Sony Ericsson Open Miami Giselle's Report

[Giselle]

March 28, 2007

Hello everyone! I hope you guys are doing alright, sorry if my report comes a little late, but here it is!!!!!!
Some of you know that I actually live in Delray Beach not in Miami but I go to school there so I’m kinda in between…

Wednesday 21, 2007
F R E A K O U T!!!!!!! my tix aren’t here! Wtf! The open doesn’t have any tix any more but the really bad ones and the ones that I bought aren’t here yet, I’m supposed to have them delivered by today but, something always goes wrong, Also I was supposed to leave today in the mornings to see some players practicing, I spent the whole morning talking on the phone finding out where the heck are the tickets…

Afternoon: I know where they are…not lost thank God!. I talked to someone who actually earns the paycheck and had them delivered it my sisters apartment in Miami A.S.A.P. I left Delray mid afternoon knowing I would not be able to see tennis players practicing, No Safin for today. I got to Miami after 2 hours because there was an accident, it was horrendous, the fedex truck was hanging by a thread, underneath the rest of the 836 highway, there were guys screaming and people watching, good thing I was not near…Did my taxes cause IRS is more important than anything else to Uncle sam…good I’m getting a refund this year, more money to send ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thursday 22, 2007

A year ago I had my picture taken with Mister Marat Safin, Hopefully this year I’ll get one too, with the short hair of course. I’m going to the tourney alone, my friend who was going with me had a car accident, she wished she could come but sadly there are more important matters…I will have to keep myself entertained. It’s a rainy day, I don’t feel like getting soaked so I head to the mall ,BEBE is having a sale. Mid morning my tix arrived, Thank God! I head to the University to get my cap and gown…I took some pics of the odd art this people is making us pay…

the cube is under reparations, it is said if u spin it 3 times before a test you will get a good grade, since is under reparation, no wonder I’ve been scoring low

Peace in the earth…I really think this should have been a lot higher…nobody ever sees this thing

The white sculptures, Its silly but the first day I got to FIU I got scared…

The Flag room, I think it has a name but I just can’t remember it…It has only the flags of students from other nationalities that have studied in FIU…I see a Russian flag to high to be snatched for my evil purposes…o well I’m not even Russian, someone might get offended.

The red thing that should be replaced by a light! Wtf! This thing slows traffic like hell, I think is pretty but not the smartest place for a nothing like this…


At night I head out to Bodies the exhibition, along with some shopping and dinner with my sister. The exhibition is quite creepy, Here is the tennis man, they don’t show it in this venue, I wonder if they didn’t know about the tournament, I did see the figure of a guy playing football probably Sheva or Becks in 100 years and another one with a basketball, the basketball guy was a bit short to be a player but well…

I was going to the Night at tennis but so much walking got me tired, I’m off to bed.

[Giselle]

Friday 23, 2007

I got lost in Miami…Usually when I go to Miami, I head to Miami beach the island and for some reason my car drove there, when I get off the bridge, oh hell no…I need to get back I’m totally lost…forgot my map and my car is the one that prefers paper maps than gps, you know for the vintage look…so I was driving around pissed I needed to get to Biscayne…I saw this guy fixing a lamp post and he was nice enough 2 tell me a quick way to get there…gosh I was like 15 mins away. I MADE IT!



Yeah! Today is the day! Probably some of you skipped the whole section above just to get to the Safin part, I don’t blame you (BUT YOU HAVE TO WAIT MORE). I got to the tourney and turns out I get to park even closer than last year, plus I got better seats, yippee!. Holy s… this thing is crowded as hell and it looks prettier this year. As the name of the tourney changed, so did the colors and the organization, and security (that’s not good) I looks a lot more picture friendly but not fan friendly, it is hot as hell and I’m starting to melt. Freaking 4.50 for a medium glass of “lemonade” which is rather tap water and sugar…the lemon ran away.

So I see Safin is playing later in the day…I have no helper to send to see around the courts so I have to do the entire dirty job. There were several players today if not all of them. Thomas Johansson and people didn’t know who he was…the guy playing with him, I dunno who he is but he was hot! I was walking around and the shocking thing is that all the players are walking around and there’s so many people that if you’re not close, u can’t recognize them…I pass right my Misha Youznhy (sorry for the spelling) and his coach I think and I froze, literally! I managed a smile but didn’t go back for picks or anything…he is just so huggable like a hot teddy bear.

Then I saw Acasuso and what shocks me is that not even the Argentineans knew him! I know some people they just get the tix and they don’t even know what an Ace means, but common he was like right there outside the court and of course me I was watching (drooling) and this bunch from Argentina asks me, who is he? I was like WHO IS THIS! I told them later but it kills me when people don’t know the facts…Acasuso was practicing with OMG! Ferrero…I didn’t recognize him at first but then I didn’t know who to photograph, the best hair won, sorry Chucho…

Moya and his partner (who doesn’t need presentation) To me the next Safin, (he was speaking in French, so cute). The coach even moved so I could take the pics, Merci!

The screaming queen! O my getting there was harder than getting inside the shore club…it was packed, took the pics saw a little, yeah I think she’s beautiful, but I need some testosterone and boy did I find it!



Nadal! Move people IN LAW COMING TROUGH (right Nush?) May I say he is the nicest, sweetest, best tennis players of them all (later you’ll know why Safin doesn’t have the title anymore) he was stretching with those band things and somebody ask him in Spanish what was that for, usually people don’t speak to the players when they are practicing, probably to not interrupt the concentration, I dunno if its like a rule or something, personally I think we should talk to them and get ourselves kick out of the tourney….but he was really polite and explained that it was to warm up his wrist. I took some pics and he looked really serious during my photo shoot, as soon as I turn off the camera, he laughs…great timing Giselle….








For a British Tim Henman is cute…atta boy!

[Giselle]

The match between Gabashvilli (sorry for the spelling again) and Misha…the first set to G and it was becoming annoying that there was no place to sit, at one point I was standing nest with one of the umpires…what the hell 250 buck and I get to stand up? At one point they went to have a restroom break and G took longer the Ump started to joke to which restroom did he go to…the match was entertaining but I got tired of standing up and decided to leave.
[/img]http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/gisellem16/SonyEricsson2007097.jpg

Dinara’s game was about to start and that one did have a seat. Her match was a slam dunk…right after she went to practice at a nearby court, I saw her for a while, and then Tursunov was my next victim….Ok so at this point Blake lost, total disappointment…Tursunov had the same faith. Ok I get it, I’m seeing that I probably won’t come on Sunday.












I was walking around and then I see a mob of people coming towards me, of course I’m always looking at the sky when I’m suppose to look to the floor…A guy of security pushed me with his shoulder, I turned around with the attitude of “u better have an explanation or I’m putting my fist in your two front teeth” yeah I saw the explanation three security guys taking Nadal to a safe place, the poor guy looked to confused and even running he tried to give autographs and throwing the pens in the air, it was hilarious. Then his match...



I was watching Chela practice with Davydenko…and some guys in the crowd weren’t to please to see that most of the Spanish players and their coaches were only wearing shorts, good for me eh! Well they said that then Maria Sharapova and all the others should be using the same…I explained them the physical constraints of such request…But is true most of the Spanish players look like playboys, the others too but not in such extent, I can understand why they are jealous, Chela’s coach is not bad at all. Another frozen pic, as soon as I started to get my camera out, it started to rain. It was more like a funny cloud, a teaser cloud…it goes like “oh see me here, run run ji ji ji, I’m out” and then they leave.

Gonzales and Johansson…it was expected I just took a nap. Then Baghdatis and Del Potro! It was a good match I was screaming for the Cypriot, since I like Ouzo…so it was a fair game I think my Ella Tora! Didn’t work…and Del Potro looks like a sweet guy he seemed shy when leaving the court even though he played a great match.




On a side note. This two pictures can be the script for any joke, the blue ck's were worn the same day by the two of the Russian players, please, do not wear them in DC. I think they are a jinx...also, do you guys buy them as Costco or some large quantity vendor? they all have em?

[Giselle]

going to lunch, will be back with safin's part.

[Alya10]

YAY Giselle, glad you're back!
Loved the report so far ;D ;D ;D
Can't wait for the rest.
Keep'em comin' girl

giselle said:

Friday 23, 2007
the guy playing with him, I dunno who he is but he was hot!

I think it's Ollie Rochus,
and yeah he's a cutie
kisses

[LaFFy TaFFy]

You got pics of my hubby, yay
Nice view of his ass side on, thanks

[Mrs. Fabregas]

Hi Giselle ,

Already thanking you with this lovely (long ) report! But.... I've read all of it.... Took me a while, but you're getting something too!

And what a teaser for us, THIS picture...... Yummie starter.....
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

giselle said:

[

Can't wait for your next part......

Thanx again, sweetie!

[hipponette]

LOL at the Dima and Marat pics!

Oh, and I agree with you on the lemonade thing. In the USO, it's like eight dollars for a lemonade!!!! God! And a puny little hot dog on an awfully dry bun is $12!!!!!

Hot JCF pics!!!! Thanks!

[Patxy]

Yay Giselle! Great pictures
Looking forward for your Safin's pics too ;D

Edit: Have just seen the half-Marat pic...

[Giselle]

OMG OMG OMG! HERE IT IS! Safin is here. first I saw him entering and of course you can always count with my frozen hands…I had the camera in my hands they just melted when they saw him…then Feli as some people call him came too. It was packed outside, people waiting for a seat, and there were seats but only for the vip’s and sponsors, its so not fair! So then they started warming up, I couldn’t stop shaking. With any other player it was fine I was like oh Dmitry, or oh Rafa…with Safin I was going crazy, the poor people around me never know what they were up for. Of course most of the people around me were Spanish so they were supporting Lopez, I don’t care much about nationalities, especially with Marat. He could be playing Alejandro Falla who is the Colombian guy, I will still support Safin.
Safin won the coin toss and decided to receive, there were some great points, and especially the net point’s which safin won most of them in the first set. Also in the first set there was this point, Lopez did a drop shot on the right corner safin was way back in the left hand side, he runs and does the volley Lopez answers with Lob which I still don’t know how he manages, then Safin who is in his back towards the ball just jumps and flicks the racket without even seeing the ball and it get inside just inside the line next to Lopez, it was sooo fast that he didn’t even see it coming, the face of Lopez was priceless and of course safin looked like he just tied his shoe or something…






At one point I was looking at the crowd and I see this guy who looks familiar, weird cause I just don’t know anybody, he was doing something with his cell phone, and I was thinking in my head oh I think that’s Amit, Safin;s manager, as soon as I did that he looks at me, I though ups now he’s going to think or better yet to know that I’m some freak, I just smiled and waved, what else could I do…and he smiled back. He seemed very tense during the game and the poor cell phone might have suffered the consequences of Safin’s loss.





























I think he was after the people with cameras to see if they were using the flash ji ji ji.


When he lost the first set I pretty much knew that he would not win the match, actually I though of that since the beginning, DC is approaching what’s the point of wasting a whole more week here when he could have better results in DC. Yet I kept hope. Marat did the whole show, he dived into the court, he screamed and he even pick up a fight where everyone in the audience got involved. There were this two teenagers who I saw earlier in the day when I was walking and they were speaking in Russian at one point I heard they mentioned Marat’s name but I kept walking, well they almost stole the show, some people found then annoying but I though they were hilarious, the kind that should go to DC. They took their shorts off and screamed like somebody was dying, at one point it felt like a battlefield…Marat in the middle of his desperation threw a ball in the air it was already night and it looked as if the sky ate it. the ump gave him a warning and it was AO Andy’s match all over again, same shirt probably. At one point he argued, who cares if I throw the ball, who really cares and he asked the people do you care do you? And we all stand up (at least a whole lot of us) Noooo we don’t care throw another one! And then when the point was over he kept arguing but I couldn’t hear.

The weather was ok. It was a bit windy but not that windy I saw several matches during the day with a 100 degree and windy sky and didn’t see anybody complaining about it. the time He got to play was perfect, just before sunset, not too hot and not too cold. Also he kept complaining about the flash photography, I think he was like in a hunt for the people with cameras, looking straight at them for a flash…I didn’t see that many flashes, but then again I’m in the crowd and he could probably see more from the court. I have a better backhand than lopez (or at least I like to think so) most of the points Safin won were to Lopez backhand but he run like crazy to not use it…at one point people in the audience were yelling “to his backhand Safin” if he heard them…not at all.

The tiebreak was one of the worst I’ve ever seen, 3-0? What da? Then he was about to serve and said, MARRRRATIC MARRRRATIC and shook his head with the rrrrrrrrrr. Then it was over, he lost…he left and threw the sweatband to the kid right next to me…NEXT TO ME@!@#$%^&*( one more inch and will be mine, I think the kid was even wearing a shirt from Spain or something he didn’t want it and was selling it for 20 buck…I wasn’t going to pay 20 bucks! He can keep it…!!!!!

Then I went to the place where he was suppose to pick up his car or whatever…I saw him coming out with the probably favorite baby blue Addidas t-shirt. And other fans and I yelled our lungs out MARAT! And he just waved and kept walking, one of the girls even cried. I could fake a tear but he just wasn’t in the mood…later on even tiger woods stooped for the fans…I saw Marat last year after a loss to and he was nicer back then, maybe it was the hair or Peter…who knows. I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t even bother. Plus security took us out by force…je je je. Not nice Marat, second impressions count as well!

[Giselle]

Later on I got home in Miami and with my brother I decided to go to the Night at tennis, we got there and there was a huge line but later it cleared up and we got inside. The whole place was nice and it was pretty crowded but enough space in the dance floor. The Ice palace as it is called was divided in two, one for the open bar (yeah!) and the other one for the court. They played like mini tournaments with some unknown players who were ranked pretty high for me to remember them. I saw a few familiar faces and one of them was Guga Kuerten, it was dark so I couldn’t see much. I don’t know the history about this place or whatever but since I entered the place I though it was weird, the floor and the space it was somehow familiar. Then when I was on one of the sofas I looked up and then everything made sense. It was a church, the floor was made out of thick wood and it ceiling had a triangular shape and then at the entrance above the people looking down there was a Jesus Christ the size of a person with the sign of giving a blessing with the right hand and it was like leaning down looking for everyone who came through the doors…I though that was creepy and probably many people didn’t noticed. Paul Okenfold started to play and it was Great, he made remixes of the oldies and one of them was Michael Jackson’s BAD…I was in heaven! With Jesus and all. I was pretty beat at 3 although it was supposed to end at 4 I’ve been up running around since early morning, I needed a bed immediately.


Saturday 24, 2007

I woke up late like at noon, I was really tired. Then I decided to see if I could get in the parking lot to see the earlier matches but my ticket was for the night match with Fedex! So I decided to wait around until 5 pm to get in. I went to the beach around the bridge, alone. Not a good Idea, but hey, If u hang around with God nothing should happen right?. Well I should’ve known better that night.
I took some pics on the beach, play with my camera and call some people and my mother who hasn’t heard of me since Tuesday. I stayed there and then decided to go. It is a really nice beach, though I’ve seen better, but at night on the bridge, the view is just amazing…I got to the tournament and then it started to rain, it was a cloudy day. So I stayed near the exit where the players leave and had my share of fun. I saw a lot of htem but the memorable one was Nadal.












Nush get a grip on yourself…it wasn’t even a scratch. He came out and some fans called him, he came to the fence and was actually the only player to do so as Safin the day before didn’t even bother. He said to throw the ball over the fence with the pen, he missed to catch them and looked so cute trying to get them…then he threw them back and the fan missed it to and he said I’m sorry like 3 times…I was like Rafa, you don’t have to say I’m sorry is this stupid tournament who treat fans and players like encaged animals…Then he turned around and he didn’t see there was an SUV passing by right behind him and almost ran him over, everybody yelled RAFA NOOO!!!! We got scared for a second and then he turned around and gave us a smile like making fun of himself. He was so cute about it everybody said to him “Rafa watch out take care be careful”…Rafa Nadal seemed very down to earth and fan friendly. I bet if I ask some other tennis player, what are you doing with the stretchy thing, I bet I will be ignored.

I saw Fernando Gonzales and mild glimpse of what I couldn’t recognize as Naomi Campbell, Tiger woods said hi and JOJO who sang the National anthem excuse herself she said something like, “guys I’m sorry I want to say hi but I have to get to sound check” I also say all the guys from ESPN. Dinara was also leaving but she seemed in a rush so I couldn’t say anything.




I got to the Game with Venus and I was sooo bored, omg I never been so bored during a tennis match. So there was a rain delay and then JOJO came to sing, the Federer came with Querrey. I was an easy match there were some good few points but Fed is just too good. So the night was over or so I though. I get to my car at midnight and turn it on, and NOTHING…my blood pressure starts to go below the earth surface, everybody was gone in the parking lot, and my cell phone was only one line of battery, and was making the noise of “I’m about to leave you alone and screw you” apparently I left the lights on. I run to the people who direct the traffic in the tournament and since it’s a park they called for security and a guy gave me charge, I got home at 3 am because I wasn’t the only stupid one who didn’t pay attention to that noise the car makes when you leave the light on. Oh btw, my bro was in town but you know brothers, there never there when u need them, I left him a message and he calls the next day at 1 pm all worried…what the hell! by that time I could have been eaten by the alligators in Crandon park and he wouldn’t have even noticed.















Ok so I got home safely and on Sunday I slept like a baby. but it was time to go. I was hoping that maybe like last year Marat would play doubles but sadly he didn't. Even though I didn't get to see him up close and that he never performs great at the tournament in Miami I'm glad he came and gave me the pleasure to see him play for the second time; I never though I could be this lucky, 7 years ago the idea of seeing him in person was part of my silly daydreams.

Even though I went alone, I never really felt alone, people were always talking to me, and I was a walking wikepedia dictionary of tennis. It was nice to talk to strangers and share our common interest in Tennis. I was afraid to go alone in the beginning cause there are always stories around, I'm glad I went and I would do it all over again.
I wish one day I get to meet anybody from TGFR and go to a tourney, I'm sure we'll drive Marat and crowd crazy....Take care. G.

[realitytvisntreal]

Thank you so much for the photos and the match report! I loved the black and white photos.

And I have to admit, I almost didn't make it to the Safin part cuz I literally almost passed out at the pics of Juanqui!

Thanks again!!!

[hipponette]

Thanks, Giselle!

Sounds like Night Tennis is cool!

Great Marat pics.....just a little sad about the results.

[LaFFy TaFFy]

glad rafa was ok, and didnt get knocked down by the SUV
great pics, wish i was there with you

[Dido]

Thank u so much Giselle
wonderful job