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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:38:50 GMT -5
I don't really know about his personality. On court, he strikes me as very mature for his age, but he does chide himself for every mistake he makes. He seems respectful of the opponents and umpires and that's very important to me. Someone next to me wanted to compare him to Roddick and I almost had a fit. I explained at length exactly where the two differ. Off-court, he's a regular teenager. He seemed quite happy, smiled a lot. He was also on the phone the whole time. Everytime I saw him his ear was glued to his cellphone. Even when he was watching Moya's QF match, he had to leave to take a phone call. I am not surprised about the cell phone thing! His Hamburg interview after beating Moya is only available on real player. SO I watched it a while ago, and he walks into the room, and spends a full minute gabbing on the phone before he goes and sits down for the press,... they all laughed at him It was great. He's such a chick.
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:39:32 GMT -5
If anybody thinks i"m ruining Layla's thread, just let me know
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:39:52 GMT -5
Well... who knew How long has he been being coached by this guy? He was talking about his uncle at wimbledon. I don't disbelieve you, I'm just dissapointed that a possible coaching change flew under my radar. There is areally funny picture of Moya giving Nadal an award from about 7 years ago, which sort of put their relationship in perspective, i thought LOL, where can I see that pic? ;D Maybe it wasn't a permanent change, maybe it was a one-time event. As in, maybe Carlos lent him his coach for the week. Ok that sounds too far-fetched. I was surprised myself. When I saw Jofre I thought, oh look, it's Moya's coach! And then he was working with Nadal all the time. Even at practice an hour before Nadal's semi-final showdown with Moya, he was giving him advice. Now I'm curious myself. I want to find out who will continue to coach him.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:44:20 GMT -5
I am not surprised about the cell phone thing! His Hamburg interview after beating Moya is only available on real player. SO I watched it a while ago, and he walks into the room, and spends a full minute gabbing on the phone before he goes and sits down for the press,... they all laughed at him It was great. He's such a chick. LMAO! Too funny! I heard from Moya's manager that he was terribly pissed off when he lost to Moya and it took him all evening to calm down. I don't blame him, I would be mad too. But later that evening they were on friendly terms again. Did you know he has a few inches long scar on his back? He watched the final shirtless and he sat in front of me, that's how I noticed it. Do you know where he got it? The guy next to me said it was probably a football injury.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:44:42 GMT -5
If anybody thinks i"m ruining Layla's thread, just let me know I certainly don't. ;D
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:44:52 GMT -5
Layla.. I'll post a message on the board joined with www.rafaelnadal.com later and ask about the coaching thing. That's a very good site, btw... susan and chen update it everyday and there are lots of articles, ranking info, results, etc. Very good. As for the picture, since you asked (this makes me laugh): It makes me laugh because I'm mean and see this then think of how moya lost to him
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:47:20 GMT -5
LMAO! Too funny! I heard from Moya's manager that he was terribly pissed off when he lost to Moya and it took him all evening to calm down. I don't blame him, I would be mad too. But later that evening they were on friendly terms again. Eep... poor Moya. It was humbling enough that he lost Or maybe not... Moya apparently knew something that we didn't, at the time Regardless, that's too bad for his manager... guess he was more pleased this time *wonders how Costa's manager felt* Nah, had no idea about the scar, and don't know where it's from. If you really want to know I can post that on the board too
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:48:45 GMT -5
It makes me laugh because I'm mean and see this then think of how moya lost to him Thanks for the pic, it's cute! LOL, I understand. Those were good times! I'll talk about the semi in my report, but Carlos played better than he has in a long, long time, so he was definitely on a mission to prove something.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 15:53:21 GMT -5
Eep... poor Moya. It was humbling enough that he lost Or maybe not... Moya apparently knew something that we didn't, at the time Regardless, that's too bad for his manager... guess he was more pleased this time *wonders how Costa's manager felt* No, no, that came out all wrong. I meant to say that Rafael was pissed off, though you couldn't tell from the way he talked about it at the press conference, which means he's already acquired great PR skills, something you need if you want to be a star. He's learning fast, he already knows exactly what to say to the press. Moya's manager is like a father too him. He's a sweet, kind, elderly gentleman. I don't think he gets mad easily. Sure, I'm curious about that too. So many mysteries to solve, lol.
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 15:57:46 GMT -5
No, no, that came out all wrong. I meant to say that Rafael was pissed off, though you couldn't tell from the way he talked about it at the press conference, which means he's already acquired great PR skills, something you need if you want to be a star. He's learning fast, he already knows exactly what to say to the press. Moya's manager is like a father too him. He's a sweet, kind, elderly gentleman. I don't think he gets mad easily. . oohhhhh, i read that totally wrong! Yeah, you could tell that he wasn't overly happy. THere is yet another Moya-Rafael picture to illustrate that one, where Moya is patting him on the back and Rafael looks like he just got double bagelled or something lol That, and since then he's refered to Costa as his most important victory so far... and doesn't really mention the Moya one
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 16:33:56 GMT -5
Sorry, I lost my connection for half an hour. Yes, I can imagine it in my mind. Could you dig up that pic as well, if it's not too much trouble? Or tell me where to look for it. I didn't manage to find many pics from Umag when I came back, I really wanted to save them all to my hard disk. LOL, so he switched to Costa then. No worries, he'll get a new scalp soon, hopefully someone who goes by the name of Baldy.
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Post by Layla on Jul 31, 2003 16:47:38 GMT -5
THURSDAY, July 24It was raining all morning, so I slept in (since I spent the night dancing) and got to the practice courts late, as did the players, but it was a cracker. Moya was practicing with Nadal (again), they had a mock match and they were debating the rules for a long time, laughing. Of course, I couldn't understand a word, but no matter. The practice match was amazing and there was quite an audience on the stands, clapping furiously after great points. At the end I guess Nadal lost, because he got on all fours and crawled slowly along the net from one side of the court to the other, and back again. It was hilarious and it drew huge cheers and laughs from the crowd. Real crowd-pleasers, these Spaniards. Moya left and Nadal continued training with someone else (he was tireless). They played another game, whereby they placed the ball at the top of the net and let if fall to one side, then they played close to the net. Very entertaining. Afterwards, I saw a bit of Norman practicing, but alas I left as soon as I noticed the Rochus bros were headed to another court. What can I say, at that time, I was following them around like a puppy. They were supposed to play their doubles match that day. I watched them the whole time and they practiced for way over an hour. What fun! They appear to be really close. They're always together and they have great chemistry. All that practice didn't pay off though, cause they lost that match, to my utter dismay. No more Rochuses. I think they went home afterwards, and didn't even go to Hemingway's. They made a brief appearance at the Centre Court match, still smiling, and then disappeared forever. *sob* I was hoping they'd stick around just for the fun of it. Maybe they would if their friend was still in the tournament. The first match on centre court was Filippo VOLANDRI vs. Stanislas WAWRINKA 6:4 6:3 High quality match. Wawrinka is quite a revelation, it was the first time I saw the RG junior champion play. He is very daring and hits the ball extremely hard and deep. Luckily he wasn't consistent and faded away after he lost the first set, but apparently that happens a lot when Volandri plays. He had quite a strong support, but so did Volandri (me ). Actually, there were quite a few Italians on vacation in Umag. After the match, I headed over to a side court to watch the ROCHUS/ROCHUS vs. PERRY/SHIMADA doubles match. And what a fun match it was! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a tennis match and I probably never will again. It was played in great spirit (as is anything that involves the Rochus bros). I love watching people who enjoy playing so much. They bring such joy to the court. I supported them vigorously, crying Allez! but to no avail. Great, great match though! Christophe's volley let him down on occassion and neither served particularly well, but they both returned so brillianty. I also liked Perry and Shimada, who made it to the final and defeated the #1 seeds. And so I waved goodbye to my darlings. *sigh* I rushed back to the centre court to catch Carlos MOYA vs. Federico BROWNE 6:2 6:4 I missed the beginning, but no matter. Carlos dealt with Browne comprehensively and really looked very impressive. I didn't expect him to play so well. The match was over in a hurry, though Browne fought well. Moya still has an occassional problem serving for the match (typical), but he regained his concentration in time. Then I saw part of another doubles match, LOPEZ MORON/NADAL vs. KNOWLE/ZOVKO. I already mentioned how impressed I was by Nadal's volleying skills, but I really was. I hope it wasn't a fluke, I want him to develop a solid net game. The final match on centre court didn't happen, because VLIEGEN strained his groin muscle after 3 games and GONZALEZ won. How disapointing! I didn't know what to do with myself until it was time for bed. Sometimes being alone sucks! I looked around for the Rochus bros for a while, but couldn't find them, so finally I gave up and went to bed. It was a more or less quiet day, a lull before the storm so to speak. It was also the only cloudy day in the week, so it wasn't too hot.
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Post by TennisHack on Jul 31, 2003 17:15:21 GMT -5
The first match on centre court was Filippo VOLANDRI vs. Stanislas WAWRINKA 6:4 6:3 High quality match. Wawrinka is quite a revelation, it was the first time I saw the RG junior champion play. He is very daring and hits the ball extremely hard and deep. Luckily he wasn't consistent and faded away after he lost the first set, but apparently that happens a lot when Volandri plays. He had quite a strong support, but so did Volandri (me ). Actually, there were quite a few Italians on vacation in Umag. Any sort of elaboration you'd like to make about this match, I'd love to hear If I'm going to bail on Michel I should find another Swiss player to follow plus of course my darling Volandri. Is his serve really as bad as everyone says it is? Does he have a one dimensional clay game or do you think he could succeed on other surfaces?
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Post by RogiFan on Jul 31, 2003 20:07:38 GMT -5
Carlos was coached by Juan Bosch. He's only a year older than him, also quite cute, like most Spaniards. ... Aren't they though? I have a weakness for Spaniards myself... I DO like Jofre... he looks as though he could have gypsy blood in him... sth fiery and animated about him... I can see him doing a flamenco turn... Another fun eppy there, Layla!! Hope my Montreal experience is sth to write home about!! ;D
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Post by The Chloe on Jul 31, 2003 21:34:55 GMT -5
Sorry, I lost my connection for half an hour. Yes, I can imagine it in my mind. Could you dig up that pic as well, if it's not too much trouble? Or tell me where to look for it. I didn't manage to find many pics from Umag when I came back, I really wanted to save them all to my hard disk. LOL, so he switched to Costa then. No worries, he'll get a new scalp soon, hopefully someone who goes by the name of Baldy. As long as he doesn't draw Andre at the Open, I'm happy (Andre at Open=Ashe=sucks) Here is the picture of Nadal mourning his win:
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 5:52:52 GMT -5
Thanks Becca! LOL at that pic! He seems so apologetic - sorry dude, I couldn't help it!
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 5:58:35 GMT -5
Any sort of elaboration you'd like to make about this match, I'd love to hear If I'm going to bail on Michel I should find another Swiss player to follow plus of course my darling Volandri. Is his serve really as bad as everyone says it is? Does he have a one dimensional clay game or do you think he could succeed on other surfaces? You mean elaborate on Wawrinka? I have to admit I don't like him very much. He's too cocky for my taste, and not in the least attractive. He reminds me of Hewitt too much in terms of attitude. But he's still young, so who knows how he'll turn out. The match... well, I don't remember the details anymore, but for a while there was a danger that he would blow Volandri off the court, he had that much power. But like I said earlier, Volandri was simply too consistent, his shots were very precise and Wawrinka started missing, probably out of frustration. All Volandri's matches were like that (except the final), a tight first set and a more or less easy second one. I guess he's a slow starter, takes a while to get going. Also, he gets everything back, it's quite amazing to see. But I'll talk more about Volandri later, have no fear.
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 1, 2003 8:13:12 GMT -5
...He reminds me of Hewitt too much in terms of attitude.... To me this is the most pernicious aspect of Hewitt's rise to prominence, younger players thinking you have to be a horse's :ass: in order to succeed. At a junior tourney last year I saw a German kid named Markus Bayer wearing his cap back to front, waving his fist in his opponent's face and shouting "C'MON! BEAT ME!" after the poor kid made an error. Wonder who he patterned himself after...
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 8:53:44 GMT -5
To me this is the most pernicious aspect of Hewitt's rise to prominence, younger players thinking you have to be a horse's in order to succeed. At a junior tourney last year I saw a German kid named Markus Bayer wearing his cap back to front, waving his fist in his opponent's face and shouting "C'MON! BEAT ME!" after the poor kid made an error. Wonder who he patterned himself after... Eugh! Yes, you're quite right. I don't like this development at all. I never thought of it that way, but Hewitt is really a bad rolemodel for young kids taking up tennis. I would like them to admire players who exhibit sportsmanship and fair play. I was just reading about Magnus Norman, and his role model was Stefan Edberg. It shows. He said his mother taught him to be a fighter and never give up, yet be fair and respectful at the same time. I read how he conceded match point to Grosjean in the 4th round of the Australian Open 2001 (I never heard that story before)! He said he thought the ball was good and he just wouldn't feel good about himself had he proceeded to turn the match around and won. THAT'S what I admire most about players and that's why my list of faves mainly consists of gentlemen, good sports and all in all good guys.
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 1, 2003 9:47:14 GMT -5
...that's why my list of faves mainly consists of gentlemen, good sports and all in all good guys. Hear hear! Same here, although a few bad boys and girls sometimes sneak onto my list just to spice it up. ;D
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 9:48:59 GMT -5
Hear hear! Same here, although a few bad boys and girls sometimes sneak onto my list just to spice it up. ;D Well of course! ;D Just for the sake of contrast.
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Post by TennisHack on Aug 1, 2003 14:30:35 GMT -5
You mean elaborate on Wawrinka? I have to admit I don't like him very much. He's too cocky for my taste, and not in the least attractive. He reminds me of Hewitt too much in terms of attitude. But he's still young, so who knows how he'll turn out. The match... well, I don't remember the details anymore, but for a while there was a danger that he would blow Volandri off the court, he had that much power. But like I said earlier, Volandri was simply too consistent, his shots were very precise and Wawrinka started missing, probably out of frustration. All Volandri's matches were like that (except the final), a tight first set and a more or less easy second one. I guess he's a slow starter, takes a while to get going. Also, he gets everything back, it's quite amazing to see. But I'll talk more about Volandri later, have no fear. I would have taken anything, but since it was so long ago I didn't expect a point by point play. (Basically I'm tired of seeing all Nadal and nobody else ). So Wawrinka is a cocky little bastard, eh? Interesting. Maybe (hopefully) he will calm down as he gets older, I think he's still like 17 or something. Anything and everything you can tell me about Volandri at any point of the tournament will be most welcome
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Post by The Chloe on Aug 1, 2003 14:52:15 GMT -5
To me this is the most pernicious aspect of Hewitt's rise to prominence, younger players thinking you have to be a horse's in order to succeed. At a junior tourney last year I saw a German kid named Markus Bayer wearing his cap back to front, waving his fist in his opponent's face and shouting "C'MON! BEAT ME!" after the poor kid made an error. Wonder who he patterned himself after... Paul Henri Mattieu is coming to mind all of a sudden... can't imagine why Although it was funny when he did it against Andre... too bad he fell short
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 15:10:13 GMT -5
I would have taken anything, but since it was so long ago I didn't expect a point by point play. (Basically I'm tired of seeing all Nadal and nobody else ). So Wawrinka is a cocky little bastard, eh? Interesting. Maybe (hopefully) he will calm down as he gets older, I think he's still like 17 or something. Anything and everything you can tell me about Volandri at any point of the tournament will be most welcome LOL, sorry about that. I get carried away when I accept a new fave among my boys. I'm still dreaming of Magnus for instance. The Volandri bit is coming today. Ok, maybe I was exaggerating, Wawrinka isn't that bad, but he is too cocky for my taste, unlike Volandri or Nadal, who are also young.
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 16:18:27 GMT -5
OMG, I forgot to relate the most important event of last evening, my crush. Ok, this is how it happened. I was minding my own business, watching Volandri vs. Wawrinka, when I noticed Magnus Norman was standing in the entrance, watching the match. I was just admiring his hair, which looked very neat (I’m used to seeing him with his damn cap on), when he turns around to check out the stands and our eyes meet. My heart skipped a beat. I had NO idea he had such beautiful blue eyes, no idea! But the main thing is, he actually looked at me. I swear we had a moment, we looked into each other’s eyes for more than just a second and his gaze actually stopped. Now of course I could just be imagining this, but remember that at that point, I didn’t much care about Magnus, he was just another player to me. I didn’t even go to his previous match and in the first round I was cheering for his opponent. In fact, my very first thought was, why can't one of my faves look at me that way! And I’d had enough experience with players looking through me or past me to know the difference. I sat quite close to where he was standing and there was no one else around. I have no idea why I caught his eye though, maybe he remembered me from the first round match and thought, hey, you cheered against me. Remember, I’m a fairly animated supporter and that day I was supporting Spain, while everyone else supported Norman. Anyway, after a short while, he turned and looked at me again, straight at me, so I was fairy sure. I would have laughed it off if he didn’t have such gorgeous, lonely eyes. That’s what always gets me, the eyes. I heard that he was all alone in Umag, no coach, no friends. He ate alone, he went for a walk alone. Kind of like me. Afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes. But come the semi-final day, I simply had to support Nadal, so I was cheering against him yet again. I can’t help it if he always had to play against Spaniards. I apologize in advance, but I just have to post some of my favorite pics of my Swedish darling, though none of them really reflect what his eyes look like in person. Ay, the two most gorgeous ones are not working. Oh well... Day 5 coming up…
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Post by TennisHack on Aug 1, 2003 16:31:25 GMT -5
I was just admiring his hair, which looked very neat (I’m used to seeing him with his damn cap on), when he turns around to check out the stands and our eyes meet. My heart skipped a beat. I had NO idea he had such beautiful blue eyes, no idea! But the main thing is, he actually looked at me. I swear we had a moment, we looked into each other’s eyes for more than just a second and his gaze actually stopped. Now of course I could just be imagining this, but remember that at that point, I didn’t much care about Magnus, he was just another player to me. I didn’t even go to his previous match and in the first round I was cheering for his opponent. In fact, my very first thought was, why can't one of my faves look at me that way! And I’d had enough experience with players looking through me or past me to know the difference. I sat quite close to where he was standing and there was no one else around. I have no idea why I caught his eye though, maybe he remembered me from the first round match and thought, hey, you cheered against me. Remember, I’m a fairly animated supporter and that day I was supporting Spain, while everyone else supported Norman. Anyway, after a short while, he turned and looked at me again, straight at me, so I was fairy sure. I would have laughed it off if he didn’t have such gorgeous, lonely eyes. That’s what always gets me, the eyes. I heard that he was all alone in Umag, no coach, no friends. He ate alone, he went for a walk alone. Kind of like me. Afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes. OMG!!! You had a moment!!! It sounds like it was wonderful. I know exactly what you mean, you get a little jolt when someone looks right at you unexpectedly. Wow So you fell under the spell of blue eyes, too, eh? They are wonderful, aren't they The last picture you posted is probably the best idea. He is totally adorable! All alone?! Too bad you couldn't work up the nerve to speak to him (or did you?!). Eek, this is too exciting for words!!
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 16:40:37 GMT -5
Ah, no I didn't talk to him. *sigh* I should have. I was sorry I'd forgotten the Swedish that I took for a year, that would've definitely impressed him. At any rate, I was looking for him at practice courts the next day but he wasn't there. I saw almost everyone practice that day except him. The next time I saw him he lost to Nadal and then he went home. *sigh*
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Post by TennisHack on Aug 1, 2003 16:56:12 GMT -5
Aww, too bad Hopefully he didn't go home hating you for cheering against him again If he shows up in Cincy I will definitely stalk him for you ;D
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Post by Layla on Aug 1, 2003 17:00:54 GMT -5
Aww, too bad Hopefully he didn't go home hating you for cheering against him again If he shows up in Cincy I will definitely stalk him for you ;D Oh thanks! That would be great! ;D Did you notice how well he wears a sweater? Mmmm. I found the missing pics.
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Post by TennisHack on Aug 1, 2003 17:05:31 GMT -5
Yes I did notice how well he wears a sweater. Tennis players have the best bodies LOL. Plus he's Scandinavian, so he's been wearing sweaters all his life!! Pretty blonde boys
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