Winning a title feels pretty good to Tipsarevic

He really does have his big boy panties on now.

Janko Tipsarevic finally found out what it was like to be the last one doing whatever he's doing in that pic after winning his very first ATP World Tour title. After a slow start he defeated Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the Malaysian Open at Kuala Lumpur.

Here's what Tipsy said after the win:

"It feels great. I think I deserved it. I’m so happy that it came in a good place, at a tournament that is really, really nice, and against a good player. Marcos Baghdatis has played in 11 finals and was a former Top 10 player, a Grand Slam finalist. So I feel happy that I won against a great player in a final that I hope kept the fans on the edge of their seats until the very end. I could not be happier."

So about this winning titles is "overrated" thing, Tipsy. Good to see you haven't changed your mind or anything.

PHOTO OP: Tipsarevic takes it off for Extreme Intimo

Can you believe Janko Tipsarevic of all ballers is following in Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco's foot steps and stripping down to his skivvies for Extreme Intimo? Let me be the first to say HE'S COME A LONG WAY.

More images from the ad campaign and behind-the-scenes video after the jump - click the header.

TASTE OF TENNIS: I asked, they answered

So, yeah. I made it to this year's Taste of Tennis albeit a little late. I had to work so my friend, Erin, covered the Rafael Nadal/Armani event at Macy's earlier in the day for me, where he unveiled his ginormous ballboard to the world, before heading over to the W Hotel in Midtown where we were meeting up.

When I got there I ran into Karen from Tennis Panorama, my annual US Open Party Patrol buddy, who is always up for a good time. I also hung out with Nick from Tennis Served Fresh, @MariyaKTennis and finally got to meet Rachel from OntheGoTennis and Elena from The Slice. The one thing I noticed immediately was the fewer number of media in attendance - it didn't have the same INSANE feel it had last year. But, here was the worst part: no complimentary bottled water. HOW COULD THEY LET US GET THIRSTY??? I wondered if it was on downhill from there. Luckily, I had gum.

The green carpet arrivals began to, er, arrive. Rafa, surprisingly or maybe not so surprisingly, came through first. I compared his appearance to having "the dessert before the main course" over Twitter. It was also like a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am moment- a quickie but without the guilt. He was literally there for less than a minute before Benito moved him onto the VIP area. For him to do all this publicity for his book and ad campaign must be draining for him - it's soooo not his thing. I guess I'm not surprised he flew through the line.

There were also less lady ballers at this event than last year which meant less opportunity to ask, "Who are you wearing, guuurl???" So I asked the guys. Well, one guy: Marin Cilic. He had on this cool shirt jacket but no idea who designed it. I suppose it wasn't a question he was prepared to answer. Hopefully he will be next time, and in that small way I've helped prepare him for future green carpet questions - or not. Probably not.

A few of us made it upstairs to the big party (we have our ways) where we ate some fabulous food and drank, um, a lot. A fucking blast. But as they say, it's not how you start but how you end and THIS end was awesome. Just awesome. Even an obviously fanatical and possibly drunk person accosting him on the street for a picture couldn't scare him away. HE BE THE BEST.

Thanks to E, who's an amazing graphic designer BTW, for helping me out and DKC for the great event and invite. Until next year Taste of Tennis!!!

Check out my full Q & A with Tommy Haas, Tamira Paszek, Fernando Verdasco, Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic, Gilles Simon, James Blake and Vera Zvonareva from Taste of Tennis after the jump.

PHOTO OP: There's nothing like the first time

The boys of Serbia - Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki, Nenad Zimonjic - reached their first Davis Cup World Group final defeating the Czech Republic 3-2 over the weekend. Huge props go out to Nole who pulled out of his opening rubber with a stomach flu but managed to even things up at 2-all by overcoming a knee injury and Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

I've said it before but it can't be said enough: He could've easily skipped this huge tie and no one would've blamed him, but he came through big for his team. I know it's not a major championship but maybe this win will help soothe some of the pain of losing the US Open final.

But the boy wearing the golden balls this weekend was Tipsy who also beat Big Berd in the second singles rubber to get to 1-all and clinched the tie with 6-0, 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Radek Stepanek in the decider. His reward? Full-on celebratory MOMA and a sexy shoulder ride. I guess it's our reward too.

Oh, and call me crazy but I think dropping the dragon and bringing back the falcon brought Nole super powers. In fact, I'm convinced. Sergio Tacchini, please take note.

So who's up next? The Frenchies, that's who. They blanked Argentina 5-0 utilizing four different ballers for each singles rubber - Llodra, Monfils, Simon, and Clement. That's either showing off the depth in the Frenchie team or throwing salt blocks into Argie's open wounds - not sure. Clement and Llodra teamed up for the doubs win as well. As for the Argie's they can play on the indoor hard stuff but could've used big-hitting Juan Martin del Potro, who's still preparing his return to the tour, in the mix. Coulda, shoulda, woulda I suppose.

Serbia will host the Frenchies the weekend of December 3 - 5.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: US Open Days Three + Four

Day 3

Q. Melanie Oudin was talking the other day about the difference of coming in this year with expectations as opposed to prior when people didn't have expectations of her. You at 20 years of age came in as the No. 1 and had to play with great expectations of you. Can you talk about as a very young woman of say 20 years of age what it's like coming in with those expectations and what you've learned now two years later?

ANA IVANOVIC: It is a whole different story. I see myself also as two different persons. Once you're actually coming up and you have no expectations, you are hungry for success, and you really don't know what the stakes are. You just go for it. You have no fear. You play freely against anyone you come up against. 

Once you actually get in a position to defend some points and there is more outside pressure coming in, it is a lot different story. Because even though you perceive yourself the same or maybe even better, if you're improving, still there is a lot of outside effect. That creates some doubts and obviously pressure. Everyone deals with it differently. That's what I feel it was the biggest change with me, is that I managed to sort of let go of this. Now I feel, you know, as I am just coming up again, and I have really nothing to lose. I got that joy of competing again.

Q. Is that the greatest lesson you think you've learned from having been in that rarified air of being the world's top player?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it is. I mean, I learned about myself and just about the world in general and how everything goes. You know, I mean, what I learned is that it goes on no matter what. (Smiling.)

Q. There's a lot of talk with the McEnroes, John and Patrick, about the future of American tennis. Who is the next big American star. Do you embrace that and want to be that guy?

RYAN HARRISON: Absolutely I want to be that guy. I have a ways to go. I've qualified and still have a ways to go to get there, but I'm definitely working has hard as I can. I'm really putting all the work in. I'm trying to stay open minded with everyone who is giving me their opinion and really trying to listen as much as possible and take in as much as advice as I can. Then just trying to work on the game and work on transitioning up to trying to hopefully being a full time tour player.

Q. Who has given you the best advice?

RYAN HARRISON: Roddick has been helping me since I was 15, 16 years old. Every time I see him, he's always been extremely helpful and really talked to me a lot about some of the things he experienced when he was first coming up. Obviously coaches, Patrick McEnroe, Jay Berger, Diego Moyano is working with me most of the time now. 

My dad coached me from the time I was two years old, and he's been you know, he's been always there for me, always there to support me throughout my entire career. He's been unbelievable about being on me to stay humble and stay you know, stay I guess just to the point where I can really focus on taking it one at a time and just taking every day as it comes.

Q. The replay showed your left foot did touch the line.

ANDY RODDICK: That's fine.

Q. If she had just said left foot would it...

ANDY RODDICK: There would have been no discussion. There would have been zero discussion. There was two after that. It was the fact that I couldn't get her to admit that it wasn't the right foot just infuriated me beyond... The lack of common sense involved in that was unbelievable to me. I just have trouble when they stick to an argument that obviously isn't right. It's her job to call it. 

Like I said, there were two after that that they said front, and there's no argument there. There's zero argument there. I mean, we got to be able to maybe have a test, like point to your right foot, point to your left foot; okay, now call lines. I think that would be maybe standard.

Q. Did she have an opportunity to correct herself, though?

ANDY RODDICK: Well, she was talking. She was talking.

Q. She answered the one thing, right?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. Then I pointed again. She said, No. Then I said again, Have we thought about this? Do we realize that it's a physical impossibility? She says, No. I think she was definitely responding, you know, when I was asking questions. None of the responses was, It was your left foot.

Q. In hindsight, did you let it go too far?

ANDY RODDICK: In hindsight did I let it go too far? Yeah, probably. Probably. I think it was a very correctable mistake, and I probably let it get to me more than it should have. Yeah, sure.

Q. You are a good friend of Randy Lu. You play doubles together. You are coached by the same person. Randy beat Andy in Wimbledon. I was wondering if he gave you any tips to beat Andy?

JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Yes, he did.

Q. Or if your coach had specific tactics.

JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Coach told me the regular tactics. I played him twice so I more or less knew what to expect. Coach was mainly telling me what I need to focus on, you know. Regarding Roddick, I more or less knew what strengths and what weaknesses he had. Randy gave me a couple of tips. Well, they worked, so... I am grateful for that.

Q. Touching Andy's chest with your forehead must have some meaning. You don't do that after every match. Why did you do that?

JANKO TIPSAREVIC: You know what, he's not a good friend, he's a friend of mine. I think he's a very nice guy. And, you know, just to say those nice things after probably being really, really disappointed, it was just like an emotional thing. I wanted to hug him, but then it probably wouldn't be so good. So is just saying nice words after being disappointed and losing, I mean, against and underdog on your stadium in front of your home crowd, that just brings up a big champion in him.

DAY 4

Q. What are your thoughts on the possibility of playing Maria Sharapova? [She will be playing Shrieka]

BEATRICE CAPRA: I'm really excited. I think it will be an amazing experience. I know she's just such a tough competitor. You know, when I was younger I used to always look up to her, and so I think it will be a really, you know, good match for me to see where I am compared to that kind of level.

Q. What was it that you looked up to?

BEATRICE CAPRA: I thought she was just so mentally tough. You know, she just always went for her shots, and you can never tell any of her emotions. You know, that really inspired me. One of my great assets is I'm really I like to think that I'm mentally tough, and I'll always stay in the match until the end.

Q. The New York crowd tends to be loud and especially in the night matches. How does the atmosphere at the Open compare to the other Majors?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, the atmosphere here is great. I really love playing here. I mean, it's a great feeling. Also coming back from last year, you know, being in the finals, coming back here and just, yeah, playing on the big courts, it's a great feeling.

Q. How have your expectations of yourself changed from a year ago at this time when you were a surprise and you made the run to the championship match?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Um, the expectations maybe from the outside has changed, but from myself I always go into a tournament and I want to win it. Doesn't really matter what tournament I'm playing, and I always believe in myself. It's not always possible to win every tournament, but at least I give it a shot. You know, the only time I get disappointed with myself is if I feel like I haven't given 100%. You know, I'm almost always giving 100%. It's just about if I lose a match, okay, the opponent was just playing better than me that day, and I need to get back and work harder and be better for next time.

Q. Have you seen any huge improvements in your style lately with Paul on your team now?

ROGER FEDERER: No. I mean, when I'm playing great, regardless of who's in my player box, I can beat anybody, you know. It's about being consistent and being confident in the way I play. I'm not all of a sudden going to play a two handed backhand or serve and volley on my second serve nonstop. It's just not gonna happen. 

It's in the details, and it's very important to me what Paul tells me and what Severin also tells me, who I've been with for three years now. It's an interesting, you know, time right now, because I went through times where I thought every time was interesting for me, because I went through times where I didn't have a coach, I had times where I had two coaches, as well, one coach. Here we are at the stage again where there's someone new to the team, and I kind of like those times, yeah.

Q. You're the only past champion left in the men's tournament. How much of an advantage is that, or a help is that, knowing you've done it in the past versus other players who are trying to but don't know that they can, because they haven't?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely an advantage, I would think, yeah, because weathering the conditions here in New York. A lot of players can really do well here in New York because it's a fair kind of a court. 

It's a quick court, so if you're not feeling well, it can all of a sudden slip away from you. So it's a dangerous court to play on, and everybody has the last slam left to prove. I think that's why it makes it really hard to win. You could be unlucky and get hit with a really hot day or a very windy day, and not even in your control sometimes you lose a match here. 

That's where it's important like today to get through easily instead of maybe going five hour match, you know, and losing the tournament because of a match like this, you know. Yeah, I mean, I would consider it as an advantage. But again, I'm not at match point serving for it, so still a lot of hard work to do.

Gilbert: "Do you have that tweener shot between your legs?"

Novak Djokovic: "No, I have something else between my legs." [Would you care to share???]

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

(UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Head to heart

Janko Tipsarevic pulled the upset of the US Open so far on the men's side when he ousted ninth seeded and 2003 champ Andy Roddick in the second round. The Serb was the aggressor throughout the match stepping inside the baseline, moving the American out of position and cracking winners (60 in total) at will, in particular, his fave down the line blasts. It was A-Rod's earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament since losing to Tipsy at Wimbledon in 2008. He'll face Frenchie Gael Monfils in the third round, his best result at Flushing Meadows.

After the closing out match point the two met at the net where Tipsy was seen head-butting A-Rod's chest and excitedly grabbing at his arm. So what was that about? "I just said, 'The last time you beat me in a Grand Slam second round, you lost the last match, so don't do that,' to which he head-butted me, which was fun," said the former top baller. Nice.

It was an impressive win for Tipsy whose size belies the big-ballin' game he owns. He possesses enormous power on his groundies, throwing himself into every shot, and on his serve where he put down 16 aces, one less than the big-serving, physically imposing American.

As for A-Rod, he went out there playing as if he'd never been beaten by his opponent before, without a sense of urgency or idea of how to overcome the Serb's game. Plus his boorish behavior at getting called for a correct foot fault was just annoying. Now he gets to watch the next generation of Americans including Sam Querrey, John Isner, and now Ryan Harrison (who won his first Grand Slam match over No. 15 Ivan Ljubicic) carry the load and pressure - the symbolic torch if you will - from the sidelines. And maybe, just maybe he's a little bit relieved.

UPDATE: Here's video of the foot fault incident and A-Rod's reactions...

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

(UPDATED) + WEDNESDAY NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Novak Djokovic + Gael Monfils guest star in DJ Martin Solveig's new video for his single 'Hello' which was partly shot in Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros. Fantastic Frenchie record producer and DJ Bob Sinclar also makes an appearance as Solveig's opponent.

- “Now I have to run around and be nice to everybody," said Marat Safin about his current role as a Russian tennis official. He also had some words for his sister, Dinara, who's been troubled by a herniated disc in her back. "I think she needs to rest six months and think about the future," SexGawd says of his sister. “Don’t play two weeks here and two weeks there and get [re-]injured.”

- Steve Tignor offer his thoughts on the Fedal dominance at the Slams and wonders aloud how many more each baller will win - and who will end up with the most when all is said and done. 

- Janko Tipsarevic and the very posey Biljana Šešević were married late last week and Serbian mag Story got the exclusive photos. I wonder if she forgot this photoshoot was actually for her wedding pictures?

- Enough with the injury talk and just play ball says Peter Bodo.

- Fierce Tennis gave me serious lulz with its fantastic take on Maria Sharapova's decision to play doubles with Yanina Wickmayer at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. Angry grrrls.

- With all the talk of Fernando Verdasco + Feliciano Lopez's boat and beach bromance, it's strange to see Nando going it alone. Trouble in paradise, perhaps? But no worries, his better half was 'uncovered' by the ATP though not in the way you would really like. Ah, well.

- Juan Martin del Potro purchased a road in his hometown of Tandil connecting two recently purchased lands, which caused a rift with some of the town's residents. The U.S. Open champ, who's at the Mayo Clinic getting a check up on his wrist, confirmed the news via Twitter but said the move will keep the tourists away from his home.

- TOT: Nike released this t-shirt to celebrate Spain's first EVAH World Cup win!

UPDATE - I thought this piece of news would be an interesting tidbit to pass along: Stanislas Wawrinka will now be coached by Peter Lundgren. His past pupils include, of course, Roger Federer and most recently Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. His reason for taking on the veteran Swiss? "When I asked what he wanted help with, he said he wants to return to the top 10," said Peter. "It's what you want to hear as a coach."

VIDEO VAULT: Don't hate, Tipsy - imitate

Janko Tipsarevic waxes his usual philosophical self about tennis and his "hate" for fellow Serb Novak Djokovic.

In this day and age of pre-scripted PR talking points, isn't Tipsy's candor refreshing?

LOVE it.

(via ATP World Tour)

FASHION FIX: Fila returns to its roots with the Heritage collection

Dmitry Tursunov - Men's Heritage Stripe Polo

Though their ballers didn't fare so well in Miami, Fila's fashion game turn returned to its winning ways.

The sports apparel brand went back into their archives to launch the Fila Heritage line at this week's Sony Ericsson Open. This line comes courtesy of the Spring 2009 collection and harks back to the heydays of the 1970's when Bjorn Borg's iconic look (LOVE), which featured signature Italian styling, brought the brand some of its greatest popularity. This time, however, the gear gets the 21st century treatment with state of the art performance fabrications.


Each piece features the F-Box Heritage patch logo and the quintessential Fila colors of red, white, and blue.

The men's Heritage Stripe Polo details include a self fabric collar, 4-button placket and side vents, a snap contrast placket and contrast piping. The collection also includes 8 ½ ” inseam shorts, jacket and warm-up pants and was worn by Dmitry Tursunov (top).

Anna Chakvetadze - Cami Tank

Anna Chakvetadze wore her fave cami-tank from the Women's Heritage collection during her matches in Miami. Details on this piece include ruching on the center front and contrast twist back straps. Chaky also showed up to the Fila Friday Night Q & A host by Cliff Drysdale working the Heritage Jacket.

Anna Chakvetadze - Heritage Jacket

For more information on the line visit Fila.com and check out Svetlana Kuznetsova + Janko Tipsarevic in the Heritage Collection (note to Tipsy: go with this look next time. Just sayin'.)

And a big shout out to the Fila PR team for all the info!

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Janko Tipsarevic

Agnes Szavay

(images via fila, getty)

PHOTO OP: Fashion or fetish? You decide.

Janko Tipsarevic was spotted at a Miami practice session by miri of Nadal News working some kinda craziness.

Who knew adult diapers were all the rage. Go figure.

(image via nadal news)

PHOTO OP: Tipsy gets red in the face...and the shirt...and the racquet...

Janko Tipsarevic was spotted getting a little match-y in his Aussie Open second round match.

The quirky Serb hit 42 errors and was booted from the tourney by Chennai champ Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. The Croat next faces David Ferrer in the Round of 16 - should be one-to-watch people.

So Tipsy - really? It didn't seem like overkill when you woke up this morning and said, "It's a good day. I think I should match my ENTIRE outfit - red is my power color. Yeah, I like"??

Seriously???

Bad match, bad move - though this wasn't.

(image via Getty)

MEDIA MASHUP: Nole heats up chilly St. Anton with Marat + Tipsy, will join Rafa for charity event

Novak Djokovic recently met up with compatriot Janko Tipsarevic for an exhibition at the ski resort St. Anton in Austria.

Tipsy was a last minute replacement for Marat Safin who pulled out of the exo after spraining his ankle in practice. The Russian returned to Valencia to visit his doctor but not before taking a few candid shots with Nole *swoons*:



I wonder why I love tennis so? Anyway the Masters Cup champ, who debuted the new metallic silver Barricades during the match, was defeated by his compatriot 9-8 (4).


And more interesting Nole news: he was invited by top baller Rafael Nadal to take part in the "Friends of Iker vs. Friends of Rafa" charity event tomorrow! Other tennis ballers taking part include David Ferrer + Fernando Verdasco. I can't wait to see video/images from THAT event...oy.

In the meantime, here's some video in German from the exo match featuring a furry Nole + Tipsy. Feel free to leave the translation in the comments section.

CHECK IT:



(image via novakdjokovic.rs)

PHOTO OP: Tipsy's game falters but accessory count rises in Cincinnati

Janko Tipsarevic, who lost to Carlos Moya 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters today, definitely gets my award for "Most Accessorized Tennis Baller". He's got the men AND women beat this time around.

We've all seen the nose strip and glasses (sun + clear) on the Serb's mug before but he's decided to also add a black Fila headband to the mix - crazy! And, if you count the wrist bands then there are four types of accessories total - and that's only what we can see.

Who knows what's going on underneath Tipsy's tennis gear - and I'm not talking about his tattoos either.

Let's just hope, though, that he stops here and doesn't get influenced by Roger Federer's recent accessory mishap. Oh, the horror...


(image via Getty + AP)

PHOTO OP: Tipsarevic brought to his knees after A-Rod defeat

Oh how the mighty have fallen by the roadside at this year's Wimbledon - tennis roadkill, if you will.

First Nole gets booted yesterday, then Maria gets crushed earlier today and now you can add Andy Roddick to the growing list. The American baller was utterly outplayed by a more aggressive Janko Tipsarevic, losing 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4) and continuing his misery at The All England Club.

On the flip side the fashion-loving Serb, whose tattoos gained more press than his game last year, finally took a big scalp after almost defeating Roger Federer in 5 sets at this year's Aussie Open. He'll face Dmitry Tursunov in the next round.

But who'll be the next giant to fall? Do tell!

(image via Getty)

FASHION FIX: Fun in the sun for Tipsarevic + Men's Vogue

The fashionistas are really soaking up the Serbians these days.

We all know their love for Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic and now Janko Tipsarevic has entered the glamour game. The 23-year old is featured in a June story called "Storming the Beach" for Men's Vogue.

The editorial highlights all things summer and showcases the world no. 33 in Y-3, Bottega Veneta, DKNY, Osklen, CP Company, and Prada.



(images via Men's Vogue, photographed by Matthew Brookes)

+ THURSDAY NETCORDS: Roger, Andy vs. Brad II, Ana vs. Jelena ...Venus and Serena double up, Bec cries and more

(image courtesy of nbawant2b)

- So why did Andy Murray really dump Brad Gilbert? This is London claims his large entourage is to blame - more specifically, the presence of Mamma Murray aka Judy. According to their report, "A brilliant coach in her own right who has come up with more active title-winning players in her own family than the combined efforts of the Lawn Tennis Association put together, [Judy] still very much directs the traffic. Nobody knows the parts of her son's expansive game, or his complex psyche, better than she does. Since Murray came back from injury she has been present at the bigger events, such as the U.S. Open, the Davis Cup and the Madrid and Paris Masters." We bet the very vocal Gilbert wasn't thrilled to take the coaching back seat to Mamma Murray. Another coaching guru, Nick Bollettieri, doesn't believe one coach is sufficient in today's complex game. He tells The Independent, "I could envisage a team of three: a physical trainer, someone to work on his technique and someone to motivate him," said Bollettieri. Are you sure that's enough coach? We need that many just to get to our desk job everyday.

- Insider information: Listen in as Roger Federer quizzes Bjorn Borg on how to win the French Open, John McEnroe about his greatest tennis regrets, and then takes the hotseat as Borg and McEnroe ask the World No. 1 questions in the next Blackrock Champions podcast on Tuesday, Nov. 20th. To subscribe, click here.

- Serbian showdown: Top-5 players Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will compete in an exhibition match in their home country at the Belgrade Arena on December 7th. The event called NAJJ Srbije will also feature Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic.

- The Sisters Sledge, Venus & Serena, will play doubles at the Aussie Open in 2008. Okay tournament officials, all together now, "CHA-CHING!"

- Young gun: 11-year-old Teertha Iska, India's No. 3 tennis player in the under-12 category and disciple of guru Nick Bollettieri, received her first corporate sponsor. Ah, to be 11 and loaded - those were the days...

- Rumors of pregnancy are swirling around Bec Hewitt, wife of Aussie hot-head Lleyton Hewitt, after the former actress broke down in tears giving a speech during her first official gig as ambassador of the Children's Hospital Westmead. We see the connection, really.

- Psych out: Anna Chakvetadze likes to play mind games on the court - with herself. The Russian top-tenner says, "I studied psychology at university, although I've not yet finished. [...] It helps you prepare properly for the match and when I'm playing I try to think about the next point and not the last one. I also make a point of fighting all the time as it puts pressure on your opponent when they see you don't want to give them any free points."

- Should Israeli players compete in Muslim countries? ESPN.com's Bonnie D. Ford investigates.

FASHION FIX: Jeepers, creepers where you get them peepers?

We're starting to notice a new accessory trend in the tennis world these days: eye glasses. Players on both the men's and women's tours are beginning to warm up to the look. The style is very reminiscent of what racquetball and squash players wear when competing. We're definitely into the sleek, sporty look of these peepers.

Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic and Romania's Edina Gallovits have been spotted rocking these glasses recently.

LOVE IT or LEAVE IT? Tell us!

Wimbledon Week 2: Who's Got the Buzz?

Week 1 of Wimby is in the dust, but who are some of the newer faces making noise going into the second week? Grab your strawberries and cream because we're about to take a look...

American Laura Granville, a former NCAA standout from Stanford, has been making the rounds on the WTA Tour for a number of years now. This week, the 26 year old beat 5-time Grand Slam champ and former Wimby titlist Martina "Marty" Hingis in the third round. Her next opponent in the round of 16 is...

Michaella Krajichek from the Netherlands. This 18 year old is sister's with former Wimby champ Richard Krajichek. She's certainly on the rise - she beat current world #7 Russian Anna Chakvetadze in a gruelling 3 setter in the last round.

Lookin' like a young Muhammed Ali, 22 year old Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a heavyweight with a game to match. This Frenchman is the REAL DEAL and could make a name for himself this week.

Janko Tipsarevic joins his countrymen, and women, from Serbia as they storm the tennis world. We love Tipsy's (as he's affectionately known) tattoos and shotmaking skills, so we hope to see him for many Slams to come.

(images courtesy of AP Photos)