Malaysian Open - The Finals

2nd part of the weekend's-capade!


Its been a week since the 250 tour in Kuala Lumpur started. As I mentioned on my previous entry about the tournament, there are a few known players joined the first and new part of ATP 250 tour in the City. Sadly, we haven't had the chance to see most of them due to early exits and the fact the we only bought tickets for the final game.

Some of the early ousted players includes, former world no. 4, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Jose Acasuso and 2 time grand slam champion Lleyton Hewitt. I really rooted for Lleyton to win the tournament if Verdasco or Davydenko wouldn't make it. I thought this will be a great time for him to show his ability adding that the tournament was held in Asia and near to his Country, Australia. But, there, badluck is around the air.

Luckily, Nikolay and Fernando smoothly sailed to the semis whom they faced the other top seeded on the tour, Robin Sorderling and Fernando Gonzales. Nikolay who defeated the charming Frenchman, Gael Monfils who just won the "Open de Moselle" a week ago in a straight set, 6-3, 6-3 faced Soderling who won to Czech, Tomas Berdych, 6-2, 6-2. And Fernando Verdasco who won to Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 6-4 faced Gonzales who defeated the ever focused Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, 6-3, 6-4.


Not Too Easy Win

The top seeded, Nikolay, won a not too easy game to Robin Soderling before reaching the final. The game lasted for morethan two hours. Robin secured the first set with a very convincing score, 6-1. But "Kolya" doesn't feel intimidated and win the last two set, 7-6(1), 6-2.

(Game statistics: Both players produced 9 total aces, 67% of Break points, 62% service points, 38% return points and 50% total points won. - source: Protennislive.com)

Verdasco on the other hand, demolished Gonzales in straight set, 6-4, 7-5. Which makes my finalist prediction into real.


The Final GAme

The feeling of being present to a Pro Tennis Final is unexplainable. For the newbie like me(us), where everything are "first-time", the crowd, the noise, the people arriving late and those cute kids running up and down the stairs can be appreciated easily. No "shush" unlike in a movie house when someone is giggling or murmuring, this is different, and I really love the experience!

Between the two favorites on the tour, I easily fell over and decided to cheer for Davydenko. I'm a huge fan of both players, but between the two, I felt that the Russian is more deserve to win the title (just an opinion). Adding that most of the spectators are cheering for Verdasco, So it's "Me Against The World".

Fernando Boleh!
Malaysia Boleh!

Both players are good on their down the line ground strokes. Hitting the ball back and forth with an average of atleast 120kph. But, compliments should be given to the Russian, who keeps his pace and consistent on his game. Verdasco haven't mastered the consistency of his game yet. I don't know. Its shows on every execution on his serves and rallys. But he is still a good player.

Break points are won by Nikolay on the 7th and 10th game of the match, which help him to secure a first set win against Fernanando, 6-4.

7th game result:

10th game and first set result:

Do-or-Die

A nerve breaking second set started with both players losing on their serves. Exchange of breakpoints on earlier games which keeps me thinking if Verdasco can pull-off to win the set to have a chance to win if ever they made it to the 3rd and deciding set.

Nikolay seems to gain his composure and able to break on 11th game, an important point away from the Spaniards.


With Nikolay serving for the match, I prepared my self to dash down nearer to players stool to secure an autograph. My mind is already set that Nikolay will won the match. But the fences are lock :(

(Game fact: Verdasco produces a total of 4 double fault against 1 from Davydenko in the second and final set.)

The crowd are cheering crazily for Verdasco when both players get ready for the 12th game on second set. This atleast boost Verdasco's confidence. But Davydenko is so focused that he still manage to win the game and become the

First Proton Malaysian Open Champion!

(Picture from: Malaysianopentennis.com)

Pity I wasn't able to get a sign from Nikolay, but atleast I had Fernando's!

Lets Color the World.. Pink!

We're been busy this past two days that I don't have time to finish some of the entry on my blog. Some are still and will remain save as draft until I finish all the details I want to include.

Like I have said, last weekends, is not like our normal off day. Me and some of friends, tried to be a good citizen and join a walk to raise awareness on women's breast cancer last Saturday. I'm actually undecided to join before since I thought that its exclusively for girls/women... I'm wrong, based on the huge crowd of guys on the activity.

The activity went smoothly as planned aside from us being almost late on the activity. The taxi we hired from our office (some of my friends are working) got lost and mistakenly brought us to KLCC instead of KL tower. I don't know, I was seated in front beside the driver and felt that he's bringing us to a different place, but I stayed silent not until I realized that he really sending us to a different place.

Anyway, everything is soo cool! The experience and feeling is one of a kind.

Malaysian Open - 2nd Day - Qualifying Game

2nd day of the Open and our 1st day in the tournament.

Super excited since finally, after dreaming to watch a live Pro Tennis, they are here now to grant my wish.

Took some of the photo using my friends cameras...

Woong-Sun Jun of Korea and Brendan Evans of USA after their match. Evans win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Memorable comment from Evans to the Umpire: "You Robbed me twice!".


Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan signing autographs to some spectators after defeating Aisam-Ul-Hq Qureshi of Pakistan in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-2.


Michael Yani of USA being interviewed after winning a great game with fellow American, Scott Lipsky in their friendly atmosphere match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.


Scoreboard for Rohan Bopanna of India and Mariusz Fyrsternberg of Poland match inside the center court. The former wins in a straight sets, 7-5, 6-1. (Some of the pictures were accidentally deleted :( )



And before we leave the center court, we saw some of the players practicing for their upcoming matches, testing and familiarizing the court. One of them is..

Yep! David Ferrer of Spain :D

Malaysian Open

So excited that finally after a month of planning, we will be able to watch a Professional Tennis for the first time. We only bought tickets for the final game since we can't watch the Main Draw until the Semis due to our work.

The tournament started today. Tomorrow, since weekends, we will try to watch the second day of qualifying games. :D

Things You Can Do To Help Your Country

Do you want a better Country?

to Rid poverty?

or Stop Corruption?

little things that we do can make a BIG difference...

I was re-reading the booklet that I borrowed last night titled "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country" and yeah this book inspired if not totally changed me.

The author believes, and so as I, that the progress of the country lies in every one of us. One of the striking things on the list which I want to stressed is:

"When you talk to others, specially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country."

This is indeed true. Not, for us, to boast about the positive traits of what our country can offer, but simply just to uplift the name of our motherland. It saddens me to hear, specially other who gain different "citizenship", to just throw bad things about the country.

I know and personally heard someone telling other nationalities that my "Beloved" country is full of struggling, poor people who snatch and hold-up other people for living. That you would not like to display your phones if you like to have it with you until you reach home or to display your new earing if you like to keep your ears intact.

He is just a perfect example and the reason why we are struggling now. I just hope that He crossed on this book for him to heard himself.

2 days to go

I am still overwhelmed by Del Potro dethroning Federer at the last Us Open.. hahaha.. (apologies for the fans).

What excites me most and what am I looking forward to, is the upcoming ATP tour in Kuala Lumpur. Finally, they visit my adopting country and include it for one of their ATP World Tour 250 tournaments. I'm just disappointed that none of my favorites will be on the country's tour. But its still exciting that some of the known names will appear like Hewitt, Monfils, Verdasco and Davydenko.

Crossing my fingers that hopefully next year Rafa, Simon and Roddick join the KL tour.

A Dream

Yep, I been away for exactly 1 month. No updates or anything. I just let my self and my mind to rest for a while though I moretimes sleep late watching late night shows.

Its been a very busy month for me. Giving some points on a new hired friend from our Company. I also on the process of cooling down since I been on fire and almost got an ugly confrontations with her. Its unfair to say that she changed a lot since everyone keeps on changing right? Its just that she disappoint me that much and almost forgot that shes my "childhood friend" not to mention a very closed neighbor and elementary classmate... but I will drop the subject and will make another post about that.

Last night, I woke up while on the midst of what I thought is a sound sleep, dreaming about my hometown. The only thing that I remember when I woke up is our place.. shouting it. Whoa! Its a bit creepy and I know its a bad dream. I just really regretted that I don't remember the whole details of it unlike when I was a kid. I still remember some of my childhood bad dreams. From a giant spidey which I'm not afraid of, big snakes, monster and ghosts. I, sometimes woke up in the middle of the night crying before.

The only bad dream that remains on my mind until now is about our country's local version of monster, the "Manananggal". It's a creature, a half body (human-like) with wings which able for it to fly and seek for its food. The news about this monster spread like a virus before. There are some people who claims to see this creature sneaking on someones roof, usually midnight. There even a times where our parents, due to panic, didn't allow us to go out of the house when the clock reach 7pm. It spoils our desire to play hide-and-seek since thats the only game children plays those times.

Good thing those kinds of news are not around anymore. Maybe because of the modern technology, these kinds of creepy stories were already wash out in peoples' mind...