It was fun to see when all the cameras, and there were a bunch, were turned towards Sharapova during her match against Lucie Safarova. I was surprised when only two photographers showed up at the Henin – Rezai match but they were evenly shooting at each side of the net. Then, during Rafael Nadal’s pre-tournament interview, you would know that Nadal was biting his nails or touching his nose or his hair just by the number of camera clicks. And while most of the photos were taken when Nadal or Fernando Verdasco were already sitting behind the Press Conference Room table, Serena Williams could barely walk through as she entered the place with photographers in her way, just like a movie star.

Safarova’s Secret Weapons

Safarova convincingly beat Maria Sharapova on Sunday, 6-4, 6-3. During the press conference, Lucie explained that hitting with boyfriend Tomas Berdych in Stuttgart, “has paid off.” She spoke of Berdych as an asset to her game, “I love having his support because he’s a good player and he can give me good advice.”  Her other weapon was shouting “ay, ay, ay!” whenever she was trying to reach a difficult ball. This made the crowd laugh a few times during the match.

Serena’s Nails and Other Media Moments

During her pre-tournament interview, Serena Williams gave details on her preparation for the clay court season, “Mostly, I lay around, sit by the pool and sip lemonade and read a lot every day.” She continued with, “I went to nail school, so that helped a lot. Everyone else should do it too.” One wonders which part is sarcastic and which isn’t.

Verdasco looked like a happy camper hiding underneath his cap when he faced the media. The hat didn’t grab as much attention as his comment that, “this is the best start to a season in my career.”

Nadal, on the other hand, was moody during his time in the Press Conference Room. He frowned when asked why his results at the US Open have not been as good as in other majors. He wasn’t thrilled when a journalist pointed out the “good shape since Monte Carlo,” either. Nadal explained that, “Since I started in 2010, I’ve been in shape to win in almost all the tournaments I’ve played. I haven’t won in all tournaments because perhaps I have lacked some calmness at certain times. But my level was up there.” He even refused to answer the question, “If you had to compare the player you were last time you won the French Open and the player you are now (…) what would you think?” with a dry, “I don’t like comparisons.” Perhaps we can attribute his annoyance to have to stop his training to speak to the media.

Last Madrid for Vivi

Virginia Ruano Pascual announced at the Madrid Open that she would be retiring from tennis after the completion of this season.“I will not continue playing professional tennis next year, so I would like to mention this publicly here and, therefore, would like to especially thank the organizers for the opportunity I have been given to be able to play for the last time at home.” It’s not the first time the 36-year-old player has talked about retirement, but one can’t avoid feeling sad to see players like “Vivi” go. She is such a humble person, and so energetic; she always has a smile for everyone.  With 40 doubles titles, including ten Majors, Vivi is, for me, in the same league as Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, as far as promoting women’s tennis in Spain is concerned - Conchita Martínez permitting.  But as she said in a recent interview, if she continues playing she would need to get on court with her racquets and equipment in a trolley. And, although at this stage it’s just a dream, I would love so much to see her lift the Wimbledon trophy to complete her doubles career Grand Slam. Good luck Vivi, you deserve it.

The Roof Opens