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Category Archives: Quotable Quotes

Marion Bartoli Discusses Her Exclusion From London Olympics

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 19, 2012

After spending the last couple of months appealing to the powers-that-be for a reprieve to the FFT’s ruiling that Bartoli would not be participating in the Olympics, it appears that Marion Bartoli finally all but admitted defeat while addressing the issue after yesterdays victory over Jelena Dokic.

“It’s really heartbreaking for me. Honestly I really do feel I have a chance to make a medal over there and especially at Wimbledon, on grass, where I had so much success in the past, and can’t go there just for some stupid reason [...]”

The “stupid reason” Marion is referring to, is one that requires teammates to train together as a (*gasp*) team during the week of the tie. Rather than training with the team, Bartoli has always requested for the rules to be changed in order to allow her father coach her during Fed Cup weeks.

This issue is also one that has actually been previously visited. Back in 2002, then-Fed Cup Captain Billie Jean King made the decision to exclude Jennifer Capriati - her number one player - after she was caught receiving illegal coaching from her notorious father on the evening before the first match.

Capriati learnt her lesson however, and she didn’t ever attempt to challenge the rules afterwards. On the other hand, four years after facing her first Olympic snub in Beijing, Marion is still complaining and refusing to comply with the rules. If she really wanted to represent her country at the Olympic games, then she only has herself to blame.

Dramz, London Olympics, Marion Bartoli, Quotable Quotes

Shock Of The Century; Serena “Loves” Tennis Again…

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on January 15, 2012

Barely over a week after she already infamously announced her dislike for tennis, Serena Williams took the most unsurprising U-Turn in the history of the world, yesterday proclaiming her “love” for the sport once again;

“I just love the sport so much; I love trophies and I love hanging them up, and I love the competition. This is what I love. This is my job and you get to do something that.. you travel the world, and you don’t get to do that often so it’s pretty cool.”

The hoopla over Serena’s comments in Brisbane were beyond comical. Not only were they not even remotely bad or shocking, but after spending the last thirteen years watching Williams use press conferences as anything from venting/therapy sessions to simply letting her crazy out and having a hoard of people listen to speak absolute gibberish, you would think they would know to take most of what the champion says with a pinch of salt.

Needless to say, I’m sure Serena had quite the chuckle over this whole episode.

Australian Open, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams

Quotable Quotes: Nadal Calls For Less Hardcourt Tournaments

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on January 14, 2012

Right off the back of the calendar, rankings and Davis Cup drama that we spent so much time on in the fall of 2011, Rafael Nadal has opened up yet a new can of worms by suggesting that the amount of hardcourt events should be cut due to the effects the courts have on tennis players’ bodies;

“The only negative thing about tennis, if I have to say one, is that the competition is too much”

*he says after spending the last three months complaining about every aspect of professional tennis he could possibly complain about*

“The calendar makes the sport too hard; the hardcourts are too aggressive on the body. I really believe that can change. Without health, (performance) is impossible… I am not saying that we don’t have to play in this type of courts, but thinking about health, I don’t see footballers on the hard like this. I don’t see the basketballers playing on the hard like this. All the sports that have aggressive movements are playing on softer surfaces. This surface, in my opinion, is very bad for the lower back, for the knees, for all of this. It makes me scared for my body for the future.”

On one hand Nadal actually has a point; with every passing year, tennis is taking more and more of a toll on the body. At this point, it feels like the sport is screaming out for just a slight return to simpler times when the Grass season was actually a season, rather than there being just two tournaments squashed between two slams. After all, a more prominent grass season would have great benefits from an entertainment point of view as well as the good it would do to players’ bodies.

However, hardcourts are hardcourts and will always play a pivotal and the most important role on the tour. What makes them so dangerous on the body isn’t their mere existence, but rather the (selfish) decision from the tennis governing bodies to slow practically every single hard court in the world over the last decade.

The solution of speeding up the courts is an simple one, but would Nadal really ever agree to a move that - though it would benefit him physically - would likely have less favourable consequences for his game and results? Yeah… no. And so once again it appears, probably not even intentionally, that Rafa wants to have his cake and eat it too.

All that said, it has been quite refreshing to see Nadal so candid and open about his issues with the tour, rather than sitting back and hiding behind the language barrier and his whole ‘quiet and humble’ persona. Despite common sense sometimes evading him and personal bias clouding his judgement at times, he has brought up some important points and his heart is certainly in the right place.

Australian Open, Quotable Quotes, Rafael Nadal

Quotable Quotes: Nadal Makes A Few Adjustments

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 2, 2012

One Slam title, two slam finals, a masters title, a comfortable top two finish for the 7th straight year, and yet 2011 was quite a tough year to swallow for Nadal and his fans. After the countless losses to Djokovic in the first half of the season followed by injury and defeats to just about every man and his dog in the second half, he finally made the decision to switch things up and try out a new racket in the off-season.

“My preparation is not the perfect one, and I’m trying to play with a little bit heavier racket, to get a little bit more power,” Nadal said. “(With the new racket) I’m losing a little bit of control now, sometimes I don’t feel the forehand as good as before. But it’s something that I believe can help me in the future. After the Davis Cup final I had all the rackets prepared at home to change. In theory I’m supposed to practice almost a month or at least three weeks with the (new) racket, but finally I practiced only one week, and I’m here now, so probably it’s not good enough.

“You can’t think that everything will be perfect from the beginning, but you make the change thinking it’ll be better in the future. There’s no magic, but the new racket can help a little bit to improve my game. It’s a risk I’m taking at the beginning of the season.”

What I have always admired more than anything about Nadal is his ever-present willingness to make adjustments and improvements his game. While enjoying such an illustrious and legendary career as his, it must be so easy to refuse to change what, for the most part, has been a winning formular over the year.

But that’s not how Rafael Nadal’s mind works, and while Federer is still putting himself at a disadvantage by competing with his 967,532 year-old racket frame (one that the dinosaurs probably would have turned their noses up at), Nadal is forever looking to improve even the tiniest and least important mechanics of his game. We only have to look back to the 2010 US Open and at the completely reckless adjustment to his serve on the eve of the tournament. In retrospect, the likelihood is that he would still be chasing the Career Grand Slam had he not taken that risk.

As for this specific racket change, we’ll soon see whether or not it pays dividends. But one thing’s for sure, Nadal creates easily more racket head speed than just about any other player in the history. The new racket isn’t going to single-handedly catapult him out of Djokovic’s shadow again - trusting himself to hit through the ball, and to do so in the tight and important moments, will. We’ll see.

ATP, News, Quotable Quotes, Rafael Nadal

Quotable Quotes: Serena Defends Her US Open Rant

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 1, 2012

Undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of 2011, Serena was once again quizzed on her infamous rant at the US Open final ahead of her first match at the Brisbane International. The last time she spoke on this issue she was forced to issue an apology to Asderaki, but this time it was completely different.

“I honestly think I was really toned down, like I didn’t use any bad language or anything,” she said. “So I wouldn’t change it so much. I’m an emotional player and I’m an extremely emotional person, oh my goodness. It was what it was. It was great [...] I’m always going to be me. If that means I’m giving 200 per cent then that’s how I am. I love that and I think people can respect that when they see me play.”

There’s no doubt that Serena’s rant during that fateful final was a mess. A hilarious mess, yes, but it was childish and completely melodramatic.

However, she does raise a good point as the incident - if we can even call it that - has definitely been blown out of proportion. Considering this sport has spent the last twenty years worshipping every square millimetre of earth that John McEnroe has walked on because of his routine tantrums, daily verbal abuse of umpires and his blatant gamesmanship, I think it may be time for us all to move on in 2012.

I’m not that naive, though. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about this for months and years to come.

Brisbane, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams

Quotable Quotes: Venus Opens Up About Her Illness

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on December 30, 2011

Four months after dramatically pulling out of the US Open due to Sjogren’s syndrome, Venus Williams has finally spoken candidly about her battle with Sjrojens Syndrome. Conversing with People magazine, the seven-time Slam champion discussed her reaction and recovery after being dealt such a dramatic mental and pysical blow.

“I couldn’t raise my arm over my head, the racket felt like concrete. I had no feelings in my hands,” she told People. “They were swollen and itchy. I realised (her match against Lisicki) would be a miserable show. [...] I would go to the doctor and start crying. I couldn’t help it. I just want a chance to play on the same field as other people, I want to feel normal, but as frightening as the diagnosis was, it was also a relief. I wasn’t crazy and I wasn’t lazy; I thought, ‘is this a mental problem? Maybe I need to work harder.’”

After reading about Venus’ experience, it’s not hard to see why her comeback has and will continue to demand such a titanic effort on her part.

Even taking the whole tennis match aspect of being a professional tennis player out of the equation, this profession demands more of it’s athletes than practically any other sport; from grueling gym, fitness and on-court training reigimes, to the constant traveling and the rapid changes in climate and conditions. The idea of managing these normal requirements of a professional tennis player while keeping her illness in check seems like nothing but an unrealistic dream.

And yet, if there is anyone with the discipline, class and sheer determination to stay on top of this illness and close out the rest of her career in style, it’s ‘The Fucking Venus Williams’. There’s hope for the legend yet.

News, Quotable Quotes, Venus Williams, WTA, WTA off-court

The Horrific Chakvetadze Burglary; Finally Revealed

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on December 7, 2011

It has been almost four years since Anna Chakvetadze and her family were burgled and robbed at knifepoint in her own home on new years eve. In the years that have followed, the Russian’s once glittering career has fallen into the gutter, with the oft-discussed loss of the form that took her to number four in the rankings swiftly followed by the double hammer-blow of Chakvetadze encountering serious health problems. And while it appears melodramatic to suggest that the one remote incident on the eve of 2008 played a role in all of Chakvetadze’s woes that have followed, it’s tough to overstate just how pivotal the gruesome burglary and subsequent events have been for Chakvetadze in the four years that have followed.

Most have heard about the incident that took place; about the six masked men who gained entry by knocking the houemaid out cold and gaining entry through her quarters. After battering the 24 year-old’s father, Djamal, with a pistol and putting a knife to her mother’s throat, the thieves made away with over $250k dollars and many more valuables. The attack left Djamal Chakvetadze in need of surgery on both his shoulder and hand, while Anna was left with an injured wrist.

Sadly, this hardly signaled the end of the ordeal. Afterwards, Shamil Tarpishchev used his political influence to reach out to regional governors in order to find the thiefs and put them to justice. But all that has followed is a trail of corruption, with the police bribed into picking up six innocent men off the streets and torturing them in custody until they confessed to crimes they never committed. Djamal was eventually tipped off to the fact that the men indicted for the burlary were innocent, but even with the names of the guilty and DNA evidence of the intruders, the police continue to refuse to pay him any attention.

Thus, in addition to her tennis falling apart after the incident and her health following suit throughout this year, Chakvetadze continues to live in fear with her attackers still roaming the streets without fear of rebuttal for their crimes. Her father revealed that she still struggles to sleep and regularly wakes up in shock at 3am each time - the very time the burglars stormed their property. And considering the criminals pledged to return again to the Chakvetadze household as they made their escape, it’s hard to believe that those nightmares will be stopping anytime soon.

(via Novaya Gazeta)

Anna Chakvetadze, News, Quotable Quotes, WTA off-court

Quotable Quotes: Serena Accidently Lets Slip Her Real Reason For Skipping Asia

Leave a Comment Posted by footfaulter on December 2, 2011

After her disappointing and already-infamous loss to Sam Stosur in this year’s US Open final, Serena Williams made the decision to withdraw from Tokyo, Beijing and all other remaining events in 2011 and to instead immediately turn her attention to 2012. The 30 year-old’s official excuse for withdrawing from the premier+ has a well-guarded secret, and even as many began to speculate on the disappearance of her name from all fall events, both the WTA and Serena’s camp refused to give anything away.

However, according to ESPN, during the media rounds ahead of her Milan exhibition alongside Venus Williams, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, the 13-time Grand Slam champion herself was controversially candid when discussing her absence from the fall events of 2011.

“I was tired after the Open and didn’t want to go to Asia,” she said before bursting into laughter and correcting herself. Well no, I was injured.”

Oh, Serena.

Of course, anyone with the tiniest amount of common sense knew this immediately after her shock loss to Stosur and had made peace with the fact that that, with no major title to play for after losing the US Open final (Williams was all but out of the race for Istanbul by virtue of losing that final), Williams would likely close up shop on 2011 and recuperate back home. However, though some can say that she has earnt it, Serena sitting there and chuckling heartily not wanting to play in Asia does make quite a mockery of the WTA; we know she’s bigger than the WTA and its rules, the WTA knows she is, and evidently she does too.

But hey, at least she was honest when asked, rather than lamely attempting to blame her withdrawal on non-existent radiation and a natural disaster that occurred a good six/seven months prior to the Asian swing. Ahem.

News, Only god is the jurge(((, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams

Quotable Quotes: Serena and Venus Williams Land in Colombia

Leave a Comment Posted by footfaulter on November 23, 2011

After arriving in Colombia for their long-awaited return to the courts in a singles exhibition match, the Williams sisters sat down to address over one hundred national and international journalists ahead of Thursday’s matchup.

Serena on getting back to number one.
“I definitely see myself as at least in the top five. Obviously with me being someone who wants to be the best and the greatest, that’s not good enough for me. I am currently ranked twelve, and I think is a good place to start and try to find again the world number one next year. We’ll see how it goes. It’s not like I’m starting at 100 so I have a good chance of getting there very soon. “I didn’t start until summer. I worked really hard to get some good results so that I would have a good year going and a good next year. So I think next year could be a good year for me to try to make some goals and see where I can end up.”

On their rivalry
“When we play, we can’t help but take it very seriously, because we have always tried to get the best from each other, try to play the best games we can play because we are very tough competitors. We always enjoyed playing tennis a lot, we knew we had to train hard and that was part of the work we had to do, but that hard work paid off. What motivated us was the fact that we really liked tennis. Our parents have been very important in it all. They have played an important role in our lives and without their support we would never have come to where we are right now,”

Venus on the oft-discussed WTA number one spot:
“Women’s tennis has experienced two situations. There used to be number ones for long periods, but now it changes a lot. I think this is positive because the tennis is unpredictable and next year the struggle for number one will be very entertaining. My opponent tomorrow night is definitely one of my biggest challenges. I hope maybe she doesn’t play as well as normal so I can have a win. (laughter.)”

After shockingly being diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome at the US Open and consequently dropping out of the remaining tournaments in 2011, all eyes will particularly be on the elder Williams as she looks to overcome her biggest hurdle yet after undoubtedly the toughest season of career. And for once, she’s setting a good tone with that weave.

Exhibitions, Pictures, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams, Venus Williams

Transsexual Player Andrea Paredes Gets First Ranking, Announces herself As The World’s Saviour

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on November 22, 2011

Remember Andrea Paredes, the first transsexual to ever compete in a professional event since Renee Richards? This week, she will finally pick up a ranking for the first time after being awarded a wildcard into three tournaments and notching up an impressively atrocious 0-4 record in matches, 0-8 in sets and 1-48 in games in them.

Despite only participating in a handful of events over the last couple of years, interesting stories of the Chilean are slowly making their way to the internet. Most notably, an article dating back to around 2004 was published of the 37 year-old discussing the end of the world and how she has been personally recruited by God to stop it.

The tennis player calls herself to be “one of the leading thinkers of the Chilean economy”, believing herself to be sent from heaven to save the world from a “motorola-type” chip which will eventually be incrusted beneath the skin of every human being, making every human instantly trackable. She says all money will soon be electronic, ruled by a worldwide government led by the Antichrist.

Her best quotes:

“I’m one of the main Chilean thinkers of the new economy. Besides, I’m very mystical and esoteric; I’ve studied about the profecies and the Antichrist”,

“The worst part is that if anyone tries to take (the chip) out he could die, and even if you managed to do it, the police of the world will arrest you. We’ll all be forced to wear the chip”.

“Here in Chile they’re already putting it in animals. With that chip no one will be able to avoid paying taxes, because it’s a GPS system”.

“The Bible says “neither the poor nor the rich, nor slaves nor the free, no master and no serf, no one will be able to shop if they haven’t got the 666, which is the internet protocol and the chip. An evil dictatorship is going to be imposed through it.”

“The Antichrist will become the president of the European Union and will establish a worldwide goverment that would allow him to control everything, not just the economy but our souls too.”

“In 2012 Jesus Christ will come and find a world that allows everything… the world will be a field of black magic, everybody will have sex with everybody. We’ll live in an apparently happy and perfect world and that’s how the devil will get our souls and when God confronts him, the devil will answer that we belong to him because we have his mark, -the chip-.”

Lovely.

I may not be one of the leading thinkers of the UK, but as far as I know, this hasn’t yet happened and won’t ever happen. But then again, moments ago news just broke that Andy Murray has pulled out of the World Tour Finals, meaning that Janko Tipsarevic will take his place and make his debut in the event. Thus, both stranger and more sinister things have already happened.

(translation via TF)

(WTA) ITF Challenger, Dramz, Only god is the jurge(((, Other, Quotable Quotes

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