Letter to DtL readers: Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I won't be posting tomorrow so I thought I'd drop you a friendly note today...

To those of you out there planning to get your scare on in celebration of Halloween on Saturday please have a safe and happy one.

Oh, and if you happen to be out on your Big Wheel and two creepy twins ask if you can play with them, for the love of SexGawd say "HELL NO!"

Final four decided in Doha - will the drama never cease?

D-D-D-Drama. Part Deux.

The semifinals of the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha were decided today and included another injury-plagued match featuring a torrent of tears.

Victoria Azarenka lost her chance to qualify for the final four when she retired from her match with cramps against Agnieszka Radwanska trailing by a scoreline of 4-6 7-5 4-1. The Belarussian was up 6-4, 5-2 and served for the match but a pair of double faults allowed Aggie back into the match as she ran off 5 consecutive games to take the second set. The decider saw Vika call for two medical time outs after struggling with her left leg and she eventually conceded the match in tears.

Caroline Wozniacki, who knows a little something about cramping, was the beneficiary of the Vika defeat and will face an undefeated Serena Williams. In the other semifinal, Jelena Jankovic, who crushed a wobbly Wozzi 6-2, 6-2 earlier in the day, will battle Venus Williams for a shot at her first year-end title.

I guess we still have more opportunities for high-wire drama in the final stages with JJ still in the mix - oh, and ReRe too. So don't despair peeps.

Just make sure to keep the tour trainers close. I mean, REALLY close.

(Photo: Reuters)

SIGHTING: NaturAna supports Adam in Singapore

"Is that an umbrella in your hand or are you just happy to see me?"

Ana Ivanovic was spotted on the 15th tee during the second round of the Barclays Singapore Open golf tournament on Sentosa Island in Singapore.

She was there to support boytoy Adam Scott whose world ranking currently sits at a paltry No.76. I guess he needs all the support he can get though NaturAna obvs has her own issues in that department.

Note to Anadam: You're both a sexy distraction to the other but a distraction all the same. Get focused!

(Photo: Reuters)

MEDIA MASHUP: Wozzi beats Bepa and leg cramps in Doha

"I'm going to Disney World. Screw this."

D-D-D-DRAMA.

Caroline Wozniacki overcame a case of severe cramps to defeat Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4 and go up 2-0 in round robin play in Doha today. The Russian had replaced compatriot Dinara Safina after she pulled out yesterday with a back injury.

The Danish teen was treated twice for her left leg, which has been heavily strapped, and fell to the court in pain after netting a forehand at 30-15 in the last game. She managed to recover just enough to close out Russian foe and cried with happiness/pain/relief after it was all said and done.




I have to give Wozzi major props for closing out this dramatic match especially with all the leg issues she's been experiencing lately. And to be up 2-0 in the White Group after dusting off Victoria Azarenka yesterday is stellar. Hopefully she'll be recovered enough to out-run Jelena Jankovic in their final round robin match.

As for Bepa, well, she had problems of her own during the match besides the usual:

Here's some video of match point:

(Photos: AP, Getty)

MEDIA MASHUP: Rafa (and his thighs) take "The Best of US Challenge"

Okay - I'm admittedly late to the tennis match on this one but I couldn't deny you Rafael Nadal playing with balls, could I?

The Majorcan Matador joins other Olympic athletes including Michael Phelps, Asafa Powell, Barbora Spotakova, Lindsey Vonn and Pernilla Wiberg for a user-generated contest called "The Best of Us Challenge."

It gives fans an unique opportunity to compete against their fave athlete by breaking the sports star's record in a Challenge they created themselves. Anyone who records and submits their Challenge is eligible to win a trip to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games or the first-ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. In addition, those who beat or come closest to beating their Olympic athlete are eligible to win Gold, Silver, and Bronze level prizes.

So, can you beat Rafa at his Challenge (read: are your thighs strong enough to crack walnuts?)



Click here to visit The Best of US Challenge site.

Thanks Bob!

(screen grab via thebestofuschallenge.olympic.org)

VIDEO VAULT: Marat may not marry you but he'll surely knock you up

Apparently Marat Safin likes, and wants, kids. And here's proof they like him back. Check.

Now, he may not want to get hitched but what more do you people need? Hop on the SexGawd stat.

PS - Ladies only according to this vid. Whatevs.

(via ATP)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A-ROD

(screen grab via twitter)

(UPDATED) PHOTO OP: Dinara Safina or Frank N. Furter? You decide.

Dinara Safina is featured in all her glorious gothness in the November issue of Russian Harper's Bazaar.

In the issue she "reveals how to become the top-seeded tennis player in the world, and what she would do if she didn’t play tennis."


Question: Why does every lady baller have to be marketed as some kind of pouty model? Dinara is one of the last ladies (next to Sveta, maybe) that I would've imagined showing up trying to sell clothes in a fashion rag. It's not her schtick and now we can all see why.

It would've been great to see a few images Dinara smiling, looking relaxed and wearing some fun, youthful fashion to go along with the article. I mean, she's only 23-years old but looks so much older here. Ugh.




WAIT! So now I'm thinking Frank N. Furter was the mag's inspiration for Dinara's styling and just in time for Halloween. Now it all makes sense. I was so wrong.


UPDATE: Dinara just retired from her round robin match against Jelena Jankovic in Doha. There are unconfirmed reports she is suffering from a back injury. She left the court in tears. Vera Zvonareva will replace D in the White Group tomorrow if she's unable to play. Of course, Serena Williams will grab the year-end ranking if she doesn't show as well. Stay tuned.

UPDATE #2: Back injury reports now confirmed. Her participation is still in doubt.

UPDATE #3: Dinara's out of the YEC and ReRe's in as year-end No.1. How very anticlimactic, but the right lady baller got the big prize in the end.

(Photos: Harper's Bazaar via Forty Deuce)

(UPDATED) THE LOW DOWN: Agassi's meth admission

In his forthcoming autobiography "Open" Andre Agassi admits to using crystal meth in 1997.

The first mention of this revelation was in a tweet by Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch earlier today and was later confirmed by The New York Daily News who spoke to a publicist at Knopf, publisher of the book. Incidentally, the tweet by Deitsch has since been removed but was published here. Gotta love the internets.

Many people have found it to be surprising, even shocking, to hear this news. I wonder if it's the type of drug, crystal meth, that has people confounded. Maybe we'd all feel a little more indifferent if it was marijuana, or even cocaine, Andre admitted to using. We're used to those drugs in tennis.

Athletes are normal, albeit gifted, people living extraordinary lives which just means they have greater access to things we could or would do if given the opportunity. We don't like to like to imagine our heroes are prone to the same struggles and pitfalls we're all confronted with in our own lives. But they are.

I'd be more surprised if I peeked in and found only good, clean living over the span of an athlete's lifetime. This news? Not so much.

"Open" will be released on November 9.

UPDATE: Andre admits to lying to ATP officials after testing positive for crystal meth saying he ingested it by drinking from an associate's "spiked soda." The ATP reviewed the case and threw it out. He also admits he's always secretly hated playing tennis but lived in fear of his violent father.

UPDATE #2: Andre was asked about fan reaction to his drug use - "I was worried for a moment, but not for long. ... I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story." (via People.com)

UPDATE #3: WADA wants an explanation.

(Photo: Knopf)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: FELI

I was losing so much that I just had to do something about it. I didn't know what else, so I cut my hair. All of a sudden I started to win, so I don't want to change a thing now.

- Feliciano Lopez on cutting his lovely locks

Ah-ha! You see? Only good things can come from resolving a hairy situation even if it means growing it on your mug instead.

Lesson learned.

(Photo: Getty)