Madrid Master starts today!

Madrid Masters is the second last Masters series before the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup. There are already 4 players confirmed a spot in Tennis Masters Cup. They are the Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko. Who will be the next 4 players in Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup? The last 2 Masters Series in Madrid and Paris will be very critical for the players to get their pass into the Masters Cup. Last year, Roger Federer was the champion in Madrid Masters. This year Roger Federer is also here to defend his title together with other top players namely Nadal, Djokovic, Davydenko Ferrer, Gonzalez, etc. Madrid Masters will be a exciting tournament to watched!

Federer won the US Open 2007!

I heard that it was a very exciting match on 9th Sept between the world No.1 Roger Federer and No.3 Novak Djokovic. Although it was a straight set win 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 by Federer, Djokovic did not make it easy for the top seed. Djokovic held five set points against Federer in the first set and two set points in the second set but the young chap did not grab the opportunity to win them instead the cool-headed Federer snatch the first 2 sets from the nervous Djokovic. It is the fourth consecutive US Open titles and that adds to 12 Grand Slam titles in total for Federer. He will also get an extra $1 million bonus for earning the most points in the US Open series (series of tournaments held in North America over a period of one month preceding the US Open) this year and that adds up to a whopping $2.4 million for the US Open Champion, Roger Federer.

Semifinals match between Federer and Davydenko

Federer took 141min to defeat No.4 seed Davydenko 7-5, 6-1, 7-5 the 10th time. Federer is on his way to become the first man to win four successive US Open titles since Bill Tilden took six straight titles between 1920 and 1925. This will be his 12th Grand Slams singles victory if he is able to take down the No.3 Djokovic who has beaten Federer in Montreal recently.

Semifinals match between Djokovic and Ferrer

The World No.3 seed Novak Djokovic has a slow start making many unforced errors and give Ferrer a 4-1 lead. Then Djokovic win the first set 6-4 winning 5 straight games. Ferrer was really helpless when facing the mighty Djokovic. It took Djokovic 134min to defeat Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first career Grand Slam finals. Djokovic is also the youngest player to reach US Open final since Pete Sampras who won in 1990.

Justine Henin won the US Open 2007

No.1 seed Henin won her second US Open Championship after defeating No.4 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3. Henin has already won 7 Grand Slam title till today.

Justine Henin vs Svetlana Kuznetsova in the woman final of US Open 2007

Well done Justine Henin! It is definitely not an easy path for Henin in this US Open 2007 having to meet 2 William Sisters in her quarterfinals and semifinals. But she has proven that she is still the world best woman player by defeating the William Sisters without losing a single set. Kuznetsova lost the first set to Chakvetadze but managed to fight back the next 2 sets with determination and the result was 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. Both Henin and Kuznetsova were winners in the US Open before but who will get their second US Open title.

The Israeli woman Shahar Peer was stopped by the Anna Chakvetadze

It was quite a feat for Shahar Peer to advance to the quarterfinals of US Open. Perhaps she need to try again next time to do even better. Coincidentally, Anna Chakvetadze from Russia will be playing against her country mate, the World No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova. The other semifinals will be between the 2003 winner Justine Henin and and 2 time US Open champion Venus Williams. My guess for the woman finalists will most probably be Venus vs Kuznetsova. I feel that Henin is good but this is US Open, Venus definitely has the advantage of home ground and home crowd supporters.

Novak Djokovic secure a place in the semifinal

The more experienced No.17 Carlos Moya is defeated in straight sets 4-6, 6(7)-7, 1-6 by his younger competitor Novak Djokovic and the match last for 138min. Djokovic next opponent is David Ferrer who also won in straight sets against No.20 Juan Ignacio Chela in the quarterfinals. David Ferrer has been playing very well so i think he will stand a chance to beat the World No.3 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Who else are in the semifinals? World No.1 Roger Federer and World No.4 Nikolay Davydenko. For the past meetings between Federer and Davydenko, it has always been Federer who are more dominating. My guess for the finalists are The Great Federer vs the Rising Star Djokovic.

Battle between three-times defending champion Roger Federer and 2003 winner Andy Roddick

Two men in black in action at the US Open 2007 quarterfinals today. The match was still in progress when i wrote this post. Both players played really well giving no free points to each other. There are no break point in the first set and Federer bag the first set with an ace. Andy Roddick got a break point in the seond set but did not manage to convert it. Roddick lose the second set to Federer in the tie break. It looks like the third set is dominated by Roger Federer. Federer converted 2 break points and won the match in just 122min. The result was a straight set triumph by Roger Federer 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 6-2. I did expect Roger to have to play a 4 set or 5 set match tonight in order to win Roddick. The Federer express is one step closer to the finals of US Open 2007. Next Federer will be playing against the world No.4 Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals. Davydenko also have a straight set win 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 against No.10 seed Tommy Haas. Well done Federer!!

Battle between world No.2 Rafael Nadal and No.15 David Ferrer

It was a very exciting and entertaining match between the two Spaniards. Rafael Nadal was so fast in covering all corners on the court forcing Ferrer to play even better in order to win a point. I was very impressed by the consistent ground strokes from the 15th seed Ferrer and he eventually overcome Nadal super top spin strokes to win the match. The 4-set match last for 208min and the result was 6(3)-7, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2. Nadal took the first set in a tie break and Ferrer was on fire after losing the first set by winning 3 straight sets. Nadal has always been a baseliner and seldom move to the net. But i saw a difference in Nadal's game yesterday against Ferrer because he seems more confident in his net shots and volley now. Too bad that Nadal was not able to advance further to the quarterfinals in this year US Open.

No.3 seed Novak Djokovic advance to Quarter Finals after defeating Juan Monaco

Djokovic took 233min to defeat the No.23 Juan Monaco in a 4-set match 7-5, 7-6(2), 6(8)-7, 6-1. He has become the first Serbian man who reach the US Open quarterfinals and will be playing against No.17 seed Carlos Moya from Spain. Can the 20 year old Djokovic outlast the 31 year old Moya or the more experienced Moya will crush the young man Djokovic?

Roger Federer storms into the Quarter Finals of US Open 2007

Federer express is definitely non-stoppable at the moment. He has a nickname called "Dark Federer" because his attire are all black in this US Open 2007. Federer drop the first set but pick up the pace from the 2nd set onwards to take down the match with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 against the lefty Feliciano Lopez from Spain. Federer will meet Roddick in the Quarter Finals! Federer who has a 13-1 record win against Roddick will stand a higher chances of winning but still it is going to be a tough one for Federer. Will Roddick supersonic server help him to win or will Federer crush him totally again for the 14th time!

First Israeli woman to reach Quarter Final in the US Open History

Shahar Peer from Israel must be very elated after she triumph in the 72min 4th round encounter with Agnieszka Radwanska. The result was straight sets 6-4, 6-1. She is the first Israeli woman to reach Quarter Final in US Open history. She is now the No.18 seed and she will not stop there looking at her winning form. It was a disappointing match for Agnieszka Radwanska who should feel confident after having beaten the US Open defending champion, Maria Sharapova. Peer Quarter Final match encounter will be the World No.6 seed Anna Chakvetadze from Russia. Another exciting Quarter Final match to look out for is World No.1 Justine Henin vs No.8 Serena Williams.

James Blake was stopped by Tommy Haas in the 4th Round of US Open 2007

It is another very exciting 5-set match between No.6 seed James Blake and No.10 seed Tommy Haas. The result was 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 0-6, 6(4)-7. Tommy took the 2nd, 4th and 5th set with much resistance from James Blake. James was two sets up but lose the 4th set without winning any games in the 4th set.

World No.5 Andy Roddick secure a place in Quarter Final after Berdych retired

This could be one of the exciting match to watch but No.9 seed Tomas Berdych has to retired due to illness (no idea what illness). I was watching the live telecast and Berdych was just not moving as agile as he was. Ironically, he still managed to forced the first set into a tie break and also got 18 winners and 2 aces in the short 60 min game 6-7 0-2 against Roddick. My personal opinion is Roddick is weak in his ground stroke and rely heavily on his serve to win matches. The world No.5 seed Andy Roddick is still the man who had won 2003 US Open before. His next match will be against Federer or Lopez (still playing when i wrote this post).

Will Nadal progress into Quarter Final?

Nadal has so far demonstrated that he can play well on hard court as well. He was quarter finalist last year in US Open 2006. Can he performed better this year? Will he be able to maintain his winning streak and reached the final or even win the championship? No doubt he has all the capabilities be a winner in US Open but Federer is still his arch rival on hard court surface. Well i should include Djokovic as the other arch rival for Nadal. If all went well for the No.2 and No.3 seed, they will meet in the semifinal. That will be a match not to be missed!

Tommy Robredo lose straight sets in the 3rd round of US Open 07

The world no.8 Tommy Robredo lose to No.88 seed Ernests Gulbis from Latvia in straight sets 1-6, 3-6, 2-6. Looking at the score, Robredo is very much dominated by this young man from Latvia. Ernests Gulbis will face Carlos Moya in the fourth round and this will not be an easy match for Carlos Moya based on the winning form so far for Gulbis. Will fatigue affect Carlos Moya's performance in the fourth round against Gulbis?

Close shave for the third seed Djokovic in the second round of US open 2007

The world no.3 Novak Djokovic triumph after a tough and long 5-set match against Stepanek yesterday night. The match last for 284 minutes! Djokovic was a fighter. He managed to savage his loss after losing the 1st and 3rd sets. In the fourth sets, Stepanek was up by a break but Djokovic managed to break back and take down the fourth set. Eventually Djokovic win the match in the fifth set tie break.

Another major upset is the withdraw of French No.1 Richard Gasquet due to his illness.

The last Grand Slam of the year: US Open 2007

US Open begins on 27th August and last for 2 weeks. It is the last grand slam of the year. I was not able to watch the live matches due to my reservist this week. Highlight of the 1st round is the exit of Gonzalez after he lose to Gabashvili in a 5-set game! The rest of the top 10 players went through to the second round and Federer have already reached the third round.

Roger Federer wins his 50th Singles Title at Cincinnati Masters

Well Done Federer! He has captured his 50th singles title at Cincinnati with a straight sets 6-1 & 6-4 win over JB aka James Blake. Sounds funny when i heard the spectators cheering for Blake. Federer has achieved 11 Grand Slams title and 14 Masters Series title at the age of 26. That is amazing! Federer is very confident in the upcoming Grand Slams, US Open, which will start on the 27th August. Will he defend his US Open title this year or will the rising star, Novak Djokovic, triumph or will Nadal successfully capture his first hard court Grand Slam title? Can't wait to see their performance.

Federer vs Blake in the final of Western & Southern Financial Group Masters

Great work Federer! Federer comes close to losing his semi-final against Hewitt but he proves to be the stronger player in the third set tie-break. Now Federer will face James Blake in the final happening today at 4pm. Blake have also proven himself a worthy opponent at the semi-final match against the No.5 seed Davydenko by winning the match in straight sets. Blake will face the world No.1 whom he has lost to for the past 6 meetings. Will Federer capture his 50th singles title at Cincinnati or will Blake succeed in winning his first career victory against Federer?

Can Federer win the Masters at Cincinnati?

Last year, Federer was beaten by Andy Murray in R32. Can he win this year? After losing the Rogers Masters, i hope Federer will not lose heart and will rebuild his confidence by winning the Cincinnati Masters. Who do you think will win the Cincinnati Masters? I personally support Federer. I have included a link in my favourite sites section call Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. It is the official site for the Cincinnati Masters.

Federer did not manage to defend his title in Rogers Cup at Montreal

What a disappointment from Federer in the final vs Novak Djokovic from Serbia. Federer could have finish the match in straight sets but he did not convert the 6 set points opportunities in the first set. After Federer lost the tie break in the first set, he came up strong on the seond set winning 6-2. That was a morale boaster for both Federer and his fans! I continued to watch the game till the third set and he was broken serve in the first game! Eventually Federer lose the third set in a tie break again. Despite Federer having 15 Aces in the whole match, he also have plenty of unforced errors at big points. Well Novak Djokovic shold also have some credit for beating the top 3 seeds in a row to win the championships. Well Done Djokovic!

Road Rage

My GF have been telling me that i have turned into a very impatient driver. She says that i have road rage! As usual i will tell her that it is not road rage. I am just pointing out the recklessnes of other drivers and road users in a very harsh tone. Well i guess that is road rage. I am trying to curb my road rage using several means.

1) listening to classical music to cool me off.
2) Whenever i need to drive from Point A to Point B, i will depart 15mins earlier to ensure that i am not rushing for time.

Anyone have better suggestions for avoiding road rage, please send me a post and share with me your valuable tips. Perhaps you would like to read the below article written by Kyle B. Varner who is a Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing in Annapolis, Maryland. I found his article in http://www.articlecity.com/ .

Enjoy your driving experience.

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Five Tips For Avoiding Road Rage by: Kyle Varner

Road Rage is a term that, unfortunately, we have become more and more aware of as the media covers an increasing number of “road rage” incidents. We’re all aware of the shocking stories of mild mannered commuters turned cold blooded murderers, and we’re fairly certain that this will never happen to us. We’re right—we will probably never turn into a cold blooded murderer simply because some jackass cut us off on the freeway. While most of us are nearly immune to such heinous fits of rage, many of us fall victim to a milder sort of road rage.
I am guilty of having committed some pretty severe “road rage” infractions in my day. I was punished in high school for some very uncivil things I said (or rather, yelled) at a bus driver in the school parking lot. On the DC beltway, raising my middle finger (along with my voice) became a reflex; it was almost as natural as using the turn signal. I wasn’t going to go out and kill someone; but my behavior sure could have gotten me killed.
This more mild type of road rage is very prevalent, and very harmful. Besides the obvious safety hazard that it poses, it is unhealthy and un-enjoyable for the Rager and his terrified passengers. The driver in a fit of traffic-inspired rage has high blood pressure (which has both immediate and long-term safety hazards), musculature tension, and high levels of adrenaline and cortisol. All of these things are a genuine hazard to a person’s health.
Some people have reported having nightmares, experiencing excessive irritability after driving, and excessive anxiety because of these episodes. It is apparent that the person experiencing road rage is harmed in a significant way.
The good news is that road rage doesn’t have to happen. There are ways to calm down and relax and deal with the stresses associated with driving in a healthy and productive way. Here are five tips that I’ve used to reduce my automobile related outbursts:
1) Breathing Techniques: I take a deep breath, hold it for a count of five, and release. Doing this several times actually reduces the tension that one’s body is holding. While I’m doing this, I imagine that stress, anxiety and tension filling my lungs, and being blown out of my body when I exhale.
2) Avoiding the aggravating situations: For me, traffic is aggravating, but it is more aggravating when I am worried that it might make me late. Therefore, if I’m going to be driving somewhere that is likely to have traffic, I’ll leave up to a half hour early, and bring a book or some work to do when I get there. Thus, my mind is put at ease and the traffic is easier to deal with. I also plan alternate routes that are less likely to get me caught up in a traffic mess. Each person has their own triggers for road rage situations, and it can be useful to sort through these triggers and try to avoid the stressful situation.
3) Posting Affirmations: I post affirmations in my car (one on my dashboard, and one on the wheel, right where I would press the horn. One of them says, “I am calm and cool because that is good for me. The one on the horn says, “I think before I speak”.
4) Preparing for the critical time: I have two stress balls in my glove compartment, a CD with relaxing music, and a bottle of water in my car at all times. When things get tough, I put on the CD, get out the stress balls (both of which can be used during stop and go traffic), and take a drink of water. This is an excellent way to being the breathing exercises.
5) Changing the mindset: I have seen a hypnotherapist, and I continue to practice self-hypnosis to deal with anger issues in my life. I’ve done a lot of work with the triggers that I identified in tip #2. Now, a lot of the things that were bothering me, simply don’t.
These five tips can take the edge off of your driving experience. The important thing to remember is that the rage is in you: it comes from you, it hurts you, and it torments you. You may be angry at someone or something else, but that anger is an internal thing. You owe it to yourself to address it properly. It isn’t much of a safety issue for others—it is your own safety and health that is at stake. If you can change the way you react and the things you do, you can regain that happy experience of relaxing during your commute.

About The Author
Kyle B. Varner, CHt is a Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing in Annapolis, Maryland. He maintains a blog, http://www.mindchanginghypnosis.com/, where you can download his free hypnosis recordings, and offers self-hypnosis coaching.
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My Cousin's children

This cousin of mine is my buddy as well. He is really lucky to have 2 beautiful and healthy children. The elder one is 20mths old girl and the younger one is only 15days old boy! Guess who is who in the photos below? The 2 photos are taken when they are just a few days old.

Mountain Climbing @ Mount Datuk

This is my first time going for mountain climbing at Malaysia. Well it was really tiring.... It was Wendy's elder Bro, Billy, suggestion to go mountain climbing at Mount Datuk. My GF, Wendy, and i wake up early in the morning on Sunday 8th July 2007 and set off to Mount Datuk at around 4.30am. Wendy's second Bro, NaiFuh, went for the mountain climbing as well.

It takes us around 3 hours drive to reach the foot of Mount Datuk. When we reach the foot of Mount Datuk at around 7.30am, we saw a big group of students having their mountain climbing excursion. Luckily the weather was fine and sunny and it did not rain the day before. If it rains the day before, the ground will be muddy and we will not be able to reach the top in about 1.5 hours.

We began our climb at 8.15am and reach the top at 9.45am. Mount Datuk is 2900 feet above sea level. NaiFuh was very fit and climb the mountain in less than 1 hour! That is amazing! The path going up Mount Datuk was steep. Wendy and i took a short 10min break at about 1000m distance. After the break, Wendy seems better and went all the way without stopping for about 45mins. I was impressed.

Finally we reach the top of the mountain and the view was breathtaking. When i was standing at the top of the stone, the panoramic view of the city was amazing! After resting for a while, we began descending and it doesn't seems as easy as i thought it will be. It takes a lot of leg muscle to descend as well. Wendy, Billy and i took around 1 hour to reach the foot of Mount Datuk. Guess how long it took NaiFuh to reach the foot.....30mins!

It was a good exercise for me because it has been a long time i have done such strenuous exercise. We took showers at the toilet nearby. Well it was about 12.30pm and we drove to Melaka and ate out lunch at a peranakan restaurant in Makota. Well the food was not very fantastic. After lunch, we drove back to Singapore and reach at around 6.30pm.

I have made a slide show of pictures taken during this mountain climbing trip.

Jerusalem

I went to Israel for the second time for business and pleasure. The photos are taken just outside Jerusalem Old City.