Misery thy name is Hingis

If this isn't the expression pure misery I don't know what is. Poor Martina.

Here is a link to a post match article from the Wimbledon site:

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2006-06-30/200606301151682157921.html

Hingis loses in 3rd round of Wimbledon:(

The white out fit is about the only good thing Martina had going today:(

Wow, I'm really surprised by this I didn't expect this Ai Sugiyama beat Hingis in 3 sets 7/5 3/6 6/4. Martina just really didn't seem like herself today. She wasn't even smiling like she usually does that's never a good sign. She was rushing right from the get go and made a lot of unforced errors she had 11 in the first set.

Very unlike Martina. She had 5 aces though. And plenty of break chances in all sets. But Sugiyama was just one tough customer.

Martina really lost her concentration today I'm not sure what happened there. And she slipped a couple of times as well on the base line. This was just not her day. And what really surprised me the most was how little she come to the net to make drop shots or volleys. Granted she didn't always get the opportunity but still.

I know that a lot of people are not only disappointed but surprised I think pretty much everyone expected Hingis to go on to the second week and into the quarter finals at least.

So very disappointing. I guess now she has a lot of time off to go home and regroup before entering the San Diego tournament later in July. And then perhaps the AT&T Cup late August in Montreal.

And then of course there is the US Open in September. But that's a long wait. At least Hingis can be proud of not going out in the first round. And of all the accomplishments she's accumulated so far this year, because it is pretty amazing.

Here is an article from the Wimbledon site recounting the match:
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/reports/2006-06-30/200606301151689096640.html

The Bell Canada saga continues

Bell Sympatico has released their own rebuttal stating they don't intend to start spying on their Internet users despite the changes to their customer service agreement.

They are now saying a court order must be used before they monitor Internet activity which some think may include email. Well colour me confused, why is it then that you change your policy on June 15, 2006?.

Now as some of you bloggers may know after the Parliament returns in the fall it may introduce an Internet surveillance bill.

Which will make Internet activity data more available to Canadian law enforcement institutions, such as the RCMP without a federal warrant.

It should be noted that this law is not on the federal books at this time. The Government isn't even sure when it will introduce the bill back into the Parliament. Which begs the question why is Bell Canada changing it's user agreement if they are not even certain it will pass?.

On the other hand if the law does pass, telecommunications companies across Canada will have to add monitoring capabilities to their network.

Which can take time. Bell being the first telecommunications company to make this change could be being proactive. But they are assuming a great deal. We don't know if this bill will actually become law.

Bored yet? lol.

Feel free to comment if you're still awake lol.

Here is the article I'm referring to from the Toronto Sun:
http://torontosun.com/Money/2006/06/29/1659201-sun.html

Bell Canada to turn into peeping Tom??

Ok I guess first before I get into anything else, I better explain to all the international readers of this blog what Bell Canada is:). And no it is in no way related to Bell South. Bell Canada is a Canadian Telecommunications Company.

Which has an Internet division called Bell Sympatico. One of Canada's largest Internet service providers. Ok hopefully that clears things up.

And I also want to say before I get into any details that I'm not paranoid or anything but the geek in me found this whole issue quite interesting.

On to the nitty gritty in a recent article from ctv.ca it was revealed that the federal government plans to revive an Internet surveillance bill. A bill which would allow police access to personal information without a warrant.

These new changes are supposedly reflected in Bell Sympatico's new customer service agreement which was changed June 15, 2006.

According to the article Sympatico has informed it's customers that it will monitor a users activity and disclose information necessary to satisfy any laws, regulations and government requests.

Which I find interesting because Bell Canada and Bell Sympatico websites don't even have a press release to inform their costumers of all these changes directly as of the time of this blog post.

I find it interesting that they went to the media but the company itself didn't bother to inform it's costumers directly.

And just for the record I have nothing to hide but I don't like the idea of a corporation spying on me every now and then. It is not cool.

Once again feel free to comment please. Shhh, Bell may be watching or reading. Keep watching for further updates on this issue.

Here is the article I'm talking about.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060627/sympatico_internet_060627?s_name=&no_ads=

Note: Bell Canada has a media division which owns CTV News.

Andre Agassi moves to 3rd round to face Nadal!

Wow, I just love watching Agassi play. Just when you think the opponent has the upper hand Agassi gets out of trouble with a great serve or a drop shot.

Today was a perfect example that age is not exactly a bad thing. With age comes experience and Agassi has plenty of that. He beat his opponent in 3 sets 6/4 7/6 6/4.

I'm rooting for him to win this thing it may not happen but what a story it would be. Especially since this is his last Wimbledon.

And what a 3rd round match it will be on Saturday. Agassi will play the 'king of clay' Rafael Nadal. This could be a 5 setter. I can't wait to see it. I really think Agassi can do it, again I'm always rooting for the underdog;).

Here is a nice article from the match from Wimbledon.org
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2006-06-29/200606291151598458437.html

Hingis cruises into 3rd round at Wimbledon

Martina Hingis waving to crowd after winning 6/1 6/2

Well maybe not exactly, since this opponent Italian Tathiana Garbin managed to hold her serve a couple of times but Martina was just too tough for her in the end.

She won it again in 2 sets 6/1 6/2. It was nice to see Martina really enjoying herself and smiling all the time, she just has such joy for the game. The British crowds love watching her play too. Towards the end of the match they were doing the wave. Which got Martina and her mom to crack a smile, that rarely happens lol.

For the majority of the match, Martina was on cruise control very focused and created some amazing shots along the way. Drop shots, volleys, cross courts you name it she did it. This is the reason I love this player so much.

There is so much variety in her game and very little errors. Next Martina will play Ai Sugiyama, whom I expect she will beat fairly easily. The real challenge will come in the quarters when she might have to face Justine Henin-Hardenne that will be a true test for her.

But since Martina is playing on grass, and she's a very smart player I think she can do it this time. I think she can make it to the semis. You can tell I love rooting for the underdog huh?:D. Anyway all the best of luck to Hingis in her next match which I think is on Friday. Oh, and thank you ESPN for finally covering most of Martina's match lol.

And here is another nice Wimbly article from today's match:
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/reports/2006-06-28/200606281151523184875.html

Star Jones saying goodbye to The View

Well it was announced yesterday that Star Jones is not returning to The View next season.

Hmmm...could this perhaps have something to do with Rosie coming on board and replacing Meredith Vieira?

Of course it does! lol. Guess she decided she didn't want to get into daily morning debates with Rosie O'Donnell. Too bad I was really looking forward to some morning ego clashes lol. Oh, well.

Here is the Yahoo article confirming the news:
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/27062006/2/entertain-star-jones-reynolds-says-leaving-walters-chatfest-view.html

Hingis through to 2nd round at Wimbledon

A very happy Martina Hingis after winning 1st round easily 6/2 6/2

Well Martina Hingis had no trouble getting past Olga Suvchak today in just 28 minutes. A match that continued over from yesterday. Very impressive. Unfortunately once again I only got to see a couple of points.

Due to the rain yesterday there was a huge backlog and not a lot of ladies matches have been shown today. From what I have read all points by Hingis were very well constructed.

And once again her volleying and court finesse paid off quite well. As expected. I'm very happy that she moved on and that it wasn't a repeat of the 2001 Wimbledon where she lost in the first round.

Not that there was ever any doubt in my mind about her winning this one with the way she has been playing this year. I still think she has a real chance to win this thing. So congrats to her and best of luck in her second round match.

I'm going back to watch Andre Agassi play, things are looking better for him hope he pulls through.

Here is an article from the Wimbledon site related to the match
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/reports/2006-06-27/200606271151412702187.html

and a second article from the match from Wimbly with interesting comments from Martina

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2006-06-27/200606271151419293031.html

And a small update Agassi also moved on to second round which I'm very happy about I'm looking forward to seeing him play in this tournament.

All play at Wimbledon officially cancelled till Tuesday

Well Wimbly officials have finally announced they are suspending all matches till tomorrow. I have a feeling this will screw with the schedules of many players. Darn, England rain.


Here is an article confirming the news:

http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=169759&hubname=tennis

Hingis Wimbledon pics:)

As promised here are some pics courtesy of hingis.org. As always the link to all of these can be found under Martina Hingis message board in the link section.

No colourful outfit this time unfortunately Wimbledon regulations require all players wear white. But I do like this one too, I wish more players had her fashion sense. Sharapova (hint hint) ;) lol.

Running like the wind Martina's biggest weapon :D

Martina ready for a challenge

Martina working hard as always:D

Think her opponent is having as much fun?

Oh, cloudy day :D.

Rain delay first day at Wimbledon

Which is nothing new of course considering it's England and that's pretty much to be expected. All the players played a total of less then an hour, before the rain set in. Martina Hingis is off to a good start she has won the first set 6-2 against Olga Suvchak.

Took a little work to get the set point but she finally got it at set point #5. From what I have read she started off a little shaky but quickly got into the groove after a couple of games. I of course did not get to see Martina play the first 4 points because TSN was covering Federer first.

So I only got to see her play 2 of those 6 games in the first set. Coverage started at 4/2. Oh, well hopefully as the tournament goes on they'll show Martina's matches in their entirety.

For the time being it has stopped raining and tennis officials expect to continue the play today. But it's England so again not holding my breath.

Rain is actually expected for the next 3 days. I hope that's not true or that will really mess up Martina's schedule just like it did at Roland Garros. Hope it doesn't happen the girl needs a break. She's had bad luck at Grand Slams this year I think, well except for Aussie Open.

I'm really excited about Wimbledon this year, Agassi is suppose to play tomorrow and I can't wait haven't seen him play for a long time.

As for Martina well I think she's got a real chance. Her main advantage is the skill she has at the net. Very few players are as good as her at the net. So with her volleying ability and court finesse who knows how far she'll go.

My prediction would be quarter finals again but I also think she could actually make it to the semis. We shell wait and see. Now all I have to do is wait out this dreadful rain lol. Hopefully I'll have some photos of the match later in the day.

Interesting Martina Hingis article

Check out this article I found from theage an Australian paper (I think). It's about 2 pages and a good read for all interested.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/resurgent-hingis-sets-her-sights-high/2006/06/24/1150845420947.html

Andre Agassi announces retirement

http://www.steveladner.com/corporate/pages/Andre%20Agassi.htm


Well, looks like both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open will be extra special this year. It will be the last time Andre Agassi plays tennis. He announced on Friday that he is retiring after this years U.S. Open. Now I really have reason to watch both tournaments.

Here is an article from TSN confirming the news:
http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=169575&hubname=tennis

AOL representative won't catch a clue

Found this on a message board, it sure makes me glad I never went with anything from AOL. Now this guy did get fired but apparently it won't make a difference because all the reps are like this.

If you want to cancel an account. I applaud the guy who phoned for hanging in there I would have just hang up lol.


An incredible video from CNBC shows an AOL customer trying to cancel his account, but a phone rep won't let him do it.

What customer Vincent Ferrari got when he tried to cancel his account was a lot of frustration. It took him 15 minutes waiting on the phone just to reach a real, live person.

And, what happened next was recorded by Ferrari on audio and lasted about four minutes.

You can read the transcript of the phone call here:

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9406462/detail.html

You can also listen to it on the site. Stupidity doesn't begin to cover this.

Innovative cheating methods

BEIJING (Reuters) - Using microscopic earphones and wireless devices, Chinese students upped the ante in the high-tech battle to counter cheating during university entrance exams this month, putting some in hospital as a result.

With 9.5 million students competing for only 2.6 million vacancies, some universities installed cameras and mobile-phone blocking technology at exam halls to foil the cheats.

But students "racked their brains" and in some cases injured themselves with "low-quality devices" to come up with new ways to cheat, state media reported Tuesday, underlining the highly competitive nature of education in China.

A student in Wuhan, capital of China's central province of Hubei, used earphones so small that they slipped into his aural canal and perforated his eardrum, the China Daily newspaper said.

Another student's earphones required an operation for their removal, the paper said, while an electronic device connected to headphones and strapped to a third student's body exploded, leaving a bleeding hole in his abdomen.

Supervisors at an exam hall in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, found over 100 "cheating tools" including earphones hidden in vests, wallets and waistbands, the paper said.

Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/20062006/6/n-odds-cheaters-score-high-marks-ingenuity.html


Yikes! technology is great but sometimes it can really be like a double edged-sword. It's also really scary the lengths to which these people went through just to get into this University. I don't think it was worth blowing up your abdomen.

Or perforating your ear drum. Which I have done myself in the past accidentally of course, and not in the same manner as above. But I can definitely say it's not fun.

Wife accused in swordplay death of husband

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese woman has been charged with accidentally killing her husband with a sword after he refused to make her dinner, the Shanghai Daily said on Tuesday.

Police said Tang Xiaowan, 25, who has been practicing swordsmanship since she was young, had often forced her husband of three years at sword point to carry out her demands.

On March 3, her husband, Li Weidong, refused to cook dinner because he was late for work.
Police said Tang picked up her sword and put it on Li's chest and promptly slipped, stabbing Li by mistake.

Li died in hospital from loss of blood.
Tang was arrested Monday and charged with manslaughter.

Source:http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/20062006/6/n-odds-wife-accused-swordplay-death-husband.html

This is a little scary. Now I'm all for women empowerment (and not allowing the husband to boss you around) but I think this is crossing the line.

And yes I know that it was accidental but still. On second thought how do you accidentally stab someone with freakin' sword?.

It's not like with a gun or something the old "my finger slipped" excuse really wouldn't work here.

Just another example of all accidents happening in the home granted this is a little more unusual then most.

Lindsay Davenport out of Wimbledon

Well looks like Lindsay still hasn't fully recovered from her shoulder injury, she pulled out of this years Wimbledon.

Which I suppose will open things up in the draw with both her and Serena gone. Who knows? maybe Martina Hingis will get a better one this time around. Fingers crossed:).

Here is an article confirming the news.
http://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wimbledon/2006/sport_sto909508.shtml

Also I am very happy to know that Andre Agassi will also be at this years Wimbledon, I love watching him play I really hope he can win one more title one of these days.

There's also talk of him being at the U.S. Open as well so that's more good news. I don't know what it is with me and veteran players but I often enjoy them so much more then the youngsters

Here is a nice article on Agassi entering Wimbledon
http://www.eurosport.com/tennis/wimbledon/2006/sport_sto909784.shtml

Gamers beware

By Fia Curley

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - An addiction centre is opening Europe's first detox clinic for video game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.


Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs - and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants. Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, including discussions with therapists and efforts to build patients' interests in alternative activities.

"We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to-face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer," Bakker said. "Their social network has completely disappeared."

It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there, it can progress to multi-level games that aren't made to be won.

read more...


Reading this article kind of makes me glad I never got a PS2. Especially since I'm in the same age group. It's scary that in some cases a game addiction can lead to drugs. I mean ok I'll admit that at times I have a small addiction to the computer but thankfully it's not nearly as bad as all the cases in this article.

Faster pussycat kill kill!!:)

Well this is definitely a first I fell off my chair laughing when I read this lol. Just goes to show you, don't mess with cats 'cause even the clawless ones can be a threat lol. I first found this on the Xena Message board and thought it was so amusing and unusual I decided to share. Enjoy;).

CBC News

Who needs a guard dog when Jack the elderly suburban housecat is on duty?

The 10-year-old New Jersey tabby defended his neighbourhood turf earlier this week by chasing a wandering black bear up a tree — twice.

West Milford residents Suzanne and Jack Giovanetti first noticed a bear huddled in a tree in their backyard on Sunday afternoon.

Sitting beneath the tree: A seven-kilogram, orange-and-white, declawed neighbourhood cat named Jack.

The bear remained in the tree for about 15 minutes, frequently looking down at Jack.
When it slid down the tree and ran off, Jack was hot on its heels.

read more...

Mothers don't want their babies born on 666

Wed Jun 07, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) - Across the United States, some superstitious mothers-to-be took steps Tuesday to make sure their babies were not born on the most bedevilling of dates, 6-6-6.

In New York City, "people are cancelling left and right because of what today represents," said Liza Washington, an administrative assistant at Children's Hospital of the New York-Presbyterian Medical Center. More than a dozen deliveries were postponed because of 666, which is said to be the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation.

Julie Haley, 33, of Reading, Mass., went into labour Monday. As of Tuesday afternoon, she still had not given birth. "We were going to try to get it out before midnight or I was going to keep my legs closed," she said.

"I don't want her to have that stigma for the rest of her life. When she gets older, her friends would say that anything bad would be because of her birthdate."

A Chicago obstetrician, Dr. Scott Pierce, performed a C-section on Monday on a woman who didn't want her son to be teased about his birthday and called names like Damien from the movie The Omen, about a sinister boy who turns out to be the Antichrist. A remake of the classic horror film was released Tuesday.

read more...


Boy, just when you think you're the only superstitious person out there articles like these prove you wrong lol.

And the really sad thing? I can't say I wouldn't do the exact same thing if I was in the same situation as those women.

There, now you've found out something new and possibly weird about me. I can sometimes be highly superstitious lol.

Read this if you're looking for a laugh

Judge orders a game of rock, paper, scissors to settle dispute

Fri Jun 09, 2006


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A federal judge, miffed at the inability of opposing lawyers to agree on even the slightest details of a lawsuit, ordered them to settle their latest dispute with a game of rock, paper, scissors.

The argument was over a location to take the sworn statement of a witness in an insurance lawsuit.

In an order signed Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell scolded both sides and ordered them to meet at a neutral location at 4 p.m. June 30 to play a round of the hand-gesture game often used to settle childhood disputes. If they can't agree on the neutral location, he said, they'll play on the steps of the federal courthouse.

The winner gets to choose the location for the witness statement.

"We're going to have to do it," said David Pettinato, lead lawyer for the plaintiff, Avista Management. "I guess I'd better bone up on rock, paper, scissors rules."

Last year, officials of the auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's engaged in the game to decide who would get to sell a $17.8-million collection of art offered by a Japanese electronics company. Christie's won.

Article source:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/09062006/2/koddities-judge-orders-game-rock-paper-scissors-settle-dispute.html


Well, ok what I find funny may not be all that amusing to others. But really it's not every day you see a law related article with a rock, paper scissors reference lol.

At least I don't:D. You gotta love the judge's method of problem solving lol. He must have been royally pissed, or simply someone with a very unique sense of humor.

I have to say honestly when I first saw the headline I thought it was a joke lol. And ok I'll admit that the thought 'bonkers' crossed my mind too lol.

Put a stop to horrible animal cruelty

When Eastlake, Ohio police arrived at a burglary scene on May 30,they were stunned to find tortured, mutilated kittens inside the home.

Two kittens inside lay dead - one soaked with water and left in a freezer, another crushed and cut in two, its pieces found in separate rooms.

Three others, who all survived, had been thrown against a wall.William Whitlow, 22, of Concord Township, is accused of breaking into the home that night, stealing jewelry and cash.

Sitting around a fire in the back yard, Whitlow reportedly drank beer with friends before entering the rear of the home because he wanted water to put out the fire.It was at that point Whitlow began throwing the five kittens against a wall.

According to reports, when Whitlow's friends asked him to stop, he soaked one in a pot and put it in the freezer then stomped another with his foot.

He used a kitchen knife to cut the crushed kitten in two, according to officials. Whitlow told police he was intoxicated and"doesn't really know what he did."

This has to be one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. Actually it is beyond disturbing it's inhuman. This guy should be locked away for life.

Please sign the petition and stop this horrid man from harming any other animals in the future.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/305967005?ltl=1150401597

Adidas wins in logo battle with tennis authorities

This article goes back to something that happened in May at the French Open when Martina Hingis was playing her first match.

There was a problem with her logo being too big and she had to remove it. Adidas went to court and got a temporary injunction which would allow their players to wear larger logos instead the new standard of 4 square inches at this years Wimbledon.

Personally I find the new rule and the whole thing a bit ridiculous but anyway here is the article for all interested.


LONDON (AP) -- Adidas won a temporary court ruling Wednesday in a dispute with international tennis bodies over the size of its three-striped logo on players' clothing, allowing the logo to appear at Wimbledon.

The German sportswear manufacturer was granted a temporary injunction in London's High Court against a new rule limiting the size of the logo to 4 square inches.

Adidas sponsors Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis and Justine Henin-Hardenne, among others top players. The restrictions had been scheduled to go into effect at Wimbledon on June 26.

Chancellor Sir Andrew Morritt, presiding in the High Court, granted the injunction against Britain's Lawn Tennis Association; the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which runs Wimbledon; the International Tennis Federation and the U.S. Tennis Association.

Adidas said it had not been given enough time to adapt its manufacturing process in time for Wimbledon. A spokeswoman for Adidas in Herzogenaurach, Germany, had no immediate comment.

Morritt ordered the case to go to trial in early October. Morritt rejected a bid by the tennis bodies to have Adidas' case dismissed.

"We acknowledge the court's decision and appreciate its willingness to schedule an early trial on the merits to compensate for maintaining the status quo," the ITF Grand Slam Committee said.

Adidas is also suing organizers of the French Open and Australian Open, but there was no interim injunction against those bodies. The French Open is currently taking place, and the Australian Open is next January.

Adidas contended the three stripes running down shirt sleeves or shorts are not a standard logo. It said the official logo is the "performance logo" depicting three stripes arranged in a pyramid with Adidas written underneath.

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=AlGqjEJiZQLOjAWNLgyJ91s4v7YF?slug=ap-adidas-injuction&prov=ap&type=lgns

Just some good reading material

Here are a couple of great articles both from the official Wimbledon site. The first one summarizes all of Martina Hingis's achievements since her comeback to the WTA tour in January of this year. A very good read.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2006-05-18/e5259102963313c.html

The other article is another summery of Nadal's and Justine's matches at the French Open final. Well written detailed article.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2006-06-12/e5af110c9385f73.html

And lastly on an unrelated note I have added another link under the link section this time it's for my favourite video site called Youtube. So be sure to check it out if you've never heard of it before;).

Henin and Nadal Champions at Roland Garros

Well, I have watched both the men's and women's French Open finals this weekend. On the women's side Justine-Henin was the winner over Svetlana Kuznetsova. Pretty good match, and some tense moments with the chair empire over a point.

It wouldn't be the French Open without someone causing some controversy and disputing a call lol. It was a good match but I wouldn't say it was surprising.

I would have been more surprised if Kuznetsova had won it. Justine beat her pretty easy 6-4 6-4 and won her 5th grand slam and 3rd French Open title.

On the men's side Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in 4 sets completing his 60th straight clay court victory and second French Open title. Not bad for a 20 year old guy. I'm a little disappointed since I wanted Federer to win his first French title.

Him being a Swiss like Martina Hingis:). We had an all Belgium semi-final this year, personally I'm waiting for an all Swiss final with Martina and Roger as the victors. Well I guess there's always Wimbledon on June 26:D.

Here is an article with more details on Justine's match
http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=168400&hubname=tennis
and here is one on Rafael Nadal
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=AknMCHSX47EDUstu6vQxMmo4v7YF?slug=ap-frenchopen&prov=ap&type=lgns

Martina Hingis's latest flame

Here are some photos of Martina with her latest fling a fellow tennis player named Radek Stephanek in Prague. I wish her well but I really wonder how long this one is going to last.

This is boyfriend number...somebody please leave a comment and tell me the exact number.

Ok, ok I know that last line was brutal but please!. I mean I'm a huge fan of hers but, her love life does remind me of a roulette wheel.

In my personal opinion Martina can do better then this guy, but on the other hand personality is the key not looks.

With all that said I wish her great happiness and love in her personal life. And nothing but success professionally.

The above pictures can be found here: http://sport.blesk.cz/Clanek53807.htm
the link was originally found on the Martina Hingis Message board.

The link itself is to a Czech web page. But no worries even if you can't read Czech you can still look at the pretty pictures;).

Zac Hanson got hitched!!

Yep, that's right the youngest of the Hanson brothers got married on June 3rd to his long time girlfriend Kate Tucker. And I can't believe I missed it lol.

They've been dating for 5 years. It's really amazing how quick all of them are entering into marriage.

Zac is only 20. Taylor Hanson (23) has been married since 2002 and has 2 kids. The only one who isn't hitched is Isaac (25).

Who would have thought Zac gets married before Ike? lol. Although I have read that Isaac is currently dating a model.

If you ask me Isaac the wiser of the three, why rush into marriage when you can take your time scoping out the prospects?;).

Anyway congrats to them both:).

Here is a People article confirming the news
http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1200648,00.html
Wedding photo taken from here:
http://www.aolmusicnewsblog.com/2006/06/10/such-a-hanson-couple/
and here:
http://www.itsincredible.com/community/index.php?topic=4443.0

Henin wins over Clijsters again

I know, I know, I'm late again Blogger was having some more issues yesterday and I couldn't post.

In any case I watched the Semi-final between Justine-Henin and Kim Clijsters and I have to say I was disappointed.

I really expected Kim to win. I mean she was playing so well the whole tournament, heck she played better against Hingis then she was in this match against Henin.

In all her previous matches she was making a lot less errors but yesterday it was one error after another. It's really too bad I wanted more of a rivalry, maybe a 3 setter.

Instead Justine beat Kim in 2 very easily at that 6/3 6/2. I wanted Kim to win so that she could get her 2nd grand slam and so she could take the #1 ranking from Amelie Mauresmo.

Now Justine will face Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final on Saturday. Who knows maybe Kuzntsova can pull it off.

Maybe Kim will have more luck at Wimbledon, than again I'll be rooting for Martina:). Oh, and it looks like on the men's side there will be a final between Federer and Nadal.

I'm thinking of checking it out to see if Federer can win his first French Open. I'll certainly be rooting for him.

BlackBerry users beware

Now first off I have to admit when I read the headline of this article I was thinking of the blackberry fruit lol.

Then I thought ok that's new plenty of people are addicted to blackberries but I wouldn't consider it bad or dangerous.

Of course what the article is actually talking about is the blackberry electronic organizer. I think I'm gonna have to stop calling myself a 'geek' lol.



CHICAGO (Reuters) - BlackBerry addicts have a crack at freedom when they check into one Chicago hotel: the manager will put the communications devices and others like them under lock and key for guests who want a break.

Rick Ueno, general manager of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel, said the program which began on Wednesday grew out of his own personal BlackBerry addiction. His one-step recovery was switching to a regular cell phone.
read more...

American Idol runner-up gets recording contract

Kathrine McPhee, who is this year's Idol runner up has just signed a recording contract with creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited and RCA.

Personally I'm very happy about this, because Kathrine was always my pick to win Idol rather then Taylor Hicks.

But I'm also not surprised since most of the top ten Idol singers get recording contracts.

The unfortunate thing is that you often don't hear about any of them after their initial single release. Hopefully that will not be the case for Kathrine.

Here is a Yahoo Entertainment article confirming the news
http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/07062006/6/entertainment-idol-runner-signs-record-deal.html

Clijsters prevails over Hingis at Roland Garros:(

Well Kim Clijsters has once again won the head to head for the second time this year in the quarters, the first time being the quarters of the Australian earlier in the year. Now you gotta give credit to Martina because she hang in there the best she could.

And when Clijsters was leading 5/2 she came back and evened things out. No doubt to Clijsters making some unforced errors. Then Clijsters won the tie break 7/6. In the second set Kim made hardly any errors dominated and won it easily 6/1. With the way Clijsters is playing I'm really surprised she still plans to retire in 2007.

I honestly think Martina just had an off day, she didn't seem to have much energy today. There are reports about her not feeling well, the French Open site says she had food poisoning. The ESPN commentators say she has the flu. Well whatever it was it definitely effected her performance.

Because she was not playing the way she was prior to the quarters. She was just not able to run down the balls like she has been doing. And like I said in my post yesterday she did look tired to me even in her last 2 press conferences.

And if she was sick well that would certainly explain it. Martina herself did not confirm nor deny any physical illness. But obviously she did not want to say anything, because she didn't want to blame her loss on an illness didn't want the players to think that I guess.

That's the way she is. The only thing she mentioned that was tough on her and I wholeheartedly agree is the tough schedule of having to play 4 straight matches in a row with no rest and not much time to recover. I think that was really one of the biggest factors

Having said all of that, I am very happy with her result at The French I mean yes I'm disappointed and I'm sure Hingis is too.

But she can definitely be proud of what she accomplished. She made it all the way to the quarters of Roland Garros with a horrible draw, a tough schedule and she's only been playing for 6 months.

In those 6 months she went from being ranked in the 300's to number 15 in the world. She has won the Italian Open, and beat several players in the top ten. All in a very short span of time. That's certainly nothing to sneeze at.

At least now Martina will finally have time to recover a bit, before heading off to Wimbledon in 3 weeks where she can start fresh. So I wish her a speedy recovery and all the best in the upcoming tournament.

And I'll just end this with what one of the French reports said at Martina's post match conference. The fans don't care that you lost they're just happy to see you back playing tennis again. And that's exactly how I feel.

Hingis through to the Quarters at Roland Garros!!

First off I apologize for the delay today, but Blogger was having some problems and I could not log in. But enough of that lets get to the good stuff. Martina Hingis pulled it off and she's through to the quarter finals of the French Open:D .

Where she will face her biggest challenge yet in this tournament Kim Clijsters. This quarter final match will be a re-match of The Australian Open earlier this year where Hingis lost to Clijsters in a tough but very close 3 set battle.

Much like the one she played against her opponent Shahar Peer today. This match was a continuation from last night, the match was suspended due to poor light. Hingis was totally in control in the first set dictating all the points, moving her opponent around and making all kinds of drop shots at the net.

That was of course no doubt due to her opponent feeling intimidated with having to play someone that she admires. Hingis won the first set very easily 6/3.

But in the second set Peer seemed to calm her nerves and the intimidation factor wore off. She started hitting a lot more winners and Hingis a lot more errors. Martina started to go for too much and getting frustrated she ended up loosing the 2nd set 6/2.

Hingis started the 3rd set today a little shaky, still very unsure of what she should do to beat this player. This set was a grueling battle the first point of the match took 14 minutes with Hingis as the winner.

But her opponent manged to hold her own and come back a few times during the match. I think it was finally when they were at 2 games all that Hingis decided enough was enough. And changed her strategy from playing long rallies to playing aggressively and keeping the points short.

Making some amazing shots along the way. I didn't see Martina smile too much today, she was in full concentration mode.

Martina has once again shown the amazing talent she has for reading her opponents and her anticipation and craft at the net. This was Hingis's best match thus far at the French Open, and certainly a much bigger challenge then her previous 3 opponents.

Martina won the 3rd set 6/3. The whole match including yesterday took just over 2 hours so it was Martina's longest match thus far as well.

Later in the evening Martina was scheduled to play mixed doubles against veteran Martina Navratilova with her partner Mehesh Bhupathi, but she pulled out stating she was not feeling well.

Now I don't know if that's true, but I'm glad either way because obviously the singles mean a lot more to her and she wants to rest up and have chance at winning that illusive French title.

And after seeing her post match interview she did look quite tired. So I think it was a good move on her part, and she certainly deserves some rest after having to play 4 days straight.

All the best to Martina tomorrow, here is hoping she wins a spot in the semi's:). And just in closing once again I have learned to never count this player out.

Here are some great article links that provide more statistical details of this amazing match.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=ArMelC_iXirK8pHiW.2HMXI4v7YF?slug=reu-openhingisdc&prov=reuters&type=lgns

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2006-06-05/200606051149508601804.html

http://www.hingisonline.com/martina.html

The Swiss Miss continues her run at Roland Garros

Well, Martina Hingis waisted no time moving on to the fourth round of the French Open in just 35 minutes. With a win over Croatian Ivan Lisjak 6/1 6/1.

Unfortunately, I did not get to see this match myself due to poor coverage by NBC who chose to stick with men's matches only for their entire day of French Open broadcast.

But I have read articles and reports, and according to them Martina played magnificently. She had 25 winners and only 8 unforced errors. She even threw in a couple of aces. Again she didn't get much of a challenge this match either.

Tomorrow's match however might be a different story she's playing Shahar Peer from Israel. Who is having a very good week, and who ousted Elena Dementieva to get to the fourth round. Hopefully I'll actually get to see it. And since Martina finished her match so quickly she'll have plenty of energy tomorrow.

It should be interesting to see how Martina handles this player. As I've mentioned before things will just get more and more difficult for Hingis in the second week. She'll be facing tough competition from Kim Clijsters to Justine Henin. It's gonna be a good week:).

Here are links to a couple of great articles that detail this match. One is from the French Open site and the other is from TSN.ca.

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2006-06-03/200606031149355375081.html

http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/news_story/?ID=167722&hubname=tennis

And once again all pics belong to the Martina Hingis Message board.

Where's the love?

To all my blog readers (returning and new), I'm feeling a little lonely and unloved people. Nobody is leaving any comments.

In case I haven't made it clear I welcome comments. I'm very interested in seeing what people think of my blog.

However just so you know all the comments are subject to my approval before publishing.

I know there are people visiting 'cause the stats don't lie, see counter at the very bottom of page;)

So please, comment away! all 400+ of you. I don't bite:)

Thanks, and happy reading;).

Hingis through to 3rd round at Roland Garros

Martina waving to the crowd after winning 6/1 6/3 wearing my fave outfit again:D

Well, Martina Hingis is through to the 3rd round. She was playing very well very relaxed, won the first set easily 6/1. It was a perfect set with something like over 40 winners.

It was great to see. But I think maybe she relaxed a little too much in the second set and allowed her opponent to get back into the match. But she held her serve and managed to close it out at 6/3.

She had a much better service game today she served at over 80% which is ten times better then her first match. So far she really hasn't had a challenge, I don't think she feels all that threatened yet.

But things will get very interesting next week, because it's looking more and more likely that she will play Kim Clijsters in her quarter final match on Tuesday. And if it happens that will certainly be a challenge for Hingis.

I expect her to get through her next 2 matches without a problem, and I really think playing mixed doubles is helping her, keeping her sharp and giving her confidence as illustrated in today's match.

After a day of rain this is what I like to see, great woman's matches one after the other. Kim Clijsters is moving on, Venus Williams still hanging around surprisingly. And if she hangs around then the other quarter final will be quite interesting as well. It might be Venus and Mauresmo.

Now if I had to pick I would rather Martina play Venus in the Semi's especially since she already has a win over Venus this year in Rome. Next week is going to be just chuck full of excitement.

Above pics taken from the Martina Hingis Message board already linked on this blog.

Rain delay at Roland Garros

Well, looks like a lot of matches got suspended until Friday due to rain. Including Martina's second round match. And I thought rain delays like these only happened at Wimbledon lol.

Darn it I was so looking forward to it because it was going to be on at a decent time.

Instead of 5am EST. Kim Clijsters match, Dementieva's and Kuznetsova's match were also cancelled. But of course since Justine Henin was one of the first matches out on court she's already through.

Yesterday Venus Williams made it into her 3rd round match as well.

So now Martina is going to have a full plate, since she was going to play mixed doubles tomorrow.

Now she'll have to play mixed doubles plus second round singles. And it gets worse, because of the rain delay she has no day off and plays on Saturday (3rd round match) and Sunday (fourth round match).

That's gonna be quite exhausting, I hope she's able to dispose of her opponents quickly so she can get some rest in between each match.

It'll be a challenge but I wish her all the best, hopefully since she's one of the fittest players on the tour she'll make it through.

Check out the Yahoo Tennis link for the latest news on this as well as all the latest scores.