That's me, on the right!
To tell you a little bit more about myself, my obsessions, my fave players and pretty much everything else under the sun, here is a Q & A I did with other tennis bloggers that you can fill out too.
Who is your favorite pro player, man or woman, and why?
I'd probably have to go with Serena Williams, with Roger Federer a very close second. Apart from her dominant style of play, Serena has sass and attitude. It's nice to see someone who's that good and isn't afraid to say it. She carries herself confidently on and off the court and has a great sense of humor too. Both Williams and Fed walk, talk and dress like the legends they are.
What is your favorite of the Grand Slams?
Each one has something unique to them. The US has that wonderful atmosphere and the night matches are the most exciting spectacle in tennis. The traditions at Wimbledon are very vintage and the All England Club is just an all around classy place. The French fans at Roland Garros are crazy and never hold back, but ultimately I'd have to go with the Aussie Open. The highest level tennis is in Melbourne, and it being the first slam of the season, there is just so much excitement when that first ball is hit. Plus, the blue courts are beautiful.
What player, man or woman, do you most enjoy watching?
Tough one. I'd have to go with either Serena, Roger or one of the meltdown Russians. The first two are obvious. Their just so freakin' good. And of course, how entertaining is it to see a Dinara or a Vera or a Dementieva just have an absolute outburst on court? It's blood, sweat and tears with them.
What do you think has been the most shocking tennis moment in the last 5 or so years, and do you remember where you were when you saw it or heard about it?
I'd go with Rafa losing to Soderling at the 2009 French Open. No one could even fathom Nadal losing in Paris and for him to be taken out was just mind-boggling. And yes, I remember that I was eating lunch at the local country-club when I saw it on the SportsCenter bottom line.
After Roger, Rafa, Serena and Venus end their reigns over the tennis world, who do you think will pick up where they left off?
Well, once del Potro returns from injury, I think he will start to dominate the men's game in a similar fashion to his US Open win. Also, big guys like Berdych and Cilic, and of course, Murray and Djokovic, will win slams. On the women's end, young and powerful girls like Alisa Kleybanova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will have a lot of success. So will Azarenka, Wickmayer, Radwanska, Petkovic and Kvitova.
Best slam performances of the past decade?
Rafa at Roland Garros in 2008, Serena and Roger at Aussie Open in '07 and Sharapova at Aussie Open in '08.
If you had to compile a repetoire of shots, name which player's you'd take for each stroke, men and women.
Men: Rafa's forehand, Nalbandian's backhand, Federer's serve, Federer's volleys and Hewitt's movement.
Women: Dementieva's forehand, Serena's backhand, Serena's serve, Venus' volleys, Wozniacki's movement.
Who has the best style, men and women, in tennis?
On court I would go with Venus and Federer. I love that V wears dresses that wouldn't be out of place at the club or at a cocktail party. She incorporates real-life trends like lace, fringe and bustier while being completely and utterly fearless. Roger is just so classy with his tuxedo shirts and cardigans. Off court, Federer for the men. The women, though, is sort of a tie. Sharapova is so chic and can work the hell out of a red carpet, while Serena wears dresses that fit so perfectly. Both have such good taste. Serena's gold burberry dress at the Wimbledon winners party was flawless.
If you could go to one tournament you have yet to attend, what would it be?
It would obviously be a Grand Slam and I've been to the US Open several times. It's a toss up with the other three. City-wise, Paris would be a no-brainer. Tennis-wise, definitely the Aussie Open. Experience-wise, Wimby. This is a tough one. Probably Melbourne.
And finally, Why did you start blogging?
I've always enjoyed writing and have always bled tennis. I thought it would be interesting to delve into the world of tennis blogging and share my opinions on everything going on in the tennis circle, from the results, to the gossip to the fashion. It's been an incredible experience thus far.
