BOGOTÁ, Colombia - Flavia Pennetta has had a phenomenal last 12 months, last week making it all the way up to No.11 in the world, equalling the highest-ever ranking for an Italian woman. She really kicked into high gear during the Latin American clay court swing last February; this week she begins this year's swing with the Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas, and brings us all with her in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Blog.
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Well, we had some good luck yesterday but today not so much. Gisela and I lost in a match tie-break in the doubles final. We were getting closer and closer in the end - I think we were down 8-4, and it got to 8-6 ot 8-7 - but they closed it out. I am still very happy about the match though. We played really well in the semifinals and to reach another final is a good result.
We got flowers, a teddy bear and, of course, trophies at the ceremony. I usually just keep the trophies. It's nice to just give the other things away to the fans and people around you, and today I gave the bear and flowers away. Sometimes I'll bring the flowers to the hotel room and leave them there when I leave. We can enjoy it for maybe two or three hours, but if you leave them back someone can enjoy them for two or three days. Anyways, it just makes me feel good!
There was also someone in a big costume of the mascot, just like the teddy bear, but he didn't really say anything to us! He gave me a kiss and hug but that's it!
We just arrived to the hotel now, it's about 7pm. After the ceremony, getting our prize money and everything, we're back! We'll probably go out for a late dinner around 9pm tonight - well it's late for most people, not really for Spanish and Italian time! I have a 7am flight to Acapulco. I have to leave the hotel at 5am :( Normally I would have trouble getting up that early but I still have a bit of jetlag so I'll be okay this time! When I'm home, 5am is tough though!
I'm happy with this week. I'm not really happy about the singles, but it's tough to play here. Sometimes you play unbelievably, sometimes you play so badly. I think I started playing much better in our doubles semifinal yesterday, but it was probably too late for the singles :P Next time will be better though. I was very happy with the doubles of course. We had lots of fun, and I think that's the important thing. And it's only the beginning of the season - there's lots of time.
I'm always happy to come back here. This was my sixth or seventh year here. It's a very nice tournament, and they've been improving it in the last few years too. It's great for South American tennis.
One more thing... I'm excited about the Oscars on Sunday night! I don't always watch it but I try to see it when I can. This year I will. I love watching it because everyone is dressed so nicely and the decorations are beautiful. It's great to see all of the stars in one place. I'm not sure which movies are nominated this year - I'll probably look at that tomorrow. But I'll be watching!
Thank you all for reading and for all of your questions. I really enjoyed doing the blog again and I'll definitely talk to you all again soon :)
Ciao!
Flavia
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Friday, February 20, 2009
Unbelievable! I don't know how many match points we or they had today before Gisela and I won our doubles semifinal match. It was 20-18 in the match tie-break. When you have no-ad scoring and match tie-breaks like this, anything can happen. We didn't play well in the first set and lost it, 6-4, but then we started all over again in the second set and won that, 6-2. Nobody closed it out after that! Whenever anyone had a match point, the other team would hit such a good shot, and it never ended. Gisela finally finished the match with an unbelievable lob. We were so excited, nervous and angry at the same time, and when it ended it felt like we reached the final of Roland Garros!
The restaurant was unbelievable last night, too. We went to Andres. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. When I came here to Bogotá, everybody was talking about this place, and when I got there last night I thought, if I knew it was like this I would have come every year! The food was amazing, and the music and dancing was also great. We had some appetizers with nachos, cheese and guacamole, empanada (bread with meat inside), and then the main courses. We had such a good time - I've put a picture up from our table (other than my coach, some of the other players also came, like Gisela and some of the Spanish girls). The decorations were so interesting - there were so many things everywhere, on the walls, tables, everything, and I think it anyone tried to put them all together it would like ugly, but they found a way to make it fun. I definitely recommend it!
We just came back to the hotel about an hour ago. We're going to a very good Argentinian restaurant, although I think it will be tough for Gisela to say it's better than food back home (as you may know, she's from there!) She won't be coming out afterwards because she's playing singles and doubles tomorrow, but I may go out with my coach for a bit, I'm not sure.
María José and Nuria are playing really well, so it'll be a very good doubles final tomorrow. We'll just try to enjoy it, have a good time and, of course, fight a lot.
Ciao!
Flavia
Are you excited about playing in Monterrey? - Martha, México
Yeah! It's going to be a new tournament with a lot of stuff for us to do, so I'm excited. It's good for Mexican tennis to have two big tournaments in a row. It's also good for the players who are coming from Acapulco and going to Indian Wells, because it's not too much travel. I've never been there. It will be the perfect preparation for Indian Wells and Miami too, because it's on hardcourt.
Did you ever get into trouble when you were a kid? If so, what was the biggest trouble you ever got into? - Anne, USA
I remember one time... My dad would always leave his keys in the car, and when I was six or seven, I got in there and tried to drive it. In Italy we don't have automatic though, so when I switched on the car, it made a big noise (BOOM) and went backwards! It didn't move a lot, but it made a big jump. My parents heard the big noise and ran outside. I was crying! In the beginning they were so worried and just making sure I was okay, but then when they realized I was okay, that's when my mom started screaming at me!
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
I spent a lot of today practicing and at the gym, but I also went and watched my doubles partner Gisela's match, and she won 6-3 in the third, which I was happy about.
Other than that I didn't do too much today, just spending some time at the club, mainly in the player lounge and the restaurant. We just pass the time together talking, doing stupid things on the internet :P Sometimes we'll catch some of the matches. Sometimes there are video games too. Actually, I have a Nintendo DS and sometimes I bring it along to tournaments with me. My favorite games are strategy games, like ones that test your knowledge and memory, and things like that. But I didn't bring it here, because right now I'm reading this book by Khaled Hosseini. It's a true story about a woman from Afghanistan, and I'm completely into it. I'm not too much into reading books but it's very good.
Now we're all going out to dinner in a famous restaurant here in Bogotá, called Andres. Everyone has been telling us it's a very special place and it's something different from what we've been doing, so I'm very excited!
Tomorrow we have our doubles semifinal. We already won one title together in Hobart, so it's our chance to make another final. It would be very good for us.
I'm off to the restaurant soon - I'll tell you all about it tomorrow :)
Ciao!
What is your best and worst personal quality? - Meryam, Egypt
This one is always tough to answer, because you really should be asking the people who you spend a lot of time with! I think my best quality is I'm always smiling and positive with people, but maybe it's also the worst thing, because sometimes I might be too nice to people who aren't so nice. But luckily, I don't think I've met a lot of bad people.
How do you celebrate a good victory? - Tom, Israel
It depends. If i don't have to play the next week, I'll go out and have a good dinner - I'm Italian, so I love good food! Also maybe a drink, and maybe some dancing. So if I'm not too tired and don't have to go off to another tournament right away, I can enjoy myself with friends. But if I'm playing again that week, maybe just dinner, no dancing or anything else. You have to be ready to play!
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The player party was really fun last night! They started off with a good dinner, which was very international. They had pasta, salad, meat, fish, and just about everything anyone would want, which was great. After dinner they played a lot of music - Spanish music, samba... They called two or three guys to dance, and they would take players and teach them how! It was really funny. Usually it's always the women who are dancing. I tried a little bit but not too much, because I was tired :)
Today we practiced a little bit for doubles in the morning and won our match, then I practiced with my coach for another hour. I just got back to the hotel a little while ago. Tonight we're going to a party for the tournament's sponsor, which is in a very good restaurant. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.
That's it, nothing special really happened so far today! I'll answer some of your questions now. Goodnight!!
Flavia
Do you still talk to Silvia Farina Elia or Rita Grande, now that they aren't on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour anymore? - Micha, Germany
Yes, I have spoken with Rita a lot of times lately, I just saw her in France at Fed Cup. We SMS and are in touch, for sure. I speak with Silvia sometimes too, but more with Rita - I played doubles with her in her last year on the Tour.
Do you ever watch tennis matches just for fun? - Bobby
No, I actually don't :) When my friends are playing I want to see them, yes, but other than that I don't. I like giving support. If I'm watching TV and it's on I can watch for maybe two or three games but no more. Before I was a player I did watch it though - my favorite players were definitely Monica and Jennifer.
Does all of the travelling and living in hotel rooms get boring? - Tony
Sometimes, yes! We spend 25 to 30 weeks of the year in hotels and travelling on planes, trains, cars... I really miss home sometimes. You want to stay home with all of your things, and whenever I come back I just want all of my stuff around me! I bring some things with me sometimes but most of the time I can't do it. But I have been living this lifestyle for a long time, so I'm used to it now!
You beat Venus Williams three times in a row - how did you do it, is she your favorite opponent? - Andre, Germany
I feel comfortable when I play her. The first time I played her, in 2007, I lost to her, but I beat her a week or two later, then two more times last year. Her game doesn't bother me too much. She is so powerful and hits the ball very flat, and I like that. I think I do, at least! Then I lost to her in Zürich last year, so maybe not! Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
What is your favorite Italian soccer team? Daniel, Venezuela
I don't like soccer a lot. I started understanding it a bit more during the World Cup in 2006, though. Now I have a lot of friends playing in the Milan club, so I support them for the moment. It's a good team to support!
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Hi everyone,
It was a difficult day for me on the court today. I didn't play a good match at all. I just didn't feel in the match, and I wasn't pushing the ball hard enough. It wasn't a good feeling. Maybe the high altitude had something to do with it, but we prepared for it so I don't know. I tried to fight until the end though, and I had chances to make it - like when I was up 6-5 in the third set and she was serving at 15-30, but then she came up with three good serves and then played too good in the tie-break. I tried so hard to come back and win it. I think you always have to stay on the court and fight, no matter what the score. As you get closer and closer, anything can happen. One ball can decide everything. But next week is another tournament and I hope to do better there :)
One strange thing is that it was raining during the second set until I was down 4-2 in the third! It was light rain so we didn't stop, but we did stop for 10 minutes in the third when it was harder. Then 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5... and the tie-break.
I have to look at the positives though. I'm still in the doubles, and Gisela and I played very well yesterday, so I think we can fight for the title. I'll definitely be staying here to focus on the doubles, practice, and get ready for Acapulco. And, of course, I will continue to blog!
It's about 7pm now... I'm going to take a shower and am going to the player party really soon, which should be really cool. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! I'll also answer more questions tomorrow... thank you so much for all of them!
Ciao,
Flavia
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Monday, February 16, 2009
Today was a pretty good day, as Gisela and I won our first doubles match of the tournament. We had a lot of luck, because about two minutes after we finished the match it started raining unbelievably!
I still have some jet lag, so I've been waking up at 6am :( I spent some time in my room, surfing the internet and watching some things, then went down at 7:30am with my coach and some players for breakfast. We left the hotel around 9am; I practiced with my coach for about an hour then warmed up with Gisela a bit for doubles, had a light lunch then went to play at about 1pm. I don't think they went back on court after it began raining. Anyway, since then I've been to the gym - nothing too much - then came back to the hotel around 4/5pm for a little siesta :) I woke up 20 minutes ago! And now I'm writing this.
I'm heading out to dinner with my coach, Gisela and her brother again. We may go out tonight but we're not sure where, but of course I won't be out too late as I'm playing my first singles match tomorrow!
I also said I'd tell you which movie we ended up watching. It was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, with Brad Pitt. It's his newest movie and it was nice.
Thanks for all of the questions. Please send more! I'll talk to you all tomorrow...
Ciao!
Flavia
How do you and your coach prepare for your matches, do you ever watch tapes of your next opponents? - Savino, Italy
We don't use tapes, mainly because by now we've seen almost all of the players play! There are new ones here and there, but normally I've either played or seen the other player playing before, or have a good idea of how they play.
Last year you had a lot of great moments playing doubles with Maria Kirilenko and you were always laughing together. What kinds of things make you laugh on court? - Damien
We were just enjoying ourselves so much. We know each other pretty well and we are usually pretty confident when we play together, so we can relax a bit. Sometimes one of us will say something stupid in the 15 seconds in between points, like when we're talking about what we'll do later that day, and we'll just laugh. I think it helps us to just have fun with each other!
Will you be playing in the new tournament in Marbella? - Tony, Spain
I'm not sure yet. Right now I only know my schedule until Miami, and soon I'll talk to my coach and plan the rest of the season. For now I'm just focusing on the tournaments I'm in, and not looking too far ahead. Especially this week and next week, I'm just going to try and do my best and enjoy myself.
Congratulations on reaching No.11. How does it feel? - Maurizio, Italy
I was very happy about it. It's always good to be No.1 in Italy, but No.11 in the world is also a very important number. But I wasn't trying to get there. We've been working very hard in the last year, and it's great the results are showing, but I'm just trying to stick to my job and doing my best. I think everyone else was talking about it more than I was, although of course it's a great honor.
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
Hello again everyone!
I was going to start the blog tomorrow, but I had some time this evening to write so I'm starting it now :) It will probably be a short one though, because I didn't really do anything that interesting today!
Yesterday it was raining here so I couldn't practice, but today I woke up early and had a long practice session, just to get used to the conditions and the courts. Then I went to the physio and came back to the hotel. I spent a few hours in the room just talking with friends, going on the internet and relaxing. Around 7pm, me, my coach, Gisela Dulko and her brother all went to the shopping center and spent a few hours there. We had dinner too, and we just came back now, it's about 9pm. Now we're going to see a movie but we're not sure which one - we have a site on the internet where you can watch movies and there are so many to choose from (of course I'll tell you all tomorrow!) After that I'll go to bed.
That's about it for today! Talk to you tomorrow.
Flavia
