Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Tennis Star Rafael Nadal Remains in Limbo

Not sure defeat to David Ferrer in Monte Carlo affect him more than necessary. He refuses, but something is happening to Rafael Nadal for not regaining his confidence. He lost in the quarterfinal against Nicolas Almagro in Barcelona Open again in the quarterfinals. "He played too tight and that prevents him from returning to his best," says Toni Nadal. The point is that in their debut in the Tournament of Barcelona, his club, Nadal suffered much over the odds to defeat an inspired Albert Ramos, who took the tie break in the original manga and 6-4 in the second after an hour and 56 minutes.

That's not usual. Ramos played at a high level, adjusted for baseline and occasionally breaking up the game with balls and balloons left. But that is not usually a problem for the world number one. Nadal is not right. His balls lack depth and do not have the ability to overwhelm opponents. Now, earn the most points by exhaustion overflow. And besides, is very irregular. It is not that tight, invulnerable player whose mindset dismantled all its rivals. Not the man of the 13 Grand Slam titles. He lacks confidence. It is probably only a matter of a couple of games to finish cleaning his head bad memories and recall the feelings that now is not on the track.

Seems to have not yet forgotten the Australia Open final he lost with back problems, compared to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka. "I had prepared thoroughly for that tournament. Generated insecurity And lose me and a mental letdown," confessed shortly after arriving in Barcelona, where you get the Sport and Culture prize in his sporting side. Yes there his punches flow naturally and it shows you have good feelings. The victory over Ramos can help you pick the pulse of the competition, because he was able to win without playing their best. And now he will face Croatian Ivan Dodig, who at 29 seems to have already given the best of her tennis career. Since last February have won a game and lost three times in the first round. For Nadal, it may be a good time to regain confidence.

"I played dull but with passion and intensity," admitted Nadal. "It was an important match for me and I think I've faced with the right attitude, accepting my mistakes and forgetting the points I lost." Nadal won his 40th straight win at the tournament in Barcelona. " Today I experienced the whole game because I have not played my usual level, but the motivation and enthusiasm are always there. Sensations are recovering slowly. Better hope to play against Dodig."

Nadal seemed confident and was looking for his 9th title in Barcelona Open but lost 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 to Nicolas Almagro, just a week after going out in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters to David Ferrer. Nadal was shocked once again in the span of a few weeks.

What is already clear is that the hypothetical final between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer was frustrated at the debut of the Valencian David Ferrer. The of Javea, 32, lost to Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili, 28, 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 21 minutes. Gabashvili had not passed the second round of the Barcelona tournament eight times he had participated. Ferrer, however, played four late - he lost to Rafa Nadal, but last year also succumbed the day of its debut in the second round.

Ferrer, 5th global player, won this year's tournament in Buenos Aires, but it seems to be going through its best game. Fell in the Australia Open quarter- final against Berdych and last week removed Rafa Nadal for the first time on clay in the last 10 years in the quarterfinals of the Open de Montecarlo, before being defeated by the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in two rounds.

 
 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tennis: Wimbledon first-round losers set to be financial winners

LONDON (REUTERS) - First-round singles losers at this year's Wimbledon tennis championships will receive 27,000 pounds (S$57,000) prize money as organisers continue to help the sport's lesser lights make ends meet.

Outlining how the grass-court Grand Slam tournament's increased 25 million pounds prize pot will be distributed, the All England Club announced a 14.9 per cent raise for first-round losers in the main draw of the men's and women's singles.

At the top end, this year's singles champions will bank 1.76 million pounds, a 10 per cent increase on the 1.6 million pounds Andy Murray and Marion Bartoli earned last year.

That compares favourably with the 1.65 million euros (S$2.9 million) for the singles champions at next month's French Open, while Stanislas Wawrinka and Li Na earned US$2.65 million (S$3.3 million) for their wins at the Australian Open in January.

read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sport/tennis/story/tennis-wimbledon-first-round-losers-set-be-financial-winners-20140429 


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Monday, April 28, 2014

Roger Federer? No way! The 6 most overrated tennis players ever


Tennis fans often argue over which underappreciated or forgotten players should be considered all-time greats. 1930s star Ellsworth Vines comes to mind. And, more recently, Jan Kodes. But what about the players whose reputations are greater than they should be?

Well, fans argue about that, too. Based on a very unscientific survey of serious tennis fans in my orbit, along with my memory of overhearing tournament commentators and spectators over the years, I have picked out six players who have been accused of being overrated. Do all of these legends belong on a list of overrated players? I certainly don't think so. Point being: please keep in mind that the arguments put forward below are the ones out there in the tennis universe, not necessarily mine. (In other words, don't shoot the messenger!) I do let my loyalties show in how I have ranked the players, from, strictly in my opinion, least or not at all overrated (number 6) to legitimately overrated (number 1).

All of that said, tell me which of these arguments ring true with you -- and which you think are total poppycock. Who else should have been included here instead of one or more of those listed? Weigh in below.

6. Rod Laver

The argument: He won his first Grand Slam, the 1962 amateur Slam, when the best players in the world -- Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Alex Olmedo and Pancho Gonzales -- were barred from the majors. He won his second Grand Slam, the 1969 Open era Slam, when 33-year-old Olmedo, 34-year-old Rosewall, 34-year-old Hoad and 40-year-old Gonzales were all beyond their best years and/or semi-retired -- and the younger, newer pros were still adjusting to the influx of battle-hardened barnstormers. He holds a solid 80-64 lead in documented matches against Rosewall, his chief rival, but the first time they met, in 1963, Rosewall was already 28, Laver an in-his-prime 24.

5. Roger Federer

The argument: During Federer's 2004-2009 heyday, people routinely called the all-time major champion the greatest player of all time, pointing to both his astounding accomplishments and his beautiful, all-around game. But how can he be the greatest ever when he isn't even the best in his own time? This is, yes, about Federer's poor head-to-head record against Rafael Nadal -- 10-23 overall and an even worse 2-9 in major tournaments. True, Federer just happens to match up particularly badly against Nadal, what with Rafa's unprecedentedly mammoth lefty spin going naturally to the Swiss' one-handed backhand. But shouldn't the GOAT still find a way more than twice in 11 tries in the sport's biggest tournaments?

4. Boris Becker

The argument: At 18, he was a two-time Wimbledon champion. Let's repeat that: he was barely old enough to join the military and he'd already won tennis' most prestigious title -- twice! But he couldn't keep it up (at least not on the court). The Hamlet of the ATP tour, Becker was never sure how much he wanted to be a tennis star. As a result, after those two remarkable teenaged triumphs in 1985 and '86, he would win just four more major titles, two of them at a still reputation-challenged and underrepresented Australian Open. By the time he was 25, he had been definitively surpassed on his beloved grass courts by Pete Sampras. Plus there's this: He not only couldn't win the French Open, he couldn't win any clay-court title in his entire career.

3. Arthur Ashe

The argument: He is one of the sport's icons, and deservedly so. But the high regard grew chiefly from his off-court activism and courage, and over the years those aspects of his remarkable life have been conflated with his tennis deeds. He was, to be sure, a first-rate player. But he had trouble climbing up to his top level and staying there. He won only three major singles titles in a long career, most notably the 1975 Wimbledon, when at 31 he upset Jimmy Connors in the final. Even in his prime, he was just as likely to lose in the first week of a major as he was to blast his way to the later rounds.

2. Margaret Smith Court

The argument: The bulk of the Aussie's major singles titles -- 11 of her record 24 -- came at the Australian championships at a time when few of the American and European stars bothered or could afford to make the long, inconvenient trip Down Under. (Peter Bodo has made this case against Court.) And her 1970 Grand Slam? Yes, Court outlasted the great Billie Jean King 14-12, 11-9 in an epic Wimbledon final. But she beat second-tier players Kerry Reid and Helga Niessen Masthoff in the finals of the Australian and French championships, respectively, a good indication of the soft fields at those events. At the U.S. Open, she didn't have to worry about a rematch with King, who missed the tournament. And in the final, she needed three sets to best firebrand Rosie Casals in a serve-and-volley duel, even though Casals was nearly a foot shorter than her. Then there's the embarrassing Mother's Day Massacre in 1973, when 55-year-old "wrinkled runt" Bobby Riggs sliced and diced the 30-year-old Court in a 6-2, 6-1 tennis clinic. Court's humiliating loss in the PR stunt was a serious blow to feminism (really!) and led to the "Battle of the Sexes" later in the year between Riggs and King -- won, of course, by King in straight sets.

1. Jimmy Connors

The argument: He lasted more than 20 years on the tour, and helped change tennis with his two-handed backhand and aggressive service return. But, let's face it, his game was constrained by limited athleticism and an even more limited imagination. Ultimately, Connors' reputation is built more on his larger-than-life bluster than his performance between the lines. "I peak every time I play," he once crowed. Despite this, Connors spent most of his career one step off the pace set by the best player in the world -- first Bjorn Borg, then John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. He never won a tournament on European red clay, which is slower and bouncier than the green American dirt. (He reached the 1981 Monte Carlo final, but it was canceled because of inclement weather.) Worse, from 1975 through 1978, when he was in his prime, Connors lost six of eight major finals. He then spent three years losing in Grand Slam semifinals before Borg quit the game, allowing Jimbo to get back to the last Sunday. The American holds one significant record: most professional singles titles, with 109. But is that a selling point for greatness when only eight of them came at Grand Slam tournaments?

source: http://www.oregonlive.com/the-spin-of-the-ball/index.ssf/2014/04/roger_federer_no_way_the_6_mos.html


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Sunday, April 27, 2014

The man who invented the Internet (well, sort of)

David Wallechinsky didn't invent what's on the Internet. It just seems that way.

In 1977, Wallechinsky, his father Irving Wallace and his sister Amy Wallace published "The Book of Lists." The compendium of cleverly presented facts, such as "15 People Who Became Words," "10 Men Who Were Supported By Their Wives" and "6 Positions for Sexual Intercourse -- In Order of Preference," wasn't just simple enumeration.

It featured detailed explanations about its subjects, proving itself a worthy and entertaining reference work. "The Book of Lists" immediately took its place on another list -- the bestseller list -- and spawned three sequels.

More than three decades later, in the Internet age, its impact is everywhere. Countless websites, including CNN.com, have turned to lists -- sometimes in the form of galleries -- to help tell stories in a digestible way and boost page views. Topics range from "History's Biggest Mysteries" to "13 Team Names That Will Make a Lot More Sense When You Know Their Origins" to "11 Things You Didn't Know About Spinal Tap."

Sure, you can't copyright an idea that goes back to God and Hammurabi, but one might think that Wallechinsky might be seething about seeing his child so misused.
 


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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Tennis goes digital with connected racquet

For a few years now, the Hawk-Eye system has helped to determine IF a ball is in or out in a big tennis match.

Very soon players at all levels of the game may also know WHY their ball sailed wide or long.

That, at least, is the vision of Eric Babolat, CEO of the French tennis equipment company Babolat, who has introduced the first "Connected Racquet" in the sport.

Designed for pros and amateurs, and tested by the likes of men's number one Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Australian Open champion Li Na, the racquet gathers data through sensors and chips in the tube.

Approved by the International Tennis Federation for use since January 1, Babolat expects to see the first professional players using it at tournaments from mid-year.

Amateurs can purchase the racquet - which does not differ in size and weight from normal racquets - from May 15 onwards in Europe, at E399 ($A600).

"It adds value without changing the game," Eric Babolat told DPA at the WTA event in Stuttgart.

Technology is more and more entering all aspects of sport, from the Hawk-Eye system which is now also used in football, video replays or data-gathering in running with chips attached to shoes and apps for smartphones or tablet computers to analyse the training or competition.

Babolat, whose company started out in 1875 making racquet strings (two years before the first Wimbledon), launched development 10 years ago, before the arrival of smartphones and apps.

"Ten years ago you would test with a backpack and cables," he recalls.

Rapid improvement in technology led to development based on the simple idea that "the racquet has an empty tube."

Chips and sensors finally became small enough to fit into the racquet, but Babolat freely admits that "developing an app was a completely new world for us."

The sensors are to show players how hard and cleanly they hit. They determine between backhands, forehands and serves, and all data can be transferred via bluetooth or USB cable to the app after training or matches.

Players can compare themselves with others in the app-community if they wish to do so.

"It enriches the game. It is interesting for pros and club players. You just want to know at what level you are," Babolat said.

Nadal said in a video "you have the chance to know much more about your tennis."

Babolat said the top players have embraced the system saying they "were like little kids playing with something new."

A coaching app is now planned and Babolat expects other companies to follow.

"In 10 years you won't have any racquets that are not connected," he said.

 
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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Scares for top women at Stuttgart tennis



Defending champion Maria Sharapova survived a first-round scare at the Stuttgart tennis tournament, scraping home in three tight sets against Czech Lucie Safarova on Tuesday.

Sixth-seeded Sharapova needed almost three-and-a-half hours to notch her 100th claycourt victory - 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) - three days after her 27th birthday.

Sharapova, bidding to win the tournament for the third time in a row, next faces fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Latvian qualifier Diana Marcinkevica 6-3 6-2.

"I am really happy to be the winner," Sharapova said. "I had the momentum and then it slipped away. There were so many ups and downs. It was a few points here and there. A match is never over until the last point is played.

"Playing her is always a challenge, especially in the first (clay) match of the season. Three months ago, I wouldn't have pulled it out."

Jelena Jankovic, the No.5 seed, saved four match points to come back and claim a 2-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over German lucky loser Mona Barthel.

No.8 seed Sara Errani recovered from a double break down in the second set to defeat Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-4 for the Italian's first win in five visits to Stuttgart.

Also on Tuesday, Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Italian qualifier Gioia Barbieri 6-2 6-3 and another Russian Alisa Kleybanova downed Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-4.

Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro beat Russia's Ekaterina Makarova 6-0 6-4 and Italy's Roberta Vinci had a 6-3 6-2 win over 20-year-old German qualifier Annika Beck.

The four top seeds - Agnieszka Radwanska, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber - have first-round byes.

Kvitova faces Kleybanova on Wednesday, while the other three open on Thursday: Radwanska against Vinci, Halep v Kuznetsova and Kerber v Suarez Navarro.

source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/tennis/a/22870021/scares-for-top-women-at-stuttgart-tennis/


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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Advantages of Having Consulting Experience for Your Own Startup

Many consultants leave consulting to build their own businesses. And why not? Entrepreneurship would not be a surprising exit path for consultants as their experience offers many advantages for entrepreneurs. They are generally equipped with the essential elements to start their own company.



Sophisticated Business Knowledge


You definitely need sophisticated knowledge when starting a business. As an entrepreneur you need to be competent in the main functional areas of a company, such as sales, marketing, finance, and operations, etc. You need to understand how to raise capital and how to find a business model that will work for you. You also need to be knowledgeable about the market you’re attempting to enter in order to deliver a good product or service to this market.

And these are just some of the most important knowledge one has to have to build a successful startup. Apparently, consultants are constantly exposed to complex business problems and help companies reach new growth targets. Therefore, they have the advantage of gaining sophisticated business knowledge across diverse industries. They pretty much understand the ins and outs of running a business.

Strong Startup Contacts


Apparently, consulting is an industry filled with entrepreneurial people. That means consultants have the luxury of strong professional networks that are essential in building your own startup. Perhaps, building valuable contacts during their years as a consultant would be the best benefit they can gain. It is because at the end of the day, it may all boil down to whom you know, rather than what you know, right?

Strong Skillset


As consultants learn about many different industries and businesses, they also hone the necessary skills to run a successful company. Their everyday lives basically involve rapid problem solving and business plan and analysis. That makes their problem solving decision-making and creative skills sharp. As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to come up with fresh ideas, and make a lot of good decisions in order to grow your company.

Creativity, problem solving and decision-making are skills that professionals from the consulting industry generally developed over time. That makes them ready to face their own business problems in the near future.

read more: http://www.consultingfact.com/blog/advantages-of-having-consulting-experience-for-your-own-startup/

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Advice squad


CONSULTANTS studiously avoid taking credit for their clients’ successes in order not to be blamed when things go awry. They have not been able to avoid the spotlight during the financial crisis. In a 2008 shareholder report explaining a huge write-down, UBS blamed “external consultants” for recommending that it go into areas like subprime mortgages. An ex-head of Citigroup’s investment bank told investigators he had relied on “a careful study from outside consultants” when moving into collateralised-debt obligations.

Yet although many Wall Street titans failed during the crisis, the advisers whispering in their ears have emerged even stronger (see chart). According to Kennedy Information, a research firm, the global financial-services consulting business posted record revenues of $49 billion in 2012, a fifth of the consulting industry’s total.

Three main factors account for the consultants’ resilience. Perhaps the most powerful is the business’s each-way bet on boom and slump. When the economy is flourishing, banks, insurers and asset managers are eager for counsel on mergers, marketing and expansion. When it crashes, they are desperate for guidance on cutting costs and divesting dud assets. “The Firm”, a new history of McKinsey, recounts how the company’s consultants joked that they would first tell banks to close underperforming branches. Once they cut too far, McKinsey would then recommend ambitious expansion. When the banks grew too large, the cycle would start anew.

A second boost comes from the rise of “Big Data”. Regardless of the business cycle, banks and investors are constantly improving statistical models and trading platforms. All six of the biggest financial consultants—the consulting arms of the “Big Four” accounting firms of Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young and KPMG, plus IBM and Accenture—have large information-technology practices. A handful of boutiques, such as Britain’s Holley Holland, specialise in integrating the data systems of sprawling financial conglomerates.


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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic 2014 Monte Carlo Masters Tennis: Date, Time, Livestream, TV Channel

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic face off in the semifinals of the 2014 Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament on April 19 in Monaco.

The pair will play at approximately 3 p.m. CEST.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN International, Sport 1 in Germany, Novasports in Greece, MRTV in Macedonia, MTV in Finland, Teleclub in Switzerland, Digisport in Romania, Canal+ in France, Sport1 in Israel, Balls Channel in the Philippines, Racquet Channel in Singapore, Gaora in Japan, RDS in Canada, and the Tennis Channel in the United States.

Live streaming will be available through monte-carlorolexmasters.tennistv.com.

Federer of Switzerland, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, took out No. 9 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the quarterfinals (2-6, 7-6, 6-1).

Djokovic of Serbia, the No. 2 seed  in the tournament, dispatched with unranked Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the quarterfinals (4-6, 6-3, 6-1).

The winner will face the winner of Stanislas Wawrinka and David Ferrer.

See an Associated Press story about the quarterfinals below.

PARIS—Rafael Nadal’s mastery of the Monte Carlo clay courts seems to be over.

The top-ranked Spaniard hopes his confidence isn’t gone, too.

Nadal lost to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday, his earliest exit since 2003 at a tournament that helped build his reputation as perhaps the greatest clay-court player of all time. Nadal won eight consecutive titles here from 2005-12, before losing to Novak Djokovic in last year’s final.

This was Nadal’s first loss on clay to Ferrer since 2004, and the 13-time Grand Slam champion said he is still trying to find his best form after a disappointing loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the Australian Open final.

“After what happened in Australia, (it) was little bit harder for me to find again the intensity, the confidence, the inside power that always I have,” Nadal said. “Even if I won Rio, I played the final in Miami, you know, (this) remains something in my mind and in my game.”

Djokovic looked like he might follow him out, but the Serb finally got the better of the unseeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to set up a 34th career meeting against 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

“I started very poorly. Garcia-Lopez played well and I had to work for this win,”Djokovic said. “I finally started to play as I wanted in the second set.”

Federer leads Djokovic 17-16 in head-to-heads and they are 1-1 this year, withFederer beating him in the Dubai Championship semifinals and Djokovic winning their final at Indian Wells.

The Serb was close to losing against Garcia-Lopez, saving a break point in the fifth game of the second set and two more when trailing 15-40 in his next service game.

Djokovic then made a crucial break to take a 5-3 lead, served out the set, and then broke Garcia-Lopez twice at the start of the third.

Ferrer hardly needed to dig deep as Nadal committed 44 unforced errors and gave away 10 break-point chances on his serve.

“I didn’t play the right way. I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand. I played too short,” Nadal said. “I give him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.”

 
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Friday, April 18, 2014

Nadal stunned by Ferrer in Monte Carlo

David Ferrer is into the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters after he put on a brilliant display to knock out world No.1 Rafael Nadal.

Ferrer, who had one win in his last 11 matches against Nadal before today, overcame the eight-time champion 7-6(1) 6-4 to set up a last-four encounter with Stanislas Wawrinka.

Ferrer twice squandered a break in the opening set as Nadal fought back to force a tiebreak, but the Spaniard looked out-of-sorts as his shots lacked firepower which enabled Ferrer to move in front after the set lasted an hour and 25 minutes.

Nadal then fell a break behind in the second set as Ferrer raced into a 3-1 advantage. Ferrer continued to dominate Nadal by opening a 5-2 lead, but when serving for the win he surrendered his serve and Nadal closed the gap to one game at 5-4.

However, Ferrer was not to be denied as he fired a forehand down the line before Nadal gifted him the win when hitting the net.

Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka booked his place in the semi-finals for the second time after the Swiss defeated Milos Raonic 7-6(5) 6-2.

Wawrinka, twice a runner-up at ATP Masters 1000 events in Rome and Madrid, came from 3-0 and 5-3 down in the first set tiebreak to take it 7-5. The challenge of Raonic quickly faded as Wawrinka dropped just two games in the second set to seal a straight-sets victory.

 
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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Tennis player given warning for saying 'son of a biscuit'



In a perfect world, American tennis player Donald Young wouldn’t have said anything after netting a backhand during his first-round match at the Sarasota challenger. But of all the things he could have said and of all the ways he could have said them, quietly exclaiming “son of a biscuit” to himself was the least offensive route. Young didn’t curse or yell. He didn’t throw a racket. He didn’t take it out on the ballkids. He handled himself well. The chair umpire disagreed.


For some reason, Young, the former world junior No. 1 and current No. 81 on the ATP rankings, was assessed a warning for his G-rated interjection. If anything, his PG-rated reaction to that G-rated warning was worse, though still a far cry from some of the stuff that gets by chair umpires. What’s Young supposed to do, take a vow of silence during matches?

Now, we don’t know what happened prior to this moment. Maybe Young was on the cusp of a warning all day for other exclamations and this put him over the top. If that happened, there’s no online record of it. And  even if it did, a warning for using a third-grader’s cover-up for actual cursing is a tad much.


Young went out to defeat Alexander Zverev, a 16-year-old qualifier, and will face Zverev’s brother, Mischa, in the next round. Pro tip for DY: If you miss a first serve, don’t say “sugar” afterward. 

Source: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/04/donald-young-son-of-a-biscuit-warning-tennis/


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