ESPN put up a piece this morning analyzing Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open semifinals win over Roger Federer, attributing Federer’s 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss to everything from inability to consolidate break lead to being bored because the fireworks went on too long. It touches on everything short of “Brooklyn Decker was supposed to stick around and watch but didn’t, and both guys were sorta sad”.

What it doesn’t touch on is that the best moment of Federer/Nadal (“Federal”?) involved neither Federer nor Nadal … at least not directly. That goes to the unnamed ball boy and his amazing Cal-Ripken-Jr.-in-his-prime snag of an errant ball in the above video, courtesy of On The Go Tennis.

The best part is either the roar of the crowd (who are used to excitement, but “tennis excitement”, which is completely different) or the fact that when he makes the catch he goes right back into the ball boy squat with zero theatrics. That’s a kid who knows how to do his job with style.

Last Friday, I was farting around on the Internet when I decided to check out celebrity birthdays, and I was pretty shocked to learn that it was actor Rainn Wilson’s 46th birthday. I would have never pegged him for anything over 37 or 38. Then again, I forgot my own age just a few weeks ago, so I guess I’m not the best when it comes to guessing ages.

Then I stumbled across these images of former tennis player, “Biggest Loser” trainer and girl who had music video sex and real sex with Enrique Iglesias Anna Kournikova in the latest issue of the Russian magazine Tatler. I don’t know what kind of content Tatler publishes – it’s not related to the famous Tatler magazine in London – but from this feature on Kournikova, I am guessing it has something to do with retiree beachwear. Kournikova is only 30-years old – which is strange because I feel like I’ve been worshipping her for decades – but she’s looking a little… tired. And by tired, I mean in her 40s.

Hopefully, these images are just the product of a strange new Russian fad that takes incredibly attractive, leggy blondes and makes them look like they’re attending Kentucky Derby pool parties. If that’s the case, then well done, comrades.

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That guy gets it.

Things started off well for Andy Roddick at the Australian Open, as he won his first round match over the Netherlands’ Robin Haase 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. But then America’s most decent men’s tennis player and best guy who married up got a little greedy. Roddick was pulling double duty at the Open, teaming up with Serena Williams for today’s mixed doubles action, and the pressure was just too much for his already injured hamstring.

Yesterday, Roddick retired during the third set of his match against Lleyton Love Hewitt, and thus ends our time with Roddick’s wife, Brooklyn Decker. Blah blah blah, Roddick was upset or something.

“It’s frustrating; it’s discouraging,” Roddick said after the match. “You know, your sensible mind says to have a sense of perspective. You still have it pretty good.

“The competitor in you feels terrible and wants to break stuff.”

(Via the New York Times)

You want to break stuff? The only joy of my Monday mornings after a tennis tournament is looking for pictures of Decker. Now I got nothing, except for that banner pic and some random pictures of her modeling different weird hats earlier this week in Australia. Even worse, I was all set to use my favorite GIF come Monday…

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if you don’t understand why he’s doing this, then you don’t understand tennis.

That’s a comment from YouTube user thefinnman92, describing this video of Cyprian tennis player Marcos Baghdatis destroying four consecutive tennis racquets between sets to help him emotionally get through an impending round two Australian Open loss to Stanislas Wawrinka. The lesson here? I don’t understand tennis. Also, it sucks to lose anything to a guy named Stanislas.

Not that I don’t understand losing control of your good mind and Nard-dogging a hole in the wall, but those things are expensive. Maybe when you’re the 44th best player in the world they send them to you in the mail with samples of Tide. Regardless, as a longtime baseball fan my first thought when a pitcher wanders into the dugout and starts lobbing Gatorade coolers and whipping bats is to side-eye the hell out of him and cut him from my fantasy team before he breaks his hand.

Set analysis courtesy of Bill Hanstock at SB Nation:

Baghdatis went on to lose the match in four sets, 7-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. I can only assume that the final set was 6-1 because Baghdatis was out of racquets and had to go bare-handed.

/cuts Baghdatis from tennis fantasy team

By way of our friends at Guyism comes this gorgeous photoshoot of Serbian beauty and former world tennis number one Ana Ivanovic, a great change of pace from the busty blondes of debatable weight and nipple-and-lollipops mistresses we normally feature.

My favorite part is how it looks like it was art directed by Rob Zombie, and at any point Bill Moseley or somebody in a hillbilly gimp mask is going to come running up from off-screen and bludgeon her to death with a hammer. It also sorta looks like jeans ads from 35 years ago, so … uh, maybe that’s the better comparison. My second favorite part is how she’s hot as f**king fire.

Images of Ana taken by renowned Hollywood photographer John Russo for the cover of Vanidades magazine. The shoot took place at Red Rock in Las Vegas during the spring.

Anyway, she plays tennis and she’s beautiful, so check out the pics.

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And now, the worst thing Andy Roddick has done to white people since bagging Mandy Moore.

Allow him to introduce himself, his name is Roddick. Pronounced with an -umpty. This is him doing music’s equivalent of getting busy in a Burger King bathroom, rapping a personalized version of Digital Underground’s untouchable classic “The Humpty Dance” with Bobby Bones of Austin’s The Bobby Bones Show. A few truths: 1) This should not be happening, 2) This is happening at the Bobby Bones Tacky Sweater Party, which sorta cements the fact that Bobby Bones is the Weenie And The Butt of Austin radio (or Crazy Ira And The Douche, if you prefer that reference) and 3) If Andy Roddick was cool he’d be dancing around with Deb from the Morning X. If I was cool I would be doing the same thing.

Anyway, yeah. In a 69 Andy Roddick’s nose will tickle your rear. I can’t “fault” him for trying. Tennis jokes.

[via Busted Racquet]