V for Victory

My man Rafael Nadal has been unstoppable since he won his 4th Grand Slam at Roland Gaross, 1st Grand Slam at Wimbledon, and when he finally got the hard-fought and well-deserved world number one ranking last year. Just in the first quarter of this year, he was crowned as new Australian Open champion, and he won the coveted title in the recently concluded ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Indian Wells.

He is my man on court and I love him so much.

In case you may ask if he has a girlfriend, he has, and a very pretty one at that – Xisca Perello.

Here’s his and other football stars’ new commercial for Nike entitled V for Victory.

Good luck in Miami, Rafa! Vamos!

Federer to be a Father

After dinner, I browsed for some tennis updates at ATP and the headline regarding former world number one, Roger Federer, made me smile.

"Roger Federer and his long-time girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec announced on Thursday that they are expecting their first child this summer."

Wow! I'm so happy for them. They are one of my favorite couples in the tennis world. I always admire Roger for his grace on court and also Mirka for her undying support to Roger. They are a great team.

Here's what Roger wrote on his website regarding this matter:

Dear Fans

I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court. My back is feeling much better and I am ready to go.

I also have some really awesome news to share with all of you: Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.

Speak soon and thanks for all your continued support!

Roger

Blogging Live While Watching Pacquiao vs De la Hoya

Every time Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao has a fight, Filipinos around the nation are glued to cheer for him. It is one of the few instances that streets have no traffic, crimes are close to zero, and people from all walks of life are united in praying for the People’s Champ.

Mark has an invite today so my sister and I choose to just sit tight in front of the TV. I’d like to try my best to blog live on every round of Pacman’s fight against the veteran Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya.

Round 1
Pacquiao jabs his signature left and right hook combination. Oscar attacks like a lion protecting his turf. I root for Manny of course. My sister is biting her fingertips. I feel the tension in the air. Oscar closed the round as the favorite.

Round 2
Oscar appears stronger while Manny looks like an underdog. Oscar is throwing punches a lot more. Manny throws his left hook and landed on Oscar’s face. De la Hoya has a cut! He is bleeding. Yehey! It’s Manny dictating the fight now.

Round 3
Oscar seems to be confused. Pacquaio’s left is connecting. Oscar is making a distance. The crowd is shouting “Manny!” Pacquiao is mixing his punches. He throws 1-2-3 combination. Oscar appears tired already. So far, it’s still Manny who is dominating the bout.

Round 4
De la Hoya punches on Pacquiao’s left. Manny counters a left hook. Manny is no doubt has more speed than Oscar. Manny throws jabs in the bull’s eye. Oscar can’t land a punch on Manny. Where’s his vow to knockout Manny? It seems farfetched at this point. De la Hoya is like Pacquiao’s punching bag right now.

Round 5
Freddie Roach is urging Manny to do more. The round starts slow. Oscar connects with a jab. Manny throws a right hook. Triple jab from Manny. Oscar’s left eye is badly cut and he looks like an old lion beaten by the underdog.

Round 6
Can Oscar still trigger the gun? I don’t think so. Manny is speedy and brave. Oscar is deteriorating. Oscar’s right eye and nose are bleeding. Manny is undoubtedly good. He hits Oscar with 1-2 combination.

Round 7
This clearly is the match of speed that neutralizes the size. It’s been all Manny from round 1 to 6. Oscar is retreating when Manny attacks. Pacquiao corners De la Hoya. Oscar is hurt! Manny is moving for a kill. Oscar is hanging to survive. Manny is overpowering Oscar.

Round 8
Pacquiao is punishing De la Hoya. Oscar is not throwing anything. Manny is in complete domination. The golden boy seems melting and disappearing in the twilight of his career. Manny is raining punches to Oscar. I cheer the loudest!

Round 9
De la Hoya surrenders just as round 9 is set to begin. Manny is declared the champion!

It’s boxing at its finest indeed. No doubt, Pacquiao has just given the best Christmas gift to the entire Filipino race. Mabuhay ka, Manny!

The Dream Match

I'd like the pictures to say it all..

Watch Pacquiao vs. De la Hoya on Sunday 8am either on Solar Sports or at some selected theaters nationwide. Let's cheer for Manny and be united in claiming our Filipino pride!

Naked Tennis, Anyone?

World No. 6, Andy Roddick, made a fuss when he pulled out due to ankle injury from the season-ending Tennis Master Cup in Shanghai, China just hours before his quarterfinals match against the top seed Roger Federer.

But, he made more buzz around the tennis world when he auctioned off an hour long private lesson at Sir Elton John's AIDS Foundation fundraising event in Georgia. A naked hour-long tennis lesson with him, that is.

As expected, tennis enthusiasts (women enthusiasts, I may say) went gaga over the offer and the winning bid came from a lucky lady who greased up $15,000 for the chance to see Andy in all his glory.

However, Roddick backtracked over the naked training, insisting it was just a joke. He said, "First and foremost, I am not going to be playing naked tennis. It was said in jest and the lady who bid was really cool afterwards."

Poor lady.

(Tennis Master Cup Update: Right this very minute, Roger Federer is playing against Andy Murray. The winner of this match joins Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals. The other match is sealed to Novak Djokovic of Serbia versus Gilles Simon of France. Watch it live tomorrow on Star Sports at 6 p.m. onwards.)

Nadal Clinches Year-End No. 1

"Frenchman Gilles Simon advanced to his first ATP Masters Series final after an exhilarating 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(6) victory over World No. 1 and home favorite Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid on Saturday." - ATP

Oh, i'm so sad! But i really don't feel sorry for Rafa because just by reaching the semifinals in Madrid, he finally kicked Federer's butt out of the number one spot! No one would ever argue if i say that Nadal is the greatest player in tennis history. He won five masters titles, two grand slams cups, and the prestigious gold in Beijing Olympics.. all within the year! I always love his electrifying presence on court. My husband and i are his biggest fans!

Next on ATP Calendar:

October 26 - BNP Paribas Masters (Paris, France)

November 9 - Tennis Master Cup (Shanghai, China)

xoxo

Rivals Meet in Madrid

I'm watching Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid on Star Sports; and of course, i'm rooting for my man, Nadal. Watch out Federer and Djokovic because the new king reigns! Vamos Rafa!