Rafael Nadal, the current world number 1 and undefeated at Roland Garros is an unbackable favourite for his fifth consecutive French Open this year. He is in remarkable form coming off his fifth straight Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open victories. Is there anyone who can beat this young 22 year old Spaniard, who is on course to become one of the greatest ever?
Rafael Nadal is someone who rises to the challenge, loves to fight and just loves a hard tennis contest. There has been nobody in recent times who is as mentally tough or as determined as the man known widely as Rafa. Roger Federer was on course to become the greatest ever and quickly haul in Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slams. However, his run to the line has been severely hampered, due mainly to Nadal. I still expect that Federer will end up winning more titles than Sampras but the question is will Nadal eventually win more titles than Federer?
Nadal still has a long way to go having won 6 grand slam titles to Federer's 13. Will the 2009 French Open be Federer's breakthrough year? The French Open is the only title that elludes him and it is a title he wants so badly. However, with Nadal's rich vein of form, it does not look likely. Nadal in fact trounced Federer quite easily in the 2008 French Open final and it looks like the gap between the two is starting to widen. Nadal triumphed over Federer at Wimbledon 2008 to become the first man in years to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year (Sadly Federer was the runner up at both tournaments). He also beat Federer at the Australian Open earlier this year as well, after which Federer said it would take him a long time to overcome his loss.
When we look at the rest of the top 4 which are in a separate league to the rest of the top ten, Novac Djokovic and Andy Murray don't look like they will be able to topple Nadal on clay, although Djokovic pushed Nadal all the way at Monte Carlo.
So who will the new threat to Nadal be? That remains to be seen. The French Open has in the past been notorious for early round upsets as the more fancied top seeds get toppled by clay court specialists.
Looking at the rest of the top ten, Andy Roddick is probably the least fancied on clay and I'll be surprised if he lasts into the second week. Juan Martin del Potro recently beat Nadal at the Miami masters so he must be an outside chance and Fernando Verdasco pushed Nadal all the way in that epic semi final at the Australian Open this year. However, I believe that Nadal's greatest threat will come from the two French players in the top ten, Gilles Simon and even more so, Gael Monfils. Both players go for their shots and Monfils will definitely be able to match Nadal from a fitness perspective.
So the scene is set come May 24 for an amazing French Open. All eyes will be on Nadal and the pressure will never have been as great on the tennis iron man as it will be this year. He is expected to win but tennis is a funny game. Nadal has always shown amazing mental toughness so he is unlikely to have a bad game. Whoever beats Nadal will have to play out of their skin. Since 2005, only 4 men have had the illustrious honour of beating Nadal on clay - Gaston Gaudio, Igor Andreev, Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero, yet none look likely to challenge Nadal in 2009. So will 2009 be Nadal's fifth consecutive French Open? Or will a new threat emerge? Only time will tell...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine Flu to be bigger than the Bubonic Plague?
Fear of the Swine Flue has gripped the world, ever since news of this virus killing over a hundred in Mexico was published. The Swine Flu Virus seems to have travelled to all corners of the globe extremely quickly, even affecting people in Australia and New Zealand just a few days after the initial outbreak was reported. What is this virus?
However the big question is - how bad will the Swine Flu be? The last massive pandemic to affect the world was the Spanish Flu back in 1918. The Spanish Flu killed over 50 Million people between 1918 and 1920 and affected up to one billion people, half of the world's population at the time. With the world's population now well over 6 billion, what will the effects of the Swine Flu be?
In this time of modern technology, do we have the skills and know how to defeat this, to date rampant virus? Surely we will not reach the terrible consequences of the Spanish Flu or even worse the Bubonic Plague of centuries ago. However, right now everyone is talking about the virus. Anyone with flu like symptoms have been asked to immediately go and get a blood test to check for Swine Flu.
There have been 2 other outbreaks of Swine Flu in the last 40 years; one was in the U.S. in 1976 and the other was in the Philippines in 2007. However, these were no where near as bad as this outbreak of the Swine flu which seems to have orginated from Mexico and is reaching pandemic proportions scarily quickly.
However the big question is - how bad will the Swine Flu be? The last massive pandemic to affect the world was the Spanish Flu back in 1918. The Spanish Flu killed over 50 Million people between 1918 and 1920 and affected up to one billion people, half of the world's population at the time. With the world's population now well over 6 billion, what will the effects of the Swine Flu be?
In this time of modern technology, do we have the skills and know how to defeat this, to date rampant virus? Surely we will not reach the terrible consequences of the Spanish Flu or even worse the Bubonic Plague of centuries ago. However, right now everyone is talking about the virus. Anyone with flu like symptoms have been asked to immediately go and get a blood test to check for Swine Flu.
There have been 2 other outbreaks of Swine Flu in the last 40 years; one was in the U.S. in 1976 and the other was in the Philippines in 2007. However, these were no where near as bad as this outbreak of the Swine flu which seems to have orginated from Mexico and is reaching pandemic proportions scarily quickly.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Will the new Wolverine Movie answer these questions?
As the excitement begins about the new Wolverine movie to be released shortly, the questions about Wolverine's past are starting to surface? Will the movie answer these questions?
- Why did Wolverine Lose His Memory?
- How old is Wolverine?
- Who was Wolverine before he became Wolverine? In other words, did he have family? Did he ever have a normal life?
Having viewed the trailer, there are references to a young child with claws, fighting in wars from early last century (which make him really old!), a lover who dies and of course the insertion of adam antium into his body.
There are also a number of new characters inserted into the Wolverine movie, not seen in previous X-Men movies including Deadpool, Agent Zero and Gambit.
What connection do these characters have to our hero Wolverine? There is a great scene in the trailer of Agent Zero firing a bullet that lands flush on Wolverine's skull - which only make our hero even angrier.
I'm certainly looking forward to the new Wolverine movie. Regardless of whether it answers all the questions or not, it looks like a great action flick with lots of awesome special effects. Hugh Jackman looks to have acted in another top knotch movie and I can't wait to see it.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Iron Man 2 to be dragged down by Don Cheadle?
Taking Comic Books to the big screen has been extremely lucrative for Hollywood and relatively controvery free - Until Now! The big news is that Don Cheadle will replace Terrence Howard in the upcoming Iron Man 2. The reason - apparently salary. Whatever the reason, it's a shame to see Howard go, but Don Cheadle will be an excellent replacement. With such great starring roles as the Oceans trilogy, Swordfish and Traitor, Don Cheadle is a prime candidate to replace Howard. I believe he'll add some great acting muscle to Iron Man 2, which already seems to have a massive ensemble at its disposal.
With Marvel looking to create a theme and a link between all their recent movies, this new role could be extremely profitable for Don Cheadle and I'm looking forward to seeing him as part of the Marvel franchise. Iron Man 2 will be an excellent way to introduce his character and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the next instalment of Iron Man unfolds.
With Marvel looking to create a theme and a link between all their recent movies, this new role could be extremely profitable for Don Cheadle and I'm looking forward to seeing him as part of the Marvel franchise. Iron Man 2 will be an excellent way to introduce his character and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the next instalment of Iron Man unfolds.
Fake IPL Player - Identity Revealed?
The Indian Premier League or IPL is fast becoming one of Cricket's premier fixtures. It's entertaining with it's frenetic pace and the shorter version is gaining appeal in circles that the longer form of the game never could have. Yet, despite the entertainment and great individual performances, in only its second year, the IPL's biggest highlight has been the emergence of the fake IPL player. Who is Fake IPL Player?
He apparently plays for Kolkata Knight Riders and is scathing in his opinion about many individuals. He is no fan of current Australian cricket coach John Buchanan as shown by his references to how Buchanan spends more time with his laptop than anything else. Yet Fake IPL Player seems to have a warm spot for Australian cricket itself, although he makes it clear that he does not agree with the current selections.
Fake IPL player claims to be able to reveal many teams' strategies and seems to have insider knowledge of the goings on of various teams. He likes former Indian Cricketing captain, Saurav Ganguly but seems to viciously hate Sharukh Kahn and his cricketing team. What is Fake IPL player's motive? Is this a strategic marketing campaign by the IPL to create interest in this year's IPL which after last year's massive bang threatens to wain this year, especially with the required move to South Africa. Or is Fake IPL player a disgruntled outsider, a fan who feels that his loyalty to the game has not been repaid and as such he wants revenge? Or worse, is Fake IPL player actually a member of the cricketing fraternity who has his own agenda? Perhaps Fake IPL player is actually a jealous lover or crazy stalker of Sharukh Kahn and is using the IPL as an opportunity to get back at the famous Bollywood star?
Whatever is to be said about Fake IPL Player, the truth is that this story is far from over. Fake IPL Player will contine to make headlines around the world and it will be interesting to see how this all pans out. I for one am certainly interested to see who Fake IPL player is and how one person, with just a computer and internet connection, could have such a massive impact on one of cricket's biggest fixtures, the IPL. The plot definitely thickens...
He apparently plays for Kolkata Knight Riders and is scathing in his opinion about many individuals. He is no fan of current Australian cricket coach John Buchanan as shown by his references to how Buchanan spends more time with his laptop than anything else. Yet Fake IPL Player seems to have a warm spot for Australian cricket itself, although he makes it clear that he does not agree with the current selections.
Fake IPL player claims to be able to reveal many teams' strategies and seems to have insider knowledge of the goings on of various teams. He likes former Indian Cricketing captain, Saurav Ganguly but seems to viciously hate Sharukh Kahn and his cricketing team. What is Fake IPL player's motive? Is this a strategic marketing campaign by the IPL to create interest in this year's IPL which after last year's massive bang threatens to wain this year, especially with the required move to South Africa. Or is Fake IPL player a disgruntled outsider, a fan who feels that his loyalty to the game has not been repaid and as such he wants revenge? Or worse, is Fake IPL player actually a member of the cricketing fraternity who has his own agenda? Perhaps Fake IPL player is actually a jealous lover or crazy stalker of Sharukh Kahn and is using the IPL as an opportunity to get back at the famous Bollywood star?
Whatever is to be said about Fake IPL Player, the truth is that this story is far from over. Fake IPL Player will contine to make headlines around the world and it will be interesting to see how this all pans out. I for one am certainly interested to see who Fake IPL player is and how one person, with just a computer and internet connection, could have such a massive impact on one of cricket's biggest fixtures, the IPL. The plot definitely thickens...
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monica Seles New Book
Monica Seles has just come out with a new book and I personally can't wait to get my hands on it. The book is titled "Getting a Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self " and it outlines Seles' challenges from that infamous stabbing incident to her eating disorders that she overcame. Seles' aim with this book is to provide inspiration and motivation to others on how they can overcome their challenges.
Personally, I've always admired Monica Seles for her grit and sheer determination. She will always be one of the greats of modern tennis and despite her many achievements, her dominance over women's tennis was cut short by the lunacy of one man. I am looking forward to Monica Seles new book and even though I have not even read one page of it yet, I am sure it will be worth getting for anyone who is looking for inspiration on how to overcome challenges. Right now, I think we could all do with some inspiration and I'm sure Monica Seles' book will be awesome!
Personally, I've always admired Monica Seles for her grit and sheer determination. She will always be one of the greats of modern tennis and despite her many achievements, her dominance over women's tennis was cut short by the lunacy of one man. I am looking forward to Monica Seles new book and even though I have not even read one page of it yet, I am sure it will be worth getting for anyone who is looking for inspiration on how to overcome challenges. Right now, I think we could all do with some inspiration and I'm sure Monica Seles' book will be awesome!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Fast and the Furious Rocks
I just saw Fast and Furious and I have to say that they have done it again. This movie absolutely rocks if you're interested into beautiful women, fast cars, awesome special effects and nonstop action. So you could say, it's a real flick for the guys, but I'm sure the eye candy of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker make it work watching for the ladies as well. However, one of my female friends did complain that Vin Diesel did not take his shirt off enough - personally I was quite happy that he kept his shirt on and instead my focus was on the ladies wearing next to nothing. I guess the movie has something for everyone in it :-)
The core team from Fast and the Furious 1 re-unite in this non stop action flick and it's definitely worth watching on the big screen. Although driving back from the movie theatre did prove to be a slight challenge - at least in terms of keeping below the speed limit as I imagined myself as one of the characters in the movie. Thankfully, I restrained myself. I don't think telling the police that I was imagining myself as part of the cast of Fast and the Furious would have been a great defence.
So if you're looking for a good time, lots of eye candy and some time to just chill out and turn your brain off, then Fast and the Furious 4 is definitely worth a watch. Will they bring out Fast and the Furious 5? I don't know but here's hoping. Thanks Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodrigues for coming back to do this latest instalment in the Fast and the Furious Franchise - it rocked!!
The core team from Fast and the Furious 1 re-unite in this non stop action flick and it's definitely worth watching on the big screen. Although driving back from the movie theatre did prove to be a slight challenge - at least in terms of keeping below the speed limit as I imagined myself as one of the characters in the movie. Thankfully, I restrained myself. I don't think telling the police that I was imagining myself as part of the cast of Fast and the Furious would have been a great defence.
So if you're looking for a good time, lots of eye candy and some time to just chill out and turn your brain off, then Fast and the Furious 4 is definitely worth a watch. Will they bring out Fast and the Furious 5? I don't know but here's hoping. Thanks Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodrigues for coming back to do this latest instalment in the Fast and the Furious Franchise - it rocked!!
Miss USA 2009
The Miss USA contest is always a favourite of mine and this year was no different. Having reviewed the Miss USA 2009 contestants, it is clear that this year's Miss USA contestants are some of the most accomplished and beautiful we have ever seen. Congratulations go to Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton who was crowned Miss USA 2009
Miss USA 2008 was absolutely beautiful (despite her infamous tumble in the Bahamas) and I'm sure Miss USA 2009 will do everyone proud.
Every year I have my favourite Miss USA contestant, the one who I think is the most beautiful and accomplished to win. Sadly my picks have always been wrong and the one who I choose as my favourite among the Miss USA contestants rarely ends up winning. This year was no different. However I certainly was not disappointed that Miss North Caroline won the coveted Miss USA 2009 title.
I definitely enjoyed Miss USA 2009 and watching the various Miss USA 2009 contestants strut their stuff. I will be honest and say I enjoyed the white string bikinis, worn by the top 15 Miss USA finalists. The bikinis were designed by pop star Jessica Simpson and they looked great.
Sadly another Miss USA contest comes to an end, but there is always next year. Bring on Miss USA 2010. Until then, all the best to Miss USA 2009, Miss Carolina Kristen Dalton.
Miss USA 2008 was absolutely beautiful (despite her infamous tumble in the Bahamas) and I'm sure Miss USA 2009 will do everyone proud.
Every year I have my favourite Miss USA contestant, the one who I think is the most beautiful and accomplished to win. Sadly my picks have always been wrong and the one who I choose as my favourite among the Miss USA contestants rarely ends up winning. This year was no different. However I certainly was not disappointed that Miss North Caroline won the coveted Miss USA 2009 title.
I definitely enjoyed Miss USA 2009 and watching the various Miss USA 2009 contestants strut their stuff. I will be honest and say I enjoyed the white string bikinis, worn by the top 15 Miss USA finalists. The bikinis were designed by pop star Jessica Simpson and they looked great.
Sadly another Miss USA contest comes to an end, but there is always next year. Bring on Miss USA 2010. Until then, all the best to Miss USA 2009, Miss Carolina Kristen Dalton.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)