Maria Sharapova's Tie-breaker

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It was a match everybody was expecting to end in the altar November this year. Instead, it was extended to a tie-break. Nobody knows now who gets the "Advantage", but definitely there will be no match point. I am referring to the Le Affaire Sharapova-Vujacic.

After winning her 3rd round match in the ongoing US Open, Maria Sharapova, women's tennis royalty, let the cat out of the bag. Her love affair with boyfriend Sasha Vujacic is over, finis. And they parted ways end of spring this year with no one, not even the nosy press knowing it. She herself was surprised that nobody asked her about it.

In happier days, they looked a perfect match. Both are good looking, both have the height, both have the physique and figure many would envy. Most of all, both are popular and famous. Sharapova need not further introduction. She's women's tennis top attraction; that I could say without fear of contradiction. She's my idol too. What she wears in her games in every tournament is being awaited. That's her fashion statement. How she plays either excites or makes your heart break.Vujacic on the other hand played was an NBA star, a member of the popular champion Lakers team of Kobe Bryant and co. for many years until he was traded to the New Jersey Nets last season. This year he disappeared in the NBA when he decided to play professional basketball in Turkey. Where then did they go wrong?

Sharapova herself admitted that their busy schedules was it. In short, their long distance love affair just would not click. Vujacic's Turkey assignment further added their estrangement. Since he arrived there this season, Maria revealed he has not gone home in 10 months. Absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe they could find some rationalization knowing that this problem actually is common among sporting celebrities; especially if you're on the tour circuit where you go globetrotting the whole year round. Unless of course you are Mirka Federer, who retired in the sport and contented herself being the No.1 cheerer in every tournament of her beau of long years and husband later, Roger Federer.

The news spotlight of course will be on Sharapova. Already, the headlines are screaming: SHARAPOVA IS SINGLE ONCE AGAIN. Yahoo News put it nicely. " FINE TUNE YOUR BACKHAND, GENTLEMEN. MARIA SHARAPOVA IS BACK IN THE MARKET'.

US Open 2011: Hurting on Federer's Semis Loss

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I was hurt, my wife was hurt, and my kids were also hurt by that semi-final loss of our idol Roger Federer to top ranked and No.1 seed Novak Djokovich. It was a classic 5 set thriller but it was hurting how he lost that match. For sure, my friend from our NSC days, Vic, a.k.a. Ting was also hurt for he says, in those games when his idol Roger seemingly loses a match especially against Rafa Nadal, he would just switched off the TV. He just could not endure the suspense.

Advantage Federer. That was his position. He won the first 2 sets and Djoko had to extricate himself from a deep hole he was in by winning the 3rd and 4th sets to extend the match into a do or die 5th setter. Tied at 3 all, Federer stormed ahead to 5-3, and serving for the match, he reached an almost insurmountable triple match point. All he needed was an ace and the match is over. Djokovich himself looked resigned to his fate. But I don't know what happened. Pressure for sure, pressure he always handled in the past by his cool demeanor, must have crept on him. And Djokovich recovered, saved matchpoint and went on to tie the set at 5 apiece. Clearly, the tide turned in his favor, and ended at 7-5. All this time, the cameras would focus on Mirka for almost every point won or lost. She was shouting, cheering from the box, but how could we described how she felt after that loss? Didn't we said she's the most courageous woman in tennis?

So it's gonna be the No.1 seed vs the No.2, a rare happening. In fact to have the top 4 seeds in semis doesn't also happen often. It promises to be another classic match, a no holds barred encounter, power for power, speed for speed, and what have you. In last year's final, they also met with Nadal winning. So Djoko has a score to settle. Nadal has a mission to redeem his top ranked status. My crystal ball? It's gonna be Djokovich. Watch it live starting 4AM tomorrow, Manila time.

Roger Federer's Matchpoint: Mirka

Mirka at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors games

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Mirka. She is of course the wife of Roger Federer and mother of their two year old twin daughters. They got married in 2009 although they have been together for quite sometime now, ever since they met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where they both represented their country, Switzerland, in tennis. Hers is the face that regularly and constantly graces Federer's player's box in all his matches, especially during the tennis majors. No other woman, wife, girlfriend, or companion or whatever could match that adoring presence, much less survive the suspense, thrill, and excitement, in victory and defeat, every game her man played. Her "stamina" in the player's box for almost ten years now has the media describing her as "the most courageous woman" in tennis. I've seen and watched her perhaps since 2002 because the TV cameras have always focused on her. You could sense her joy when Federer scores and wins but likewise feel her pain and agony in those difficult moments and defeats of her man. We ourselves watching on TV could hardly bear those moments because we are Federer's big fans. How many times has he gone through tie breaks, 5 setters, etc.; those classic encounters with Rafa Nadal in Wimbledon and Australian Open where Federer broke down during the awarding ceremony . She's a major presence indeed in the tennis world but the significance of that presence was best described by Federer himself when he said, "Thanks to her, I have been very calm in the important moments of my career."

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Miroslava Vavrinec, a.k.a. Mirka was born in Bojnice, Slovakia (formerly Czechoslovakia). At age 2, her parents migrated to Switzerland. When she was 9, she watched tennis legend Martina Navratilova (also from Czechoslovakia but later acquired American citizenship) play in Germany. It was here that Navratilova took fancy on her, discovering a potential champion. Thereafter, she sent her a racket and gave her a trainer. At age 15, Mirka became Switzerland's Girls Junior champion. She attained her highest ranking in the ATP tour at No.76 in 2001 but recurring foot injury forced her to retire in 2002. Since then, she went with Federer with a role as Press and Public Relations Manager. It is said that in those years that Federer didn't have a coach and manager, she also acted as one because being a professional player herself, she knows tennis. Her addiction to chewing gums is famous and you could see her continually chewing during the games. And unlike most wives, celebrities, etc, she doesn't have a blog nor a twitter account.

Mirka, called Federer's secret weapon by The Independent

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She has a beautiful face that still looks the same after 10 years. She may have gained weight but it is still that face that launched 200km/hr serves and aces in Roger Federer's arsenal. Federer is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, having won the most number of tennis major titles at 16 at all four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US Open. And perhaps still going. But many agree that he couldn't have accomplished everything he has in his career without the "constant, loving, sympathetic, and knowledgeable" presence of Mirka. German tennis legend Boris Becker aptly described their relationship: "So this is it. Match point for eternity."  

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Love Matches of Tennis Superstars

Jelena Ristic, Novak Djokovic's girl

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It's interesting and quite "showbizzy" to be following ( to know maybe is the more appropriate word ) the loves of our idol tennis superstars. My wife even quipped,"why, do they still have time for that?" Yet, when you read that this and that have already broken up, the most common reason they cite is, "we just didn't have time for each other". For me, I just love to hear that he or she is in love with this girl or man.

During a match, watch out for that beautiful lady or handsome gentleman in the player's box   which the TV camera focuses from time to time. No doubt, she's the girlfriend or wife or he's the boyfriend or husband. More often, it is the TV that confirms the relationship.

First on the roll. World's No.1 Novak Djokovic's girlfriend, Jelena Ristic.Also from Serbia, she's Novak's longtime girlfriend, described by the press as the lady with "a flawless face, beautiful hair, delicate body, and a beautiful smile".She's not always at his box for she stays in Monaco, pursuing a Master's degree and working as Human Resource Coordinator in a Libyan oil company. A few days ago, it was confirmed that they are finally getting married next month, with Scotman, World No.4 Andy Murray as the best man. Headlining the women's draw is No.1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and boyfriend, young golfer sensation and one time Major winner Rory McIllroy. Good match. Both aces. Reminds me of another tennis-golf love pair before: Swiss No.1 Martina Hingis and Spain's top golfer, Sergio Garcia. Now, Maria Sharapova, tennis' poster girl, is engaged to Sasha Vujacivic who helped Kobe Bryant and the Lakers win their 3rd straight NBA title a year ago but who now plays with the New Jersey Nets. This is another good match and a slam dunk showtime. We could add Ana Ivanovic and golf sensation Australian  Adam Scott.  These are just a few of those love matches.

But I think the two greatest matches so far is the Roger-Mirka Federer and the Andrei Agassi-Steffie Graf love affairs.Theirs are beautiful and enduring love stories that need a separate story telling.