QUOTE OF THE DAY: Roger Federer

I'm aware that Novak had to do something extremely special to get past me. Same thing for Rafa. I think we all had to do something very special to get past each other in the rankings. I think that's a good thing.

- Roger Federer during his conference call for the USTA promoting the US Open Series today

Never change, Fed. Or do. Whatevs.

[Photo(s) credit: AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL]

(UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: See Djokovic dance

Serbian style, of course.

UPDATE: "Maybe you can, you know, take the stamp and lick me and put me wherever you like..." Why yes. Yes I can. 



[Via: NBC ]

Nolena take cover

Novak Djokovic + Jelena Ristic are featured on the cover and inside the newest edition of Serbian Hello! magazine. The world's top baller and his WAG are looking all kinds of good in this spread. My fave? Croquet Nole. MUST have those shoes. In fact, I need the whole outfit, with or without him in it. I'm not picky.

More shots of Nolena after the jump...

VIDEO VAULT: Sharapova loves HEAD

You gotta give it up for Maria Sharapova. She's a much better actress than she's EVAH been as you can see in this new promo for her new HEAD Instinct racquet. Need proof? Well, let me take you down memory lane, back to a time when the Russian blondezilla was just ending her long injury layoff and hair wings were all the rage. They were all the rage, right?

[Via: HEAD]

PHOTO OP: It's the cheesiest!

Stanford: Serena Williams d. Marion Bartoli 7-5, 6-1

There were a lot of ballers in action this past week with Stanford and College Park for the ladies and L.A., Gstaad and Umag for the boys all going on. But only five of them walked away winners, and they made sure to show off their best oh-my-GAWD-I'm-smiling-so-hard-my-face-might-shatter-into-a-gazillion-pieces reactions. That's what winning looks like guys. 

One side note: I couldn't find a good shot of Nadia Petrova winning the College Park final. But knowing Nads I'm sure she treated the crowd to a full set of teeth and possibly some gums.

Gstaad: Marc Granollers d. Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Los Angeles: Ernests Gulbis d. Mardy Fish 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Umag: Alexandr Dolgopolov d. Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images, AFP, AP]

MEDIA MASHUP: Serena + Martina like it was yesteryear (not)

It was all laughs and back slapping between Serena Williams + Martina Hingis at last night's World Team Tennis event at Randall's Island. ReRe beat Chucky in the women's singles 5-3.

That's really sweet but it doesn't compare to the trash talk and bitch slapping from the old days. Who could forget THIS classic. I mean, can't we all just not get along:



Ah, those were the days. I miss thee. *sniffles*

[Photo(s) credit: AP]

Kleybanova reveals battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma

As you guys can tell I'm a bit of a tennis vacay after the long spring/summer European swing. But I felt compelled to post after hearing about Alisa Kleybanova's recent revelation that she has Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph tissue. She made the announcement on her 22nd birthday via the WTA tour site which you can read here.

All the best to her as she goes through this most difficult time. 

[Photo(s) credit: AFP PHOTO / DANI POZO]

PHOTO OP: Lighting up

Now THAT'S an entrance.

Andy Roddick and Team USA are taking on Team Spain in a highly anticipated Davis Cup tie this weekend. As I type this post, Feliciano Lopez just beat Mardy Fish in an epic match going the distance with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(2), 8-6 win and using, of all things, a backhand passing shot on match point. That thing's been working all summer long. Who knew? Anyway, it looked like Mardy was pressing a bit too much towards the end and even through in a double fault in the final game.

So A-Rod must save the day in front of his home crowd against the relentless David Ferrer. No pressure.

Check out the latest Davis Cup updates from this weekend's time here.

[Photo(s) credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images]

VIDEO VAULT: Djokovic does his rock star thang

Now THIS is what I call a Fourth of July celebration. Go get it Serbians. Your boy deserves it.

[Via: ytubejj]

The dream catcher

"I always dreamed of winning this tournament. I think I’m still dreaming."

As I got up this morning I felt compelled to visit the ATP World Tour site to make sure what happened over the weekend really did happen. And there it was staring at me starkly in the face: Novak Djokovic is World No. 1 and the new Wimbledon champion.

It all happened so fast. Before his semifinal Nole was a baller dealing with a crushing blow from Roland Garros and an unproven record on the grass. But then he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to officially call himself the top baller in the world and then two days later made his biggest statement by ousting defending champ Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the final. I suppose if he lost the final it still would've been an incredible achievement to reach the pinnacle of the sport but to consolidate his rise with the biggest crown in the sport was impressive. There was pressure in droves the last few days of the tourney but, aside from a third set lull in the final, he excelled.

I don't think it would be an understatement to say there's been a major shift in the men's game. The Serb broke the stranglehold Rafa and Roger Federer held on the top spot and at the All England Club. He's no longer the interloper but the one to beat. Nole's been the best baller this year but even he knew it wasn't enough to just say it - he needed to prove it. And he did just that.

Even for a fan and blogger like me, Wimbledon always held that special place. My first memories of watching tennis as a kid involved matches at the All England Club. I don't even think I knew of any other tourneys besides Wimby. As a matter fact, I don't think I even knew there were other matches besides the Centre Court finals aired on NBC (so long and farewell)! I may have also pretended to win a final and practiced my own moment of glory, but that's for another post.

So when ballers say Wimby is the where it all began for them I kinda get it. What I will never truly understand is what it must be like to eat the grass, as he did hilariously, after triumphing on tennis' biggest stage. Nole was still dumbfounded a day later:

"I still haven’t had enough time to realise the success that I had. I’m sure in the next couple of days I’ll start to think about how big this win is."

Give yourself some time to wake up from this dream, Nole, because when you do you'll realize this: IT'S REALLY BIG.

[Photo(s) credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]