Sports Fanatic

article from abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA – Francis Casey Alcantara made it two in a row in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Phinma Juniors as he dominated the Week 1 and Week 2 tournaments.

Alcantara, who won the Week 1 event, bagged the Week 2 title after overwhelming Belgian Jeroen Vanneste, 6-2, 6-3, at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center Saturday.

The Filipino top seed made his way to the final by beating Chinese Liu Xing Bang and Japanese netters Takashi Saito, Japanese Soichiro Moritani and Kaichi Uchida, noted the ITF website.

I just hope and pray that Francis will continue to rise on top. I really believe that he has the talent to surpass all other tennis players of his age from around the world. Go Pinoy! Go Francis!

Just wanna share Maria's outfit during an exhibition game with Gisela Dulko. Love it!

Though I have only stated my love for tennis and basketball in this blog, I just want to share in the victory of Rubilen Amit and Mr. Efren "Bata" Reyes for having to win the 1st World Mixed Doubles Classic title after edging Korea in an exciting finals match at the Nuvo City Lifestyle Center in Libis, Quezon City Thursday night. I'm not really fond of billiards but seeing them play made me stick to tv even just for a little while. I can say that the match was really exciting since they were really behind at first. Buti na lang at nakahabol..nanalo pa!

I have seen Rubilen play during the 1st World Women's Pool Championship and having to edged all the beautiful ladies from around the world and be able to grab the title of being the 2009 Women's World 10-Ball Championships (can't remember when's that already but all I can remember is the moment of cheering with my pop and sis for the very job well done.)

Kudos to Rubilen and Efren for the job well done! Go Pinoy!

Just updating this blog with recent news about Maria. Got this article from a russian online mag through my google feeds.

Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has retained the status of Russia's richest athlete with an income of $24 million in 2009, the Finans business magazine said.

According to a Finans ranking published on Friday, Sharapova's earnings dropped by $1.5 million against 2008. She earned just $900,000 from tennis tournaments this year, with the remainder coming from commercial sponsorship deals.

The former world No. 1 finished the season ranked 14th, her lowest yearend position since 2003, having come back from almost a year out with injury problems that saw her fall out of the top 100.

Following Maria would be Andrei Kirilenko, the only Russian in the NBA,with $15.1 million, ice hockey star Alexander Ovechki, with earnings estimated at $12 million, and Russian national football team captain Andrei Arshavin came fourth in the Finans' ranking with $11.25 million.

Great pic of Novak!


del Potro looks good too!


Cutest!


More of their pics HERE.

Just wanna repost on recent articles about Rafa & Maria respectively... Missing them already!


The Women, No.’s 11-20, Bartoli, Sharapova, Clijsters & More
By Matt Cronin

This continues a review of the women’s and men’s top 30s. Notice that there is only one teenager amongst the women ranked No. 11-20, a very unusual development.

11 MARION BARTOLI: A solid year for France’s most accomplished tennis-playing impressionist painter. She may not be as good as she thinks she is on court, but off court, there’s no more interesting personality on tour.

12 FLAVIA PENNETTA: This veteran has improved more than any other during the past two years. She’s in much better shape, finally believes in her offense and is more comfortable with who she is. Don’t count her out of a Slam final.

13 SAMANTHA STOSUR: It’s taken almost too long for the Aussie to improve her singles game and if she can add a little more pop to her backhand, make better use of the net and not go on walkabouts against the elite players, she’ll be threat to win a major in 2010. She’s love to do it Down Under.

14 MARIA SHARAPOVA: If you look at how much better the three-time Slam champ played in last two and half months of her comeback compared to her first two and half, you’ll realize that if she can stay healthy in 2010, she’s near lock to win a Slam, because she’s a better all around player now.

15 NA LI: Just when we thought that the Chinese veteran was going to give way to her other ambitious countrywomen, she stood strong and reasonable healthy for much of 2009. She’ll never win a Slam, but don’t count her out of the top 10.

16 YANINA WICKMAYER: Without question, the Belgian teen is the biggest surprise entrant into the top 20, but now her career has been derailed with her doping suspension. We may never see how good she can be.

17 FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: Didn’t have countrywoman Pennetta’s year, but it’s truly enjoyable to watch the Italian play when she’s motivated because she brings true variety and passion to the game.

18 KIM CLIJSTERS: While it wasn’t surprising that she came back technically a better player, it was a little stunning to see how much more mentally composed the new mom is. Just watch the Belgian finish 2010 in the top 3.

19 VIRGINIE RAZZANO: This French veteran has always been a bit under-rated. She occasionally has the power and ambition to knock off the game’s elite, but she remains erratic.

20 NADIA PETROVA: Given what she went through in 2009 off-season physically, this isn’t a bad finish for the thoughtful Russian, but if she doesn’t stay healthy step it up next year, she’ll never win a Slam.

As a supporter of the Smart Gilas Developmental Team, just wanna congratulate the team for winning against the PBA's Powerade Team during a Charity Game for the Typhoon Ondoy victims last October 5, 2009 at the Aranet Coliseum. Though the proceeds are clearly for A CAUSE, you can really see both team's desire to win as this is their first time to clash since the launching of the Development Team under an Iranian Coach, Coach Rajko Toroman. I really can't wait to see Chris' post 'bout the game.

Meanwhile, here is an article from teampilipinas.info(gmanews.tv) about the game. Sorry for copy-pasting the article. I just thought that I love your version on how you blogged about the team & the win. And besides, no one's been reading my blog anyway so I think, no harm is done. Peace!:D

"The Smart Gilas team of Serbian coach Rajko Toroman has served notice of its readiness to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.

And they showed it by beating the country’s cream of the crop.

Relying not on anyone but everyone, Smart Gilas easily demolished an out-of-shape and undermanned Powerade-Pilipinas team, 98-69, Monday in the “Pinoy Basketball, Kakampi N’yo" fund-raising game at the Araneta Coliseum.

CJ Giles and Japeth Aguilar combined forces in possibly the most formidable frontline in Philippine basketball. Andy Barroca and JV Casio alternately played the point and held their own against their more experienced counterparts. And Dylan Ababou, Aldrech Ramos and Jason Ballesteros did a little bit of everything in handing Smart Gilas an easy triumph.

It was a game dominated by Toroman’s wards majority of the way.

They were only feeling their way around in the first few minutes of the first period, trailing by seven, 7-14, with James Yap and Willie Miller leading the way for Powerade.

Then came a big scoring outburst by Smart Gilas.

Giles and Aguilar made their presence felt inside and JV Casio fired a trey to cap off a big 17-5 exchange as the all-amateur team seized a 24-19 lead at the end of the first.

It was all Smart Gilas from there, leading by as many as 20 points twice in the third canto.

And with Giles and Chris Tiu combining for a one scintillating play to complete an alley-oop slam and push Smart Gilas to a 92-76 lead with only 2:16 left , the curtains finally fell on the all-pro Powerade-Pilipinas five, which didn’t have the chance of practicing since its eighth-place finish in the last FIBA Asia Championship.

Overall, Smart Gilas outplayed Powerade in almost all fronts.

Toroman’s troops shot the ball decently, making 37 of 78 attempts for a 47% clip, while Powerade struggled all game long and shot only 34%.

Smart Gilas, as expected, played better as a team, dishing out 17 assists more than Powerade-Pilipinas.

On rebounds, Giles, Aguilar and Ballesteros were too much as they terrorized the shaded lane and clobbered their rivals. Smart Gilas grabbed 60 rebounds to only 36 by Powerade.

Former Los Angeles Lakers Giles finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds and five shot blocks for Smart Gilas, which will play as a guest team in the coming PBA. Aguilar, the controversial top overall pick who previously suited up for Powerade-RP, had 24 points and four rebounds.

A project of basketball stockholders in the country led by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the PBA, the game was held for the benefit of victims of tropical storm “Ondoy" and in memory of Barako Bull executive Tony Chua, who perished at the height of the storm.