Sharapova’s Shopping, Roddick and Rafa’s Return, Australian Hotties
(Monday, December 3, 2012) -- The case against the former U.S. Open official was thrown out by a judge Friday, with prosecutors claiming they did not have sufficient evidence to prove Lois Goodman did, in fact, bludgeon her 80-year-old husband to death with a coffee mug. The 70-year-old grandmother made an appearance on the Today show Monday, telling Matt Lauer that the whole thing was just a tragic accident.
Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic teamed up in an exhibition against WTA Doubles Team of the Year Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani in Milan. The match drew a whopping 11,000 fans. Hometown favorites Vinci and Errani won the doubles portion, but lost their respective singles matches against Sharapova and Ivanovic.
Later Maria enjoyed some retail therapy on the streets of Milan, even getting to visit the home of Giorgio Armani. Clearly in the holiday spirit, Sharapova sat on Giorgio’s lap and told him which fashions she was hoping to receive on Christmas morning.
Nicolas Almagro won the Miami Tennis Cup over the weekend, topping Andy Roddick in the final. The exhibition tournament also included Andy Murray, Juan Carlos Ferrero, John Isner, and Alejandro Falla. Roddick took out Murray en-route to the final in a match that featured plenty of joking around.
"If we had gone three sets I would've had a full body cramp, and it would've been awkward for all of you," Roddick said to the crowd.
The recently retired American star admitted he’s gained four pounds since playing his last tour match at the US Open, and he also made it clear there would be no comeback a la Agassi or Clijsters. Golf has reportedly become his latest obsession.
And speaking of comebacks, Rafael Nadal has been making strides toward his much anticipated return to the pro tour at the Australian Open. In addition to posting videos of his first practice, he also put up a forehand action shot on his Facebook page over the weekend. After seeing numerous Facebook photos of Rafa working out in the gym, it’s certainly nice to see him back out on the court.
Last but not least, some of your favorite Australian tennis stars glammed up for the Australian Tennis Awards over the weekend. Sam Stosur, Lleyton Hewitt, and Pat Rafter were all in attendance as Stosur took home her third consecutive Newcombe Medal as the most outstanding player of the year. Stosur is the first Australian woman since Wendy Turnbull to finish in the top ten for three consecutive years.