Video: WTA Players Get Sappy About Elena

I didn't blog about it, (because I was on vaca), but I did get a little lump caught in the back of my throat when Elena Dementieva retired from the tour in Doha last week.  In this video, a lot of the WTA players pay tribute to Elena and her fab career.  If you want to see a player in particular, here is some of the order:

Franny starts it out

JJ at 00:58

Woz at 2:08

Kimmy at 2:38

Stubbs 3:40

Stosur at 4:18

Raymond 5:53

Vera Z at 7:05

Vika at 8:06

Dulko at 8:48

Flavia at 9:23

Franny Brings the Zexy and Elena Has Sweaty Pits

Hold the press.  Is that really Francesa Schiavone, because she looks HOT! I've never seen Franny look like this before, but since she IS Italian I should have known she had the Zexy hiding in there somewhere.  The combination of the fab makeup and the earth tones in her dress complimenting her tanned skin.........Best Dressed, if for nothing else, shock value.  Now if she could just do this more often.  She usually comes dressed in something like this:

Here are all the pics of the ladies (minus Victoria) dressed to impress for the finals in Doha.  This is probably the only thing I was looking forward to in Doha, since the 8  ladies are a little (yawn) boring without the Williams sisters and Justine. Let me bust out my inner Joan Rivers and break these girls down.

Caroline has been looking pretty good in all of her latest appearances on and off the court (I happen to be one of the few that like her Stella McCartney "is it a dress, is it a shirt?" tennis "outfit"), and this night was no different.  If I had to say anything, it would be that I don't like her hair with this dress because the dress is too structured to have loose windswept hair, and unfortunately when you catch the dress at the wrong angle, it looks like it's engulfed her boobs and trying to eat her neck.  See pic below.

And now to Elena.  I gotta ask, were you nervous bb? Because those sweaty pits are NO JOKE.   Hey, a lot of us have hyperhidrosis (flashing my medical knowledge) from time to time, but the key is to wear dresses that DON'T show the sweat (solid, light colors are a no, no), OR maybe you should have used some Secret Clinical Protection?  It's too bad because the dress was working but the sweat is just to much of a distraction for me. 

I don't have much to say about the other women, except that Sammy, does clean up nicely, but girl you got to learn how to sit with a dress! I guess I'll give her a pass this time because she doesn't where them that often.

And there you have it, the 8 top (not really) women this year in the WTA.  2011 couldn't get here soon enough.

Photos:  Getty Images

Has-Been and "It" Girl Battle It Out in Tokyo

 

Just to make myself clear, I like Elena Dementieva.  I DO think that she is a tad emotionally unstable (prozac?), she has THE WORST service motion I've ever seen (and it's even more embarrassing to watch up close and personal) and despite her hotness she always looks like she was dumped in a plastic bag on the court (Yonex please get it together, she deserves better).  What I DON'T think, is that she is a has-been (yet).  

So why did I put it in my title?  To get you to read of course!  On a serious note, most people have written off Elena, and think that she'll go down as one of the best players not to win a Major.  I beg to differ, and I think at only 28 (Schiavone, hello?) she still has a few good years left in her.  It might take a little luck, but she can get there, at least I can only hope for her poor mother's sake.  I can't go through her pain like I did at the US Open again:

Anyway, all of this rambling is to say that she has made it to her first final since February and will be playing against Caroline Wozniaki in Tokyo tonight.  Yay Elena!

My favorite US Open Pictures From the 1st Week

If you haven't seen my flickr photostream yet, you should, but I'll give you a little preview here.  The US Open this week was AWESOME, and I am terribly sad that I am back at home in North Carolina.  The first week was ridiculously hot, and there was no shortage of people getting heat-stroke (really), but we still braved the heat to watch our favorite players battle it out on the courts.

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US Open Day 3 and 4: A Lot of Tennis with a Touch of Douchebaggery

Didn't post anything yesterday, and tonight's post will be a quickie.

Day 3 was a pretty great day.  Didn't get started until around 2pm due to lack of sleep, but when I arrived on the grounds I was grateful for the slight breeze and temperatures a few degrees cooler than the day before.  I stalked the practice courts for about an hour and got to see Tommy Robredo, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova and Kim Clijsters. The only one that got the shirtless memo was Robredo (Navratilova and Clijsters excluded of course.)

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Video: The Beauty of the Power Game

NY Times Magazine has outdone itself. Currently on their website, they have an article about the power- game in women's tennis titled, "Women Who Hit Hard."  With the article, they have also posted on their website a series of slow-motion videos of the top womens players hitting balls while glammed out.  The end result?  Amazing.  See for yourself.

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