Believe it or not I'm off for another short trip away. I'm kinda getting the hang of these extra long weekenders. It feels like I've been away a bit but not so long that I'm dreading the return. Wait. Who the hell am I kidding? I always dread the end of a vacay no matter what the length, but I guess these shorter trips aren't as painful to give up.
Anyway, have a good rest of the week!
UPDATE: Hey readers - I'm taking this week off to attend to some personal business. It's nothing bad but these projects require my full attention. I'll be back for Paris-Bercy and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. See ya!
The at-some-point-to-come-they-will-be-married couple, Maria Sharapova + Sasha Vujacic, were spotted by the stalkeratti taking in some lunch in LA over the weekend. It was the couple's first public appearance together since their engagement news broke last week.
I know my handy work above isn't ready for prime time but even from that close up we can all see the boy's got some basketballin' bank. He hooked Shrieka up with an ice rink any girl would be thrilled to lug around. At least that's my guess. I, for one, am not really into huge, showy pieces like this one, but at least it's not at Mirkalevel (by the looks of it her ring was ready to launch.)
Speaking of huge, when these two are standing side-by-side they seem so normal size, huh? But, alas, they're not. It's all MAGIC.
More images of the happily strolling couple after the jump (click the headline.)
UPDATE: According to a jewelry expert, the Precious is "approximately 7 to 8 carats on a thick, split-shank platinum band." Cost? A cool $250,000. Put that in the pre-nup. (via USMagazine.com)
Seven of the eight lady ballers who qualified for the Sony Ericsson WTA Championships in Doha made their way to the official draw ceremony last night. Roland Garros champ Francesca Schiavone, US Open champ Kim Clijsters, Wimbledon + US Open finalist (edit: and new World No. 2 today)Vera Zvonareva, World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva and Roland Garros finalist Sam Stosur got their glam on before making their way to the event. The eighth qualifier, Victoria Azarenka, was busy beating Maria Kirilenko in Moscow for her second title of the year and fifth overall.
The tourney begins tomorrow and features a round robin format with the lady ballers broken out into two groups. The Maroon group features Wozzi, Fran, Sam and Elena while Kimmie, Bepa, Vika and JJ make up the White group. View the full singles draw here.
The ladies also helped tour Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster, joined here by President of the Qatar Tennis FederationNasser Ghanim Al Khelaifi (4th from left) and Tournament Director of the WTA Championships Doha 2010 Karim Alami (5th from left), launch the revamped identity for the WTA brand including a new logo. Via theWTA tour:
The new mark is designed to serve as a distinctive and modern reminder of the captivating athleticism and excitement that has driven the international popularity and growth of women's pro tennis and placed it firmly at the nexus of sport and entertainment.
The design of the new brand image departs from conventional sport logos by not featuring a figure of a female tennis player, but rather putting the emphasis on the letters W, T and A. The symbol also incorporates subtle references to the sport: the oval shape of the mark is a reference to both the imprint a tennis ball leaves on the court and to the shape of a racquet, while the yellow circle as the crossbar of the A recalls a tennis ball. The new core brand identity will be fully integrated throughout the WTA and women's tennis, including in TV graphics, print materials, tournament branding, advertising, promotion and digital and social media in all its forms throughout the 2011 season.
Here's some video promoting the new logo:
Check out more images from the draw ceremony here. Listen, I know I didn't comment on each lady baller's outfit but I didn't want to sound like a broken record. You guys know how I feel about their repeated attempts at 'fashion' for these events. At least their consistency gives me comfort, like a pair of ratty, worn-in sweatpants. Heaven.
Today, the ladies were given the chance to leave their mark on this year's Championships by offering up their hand prints before heading to their pre-tourney pressers. Here's Wozzi's helping:
BONUS:Hello make up man. Even Elena looks intrigued. Who you be?
[Top image + video: WTA tour, Elena image: Getty Images]
