Mike Tyson Tattoos

By PAUL HARRIS and EMILY ANDREWS

Dejected: Andy Murray is left to reflect on what might have been during his glum pub lunch with girlfriend Kim Sears


This probably wasn’t the kind of get-together he had in mind for Wimbledon finals weekend.

While Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal prepared to slug it out on Centre Court, Andy Murray sat disconsolately outside a pub dreaming of what might have been.

The 24-year-old Scot and his girlfriend Kim Sears had a quiet, two-hour lunch near his Surrey mansion, accompanied by his divorced father Willie and companion. Murray sipped a soft drink from a pint glass and buried his head in his hands from time to time.

And if the talk was of tennis then it certainly didn’t show.


Animal instinct: Novak Djokovic tucks in on Centre Court


The only stroke he demonstrated was a backhand – to swat away a wasp getting too close to Kim’s face. Meanwhile in SW19, yesterday’s was a scintillating final with all eyes fixed on the tennis. All eyes, that is, save for those of former Chancellor Nigel Lawson.

The 79-year-old appeared to nod off for the first two sets, prompting amusement in the Royal Box as his chin continually dropped on to his blue paisley tie.

But he woke up in time to see Djokovic defeat the defending champion in four sets.

After the winning shot, the 24-year-old Serb sank to his knees and, in a bizarre celebration, picked and ate some of the Centre Court grass.



Celebration: Djokovic sinks to the floor in triumph after his win over defending champion Nadal


Savouring the moment: The Serb laps up the adoration of the Centre Court crowd moments before his bizarre grass eating


Shows of support: Djokovic's beaming girlfriend Jelena Ristic was close to tears after the Serb's win, while Nadal's girlfriend Maria Francisca Perello, right, also watches on


Champion: Djokovic kisses the Wimbledon trophy
Moments after sealing his four-set triumph over defending champion Rafael Nadal, the Serb sank to his knees and raised his hands to the skies in celebration.


Then seconds later he glanced down, quickly plucked a few blades of grass from the hallowed Centre Court turf near the net, and popped them in his mouth.

The 24-year-old's surprise 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory confirmed Djokovic's place at the top of men's tennis, and he was clearly determined to enjoy the moment.

Asked why he decided to chew on the Centre Court grass to mark the win, Djokovic said it was a 'spontaneous' decision.

He said: 'I felt like an animal, I wanted to see how it tastes and it tastes good.


Dieting tips: Mrs Murray offered her own unique weight loss advice on Twitter


Success: Winner of the Men's Single's title at Wimbledon Novak Djokovic arrives with his partner for the Champions' dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, London


Last night his girlfriend Jelena Ristic, 24, said: 'I'm very proud of him. The match was really, really exciting.'

Asked about her boyfriend's grass eating, she said: 'You know what, winning Wimbledon was his dream so it was a really big thing.'


Muddling through: The BBC were left red-faced when presenter Sue Barker's microphone failed during her interview with Novak Djokovic


There was one British victory to cheer at Wimbledon yesterday. George Morgan, 18, won the boys’ doubles with his Croatian partner Mate Pavic.

As for Murray, he is expected to take a short break to get over his disappointment.

But might he have another prize in his sights? His mother Judy is reported to be encouraging her son to marry Kim, whom he has been dating for six years. And older brother Jamie reckons tying the knot would be good for his game.


Djokovic vs Nadal Wimbledon Final 2011



source :dailymail

By DEBORAH ARTHURS

Out and down: Roger Federer slumps in his chair after his surprise exit at the hands of Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga


There was shock for a second day running at Wimbledon as Switzerland's Roger Federer crashed out of the tournament in the quarter finals.

The world number three was beaten in an unexpected defeat by French hope Jo-Wilifried Tsonga, who battled the six-times Wimbledon champion in a five set marathon.

It means Andy Murray now has one less challenge to overcome as he aims to win his first Wimbledon title, having breezed past Feliciano Lopez in straight sets in imperious form.

Tsonga's reward for beating Federer is a semi against Novak Djokovic. Murray's victory means he will now face another Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, who made it through to the semi-final by seeing off the challenge of Mardy Fish.


Win: Left, Tsonga celebrates his unexpected victory over six times Wimbledon champion Federer while, right, the Swiss maestro's wife Mirka can't quite believe her eyes


Federer's defeat came after the Swiss had established a strong two-set lead where it seemed he had the game in his stylish white bag.

But in an amazing comeback that stunned the crowd, Tsonga snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by beating Federer three sets to two, winning six games to four in the final set.

A delighted Tsonga performed a victory dance as Roger quietly walked from the court he has come to call his own over the past eight years.

After his match Murray said he was surprised at Federer's exit but that Tsonga had simply played too well for even the Swiss legend to cope.


In reverse: Perennial underachiever Tsonga, left, consoles one of the greatest players in history after his shock victory over Federer


A pat on the back: Federer has the class to acknowledge Tsonga on a job well done


'I don't think Roger played a bad match,' said Murray.

Sometimes other guys just play too good.'

Confident Federer fans looked jubilant as Federer easily took the first two sets.

But their smiles faded as he lost the third set and it became clear he could not push back against Tsonga's unwavering energy.


'I could get used to this': Tsonga is mobbed by fans clamouring for an autograph as he leaves the court after his shock victory


It's all a bit of a blur: Federer can't find an answer to Tsonga's onslaught as he prowls the baseline


Court appearance: Anna Wintour is jubilant early on in Federer's match, while right, Chelsy Davy looks tense in the face of reports today that on-off boyfriend Prince Harry has a new girlfriend, Florence Brudenell-Bruce


Fans: Pippa Middleton is flanked by mother Carole and boyfriend Alex Loudon as they watch Federer play

source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Not this year: Both the Williams sisters - Wimbledon's greatest ladies' singles champions - have been knocked out before reaching the quarter final stage.


One took to the court dripping with jewellery, the other wore a daring outfit, and together they had the biggest entourage at Wimbledon.

But nothing could stop the end of an era at SW19 as both Venus and Serena Williams were dumped out of the championship in straight sets on only its seventh day.

For 11 years the Williams sisters have dominated Wimbledon, notching up nine singles titles between them. Both going out in the fourth round is their worst-ever result.

Serena, 29, was thrashed by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli. And for 31-year-old Venus, history repeated itself as she was beaten by Tsvetana Pironkova, the beautiful young Bulgarian.

Miss Pironkova, 23, created last year's biggest upset when she defeated Venus at the same stage, and was charmingly modest about her achievement, admitting that even she was surprised. This year, however, was different.


Sportsmanship: Marion Bartoli of France, right, shakes hands with Serena Williams of the U.S. after defeating her at the Wimbledon tennis championships


The willowy brunette took charge from the start and by the time Kate and Wills returned to the Royal Box after a quick bite (apparently they were too late arriving at SW19 for a full three-course lunch), Venus was already a set down.

The royal couple had the temerity to retake their seats during her service game and merited a fearsome glare from the five-times champion.
But shortly afterwards it was all over.


Wimbledon's queen of bling: Serena sported these chunky pieces of jewellery during her fourth round clash


Glamour: The sparkle on Serena's nail polish was matched only by the sparkle on her bracelet


The Centre Court crowd applauded Venus but an hour previously when her sister's result had flashed up there was loud cheering – they do not warm to Serena here.

Venus admitted they were both upset. She sniffed: 'No, definitely not our best day. Obviously it's not something planned. We rarely lose on the same day.'

And when she was reminded of the last time that happened, at the French Open in 2008, the full force of her sarcasm was unleashed.

'Thank you,' she said. 'Great to remember all these losses, right?'

Serena was asked if maybe it was a good thing for women's tennis that she had been knocked out this year.

'Yeah, I'm super happy that I lost,' she drawled. 'Go, women's tennis.'
It was the earliest exit for the four-time All England Club winner since a third-round loss in 2005.

But despite the loss, and despite the presence of royal spectators, Serena kept her crown as Wimbledon's queen of bling.

She played in huge dangling earrings, a knuckle-duster ring, a handcuff-style bracelet – and a pendant proving just how much of a star she is.


Showing the strain: Venus Williams returns a shot during her fourth round match against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria


Five-time champion Venus was playing only her second tournament since withdrawing from the Australian Open with a hip injury and she was well short of her best today.

The repeat of last year's quarter-final resulted in an identical outcome as the highly-impressive Pironkova, 23, made light work of the fourth-round match.

Venus, who has reached at least the quarter-finals on 11 of her 14 previous visits to Wimbledon, struggled to find her range and was frequently foiled by the net.

Younger sister Serena's bid to complete a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles came to an abrupt end at the hands of French ninth seed Bartoli

The effects of a challenging year in which Serena has been restricted to less than three weeks of action due to injury and serious illness finally caught up her.


Foiled by the net: Venus looked rusty after a year in which she has hardly lifted her racket in competition


Serena looked rusty as her gutsy passage through the Wimbledon draw came to a shuddering halt in the fourth-round clash on Court One, Bartoli winning 6-3 7-6 (8/6).

Frequently her accuracy deserted her as she scooped a series of shots out of play, often because she had connected with the ball poorly.

The American's defeat means this is only the third year that the defending champion has failed to make the quarter-finals in the open era.

Fighting spirit enabled Williams to trade blows with Bartoli in an impossibly tight second set, but she was striving to stay on terms rather than dominating.


Entourage: Serena's loss came despite her bringing along the biggest entourage of any player this year


Top row: 1 Val Vogt (Serena’s PA), 2 Esther Lee (trainer), 3 family friend, 4 Sasha Bajin (Serena’s hitting partner), 5 Jessica Baron (Venus’s PA).
Middle row: 6 Richard Williams (father), 7 Lakeisha Williams (Richard’s wife), 8-9 nephew and niece (children of murdered sister Yetunde), 10 family friend.
Front row: 11 Jill Smoller (Serena’s agent), 12 Suzanne Pond (Nike representative), 13 Isha Price (sister), 14 Oracene Price (mother).


Bartoli was superb, playing with confidence, passion and poise to seal her first victory over the American in three contests.

It is the first time since 2006 that neither sister has reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Together they have taken home the 'Venus Rosewater Dish', the Wimbledon ladies' singles trophy, nine times since 2000.


Tsvetana Pironkova beats Venus Williams


Serena Williams vs Marion Bartoli - Match Point - Wimbledon 2011



source :dailymail

By LAUREN PAXMAN and PAUL HARRIS

Never mind the Royal Wave... Kate, Duchess of Cambridge looks expectantly over at her husband as she raises her arms for the Mexican Wave on Centre Court


Royal couple were there to watch Andy Murray beat Richard Gasquet

The Duchess was wearing Temperley's £395 Moriah dress which is on sale

Both Williams sisters in shock fourth round exit from tournament

Crowds surge as temperatures soar to 33 degrees


You couldn't really blame him for taking a curtain call.

The Duchess of Cambridge might have been queen of Centre Court but yesterday – for the moment at least – Andy Murray was king.

Having roared to victory in straight sets against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, he performed an extravagant bow towards Kate and William in the Royal Box.


Here's the Mexican One: The second in line to the throne gets in to the spirit of the occasion


Your Majesty: British number one Andy Murray bows to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following his victory over Richard Gasquet in their fourth round match at Wimbledon


In turn, they gave him their seal of approval with a pat on the back after the match, won in 100f heat on court, and told him: 'Well done.'

Murray said: 'If I'd known they were coming, I would have shaved. I was thinking to myself as I came off I was sweaty and very hairy. I said to them, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit sweaty". But it was very nice to get to meet them.'


Happy couple: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon


The bow, he said, was 'just, yeah, sort of off the cuff. Didn't think too much about it'. He added: 'I was obviously very happy after the match. I think it was the right thing to do.'

The win earns Murray a quarter-final clash tomorrow with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.


Pretty layering: Kate followed Wimbledon's specification that players must wear white


William and Kate became the surprise stars of the Royal Box after weeks of speculation that they might attend before embarking on their tour of Canada tomorrow.

Centre Court was crammed to capacity, which equates to 15,000 bums on seats. But to widespread disappointment, none, alas, was Pippa Middleton's.

For although there were frantic rumours during the morning that Kate's little sister and former maid of honour would arrive with the royal party, Pippa-watch was stood down at 12.31pm when the celebrated rear failed to emerge from the police-escorted cavalcade.

Kate, a huge fan of the game, wore what looked to be a triple-decker tennis skirt – in fact a £795 Alice Temperley dress – teamed with LK Bennett nude court shoes.
Within half an hour of her appearance, the frock, reduced to £395 in the summer sale, had sold out on the designer's website.



Unusual detailing: The white disks on Kate's shoulders will remind Wimbledon fans of a less successful recent fashion statement... Bethanie Mattek-Sands' Lady Gaga-esque jacket which was covered in white tennis balls


The royal spectators clapped and cheered as Murray got to grips with the heat.
Later, during Rafael Nadal's match, they would even join in a Mexican wave.

Murray's triumph was followed by despair from the Williams sisters who made a shock exit from the tournament in the fourth round.

Venus Williams' attempt to win a sixth Wimbledon title ended in the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.

The 23-year-old Pironkova beat Williams at Wimbledon last year by the same score to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. She also won their first-round match at the Australian Open in 2006.

Williams' defeat came shortly after younger sister Serena also went out in the fourth round, losing to Marion Bartoli.

It is the first time since 2006 that neither sister has reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.


Expert in action: Andy Murray drew in a very A-list crowd for his match on Centre Court today


Fan club: Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears and his mum, Judy, were watching his progress


Support from afar: Andy Murray's tennis racket bag is covered with tweets from his fans


Kate and William appeared happy and relaxed as they watched the day's tennis. The Duchess has been a Wimbledon fan for years - as have all the Middletons.

Pippa has attended the French Open and the Aegon Championships since her big sister's wedding earlier this year and Kate has visited the championships twice before.

In 2007 she attended with a friend to watch Rafael Nadal play Swede Robin Soderling on Court one and in 2008 she visited again.

A polite thank you letter Kate wrote to Wimbledon bosses after her most recent visit is currently on display at the All England Club.


Keen spectator: This is Kate's third time at Wimbledon and her passion for tennis was clear to see from her facial expressions



Fun day out:William and Kate's visit to SW19 is a private affair and the newlyweds will not fulfil any royal duties


More than 2,000 people queued along the grassy banks outside the club in a bid to secure places for Murray's match.

As the fans waited outside, though, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took up their prime positions on Centre Court.

There they watched a very convincing display by Britain's number one who won the first set in a tie-break, soon claimed the second too and broke early in the third set.

As well as the young royals, Murray had his slightly more personal fan club in attendance.

His pretty girlfriend Kim Sears, and his mother, Judy Murray were sitting side-by-side at his fourth round match.

Murray's support also came from further afar, his tennis racket bag was covered with tweets from his legion of fans including 'stay positive we are all behind you' and 'believe in yourself and never give up.'


The perfect guest: Kate chatted and joked with Gill Brooke, the wife of the Chairman of the All England Tennis Club who was sitting by her side


Top tips: Kate leant back to give Jane Henman, Tim's mum, who was sitting behind her, a kiss on the cheek before exchanging a few words with her too


Kate and William's visit to SW19 is a private affair and the newlyweds will not fulfill any royal duties. But they both appeared very contented to chat to the others sitting around them.

Kate looked as composed as we have come to expect from the unflappable Duchess. She chatted and joked with Gill Brooke, the wife of the Chairman of the All England Tennis Club who was sitting by her side.

The relaxed tennis fan also leant back to give Jane Henman, the mother of our last big British hopeful, Tim Henman, who was sitting behind her, a kiss on the cheek before exchanging a few words with her too.

As the Royal Box guests arrived today, thousands of sun drenched fans applauded. But the heartiest welcome was reserved for the young couple who were given a standing ovation.

The retractable roof was also partially covered to shade the royals' end of the arena.

Other Wimbledon-goers were not quite as lucky, they used umbrellas to shade themselves from the sweltering sun as they sat on other courts or watched the action on Murray Mount.


Sizzling: Fans queueing to enter the grounds at Wimbledon struggle with the heat, with one man needing to lie down and another woman using an umbrella to shelter from the sun


Soaking up the rays: With a large bottle of water by her side, this woman lies on the tarmac and covers her forehead outside Wimbledon



Defeat: Serena Williams survived three match points. But ultimately crashed out against Bartoli in the tournament's first big upset


source: dailymail

By EMILY ANDREWS and GABBY MORGAN

Ball girl: Bethanie Mattek-Sands wears an unusual bespoke outfit for her first match at Wimbledon today


A quick glance and you might have mistaken her for some sort of quirky pop star.

Not for nothing is Bethanie Mattek-Sands known as the Lady Gaga of tennis.

The American baffled fans as she stepped out on court yesterday in war paint and a white bomber jacket decorated with spray-painted white tennis balls chopped in half.

And when she removed her coat, the white dress she had on underneath appeared to have lost a sleeve.


All white? The white fringed jacket was created by Lady Gaga's own fashion designers


The outfit complemented an armful of colourful tattoos, socks pulled up to the knees and the face paint. The 26-year-old claimed that was actually a couple of anti-glare patches.

Miss Mattek-Sands had already turned heads with an equally bizarre tennis ball outfit at a pre-Wimbledon party last week, which was designed by one of Lady Gaga's own dressers.


Ball-girl: Mattek-Sands arrives for her match against Japan's Misaki Doi


British designer Alex Noble had again been commissioned for yesterday's outfit.

Unfortunately for Miss Mattek-Sands, it failed to inspire her to victory.

Despite going into the match as the firm favourite and 30th seed, she lost in three sets to Japan's Misaki Doi. And her decorum appeared to desert her as she refused to shake the umpire's hand at the end.

The tongue-in-cheek number is just another example of how players are working around the rules to make fashion more prominent on court.


Skin art: The tennis player shows off her tattoos in a one-shouldered top


On Monday, Venus Williams wore a Greek-inspired romper suit by her own brand Eleven. And high-end label Ralph Lauren have designed new uniforms for the ball-boys.

Mattek-Sands said last month: 'I don't think I can really challenge the colour rule right now. You know, I got to figure something out. Obviously the white, you got to work with a lot of the cuts.

'Obviously I'll be wearing my high socks. But yeah, it's always challenging to think of new things for Wimbledon.


When fashion meets function: Serena, left, and Venus Williams are trendy sisters at the tournament

source: dailymail

By EMILY ANDREWS and PAUL HARRIS

Overcome: Serena Williams showed her emotions today after he first round victory by burying her head in a towel before openly crying as she left Centre Court


It's not the image that most people would associate with the so-called Queen of Mean.

Serena Williams – one of the toughest players on the tennis circuit – won her first-round match, sat on her chair … and then dissolved into tears.

Such a display might have been expected from a novice winning her first match at Wimbledon – rather than the defending champion who has won the title four times.



All too much: Miss Williams was upset because she has been out of the game for year following a severe foot injury and suffering from blood clots on her lungs


But as the 29-year-old explained later, emotion overwhelmed her because yesterday was a day she feared she would never see after a year in which her life – let alone her sporting career – almost came to an end.

The American has been absent from tennis for 49 weeks after suffering serious foot injuries in an accident, then life-threatening blood clots on her lungs. ‘It definitely hit me at the end of the match,’ she said. ‘I’m not a crier, so I don’t know.

‘It definitely was so emotional for me because throughout the last 12 months, I’ve been through a lot of things that’s not normal. So it’s just been a long, arduous road. To stand up still is pretty awesome.


Watching on: The large crowd sees Serena rifle down another serve during the match


‘So this was probably the most emotional I’ve gotten after a match, after a win.’ By the standards of some of her previous outfits, Miss Williams was dressed relatively soberly in a white tennis dress with navy piping, matched by a classic cable-knit cardigan – although her hot pants were black.

She added: ‘It wasn’t about winning the match. It was about being out there. Everyone that has had some troubles, whether it be health, whether it be something else, to realise that you can do it. But it just really goes to show if you don’t give up, you still have a chance.’


Hand raised in victory: Serena forces a smile seconds after confirming her win and before the emotion got too much


Within days of claiming her 13th Grand Slam title at the All England Club last summer, Miss Williams’s feet were cut by glass as she left a restaurant in Munich, wearing sandals.

Then in March she had trouble breathing and was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism.


She revealed: ‘I was on my death bed at one point – quite literally. It got to the stage where it felt like I could hardly breathe. Some days I didn’t get out of bed at all. I just laid on a couch thinking, why has this happened to me?

‘At first people said it would be fine, it would be all right but it turned out to be a lot more serious. If it had been left two days later it could have been career-ending – or even worse. They told me I had several blood clots in both lungs. A lot of people die from that.’


In action: Serena Williams plays a forehand during her two sets to one victory over French player Aravane Rezai



Knocked out: Aravane Rezai reaches for a shot during the defeat to Williams on Wimbledon's Centre Court


Floored Serena Williams makes winning lob



source: dailymail