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Add a pop of colour to your makeup look with Pupa's IL Bacio Kit in 'Classic Red', a portable lip colour palette offering one lip gloss and three creamy lipsticks.
Housed in a novelty, lip-shaped compact with gold crown embellishment, the palette is the smallest piece from the 'This is a Love Story' collection, and is the perfect way to add a touch of colour to your complexion. Use the creamy lipstick colours all-over the lips, and add a splash of gloss to the centre of lips to create the appearance of a fuller pout.
Perfect for popping in your handbag, it is equipped with a handy mirror for on-the-go touch-ups.
Made in Italy.
Apply the chosen colour of lipstick all over the lips and the gloss just at the centre for a 3D volume effect.
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An Italian court has ruled that e-cigarette products cannot be taxed as if they were tobacco products, because tobacco's harmful effects are not obvious in them. The decision by the Constitutional Court, which was ruling after e-cigarette trade and consumer groups challenged a government decree on tax, will doubtless be seen as a victory by the e-cig industry – and may be followed by a further Constitutional Court review of a more recent tax measure. The threat of the tax had stifled investment in innovation and marketing as well as leading to closures of vape stores, according to Massimiliano Mancini, president of the Italian e-cig trade group ANAFE Confindustria, which was among those mounting the challenge.
But the practical implications for the Italian market are not yet entirely clear.
The path to the Constitutional Court decision began in April 2014 when the Administrative Court of the Italian region of Lazio (TAR Lazio) suspended a 58.5% tax that the national government intended to impose on the price of all e-cig products.
This suspension was based on the grounds of "unreasonableness" – and that is essentially the position that the Constitutional Court has now upheld by rejecting the government's original proposal to apply tobacco's level of taxation to e-liquid (with or without nicotine) and hardware, under the same tax regime.
However, since the original suspension of the 58.5% tax by the Lazio court, a new tax has been introduced by the Italian government. Based on taxing e-cigarettes at 50% of the level that is applied to an "equivalent" quantity of combustible tobacco – established through a complex formula – this was not under consideration in the court case, and remains in force. That tax could also be reviewed by the Constitutional Court if, as expected, it is sent there by the Administrative Court in Lazio when it hears a similar case against the new tax on 1st July. If so, it is likely that the new tax will also be suspended.
Found wanting
The Constitutional Court revoked the original 58.5% regulation on two grounds:
- Taxes on tobacco products are justified by their "seriously harmful effect on health". However, "this assumption is not apparent in e-cigarettes products, even less when it comes to hardware and liquid that does not contain nicotine", and therefore they "cannot be considered as tobacco substitutes".
- Additionally, the tax was deemed to be illegal because of the vagueness of the tax base, and the excess of administrative discretion allowed in implementation of the primary legislation. In particular, the administrative authority (the Italian Tobacco Monopoly) was given too much authority to set the rate and the tax base. This was regarded as unconstitutional because the Italian constitution specifically allocates this competence to the Italian parliament.
The decision was welcomed by Imperial Tobacco's Fontem Ventures, which recently launched its JAI e-cigarette in Italy. "Every matching between e-cig and tobacco appears absolutely unsuitable and inadequate," said spokesperson Valerio Forconi.
The more recent tax, too, "would seem to be in conflict with the principle set out by the court", according to Forconi, whose company backs instead the principle of a tax model based on nicotine levels, the same also proposed since 2014 by ANAFE Confindustria to the Government and Parliament, and now the only available option after the Court's decision and indications.
What This Means: The e-cig trade and consumer associations that have successfully challenged the tax decree believe that this decision also undermines the tax regime currently applied in Italy; for example, the current tax is also applied to e-liquid that does not contain nicotine.
Consequently, they expect Italian institutions to modify the tax.
The critical and as yet unanswered questions, however, are whether the current regime could be considered as close to tobacco taxation as the one that has been rejected by the court, and therefore could suffer the same fate; and if so, what modifications might be needed for it to escape that. Exemption of hardware and zero-nicotine products would seem a likely step.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mischa Zverev Breaks Out With Australian Open Upset of Andy Murray
by Kevin Craig
Mischa Zverev's incredible professional tennis journey continued on Sunday at the Australian Open as he defeated the No. 1 player in the world, Andy Murray, in four sets to reach the quarterfinals, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
"I don't know how I did it," Zverev said. "I think you should tell me how I did it because honestly there were a few points where I don't know how I pulled it off. I don't know how I won some points but somehow I made it."
Zverev, the older brother of one of the most promising young stars in tennis, Alex Zverev, was ranked in the Top 50 back in 2009 before he began a bout with various injuries. After falling all the way outside of the Top 1000, forced to play futures and qualifying at challenger level events, he is now on a bigger stage than he ever was before the injuries.
His resurgence has seen him reach the Top 50 again, and his ranking will now jump inside the Top 40 after reaching his first major quarterfinal.
"It means the world to me, and it means the world to me that my whole family is here," Zverev said. "So many people are here to support me. It's amazing."
The entire match was a break-fest, with both players aggressively dominating each other's service games. In the first set, there were five breaks total and Zverev was the man who grabbed the last two, coming back from a break down two separate times. Murray would constantly get himself ahead in the set, but could never consolidate and ultimately found himself down on the scoreboard.
"He came back from all of the mistakes he made, kept coming up with great shots. Not too much you can do about that," Murray said of the impressive performance from his opponent.
In the second set, the trend continued. Murray would break, but Zverev would break right back. After the two exchanged breaks early in the set, they found themselves once again at 5-5. In the first, it was Zverev who broke in the 11th game, but this time, it was Murray breaking in the 12th game to win the set and level the match.
Murray finally had his breakthrough. He could finally begin to settle down and cruise on his way to victory. At least that's how he thought it would play out.
Instead, the German warrior continued his fight, breaking for a 3-2 lead. He would fight off a break point in the very next game, but unlike Murray, Zverev was able to consolidate his break and pull out a 4-2 lead. That wasn't all for the German, though, as he broke Murray one more time for good measure before serving out the set at 15, shockingly taking the third set 6-2.
"It was kind of easy to stay aggressive but definitely tough to stay calm," Zverev said.
Despite Murray being down two sets to one, you just couldn't help but think that he would figure it out eventually. He came close any times in the fourth set, but it just never happened. Zverev continued his incredible play and broke Murray in the first game of the set. From there, he hardly looked back. He didn't have to face a single break point in the final set, and that early break was good enough to get him the win.
"I don't know how I feel yet because everything is new to me," Zverev said. "Maybe playing Roger would be a dream to me because I always admired him growing up.
Zverev, only six years younger than Federer at 29-years old, will get to take on the 17-time major champion in the quarterfinals. Federer dispatched Kei Nishikori in five sets in a late night match on Rod Laver Arena.
Ryan Harrison on Andy Roddick's influence, deciding to turn pro, and becoming a top 50 player
On a day filled with American men dominating in their respective matches, rising teenager Ryan Harrison defeated Mischa Zverev in 3 lop-sided sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1. In his post-match press conference, he pinpointed specific times in the match where momentum changed and even talked about the role Andy Roddick has played in the development of his mental game.
Harrison has had a breakthrough summer plowing to a career-high #82 in the world after becoming pro as a 15-year-old and signing with the prestigious IMG management group. With his semifinal runs in Los Angeles and Atlanta recently, his confidence is soaring. And he expected nothing less, recalling that he always "wanted to be a pro so badly. I wanted that to be my profession. Everyone talked to me about the college experience, the college life, and my answer was: 'Why do I need that when I want to be a professional tennis player?' It's a once in a lifetime opportunity." He touches on discussing the decision with his parents but came to a conclusion very quickly and "it was a no-brainer. I said 'I want this. I'm going to make it happen.' That's just the way I am. If I want something, I'm either going to get it or die trying."
And get it he did on Tuesday evening, but not without a set-long drop in play. "At the beginning of the match I thought I was actually doing good. I started off well, I was serving well. It was frustrating at the beginning as I was returning really good … I felt it was opportunity after opportunity to get on top, and he was just hanging around. I never really got that break that I was looking for. Then, finally I snuck out a break at 5-4 in the in the first set. I was relieved to get it. At the same time you're happy to break, but you're disappointed that you couldn't close it out sooner. At the beginning of the second set, he started swinging out. Once he broke, he just loosened up… He started swinging out on a couple of balls and he connected. It just got away from me really quickly. I just started getting physically drained because of a lot of traveling, just getting used to the new time zones. But I got a second wind. At the beginning of the third set, I picked my energy level up and was able to get back on top."
Zverev attacked the ball, rushing to the net any opportunity that he got, and that proved to be the difference in the second set. However, as Zverev's mis-hits increased, his play decreased, and with it Harrison got the momentum back. When reflecting on how his year has been so far, he responded "I've been having some of the most exciting moments of my career, and it's exciting to be playing."
His goals going into the U.S. Open is to become a top 50 player and he thinks that it's definitely possible. " I'm 25 to 30 spots away right now … with a deep run here, good showing in Cincinnati, and in Winston-Salem , they could all do that for me. At the US Open I know I can play well; I played well last year but lost a heartbreaker in the second round. I don't want to say any round goal I want to get to. I honestly believe that no matter who I draw, at the end of the day, I have a shot to win. It's about putting it together and making consecutive match wins is going to be the trick."
And speaking of tricks, Harrison admitted to be a very coordinated tennis-loving kid, having started playing tennis at the age of 2. "I don't really have any memory not involving tennis. I had good coordination from a young age, I was able to hit the ball over the net by the time I was 3; we have it on video… Tennis was just something I was passionate about and I was really motivated to be good at it."
He speaks respectfully of Andy Roddick and the role he has played in the young Harrison's life during his climb up the ranks. "I've gotten a lot of advice from Roddick, especially, because we're similarly wired and the fact that we're both high-strung and very intense. So he's talked to me about how he learned to channel his energy and it's been very helpful to me to the start of my career." Roddick is surely an interesting character to be receiving mental advice from, but perhaps this gives Harrison a head-start to develop his character in a positive light to fans – something that has taken Roddick years to achieve.
Harrison even went so far as to add that in two to three years he sees himself as a "grand slam champion. Multiple grand slam champion." Watch out, Federer, there's a new king on the rise.
Follow me on twitter as I cover the Legg Mason Tennis Classic all week! @TennisRomi
Mondays With Bob Greene: Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls
Robby Ginepri beat Sam Querrey 6-2 6-4 to win the Indianapolis Tennis Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Nikolay Davydenko beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-2 to win the International German Open in Hamburg, Germany
Dinara Safina won the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz, Slovenia, beating Sara Errani 6-7 (5) 6-1 7-5
Andrea Petkovic beat Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-2 6-3 to win the Gastein Ladies in Bad Gastein, Austria
"I have some exciting news to share with you. Late last night, in Switzerland, Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls. This is the best day of our lives." – Roger Federer, announcing the births on his Web site and Facebook page.
"The twins certainly come from good tennis stock. If they are half as good as their dad they will still be a potent force on the court." – Nick Weinberg, spokesman for British bookmaker Ladbrokes on the twin girls one day winning Wimbledon.
"When you have a lot of losses, you start questioning if you can play at this level. It creeps in the back of your mind, so this is definitely a confidence boost for me the rest of the summer." – Robby Ginepri, after winning the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
"It's been a great week for me. Of course, when you are in a final you always want to win but it has been a great week for me." – Paul-Henri Mathieu, after losing in the Hamburg, Germany, final to Nikolay Davydenko.
"I know I am good enough to beat most players on this level." – Andrea Petkovic, after reaching her first career WTA Tour final, which she won.
"I played better each match this week. I beat two Top 30 players this week, the best wins of my career. I'm sorry about today: I wish I could have done more, but there's always next tournament." – Ioana Raluca Olaru, who lost in the Gastein Ladies final to Andrea Petkovic.
"I am a hundred percent. I mean, if I wasn't at that point, I certainly wouldn't be playing." – Maria Sharapova, who played for the Newport Beach Breakers in a World TeamTennis match against Kansas City.
"There's always a lot of pressure against Korie (Homan) because I have not lost a set at this tournament since 2000 and of course I have the winning streak." – Esther Vergeer, after stretching her unbeaten singles record to 364 matches in wheelchair tennis by again beating world number two Korie Homan.
"Andy's presence really does give a boost to County Week and British tennis in general. It proves to 12-, 13- and 14-year-old children that if the world number three can be bothered to show up and compete for his county, then they can do it, too." – Ian Conway, captain of the North of Scotland team, on Andy Murray playing an amateur event.
It's been awhile since Nikolay Davydenko took home the biggest check at a tournament. The Russian won his first ATP World Tour title in over a year when he trounced Paul-Henri Mathieu at the International German Open in Hamburg. Davydenko last appeared in a final at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai last November, and he hadn't won a title since Warsaw, Poland, in June 2008. Davydenko also became the first Russian to win in Hamburg.
Until this past week, Andrea Petkovic had a 3-8 lifetime record in WTA Tour-level events, with all three match wins coming at Grand Slam tournaments. That changed in Bad Gastein, Austria, where Petkovic won five straight matches and her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title, the Gastein Ladies, when she stopped Ioana Raluca Olaru. The unseeded German dropped only one set all week, that to seventh-seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the quarterfinals. "It's the best moment of my career," Petkovic said. "I hope I can keep playing like this and build on it." Olaru was also appearing in her first Tour singles final, having upset third-seeded Sybille Bammer, sixth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova and top-seeded Alize Cornet en route to the title match.
It didn't take the British bookmakers long. Just a day after their birth, Roger Federer's twin daughters were given 100-1 odds for either to win Wimbledon. Charlene Riva Federer and Myla Rose Federer are 50-1 to win a Grand Slam as part of the same doubles team and 200-1 to capture the Wimbledon women's doubles. Andy Roddick, who has lost the Wimbledon final three times to the twins' father, agreed with the bookies. The American sent a message from his Twitter page, which read: "Wimbledon women's champs in 2029-2040 … the Federer girls: congrats to the new parents!"
Playing together for the first time, Dmitry Tursunov of Russia and Ernests Gulbis of Latvia won all four matches in third-set super tiebreakers to capture the doubles title at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships. "They're obviously better as a team, but when there's a lot of firepower against you, there's not much you can do," Tursunov said after the pair beat top-seeded Ashley Fisher and Jordan Kerr 6-4 3-6 11-9 (match tiebreak). Not one to break up a winning pair, the two plan to play together in Los Angeles this week. "It's kind of like beginner's luck in poker, so we'll see how it goes," Tursunov said. "If we're having success, it makes sense to continue to play."
The knee injury must be better. Rafael Nadal has returned to training for the first time since he was sidelined by tendinitis in his right knee. Nadal is planning on returning to the ATP tour at the Montreal Masters next month. He has been out since losing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open, where he was seeking his fifth straight title. The injury also kept him from defending his Wimbledon crown. With Nadal not there, Roger Federer won both Roland Garros and Wimbledon to record his 15th Grand Slam trophy and reclaim the number one ranking.
Leander Paes was named the league's male MVP as he led the Washington Kastles to their first World TeamTennis Pro League championship. Paes teamed with Scott Oudsema to win the men's doubles and with Rennae Stubbs to win the mixed doubles as the Kastles downed the Springfield Lasers 23-20. Oudsema beat Springfield's Raven Klaasen in the men's singles, while Washington's Olga Puchkova downed Vania King in women's singles. King and Liezel Huber captured the women's doubles. King was named the league's female MVP.
Cara Black is only 5-foot-6 ( 1.67m) but she stands tall in the tennis record book. The Zimbabwean player is second only to Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova in the number of weeks spent as the number one doubles player in the world. When Black recorded her 125th week at number one spot, she moved past Natasha Zvereva. The 30-year-old first took over the top spot on October 17, 2005, staying there for 16 weeks. She regained the spot on June 11, 2007, before relinquishing it two weeks later to Lisa Raymond. But Black began her third and current stint at number one on July 9, 2007, after winning Wimbledon. Navratilova led the doubles rankings for 237 weeks.
Austria's national anti-doping authorities are investigating Tamira Paszek after she received a medical treatment for a back injury that allegedly violated doping regulations. Authorities say that during treatment earlier this month, blood was taken from Paszek for enrichment, then later injected back into her, which is not allowed under international anti-doping rules. Paszek said she was not aware that the treatment was possibly illegal until a reporter told her. Paszek then alerted the Austrian anti-doping agency NADA, which began its investigation. The Austrian right-hander has struggled with back problems since last season. She has not played since retiring during her first-round match at Wimbledon.
Argentina's David Nalbandian and Croatia's Mario Ancic won't be playing in this year's US Open. According to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the 15th-ranked Nalbandian is still recovering from recent hip surgery, while Ancic is battling mononucleosis. Their spots in the men's main draw were taken by Ivan Navarro of Spain and Karol Beck of Slovakia.
An injury has caused Li Na of China to withdraw from China's National Games in Shandong. The 27-year-old said she felt a recurrence of her right knee injury. Li will undergo tests in Beijing to determine whether she will be able to play the North American hard court season, including the US Open. "We have signed up for it and got the visa," said Li's husband and coach, Jiang Shan. "If she is OK by then we will go to play."
John McEnroe seems to be a lightning rod for problems on a tennis court. His World TeamTennis club has been fined for what the league called "unprofessional conduct." During the men's doubles match between McEnroe's New York Sportimes and the Washington Kastles, a shot by Washington's Leander Paes hit New York's Robert Kendrick. McEnroe and Sportimes coach Chuck Adams went to Paes' side of the court and yelled at him. Four points later, Kendrick hit Paes with a serve, prompting more confrontations. The league suspended and fined Adams the next day, then, after reviewing the video and getting the umpire's report, issued fines on both teams. Kendrick and Kastles player Olga Puchkova received individual fines.
Michael Stich's return to competitive tennis lasted only 62 minutes. The former Wimbledon champion lost his first-round doubles match at the German Open in Hamburg. The 40-year-old Stich, who retired from the sport 12 years ago, and 21-year-old Mischa Zverev were beaten by Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Paul Hanley of Australia 6-4 6-2. Stich won Wimbledon in 1991 and reached the final at both the French Open and US Open. His best ranking was number two in the world. As tournament director of the German Open, Stich gave himself and Zverev a wild card into the tournament. Stich is not the only retired player to make a brief doubles comeback. John McEnroe was 47 when he and Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman won the doubles at San Jose, California. That came 14 years after his previous title.
Nathalie Dechy is calling it a career. The 30-year-old Frenchwoman is expecting a child and wants to devote her time to family life. Dechy reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2005, but is currently ranked 88th in the world. She won two US Open women's doubles titles, with Vera Zvonareva in 2006 and Dinara Safina in 2007. She also won the French Open mixed doubles in 2007 with Israel's Andy Ram. Dechy won her only WTA Tour singles title at the Gold Coast tournament in 2003 and reached her career-highest ranking in January 2006 when she rose to 11th in the world. She played for France in the Fed Cup in singles and doubles from 2000 until this year.
Robby Ginepri had an unusual way of throwing out the game's first pitch when he was a special guest at the Triple-A baseball game between the Indianapolis Indians and the Durham Bulls. In Indiana where he was competing in the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Ginepri used his racquet and a tennis ball to serve to the Indians catcher. The umpire called balls on both of Ginepri's "serves," but the American was delighted with his performance. "It was very close to a strike," Ginepri said. "It is quite different to have to serve at a catcher's glove. The target is just very small."
Maria Sharapova is continuing to give back. The former world number one has launched the Maria Sharapova Foundation to distribute scholarships among first-year students at Belarusian State University throughout the 2009-2010 academic year. The USD $3,500 scholarships will be available to Belarus residents attending BSU who come from areas formally recognized as affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. According to the BSU press office, recipients should actively participate in public, research and volunteer activities, and should have a high average grade in their general education school diplomas. It's not the first time the tennis player has given generously. In February 2007, Sharapova, who serves as a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Development Program, donated USD $100,000 for eight Chernobyl relief projects in Belarus and Ukraine. Sharapova's father and pregnant mother fled Homyel, a town 80 miles north of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, shortly after the accident in April 1986. She was born in a Siberian city months later.
Forget the ranking. Andy Murray took time to compete in the AEGON Summer County Cup, a 115-year-old amateur team tennis competition. With no umpires, line judges or ball-persons, the players call their own lines in the last amateur grass-court competition in the United Kingdom where senior professionals mix with junior players to represent their county in a competitive team environment. It was a huge surprise to the other players and the 300 spectators at Eastbourne when Murray showed up to play for North of Scotland. "Andy has come down to Eastbourne under his own steam, paying for his transport and lunch out of his own pocket," said North of Scotland captain Ian Conway. "I was surprised and delighted, and his presence has given the rest of the team a huge boost." While Murray and Owen Hadden won all three of their matches for the North of Scotland, Hertfordshire won the tie 5-4 when Andy's brother, Jamie Murray, and his partner lost the deciding match 6-3 6-7 (3) 10-8 (match tiebreak).
Esther Vergeer is not slowing down. The Dutch woman won her ninth consecutive women's wheelchair singles title at the British Open in Nottingham, defeating Korie Homan. Ranked number one in the world, Vergeer stretched her winning streak to 364 matches.
Shingo Kunieda of Japan won the men's main draw singles, while American David Wagner captured the quad singles titles. Kunieda beat Stephane Houdet for his third successive men's main draw singles title. Wagner won his second British Open quad singles in three years as he beat world number one and home favorite Peter Norfolk.
Nicole Pratt has been appointed Australian national women's coach. A former junior Australian Open champion, Pratt will work with Australia's Fed Cup team and on player development, according to Tennis Australia. Pratt's highest ranking on the WTA Tour was 35th in the world.
Indianapolis: Dmitry Tursunov and Ernests Gulbis beat Ashley Fisher and Jordan Kerr 6-4 3-6 11-9 (match tiebreak)
Hamburg: Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley beat Marcelo Melo and Filip Polasek 6-3 6-3
Bad Gastein: Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka beat Tatjana Malek and Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-4
Portoroz: Julia Goerges and Vladimira Uhlirova beat Camille Pin and Klara Zakopalova 6-4 6-2
Los Angeles: www.latennisopen.com/
Gstaad: www.allianzsuisseopengstaad.com/e/
Umag: www.croatiaopen.hr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/
Istanbul: www.istanbulcup.com/
Washington: www.leggmasontennisclassic.com/
Segovia: www.teniselespinar.com/
San Marino: www.atpsanmarino.com/
Vancouver: www.vanopen.com/
Los Angeles: www.latennischamps.com/
(All money in USD)
$700,000 Countrywide Classic, Los Angeles, California, USA, hard
$500,000 Allianz Suisse Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
$450,000 Studena Croatia Open, Umag, Croatia, clay
$100,000 Orbetello Challenger, Orbetello, Italy, clay
$700,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, hard
$220,000 Istanbul Cup, Istanbul, Turkey, clay
$1,402,000 Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Washington, DC, USA, hard
$150,000 ATP Open Castilla y Leon, Segovia, Spain, hard
$120,000 San Marino CEPU Open, San Marino, clay
$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, Canada, hard
$700,000 LA Women's Tennis Championships presented by Herbalife, Los Angeles, California, USA, hard
Mondays With Bob Greene: I'm so happy, I wouldn't trade this victory for a Grand Slam
Robin Soderling beat Juan Monaco 6-3 7-6 (4) to win the Catella Swedish Open in Bastad, Sweden
Jeremy Chardy won his first career ATP title, beating Victor Hanescu 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.
Flavia Pennetta beat Sara Errani 6-1 6-2 to win the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo in Palermo, Italy
Sybille Bammer beat Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (4) 6-2 to win the ECM Prague Open in Prague, Czech Republic
Marcos Daniel won the Open Seguros Bolivar in Bogota, Colombia, defeating Horacic Zeballos 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-4
"I'm so happy, I wouldn't trade this victory for a Grand Slam." – Robin Soderling, the French Open finalist, after becoming the first Swede to win the Swedish Open since 2000.
"It is the first time I've won a title here in Italy. And it's even more special with my family and friends here watching and supporting me." – Flavia Pennetta, after winning the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo.
"I felt the pressure because I knew this would be my first title." – Jeremy Chardy, after beating Victor Hanescu to win his first ATP title, the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.
"I like practicing, but I like playing matches better." – Kim Clijsters, saying she's rejoining the WTA Tour after a two-year retirement during which she got married and had a baby.
"I'm tired of the tour, tired of staying at hotels and tired of travelling…I've had enough now." – Marat Safin, after his first-round loss at the Swedish Open.
"I still want to win. Especially that title. I like winning that one. I'm used to winning that one." – Venus Williams, taking little consolation that the Wimbledon women's singles title remained in the Williams family when she lost the final to sister Serena.
"I thought it would be pretty easy. You play five games, you get to sit down. But it's highly competitive and a difficult way to tiptoe back into it." – Andre Agassi, after returning to the sport by playing World TeamTennis.
"Basically, it was a great match, probably one of the greatest World TeamTennis matches ever played, maybe the greatest. All in all, I thought it was a great night." – New York Sportimes owner Claude Okin, after his coach was suspended following a wild and crazy match that saw two players get hit by batted balls.
It was Robin Soderling's fourth ATP title and his first on clay. But what made his 6-3 7-6 (4) victory over Juan Monaco even sweeter was that Soderling became the first Swede to win the Swedish Open since his coach, Magnus Norman, won in 2000. Soderling, who upset defending champion Rafael Nadal en route to the final of the French Open, was playing in his third ATP final in Sweden. He lost both previous times on the indoor hard court of the Stockholm Open. He wasn't to be denied this time as he didn't drop a set on the clay courts of Bastad. Swedish players have won the singles 18 times in the 54-year history of the Swedish Open. Soderling also was in the doubles final, but he and partner Robert Lindstedt lost to Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek 1-6 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak).
Frenchman Richard Gasquet escaped a two-year ban when an independent panel agreed with him that the reason he tested positive for cocaine was because he had kissed a woman in a Miami, Florida, nightclub who had been using the drug. The panel also ruled that while Gasquet's test was officially in competition, this was a technicality as he had decided the day before his first match to pull out of the Sony Ericsson Championships. Cocaine is not banned out of competition. Fearing a dangerous precedent, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) sought a mandatory two-year band and may yet appeal the ruling, as may the World Anti-Doping Agency. Gasquet's test showed traces of a tiny quantity of cocaine, about the size of a grain of salt. Gasquet missed the French Open and Wimbledon, but could return to the tour at the Montreal, Canada, Masters that starts on August 10.
The president of the Russian tennis federation blames his team's upset Davis Cup loss to Israel on the scheduling of the men's tour. "The main problem is this murderous calendar," said Shamil Tarpishchev. "This is not only a big problem for us. Just look at the other top teams like U.S., Spain, Argentina or Germany. It seems like every top team was missing their best players." Tarpishchev, who had led Russia to Davis Cup titles in 2002 and 2006, said the timing of the World Group quarterfinals coming immediately after the French Open and Wimbledon gave top players almost no time to recover. Russia played without its top two players, Nikolay Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov. Others missing Davis Cup quarterfinals included American Andy Roddick, Spain's Rafael Nadal, Argentina's David Nalbandian, Germany's Tommy Haas and Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic.
Before President Barack Obama headed to baseball's All-Star game to throw out the first pitch, he welcomed Wimbledon champion Serena Williams to the White House. "I love President Obama; he has such an unbelievable presence, and he seems to be so normal – and he noticed my shoes," Williams said. "I think that was the highlight of the whole day, was he liked my shoes." Serena said she was wearing 5-inch heels and the President wondered if she should be wearing them. "I thought that was kind of funny because he may have been right," Serena said. "Because it is a job hazard for me, but I insist on wearing them."
Spain is on top of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Davis Cup Nations Ranking. The Spaniards ended Russia's 2 ½ -year reign as number one. The United States moved up to second place, followed by Russia. Israel, which upset Russia in the quarterfinals, advanced to a career-high sixth.
When Andre Agassi ended his nearly 3-year retirement, he did it all. The 39-year-old played mixed doubles, doubles and singles for the second straight week while competing for the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis. Agassi also traded shots with youngsters and bantered with fans as the Freedoms played the Newport Beach Breakers. He teamed with Lisa Raymond to post a mixed doubles victory, but lost in singles to Ramon Delgado and to Delgado and Kaes Van't Hof in the men's doubles.
Venus and Serena Williams aren't the only sisters meeting on the opposite ends of a tennis court. The difference, though, is what part of the week they face each other. In their latest pairing, Serena beat Venus in the Wimbledon final. In Prague, Czech Republic, fifth-seeded Alona Bondarenko was ousted by her unseeded sister Kateryna in the opening round of the Prague Open 6-1 6-3. That snapped a tie and the younger sister now leads in their head-to-head matchups 4-3. In their career head-to-head battles, Serena leads her older sister 11-10. The Bondarenko sisters did team up to win the doubles in Prague, their third doubles title together. They won the Australian Open and Paris indoors last year.
Washington, D.C., will be the site for this year's World TeamTennis championship finals. The July 26 competition, being played in America's capital for the first time, will pit the 10-team league's Eastern Conference champions against the winners of the Western Conference.
The Qi Zhong Tennis Center in Shanghai is adding new courts as it gets ready to stage an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in October. The Tennis Center was the site for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup for five years, an event that this year will be held in London. For this year's tournament, Qi Zhong's main stadium roof will be opened, turning it into a 15,000-seat outdoor facility. The Grand Stand Court 2 will accommodate 5,000 spectators, while Court 3 will seat 2,000. Construction of the new facilities is expected to be completed by August. The tournament will be held October 10-18 and will conclude a four-week Asian tour, following stops in Bangkok, Tokyo and Beijing.
New York Sportimes coach Chuck Adams was suspended and fined by World TeamTennis after his team and the Washington Kastles got into heated arguments over players getting hit by shots. The league barred Adams for "violating the World TeamTennis Coaches' Code of Conduct." During the melee, Adams went onto Washington's side of the court to confront a Kastles player. The league said this was "the first p[punishment" for what happened between the two teams. WTT said it "continues to investigate the incident to determine if there will be any additional punishments issued." During the men's doubles match, a shot by Washington's Leader Paes hit New York's Robert Kendrick, prompting Adams and Sportimes player John McEnroe to yell at Paes. The chair umpire issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct against the New York team. Four points later, Kendrick hit a serve that hit Paes as he stood near the net as his partner waited to return serve. Kastles players Olga Puchkova and Rennae Stubbs responded and both drew code violation warnings, Puchkova for yelling at Kendrick and Stubbs for abuse of officials.
Having taken time to get married and have a baby, Kim Clijsters is ready to rejoin the WTA Tour. The 2005 US Open champion, Clijsters reached number one in the world in singles and doubles in August 2003. She also was runner-up at four major tournaments – losing to fellow Belgian Justine Henin at both Roland Garros and the US Open in 2003 and at the Australian Open in 2004 – as she won 34 career singles titles before beginning a two-year retirement. This will be her first US Open since she captured the title. She has been given wild cards to enter tournaments at Mason, Ohio, and Toronto, Canada, before the US Open, which begins its two-week run on August 31. The 26-year-old Clijsters married American Brian Lynch in 2007 and their daughter, Jada, was born in February 2008.
Rafael Nadal is shooting to return to the men's tennis tour at the Montreal Masters next Month. The Spaniard has been slowing recovering from tendinitis in his knees and plans to resume training this week. He last played at Roland Garros, where he was upset in the fourth round by Sweden's Robin Soderling. Nadal then was forced to skip the defense of his Wimbledon title. He is the defending champion in Montreal. While he was recuperating, he also lost his number one ranking to Roger Federer, who succeeded Nadal as champion at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Marat Safin is looking forward to life free of racquets and balls. The Russian is scheduled to play another eight tournaments before he retires at the end of the year. After losing his first-round Swedish Open match to Nicolas Almagro, Safin said, "I've had enough now." Asked by the Swedish news agency TT if he would be interested in a coaching career, Safin replied: "I am tired of everything that has to do with rackets and balls. I want to do something completely different."
Yet another retiree is returning to the courts. However, when former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich snaps his 12-year stint on the sidelines, it will be only to play doubles at the tournament in Hamburg, Germany. Now 40 years old, Stich is the director of the event that is struggling to survive after losing its Masters Series status on the tour. Stich will team with 21-year-old Mischa Zverev, one of Germany's top prospects. "I've been practicing with Mischa in Hamburg for about five years and we got the idea at some point to play doubles at a tournament," Stich said. "The opportunity has now presented itself and as Hamburg boys we will play before the home fans next week." Stich upset fellow German Boris Becker to win Wimbledon in 1991. The following year he teamed with John McEnroe to win the Wimbledon doubles.
Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick will skip this week's Indianapolis Tennis Championships because of a right hip flexor injury. It's the same injury that caused Roddick to pull out of the United States Davis Cup team's quarterfinal at Croatia. Without Roddick, the Americans lost.
Australia won't be suspended from Davis Cup for refusing to play in India in May. But while the International Tennis Federation board declined to impose tougher sanctions on Australia, it did say the next Davis Cup tie between the two countries will be played in India. Australia forfeited May's competition when it refused to send a team to India, claiming security fears. While the board also reversed the Davis Cup committee's decision that Australia would lose its hosting rights for its next home match, the board upheld a USD $10,000 fine and additional legal costs imposed on the Australian federation.
Spurred by last year's competition in Argentina, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has decided that Davis Cup finals must in the future be held in major cities. The ITF said Argentina's use of Uslas Malvinas Stadium in Mar del Plata last November did not meet capacity requirements. Wary of the Spaniards' dominance on clay, Argentina moved the Cup final to indoor carpet. Spain won the final anyway, 3-1.
Three countries – Albania, Kenya and Zambia – have been promoted from Class C membership to Class B while two others have been dropped as the ITF has reconfigured the Europe/Africa Zone. It now will be Europe Group II and Africa Group III. Mongolia and Antigua and Barbuda are the nations who were dropped.
Roger Federer has been named "Ehrespalebaerglemer," an award given to outstanding citizens of Basel, Switzerland, the tennis star's home town. A plaque, unveiled in Federer's honor, sits alongside those honoring other local heroes in the historic city center of Basel. "It's a nice honor for me to receive the plaque and I will walk past it, I am sure, just a few more times," said Federer. "It's going to be a proud moment, maybe also to show my kids in the future."
The new chairman and chief executive of the WTA Tour is Stacey Allaster. The native of Canada had served three years as president of the WTA Tour after previously serving as vice president and tournament director of Tennis Canada. Allaster replaces Larry Scott in the top job at the WTA Tour. Scott resigned in March after six years as chief executive to become commissioner of the Pacific-10 Conference of US colleges.
Jon Gibbs, a trailblazer in computerized tennis statistics, has died in Verona, New Jersey, USA. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. A video tape editor for ABC Television before he retired, Gibbs created TenniSTAT, a computer program that enabled a complete printout of every point after a match. At one time TenniSTAT was the official statistics program for the US Open, the WCT Tournament of Champions, the Volvo Masters and the Virginia Slims Championships in New York City, and the US Pro Indoors in Philadelphia. He also provided statistics at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. Gibbs had just celebrated his 71st birthday. A memorial service will be held July 26 at Temple Beth Sholom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. Among his survivors are his wife, Roz, and two sons, Noah and Josh.
Bastad: Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek beat Robert Lindstedt and Robin Soderling 1-6 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Prague: Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko beat Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1 6-2
Palermo: Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez beat Mariya Koryttseva and Darya Kustova 6-1 6-2
Stuttgart: Frantisek Cermak and Mischa Mertinak beat Victor Hanescu and Horia Tecau 7-5 6-4
Bogota: Sebastian Prieto and Horarcic Zeballos beat Marcos Daniel and Ricardo Mello 6-4 7-5
Indianapolis: www.tennisindy.com/
Portoroz: www.sloveniaopen.si/
Bad Gastein: www.matchmaker.at/gastein/
Los Angeles: www.latennisopen.com/
Gstaad: www.allianzsuisseopengstaad.com/e/
Umag: www.croatiaopen.hr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/
Istanbul: www.istanbulcup.com/
(All money in USD)
$1,500,000 Bet-at-Home Open, Hamburg, Germany, clay
$600,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, hard
$220,000 Banka Koper Slovenia Open, Portoroz, Slovenia, hard
$220,000 Gastein Ladies, Bad Gastein, Austria, clay
$700,000 Countrywide Classic, Los Angeles, California, USA, hard
$500,000 Allianz Suisse Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
St. Pete seeds lack Simon survival skills
The St. Petersburg draw is already in shambles after just two rounds of the tournament, as seeds are tumbling out at an alarming rate. No. 5 Marin Cilic, No. 6 Dmitry Tursunov, and No. 7 Mario Ancic were all upset in their openers. No. 2 Nikolay Davydenko, No. 4 Mikhail Youzhny, and No. 8 Marat Safin followed suit in round two, much to the chagrin of the Russian fans. Davydenko pulled out after his first-round win with a wrist injury, while Youzhny lost to doubles partner Mischa Zverev and Safin fell to qualifier Andrey Golubev.
The only seeds to reach the quarterfinals were No. 3 Fernando Verdasco and–not surprisingly–No. 1 Andy Murray. Murray won the Masters Series Madrid last week and has had no problems so far in St. Petersburg taking care of Viktor Troicki and Ernests Gulbis.
Pehaps the six unfortunate seeded players in St. Petersburg should be taking notes from Gilles Simon. The Frenchman won five matches in three sets–four in third-set tiebreakers–last week en route to the Madrid title match, and he is already up to his old tricks in Lyon. Simon recovered from being a set and a break down in the first round to outlast Juan Monaco in three. He went to three again on Thursday with Andreas Seppi, but was far too strong mentally and physically in the end for the Italian.
Simon will play countryman Josselin Ouanna, who got into the event as a wildcard, in the quarterfinals. Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are also through, while Richard Gasquet got upset by Steve Darcis in the second round.
Over in Basel, top two seeds Roger Federer and David Nalbandian have been doing their best Simon impersonations. Federer struggled with Bobby Reynolds in his opener and lost the second set in a tiebreaker, but he outlasted the American in three. The Swiss then saw Jarkko Nieminen serve for the first set on Thursday, but Federer came back to win the match in two tiebreakers. Nalbandian cruised in his first match, but the Argentine needed a third-set breaker to overcome Kristof Vliegen.
James Blake and Juan Martin Del Potro are still looming large as potential semifinal opponents for Federer and Nalbandian, respectively.
Tennis As Usual: Who is Philipp Petzschner
Unless you are a true die-hard tennis fan, you have not been pondering the aforementioned question until today. Little-known German Philipp Petzschner is in the final of both the singles and doubles tournaments at the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy in Vienna. On Saturday he stunned Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals, and hours later he delighted the crowd by teaming with Austrian favorite Alexander Peya to overcome Lopez and fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in a super-tiebreaker for the third set.
Petzschner will now face Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram in the doubles final, and Gael Monfils in the singles title match. The temporary team of Mirnyi and Ram ousted Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 (super-tiebreaker). Monfils outlasted Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(2) in the semifinals after blowing three match points at 6-5, 40-0 in the final set. It took Monfils two hours and 51 minutes to get the job done.
No such suspense took place at the IF Stockholm Open on Saturday. Not long into the second semifinal of the afternoon, the question was not who would win, but whether or not Robin Soderling would finish even faster than David Nalbandian had just one hour earlier. Nalbandian crushed Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-1 in only one hour and four minutes, but he was one-upped by Soderling, who destroyed Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-0 in a mere 44 minutes.
The Swedish fans will be treated to an intriguing final Sunday. Before their man Soderling takes on Nalbandian, veteran Swede Jonas Bjorkman-along with partner Kevin Ullyett-will battle countrymen Johan Brunstrom and Michael Ryderstedt.
The Russian crowd also could not ask more much more on the penultimate day in Moscow. Russians Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn will clash for the Kremlin Cup title. Safin got a free pass into the final when Mischa Zverev pulled out due to illness, while Kunitsyn eased past soon-to-be retired Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3.
Regardless of the outcome, the men's final should be more fun for the fans than Saturday's women's title match. Russian Elena Dementieva steamrolled Jelena Jankovic 6-0 in the first set, but the Serb stormed back to win the final two sets 6-1, 6-0.
Mondays With Bob Greene: Doubles is like Marriage
Jelena Jankovic beat Nadia Petrova 6-4 6-3 to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany
Tomas Berdych won the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships men's singles, defeating Juan Martin del Potro 6-1 6-4 in Tokyo, Japan
Caroline Wozniacki beat Kala Kanepi 6-2 3-6 6-1 to win the women's singles at the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan
Sorana Cirstea defeated Sabine Lisicki 2-6 6-4 7-6 (4) to capture the Tashkent Open in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Dmitry Tursunov beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (6) 1-6 6-4 to win the Open de Moselle in Metz, France
Teimuraz Gabashvili won the Ethias Trophy by beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4 6-4 in Mons, Belgium
Richard Krajicek beat Goran Ivanisevic 7-6 7-5 to win the AFAS Tennis Classics in Eindhoven, Netherlands
"There are some days you wake up and you know it's not going to be your day." – Nadia Petrova, after losing to Jelena Jankovic in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.
"Doubles is like marriage. It has to be good from the first day." – Mischa Zverev, who teamed with Mikhail Youzhny to win the doubles at the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo.
"She is having a great year and I knew it would be hard to beat her. But the game went according to plan." – Venus Williams, after beating Dinara Safina 6-4 6-2.
"It feels great to be back at number one, but my goal is to finish the year as number one. I'm playing better and better, I am improving. I don't feel any extra pressure." – Jelena Jankovic, on her return to the top spot in the WTA Tour rankings.
"I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the number one ranking again." – Roger Federer, after pulling out of the Stockholm Open.
"I need to take a break now to get it back to 100 percent, which is why I have to regretfully take this decision and withdraw. I have played a lot this year and my body needs to recover." – Serena Williams, after withdrawing from the Kremlin Cup with an ankle injury.
"After I lost the first set I checked the clock and saw it was only 20 minutes, so I told myself I had to make it at least an hour. Of course I'm very happy about my win today, and for both of my wins over the Williams sisters this year." – Li Na, after beating Serena William 0-6 6-1 6-4 and knocking the US Open champion out of the number one ranking.
"I think I have to come to Germany more often." – Victoria Azarenka, who has reached the semifinals in both tournaments she has played in Germany this year.
"People want to see me because I was once the number one in the world and won Grand Slam titles. People want to see the guys who they idolized. Now, as we get older, we're really thankful that people want to see us. It's really wonderful, and we're going to try to give our best back." – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, playing his first competitive tennis match in five years, the BlackRock Tour of Champions event in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
"I have played one match with her here and I have won. Not bad." – Goran Ivanisevic, saying his 5-year-old daughter Amber, who was watching her father play for the first time, is his lucky charm.
"I still cannot fully realize that I've won. In the middle of the match I thought my chances of winning were about 40 percent." – Ksenia Palkina, a teenager from Kyrgystan ranked 203rd in the world, after she upset second-seeded Olga Govortsova in the first round of the Tashkent Open.
"Our success in these junior team events against the world's best competition is a good indication of where our players stand amongst their peers at this state. Of course there is a lot of work to be done for these kids to become world-class professionals. But, if these results are any indication, the future is very promising." – Patrick McEnroe, on the United States sweep of the Junior Fed Cup and Junior Davis Cup competitions.
In the game of musical chairs that is called the WTA Tour rankings, Jelena Jankovic is once again in the top spot. The Serb moved up to number one when Serena Williams was upset by China's Li Na. Jankovic held the top ranking for one week in August. Since Justine Henin retired in May, four players have been number one: Williams, Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova. Williams held the top spot for four weeks after defeating Jankovic in the US Open final. Overall, Jankovic has won more matches than any other player on tour this year.
Adrian Mannarino had a ball in Metz, France. Ranked 181st in the world, the French qualifier didn't lose a set in his run to the semifinals at the Open de Moselle. Then he ran into Paul-Henri Matheu, who barely escaped Mannarino 7-6 (8) 7-6 (1). The 20-year-old Mannarino had not won an ATP-level match before he upset sixth-seeded Andreas Seppi in the opening round at Metz.
China's top two players are making a lot of noise on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour this year. At Wimbledon, Zheng Jie became the first Chinese player to beat a reigning world number one when she shocked Ana Ivanovic on her way to the semifinals. At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, last week, Li Na matched that feat, knocking Serena Williams out of the tournament and the number one ranking, 0-6 6-1 6-4. It was Li's 11th career win over a top 10 player but first over a number one.
An El Al plane carrying Israeli tennis star Dudi Sela had to make an emergency landing in Beijing when a bird flew into one of its engines. Sela was returning to Israel after losing in a tournament in Tokyo. While the plane was heading back to Beijing, Sela called his brother Ofer in Israel to let him know what was happening. El Al sent a replacement jet to fly the 150 passengers to Israel.
An ankle injury has forced Serena Williams to withdraw from the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The American withdrew two days after being upset by China's Li Na in Stuttgart, Germany. The winner of four tournaments this year, Williams said her left ankle has been bothering her since the US Open last month, which she won.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov admits he is delighted to be back playing competitively after a five-year layoff. "It was quite exciting," the Russian said after losing to Michael Chang in a BlackRock Tour of Champions match at Eindhoven, Netherlands. "I haven't had this feeling in a long time." Once he decided to play again, Kafelnikov worked hard to lose the weight he had gained after retiring. Then he asked to play in the AFAS Classics tournament in Eindhoven. He came away winless in his return, losing also to Paul Haarhuis and Goran Ivanisevic.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became only the eighth player in the last 20 yeas to win his first ATP title by defeating a top-five opponent in the final, knocking off third-ranked Novak Djokovic to capture the Thailand Open in Bangkok. Greg Sharko, senior editor of ATPTennis.com, says Tsonga is the first to accomplish the feat since fellow Frenchman Michael Llorda did it four years ago when he beat Guillermo Coria, who was number three in the world at the time. In 1988, Mikael Pernfors won his first title in Los Angeles, beating fourth-ranked Andre Agassi. Jim Courier's first title, in 1989 in Basel, Switzerland, came when he beat third-ranked Stefan Edberg. Others who beat top five players to capture their first tournament titles were Omar Camporese in 1991, Alberta Costa and Filip Dewulf in 1995, and Hyung-Taik Lee in 2003.
Two Swiss players – US Open champion Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka – will warm up for the 2009 Australian Open by playing at the invitational Kooyong Classic. Weakened by mononucleosis, Federer missed the tournament in 2008. Also scheduled to play in the event are Marat Safin, Fernando Gonzalez, Marcos Baghdatis, James Blake and Ernests Gulbis. The eighth spot for the tournament, which guarantees each player three matches on the same surface as that used at the Australian Open, will be named later.[ad#adify-300×250]
Saying he needs a break, Roger Federer will not play in the upcoming Stockholm Open. Federer has not played since winning his fifth consecutive US Open last month. "(This) has been a tough year for me as I was always playing catch-up after being diagnosed with mononucleosis at the beginning of the year," said Federer, who lost his number one ranking to Rafael Nadal in August after holding it for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
Paradorn Srichaphan is thinking about switching sports, perhaps becoming a race car driver. Beset by injury for almost two years, Thailand's best player has been busy promoting motorsports in his country. "I've been really bored and it would be huge challenge to move from one sport to the next," Srichaphan said. "I'm involved in a racing team and my sponsors are interested in having me racing for them, but only when I retire from tennis. I still plan to return to the tour."
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has penalized Croatia for playing Davis Cup matches against Brazil on a court that was considered too fast. As part of the Davis Cup Committee's ruling, Croatia will lose 2,000 points and pay an undisclosed fine. Marina Mihelic, head of the Croatian Tennis Federation, said she was "surprised and annoyed" by the decision. The ITF said Croatia violated the federation's "court pace rating rule," which assesses the speed of surfaces other than grass and clay. It's the first such case involving the rule, which was implemented this year. The ITF rejected Brazil's appeal to have Croatia disqualified, the victory awarded to Brazil and financial compensation paid to Brazil.
The United States Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup teams captured the 2008 World Finals without dropping a single match. The international team competition for players age 16 and under held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, continued the American domination of junior events. The American boys' and girls' squads won the World Junior Tennis Championships for 14-and-under in August in Prostejoy, Czech Republic. It is the first time the same country has won all four titles in the same year. The American Junior Fed Cup team beat Colombia, Chinese Taipei, Serbia, Hungary and Great Britain. The American Junior Davis Cup squad beat Latvia, Chinese Taipei, Sweden, India and Argentina.
Mark L. Stenning has been awarded the prestigious Chairman's Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. The Chairman's Award recognizes outstanding service by a Hall of Fame board member. Stenning joined the ITHOF in 1980 and currently holds the position of chief executive officer. He also currently serves on the Davis Cup and Fed Cup Committees of the United States Tennis Association.
TENNIS.com is the new title sponsor of the Zurich Open, a stop on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The Tennis Company, headquartered in Santa Monica, California, calls itself the world's leading website for tennis fans. Aside from TENNIS.com, the company publishes Tennis Magazine and Smash Magazine. The Tennis Company is also a managing partner in the Indian Springs, California, tournament. Among others, The Tennis Company's partners include Chris Evert, Billie Jean King and Pete Sampras.
Stuttgart: Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Patty Schnyder beat Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs 6-2 6-4
Tokyo (men): Mikhail Youzhny and Mischa Zverev beat Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes 6-3 6-4
Tokyo (women): Jill Craybus and Marina Erakovic beat Ayumi Morita and Aiko Nakamura 4-6 7-5 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Tashkent: Ioana Raluca Olaru and Olga Savchuk beat Nina Bratchikova and Kathrin Woerle 5-7 7-5 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Metz: Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 5-7 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Mons: Michal Mertinak and Lovro Zovko beat Yves Allegro and Horia Tecau 7-5 6-3
Vienna: www.ba-ca-tennistrophy.at
Stockholm: www.stockholmopen.se
Moscow: www.kremlincup.ru
Madrid: www.mutuamad-mastersmadrid.com
Zurich: www.zurichopen.net
Ortisei: www.itfvalgardena.com
Budapest: www.tennisclassics.hu/
(All money in USD)
$1,000,000 ATP Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, carpet
$800,000 IF Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard
$755,000 Bank Austria TennisTrophy, Vienna, Austria, hard
$1,340,000 Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, carpet
BlackRock Tour of Champions, Budapest, Hungary, carpet
$2,450,000 Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid, Madrid, Spain, hard
$125,000 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
$600,000 Zurich Open, Zurich, Switzerland
$100,000 Internazionali Tennis Val Gardena, Ortisei, Italy, carpet


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The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is reporting that it has received confirmation that the European Commission considers the proposed Greek cruising tax (known as 'TPP') to be lawful under EU law.
In January 2014 legislation was introduced by the Greek government to implement a new tax for yachts of any flag over 7 metres in length cruising in Greek waters. As yet there has been no indication of when collection of this tax will start.
The European Commission has reviewed the Greek legislation and has concluded that the tax does not contravene EU law. It remains to be seen, however, whether the recent political changes in Greece will have an impact on the speed with which this legislation is implemented (if at all).
Further information can be found here on the RYA website:
Oceanskies works closely with a leading yacht agent in Greece to handle all Greek cruising formalities on behalf of its client yachts to ensure that they are able to safely navigate their way around the applicable rules, regulations and VAT import/export formalities regardless of whether they are privately or commercially operated.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact us.


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Listening to: The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
I headed west out of DIA – Denver International Airport - on my way home from dropping off my Thanksgiving guest, listening to the motor hum, lost in the quiet, no thoughts other than making my way towards the mountains in the distance, a serrated hem of smoky blue and gray. The day after Thanksgiving and the traffic was heavy, cars that had been lined up two deep at departures and arrivals were on the road, speeding towards Denver.
Stopping at the rip-off Conoco ($.50 a gallon more than in town!), I needed to piss, have a smoke. I lit up and looked out over the plains, thinking it looked less like Colorado and more like the wind-swept, grassy steppes of central Asia, my chin thrust into the breeze with the defiance of a Khazak nomad. Cars sped by on the highway below, people pumped gas and bought candy bars and energy drinks and yet I felt completely isolated, alone on the plains, pensive, taciturn. There was still another 75 miles to drive but my thoughts were lodged in the past, how I'd arrived there, overlooking hills brown with dead grass.
Six days previous, we'd driven by here, oblivious to the landscape, looking towards the road home, some small voice telling us both that this was our last visit. The visit was pleasant, heavenly at times but the specter of finality seemed to vibrate just below the surface. Things unsaid came to life in the day-to-day details of who we are and how we conducted ourselves.
In the drive to the airport, the unspoken heartbreak was finally given a voice. She said I'm self-absorbed, that she saw herself taking the lion's share of the child-rearing if we were a couple. There is no doubt I'm self-absorbed, I conceded, although I took offense that my children were left wanting because of that. An impasse, I felt, we would never agree on this. All we would agree upon was that there was no use pursuing something that had little common ground, something doomed and mercurial.
The hills were bathed in an amber glow as I crushed out my cigarette butt and walked back to my car. Time to move on, to get back on the road and return home, to my life, to see what other roads there are.
So many roads to follow.


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Just bonding behaviors when starting a relationship [1]
(CuriousFellow) I wish everyone who is considering getting into a new relationship would read my story. I decided to postpone the sex, and enjoy the bonding behaviors. Taking the focus off of sex made the experience soooo much more relaxed, enjoyable, and less stressful than previous dating experiences. Here is my story:
A wonderful goddess and I have been corresponding since she first showed up on Reuniting some months ago. We just spent an AWESOME, WONDERFUL two weeks together sharing bonding behaviors over the Christmas - New Year holidays. We agreed beforehand to not have any sort of intercourse, and we stuck with that plan.
During our discussions leading up to our visit, she asked what we would do while we were together. I suggested that we share lots of bonding behaviors (mainly hugging and cuddling). I also said I would love to sleep with her (with pajamas, without sex) but that it was up to her when and if we might do that. As it turned out, we cuddled the first evening we were together, and she felt safe enough to sleep with me every night.
The first five days, we spent a lot of time hugging and cuddling without any sort of sexual touching. We cuddled and listened to lots of music.
One day, after brunch, we were standing in the kitchen and hugged for five minutes. Me: "Want to lie down and cuddle for 15 minutes?" Her: "OK!" Five hours later, we got up and had supper. We both have been starved for physical affection for many years, so just those non-sexual bonding behaviors were heavenly for both of us.
Whenever I had a hand free, I would slowly and gently rub her back, which she loved, and it felt delicious when she did that to me, too. Often she would fall asleep in my arms after a couple minutes of stroking her back.
(I have given various sorts of massages in the past, but it always seemed like a chore to me because it was expected or demanded from me, and because there was no response to my touches, so I didn't know how and where to touch. My goddess never asked me to rub her back. I just did it naturally, after noticing how nice it felt when she did it to me. She told me my back rubs were wonderful, and stiffened and relaxed when I touched her in various places, which let me know where she wanted to be touched the most. So I enjoyed it and did it willingly.)
One of the things she worried about before we met was that she snores, and she thought I wouldn't like that and wouldn't want to sleep with her because of that. After we were together and she brought it up, I said, "You probably won't believe me, but I don't mind it at all." It wasn't bad and it didn't keep me from sleeping. It was a joy to hold a real woman close to me, and I felt honored that she trusted me and felt safe enough with me to fall asleep in my arms. (She just told me that I snore too, but it didn't bother her and my snoring was "cute"!)
During the first five days, I had plenty of erections, but didn't feel any need to "do" anything about them, and I told her that she didn't need to do anything about them either. She said she liked feeling them against her body. I didn't have any episodes of feeling uncomfortably horny or wanting an orgasm.
I'm glad we refrained from any sort of sexual touching for the first five days, because if we had jumped into sexual behaviors right away, we would have missed finding out how wonderful the non-sexual bonding behaviors are just by themselves.
After five days, we added in sexual touching (of breasts and penis) and kissing. I guess I'm not very sensitive because I didn't get anywhere near orgasm. But, she has very sensitive breasts. After I started gently squeezing and rubbing her nipples, she said, "On a 1-10 scale of wanting an orgasm, I'm at 20." I asked her several times during our visit to please not have an orgasm, because I didn't want to deal with POBF (post-orgasmic brain fallout) from her. She "touched herself" a few times for about a minute each time, and that seemed to relieve her sexual tension. During the times she was not aroused, she said firmly that she didn't want to have an orgasm (because she would feel terrible afterward), but when she was aroused, her resolve was not so strong.
I enjoyed touching and being touched, and enjoyed my and her sexual arousal, without feeling like I wanted to go for an orgasm - at least, during the times we were "making out". However, the first morning after we started the sexual touching, and a couple mornings after that, I woke up with a wired feeling like I have felt a few days after an orgasm. But it was not too uncomfortable or long-lasting. [Update: I think the wired feeling was a hangover from making out.]
She and I both noticed that if I would lie on top of her, and even if we pressed our pelvises together, it was very relaxing and dissipated the sexual tension for both of us. I would lose an erection within seconds, and she would lose the urge to have an orgasm within a minute or two. This was with clothing or pajamas on. I'm not sure what would happen with direct genital contact.
So I nominate "lying on top of each other" as a soothing bonding behavior, and not as an activity that is likely to get the partners overly aroused. (Marnia warns against lying on top of each other in the Exchanges section of her books. I don't think the warning is necessary. I think it's just another way of hugging.)
My purpose for proposing the visit were to enjoy lots of physical affection; to see if I could enjoy being with a woman 24 hours a day for two weeks without sex in the picture; to build up my confidence with dating and being around women; to show her that she is lovely and lovable (as I strongly suspected from our correspondence) and that she CAN attract the affectionate attention of a nice man; and to give her some "oxytocin therapy", to help her heal mentally (from some previous bad experiences with men, and from anxiety and rage attacks) and physically. On the third day we were together, she had a mild anxiety attack. (I might not have known she was having an anxiety attack if she hadn't told me.) I just held her calmly and talked to her. After an hour, she came out of it and was fine. Other than that anxiety attack, she seemed very sweet and normal for the whole visit. Before we got together, she had a question that had puzzled her for a long time: why relate to people? By the end of our visit, she had found an answer that satisfied her. She also said that the reasons she used to have for feeling rage no longer made sense to her, and the rage has gone away. So maybe the oxytocin therapy helped.
This visit showed me that I can have a wonderful time with a woman with just the bonding behaviors. I don't regret abstaining from sex in our brief time together. I think in a long-term relationship, I would like to practice some karezza as well, but there is no hurry; I feel no urgency about it.
Did I mention that the bonding behaviors are wonderful all by themselves?
Epilog: Circumstances beyond our control made it difficult to continue seeing each other. We have both moved on to other, fulfilling relationships. Still, I'm glad I made that visit. It was one of the happiest times of my life.
In my current relationship, I'm practicing karezza and the bonding behaviors as much as possible. (I can always use more practice, and practice makes perfect!) I'm no longer interested in having conventional sex. The few seconds of pleasure from orgasm are just not worth the costs: headaches, unpleasant cravings, and relationship disharmony in the following days.
Have I mentioned how wonderful the bonding behaviors are?
(Fisherman) So, we're a week and a half in. No orgasm or sex. Just cuddling and intimate sharing thus far. No problems on my part. Every time she says, "I don't want to go too fast, let's just do this," I'm more than happy to oblige. So, in essence, bonding behaviors without really trying. Never get to hot, always stop and relax after a period, nice cuddly talk afterwards, usually followed by yet another nice, slow session.
What's hilarious is that what I've been wanting or "trying" to do for two years is now suddenly happening with little to no effort. It's like I'm sitting there watching the pages of the book turn slowly, and I'm seated in a little roller coaster seat just watching it happen while I smile.
I can't even really write too much about it. I'm completely befuddled.
But long story short, this stuff actually works when you just let it play out. I'm quite satisfied. I'm not "horny" or desperate for the full thing. I quite enjoy the pace. Getting nice, sensual touch as normal behavior instead of just something we occasionally do before or after sex is quite a nice thing.
(ibminh) Little side note on Karezza, when I had sex or cuddled with a girl for hours even if I could not ejaculate at all (due to porn-induced delayed ejaculation), I felt really good for many days afterward. All craving to masturbate disappeared, gone! I mentioned in my blog about my first girlfriend who took my virginity more than a year ago. It took me about more than a month to be able to ejaculate. All that time, we cuddled, kissed, and then had sex. We'd take a break to watch a movie, and then go at it again throughout the whole evening (hours and hours of love). Life all sudden became very colorful. I'd wake up at 5am in the morning full of energy. I had so much energy that I can't even explain. I guess I experienced Karezza way before I knew what it was. Backward learning. Cool!
(cadethefaun) And I still can't believe it happened...
So I met this girl a few minutes after entering the pub and we started talking. We left the pub together to find something to do, but only ended up driving around a while, then going back to her house. And we started talking about our mutual fears and issues with relationships, and how terrifying it was for both of us. We talked about this and many other things until 5 am, then slept cuddled together, then pretty much spent the whole rest of the weekend together, just talking and going to various places including walks, the beach, eating out, both feeling completely at home, as if we'd known each other forever, and not really wanting to be anywhere else. And we pretty much never stopped talking. There hasn't been a single day I haven't heard from her, or her me. We have a lot of fun together and are very affectionate.
I cuddled with her on the nights we spent together for the first month. She said she wasn't ready for sex right then and also didn't want to lead me on bc she wasn't sure if or when she would want to again, she has been through some tough shit, believe me, but I told her the no strings cuddly thing was perfectly fine and eventually things changed. smiley I think she really just wanted to know that I wasn't just in it for a "piece of ass", that I actually cared and genuinely wanted to be around her.
And she is absolutely not what I expected someone I would feel this way about would be. She's a little bit of a basket case(aren't all women in some way, or maybe even all people;Carl Jung, "show me a sane man and I will cure him"), and yet, somehow perfectly adorable to me. And she's honest, I can just ask how she's feeling and she tells me straight up, even if it isn't pretty. Sometimes she just tells me whether I want to know or not, sometimes very heatedly and I just remain calm and talk it through and eventually she calms down. And of course she thinks deeply about things like metaphysics and the universe like me too.
- Karezza [2]


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WOW–I need me some shops like this in Denver! What great finds!
Oh wow!! This looks so fun!! And soooo much inspiration!! Thanks for sharing all the pictures!
This looks AMAZING Michelle!! Wish I could have made it!! And thanks for the shout out!! 🙂
Oh wow! It would be worth the drive just to go to this!
Gurl…. how did you NOT buy that diary? If they do this next year, I wanna go! If the Friday is the better day, I'd even take off work.
Well, I didn't get the plastic put down quick enough so now I have a big drool mess! Fantastic stuff and I so "need" that cabinet…..
Wiping the drool!! What beautiful things! You did save the best for last, and I also loved the first picture (the chalkboard sign, that says it all). Thank you so much for sharing.
[…] again! You may or may not remember me sharing my Bella Rustica experience last September(maybe this will jog your memory!)but I know I haven't forgotten about it.Last year was the first for […]
[…] Bella Rustica event, and incidentally my third year to go. (Be sure to check out photos from 2011 and 2012.) I have to say that I think this year was the best one yet. Not just because it was […]


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Learn about issues that HAP advocates for on behalf of Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems
Find information on programs that help Pennsylvania hospitals address physician leadership, emergency preparedness, health care reform, and health IT.
Learn how Pennsylvania hospitals are working to improve health care quality and safety through the work of the Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network.
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September 26, 2014 | By: Tom Grace
Fellow health care
colleagues and first responders, we all have experience in preparing for and
responding to emergencies, from the impact of severe weather to the emergence
of new diseases.
We are educated and
trained in following our hospital's disaster plans. We are there for our
community during these stressful times, and often go above and beyond our
normal duties when responding to our community's emergencies and disasters.
We know what we
need to do during these events; however, if a disaster happened today, would
you―as a person, and not a health care professional or first responder—be
Market research
sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during 2012 showed
that only 14 percent of people surveyed had taken every action they could to be
ready for emergencies; and 21 percent were working on being prepared.
For 46 percent of
people surveyed, being prepared for emergencies wasn't even on their radar.
Here are some steps we can take to ensure the health and
well-being of our families, while we are busy providing care to others.
Make a Plan
Just as our hospitals have disaster plans, we must make a
plan for our family. Ready.gov has made it
simple for you to create a family emergency plan. Make sure that you consider
and customize your plan for your individual needs and responsibilities based on
the methods of communication, types of shelter, and methods of transportation
available to you.
One of the greatest challenges
in most emergencies is the ability to communicate with our family members. A
pre-designated out-of-town contact is key to communications when local systems
are overloaded.
Often, long-distance lines
remain open when local routes are clogged. Likewise, text and social media
communications usually remain available when phone lines are clogged.
FEMA has a great resource to
help you to create your family communication plan. Once completed, you should keep this document somewhere
safe like in your wallet or in your kid's backpack or school notebook. Another
option is to input these numbers into your cell phone.
Some other factors you should keep in mind when
developing your plan include:
Build a Kit
important step in preparing for an emergency or disaster is building a disaster
kit, which should contain basic items your household may need in the event of
an emergency.
You should
assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency because you probably will not
have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them if you have to
evacuate an area quickly.
You also may
need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own
food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72
FEMA offers
resources and related information to help you with building and maintaining your disaster kit.
As National Preparedness Month draws to a close, I want to
remind all of you that the Boy Scout motto still holds true, be prepared!
Being prepared is part of
what we do as health care professionals and first responders. Knowing that our own
family is prepared can bring us some piece of mind while we are doing our jobs.
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- home
- news
- blogs
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More Water Being Bottled
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has issued a directive that allows more water to be taken from aquifers so
Earlier this year, Granholm limited the amount of water that the plants can withdraw and restricted sale of the water to only the
Some environmentalists do not have a problem with this.
"I think it is humanitarian and practical," said Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council. "We have something of extraordinary human need and (this) is life saving. She did the right thing."
Suspension of the earlier regulation does not worry her council, which is a coalition of environmental groups, said Pollack.
"Gov. Granholm has a commitment to protecting the
In a May 2005 article in Water and Waste Digest, Kim Jeffery, president of Nestle Waters North America, said bottled water companies use only about 0.06 percent of
Donna Stine, assistant policy director for the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, endorsed allowing extra bottled water, but disagreed with the original restrictions.
"We think the original restrictions didn't make a lot of sense," said Stine. "It's not how water is used but how much is withdrawn that affects the natural resources. And right now you can't take enough water out for bottled water to affect the
At least two Republican legislators agree.
"I don't think it makes sense to treat bottled water on that basis," said Patricia Birkholz, R-Saugatuck, chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee. "We have to look at (the) context of all products. We export latex paint from
"It leads to the question of whether there should be a ban at all."
The main policy should be to preserve groundwater, not limit its use unnecessarily, said Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming.
"It's a mistake to focus on one use," Sikkema said. "The approach has to be to protect the resource."
Other types of operations across
"I object to public policy that bottled water is the sole culprit," Sikkema said. "It could be too much agricultural usage."
Sikkema said that it's clear Granholm sees that the issue involves more than a single bottling plant.
"The fact that the governor lifted the restriction says she recognizes that this one aquifer is not draining the resource," Sikkema said.
And Birkholz said, "It's a bigger, broader issue than just bottled water. It should be the goal of every citizen to protect our resources so they will be here forever."
One of the main problems in the Gulf region after Hurricane Katrina is the lack of drinkable water.
Pollack said, "What we are seeing is a contamination of water. It is very expensive to import water and inconvenient, to say the least.
"It brings to mind how precious clean water is and how fragile our own system is. We could be just as incapacitated as those in


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Donate to B-CU
B-CU invites you to make a gift to the UNCF/United Way Combined Charities. Help B-CU students succeed and your neighbors in times of crisis. Your gift, large or small, can make a difference. Please give generously today.
As a university employee, you can make your gift through payroll deduction. The process is easy. You determine the amount you want deducted from you paycheck and for how long. Just fill out the form and return it to Institutional Advancement (IA) by fax, email or in person. The contact information is at the bottom of the form. IA will take care of contacting payroll. If you have any questions, we will be glad to assist you.
Thank you.


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Signing Einstein: Home
They say that good music stands the test of time. I sure hope that's true. You see, this project started to get organized way back in 1999 and was released as a 10-song CD in May of 2001.
Time passes very quickly when you're distracted with life's many journeys. Vince and I haven't worked together much since then, but have remained the "brothers" we've always been in our nearly 30-year friendship. Gina, being Vince's cousin, is never too far away, either.
This project was about the idea of signing "Einsteins" (the best people in their field) to a vision; focusing on a concept to develop each tune into it's own little "movie" starring different characters, themes, settings, and moods. So that's what happened.
Vince, Gina, and I, along with our friends Dave Uhrich (guitars), Jim Godsey (engineer), Abdul Hakim (guitar samples), Randy Harrah (drum samples), and Tony Nuccio (visuals), set out to create an album filled with subtle nuances.
We hope you take some time to dive into the tale behind each song using the Music section of this site. (click on the song name to view it's lyrics and biography).
Enjoy your time listening, reading, and learning about the twists and turns of each adventure. Who knows; maybe it's time we gather up the "Einsteins" again and release another set of stories for you to explore.
Thanks for stopping by,
Joe Nuccio


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Morrison Academy students are active both in and outside the classroom. Here is where you will find glimpses of our recent student activities.
2017 World Scholar's Cup
Check out the action at this year's World Scholar's Cup!
2017 9th Grade Biology Trip to Penghu
See all the fun had by our ninth graders at this year's trip to Penghu!


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ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) - Police have released new information about a toddler's death on Wednesday. His grandmother is now charged in the case.
Police say Brayden Lukas Daniel's grandmother, Rebecca Jane Elrod, is charged with Driving Under the Influence. Police say Elrod, 52, of Mount Olive Road in Albertville, was under the influence of some type of prescription medication at the time of the accident on Diane Street.
"During the investigation we had some clues come up to the officers there on the scene, some red flags if you will," said Albertville Assistant Police Chief Jamie Smith. "They got to digging a little deeper and asking a few more questions, and it turned out we probably had a problem there at the scene with the grandmother."
Police took Elrod into custody and took her to a local hospital where blood was drawn under a court order. She was then booked in the Albertville City Jail.
Late Friday, police said Elrod had been officially charged with Criminally Negligent Homicide. She posted $2,500 bond.
Police continue their investigation on how this happened.
"From what I understand the car was actually parked in the driveway and had backed up and then turned to the left and was just going to pull out through the grass there onto the roadway," said Smith. "Between the driveway and where the car was parked was where the child was struck. She was pulling forward."
Smith said Lukas Daniel's father was there, and tried to grab his son but was out of arm's reach.
Lukas Daniel was pronounced dead at Marshall Medical Center South. He was 2 years old.


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Duration : 0:5:2
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Three Trapped Tigers have been Drowned in Sound favourites for some time now, so for some of you Route One or Die, their debut album, will no doubt be met with eager anticipation. Preceded by three excellent untitled EPs, which elegantly managed to convey alternating senses of beauty, emotion and menace in a mostly instrumental set-up, they have already left themselves a very impressive legacy for this record to live up to.
Recorded mostly live by the three-piece, who are proudly averse to overdubs, backing tracks and studio fix-ups, the album is a textured, varied affair that, when listened to from start to finish, has the feel of one continuous piece with contrasting, schizophrenic movements. Despite the limited supply of limbs between them, the three make a surprising amount of noise, deftly switching between keys, drums, guitars and samples, supplemented by occasional, nonverbal vocals, although as far as I can tell these are entirely absent from Route One or Die.
Aside from this omission, this record is very much Three Trapped Tigers as usual. There's none of the expected leap in production, songwriting or theme that many bands take when they make their debut LP. For the most part, Route One or Die seems simply like two Three Trapped Tigers EPs tacked together, albeit two EPs that flow seamlessly into one another. Admittedly for this release they've dropped the oblique, numbered titling system of yore, although with names such as 'Zil' 'Drebin' and 'Cramm' they still aren't really giving that much away. Still, with no drop in quality from EP3, that isn't going bother hardcore fans much, and for new fans, this full-length is as good an introduction to the band as anything they've released so far.
Still present is the intricate, complex songwriting that they have made their name with, and the focus on emotion is still very much present. Opening blast and prerelease download 'Cramm' is equal parts bone-crushing heaviness and soul-crushing melody, and by the time it bleeds into 'Noise Trade' the glittering ebb and flow of this record has you dragged under. Twinkling closer 'Reset' has its fair share of dissonance to begin with, but it builds up to be as complex and heart-swelling as anything in the band's back catalogue. Such is the skill of the band that they can express such wildly disparate sentiments, often within the space of the same track. This emotional ping-pong is employed to its best effect, with waves of sadness, aggression and joy hitting you at just the right moments.
Route One or Die is a heavy, sometimes dizzyingly diverse listen. Despite this, the band's emphasis on melody means these songs hook you in from the very first listen, while still having more wonders to reveal to you on repeated listens. For those expecting the Tigers introduce new elements to their sound at this stage, the record may come as a slight disappointment, but the band seem to have discovered a formula that works, and maybe it works too well to be tampered with just yet.
7Paul Stephen Gettings's Score