Photos.

Space for your concern for Screwdriver and his update on his condition.

SCREWDRIVER

See you all on the other side of the world, I caught swineflu.

Who, other than Federer, is most likely to win the year-end event in London?

Photos.

Zoo babies.

Click here.

The ONE and ONLY reason for stress in your miserable life.

I will let the reason just lie there in plain sight without mentioning it specifically to see if your freaking brain can identify it.

What causes fear? Broadly:

1. Fear of the unknown.

2. Loss of stuff and people.

3. Inability to see the future.

You have been granted free will, sure. But it’s very limited. There are numerous acts you have no control over: You have no freaking idea what will happen in the next second forget about tomorrow etc. etc.

Nothing freaking belongs to you. You think you got all you own today purely because of your talent and hard work? Think freaking again. Or just look around. Everything WILL be taken away from you – from all the materialistic BS to people you love or hate.

Have you ever received a blessing in disguise? Sure you have. Have you ever had a blessing taken away from you? Sure.

While reading this BS, you freaks have to do what you have never done in your miserable life: Think and read between the lines or otherwise you will never get the bottom line.

Your destiny is in your hands – only partially. Partial ownership of a tool shed will not make a safe house or building.

Is this making sense or is it time for my medication?

Will Federer win another title this year?

Another proof that Federer is actually a girl – with a long ….. nose.

What is tennis’s biggest physical toll to bother you in retirement?

Other contact sports have their injuries that incapacitate retired players with a wide spectrum of physical issues from joint problems to brain concussions.

Is there anything tennis players need to prepare for or do they have a blank pass on this? I mean, Laver is still kicking around despite the never-ending dissolving process. BTW is Ljubicic competing with Laver for that ‘dissolving’ title freaking already? Geeeeeeeezzzzzz!!! He must be glad he got married ‘early’.

But that aside, is it the over exposure to sun the worst tennis players have to worry about? They are probably the few if not the only ones to be running around in that extreme temperature for 11 freaking months without an off season.

So are we looking at a gamut that runs from wrinkles to skin cancer? That means these retired players should be looking far older than they really are – at least compared to players from other sports – specially the ones who play indoors – always.

With Laver and Ali as exhibits, apart from thousands of former NFL players who end up on skid row, wonder when people will start choosing their career more sensibly. Or just barely a decade in the spotlight ample compensation for a lifetime of suffering in the name of following your passion?

Here’s an assignment for all you freaking freaks.

Do some work for a change and dig out the best of Tennisplanet – the stuff that made you laugh, cry, think??? or whatever - THE MOST. Post the link here for a collage.

Photos.

Donald Duck?

Town Makes a Racquet for Evonne. From Bettyjane. Thanks.

BETTYJANE

Click here.

Why Davydenko is tennis’s great enigma. From Monique. Thanks.

MONIQUE

Click here.

Bank shot and top spin = Tunnel vision?

Heard of Tim Duncan, the basketball player?

Well, his signature shot is called a bank shot (A bank shot in basketball shooting is a basketball shot using the backboard as a deflecting tool that directs the basketball into the basketball hoop).

Although it needs precision and skill, the over the top dependence on it reduces it to the level of a crutch.

That’s one of the reasons why Duncan is near-miserable at the foul line. Making a basket without that back board help seems like an impossibility. Same with Shaq. You start to lean on that walker to a fault.

Granted both Duncan and Shaq are usually so close to the basket that the bank shot is the most high percentage shot for them, but as they age and are consequently pushed away from the basket by younger and stronger defenders, that over dependence and one-dimensionality is exposed embarrassingly.

How about top spin? The main objective is to have a decent clearance at the net without going long. So you are minimizing the two ways you can lose a point – at the net or hitting beyond the lines.

Are your tiny brains fried already? Take a freaking break.

There may be other benefits to this strategy like the high shoulder ball your opponent has to deal with etc. etc. but the core is the sole objective of overcoming the net and the line challenge.

But this dependence robs of you of the ability to hit a flat shot.

So in fact both the bank shot and the top spin are really a way to mask your technical deficiency.

Nadal is obviously able to achieve the two goals with his top spin reflected in the stingy unforced error stat in his game. But that’s at a very steep price of not being able to capitalize on an opening offered by the opponent.

You need a flat shot to win the point like the one Federer or Del Potro own when you see poor court coverage. Top spin concedes way too much time for an outright winner.

Even Roddick suffers from it albeit at a lower scale.

Translation: It’s as close you can get to what’s called ‘kiss of death’ since it’s your most blatant admission of the lack of versatile game rooted in the technically challenged tool shed.

Who is a better person?

Russia and Stockholm live chat.

JENNY

TP – A new live chat threat for Russia and Stockholm? Many thnx TP.

Pictures of the week.

Click here.

8 Mind-Boggling Optical Illusions.

Click here.

Did you freaking know freaking this? Yeah, that’s two freaking and is warranted here.

Second week of October last year: 7 cases of flu in the US. This year: 5000, yeah, that’s fivefreakingthousand. Deaths last year same period: 7. This year: 885.

This is freaking serious.

Click here.

Nadal vs Davydenko final @ Shanghai – full match.

Click here.

The most and least humor-ed sportspeople.

Humorless:

-Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

-Blake.

-Jordan.

-Sampras.

-Federer.

-Tim Duncan.

-Murray.

-Nalbandian.

-Karlovic.

Humorfull:

-Ali

-Charles Barkley.

-Safin.

-Roddick.

-Shaq.

-Djokovic.

Nadal, you also lost to some joker whom even a woman can lift up – effortlessly.

Nadal falls short – big time @ Shanghai.

Fact that Davydenko was playing out of his mind is instantly negated by the 12-0 H2H Federer has against him on all freaking surfaces from hard to clay to carpet to tiles to rubber to water. You mean to say that Davydenko at 28 is playing better than he ever did at any of those 12 duels against Federer?

Translation: Find a way.

Hard court alibi doesn’t fly too given that you HAVE defeated him on that surface back in 2006 when you clearly were far less savvy.

Even if Davydenko did pull a rabbit out of his hat to beat Djokovic and Nadal back to back, just the fact that he is ranked No. 8, has an on-the-cusp-of-ballooning wife and is 28 takes more away from Nadal considering his form and what it would have meant to him than it gives to Davydenko.

And that’s when you had two straight retirements conserving the only component blamed for your lacklustre hard court showing: Physical juice.

Probably a three or even a two setter against Djokovic would have been less alarming / easy to digest.

If you are shooting for the top you have to find a way to win these matches – in the finals – more so when ALL of the big dogs have been conveniently swept away from your path. If an aging, married, short, bald midget can beat you to disrupt what appeared a ‘do or die’ campaign to regain lost magic, how can you expect to make any headway when the wolves return?

From the replay it seems Davydenko was never pushed past his comfort zone with most balls sitting up smack in the middle of his hitting zone. That doesn’t point to any super performance from Davydenko. He barely did what he was supposed to do with those feeds.

Djokovic would have won in one with that scenario.

Nadal’s embarrassment was all over his face at the award ceremony despite pathetic attempts to camouflage it. Nadal now has just Paris to mend matters and clinch a title to create some semblance of respect and momentum going into next season.

London, on this form, is not happening – with a loaded roster.

Davydenko clearly deserves credit for refusing to shift from his comfort zone for two matches in a row against opponents known to do just that. With no one else stepping up to fill the vacuum, this could be the most productive season ending for him.

Photos.

Nadal’s Grand Slam career 5-setters and Grand Slam timeline (for the curious). From Somebody Else. Good work. Thanks.

SOMEBODY ELSE

Nadal’s Grand Slam career 5-setters (for the curious):

Australian Open

W (2005, 2nd, Youzhny) 6-1, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
L (2005, 4th, Hewitt) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(3), 2-6
W (2007, 4th, Murray) 6-7(3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
W (2009, S, Verdasco) 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(1), 6-4
W (2009, F, Federer) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2

Roland Garros

(none)

Wimbledon

W (2006, 2nd, Kendrick) 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-4
W (2007, 3rd, Soderling) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(7), 4-6, 7-5
W (2007, 4th, Youzhny) 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
L (2007, F, Federer) 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2, 2-6
W (2008, F, Federer) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-6(8), 9-7

U.S. Open

W (2004, 1st, Heuberger) 6-0, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3

Nadal stands at 9-2 in Grand Slam 5-setters over his career

Nadal’s Grand Slam timeline:
tournament rounds: AO, RG, W, USO

2003…x-x-3-2
2004…3-x-x-2
2005…4-W-2-3
2006…x-W-F-Q
2007…Q-W-F-4
2008…S-W-W-S
2009…W-4-x-S

Fed’s latest lesson: Fatigue time out vs injury retirement.

Is this just another sign of how far ahead Federer is vis a vis other clowns or is this really a product of No. 14 and No. 15?

Could Federer have gone through what nine jokers experienced with mass retirement if not for those two titles? Sure. Isn’t mono, back and other props in the past a good enough exhibit to prove that?

Whatever the reason if sure gives him a huge head start for London and next season. While most players will be nursing their injuries, Federer will be coming out fully rested and fresh – unless of course the playing house house deal will have leveled the playing field.

It’s doubtful that Murray, Federer’s only foil on hard courts now, will be able to fully recover till at least the third major if not the US Open. What I think is going to happen is this:

Murray will come out prematurely to give it a go at the AO and other point-loaded / to be defended events early next year spurred primarily due to lack of a Slam at age 22 / slipping rank.

That will convert him into another Nadal for the season clearing the way for Federer to roam free with an occassional annoyance from Del Potro and Djokovic.

In retrospect this fatigue time out may not have been pre meditated, but it might look like a very smart move come next November, when falling flies will start paying for coming out of the hospital a tad early.

This was ideal time for Djokovic to rack up big points for obvious reasons but he paid very dearly for underestimating Davydenko after winning the first set. Win over Nadal for the title would have added another sail to his boat on his way up.

Nadal, on the other hand, may have already surpassed his expectations by reaching the finals even though most of them were retirement induced. But Nadal is on very thin ice. Any more knee related injury and it may all come to an abrupt halt – instantly. 

Is everything set for Federer to take away or freaking what?

Soderling?

Nadal vs Davydenko.

Photos.

What’s more painful for Sampras? Fed at 15 or 20?

At 15, Sampras is still in the hunt as being so close to the GOAT, but it also reminds him of those four Slam finals he lost AND that backhand volley from Roddick at Wimbledon.

At 20, that pain from those four finals is removed forever but that near-GOAT status is shattered.

That’s a lot to consider when you know you couldn’t have worked any harder for those 14 Slams.

So it’s a toss up. Would you rather get beaten – barely (and always have that ‘what if’ in the equation), or get trumped by a mile to get rid of the constant rub by reconciling once and for all that the other guy IS really too good?

It’s maybe the same for Federer in coming so close to beating or matching Laver’s two calendar Slams – three freaking times.

Federer’s Grand Slam career 5-setters (for the curious). From Somebody Else. Thanks.

SOMEBODY ELSE

Federer’s Grand Slam career 5-setters (for the curious):

Australian Open

L (2002, 4th, Haas) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-8
L (2003, 4th, Nalbandian) 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 3-6
L (2005, S, Safin) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-9
W (2006, QF, Haas) 6-4, 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2
W (2008, 3rd, Tipsarevic) 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8
W (2009, 4th, Berdych) 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
L (2009, F, Nadal) 5-7, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3, 2-6

Roland Garros

W (2000, 3rd, Kratochvil) 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 6-7(4), 8-6
W (2001, 2nd, Sargsian) 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 9-7
W (2009, 4th, Haas) 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2
W (2009, S, Del Potro) 3-6, 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

Wimbledon

L (1999, 1st, J.Novak) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6
W (2001, 2nd, Malisse) 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3
W (2001, 4th, Sampras) 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5
W (2007, F, Nadal) 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2
L (2008, F, Nadal) 4-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(8), 7-9
W (2009, F, Roddick) 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14

U.S. Open

W (2000, 1st, Wessels) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-4 RET
W (2004, QF, Agassi) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
W (2008, 4th, Andreev) 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
L (2009, F, Del Potro) 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-7(4), 2-6

Federer stands at 14-7 in Grand Slam 5-setters over his career

Time’s all-time 100 movies. How many of yours in there?

I have probably seen just two or three of them.

Click here.

Tongue-piercing and death.

Click here.

Evolving of Mirka WILL create problems. It’s ‘when’ not ‘if’.

You see, when you are living on a meagre income, you are just happy to have something to eat every freaking day. You are in that ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ bracket. Your vision does not travel too far.

But once the dark clouds leave, your threshold jumps from basic necessities to luxuries so much so that the sense of entitlement creeps in to annoy you if you are denied any of those superfluous perks.

This new lifestyle is reflected in the people, things and stuff that surround you in stark contrast to those hand-to-mouth days. Anyone resisting this progress is either made to bend to your new standing or is discarded for good.

It’s called evolving. We all do. It’s one major component completely disregarded in the growing divorce stats.

Now can you cheap lazy freaks put two and two together or do I have to essssspllllain everyfreakingthing here? Geeeeezzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!

You can devote your life to another person in an extreme gear, the one Mirka has engaged for almost a decade, for only so long before the above process takes over to force a realignment of most everything.

And if that process is accompanied by a new lease of power, after being let off the hook, the cycle is set in motion to disturb the apple cart sooner than later.

Mirka was under the gun for ten freaking years with no guarantee of where life will take her. But with solid security firmly in her grips now – socially and legally – and the focus bound to shift to her and her childrens’ needs, days to demand those luxuries are here.

Dynamic has to change. With Federer’s stupid stubbornness and bloated ego not a willing partner in that process, there has to be a confrontation to plug in this new landscape.

Federer is clearly without any leverage in that battle. He is royally screwed on every freaking platform. But Mirka is smart and will proceed patiently as she did in the last phase to demand a stage where she’s after what’s good for her and her alone.

Mirka, if you are having problems with any of the above and need to expedite the confrontation, start watching Oprah for valuable tips everyfreakingday.

Should Morbidly Obese Kids Be Taken from Their Parents?

Sure. Add the spouse, house, dog and everyfreakingthing else too.

Click here.