At the end, he leaves with a gold medal...but in doubles, and Nadal leaves with the singles Olympics title with Djokovic with the bronze.

Nadal heads seedings for US Open

Nadal has won two Grand Slams this year

Rafael Nadal will be the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career at next week's US Open following his elevation to world number one.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic follow him, with Scot Andy Murray seeded sixth. Ex-world number one Lleyton Hewitt has pulled out with injury.

Ana Ivanovic is women's top seed, with Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serena Williams next.

The singles draws for the tournament will be announced on Thursday.

Nadal officially became the new world number one on Monday, ending Federer's record reign of 237 successive weeks.

Federer was the top seed at the last 18 majors.

Murray will be looking to overcome his disappointing early exit from the Beijing Olympics and rediscover the form that took him to success at the Cincinnati Masters.

The British number one's best effort in New York was in 2006 when he reached the fourth round.

Hewitt will miss the rest of the season after having arthroscopic surgery on a long-term hip problem.

"Surgery was always the last resort, but unfortunately that's what it came down to," the 27-year-old Australian said.

"I am also shattered that I can't lead the Australian Davis Cup team in Chile (in Santiago from 19-21 September) in our bid to rejoin the world group, and hope that the boys can still come through with a great win.

"I am looking forward to playing again in January in my home country, and using that as a springboard to compete at my best again on the world stage for at least a couple of more years."

The most notable absence on the women's side is world number six and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who announced earlier this month that she is missing the event to recover from a shoulder injury.

Top 10 Ranked Players

Rafael Nadal (ESP)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 188 lbs.
D.O.B: 06/03/1986
Turned Pro: 2001
Rank: 1
Plays: Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Beijing Olympics, Wimbledon, Canada, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Hamburg, Queen's Club, and Roland Garros
2007 US Open: Fourth Round

Nick's Thoughts:

Nadal has had the best year of his career in 2008, including winning the Olympic Gold Medal! For the first time in his life he comes into a Grand Slam as the #1 player in the world, and without question he has played better tennis than anyone on tour this year. Historically, the US Open hasn't treated Nadal very well, as in the past he has been tired and slightly injured. His results show no indication that that will be the case this year.

The courts in Flushing are definitely not as fast as in Cincinnati (where Nadal lost in the semis), and that will be to his benefit. He has already shown that he can win a big tournament on the hard courts with his victories at the Masters Series event in Toronto and the Olympics. This is a different stage though. The New York fans love a character like Nadal, and you can be sure they will be screaming and yelling for him after every point. With that said, it will be very interesting to see how he deals with the pressures of being #1 in the world.

Roger Federer (SUI)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 177 lbs.
D.O.B: 08/08/1981
Turned Pro: 1998
Rank: 2
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Estoril and Halle
2007 US Open: Champion

Nick's Thoughts:

For the first time in what seems like forever, Federer comes into a Grand Slam not ranked #1 in the world. I don't think anyone could have predicted this at the beginning of the year, but here we are at the US Open and Federer has yet to win a Grand Slam. Back in January people were talking about Federer winning the Golden Slam (all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal), and now if he doesn't win this he will be shut out in 2008. Amazing.

Despite all of this, I don't think there is anyone who would tell you that they would be surprised to see him raise the trophy for a fifth straight year. If he finds his stroke again, cuts down on his unforced errors, and serves like he has been thus far he will be in very good shape. Don't count the Fed out yet!

Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 176 lbs.
D.O.B: 05/22/1987
Turned Pro: 2003
Rank: 3
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Rome
2007 US Open: Finals

Nick's Thoughts:

Djokovic hasn't won a title since early May, and that is something to keep in the back of your head. He reached the finals in Cincy in July and at Queen's Club in June but came up empty both times. In Cincinnati, Djokovic played some of his best tennis I have ever seen in his win over Nadal. His ability to take the ball early and put it away with a clear winner is as good as any player on Tour.

The 2007 US Open is where Djokovic made his breakthrough, showing the world that he could get to the finals of a Grand Slam. He then took it one step further earlier this year by winning the Australian Open. Now, to be thought of as one of the greats he needs to win a second Grand Slam title. His chances are good, but he simply cannot afford to lose his focus for one second (including talking to the media or doing impersonations!)

David Ferrer (ESP)
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 160 lbs.
D.O.B.: 04/02/1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Rank: 4
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: s-Hertogenbosch and Valencia
2007 US Open: Semifinals

Nick's Thoughts:

Last year Ferrer reached the first and only Grand Slam semifinal of his career. He beat Nalbandian and Nadal before falling to Djokovic in the semis. He is going to need a similar performance this year to keep his ranking high. He can play on any surface, and has the ability to run down just about every ball and execute a winner.

He played in Canada and Cincinnati during the US Open series, and won a total of one match in those two events. He then went to Beijing and lost in the first round of the Olympics to Serb Janko Tipsarevic. This is not a good sign, but his performance last year should be a confidence builder.

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154 lbs.
D.O.B: 06/02/1981
Turned Pro: 1999
Rank: 5
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Miami, Poertschach, and Warsaw
2007 US Open: Semifinals

Nick's Thoughts:

Since winning the title at Warsaw back in June, Davydenko has a record of 1-3. The only tournament he didn't lose his first match in was the Masters Series event in Canada. For the last two years Davydenko has had the same outcome at the US Open: beat Tommy Haas in the quarters and lose to Federer in the semis. I know you won't see Davydenko complain (or display any other emotion) if he reaches the semis this year, but now he has to be thought of as one of the best players to have never won a major.

Andy Murray (GBR)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 175 lbs.
D.O.B.: 05/15/1987
Turned Pro: 2005
Rank: 6
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Cincinnati, Doha, and Marseille
2007 US Open: 3^rd Round

Nick's Thoughts:

Although Murray lost in the first round of the Olympics, just prior to that he picked up the biggest title of his career at Cincinnati. Beating Djokovic in the finals is no easy feat, and he showed great mental toughness throughout that match. If he continues to play like that, he could be a real contender. With that title, Murray jumped up to a new career high of #6 in the world.

Murray is a player that I really enjoy watching. He is tough as nails, can hit almost any shot in the book. His serve has improved and so has his mental approach to the game. Right now I would say that he is playing some of the best tennis of anyone on the tour.

David Nalbandian (ARG)
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs.
D.O.B: 01/01/1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Rank: 7
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Buenos Aires
2007 US Open: 3^rd Round

Nick's Thoughts:

Nalbandian is a former semifinalist here (2003), and he also reached the quarterfinals back in 2005. Until the Olympics, he hadn't played since Wimbledon which doesn't bode well for his chances on the hard courts in New York.

It is hard to predict what you are going to get with Nalbandian, he is up and down and hot and cold. In no way would I be surprised to see him around in the semifinals, and at the same time I wouldn't be a shock to see him fall early. At this point in his career he is a bit of a mystery.

Andy Roddick (USA)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs.
D.O.B: 08/30/1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Rank: 9
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: San Jose, Dubai
2007 US Open: Quarterfinals

Nick's Thoughts:

For the first time since August of 2006 Roddick is ranked lower than #8 in the world. He has been hampered by a shoulder injury that forced him out of the French Open and then popped up again in LA in early August. He skipped the Olympics to focus more on the US Open, but then lost in the quarterfinals at Washington.

The last two years Roddick has run into Roger Federer late in the tournament (quarters in 2007 and finals in 2006), and both time he has come up empty. Obviously, the hard courts are Roddick's favorite, but with that shoulder being a question who knows how he will fare this year. He will give the NY audiences everything he has and then even more!

James Blake (USA)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 183 lbs.
D.O.B: 12/28/1979
Turned Pro: 1999
Rank: 8
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 US Open: 4^th Round

Nick's Thoughts:

Blake has had more success at the US Open than any other of the Grand Slams. He advanced to the quarterfinals in 2005 and 2006 and then lost a tough five setter in the fourth round last year. He is one of the few guys on tour that has played a lot of tennis during the summer months. He reached the semis in Indy, the quarters in Toronto, lost in the third round in Cincy, and just advanced to the semis at the Olympics.

Beating Federer in the Olympics is a very positive sign. Blake hadn't been playing his best tennis before then, so any indications that his game is coming around is a welcome site. Let's hope it translates into a great performance in New York.

P.S. The crowd loves to see him play in New York, especially the ladies!

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 174 lbs.
D.O.B: 03/28/1985
Turned Pro: 2002
Rank: 10
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 US Open: 4^th Round

Nick's Thoughts:

Wawrinka has had a breakthrough, reaching the top 10 and playing solid tennis throughout. He suffered a minor injury in Toronto, but appears to be healthy enough to play. I like his physical brand of tennis, because he forces his opponents to be ready to fight!

Despite his success this year, Wawrinka has yet to win a title in 2008. While I think he is more than capable of making some noise, I don't know whether he can be a real challenger here. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on top 10 players, and we will have to see how he holds up to it.

Juan Martin Del Potro won his 4th consecutive title at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC. In his 19-match winning streak, he has only beaten one Top 10 player in Andy Roddick so we have yet to really see how he'll be able to handle a Djerk or a Rafa.

Nadia Petrova won her 1st title of the year after she beat Nathalie Dechy at the Western & Southern Financial Group Open in Cincinnati, OH. Petrova's been on a comeback trail since Wimbledon and hopefully she'll be able to do well at the US Open.

Women's doubles medalists; Team China (Yan Zi and Zheng Jie) won bronze, Team Spain (Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual) won silver and Team USA (Venus and Serena Williams) won gold.

Men's doubles medalists; Team USA (Bob and Mike Bryan) won bronze, Team Sweden (Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson) won silver and Team Switzerland (Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka) won gold.

Women's singles Team Russia medal sweep! Vera Zvonareva won bronze, Dinara Safina won silver and Elena Dementieva won gold.

Men's singles medalists; Serbia (Novak Djokovic) won bronze, Chile (Fernando Gonzales) won silver and Spain (Rafael Nadal DUH!) won gold.

As much as I'd love for Rafa to win the USO, I just don't think he'll have enough to do it but we will see!

Rafael Nadal assumes the No. 1 ranking in the world tomorrow. In reality, he's been Numero Uno ever since his epic five-set victory over Roger Federer at the Wimbledon final in early July. Nadal's convincing 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez for the Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing today only solidifies the fact that Rafa is the best tennis player on the planet. It's been a phenomenal run for the Spaniard. Nadal won five tournaments in a row prior to losing to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the Cincinnati Masters two weeks ago. He has won 38 of his last 39 matches and the six championships in the run include two titles each on clay, grass and hard courts. The French Open, Wimbledon and Gold Medal triple is astounding. Herculean might be a better term. The Spaniard has an ATP best 70-8 match record this year and eight titles overall. "Nowhere in my best dreams I can imagine something like what I did this year," Nadal said after the medal match. "I know how difficult it is to win these things, and especially here, because you only have one chance every four years." Conventional wisdom said Nadal was wearing down coming into the Olympics. In Cincinnati, Rafa chided the ATP for promoting so many tournaments on hard courts, a surface he said was the toughest on the bodies of the players. While preparing for the Olympics in Beijing, Nadal referred to the calendar as "terrorizing" this season. "I arrived very tired," Nadal said. "The reason probably I won this title is because I have a fantastic time here enjoying a lot in the village. That was amazing experience for me. Always was a pleasure to know new people, no?" Catch your breath quick, Rafa. The U.S. Open starts a week from tomorrow.

I watched the men's singles tennis final at the Beijing Olympics today and I was again happy with the result as my idol Rafael Nadal once again reign supreme against all others as he wins men's single title in Beijing beating Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-3. 7-6, 6-3.

Rafael Nadal maybe the most felicitous person in the world and as his fans all over the world rejoice on his victory today, tomorrow will be a nice and fulfilling day for Nadal and also to me as Nadal being the French Open Champion, Wimbledon Champion and Olympic Champion. This is perhaps to me the satisfying news as beginning tomorrow, Nadal will wake up as a man of great stature as he will be the new world number one in Tennis.

Rafael Nadal wins gold in men's tennis finals, Fernando Gonzalez bagged the silver medal while Novak Djokovic of Serbia has the bronze medal to add in his growing accolades.

Yes, you read me right, Rafael Nadal is the new WORLD NUMBER ONE finally replacing Federer's reign for four and a half years. Goodbye Federer, Hello Nadal!

I can be very much proud of my idol's achievement and may he continue to remain humble. His humility is just too evident that is why people and fans responded to him so warmly.

At 22 he assumes the world number 1 spot in tennis men's division, how is that for an achievement? Spain would surely celebrate his victory particularly in his native place in Mallorca.

After the olympics, he will move on to play the US Open. Perhaps a fourth consecutive major title would be pleasing to the ears and would be a very special one. This is not impossible. Anything is possible. Certainly, Federer would obviously try to stop his winning streak but my vote and my support goes to Nadal.

See my other posts about Nadal:click here> ooopshe-did-it-again and french-open-2008

Here is the complete list of Top 10 ranking ATP Ranking as of August 18, 2008:

1	Nadal, Rafael (ESP)	6700
2	Federer, Roger (SUI)	5930
3	Djokovic, Novak (SRB)	5105
4	Ferrer, David (ESP)	2865
5	Davydenko, Nikolay (RUS)	2700
6	Murray, Andy (GBR)	2415
7	Nalbandian, David (ARG)	1975
8	Roddick, Andy (USA)	1845
9	Blake, James (USA)	1825
10	Wawrinka, Stanislas (SUI)	1695

Here is the top 10 WTA Rankings:

1 Ivanovic, Ana (SRB) 3612

2 Jankovic, Jelena (SRB) 3515

3 Kuznetsova, Svetlana (RUS) 3455

4 Williams, Serena (USA) 3341

5 Dementieva, Elena (RUS) 3194

6 Sharapova, Maria (RUS) 3131

7 Safina, Dinara (RUS) 3077

8 Williams, Venus (USA) 2586

9 Zvonareva, Vera (RUS) 2117

10 Radwanska, Agnieszka (POL) 2076

]]> http://thebruceblog.wordpress.com/?p=1020 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:16:30 +0000 Bruce http://thebruceblog.wordpress.com/?p=1020 From ATPTennis.com

Golden Boy Nadal Takes Olympic Glory; Silver For Gonzalez © Getty Images
No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal (pictured) won Spain’s first singles Olympic Games gold medal after defeating silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 in Beijing on Sunday.

Mallorca native Nadal, who has been ranked World No. 2 for 160 weeks, will end Roger Federer’s 237 week reign at the top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings on Monday courtesy of an outstanding season that has seen him now win eight titles.

The 22-year-old Spaniard captured titles at Masters Series Monte-Carlo (d. Federer) and Barcelona (d. Ferrer), before embarking on a 32-match winning streak that included Masters Series titles at Hamburg (d. Federer) and Toronto (d. Kiefer), his first grass court title at Queen’s Club (d. Djokovic), his fourth successive Roland Garros title (d. Federer) and a remarkable five-set victory at Wimbledon over Federer.

Olympic Games Photo Gallery

Making his Olympic Games singles debut, Nadal becomes the highest-ranked player to win an Olympic men’s singles titles, taking over from Andre Agassi who was ranked No. 6 when he won in Atlanta 1996.

The left-hander was largely in control throughout the gold medal match and stamped his authority early on, breaking the 28-year-old Gonzalez in his opening service game to establish a 3-0 lead. The Chilean saved a set point when serving at 2-5, but Nadal quickly closed out the set on serve with a forehand winner 6-3.

World No. 15 Gonzalez came close to leveling the match at one-set all, but squandered two set points with Nadal serving at 5-6, 15-40 and the Spaniard capitalized on Gonzalez’s disappointment to seal the tie-break with a convincing 7-2 score line, as Gonzalez’s explosive forehand landed wide on set point.

ATP Profile: Rafael Nadal | ATP Rankings Breakdown | 2008 Match Record

La Reina resident Gonzalez survived early break points in the third set, but Nadal earned a breakthrough in the fourth game with a pin-point accurate backhand pass to lead 3-1. Gonzalez continued to fight and had chances to break the Nadal serve at 5-2, before also saving three match points serving at 3-5. However, the right-hander’s resistance could not continue and Nadal showed no nerves in serving out the gold medal match, finishing with a flourish as a big forehand forced a reply into the net from Gonzalez.

No. 12 seed Gonzalez’s campaign, which has seen him defeat Sun Peng, Marin Cilic, Paul-Henri Mathieu and James Blake (saved three match points), earns him the silver medal.

The two-time titlist in 2008 also won bronze in the singles at Athens 2004 and gold in the doubles with Nicolas Massu. He becomes only the second man after South African Charles Winslow to win two men’s singles medals at an Olympic Games.

On Saturday, Serbian No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic earned the bronze medal by defeating American James Blake 6-3, 7-6(4). ]]> http://riunine.wordpress.com/?p=344 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:43:35 +0000 Raph http://riunine.wordpress.com/?p=344

C'est fait ! Roger Federer a enfin obtenu sa médaille olympique à sa troisième tentative, même s'il faut bien dire que ce n'était pas exactement celle qu'il était venu chercher. Mais une médaille est une médaille, d'autant plus si elle est en or ! C'est donc avec son compère Stanislas Wawrinka que le Bâlois a décroché l'or chinois. Les deux Suisses ont battu la paire suédoise Aspelin/Johansson en finale après avoir écarté les frères Bryan, n°1 mondiaux de leur état. C'est une belle récompense pour le tennis suisse, seize ans après Marc Rosset qui avait remporté le titre à Barcelone en 1992. Et cela ne manquera pas de regonfler le moral chancelant de Roger Federer après sa mortifiante défaite en simple.

Le simple justement a été archi-dominé par son grand rival, Rafael Nadal, qui a battu le valeureux Fernando Gonzalez en finale. Un titre qui fait du bien à l'Espagne qui figure pour l'instant derrière la Suisse (!) au tableau des médailles. Le nouveau n°1 mondial (dès lundi) a fait montre de toute sa classe durant cette semaine olympique, dégoûtant ses adversaires les uns après les autres. Le seul qui semble en mesure de lui contester sa domination sans partage cette année est le Serbe Novak Djokovic, vainqueur de James Blake dans la "petite finale" et donc médaillé de bronze.

A noter encore que le tournoi féminin a vu un triplé russe, le titre revenant à Elena Dementieva devant Dinara Safina et Vera Zvonareva et que le double féminin a été remporté par les soeurs Williams devant les Espagnoles Virginia Ruano Pascual et Anabel Medina Garrigues et les Chinoises Jie Zheng et Zi Yan

Reste à voir si ceux qui se sont illustrés à Pékin seront capables de tirer leur épingle du jeu à New York, malgré la fatigue. On ne se fait pas trop de souci pour Nadal sur ce plan-là... Par contre, Federer risque bien de ne pas réussir à se relever avant la saison prochaine. La pause des fêtes de fin d'année lui fera le plus grand bien. Si on était lui, on aurait même tendance à déclarer forfait aux Masters Series de Madrid et Paris pour se concentrer exclusivement sur l'US Open et la Masters Cup.

My bad about my previous post saying The Fed will have no more chance of ever getting a medal at the Olympics. His doubles run with Stanislas Wawrinka totally left me. The Fed not only got a medal but went golden with Stan beating the Bryan brothers in the SF and Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson for the gold. Watching The Fed be extremely happy, you can't help but feel proud for the guy. After such a disappointing year-although inevitable after which seemed like an eternity of being on top-he's finally salvaged it with this win. Congrats Switzerland!

Novak Djokovic won bronze in the men's single after he beat James Blake. Nole shed some tears once again and even though I dislike him for his lack of class, can't help but be happy for him at this moment. He's always been proud to be Serbian and winning a medal for his country should be very satisfying for him. Ajde Serbia!

Images via Getty.

Jen X: Hide me, it's Meaghan.

Me: Meaghan won't be out here at 1:00 AM.

And then Meaghan walked up to us and we started to walk faster lmao.

Meaghan: Are y'all campers?

Me: No...

Jen: Uh...

Meaghan: It's okay, I'll just pretend I haven't seen you. Stay safe alright?

Me & Jen: *CONFUSED*

So Meaghan leaves and Jen is like, I think she wants to get raped, that's why she doesn't turn us in.

So afterwards we meet up with a few guys: Asher, Charlie, Jonny, and Salman. They were like, wow you're so stupid we've been sneaking out a lot and we've never gotten caught.

So afterwards we went to Meena's Joint, which was place that sold "dubs"--which were like subs. There were these drunk guys that tried to talk to me and Jen, and then there was this drunk guy that tried to talk to me.

Drunk guy: So have you been to many bars tonight?

Me: No.

Drunk guy: So what have you been doing?

Me: Nothing, I've been walking around.

Drunk guy: That doesn't sound like much fun.

Me: Um, it's actually quite fun!

And then I left and he talked to Johnny, who he thought was pretty chill.

Okay so we ate and watched this girl spill half her soda on the floor because she was so drunk. And Jen was like, wow she's not wearing her shoes because she's holding her heels, which was pretty normal although Jen doesn't think so.

And then we walked back and saw this homeless woman trying to find things from the garbage cans.

And afterwards we went home and slept hahaha.

Okay and then Friday afternoon I went to lab and finished up everything by making copies of my lab journal and taking pictures of the microarrays. I will analyze them later because Nobuko doesn't have the program to do so. I will probably get the information from her later on and analyze them.

Then we went to Lake Lansing and the beach to have a picnic with our mentors. We ate pizza and cookies with out mentors and it was awkward. Later I wore my tankini and we went walking along the shore with Jen Xu, Angel, and Connie. We didn't go in the water.

Oh and later a bunch of people paid for peddleboats but since we only had around 15 minutes left, Jen, Angel, Connie and I sat at the dock and talked. What's funny is that this guy who I think was Charlie's mentor went up to me and told me that he thought it was funny that my shoes and dress matched during my presentation, which he said was not commonly seen among scientists :P

Then we went home and had an Olympics opening ceremony party where Amanda got us food and drinks. The opening ceremony was really nicely done and beautiful and we had our final party in a downstairs room. Etienne and Sae left early that day; Etienne I think was going to Prague. The South Korean people who were living in Phillips Snyder also left that day.

Later we went to the rock that people at MSU always paint with spray paint. We couldn't think of anything to paint on it for a while and finally decided on "Andy just got pwned, <3 HSHSP 2008." It was a reference to the fact that Andy Lin kept hacking into our facebooks and changing them.

We went out again at night and this time everyone went to Big Ten Burrito while we went to find Meena's Joint again, but since it was 3:00AM, Meena's Joint was closed. Lisa always wanted to see a drunk girl and she saw this girl holding a guy's hand and stumbling over the sidewalk. So she was happy that she accomplished her goal :P

So then we went back to Big 10 Burrito which was closing as well, and then we went to Taco Bell's and I bought a smoothie for $2 and I owe Carolyn $2 which I never paid her :( Sorry Carolyn.

Afterwards we went home and tried to pull an all-nighter, except people were falling asleep left and right. We were in the common room and we tried to play games like Never Have I Ever and they passed around a bottle of Monster energy drink.

Then we moved to the basement to play this game where you run around in complete darkness and try to identify people by touching their faces. However half of the lights in the basement don't turn off so there was no point. They started to play apples and apples and I went upstairs to sleep at 5:00 AM. So I guess I still have never pulled an all-nighter.

So Ruby was leaving at around 5:30 for the plane and she walked in my room to say goodbye and I was like...Bye Ruby...zzzz. And Laura later said they laughed at my sleepy good-bye :P

And then other people left and I hugged some of them if I could, and I left with Lisa at around 1:30 PM for the airport on Dr. Richmond's car. Because I had a metal belt connected to my pants, I couldn't go through the metal detector and had to get felt up with a metal detector. And Lisa said that the TSA job of searching for metal at an airport would be such a good job for a pedophile, lol.

When we got on the plane it was such a small plane and so shaky that my hands were vibrating as if I was glued to a giant vibrating cellphone. I was hyperventilating and almost wanted to throw up on Lisa. Before I got off the plane I wanted to walk to the front and kick the pilot, it was so bad!! But when I got off the plane, the air-conditioning and stability made me better. What's weird is that I haven't been sea- or car- or plane-sick in a long while.

Currently I am watching Women's Olympics Trampoline, which is an interesting gymnastics-like sport. I love jumping on the trampoline, maybe I should've tried it as a sport! The Chinese girls in trampoline are very pretty. The Americans suck.

Okay so when I got off the plane, Lisa and I walked very far to my gate at 80~something and we ate at a kiosk in the middle of the airport. We ate some breadsticks and ordered soda. Then, I boarded my plane and Lisa had to walk very far in the opposite direction to get to her gate. It was so sad because Lisa was the last HSHSPer I saw!!

Well I got on my (much bigger) plane and it starts to thunderstorm, so the plane does not take off for another hour. What sucks is that if it started to thunderstorm a while before I got on the plane, I could have stayed with Lisa for another hour! We were joking that we wanted such a delay, but it came at an awful time, lol.

So the plane ride was very bumpy, almost like a Six Flags roller coaster ride, but it was safe and fun because I like roller coaster rides. I borrowed the girl next to me's Oprah magazine and read some things about home life and sex. When I got to La Guardia, New York, I saw my cousins Gina and Ian and Meaghan and my sister Justine and my parents and my aunt and uncle and my grandparents.

After 7 weeks, I finally arrived home. The next day, we took a long drive up to Canada (~6 hours) and lived in a small cabin on Wellesley Island in the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence Seaway. We fished and ate some fish and also went to the beach and took a boat around the islands (I didn't go on though; I just sat and swung on the swings). We also played tennis because tryouts are this Monday and I haven't practiced at all!

We also went to Alexandria Bay where I went shopping for souvenirs but didn't buy any, and my cousins and mom and sister went on a boat around the 1000 Islands and stopped at Boldt Castle on Heart Island where this guy built a huge castle for his wife.

Afterwards we drove again to the Niagara Falls and at night we went to walk the Niagara Falls but I got separated from my parents and so I walked to the hotel alone and watched Olympics all night. I can't believe Michael Phelps is going for 8 gold medals! That's a lot of gold medals...but in his sport, swimming, there is a chance for a lot of gold medals. For sports like gymnastics or tennis, you can only really win one or two.

Well I was really pissed off the whole time because my sister Justine was being stupid, but the next day I felt better so wasn't mean to anyone the whole time. We walked across the Niagara Falls and went on a Maid of the Mist boat to see the falls close up. I took lots of cool pictures and videos of the falls because there was a place where you could be so close to the top of the falls. I decided that if I ever decide to die, I want to jump down the falls!! It sounds and looks so fun.

The next day, we spent around $30 going to this ghost-shooting ride thing and then this haunted house that we were in the last time we came here and got so scared that we exited through the "Chicken Exit." There were cool pictures of ghost brides that I took photos of. It wasn't half as scary as last time!

Well, afterwards we took a long drive home and now I'm back home after 8 weeks. I will have to get started on my summer homework soon!

I will confess, I really miss HSHSP. I really miss all the people there and everything that we do there, like going on the internet on the Snyder side and going to Bubble Island and talking. I've talked to HSHSP people twice online, it was really fun but sad. I hope we have a reunion soon and I hope we all go to the same college or somewhere near :P

Oh, and last night I wrote my (pretty bad) Why Penn essay. I talked about Penn's school spirit, its alumni connections, and its LSM program. How much money do you think is the average salary for an LSM graduate? I really want to know, but the program is so new.

And I love watching the Olympics, even though they don't ever play tennis! Oh and Roger Federer lost a 2/3 match to Blake, who's never taken more than one single set from Federer the last 8 times they played! Oh no I don't want Federer to lose his awesomeness. Even though I do like Novak Djokovic, I still feel bad for the greatest tennis player ever.

Gymnastics was a disappointment as the two Americans won gold and silver. I don't like the Americans >:| I want the Chinese people to win.

China is still leading with medals, though. Hooray!

I had a few dreams and I should have written them down but now they are forgotten...

El número tres del ranking mundial le ganó al estadounidense James Blake, quien ayer había perdido frente al chileno Fernando González, en el duelo por el tercer puesto de los Juegos Olímpicos por 6-3 7-6.

El balcánico se llevó la primera manga en 28 minutos de juego, mostrando un excelente tenis y aprovechando el cansancio del Blake. El primer y único break del set se produjo en el cuarto juego, para luego adjudicarse el parcial por 6-3.

El segundo set fue mucho más parejo y ambos llegaron al tiebreak sin quebrar el saque de su rival, Finalmente, Nole selló su victoria por 7-4 en la muerte súbita tras un error de revés de James Blake.

Mañana a partir de las 5 de nuestro país, Rafael Nadal y Fernando González chocarán entre sí por el máximo lugar en el podio olímpico.

Por su lado, los hermanos Bryan, quienes ayer habían caído ante Federer y Wawrinka, ganaron la medalla de bronce, tras derrotar por 3-6 6-4 6-3 a los franceses Llodrá y Clement.

Por el lado del cuadro femenino, la rusa Dinara Safina venció por 7-6 y 7-5 a la local Li Na, y buscará el oro ante su compatriota Elena Dementieva, que se deshizo por 6-3 y 7-6 de Vera Zvonareva.

Green Tennis Center on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China.

Nadal closed out his latest victory in dramatic fashion. On match point he scrambled to retrieve two overhead slams by Djokovic. When the flustered Serb shanked a third overhead, Nadal collapsed to the hard court in jubilation. NYTimes

Novak Djokovic has claimed the bronze medal in singles tennis for Serbia by defeating James Blake of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (4) Saturday read more...

Rafael Nadal has done it all and will win the Gold at the Olympics.  Personally I am thrilled to see this young man who on Aug. 18th will be the number one player in the world, reach his potential.  I have been patient knowing that this day would come.  Rafa was destined for greatness, and he is achieving it in the most exciting and dignified way.  Bravo Rafael your hard work has clearly paid off.  Uncle Tony you are the best.

Good Luck and bring that gold home for Spain Rafa.

Jayson Stark from ESPN wrote an article Thursday on how signing Manny Ramirez to a 4-year, $100 million contract this offseason would be dangerous for the sport of baseball. His problem? That "it would, in effect, be an open invitation to every selfish superstar in baseball to pull a Manny. Act up. Stop hustling. Stop trying. Refuse to play. Make up an injury. Whatever you have to do to get back out there on the free-agent market."

That, my friend, already happens and won't affect those who don't have that type of attitude. If you want to pay a 36-year-old outfielder $25 million a year until he's the age of 40, that's your choice to be that stupid. Stark said it himself, there are only two players in history to have three 30-homer seasons after turning 37 - Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron.

But seriously, the first name that comes to my mind that has experienced a similar situation is Brett Favre when he was in Atlanta back in 1991. He wasn't getting playing time; the starter on that team was Chris Miller, who was a Pro Bowler that year, so Favre acted up and got dealt like he wished. It's not going to change a damn thing in the sport. There are always people who will act up for money or whatever, and Ramirez's antics won't negatively affect baseball one bit.

After pitching a scoreless ninth to record his second career save on Tuesday, Brad Ziegler of the Oakland Athletics gave up his first career run in two innings of work Thursday. Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton did Ziegler in with an RBI double, but not after Ziegler posted the modern record for longest scoreless streak with 39 innings.

Ziegler's current stat line:
40.0 IP, 1-0, 2 SV, 9 HLD, 18 K, 0.23 ERA

In Friday's men's tennis singles semifinal, James Blake of the U.S. lost to Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. Notwithstanding three match points he failed to convert, Blake decided to blame the loss on Gonzalez for not admitting a disputed point two games before the finish. As the only American to have a shot at a medal in the men's or women's singles, Blake needs to shut up about the issue. He didn't lose from that one point and even if Gonzalez got a lucky break, Blake is being hypocritical about sportsmanship in the Olympics. Regardless, this is what Blake had to say about his competitor. "Whatever he wants to say is fine. Whatever is going to get him to have some sleep tonight, then that's fine."

In all fairness, it's not up to the player to make the calls - that's what the judge is for. And I'm sure he wouldn't be so enthusiastic to rectify the point with a chance at a gold medal on the line. I don't buy that. Gonzalez will face Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final, as Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Update on Michael Phelps:

7-for-7 in Gold medals

Friday - Gold in 200 IM
Saturday - Gold in 100 butterfly
Sunday - 400 medley relay

U.S. Olympic basketball (3-0):

Thursday - def. Greece 92-69
Saturday - vs. Spain @ 7:15a PT

• Brown calls for Russia withdrawal
• Most of UK 4,100 Iraq troops could be withdrawn by next summer
• Sats marking contract is scrapped
• Ben and Catherine Mullany suspects arrested

Top stories in the world:

• Africa- Botswana to boycott Southern African Development Community summit over Mugabe
• America- US demands Russian troop pull-out
• Asia- Pacific- Canadian Christopher Neil sentenced to three months for sex abuse
• Europe- Bush condemns 'bullying' Russia
• Middle East- Southern Iraq suicide blast kills 18 pilgrims and injures 75
• South Asia- Maoist leader Prachanda becomes Nepalese PM

Top sport stories:

• Olympic men’s cycling- GB sprint team take gold
• Olympic swimming-  Michael Phelps wins sixth gold medal  and breaks own world record in 200m individual medley.
• Olympic men's athletics- Usain Bolt wins star studded 100m qualifier
• Olympic men’s tennis- Nadal avenges Djokovic masters defeat to face Gonzalez in final

La final se disputará este domingo, y enfrentara al español Rafael Nadal contra el chileno Fernando González, la hora exacta no la sabemos ya que debido a la lluvia se han modificado los horarios y el tenis femenino va retrasado y se tendrá que celebrar dicha final antes de la masculina.

Yo como siempre solo puedo decir ¡¡¡ VAMOS RAFA !!!

Having said all that, you can't take away anything from Nadal. He makes you play every single point and that is what enabled him to win here. He made Djokovic hit on extra ball, and the end result is a "W" for the Spaniard. He will now face Fernando Gonzalez in the finals whom he is 3-3 against all-time. Nadal has won the last two times they have played (both on clay), and the only two times they met on a hard-court, Gonzalez won.

You have to like Nadal in this match, but Gonzalez certainly has the guns to keep it interesting. Who do you think will win?

From the Associated Press:

Blake came up one shot short Friday, losing in the semifinal to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. Afterward he accused Gonzalez of failing to fess up on a disputed point two games before the finish.

“I’ve spoken all week about how much I’ve enjoyed the Olympic experience, how much I love the spirit of it,” Blake said. “That’s a disappointing way to exit the tournament, when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor.”

Actually, the No. 8-seeded Blake remains in the tournament. A first-time Olympian at 28, he’ll play for a bronze Saturday as the last hope for a U.S. medal in men’s or women’s singles.

The incident that upset Blake occurred with Gonzalez serving at 8-9 in the final set. On the first point, Blake hit a backhand passing shot long but contended the ball ticked Gonzalez’s racket before landing, as TV replays confirmed.

Blake appealed in vain to the chair umpire, and said Gonzalez should have conceded the point. Blake went on to lose the game to make it 9-all.

Blake described Gonzalez as a great player who does everything in his power to win, “usually” within the rules.

Gonzalez will play in Sunday’s final against favorite Rafael Nadal, who clinched his first Olympic medal today by beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Blake and Gonzalez played the their match on center court and from the beginning, there appeared to be tension between the players. In the second set, Gonzalez slammed an easy forehand at his opponent’s head from point-blank range. Those in attendance stated that Blake glared at Gonzalez, who quickly apologized.

Hard to say what actually happened on the court today but it's unfortunate that Blake may be remembered for this, rather than the tremendous run he had in the tournament and his upset of Federer. Time will tell how this plays out in the coming days. Thoughts?

• Rafa continues his stellar year and defeats Novak Djerkovic in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. He'll next face Fernando Gonzales for the gold medal.
• James Blake wastes three match points against Gonzales and loses a thriller, 11-9 in the third. After the match Blake accused Gonzales of unfair play.
• JJ loses to Dinara "WTA Tour Savior" Safina, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
• R. Fed redeems himself in doubles with Stan Wawrinka, upsetting the Bryan Bros. in three sets.
• Venus and Serena remain the last Americans still in contention for gold after smashing Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva in dubs.

Rafael Nadal avanzó a la final de los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2008 al vencer por 6-4 1-6 y 6-4 al serbio Novak Djokovic. El otro finalista es el chileno Fernando González que se deshizo del estadounidense James Blake por 4-6 7-5 y 11-9.

El mallorquín está pasando por la mejor temporada de su carrera, y a partir del lunes será el nuevo monarca del tenis mundial, algo que se aseguró hace 14 días en el Masters Series de Cincinnati. Este domingo, Rafa podrá completar un 2008 increíble si vence a González en la final olímpica, ya que hoy se cargó por décima vez en su carrera al serbio Djokovic.

En el primer set, Nadal tomó una rápida ventaja de 5-2, pero Nole no se dio por vencido y recuperó uno de los dos break para ponerse 4-5 pero no le alcanzó ya que el ibérico logró cerrar la manga por 6-4, tras 40 minutos. La historia fue distinta en el segundo parcial ya que el balcánico se impuso por 6-1, aprovechando dos de las tres oportunidades de quiebre que generó.

El tercer y definitivo set, fue le más parejo de la contienda y ambos llegaron al décimo juego sin quebrarse, pero allí el español sacó su habitual garra y selló su victoria al tomar el servicio del serbio en su segundo match point.

En un partido épico, el chileno González se hizo con la victoria tras salvar tres matchpoints, para luego aprovechar su quinto punto de partido, y de esta forma jugar su segunda final olímpica, ya que hace cuatro años había logrado en oro en dobles junto a su compatriota Nicolás Massu.

El primer set fue para Blake, quien ayer venciera al suizo Roger Federer, al tomar el servicio de su rival en el décimo juego. Pero la segunda manga comenzó con el sudamericano quebrando, pero el estadounidense recuperó el break tras una doble falta del medallista de bronce del singles en Atenas 2004. En el undécimo game del capítulo, Feña volvió a quebrar el saque de Blake, para más tarde cerrar el set con su propio servicio.

El tercer y definitivo set estuvo cargado de emociones. En el undécimo juego, el verdugo de Federer tuvo tres match points, que el trasandino salvo con tres tiros ganadores para igualar la pizarra a seis. Finalmente, González cerró el partido en su quinto matchpoint, tras dos horas y 52 minutos de juego.

De esta forma, el domingo Rafael Nadal y Fernando González chocarán entre sí por el oro olímpico, en el que será el séptimo enfrentamiento entre ambos y el que está igualado en tres victorias por lado.

From the BBC:

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 1-6 6-4 to secure a final against 2004 bronze medallist Gonzalez, who beat James Blake in an epic encounter.

Blake had three match points at 6-5 in the deciding set but Gonzalez eventually triumphed 4-6 7-5 11-9.

Roger Federer, who will lose his world number one ranking to Nadal on Monday, reached the doubles semi-finals.

Federer, who is representing Switzerland with Stanislas Wawrinka, beat India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi 6-2 6-4 to clinch a last-four encounter with United States duo Bob and Mike Bryan later on Friday.

Nadal closed out victory in dramatic fashion against Serbian Djokovic, who had already saved one match point with a thunderous forehand which Nadal was unable to return.

On his second match point a scrambling Nadal somehow retrieved two smashes by Djokovic and when he lifted another lob the Serb cracked under the pressure and fired it wide to send Nadal into the final.

Blake, who knocked Federer out of the singles, had plenty of chances against Gonzalez, but the world number 15 maintained his country's proud Olympic tennis record thanks to a gutsy display.

There was little between the two players throughout a pulsating match, but Gonzalez claimed a decisive break to go 10-9 up in the third set - the only time either player dropped serve in the decider - and served out on his fourth match point to clinch victory.

Gonzalez, who took singles bronze in 2004 as well as pairing up to win the doubles with singles gold medallist Nicolas Massu, is now guaranteed at least a silver medal.

Blake was left frustrated, particularly by an incident when Gonzalez was serving at 8-9 in the decider and he felt that the Chilean had knowingly touched a ball that was then called out.

I did expect it a little more so in the Olympics when we're all competing under the banner of this event being to promote sportsmanship James Blake accuses Fernando Gonzalez of a lack of sportmanship

"Playing in the Olympics, in what's supposed to be considered a gentleman's sport, that's a time to call it on yourself," Blake complained. "Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn't call it.

"That's a disappointing way to exit the tournament when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor.

"We know when it touches us. And he knew that. So that's where it comes into calling it on yourself because it's the right thing to do.

"Should I expect him to do that? Maybe not. Maybe I shouldn't expect people to hold themselves to high standards, sportsmanship.

"But, yes, I did expect it a little more so in the Olympics when we're all competing under the banner of this event being to promote sportsmanship, to promote goodwill amongst countries."

Gonzalez denied touching the ball and was adamant that, had he done so, he would have admitted it.

"If I'm 100% sure about it, I will give it. But I'm not sure. I'm just moving, that's all," he said.

Elsewhere, Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson won their last-four match against Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 19-17 in the longest three-set men's match in Olympic history.

The previous record of 54 games was set by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in their semi-final win against Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis in Atlanta in 1996.

From ATPTennis.com © Getty Images
Chilean No. 12 seed Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) saved three match points against No. 8 seed James Blake of the United States in a 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 victory Friday for a place in the gold medal match at the Beijing Olympics. Gonzalez, who clinched the bronze medal (d. Dent) at the Athens Olympics in 2004, will now look to win his 11th career title on Sunday.

Olympic Games Photo Gallery

The 28-year-old saved three match points on serve at 0-40, 5-6 in the third set and eventually closed out the semifinal on his fifth match point, when Blake hit a return into the net. The match, which started at 4:17 p.m. local time, was played in 32 °C (90 °F) heat. Gonzalez hit 40 winners, 11 aces and converted three of seven break point opportunities for victory in two hours and 52 minutes on Center Court. Blake went 0-6 in break point conversion in the third set and committed 70 unforced errors in total.

Gonzalez has now won six straight matches – including four on hard courts – against Blake, who last beat the World No. 15 in October 2003 at ATP Masters Series Paris. Gonzalez now has a 24-36 career record against Top 10 opponents.

Former World No. 5 Gonzalez will now look to win his first ATP hard-court title since September 2007 in Beijing (d. Robredo). The La Reina resident has won two ATP clay-court titles this year at Vina del Mar (d. Monaco) and Munich (d. Bolelli). He will take a 29-9 season record into the final at the Olympic Tennis Center. Four years ago at the Athens Olympics, he also captured the doubles gold medal with Massu (d. Kiefer-Schuettler).

Blake had been attempting to become the fourth American to reach the Olympic men’s singles final since the sport returned to the Olympic Games in 1988 – after Tim Mayotte (1988, Silver), Andre Agassi (1996, Gold) and Mardy Fish (2004, Silver). The World No. 7, who has finished runner-up at Delray Beach (l. to Nishikori) and Houston (l. to Granollers) this year, dropped to a 41-19 match record.

Blake will play Djokovic in the bronze medal play-off on Saturday. ]]> http://nickspicks1.wordpress.com/?p=549 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:46:20 +0000 Nick's Picks http://nickspicks1.wordpress.com/?p=549 American James Blake was oh so close to reaching the finals of the Olympics, but alas it wasn't to be. He was beaten by 2004 Athens Bronze Medalist Fernando Gonzalez 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 in a match that lasted almost three hours. Gonzalez actually had 11 more unforced errors than Blake (81 to 70), but his first serve percentage was much better (72% to 59%). Gonzalez also had 11 more winners than Blake and converted on one more break point. That was the difference in this match.

Blake wasn't happy after the match ended though. For one, he failed to convert on three match points but that wasn't what really upset him. With Gonzalez serving at 8-9 in the final set, Blake hit a backhand passing shot that landed long on the first point. He contested that the ball hit Gonzalez's racket, which TV replays confirmed. Blake appealed to the umpire, and said that Gonzalez should have conceded the point. Blake went on to lose the game and eventually the match.

"Playing in the Olympics, in what's supposed to be considered a gentleman's sport, that's a time to call it on yourself," Blake said. "Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn't call it."

"I didn't feel anything," Gonzalez said. "I mean, it's just one point. There is an umpire. If I'm 100 percent sure about it, I mean, I will give it. But I'm not sure."

That is certainly a tough break for James. You have to feel for him in this situation. He was so close to reaching the finals, and to have a subject call go against you is very hard to swallow.

Blake will still have a chance to play for a Bronze Medal against either Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. The winner of that match, which is scheduled to begin soon, will face Gonzalez in the finals.

Novak Djokovic cries after his gold medal hopes are crushed by Rafa Nadal. Novak, I'm not even gonna call you Djerkovic tonight because I feel kind of bad for you.