Basel: You have my permission to FRAZZLE.

If you were Novak Djokovic: you’ve played two bad matches, two good ones. You’ve posted good results all year, but with a terrible record in finals. And now you are presented with an opportunity to take out Roger Federer in Roger Federer Stadium, in front of his home crowd, right before the last Masters Series tournament [...]

Picspam: Yes Roger. That was the look on my face during the fifth set.

With Federer pulling out of doubles due to exhaustion/jetlag/cbf-ness, the Swiss lost in doubles to the Italians in straight sets.
Roger was not amused.
 

 
Either that, or Myla, Charlene and/or Mirka kept him up all night.
 
Reuters strikes again! REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito
 
No Mirka sighting, but Stan’s Concubine was there for moral support. 
 

 
Either that, or she enjoys the Wawa/Chiuchiu eyecandy.
 
REUTERS/Giampiero [...]

Davis Cup Picspam: We got spirit yes we do!

FACT: Homelessness is a huge problem on the ATP tour. 
 

 
The Davis Cup semifinals and World Group play-offs are underway this weekend across 3 continents. What we love about the DC is that it’s filled with manhugs, bromances, and Swiss campfires. It all comes down to having “the spirit”.
What we hate about DC is that no [...]

Davis Cup Picspam: Hot or Not

HOT! Toothy smiles from gorgeous boys.
 

 
NOT! So you think you can dance … dance … dance … 
“Spank that ace” vs “the Robot Worm”
 
REUTERS/Stringer
 
HOT! Feliciano Lopez. Period.
 
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
 
NOT! Feliciano Lopez eating a shoe. 
 
AP Photo/Carlo Baroncini
 
HOT! His Royal Gorgeousness.
 
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
 
NOT! WC janitors. 
 
REUTERS/Stringer
 
HOT! Davis Cup bromance.
NOT! Best-of-five set matches days after the US Open.

USO Day 8: Everybody has a story.

As much as I like to complain about all the big names dropping out of the tournament like horse shit, one of the benefits of having some of the lesser known players hang around is that you get to find out a little more about them. Turns out that the old truism ‘everybody has a [...]

Picspam: the power of teeth.

We asked for head shots that don’t make the players look like convicts – the USTA listened.
Their latest batch of head shots (courtesy of Getty Images) are in stark contrast to the ATP’s two previous attempts: clickey and clickey. 
 
In fact, Fabio Fognini looks positively smouldering. If only his eyebrows weren’t permanently knotted…
 

 
I love the way Thomaz [...]

Cincy Day 4: Gone with the Wind

Boy, I’m so glad I didn’t watch the match between Ferrer and Federer live today. Just watching a recording of it made me want to stab myself in the eye with a pen.
 
MAJOR eye baggage: 
Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images 
 
For someone who likes to play  in the wind, Fed was having so much trouble adjusting to [...]

Weekly Mosaics: go thug yourself!

Mirror mirror on the wall,
Who’s the fugliest of them all? 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Yes folks, those are indeed the new mug shots the ATP put up on its website for their players’ profiles. Were the instructions “pretend the photographer’s Etienne de Villiers?”
Epic success.
 
Go-Thug-Yourself Honourable Mention: Fernando Gonzalez for his “big eye small eye” stare-down. 
Go-Thug-Yourself Third Place: Gilles Simon, for [...]

Weekly Mosaics: Sexbomb Sexbomb. You’re my Sexbomb

Here’s looking at you, Radek Stepanek, in all your mutant sexbomb glory. (Czech def Argentina 3-2)
 

 
Oh yeth, it’s the Davis Cup again. Whose smart idea was it to play Davis Cup the week  after Wimbledon? 3 best of five set tournaments in 7 weeks, talk about an overkill. 
 
Spain def Germany 3-2.
 
Fact # 1: Feliciano Lopez [...]

Final Tidbits: Goodbye to all that.

Wait – there are tennis tournaments going on this week? 
Sometimes I just want to stop the world for a bit and savor the moment, but that can’t be done, so it’s bye bye, Wimbly. You’re not my favourite slam. Actually, I hate you like an unloved child. And just because I’m a Federer fan, doesn’t mean I [...]