October 1938
Elena Dementieva 15 October 1981
Martina Navratilova 18 October 1956

Scorpio: (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

Scorpio(n) Attributes:
The Seducer of the Zodiac, Scorpio is ruled by PLUTO, and its symbol is the SCORPION. Its natural place is the EIGHTH HOUSE, the house of Passions -- Sex, Birth, and Death. Intense Scorpio is a WATER sign, secretive and magnetic. Strong-willed Scorpio's heart is closed to all but an intimate few -- but its still waters run deep.

Someone we know?

Ken Rosewall 2 November 1934
Roy Emerson 3 November 1936
Mark Philippoussis 7 November 1976
Sania Mirza 15 Nov 1986
Billie Jean King 22 November 1943
Boris Becker 22 November 1967

Saggitarius: (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Saggitarian Attributes:
The Gambler of the Zodiac, Sagittarius is ruled by JUPITER, and its symbol is the ARCHER. Its natural place is the NINTH HOUSE, the house of Travel and Philosophy. Expansive Sagittarius is a FIRE sign, goal-oriented and optimistic. Blunt Sag is always willing to help, particularly if also promoting its own advancement.

Someone we know?

Radek Stepanek 27 November 1978
Monica Seles 2 December 1973
Richard Krajicek 6 December 1971
Tracy Austin 12 December 1962
Stan Smith 14 December 1946
Patty Schnyder 14 December 1978
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 18 December 1971
Chris Evert 21 December 1954

Capricorn: (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

Capricornian Attributes:
The Organizer of the Zodiac, Capricorn is ruled by SATURN, and its symbol is the SEA-GOAT. Its natural place is the TENTH HOUSE, the house of Status and Career. Ambitious Capricorn is an EARTH sign, worry-prone and steadfast. Come to Capricorn with your troubles, and be prepared for worried -- even meddling -- advice, but also a strong shoulder to lean on.

Someone we know?

Marcelo Rios 26 December 1975
Patrick Rafter 28 December 1972
David Nalbandian 1 January 1982
Mary Pierce 15 January 1975
Stefan Edberg 19 January 1966

Aquarius: (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)

Aquarian Attributes:
The Scientist of the Zodiac, Aquarius is ruled by URANUS, and its symbol is the WATER-BEARER. Its natural place is the ELEVENTH HOUSE, the house of Friendships and Experimentation. Revolutionary Aquarius is an AIR sign, idealistic and inventive. Aquarius often moodswings, optimistically reforming the social structure one minute, then despondent at the impossibility of perfect happiness the next.

Someone we know?

Marat Safin 27 January 1980
Juan Carlos Ferrero 12 February 1980
John McEnroe 16 February 1959
Yevgeny Kafelnikov 18 February 1974
Hana Mandlikova 19 February 1962

Pisces: (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

Pisces Attributes:
The Mystic of the Zodiac, Pisces is ruled by NEPTUNE, and its symbol is the FISH. Its natural place is the TWELFTH HOUSE, the house of Sorrow and Karma. Intuitive Pisces is a WATER sign, sensitive and adaptable. A chameleon, insecure Pisces can powerfully attain the attributes of any other sign -- all to help it fit in.

Someone we know?

Michael Chang 22 February 1972
Lleyton Hewitt 24 February 1981
Bobby Riggs 25 February 1918
Ivan Lendl 7 March 1960


Note to readers: All dates sourced from wikipedia.org, any error in dates is regretted. Kindly drop a comment or mail me to correct details. Not all players can possibly be listed hence only current top players are listed. All dates are arranged according to days of the month. Incase of same birthdate those born in the year before are listed first. Listing has no bearing on achievements. Thankyou all for reading. :)


upside of tennis Jack Crawford


Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Hingis' Blog - part 7

Friday, October 20, 2006

I am sad to say that this is my last blog entry from Zürich, which means I lost today... :(

As you know, I played the 6pm match tonight, a quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova. My preparation was good - I hit with Radim at 2pm and before that I went for my usual run in the woods, really nothing to complain about. Svetlana just played a great match. I had my chances in certain parts, but I congratulate Svetlana for being the better player on the day.

I did my usual post-match press conference, which is never nice if you've lost, because you really don't feel like talking. But it's important for the media and that's how tennis fans hear about the matches, so I understand the importance. It's just that sometimes it's hard to do! After the press conference I had to sign a few items in the media room.

Now it's back to work, training at home in preparation for Madrid (hopefully!) On Monday morning I'll be with one of my sponsors, Omega, opening a boutique in Interlaken, so that should be fun. I've attached a pic taken from one of my previous days with Omega.

I'd like to thank you all for reading my blog this past week. I've really enjoyed writing it, I'm just sorry that today's is so short :(

All the best,

Martina x


*ohhhhhh!!! really sad. two :( :( *

Hingis' Blog - part 6

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Hello everyone!

So, another sunny but cold day here in Zürich! As I told you last night, I needed to mix it up a little today so I went downtown with a friend. We met for breakfast at one of the most famous and traditional cafes in Zürich, called Sprungli. It has the most amazing hot chocolate in the world. I just love it. It was funny because the waitress came and told us Roger Federer always comes to their cafe and sits in the same spot as we were sitting - obviously, the 'in' place for us Swiss tennis players! I had a little breakfast, traditional Swiss bircher muesli; for those of you who don't know what it is, it's Swiss muesli mixed with a little yoghurt and milk, and then you can add fruit too. It's really good so I suggest you try it!

Afterwards, we walked to the famous Zürich See. It was actually very foggy; you can usually see the other side of the lake, which is where my house is located. I've attached a pic taken of me at the lake this morning so you'll see!

We then walked around the city, through the old town where the artsy shops are. This is my favorite area of Zürich because there is a little more to it. Previously it was the rough part of town, but now they've cleaned the area up and made it unique. There are also a few exclusive boutiques to be found around this area.

Obviously, no girl in their right mind can go into Zürich without a) having some chocolate (mission accomplished) and b) shopping... I hit the shops and went to one of my favorite stores, Grieder, which I would describe as a smaller version of Saks Fifth and like Harvey Nics in London. We stopped for a drink in the Grieder bar, on their roof terrace, and then went back to shopping. Next, we went along to Jelmoli, where I'd been previously for the draw ceremony on Saturday. We had a little browse and then I went back to the practice courts to hit with Radim. We had a good hit! After that I went back to the hotel, went for a nice run in the woods again, did some sprints and had a good stretch.

I showered, made some calls and then met Abi and Al from Octagon for dinner. We were going to go to town but being somewhat superstitious I decided to stick with my winning formula and eat in the hotel restaurant. A little unexpected, as Vijay Armtraj walked in with his wife! He asked about my recent trip to Kolkata. Obviously I told him it was excellent because I won. I said I'd like to go back and see more of India, and Vijay suggested Goa, so maybe I will Goa there ;)

I have just sorted out my tickets for tomorrow's match. I play Svetlana at 6pm. She beat Jelena Jankovic; it looked like a pretty close match. I'm looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.

Well, it's time for bed so I will wish you good night! Or good morning wherever you are reading this...

Gute nacht! :)



some of my own thoughts:

having chocolate mission accomplished! lol

hmm so she wants to goa to Goa! yep sun, sea n surf... :P also sea food. yum :P

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Posting now on lawntennis

Just an updated i will now be posting stuff on Sania Mirza on lawntennis.com

here is the URL:

http://mirza.lawntennisnews.com

thats what i wrote till now...


Torrent: 2006 Zurich - Kuznetsova vs Hingis

Here is the torrent link:

Tennis 2006 Zurich
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Martina Hingis
1h39min, 512 x 384, 25FPS, XVID, 626MB

http://www.mininova.org/tor/460994

Enjoy the video by the_doman

Kim Clijsters trips over pet dog!

Lol Kim Clijsters tripped over her dog!!! :P


Kim's Diary
All set for Wednesday! 24-10-2006

Despite tripping over my dog and bruising my tailbone last week's training went fine. I feel ready to have a go at it at the Gaz de France Stars in Hasselt from Wednesday onwards.

I also look forward to next week: to be able to play a match! Even though I haven't been training in the last two days because of a bruised tailbone. Very silly: while I was playing football at home with Brian, his dad (who is visiting us for a couple of weeks) and the dogs, I tripped over Diesel - the biggest one - and fell badly. Luckily enough nothing serious, but serious enough too be resting for two days.

My training sessions are going well though: both speed and intensity have been increased gradually in the last week and still I wasn't hindered by my wrist. Tomorrow I'll continue training. I can truly say now that I'll be ready for my first match in two months! And this before my home audience, always a great pleasure. Whatever the outcome will be, I'm not at expecting too much. The Gaz de France Stars have a strong field this year, worthy of a Tier II tournament. My major aim right now is to be able to play the first match without pain, and win it of course.

Whether or not I'll be at the Masters is not so much of a concern to me. I have said it before that it would be hard against the top players after two months of absence anyway. But that is not on focus right now, we'll see how things go after Hasselt.

I hope to see you all there in great numbers, it would do me good!

Kim

Hingis at Interlaken Omega boutique




photo: Fotos: Christian Iseli

Enjoy!!! nice scarf btw...

Omega boutique opening Interlaken: hingis interview

Hilarius reports:

"Interview of "Berner Zeitung" as of Oct.24, Made during opening of a Omega boutique in Interlaken"


Inteview by Adrian Ruch. Berner Zeitung October 24, 2006

Title: "The watch of a player ticks faster"



Q: Tennis was already early the centre of your life; you did not live life like other teenagers. During the absence from the tennis circuit, could you supply the backlog demands of normality?

Martina: What is normality?(laughs). for me, it was normal to play tennis every day and with 14 to travel around the world. I did not know anything else. And that life was fun for me. I got the chance to be top of the world . So one shouldn't ask, what you could miss. Although there were moments , when I thought that I missed something. I had rarely the chance to go out. During the 3 years without competitions, I went out once or twice. But it is not my business to hang around in night clubs.

Q: When and why was the thought about a comeback to the tour concretized in your head?

Martina: This was a lenghty process. The first year was hard not to be with the Tour. I tried several times to begin with training, but the body did not want to. Doing commentaries at Grand Slams raised a bit of wistfulness. In the third year I did some exhibition matches and when I bore the strains, the thought about a comeback got concrete.

Q: Which aspect of the tennis sport did you miss at the most during your break?

Martina: Although I was for 4 years the number 1, I felt that I could do more. The watch of a player ticks faster. I wouldn't blame myself for not risking to start again.

Q: The trill must be extreme for a tennis pro.

Martina: It was also exciting to compete at a horse show, but to play in a stadium with a crowd of 15000 to 20000 is just another world.

Q: Since 10 months you are active again. Do you sometimes long for the calm life of an early retired woman?

Martina: No, it is only a pity, that I have not enough time for horse riding. Furthermore I cannot often see my acquaintances. But real frienship still holds, even when you don't see your friends for a longer time.

Q: You grew up in public and got only in the last years a bit of privacy. How did you feel the comeback to the limelight?

Martina: I was surprised how big the echo to my comeback was. The time in Australia at the beginning of the year was intensive.

Q: Was it difficult to lose the privacy you just got?

Martina: I had already before more quietness, but I just got used again to the public. Finally, you have to find the balance between privacy and sport, which can bring you in two minds. But the capability to relax and recover fast is a must for a successful player.

Q: Was it difficult to start the intensive training?

Martina: No, I even missed the daily routine. Furthermore I knew that an intensive training would be necessary in order to be a top player.

Q: Were you afraid you could make a fool of yourself?

Martina: Yes. Every player has doubts and after 3 years of absence I did not know where I was. I had no doubts because of my technique, but because of my physic. Could my body endure the strains? Am I fit enough.

Q: Did the inflammations of your feet return?

Martina: No, I feel well. I have good shoes and I look, that I don't train to much on hard surfaces.

Q: Already at the first tournaments you made quite a splash. Did you expect such a brilliant start?

Martina: I hoped for the best. But you must stay realistic and you should not look for the unachievable. The great successes as the wins in Tokyo against Maria and in Rome against Venus were satisfactions for me. Then I knew, the comeback was worthwile.

Q: Recently you had to suffer some bitter defeats.

Martina: I had already in the earlier times an interim low after the French Open. Furthermore the first excitement and the first kick after the comeback were gone. But now I am near the best ones, That you could see in Zurich against Svetelana. I wasn't swept 6:1, 6:1 from the court.

Q: How do you deal with defeats?

Martina: Nobody rejoices when one loses, but the most important thing is to draw the right conclusions. How a defeat stings depends against whom and how I lost. I would much more bother when I would be no more near the top players. To know to have a chance against any player is the essential thing.

Q:After 20 years of tennis, is it possible to improve?

Martina: Of course, technically I play much better than in the early times, my body changed and the material is better nowadays. I play now some shots, I only have dreamed some years ago(laughs). I clearly made some improvements, but upto now they don't work in the decisive situations. When it is getting tight I fall back to the old manners.

Q: Your mother made of you what you are now. At the moment you do without her help. Could you imagine to work together with another coach?

Martina: I think not. I am now 26 years old and want to live indenpendently. But I do not quarrel with my mother. I still train in Wollerau and seek advices from her. Only, she does not accompany me to all tournaments.

Q: your boyfriend Radek is also tennis pro. Is there any competition, who is better ranked?

Martin: If we would have made a bet, we would keep it for ourselves. It is good that we can support each other mutually and sometimes we train together. It is more simply to live with somebody who knows what it is to play with top players.

Q: change of the theme: Even as you were born in Slovakia, do you feel as a real Swiss?

Martina: I live here since I was eight and I consider Swiss german as my mother tongue. Although I got much about the eastern culture by my mother, I am a Swiss - also I am thinking Swiss.

Q: Recently you spoke about a greater feeling to the home(country) as ten years ago. How does the feeling express?

Martina: I love being at home and I like more being with my friends than to travel and to see new things.

Q: How do you explain, that you are now more popular now in Switzerland than years ago?

Martina: Maybe it is because of the advertising for washmachines(laughs). No, really; I have developed as a person. You cannot please everybody; but an image you must develop.



note: interview translated by Hilarius, edited by me.

Technorati Tags:

Monday, October 23, 2006

Cool fun with Google Search

Lol so lots of search for our names on google to see the results and get an ego boost.

And i admit i do it too. :P

But did you, you can aslo google your name in the reverse and get results?

So first try my own name. You know what the correct spelling is: VIDHYUT

Lets write that in reverse TUYHDIV and 'googling' it. ;)

See what it comes up with:

http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=tuyhdiv&btnG=Search&meta=

Ok next up 'MARTINA HINGIS'...

REVERSED: SIGNIH ANITRAM

results:

http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=signih+anitram&meta=

Strangely it also came up with: Did you mean "singing anitram"!!! Lol

And after i searched "sotnas solrac siul" i got "did you mean Stones, solrac, soul" :P ;)

So google you name and have some laughs or get riled...



Technorati Tags:

Adding a link to a nice site about Manipur

http://secrets-of-manipur.blogspot.com

Visit the above site to enhance your knowledge about Manipur.

Meanwhile i will now add it to my link list as requested. ;)

Article by Todd Spiker about Hingis

Todd Spiker has written an article about Hingis:


2006 Intriguing Answers: A Swiss Miss, a Near-Miss & a Big Hit

As the season winds down, it's time to look at the flip side of January's "Intriguing Questions," so here are some answers gleaned from a nearly complete season of tour action:

MARTINA HINGIS IS JUST LIKE THE SWISS MISS OF OLD... BUT OF 2002, NOT 1997

The Smiling Assassin has indeed made a very successful comeback. If someone had said in January that Hingis would end the season in the Top 10, reach the YEC, and win a Tier I (plus be RU in another), who wouldn't have been flabbergasted at such success?

==HINGIS IN 2006==
32-12...Hard
14-3.....Clay
4-1.......Carpet
2-1.......Grass

Ten months into the season, though, it's almost commonplace to casually take what Hingis has accomplished in stride. The novelty of her return having worn off, it's now fair to view Hingis in light of what she IS, rather than what she WAS or HOPES TO BE. Her 48-7 record against players ranked outside the Top 10 shows her to still be the steady, heady player who rarely loses to players she shouldn't... but her 4-10 record vs. Top 10ers reveals her to also be very similar to the power deficient player she was when she retreated from the game with her one-time dominance a thing of the past.

Hingis can win a match here and there against a fellow top player, but her game has a hard time standing up to the rigors of stringing together multiple wins against the game's best opponents. It's no surprise that in the one Tier I she won this year, in Rome, she was only required to defeat one Top 10 player (Venus Williams, though hardly the Venus that helped chase Martina from the game four years ago). After reaching the QF at both the Australian and Roland Garros, her later slam results wilted at Wimbledon (3rd Round) and the U.S. (2nd Round, her worst ever) as the long season appeared to finally be taking its toll on her. She won a small event in India in September. But this week, in her first competition in Zurich in six years, she reached the QF, only to fall to, you guessed it, Top 10er Svetlana Kuznetsova.

It's not as if Hingis' stylish and smart game isn't capable of producing great results. Anna Chakvetadze's game, which almost qualifies her to be dubbed "Martina Hingis, version 2.0," helped her knock off three Top 10 players en route to the title in Moscow this month. But the Russian is still only 19 and seemingly in wonder of it all. Maybe it's just that time has naturally eroded a bit of the formerly-haughty on-court nature of the teen Hingis that allowed her to persevere in multiple high-pressure matches in a single event, for with maturity comes the realization that failure is possible... but not fatal.

Hingis' presence on tour is good for everyone, including Martina. While some things might not have changed between Swiss Miss I and Swiss Miss II, one thing HAS... Hingis knows that she wants to be around the sport more than she wants to get away from it. With that realization comes ANOTHER difference... this Martina isn't likely to quit because she isn't #1 anymore.

Hingis is no longer the mighty mite making everything look way too easy. That Martina is exiled to the history books, but THIS ONE is still one of the best, most entertaining players in the world. And that's not so bad, is it?

Hopefully, 2006 was just the beginning of a long Second Act in Hingis' career.

source:

http://wtabackspin.blogspot.com/2006/10/2006-intriguing-answers-swiss-miss.html

Zurich Open fails to meet attendance goal

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) - The Zurich Open failed to reach its goal of 40,000 spectators, despite the return of Martina Hingis to professional tennis.

Organizers said Sunday that they sold 35,638 tickets through the week.

"I don't think Martina had a big effect on attendance," tournament director Beat Ritschard said. "The 'Hingis effect' didn't prove itself."

Hingis, who made her comeback this season after about three years of retirement, made her first appearance in six years at the Swiss tournament.

The former top-ranked Swiss player reached the quarter-finals, where she was eliminated by third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.

"Financially, it wasn't a catastrophic scenario. We almost broke even," Ritschard said.

Shopping Trip

Yesterday i went for my Diwali shopping.

Guess what time i left home & came back?

Lol from 4.00 p.m. till 8.30 p.m. i was out in Dadar.

Firstly i bought for myself a nice pair of black shoes. If that wasnt enough I next went to the Mall and bought for myself a new pair of jeans.

Heh malls typically have all the stuff needed to tempt you to loosen thse purse strings.

In one of the shops i also liked a mini-Ganesh, a starsign themed mug meant for offcourse an Aquarian like me! Too bad no mug for Lions!!!

Seems all the Leos had taken their share. :P

So we stepped out of the mall & went to one of the biggest shops in the area to buy stuff for mom. She wasnt too keen but i made her eventually buy to salvaars for herself. Lol since they are to be fitted to her size she will be getting them today.

Out of this shop & my bought for myself 2 T-shirts. Cool blue and cooler pink. Heh.

So endth the shopping trip...

And now i just have to worry how to fit all that in my cupboard!!! :P

btw we spend more than 3000 yesterday and still didnt buy any sweets! :(

hmmmmm

did i tell you i also went to a science for practical use fair yesterday. it was too cool. Heh

i wish though i could have bought more stuff there.