2006 US OPEN PLAYERS PARTY!!!

Hey Everyone! First of all I just wanna say Sorry for not putting up any stories for the last two weeks. I was just tied up with my work and my family. I know it's not gonna be easy maintaining my blog, But I will try my very best to keep you updated. Anyway finally 2006 tennis season is over. Don't get me wrong, I can't complain about my year. I've been to three tournaments including the US Open, And went to my very first US Open Players party, sweet! Some of you guys wanted to know How was it being with the players during the party? Well Today's the day I will tell you all about what happened in the party. I first heared about the party when I was in California. During the tournament in L.A. The WTA staff had been posting about the US Open Player's party. Inviting everyone to join the event. Well The party theme was "DRESS TO IMPRESS". It was clearly said in the poster, That it was mandatory for the players ranked number one to fifty to attend the said event. For those who were ranked outside the top fifty , They were more than welcome to attend too. After I read the poster, I remembered writing the details down on my cellphone, lol. Just wanted to make sure I don't forget the day and the location. I didn't really mention the party to any of my tennis player friends. i waited till they all got to NY and asked them if they can invite me. Well Nadia invited me but didn't see her prior to the party. Anna was still resting after her injury in New Haven. I couldn't keep in touch with her and some of my friends were still playing New Haven. Thank God! I saw Emma Laine three days before the party. I asked her if it was possible for me to attend the party. She answered with no hesitation, Sure! She was gonna do it after practice. I didn't see her after practice. But she send me a text message. There shouldn't be a problem and that an invitation isn't necessary. we just have to be together to go to the party. August 25, Party Time! Well me and Emma didn't go by ourselves, her best friend Anette and her friend Irene , Who came all the way from Finland to support Emma, came with us. We took the shuttle bus together with some of the players going to Crobar.
we're only given to the players and the sponsors,I was so kind of nervous being inside the bus with the players. Ai Sugiyama was sitting in front of me, Alicia Molik was sitting on the opposite side of Ai. Mara Santangelo, Shennay Perry, Catalina Castano and many more to mention, was on that bus going to the party. As soon as we arrived to the place, The players, including Emma Laine, were told to lined up and walked the red carpet for pictures. Me and the rest of the players guest were asked to meet the player on the other side of the red carpet. I took some pictures of the players, including Roger Federer, who was asked by a lot of request to posed from the photographers. Getting in the bar wasn't easy, When I saw the line, I just said to myself, We're gonna be outside for a while. Thankfully it didn't took us forever to get in. Emma told the handlers that we we're her guest. She got us the bracelet in no time. As I entered the bar I saw Roger standing on the side talking to this agent and sponsors. I tapped his shoulder and wished him good luck in the tournament. I even asked him if he remembered me? He answered with a smile and " Of course, Thanks Buddy. I really wanted to talk to him for a while , unfortunately he was tied up with his agent and sponsors, maybe next time,lol. Well as I walked towards the center of the bar, The crowd just kept on growing. There wasn't really enough space to walk around the Dance floor. It was really getting to be packed. Emma told me that she and her friends would just stay on one corner and go around later on. I told her I'm just gonna say Hi to my tennis player friends. As I was Looking around the bar I saw Anna C. on the second floor. She was chatting with Victoria Azarenka. Marta Domachowska was just few steps away from. I approached Anna and gave her a kiss. We talked about her injury in New Haven. She said her injury was fine in fact she resumed practiced that very same day. Her dad then came up to me and shook my hands. After having a picture taken with her, I told her I was just gonna look around and see who else was in the party. I was really anxious to see Mary Pierce and Nadia Petrova. Although I never really got the chance to see Mary. Her hitting partner told me she left already. She didn't stay that long. As I was walking around I bumped into Paradon Schrichapan and his friends on the dance floor. He knows me actually. We met 2001 in UCLA during the Mercedes Cup tournament. It was so cool of him to talk to me for few minutes. He was actually dancing, not bad at all. The place was packed. Tennis players we're everywhere. The place was kind of big. There were actually different rooms with different themes. There was a room particularly sponsored by South African Airways. I remember seeing a South African Lady making some necklaces . The highlight of that room was the South African Dancers. Despite of the crowd they managed to showcase an amazing performance. All the V..I.P actually stayed on that room. That we're the famous celebrities we're hanging around. And The Tennis Channel Interview Spot happens to be on that room too. I managed to see Serena Williams And James Blake getting interviewed by the Tennis Channel. I wanted to have a picture with Serena but she just zoomed out of the exit after her interview. Oksana Biaul was there. Rafa was sitting his agent and Moya, who was very cozy with Flavia. Honestly I didn't really wanted the night to end. It was just a wonderful experience being with tennis players and famous people. Well atleast I had a Blast! After being on that room for a while. I went downstairs to looked around if Nadia was there already. I caught her at the right time. She was just about to leave the place. I went around her and pretended I was walking towards her. The moment she saw me she was smiling . She was so surprised to see me dressed up. She gave me a kiss and hug. And I told her she looked gorgeous! We talked for about ten minutes. She had no intention of staying there for a long time. She just went because it was mandatory. After she did her part, having pictures with her and everything she left with her friend. She told me if I needed something during the tournament. I just keep in touch with Tom Iwanski, now her ex coach. She'll be glad to take care of me. Sweet! After having a couple of beers. I decided to call it a night . well I almost forgot, the food was okay. It was mostly finger foods. The only thing I ate the whole night was the Godiva Chocolates.Hahaha...Lol, They were so good. I tried almost everything! LoL. What can I say? It was free! That's why I took advantage of it. I met up with Emma friends, since Emma left early. She was scheduled to practice early the next day. We decided that it was time to go home, We went home around 11 pm.On our way out we managed to get a goody bag. I didn't bother looking what's inside till I got home. We took the cab home. I dropped Emma's friends first and on to the apartment where I stayed. I called a lot of people on my way home. I was just to excited to share my experiences. I remember calling my sisters,lol, my friends. I kod you not I just kept on talking the whole time,lol. When I got home, I just hurriedly changed my clothes and didn't stopped calling my friends till 1am. Before I went to sleep I went to checked what was inside the bag. There were really cool stuff inside. I was hoping I would get a electronic device,lol. Unfortunately the Ipodslol.Don't worry maybe next time,haha...Well that's about it! There we're a lot of happenings too that night. But it wasn't that worth mentioning,lol. No Biggie! I'm looking forward to attend my next players party. When and wherever that is? I cant wait! Thank You so much for taking ur time in reading my blog. Until next time!!! Peace!

Dedicated to All Mary Pierce's Loyal Supporters!

Hey Everyone! I know I said in my last entry that I will be talking about the US Open Players Party. Instead I want to take this opportunity to share the pictures I took of Mary Pierce to her loyal supporters. I know some of you are wondering How it will be for the next few months not seeing Mary Pierce play tennis?. I know it's going to be hard. Hopefully through my pictures I'll be able to cheer you Mary Pierce's Fans at least for a little while. Cheer Up! It won't be long till we see her again! Hope you enjoy watching my pictures! Take Care and God Bless ! Peace!

2006 Season is officially Over!!

Hey Everyone! Sorry It took me more than two weeks to update my blog. I got tied up with work and my family. I had my cousins visiting over from California and Canada. Like you would care?haha..lol. Anyway I can't believe that 2006 tennis season is officially over. At least on the womens tour. Russia and Argentina has yet to contest the Davis Cup Finals this weekend. May the Best Team Win! It's been a mixed year for me. Well there's good times and sad times. Good times, being in three tournaments including the US Open 2006. Attended my first US Open Players Party. Seeing Mary, Nadia, Anna C. and my tennis friends again since last year. Sad time came When Mary Pierce Injured her knee in Linz, Austria. Seeing Mary going through another injury is just really tough. I know she'll be back very soon. I just want to wish her a speedy recovery. I can't wait for the day when she plays again. If I were to grade my 2006 tennis season, I would give it a B+. Eventhough Mary was injured , still it wasn't a bad year. Hopefully next year is gonna be more exciting for me and my tennis friends. I don't really want to expect too much. I just wish my tennis player friends all the best! Win or Lose ,I will always be here to suport them! Thank You all for reading my stories! Don't worry on my next entry I'll tell you all about how my first US Open Players Party turned out? Cya Later...Peace!

May The Best Player Win!!!

Hey Everyone! New week , new stories. I just wanna update you the results for the tournaments last week. 4th seed Nikolay Davydenko defeated Dominik Hrbaty , 6-1,6-2,6-2 to win the BNPParibas Masters in Paris, France. In Quebec, Canada , No. 2 seed Marion Bartoli beat Olga Poutchkova , 6-0,6-0 to win the Bell Challenge. And in Hasselt, Belgium. Kim Clijsters successfully defended her title by beating Kaia Kanepi in three set, 6-3,3-6,6-4. Well that concludes the tennis results for last week. The WTA Championship is finally here. Only the top eight players in the championship race are qualified for the tournament. Amelie Mauresmo, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin Hardenne, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, Kim Clijsters ,Elena Dementieva and the comeback kid for the year Martina Hingis. The eight players were divided in to 2 groups. And the top two finishers from each group will contest in the semifinals and whoever wins their semifinal match will compete for the top prize. So who do you think will win the YEC? Well it could be anybodies Championships , to be honest. I know a lot of you have your own favorites, I have my favorites. I know for a fact that Maria Sharapova is the clear favorite right now to win the Masters. But then again there's Amelie Mauresmo , who's the number one player right now and The defending champion. Kim Clijsters who just came with a win Hasselt and former winner (2002-03) is playing well again after missing few months on the tour because of the wrist injury she sustained in Canada. There's Justine Henin Hardenne, whose won 5 majors already but never the YEC. And always a threat on any surfaces she plays. Svetlana Kuznetsova, who has one Grand Slam title already under her belt would like to add this one in her resume. Nadia Petrova, Who had never passed beyond the Grand Slam Semis, reached 2 GS semifinal at Roland Garros , Would love to win this tournament to give her the confidence and drive to win a Grand Slam. I know it wont be long. And there's Elena Dementieva who's been twice a Grand Slam Finalist. Winning this tournament would be just great for her also. I mean, She deserves to win a big one. And this maybe the key for her to win a slam too in the future. And finally the comeback kid, Martina Hingis, 5 time Grand Slam Champion and a two time winner for this event. What can I say? It's nice to see her back ! I must say she's one asset to Women's tennis. After deciding to take a 3 year break from the tour to pursue other things in her life, She decided to comeback on the tour and give it another shot. For what reason? Only she knows. I know she's not done yet, I think We all knew. Besides She wasn't quite finish with tennis yet, after all she's only 26. In order for her to win this tournament , She has to have enough strategy to beat these girls. She knows it wont be easy but she just have to give her best. Well there you go tennis fans! There's my say about the players. I guess we all just have to wait and see till the tournament end. Who ever emerges as the champion? She deserves it! Regardless! I just hope everybody's give their 100 percent. Besides it's the last tournament of the season. May the Best Player Wins!! Good luck tennis fans!!! And Don't forget to support your players!!! Peace!

Ana Ivanovic ..Just Your Girl Next Door !

Hey Everyone! I hoped you all enjoyed reading my Jelena Jankovic story yesterday. Anyway today I'll be talking about her compatriot Ana Ivanovic. Who's currently ranked number 14 in the world right now. I know some of you are curious to know How Ana Ivanovic is like off court? Well the wait is finally over! I don't really know Ana as much as I know Jelena . But I was fortunate enough to get to know her a little bit at this years Acura Classic in San Diego. All I can say is that, She's one player I look forward to become friends with in the near future. She's young , she's friendly and becoming to be as one of the tours fastest rising stars. Being around her, I noticed she likes to hang out with younger players such as Maria Kirilenko , who's been her regular doubles partner and Marta Domachowska, just to name a few. During the tournament ,I always see her talking and laughing with the girls , specially Maria Kirilenko. It's nice to know that despite of too much rivalry going on among them younger players, they seemed to managed just to get along fine. Ana is actually very shy and very private. She rarely talks to anyone , She just likes to be around her group . I noticed she feels secured when she's around her entourage. One things for sure, She always managed to keep a smile on. Her smile just brings life in your face. I can't help but smile back at her too. Lets face it , She has one of the best smiles on the tour. I also got the chance to be around her during at this years US Open players party. What can I say? She's just one teenager who wants to have fun and tries to enjoy life being around her friends and normal everyday people. I can honestly say that she's really becoming to be" Best Friends For Life " with Maria Kirilenko and Marta Domachowska. The three of them we're liked glued together at the party, They just kept on going around Crobar like it was their first time being on a bar with no tennis match or practice to worry the next day. After all they deserved a break. They just got lucky because the tournament wasn't gonna start till two days after. Bottom line ,They were just trying to be normal teenagers ,having a good time and enjoying life. It just shows Ana and the other girls on tour ,are just your average teenagers , who just happened to be talented tennis players. Now that she's on her way to the top of Women's tennis. It won't be long till she joins her compatriot Jelena Jankovic in the hunt for winning their first Grand Slam Title. When and Where? Only Ana knows...And as for her life off court? She's entitled to do anything with her life, After all ,She's not just a tennis player, She's also your girl next door. Peace!

How I met Jelena Jankovic

Hey Everyone! Thank God it's Saturday. I'm just glad this week is almost over. It's been rough for me personally. Hopefully next week will be better.Anyway, Let's talk about Jelena Jankovic. I met Jelena two years ago in San Diego. But I never really got to introduce myself formally till this years Acura Classic. All I can say is, What's not to like about Jelena? She's very funny , she's very sweet and she just one of those players you can easily have a conversation with. I finally got to know Jelena Jankovic better at this years Acura Classic and JPMorgan Chase Open in California. I remember taking a picture of her and Bethanie Mattek in San Diego after winning their 2ND round doubles match, BTW they reached the QF in that event, not bad for a first pairing. Anyway after I took their picture , both of them couldn't stop laughing and talking about what they were going to wear in the next match. It was actually a fun moment for me to be around them. After all they were just acting like two normal girls sharing a laugh with each other.I got to know Jelena more in Carson. In fact as I mentioned it before, Her mother gave me passes for the lunch buffet, sweet.I got to talked to her in the players lounge and she just cracked me up.What can I say? She's a comedian too. She reminded about the pictures I took in San Diego. I told her I was gonna give it to her when she gets to New York. She said ,You better and she smiled. Fast forward, I saw her 4 days before the tournament started. As promised I gave her the pictures, She loved it! She said She was thankful and really appreciated the pictures I took. Anyway I told her if she needed my support I'll be around to cheer for her. She asked me if I was going to the players party? I said yes. She then said , cool, I'll see you there. So I saw Jelena together with her boyfriend at the players party, she looked great. I got the chance to talked to her, we were sort of yelling because the music was so loud and it was hard for both of us to to understand each other. After I took pictures of her , We parted ways, BTW ,I'll tell you what happened in the party next time. I never got the chance to to see her again till her first round match against Gisela Dulko. I'll tell you , That match was intensifying! It could have gone either way. Luckily Jelena pulled it off in the 3rd set 6-4. I congratulated her after the match and gave her a kiss. I even gave her mom a kiss, sweet. She asked me if I was gonna be around the tournament within the next few days, I said , yes. Then I wondered why she asked? Well I'll tell you in a while. I didn't go the next day. I went the day after. I went looking for her, but couldn't find her. I figured the best thing to do was see her the following day, well she won her second round match, so I know she's still gonna be around. Finally I got to see her, she was taking a break in the middle of her practice, I called her attention she turned around and came up to me, She said, Hi! I replied, Nice to see you. I told her I was there the day before, but never got the chance to see her 2ND round match, she won easily against against Kirsten Flipkens , 6-, 6-3. She said it was okay. I reminded her about the souvenir,I try to ask them( my tennis player friends) for remembrance. Well it turned out she didn't forget what I asked her. She handed me one of her racquet in the middle of practice. I told her if she could sign it? She said, I don't have a marker. So I borrowed a marker from a nearby spectator, luckily that person had a marker with her, and handed the marker to Jelena. After she signed the racquet , She tossed it back to me. I told her, Thanks Jelena ! She said, Your welcome! I was so happy that day. It was actually my first souvenir from her, sweet! She went on to reach her First Grand Slam Semifinals, beating Nicole Vaidisova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva along the way. She was even up a set in the Semifinals against Justine Henin Hardenne,Unfortunately she lost the match due to inexperienced in a Grand Slam Semifinals, which was okay. Charged to experience. Hopefully She'll do better next time, If not even win her first Grand Slam? When and Where? Only she knows...Peace!

Martina Hingis.....The Swiss, you can or can't, Miss.....

Hey Everyone! . Well I've been going thru my emails and I noticed a lot of you wants to hear about Martina Hingis, How she is off court? Are the stories about her true? Well I don't really know her personally, But I can't just help noticing how she behaves of court and around the fans. I've first met Martina in 2001,The Acura Classic. She was ranked number one back then. I was really curious how she looked like in person and how she behaved off court. Well I wasn't the only who's interested to see martina. They were a lot of fans who were anxious to get a piece of her. I tell you all, She's one tennis player hard to get a hold on. She rarely signs autographs and never really stops to have a picture taken with the fans. I was fortunate enough to have a picture taken with her. Thanks to the wonderful security staff of the tournament who introduced me to martina as their good friend. Well Honestly, She didn't have a choice, lol. She was forced to have a picture with me. And she wasn't the only one I scored a picture with. I got her mom too,Melanie Monitor, who again in my own opinion, behaved just like Martina. Obviously she's her mother's daughter,lol. I never really liked Martina to be honest. I just wanted to get a picture of her just to give it to my friend in the Philippines who was a big fan of hers. If it wasn't for my friend , I would never really gotten her picture. I didn't even really care if she was number one then. For me she was just Martina Hingis, nothing really special. Just the fact that she was number 1 and won 5 Grand Slam titles. One of the reasons I wasn't really into her ,was that she was very opinionated and full of herself. Well, What can I say? She was young back then. Martina was undeniably one of the greatest tennis player her generation has produced. Despite her lack of power she was able to win matches, tournaments and Grand Slams with her smart thinking on the court. Although she was forced to retire in 2002, because of foot injury, She came back earlier this year on the tour after a 3 year absence, And so far has kept her part of the bargain in getting back on the top of women's tennis. She's currently rank number 8. I had the chance of being around her again at this years Acura Classic. All I can say is, She's still the old Martina with a little bit of new touch with it! May sound good or bad , I'll let you tennis fan decide who and what she's really like?.....Peace!