VIDEO VAULT: To the left...to the right...to the left...to the right goes Rafa

Rafael Nadal and coach Uncle Toni are featured in this Nike video shot during his championship run at Wimbledon talking about Rafa's incredible ability to play tennis left handed while doing everything else with his right hand.

The piece shows the incoming no. 1 performing a few moves, including writing and shooting darts, with his right hand and then his left. Which way do you think he performs best? Like, duh.

BTW - the video is in Spanish. To watch the video with English subtitles, click here.

Cool video. Check it:

+ MONDAY NETCORDS: Sania, Kolya, Ana...Shrieka rehabs, Rafter's return, and more

(Serena Williams, Men's Fitness)

LINKS

A-Rod vs. J. Martin, Part Deux? [ATP]
Kolya barely keeping head above water [Eurosport]
Steve Flink talks J. Martin [Tennis Channel]
Akgul Amanmuradova blogs [TENNIS]
Sania withdraws from Olympics with wrist injury [tennis week]

BLOG TALK

Ana so sad [Forty Deuce]
ReRe gives it up for Men's Fitness [Serena Williams]
Riffing on Rafter [Tennis Diary]
Shrieka gets her rehab on [Women's Tennis Blog]

(image via Men's Fitness)

PHOTO OP: Lebron knows tennis, meets-and-greets Fed

NBA superstar Lebron James was spotted in the stands checking out Roger Federer's opening round win against Dmitry Tursunov in Beijing and then behind-the-scenes to meet the 12-time Grand Slammer.

Priceless.

(image via GOTOTENNIS.com)

FASHION FIX: JJ should be milking cows in her Reebok wear

As you know, I usually like to discuss a baller's match before getting to the good stuff. So here's Jelena Jankovic's Beijing first round recap: she won.

Now let's get straight to the point: what the fuck did Reebok give JJ, the new top lady baller, to wear on the biggest stage in sports? Is this their version of a sexed-up Swiss milkmaid or something?? It's an awful, homemade, "sew by numbers" piece of crap.

Phew - needed to get that off my chest! Blogging really is like therapy sometimes...


(image via Getty)

Becker reportedly engaged to Haas' former girlfriend - did he propose via text message?

Boris Becker is quite the ladies' man, or so he may think.

The 40-year old tennis legend is reportedly engaged to Sandy Meyer-Woelden, the 24-year old daughter of his late manager Axel Meyer-Woelden. She's a former model and also the ex-girlfriend of Tommy Haas. Check it:


Okay - let's do this shall we? Boris conceived his daughter Anna with Angela Ermakova in the broom closet of Nobu London and then late last year dumped his last girlfriend, Sharlely Kerssenberg, a day before his 40th birthday through a text message. Nice touch.

All in all I'd say you have your work cut out for you Sandy. What a catch!

(image via SI + Getty)

FASHION FIX: Warrior Rafa wears tribal markings in Beijing

Rafael Nadal battled through less than impeccable form to make the second round in Beijing. The incoming world no. 1 needed 3 sets to defeat Potito Starace of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and will face Lleyton Hewitt in the second round (DVR alert!).

So when I previewed Rafa's Nike duds for the Olympics I didn't see the back and missed this great design. Check out the interesting graphics on Rafa's shirt - does it remind anyone else of tribal markings or battle scars?

A warrior motif for Rafa - nice touch Nike.

(image via Getty)

FASHION FIX: Venus still working EleVen - what will become of the collection now?

Venus Williams followed lil' sis Serena's lead and made her way into the second round in Beijing. The Wimbledon champ quickly defeated Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2 and will face Iveta Benesova in the next round.

Now, V is still wearing EleVen by Venus Williams at the Olympics. But I'm wondering what will happen to the collection now that her licensee, Steve & Barry's, has filed for bankruptcy protection?

Apparently, she'll still be paid the $250K owed to her under contract even though the company will be auctioned off later this month. But it'll be tough to keep the collection afloat without a distributor who follows the "cheap chic" philosophy of the line.

Tough luck for V - but maybe Target has some room on their retail floor...

(image via Getty)

"Olympic Omen" begins taking its toll, Andy + Sveta first to go down

Tennis' Olympic Omen has struck and the upsets have begun in typical style.

Andy Murray became the first high-profile victim falling in the first round to unheralded Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei 7-6, 6-4. I can think of one baller who won't be sad to see Andy get booted: Novak Djokovic. The Serb, who's lost his last two matches to the Brit baller, was in Andy's half of the draw.

This loss, however, could be a mixed blessing for the Cincinnati champ. Andy now has time to prepare for the year's last major where he'll be a favorite to take home his first Grand Slam.


Svetlana Kuznetsova's season continues to stall. The Russian baller was also dumped out of Beijing's first round losing to homegirl Li Na 7-6 (5), 6-4 hitting 6 winners to 46 errors - ugly. This loss isn't as shocking as Andy's since Na's beaten her before in big matches (Wimbledon '06), but this loss won't help Sveta's already lagging confidence.

Unlike Andy's situation, I don't think the extra time off will help Sveta since it'll give her time to think - something she does too much on the court already.

(image via Getty)

FASHION FIX: Serena wins match + style game with Nike

It took two days to complete because of a rain delay but Serena Williams finally won her first match on her quest towards a gold medal in Beijing. The American crushed Belarus' Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-1 hitting seven aces in the match.

I'm loving this version of the Nike Women's Doubles Dress that ReRe is working here. Even though it's in the US' red-white-blue the color accents add punch + pop to the dress and aren't overdone here. I could do without the matching red headband and red + white Cages, but it's the Olympics, right?

ReRe wears it all very well.

(image via Getty)

WEEKEND WINNER: Juan Martin

Juan Martin del Potro - LA

I'm thinking Juan Martin has realized it feels much better to win than to lose - and he likes it.

The 19-year old won his third consecutive tournament in less than a month defeating Andy Roddick 6-1, 7-6(2) at the Countrywide Classic and entering the top 20 for the first time (world no. 19). He'll surely be one-to-watch in New York and has become a dark horse for the US Open championship with this title.

A great win for the Argentine but another huge setback for A-Rod. The American baller was the sole top-tenner in the draw with the next highest seed being Fernando Verdasco who sits at world no. 13 this week.

Seriously, if he couldn't stroll to this hard court title with the best ballers in Beijing what are his chances at any major from now on?

(image via Getty)