Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us. Every week we take a look at one high-profile fan and analyze just how crazy they are...

Today we bring you Caroline, a lady who doth protest too much.

The Short

Name:  Caroline Paquin
Age:  32
Country:  Canada
Occupation:  Teacher, blogger
Twitter handle:  @caropaquin80
Blog:  http://www.runningforehand.com
Lost in the eyes of:  Juan Martin del Potro

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Down in Coconut Grove with Agnieszka Radwanska and Juan Martin del Potro

Last night Juan Martin del Potro and Agnieszka Radwanska went to Coconut Grove in Miami to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.  The atmosphere was amazing with a large screen showing promo shots of all the players and a DJ blasting electro-pop to get everyone pumped up.  Juan Martin was really sweet with his fans, especially the little ones as you can see in the photos below.

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Australian Open Day 9: Pushers, Painters, and Raging Bulls

Didn't you get the memo? It's 2006.by Kait O'Callahan

A dandelion is floats towards me in the humid Melbourne air.  There's barely a breeze, but it drifts softly, never threatening to fall.  I carefully pluck it out and cradle it in my hands.  Between its soft, white hairs lie tangled green fibres.  I make a wish and let it drift away.

Agnieska Radwanska moves well, defends well, and counter-punches with the best of them.  But until she develops a serve and an ability to follow balls in, she'll always run into a player having a better day than her.  That player today is Victoria Azarenka, although the first set doesn't fall that way.  Azarenka's forehand is errant, and her serve is exposed as a real weakness as she collapses in the first set tiebreak.  It's her only real lapse of the tournament so far.  Yet as she's now famed for, she recovers mentally between sets superbly.  She dictates play the rest of the match, doesn't allow herself to get too far behind the baseline, and hits her forehand with authority.  She looks positively thrilled to be in the semi-finals.

The seats in Rod Laver begin to fill.  Spoiled for choice corporates trickle in for a glimpse of Kim Clijsters. She's doing what everyone expected her to do against Caroline Wozniacki: win.  The first set is wrapped up in no time, despite Clijsters getting tight near the end.  Wozniacki's forehand, which has been much improved this fortnight, has reverted back to its loopy self.  She misses uncharacteristic backhands, and comes to net on seemingly arbitrary shots.  If Wozniacki is to win a Slam, not only does she need to become less of a pusher and more of a counter-puncher, but her shot selection also requires much work.  She makes more of a match of it in the second, and forces a tiebreak, but comes up short. Clijsters pumps her fist as she dethrones the world number one.  It never felt like it was going to be any other way.

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Australian Open 2012: Fashion Hits And Misses

Check out the fashion hits and misses of the 2012 Australian Open as seen by Kait O'Callahan who is reporting from Down Under.

Caroline Wozniacki has had to wear some hideous things of late.  She's been in all manner of frills, puffballs, and fabric that add an extra 10kg to her frame.  Thankfully, Stella McCartney has gone back to basics for Wozniacki's 2012 AO campaign.  Her bright orange dress fits snugly to her body, which compliments Wozniacki's figure far better than anything loose and flowy.  The dress flairs out around her hips and adds a bit of glamour when she swings through her backhand.  My only criticisms are that the back of the dress is far longer than the front, the pattern looks a little weird, and the visor should have been white.  Other than that, the world number one finally looks great.

Final Grade:  8/10

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In Their Words: Aussie Open Interviews Days 5-7

I think I look better, don't you?

No, I did with the towel his face.  What, you was watching the Tomic match?

-Juan Martin del Potro when a journalist asked him to explain a joke that he did on court

He won the match point.  (Smiling.)  That's a joke.  Nobody is laughing. 

 -Ivo Karlovic on the difference between winning and losing (to Roger Federer)

Yeah, that's it.  Yeah, that was the last one.  Yeah.  So it's a nice way to go out, playing with a good mate and also playing best doubles in the world, so yeah.

-Peter Luczak on his retirement

Of course I hear it.  I mean, I'm not deaf (laughter).

-Victoria Azarenka on hearing the crowd mimicking her grunt during her match with Casey Dellacqua match

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