Behind-the-scenes of infamous WTA marketing campaign

So finally we get to see what all the hype was about...

Here are some behind-the-scenes images and video from the infamous WTA Tour "Superheroes" marketing campaign photoshoot that Maria "Shriek"apova made a public stink about recently. Unfortunately we don't get to see Maria in action, but we do get Maria Kirilenko, Ana Ivanovic, Venus + Serena Williams, and Jelena Jankovic.

ReRe enjoyed her experience saying,

This has been a fun experience and I love anything in front of the camera! Matthieu is a great director and I could really follow his vision.” She added, “This is a great campaign for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and it’s another sign that women’s tennis is the leading sport for all female athletes worldwide.

(images via Getty)

BREAKING: Henin to announce retirement today according to Belgian newspaper

Is Justine Henin retiring from professional tennis? Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad is reporting the world no. 1 will announce her retirement today. Justine has been struggling of late and I wondered where all the talk of retirement had been coming from - now we know where her mind has been recently.

This news would truly be shocking.

Stay tuned - she is scheduled for a news conference at 10am EST.

UPDATE: Justine announced her official retirement from professional tennis in a news conference in Belgium. She has been considering the decision for the past six months or so, said her agent Ken Meyerson:

She's simply burned out and has no more juice to go on. I was surprised at the urgency of the decision. We, as agents, like long farewells. I'm really sad. She did so much for the game, and we need her in the women's game. Pound-for-pound, she was one of the best tennis players in history. She was an underdog. She was someone we could relate to.

"It's the end of a wonderful adventure but it's something I have been thinking about for a long time," Justine said about her career.

(image via Getty)

VIDEO VAULT: Venus gets personal for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

Venus Williams sat down with Bryant Gumbel for Real Sports to give a rare glimpse into her inner world and off-court life. The 6-time Grand Slammer discusses her need for privacy, her boyfriend Hank Kuehne, her role in getting equal prize money at Wimbledon and some of her father Richard's more infamous quotes.

One of the most revealing moments was when Gumbel asked V about her father's belief that sister Serena was the better player.

BG: How much does it bug you that your dad always thought [Serena was] the better player?

VW: Ummm...

BG: You just answered the question when you give me that "Ummm". Looking for a way to say it. It bugs you.

VW: No...

BG: Oh c'mon!

Check out the full interview:





(image via Getty)

PHOTO OP: Anna + Jelena get pretty for Whirlpool

The now-infamous Maria "Shriek"apova photoshoot wasn't the only sponsor obligation for the lady ballers in Rome.

Anna Chakvetadze and Jelena Jankovic were spotted getting their hair and makeup done for a photoshoot with WTA Tour sponsor Whirlpool. The background image features Justine Henin, Elena Dementieva, and Amelie Mauresmo along with Anna and Jelena getting their spa on.

What, no love for Maria Whirlpool?




(images via Getty)

THE LOW DOWN: Hewitt struggling with hip injury - could his career be in jeopardy?

Bad news for Lleyton Hewitt.

The Aussie hot head, who suffered a hip injury during last season's US hardcourt swing, may not be fully fit in time for the French Open or even Wimbledon:

The hip is starting to feel a little better, but I'm yet to fully test it out on court. The specialist did a couple more tests today but the results won't be back for a few days. Once I get those I can make a decision on the French Open and the grasscourt season.

At 27-years of age Lleyton is already on the downswing of a very good career. But a chronic hip injury in tennis usually spells curtains on a career, particularly for a baller whose movement is an integral part of their game. Gustavo Kuerten and Magnus Norman are prime examples of what a hip injury can do and now it looks like Lleyton Hewitt may soon be added to the growing list.

I'm thinking this injury will unfortunately seal the deal if it doesn't get better.

(image via Getty)

Quote of the Day: Federer

The more you lose, the more they believe they can beat me. But believing is not enough, you still have to beat me.

- Roger Federer on his challengers this season

Finally the world no. 1 is starting to talk the talk with some attitude...which he needs to do. Nothing wrong with a little psychological warfare between friends, right?

(image via Getty)

THE LOW DOWN: Rafa swims against the tide, but will it drown his game?

Rafael Nadal is having a rough go of it lately.

The Mallorcan matador fell with blisters in the second round of Rome, giving eventual champion Novak Djokovic a golden opportunity to leap frog into the no. 2 spot on his inevitable climb to the top...and Rafa knows it:

Djokovic is very close, there's no doubt about that. I think, no I'm certain, that the logical thing is that he goes past me here, gets to number two here or at Roland Garros or in Wimbledon. He's a great player and he's doing things very well. If I'm number three I'm number three. When it happens I just have to accept it and fight to get the position back.

Do I hear a hint of resignation in his tone? Most likely.

To add clay to his wounds, the Spanish federation has decided to host the Davis Cup semifinal tie versus the US in Madrid, which sits at a high altitude making the court surface faster and allowing the ball to fly - never pleasant news for clay-loving ballers.

To say Rafa and his teammates are unhappy with federation president Pedro Munoz is an understatement:

We never had any problem with playing in Madrid. But we can't accept that the president told us 100 times that we were going to decide, and then we don't decide. What you can't do now is keep saying we're the clear favorites. We're not playing against number 50 and 60 in the world.

Roddick is at number six and Blake is at eight and they have the world's number one doubles team. It's going to be a very difficult tie and we'll do everything we can to win but it's going to be very open and anything can happen.

I give Rafa a lot of credit for being so young but so vocal about these issues. But he seems more tense and anxious these days than ever before, taking the weight of the tennis world on his bronzed, muscular shoulders. But don't let his physical appearance fool you - the culmination of these moments won't be good for his game - mental, physical, or otherwise.

He might want to just focus on the ball right now.

(image via Getty)

Kournikova website gets botoxed, can't tell if its happy or sad about it

For those of you who still give a damn about a non-playing/non-retired tennis baller still living off the fat, I give you the latest Anna Kournikova news. The original Russian glamourpuss has just relaunched her website, sponsored by K-Swiss.

The site was given a few shots of botox (I said the site, not her) but nothing new in the way of content, save for an added feature called "Current Status". I assume it gives Anna's hardcore fans an idea of what she's doing right about now - or somewhere close to now. Think Twitter, but not really.


And what's her "Current Status" you might ask? "Saw Ironman movie this weekend, its great!"

Do you feel closer to Anna now? I do.

(image via kournikova.com)

THE LOW DOWN: Sharapova opens Pandora's Box, but WTA Tour reaches compromise anyway

Maria "Shriek"apova and the thugs of the WTA Tour are finally playing nice after the Russian publicly blasted the Tour and its executives through her website, reaching a compromise that both sides can feel happy about...well, mostly Maria that is.

The photo shoot in question was reduced to 90 minutes from 5 to 6 hours, with Maria talking on the phone while taking a ride around Rome:

I was riding around in a car for an hour talking—pretending like I’m talking on the phone. The timing compromise was still pretty difficult since it’s before a very big event for all of us. Considering the time reduction, it definitely makes that a lot easier than going into a four- or five-hour shoot with hair and makeup, which adds another hour.

And did the new world no. 2 find her bullying tactics to be a success? "I’ve obviously made my point," said the 21-year old. "I wanted to let my fans know that I didn’t feel like people were listening to me. I think it’s in the best interest of the tour.”

Yes, the tour must be thrilled that you opened a Pandora's Box - good times!

(image via AP)

They're laughing at you Serena...they're all laughing at you

Serena Williams may be getting paranoid in her old (tennis) age or she thinks everything is about her (more likely scenario.)

After her tight 3-set loss to eventual Berlin champion Dinara Safina, ReRe felt the world turning on her, laughing at her misfortune:

It was funny when I lost I was in the locker room and I could hear the entire players lounge really loud like really happy and joyous. Like down goes the champ! Someone beat her!!! It was like a big hoopla.... I just smiled to myself thinking you just wait... just wait......

Ohhh scary ReRe! It sounds like she didn't enjoy that moment but something makes me think she enjoys believing the world is against her and that everyone MUST be enjoying her loss.

Could it be the players were happy for Dinara? No way - that wouldn't be motivating for ReRe and isn't that what the world is all about?

(image via Getty)

WEEKEND WINNERS: Nole, Dinara

Rome - Novak Djokovic

It seems Nole was on a mission to silence the criticism surrounding his withdrawal in Monte Carlo and it may have worked. The 20-year old earned his fourth Master Series shield defeating new top-10 resident Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and giving his Roland Garros prospects a huge boost. And with 310 points now separating the Serb from Rafael Nadal in the rankings and only a quarterfinal showing in last year's Hamburg tourney, could we be looking at the soon-to-be world no. 2?

Berlin - Dinara Safina

Color me impressed. Dinara kept the "Safin syndrome" at bay all week in Berlin earning the biggest title of her career and defeating three top -10 ballers along the way, including Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Though she's probably not on anyone's long list to take home the French Open crown, I'd put her into the dark horse category after this impressive week of tennis.

(images via AP)

Dinara defeats Serena in Berlin, avoids "Safin syndrome" this time around

Who knew she had it in her?

A day after derailing world no. 1 Justine Henin in Berlin, Dinara Safina shocked a disappointed Serena Williams 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) in the quarterfinals and ended her 17-match win streak in the process.

Though she seems to suffer the same "Safin syndrome" as brother Marat (you know, the ability to get in your own way and *uck everything up), these back-to-back wins over the clear French Open favorites has to give the 22-year old Russian hope...well, until the next implosion I suppose.

(image via Getty)

Victorious Stepanek shows off his worm while Vaidisova watches

As usual, Radek Stepanek saved his best move for last.

"The Worm" caused another huge upset in Rome defeating Roger Federer in the quarterfinals 7-6(4), 7-6(7) and denying the Swiss his first title here. And guess who was there to cheer on the Czech?

Why none other than girlfriend Nicole Vaidisova who had time to watch her beloved compete since she was a first-round loser in Berlin. I hope she picked up some helpful hints on how to play elite-level tennis again.

(images via Getty)

Quote of the Day: Serena on Justine

Henin's such a great winner. She can play a lot better. She knows that, and she can take solace in that fact.

- Serena Williams on the world no. 1's struggles this year

For all the talk of ReRe's lack of respect for other ballers, it's good to see her support her once bitter rival.

(image via AP)

THE LOW DOWN: A-Rod + Blake make Rome quarters - could American's red tide be turning?

Clay-court tennis is always chalk-full of surprises (remember hearing "French Open champion Iva Majoli or Gaston Gaudio"? INSANITY.) So this week's no different with the biggest surprise, of course, being Rafael Nadal's defeat yesterday at the hands of Juan Carlos Ferrero. But another one (or two?) is lurking in the dusty, clay-covered centre court in Rome: Andy Roddick and James Blake making the quarterfinals.

American ballers fears and, frankly, disinterest in the terra bateau have been well documented. But no one could've predicted that one let alone two of them would advance this far. Today A-Rod defeated Simone Bolelli 7-6, 6-3 and James took a big clay scalp in Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Could the red tide be turning? Some would say yes, with DtL! reader Kai even giving A-Rod the title:

Rome will be in roddick's hands =P

Perhaps they gained confidence from buddy Sam Querrey's impressive stomping of Richard Gasquet in Monte Carlo? Perhaps. But one thing is clear: the Americans have decided to step up their challenge and give the dirt its well-deserved respect.

Whether it leads to a title is anyone's guess.

(images via Getty)

THE LOW DOWN: Henin dumped out of Berlin - career crisis or momentary lapse?

The best lady on the terra bateau is no longer: Justine Henin suffered a surprise 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 defeat to Dinara Safina in the third round of the German Open in Berlin.

The world no. 1 has been a non-factor so far this season and this loss on her favored surface at a tourney she's won 3 times against an opponent she owned 5-0 clearly shows she's lacking any confidence and may be burnt out after her spectacular run last year. Plus, her recent talk of a post-tennis life shows her head is in the future and not in the here and now:

I don't really know when (I will retire). Maybe in two, three, four years but it's impossible to say. I hope I can remain healthy and motivated. I'm not going to play all that much. Already last year I didn't play that much and I want to stay focused on the main events. We'll see. Maybe in two, three, four or five years (I'll retire). We'll see.

Two years or five years? Those are very different time frames.

I can't help to think that the clay season is Serena Williams' now. If Jelena Jankovic can keep her acting dreams at bay and focus on the task-at-hand, she has a chance to make some noise because of her fluid movement and consistency.

But at this point, this is ReRe's to lose. As for Justine, there's always the next tourney. That's tennis!

(image via AP)

Jankovic wants to act and not just on the tennis court

Serena Williams watch out - we have another tennis baller with stars in her eyes.

Jelena Jankovic, who loves all things Hollywood and has performed in videos for her sponsors, has begun taking acting classes though she already brings full drama (and a fully made-up face - shhhh!) on the court. She talks about it on her blog saying,

Monday was so busy for me. Apart from practicing and All-Access Hour which is always scheduled at the beginning of the week, I had an acting class that I took part in. It was so much fun. It is always a good time when you do something to forget a bit about tennis, and relax your mind. It was only an hour long, but I was given several themes and at the beginning they gave me a task to be in certain situations and I really had to use my imagination. After that, I did variety of exercises in order to test me and see my acting potential.

Oh - no worries for you Jelena. You've got acting potential for miles (see image above.)

(image via jj-jelenajankovic.com)

Murray loses early again - looks to the heavens for answers

Sure Andy Murray - screaming to the heavens for answers may be your last chance to get your game (and head) together before the French Open.

The Brit baller is most definitely disappointed by his 6-2 7-6 defeat at the hands of Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka. He also must be super-pissed about not reaching a quarterfinal since Dubai back in March.

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Still mad about the supposed mama-bashing?? Does anyone have Brad Gilbert's digits???

(image via Getty)

THE LOW DOWN: Rafa falls in Rome - which baller will step up now?

OMG - The tennis world is in a tizzy after Rafael Nadal lost today on the terr(ier) bateau and offered up a rare clay-court chew toy for any number of ballers still left in the draw.

The Mallorcan matador lost only his second match in 105 matches to compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome today, suffering a shocking 7-5, 6-1 defeat. But I guess it wasn't so shocking since he was suffering from a blister on his right foot:

Today when I woke up, I said it was impossible to play. I spoke to the doctor today and yesterday, and they put special protection on it and cream, but it was still tough.

In any case, Rafa's loss blows the draw wide open for Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and even David Ferrer to make a run to the title and gain confidence for Roland Garros.

Hey doggie, who wants it more?

UPDATE: So I'll have to cross David off the list since he was shown the door by Radek "the worm" Stepanek.

(image via Getty)

Serena channels Dear Abby...or is it Tyra Banks?

Is Serena Williams the WTA Tour's Dear Abby or Tyra Banks even? Maybe. The 8-time Grand Slammer is espousing relationship advice on her blog to friends and fans alike based, most likely, on her own experiences. Acting, relationship coaching, winning matches on one good leg - is there anything this woman can't do?

Anyway, here's an exchange that we all know ReRe has experience with:

When dating someone whom is either a professional athlete or in the music industry how do you deal with the things that come with that terriotry (i.e rumors, groupies etc.)?

Please see my trust article. On a previous relationship blog. If you don’t trust who you are going out with that maybe something inside is telling you something. Trust is the only way you will get through dating someone that is on the scene like that all the time. Don’t look through phones don’t ask questions that make him feel like you don’t trust him. This will make him want to cheat and or leave. If he loves you than he will not do things to hurt you. Sometimes it’s hard (for the athlete) to have so many women throw themselves at them, and not react. It takes a real man. My advice? Trust him. Give him his space, when he needs it. If you find out that he is cheating on you (and you guys are exclusive) deal with it at that time either let him go or give him another chance. But I will tell you this, men will respect the woman that respects herself. What I mean by that is men will respect you if you don’t allow them to run all over you.

Serena

Did you hear that Common???

(image via Getty)