2009 – Page 14 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

In the battle of No. 1s, does tennis beat golf?

Tonight at 9 p.m. (RP time), over the Star Sports network (SkyCable channel 22), when Andy Roddick and Roger Federer meet in the final of the world’s oldest tennis tournament, the winner will defeat…………. Tiger Woods.

What??? Let me explain. I’m proclaiming Sir Roger as the champion. Yes, the game is yet to be played. True, the yellow ball is round and it can twist and turn in varying directions and thus reward the underdog the trophy. Yes, Roddick owns the fastest ever recorded serve at 249.5 kph and will out-ace the Swiss Ace. And, true, 48 hours ago, Andy The American beat Andy The British in an upset. So, Andy can upset Rog—

I Love This Ad!

MJ and MJ

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Remember “Jam?” Check out this link.

For Randy, the dream is named Wimbledon

Twenty four months ago, I wrote this piece about Randy and Christine del Valle….

HIS FIRST forehand swing was in 3rd year high school. In college, he exchanged volleys with USC varsity star Jerome Uy. He recalls his dad, Ruel, tying his tennis shoelaces. During the 1990s, he idolized Andre Agassi. He sat fronting the TV mesmerized at his two-handed backhand.

Randy del Valle never pursued tennis as his own sport. Today, he plays badminton. But among all the activities that make people sweat—tennis is his favorite. Two months ago, Randy fulfilled a lifelong dream that millions of people can only think about, salivate at, and imagine.

EXCLUSIVE!!! Randy del Valle with Roger Federer

Can you imagine standing beside the greatest tennis player of all time?

Le Tour

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Of the tens of thousands of sporting events held worldwide each year, for me the most grueling and painful is the Tour de France. Having pedaled the heights of Busay on dozens of occasions, I can’t imagine how strenuous it is biking for 21 straight days (with only two days-off in between) the total mileage of 3,445 kms.

This Saturday, while the sporting eyes will focus on Wimbledon, the 96th staging of “Le Tour” starts. What’s most intriguing this season are two names who happen to be members of the same team: Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong.

Tennis’ first, there is only one Wimbledon

It’s called “The Oscars” of its sport. If the game were American football, it would be the Super Bowl. If soccer, the once-every-four-years World Cup. It is comparable in stature to The Masters of golf, the NBA Finals of basketball, the Olympics of the 100-meter dash. Such is the popularity of this 14-day-long event that one British man once quipped, “Tennis is not popular in England. Wimbledon is.”

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Why? Why is this event held at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon considered so revered? For one, it is “the oldest tennis tournament in the world.” And isn’t being the first—like that first kiss, the birth of your first child, one’s first job and paycheck, a first-time trip abroad—always special and extra memorable? That’s W.

Dancing our way to a Guinness World Record

While before, when the question is asked, “What’s in Cebu?” we often answer with the usual “sweet mangoes” and “Magellan’s Cross” and “white-sand beaches” and “SM and Ayala shopping,” after this weekend, we’ll have to add another description: “world-record holders.”

For what a brilliant idea from a brilliant man whose passion for dance is incomparable. Think of all the benefits a “World Record” will shower upon Cebu. There’s the publicity. This is major, major news. An act that should be trumpeted not only in our native province but, just as well, in our nation’s 7,107 islands.

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From Sun.Star Cebu

Roger’s look at Wimbledon

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What do you think? For me, it’s a little bit too “girlish.” Or flashy. His white apparel with gold trimmings is fine but that bag??? Peter Bodo says he looks like a “cruise ship host” in his piece entitled Dressing Roger.

A personal visit to golf’s finest, The Masters

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Picture-perfect swing

While Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson fanatics stayed up all evening last night to watch the U.S. Open final round, I’d like to share with you the experience of a top-notch golfer who was a recent spectator at the event called “The Wimbledon of Golf.”

Maria Johnson, whose former name was Maria Teresa “Bebot” Pacaña before she migrated to America 33 years ago, is one of the top amateur golfers in her home state of Georgia. She sports a 4-handicap. Here’s Maria’s story…

“To all golfers and fans out there, Augusta National, a tradition laden golf course, rings a familiar tune. It is home to The Masters, considered by many to be the grandest of the four majors where all of the top professionals come to win the coveted green jacket. Thousands of people all over the world flock to Augusta National every spring to witness this spectacle.