Wednesday, July 11, 2007

A True Champ.


"Rafa is a fantastic player who will be around longer than me so I'm happy to win again before he takes them all. It was a close match and I told Rafa at the net that he deserved it as well. Today I was the lucky one."

~Roger Federer, after his 5 set grass court drama at Wimbeldon~

Y'know what? For this reason alone, Federer will go down in the tennis books of history as one of the greatest Champions of all time.

How often do we look at our competitors with respect; instead of green eyed envy? How often can we excercise such humility? Think about it. Federer has won Wimbeldon five years running now. He equals Bjorn Borg's record; and who knows maybe he will break it. Federer has been hailed as "the Scientist" for his smarts on the court. Bjorn Borg called his playing like 'an orchestra'.


I think its fantastic that kids today can look up to a man like Roger. He's modest, sincere, and never over the top or loses his cool. He's such a champ. I am really happy he won. Even though I still kinda wish Nadal won instead... :P

[And just to let y'all know: Nadal said some very nice things about Fed after the match as well. I choose to post about Federer, because being 'the best' can so easily get to your head. If any of you followed Martina Hingis' pre-retirement days you'd know what I'm talking about.]

Anyhoo, on to other things...

Tomorrow will be my last day at ESPN for the week. We've been instructed to write mini-blogs about sports. Will let you know on the site as soon as I find out myself!

I have an interview with Urban today.. y'know. 'The ten things' in your bag thingie. :)

I am so tired today, can you tell my post is really boring and I can't put interesting words together anymore? lol.. I was up playing an online game of poker. No money one, it was just playing against the computer software... supposed to be 'practice' for online gambling. Made about $300+K and decided to call it a night. hehe.

Well this weekend I'll be going to Malaysia; this time I'll be going to Ipoh with my dad for (another) dog show. Wish me luck! :)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're right about Hingis, she was a brewing pot for controversy back then. She's probably paying for it now by getting her a** whooped regularly on the courts!

Anyway since you're modest about posting Rafa's post-match comments, here it is, inspirational in its own right:

“He [Federer] is very close to being the greatest player of all time... His tennis is unbelievable. But I am a better player than last year, as I’ve said already this week. Maybe not as good as Roger right now because he has 11 Slams, me three. But I am young. I am improving every season. Today was tough for me but at the same time it’s good for me to be playing at a similar level to the best in the world on grass.”

Since Lady Luck seems to be smiling on you, plus your present "championship" mentality, why not go ahead and win $300k for real whilst you're in Malaysia this weekend? Then come back and give us a treat. :)

And your question of, "How often do we look at our competitors with respect; instead of green eyed envy? How often can we excercise such humility?"...

The unique thing about being No.1 is that though it's not easy to be humble all the time, it's not common to be envious either, simply because: why should you be envious of those ranked lower than you?

But it's true that respect for fellow athletes is paramount, especially if you're No.1. Respect for the blood, tears and sweat that fellow competitors have put in, just as you yourself have.

When you won Miss Malaysia in 2004 (and even now), how did (do) you view your fellow competitors? Tell us of any who had deserved your respect.

Anonymous said...

hey,ur talking bout sports,which is rather boring 2 me in words,haha.but take care of urself,n lemme wish u luck in ipoh.

adelin said...

waahaa......great.. soon i will know what are the things (:D models/brands) in andrea bag.
kekeke let me guess
1.handphone
2.laptop
3.wallet
4.mp3 player
5.makeup bag (comb/powder etc.)
6.tissue
7.notes
8.pencilbox
9.thumbdrive
10.camera
11.keys
the list can go on and on.........

Dear Andrea, your interview till be out on which issue of urban??
:D

-f-l-o- said...

Hey Andrea,

I was in Mallorca, sipping sangria at the bar by the beach with eyes hooked to the telly watching Wimbledon final last weekend. Most of us were rooting for the Mallorcan homegrown, of course... but he lost. The best way to deal with it? Run straight to the beach and jump into the Mediterranean sea.

Federer is a legend.

Anonymous said...

Firstly Scorpion:) You have posted a very interesting question and I am waiting patiently for Andrea's reply too:)

Just wanna to add to Andrea's post;
How often do we look at our competitors with respect; instead of green eyed envy? How often can we excercise such humility?

Honestly, only achievers exercise humility because, he/ she has done it. Sad to say, for those who has not or yet achieved, are those whose lack of humility. I may be wrong, but I have realised this through years of observation. I must admit that I am one of those who occasionally can't refrain myself from exercising humility because we required alot of attention, acknowlegement and assurance, which we are still fighting to achieve our goals. Well, that is not a bad thing, provide you realise it early and change your mindset and attitude, if not, believe me, you will ended up no where.

Stay in tune with humility. Eventually, You will be acknowledged if you desevered to be:)

Good luck:)

PS: Sorry my thai english not too good hope you guys understand what I am trying to say and share k:)

Anonymous said...

FLO, Wah! I wish I was there:) Green eyed Monster hee hee. Joking la. Hope you have had a wondeful trip even Nadal lost:) Cheers!

Good Nite ` Kimmi said...

hey ya every body =) + andrea + all my friend here " if i even have 1 or 0 HAHA "

wa andrea, u are a real smart gambler . win money already then call it a nite . haha

how i wish u win REAL MONEY la haha. rich ler then maybe can treat your "blog fan" for dinner mah WKAKAK!

hmm some thing about dog. i bet ppl watch this video and their tears will fall lo haha. unless u hate dogs and stuff la haha.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jDhWV4QNrwU

v touching yea?

Anonymous said...

"...modest, sincere...never over the top or loses his cool."

Yes, RF typifies what I was writing about..."nice" doesn't have to be "weak". I'm getting there, but I have to temper my...temper. :P

I was also supporting RF that night in an attempt to get a rise out of you...did NOT seem to work. :P AND I wanted him to match the BB record... :D

You ran off QUICK that day/night...everybody did! I was, like, "Who won? Where's everybody? Are those CRICKETS chirping? Where'd that tumbleweed come from?" :O

Hingis...maybe she wasn't a cool personality, but she was a technician/tactician who destroyed a sea of power-hitters. She was, like RF, a "scientist". :P

"...dog show..."

What would happen if the dogs at these shows ever smelled your cats "on" you? :O Would the ensuing event be called a "catfight" or "dogfight"? :O

Anonymous said...

Gabs...

If you read my post about petty tyrants, you'll have realized/realised we're in complete agreement on the issue of humility...something with which I have struggled.

And don't worry about your writing...substance always triumphs over style.

Anonymous said...

Hey, good luck with the doggie show this weekend in Ipoh, maybe you could drop by and say 'hi' and do a quick lunch or dinner?

Anonymous said...

You're going back again? After you've been home a while, do you ever feel like staying put?

I'm not talking about anything serious, just about that "I want to be pampered by my parents" or "I don't want to go back to work" vibe...

You do, don't you? Be honest... :)

Anonymous said...

Wow some people have alot of guts. One post, "grow a brain" and the next "go out on a date with me"?

~~Rolls on the floor laughing~~

You REALLY think Andrea is going to reply and say, Ok sure, Hobbes. take me out for dinner, please!!

Hahahahaha!

adelin said...

Andrea, have a safe trip okie.

Remember to come back to singapore smile.......smile..............

Anonymous said...

anonymous: Don't start.

Anonymous said...

Never, ever, doubt the power of Ipoh 'tau gay'!

Anonymous said...

PF, Could you direct me to you post. Can't seem to remember le. Cheers:)

Anonymous said...

Yap Andrea,

Have a safe trip to the North. This time will be a longer one to Ipoh. Must be tiring.

Do me a favour k:) could you makan the Ipoh Yong tau fu and fried intestine on my behalf..love it hee hee:)

Best wishes on the show.

Be careful k:)

Anonymous said...

Hello Andrea!

wow.what a busy schedule u have!I cant wait to read urban.hehe.Wonder what are the ten things in you your bag.

Have A safe trip to ipoh okies!And Good luck to you,your dogs and Dad.Hope that you will come home with a medal!

Anonymous said...

Gabe,pathfinder,and to all.Hellos.I finally posted hahas.Didnt find the time.But arent your glad i am back!hahas

Anonymous said...

Heys.Did anyone see The Live The Dream Advertisement?Its was great.You did a great job Andrea!Three Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Weilin...

It's nice to see you. :) I'm not all that fond of the ad. :P

Anonymous said...

You might be interested in this article...

August 9, 2007, 12:58 pm

Suspicious Betting in a Tennis Match

Nikolay Davydenko looked like a pretty safe bet going into last week’s Prokom Open in Poland. The tennis star was the No. 4 men’s player in the world, the top seed going into the tournament, and, as if that weren’t enough, he won Prokom last year.


Nikolay Davydenko receives treatment on his foot during his second-round match at the Prokom Open. (AP photo)
So when bets were accepted for Mr. Davydenko’s second-round match against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello, Mr. Davydenko was the clear favorite — that is, up until about an hour before the match. Then a strange thing happened: In unusually heavy volume on London betting exchange Betfair Ltd., so many people began putting money on Mr. Arguello that he became the favorite to win. And even after Mr. Davydenko clinched the first set of the match, betting on Mr. Arguello continued to increase. Mr. Arguello then won the second set, and in the middle of the third set, Mr. Davydenko abruptly resigned from the match, citing a toe injury and handing Mr. Arguello a victory.

The Arguello bettors were either very lucky, or knew something they shouldn’t have. In any case, their anticipated payday didn’t come through as Betfair, which pairs bettors in around 400,000 contests each year, voided all bets for the first time in its seven-year history. Betfair alerted the Association of Tennis Professionals, which organizes the men’s tennis tour, to what it considered suspicious betting activity, and the ATP is now investigating.

“When a player who is No. 4 in the world drifts off like that, alarm bells start ringing,” Betfair spokesman Robin Marks told me. “It’s against all rational betting patterns.”

Betfair is a large betting exchange where gamblers are matched with bettors willing to take the opposite bet (Betfair takes a small cut, regardless of who wins). Unlike a sports book, where odds are fixed by the bookmaker, the payouts at Betfair fluctuate depending on demand. Until an hour before the match, £1 ($2.03) bet on Mr. Davydenko would pay out just 25 pence (51 cents), according to numbers sent to me by Mr. Marks. By the completion of the first set, Mr. Arguello was paying just 30 pence for a £1 bet, and Mr. Davydenko was paying £3 for the same bet. Overall volume for the match was £3.59 million, or roughly 10 times typical volume for the second-round match of a minor tournament. (Mr. Arguello went on to lose in the third round of the tournament.)

During the Davydenko-Arguello match, Mr. Marks said, members of a 40-person team at Betfair assigned to be “constantly looking at betting patterns, numbers and figures” spotted the suspicious betting activity. The company is now participating with the ATP’s inquiry. “It is important that we not jump to conclusions especially when players’ reputations could be unfairly tainted,” ATP Executive Chairman Etienne de Villiers said in a prepared statement. An ATP spokesman declined to comment further. Mr. Davydenko’s agent told ABC News that Mr. Davydenko “has nothing whatsoever to do” with the betting patterns. Mr. Davydenko is playing in the Rogers Cup this week in Montreal, where he won his second-round match on Wednesday.

The case demonstrates how closely monitoring betting numbers can help alert sporting officials to potential wrongdoing, a point I explored in a recent column about the gambling controversy in U.S. professional basketball. But it also demonstrates that such a system would need to incorporate sports numbers and human judgment.

Benjamin Alamar, editor of the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, told me that such an early-warning system could look for contradictions between the trend in the match — Mr. Davydenko winning — and the direction of betting. “However, this system would simply indicate that something might be going on,” Mr. Alamar said. To verify, tape of the match would have to be reviewed to see if Mr. Davydenko’s injury was apparent. Mr. Marks told me that a Betfair employee watching the match saw no evidence of injury until a trainer visited Mr. Davydenko in the second round. Another factor is tennis’s varying surfaces: Bettors may have based their wagers on Mr. Davydenko’s three consecutive losses on clay before the Prokom Open, to players ranked Nos. 57, 81 and 50, as pointed out by the sports-gambling information Web site Covers.com.