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Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini Redux: 2015 Rome Masters Open

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May 11, 2015

Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini Redux: 2015 Rome Masters Open

On Sunday, top Italian tennis player Fabio Fognini got to meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at his official residence, Palazzo Chigi, and on Tuesday, he get to have a big rematch with Grigor Dimitrov at the 2015 Rome Masters Open. Dimitrov just made it to the second round on Monday, and is looking to have his third straight win against Fognini.

Fognini set a rematch with the 10th-seeded Bulgarian at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after defeating American Steve Johnson 7-6(0), 6-3 after one hour and 42 minutes on Monday night at the Foro Italico.

The 27 year old will be looking to advance beyond the second round for the first time at his home country tournament, and also claim his 200th match win on the ATP World Tour. Dimitrov won their two recent meetings in Monte-Carlo and Madrid to take a 3-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Dominic Thiem made his Rome debut by ousting Fognini’s doubles partnerSimone Bolelli 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

The 21 year old, currently ranked No. 49 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, served for the match at 5-4 before Bolelli charged back to force a second tie-break. Thiem would narrowly avoid a deciding set, closing out the contest in two hours.

“Bolelli is a very strong player,” Thiem has said in several interviews. “He plays tough, beautiful tennis. I think I served pretty well today. I can’t find something to complain about in the first set. I found a way to win in the second set tie-break.”

The top Austrian, who is coming off a recent quarter-final run in Munich (l. to G. Melzer), saved six of seven break points he faced against his Italian opponent. The win ensures a second-round matchup against No. 12 seedGilles Simon.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet secured his place in the second round as he closed out a 6-1, 7-6(0) win over Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano. World No. 21 Gasquet won the clay-court title two weeks ago in Estoril (d. Kyrgios), and is closing in on the 400 match wins milestone (396-232 match record).

Gasquet will next face seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer, whom he trails 3-8 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series despite wins in their past two meetings.

Juan Monaco outlasted qualifier Dusan Lajovic in a first-round battle that lasted two hours and 19 minutes. In their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, the 30-year-old Argentine proved the more consistent of the two competitors, taking advantage of half of his 10 break opportunities in the 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 victory.

“It was a difficult match,” he said. “The conditions were hard, there was a lot of wind. It was not easy to play today, but at the end I won the match and I stay focused, even when I lost the chance to finish the match in the second set when I was serving at 5-4. He was playing very well and I did also. In the third set I played very well. I was more calm and I raised my level a little bit, so I’m very happy to play tomorrow in the second round.”

Monaco was a finalist earlier this year on clay in Buenos Aires, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. He will face No. 8 seed Stan Wawrinka next. “I know that Wawrinka is a very good player, but I think I can do a good performance tomorrow,” he said. “I try to play match by match. This is a great tournament, a Masters 1000, and that’s why I’ll try to play the best I can tomorrow against him.”

World No. 87 Marsel Ilhan set a second-round clash with No. 4 seed Rafael Nadal by pulling off an upset over Adrian Mannarino. Ilhan toppled the 29th-ranked Frenchman 6-4, 6-1 in 78 minutes.

How Andy Murray Defeated Rafael Nadal: 2015 Madrid Open

Jackie Warner

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May 11, 2015

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How Andy Murray Defeated Rafael Nadal: 2015 Madrid Open

Andy Murray dethroned Spaniard Rafael Nadal from his home turf Sunday when he beat him at the 2015 Madrid Open finals. It was a highly anticipated game between two very determined tennis stars, and the action did not disappoint.

Andy Murray defeated rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2 in the Mutua Madrid Open final on Sunday, winning his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown on clay.

The duo met for the 21st time with Murray claiming his first clay-court encounter in seven such matches. The two-time defending champion Spaniard was thwarted in his bid to record a fifth title in Madrid, while Murray won his second. The Scot’s previous win here came in the tournament’s last year on indoor hard courts in 2008.

Here’s a full step by step breakdown of how Murray was able to take down Rafi:

Set 1 – Murray 6-3
Longtime rivals Murray and Nadal found themselves on opposite sides of the net for just the second time in nearly two-and-a-half years, and both were looking to put a bow on strong campaigns at the Caja Magica.

Nadal entered the final bidding to become the first player to three-peat in the Spanish capital and claim his first European clay-court title of the year. Murray, meanwhile, captured his maiden ATP World Tour crown on clay a week prior in Munich, and was looking to extend his win streak on the surface to 10 straight.

World No. 3 Murray executed a perfect game plan in denying 2014 runner-upKei Nishikori in Saturday’s semi-finals and hoped to employ the same aggressive stance, predicated on an attacking backhand to open the court for his forehand, against Nadal.

The Dunblane native would not disappoint in the early stages, dropping a mere two points in breaking Nadal in the second game and consolidating for 3-0. With tournament royalty Ion Tiriac and Manolo Santana and Spanish royalty Queen Sofia in attendance, Murray dominated baseline exchanges throughout the opening set, winning 12 such points to Nadal’s four through the first five games.

In contrast to their previous encounter on the terre battue of Roland Garroslast year, it was Murray standing tall on the baseline with great depth and Nadal taking a more defensive position at the back of the court.

The home favourite clawed into Murray’s service game at 4-2 and pressed for a break back at 15/40, but the Scot hit his spots with his first serve and saved a second break point with a strong kicker wide to Nadal’s forehand. Murray would save another break point while serving for the set two games later and held to snatch the opener after 40 minutes.

Set 2 – Murray 6-2
Murray benefitted from 11 unforced errors by Nadal in the first set and won nearly double the points over nine shots. Much was at stake for the Spaniard, who was looking to avoid falling out to the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time in a decade, and while he found his rhythm towards the end of the first set in winning 12 straight service points, he was unable to capitalise on the momentum going forward.

The second set did not deviate from the script as Murray converted on his second break point for an immediate advantage and refused to relent. The 27 year old crunched backhand after backhand to wear down Nadal’s forehand and secured a double break lead for 3-0, mentally staying the course even after netting a drive volley with a wide open ad court at 30/40.

Nadal’s timing and feel for the ball continued to wane as more unforced errors leaked from his groundstrokes. Murray would hold his ground, converting on his first match point to win his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title on clay and earn his first victory over Nadal on the surface.

DID YOU KNOW?

Murray is the fourth player to beat Nadal in a clay-court final, joiningNovak Djokovic (four times), Roger Federer (twice) and Horacio Zeballos(once)
Murray came into Madrid with an 1-13 career record vs. Top 10 opponents on clay before defeating No. 6 Milos Raonic, No. 5 Kei Nishikori and No. 4 Nadal in the final three rounds, all in straight sets.

Grigor Dimitor & Gilles Simon Move On At 2015 Romas Masters Open

Jackie Warner

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May 11, 2015

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Grigor Dimitor & Gilles Simon Move On At 2015 Romas Masters Open

American John Isner proved he’s pushing himself hard to rise in the tennis world, and he moved forward today at the 2015 Rome Masters Open with Grigor Dimitrov, Gilles Simon and Venus Williams.

Gilles Simon of France took advantage of a few key double-faults by Jack Sock and rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 win Monday in the opening round of the Italian Open.

Sock was up a break in the second set until his usual commanding serve deserted him. The 12th-seeded Simon quickly leveled the set and then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker with the help of two double-faults by Sock.

Simon, who has won 12 ATP titles in his career, broke late in the third and closed it out at love in the final game.

“I had a tough time finding my game,” Simon said. “If I play like that again I’ll be out.”

Sock, a 22-year-old American ranked a career-high 33rd this week, appeared to lose energy as the match wore on and couldn’t deal with Simon’s consistency — committing twice as many unforced errors as the Frenchman (48-24).

“He serves like (Andy) Roddick and his forehand is like (Rafael) Nadal’s,” Simon said. “If he works on his other shots he could improve a lot.”

With the temperature at the Foro Italico soaring above 25 degrees Celsius (nearly 80 Fahrenheit), fitness was key on the red clay courts.

Tenth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov also played cleanly in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland. Dimitrov had only 11 unforced errors to Janowicz’s 31. A semifinalist last year, Dimitrov improved to 9-3 on clay this year.

John Isner, another big-serving American who is seeded 16th, eliminated Joao Sousa of Portugal 7-5, 6-3, and Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-1.

Fabio Fognini, Italy’s highest-ranked male at No. 31, won a night match over American opponent Steve Johnson 7-6 (0), 6-3.

Fognini produced a shot through his legs early on, although he lost the point. He also bounced his racket on the ground in frustration at the start of the second set but for the most part was able to tame his nerves — and Johnson.

“I’ve always had a hard time here so I’m pleased,” said Fognini, who has never been past the second round in Rome. “This is a small step forward.”

Fognini faces Dimitrov next.

Also on Campo Centrale — the main stadium — 13th-seeded Sara Errani, last year’s runner-up, used her consistency to wear down Slovakian veteran Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Errani produced 16 winners and 16 unforced errors while Hantuchova made 43 winners and 41 unforced errors.

In other women’s play, Venus Williams, the 1999 Rome champion, beat Czech qualifier and teenager Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-2; and 15th-seeded Madison Keys defeatedMadison Brengle 6-2, 6-4.

Also, Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky upset 11th-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-0 and improved to 26-5 this year; and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia beat Sam Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-5.

Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki beat Sloane Stephens of the United States 6-4, 6-1, and American qualifier Christina McHale overcame Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-1.

In a matchup of two Italian wild cards, Karin Knapp beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-1.

The Italian Open is the last big warm-up tournament for Roland Garros, which starts May 24.

2015 Rome Open: John Isner & Grigor Dimitrov Kick Off Action

Jackie Warner

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May 11, 2015

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2015 Rome Open: John Isner & Grigor Dimitrov Kick Off Action

The 2015 Madrio Open just ended yesterday with Andy Murray beating Rafael Nadal and knocking him down to number 7 on the tennis rankings chart, but John Isner and Grigor Dimitrov are hungry for action on Monday at the 2015 Rome Masters Open.

First round action continues on Day 2 of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the fifth ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season. Headlining the day’s proceedings are three seeded players:Grigor Dimitrov, Gilles Simon and John Isner. Dimitrov opens against Jerzy Janowicz; Simon takes on Jack Sock; and Isner faces Joao Sousa. Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli, the top-ranked Italians in the draw, are also in action on Monday.

• DIMITROV LOOKING UP: Dimitrov will be aiming to continue his solid run of form on clay when he opens his Rome campaign today. The Bulgarian opened the season with a 9-6 record on hard courts, but has since compiled an 8-3 mark on clay with a SF appearance in Istanbul (l.to Cuevas) sandwiched in between QF runs in Monte-Carlo (l. to Monfils) and Madrid (l. to Nadal). This will be his third appearance at this event. Last year he reached the SF here – his first time advancing to the final four at an ATP Masters 1000 event (l. to Nadal).

• FLYING THE FLAG: There are four Italian men in singles action on Day 2, with Fognini and Bolelli joined on the order of play by wild card Paolo Lorenziand qualifier Thomas Fabbiano, who is seeking a first match win on the ATP World Tour. All four players will be bidding to join Matteo Donati in the 2R after the World No. 282 contested and won his first tour-level match on Sunday, defeating Santiago Giraldo in three sets. Fognini and Bolelli created history for Italy earlier this year when they captured the doubles title at theAustralian Open (d. Herbert-Mahut). They were the first all-Italian pairing to win a major doubles crown since Pietrangeli and Sirola lifted the 1959 Roland Garros crown.

• ISNER MAKING STRIDES: Isner has reversed his fortunes in recent months. The American went 3-5 to start the season, before putting together an 11-5 record with a SF appearance in Miami (d. No. 11 Dimitrov, No. 6 Raonic, No. 5 Nishikori; l. to Djokovic) and a QF visit in Madrid last week (l. to Berdych after holding 1 MP). With his run in the Spanish capital, he became the first American since Andy Roddick in Madrid six years ago to reach an ATP Masters 1000 QF on clay. Isner is one of five Americans in the main draw this week. The last time five Americans featured here was in 2004 with Todd Martin, Vince Spadea, James Blake, Andy Roddick and Robby Ginepri.

DAY 2 FEDEX ATP HEAD2HEADS

CENTRALE

Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs [10] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Janowicz leads 1-0

•   Janowicz will feature in the Italian capital for the third time. His best showing came on his debut in 2013 when he reached the QF with Top 10 wins over Tsonga and Gasquet (l. to Federer).
•   Janowicz comes in on a three-match losing streak having fallen in the 3R in Miami (l. to Goffin) and the 1R in Monte-Carlo (l. to Fognini) and Madrid (l. to Sousa). His last win came over Roberto Bautista Agut in Miami at the end of March.
•   Janowicz’s best showing this season came in Montpellier where he reached a third ATP World Tour final, but was forced to retire three games in to his match vs. Richard Gasquet with an illness.
•   In 2014, Janowicz finished in the Top 50 for the third year in a row, reaching the final in Winston-Salem in August (l. to Rosol after holding 2 MPs).
•   Dimitrov is back in Rome for the third time. He defeated World No. 6Tomas Berdych en route to the SF here last year (l. to Nadal).
•   Dimitrov clinched the 10th Top 10 win of his career (10-36) in Madrid last week, defeating World No. 9 Stan Wawrinka en route to his fifth ATP Masters 1000 QF (l. to Nadal).
•   Dimitrov also reached the QF in Monte-Carlo last month (l. to Monfils) and the SF in Istanbul (l. to Cuevas) in recent weeks.
•   Dimitrov began the year with runs to the Brisbane SF (l. to Federer) and 4R at the Aus Open (l. to Murray) before back-to-back 2R exits in Rotterdam (l. to Muller) and Acapulco (l. to Harrison).
•   Dimitrov’s defeat by then-world No. 169 Harrison in Acapulco was his first loss to a player ranked outside the Top 100 since February 2013 (l. to No. 130 Karlovic in Zagreb).
•   In 2014, Dimitrov finished a year-end high No. 11, winning a personal-best 50 matches and three titles on three surfaces: Acapulco (d. Anderson), Bucharest (d. Rosol) and Queen’s (d. F Lopez).

Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs Dominic Thiem (AUT)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Bolelli is set to make his eighth appearance on home soil in Rome. His best showing here was a 3R run in 2008 (l. to Roddick).
•   Bolelli posted the 99th and 100th wins of his career in Madrid last week, upsetting No. 15 seed Kevin Anderson and compatriot Luca Vanni before falling to Rafael Nadal in the 3R.
•   Bolelli’s best showings this year were QF appearances in Sydney (l. to Troicki), Marseille (l. to Monfils) and Bucharest (l. to Monfils).
•   In February, Bolelli posted the first Top 10 win of his career at the 36th attempt, defeating World No. 6 Milos Raonic in Marseille. He is now 1-38 vs. Top 10 foes.
•   In 2014, Bolelli finished a season in the Top 60 for the second time (also 2008), rising 189 places during the year after winning four Challenger titles.
•   Thiem is appearing at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the first time.
•   Thiem’s best showing this season came in Miami where he reached an ATP Masters 1000 QF for the first time (l. to Murray). He also reached the QF in Marseille in February (l. to Bautista Agut) and in Munich two weeks ago (l. to G Melzer).
•   In 2014, Thiem ended a season as the No. 1 Austrian for the first time. He was the youngest player to finish the year in the Top 50 after compiling a breakthrough season, which saw him reach a maiden ATP World Tour final and qualify into a tour-high seven main draws in eight attempts.

Steve Johnson (USA) vs Fabio Fognini (ITA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Johnson is set to make his Rome debut.
•   Johnson came into this week off the back of a 1R defeat to John Isner in Monte-Carlo and a 2R loss to Rafael Nadal in Madrid.
•   Johnson reached three QFs in his first five tournaments of the year: Auckland (l. to Anderson), Memphis (l. to Anderson, again) and Delray Beach (l. to Karlovic).
•   In 2014, Johnson was one of the most improved players on tour, jumping 120 ranking spots during the season to finish in the Top 50 at a year-end high No. 37. He also posted four Top 20 wins.
•   Fognini returns to his home event for the eighth time. He has never advanced beyond the 2R here. Last year, the Italian fell to Lukas Rosol in the 1R.
•   Fognini arrives in Italy off the back of a 2R loss to Grigor Dimitrov in Madrid.
•   Fognini’s best performance this season came in February in Rio de Janeiro, where he reached the final (l. to Ferrer). The Italian overcame Jiri Vesely after saving 3 MPs and Federico Delbonis in a third-set TB before upsetting Rafael Nadal in the final four, snapping the Spaniard’s 52-match winning streak in clay-court SFs.
•   Fognini also reached the QF at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona with another victory over Nadal. The Italian is just the third player to beat Nadal at least two times in a row on clay (also Gaudio and Djokovic). He then fell toPablo Andujar 6-1, 6-3 in the next round.
•   In late January, Fognini won his first Grand Slam doubles title (w/Bolelli) at the Australian Open (d. Herbert-Mahut). They were the first all-Italian pairing to win a major doubles title since Pietrangeli and Sirola lifted the 1959Roland Garros crown.
•   In 2014, Fognini finished in the Top 20 for the second year in a row and became the first Italian to accomplish the feat since Corrado Barazzutti in 1977-78. He won a third title in Viña del Mar.

GRANDSTAND

Jack Sock (USA) vs [12] Gilles Simon (FRA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Sock is making his main draw debut at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
•   Sock is one of five Americans in the Rome draw. The last time five Americans featured here was in 2004 with Todd Martin, Vince Spadea, James Blake, Andy Roddick and Robby Ginepri.
•   Sock rose to a career-high No. 33 in the Emirates ATP Rankings today. He fell in a 3rd set TB to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 2R in Madrid last week.
•   Sock became the seventh player born in the 1990s to capture an ATP World Tour title in Houston last month, defeating Top 20 opponents Roberto Bautista Agut and Kevin Anderson before overcoming Sam Querrey in the final. He was the first American to win on clay since Ryan Sweeting won Houston in 2011.
•   Sock’s season began in March as he recovered from pelvis surgery in December. He impressed on his return at Indian Wells, reaching the 4R (l. to Federer), before winning two matches in a 3R run in Miami (l. to Thiem). He won his first ATP Masters 1000 doubles title in Indian Wells and was runner-up in Miami (both w/Pospisil).
•   Sock ended 2014 as the No. 4 American having climbed more than 50 places during the season, ending up at a year-end high No. 42 and winning a personal-best 27 matches. He also finished a career-high No. 15 in doubles & No. 10 in the team rankings (w/Pospisil) after winning Wimbledon.
•   Simon is back in the Rome main draw for the eighth time. He has reached the 3R here four times but has never gone beyond that stage.
•   Simon’s last competitive outing came three weeks ago in Bucharest (l. to Gimeno-Traver in QF).
•   Simon captured a 12th ATP World Tour title in Marseille in February (d. Monfils in a 3rd set TB). The victory put him into second place, behindYannick Noah (23), on the all-time French title leaders list before Gasquet joined him on 12. He also reached the SF in Rotterdam (l. to Berdych), as well as a QF in Montpellier (l. to Janowicz) and Bucharest (l. to Gimeno-Traver).
•   In 2014, Simon finished in the Top 25 for the sixth time in seven years after reaching a second career ATP Masters 1000 final in Shanghai in October. The Frenchman came in ranked No. 29 and defeated No. 4 Wawrinka and No. 7 Berdych en route to the final (l. to Federer in 2 TB sets).

[16] John Isner (USA) vs Joao Sousa (POR)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Isner is back in Rome for the sixth time. He has fallen in the 1R here on three of his five appearances and has never advanced beyond the 2R.
•   Last week in Madrid, Isner became the first American to reach the QF of an ATP Masters 1000 event on clay since Andy Roddick in Madrid 2009. He fell to Tomas Berdych after holding 1 MP.
•   Isner hit 29 aces in his loss to Berdych, a record for most aces in a three-set match on clay.
•   Isner’s season to-date has been highlighted by a SF appearance in Miami (d. No. 6 Raonic in 4R, No. 5 Nishikori in QF; l. to Djokovic).
•   Isner ended 2014 as the top-ranked American for the third straight season, finishing in the Top 20 for the fifth year in a row. He won two titles in Auckland (d. Lu) and Atlanta (d. Sela).
•   Sousa is back in Rome for the second time. He fell in three sets to Kukushkin in the 1R last year.
•   Sousa’s best showing this year was a SF run in Montpellier in February (l. to Janowicz in 3 sets).
•   In 2014, Sousa finished the season in the Top 100 for the third year in a row, winning a personal-best 24 matches. He advanced to finals in Båstad (l. to Cuevas) and Metz (l. to Goffin).

Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs [Q] Thomas Fabbiano (ITA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

•   Gasquet returns to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the eighth time. His best showings were a SF run in 2011 (d. No. 3 Federer, No. 7 Ferrer; l. to Nadal) and a QF visit in 2012 (d. No. 4 Murray in 3R; l. to Ferrer).
•   Gasquet captured the 11th and 12th ATP World Tour titles of his career earlier this year in Montpellier (d. Janowicz) and Estoril (d. Kyrgios). The victories put him tied with Simon (12) in second place on the all-time French title leaderboard, behind Yannick Noah (23).
•   In 2014, Gasquet finished inside the Top 30 for the fifth year in a row and ninth time overall with runner-up showings in Montpellier (l. to Monfils) and Eastbourne (l. to F. Lopez).
•   This is Fabbiano’s second main draw appearance in Rome. He also came through qualifying in 2008 before losing in three sets to Nicolas Mahut in the 1R.
•   Fabbiano is seeking a first tour-level match win. His most recent outing at this level came earlier this year in Bucharest where he qualified into the main draw (l. to Janko Tipsarevic).
•   Fabbiano has one Challenger crown to his name and 12 Futures titles.

PIETRANGELI

Juan Monaco (ARG) vs [Q] Dusan Lajovic (SRB)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

Pablo Cuevas (URU) vs [WC] Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

COURT 1

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs Donald Young (USA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: First ATP World Tour meeting

COURT 2

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs [Q] Marsel Ilhan (TUR)

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE Ep 710: Trixie Is No Prancing Queen

Julie Wein

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May 11, 2015

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RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE Ep 710: Trixie Is No Prancing Queen

On this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race the queens found the notes that Miss Fame left for them after she was eliminated last week. RuPaul then came out and told them they had to use clear plastic tape to change the appearance of their face for this week’s mini challenge. Each queen had to prepare as if they were appearing on a parody of the Real Housewives TV series.

Violet was then told she won this week’s mini challenge. Then RuPaul announced the maxi challenge involves the queens pairing up and dancing to a mashup of certain songs. The queens were told they needed to dress as half man, half woman. Violet then got to pick the couples to compete in the challenge.

Katya said she wasn’t sure how she and Violet being paired up was going to go. Ginger Minj said she wanted to do the electric side, but Trixie wasn’t familiar with it. Pearl said she would be able to dance but Kennedy wasn’t so sure she herself could.

Dancing with the Star’s Kym Johnson came in to help the drag queens learn to dance, along with Carson Kressley. The two worked with Pearl and Kennedy on their dance routine. Violet and Katya then worked with Kym and Carson as well. Carson encouraged Violet to keep practicing her dance moves. Katya looked terrified and confused watching Violet try to dance.

Ginger Minj and Trixie then worked with Kym and Carson to perfect their dance moves. Ginger said she hoped Trixie would be able to lift her gracefully during the dance. Trixie then unfortunately dropped Ginger Minj while they were practicing.

On Elimination Day Trixie said the air in the room was different because they were down to only six drag queens competing against each other. Ginger was concerned at selling herself as a sexy dancing woman and that she was going to try hard to succeed so she wouldn’t set Trixie up for failure. Katya said Violet was confident and Katya admired that in her.

Pearl walked the runway in half of a red dress and half of a black tux. Kennedy’s runway outfit was half a pink sequin dress and half a black tux as well. Trixie came out in a country style dress on one side and a country style suit on the other. Ginger called herself queen of the doublewide trailer. Violet came out as half a Spanish gentleman and half a flamenco dancer. Katya was part flamingo flapper part flamingo flapper’s abusive boyfriend.

Prancing With The Queens then started with Michelle Visage introducing them by couple. Kennedy and Pearl performed their dance first, which was an old fashioned Charleston dance. Ginger and Trixie then performed a country rumba dance. Violet and Katya then did the Tango Vogue.

Kressley told Pearl she was rhythmically challenged but his an attractive man and an attractive woman. Kennedy was told by one judge her dance was too laid back and by the other that it was effortless. Trixie was told she nailed the runway look and her dancing was strong. Ginger was praised for her attempt to butch up, but that it seemed off for her. Guest judge Alyssa Milano gave Ginger feedback as well. Ginger said this week’s competition was so far apart from her comfort zone that she was exhausted. Katya was told she looked like a hot douche.

The judges said Pearl was aloof and confident. They also said Kennedy shined this week. Katya’s male side was criticized for being too bland. After much deliberation

RuPaul said she was judging the queens as couples as opposed to individuals. Katya and Violet were then declared the winners of this week’s challenge. Both drag queens won a dress and a gift card for a suit. Pearl and Kennedy were safe from elimination this week. Trixie and Ginger were up for elimination. The two then had to perform in their lip sync battle to determine who would go home. After the battle RuPaul announced that Trixie was being sent home once again. Trixie said that getting sent home the second time was just like getting sent home the first time and that if they asked her back for a third time she would rather just stay home and play video games.

Deflategate Knocks Out Tom Brady: Suspended For 4 Games Plus Patriots Fined $1 Million

Jackie Warner

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May 11, 2015

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Deflategate Knocks Out Tom Brady: Suspended For 4 Games Plus Patriots Fined $1 Million

Some thought Tom Brady was teflon and wouldn’t be affected at all by the Deflategate results, but we all know that somebody had to take a hit. All eyes were on Brady, and he was the easiest and most likely choice.

The NFL has suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady four games for his role in the team’s ‘deflategate’ controversy. The league also fined the Patriots $1 million and revoked the team’s first-round draft pick in 2016 and fourth-round draft pick in 2017.

The team has been fined $1 million and will forfeit its first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft and fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, the league announced Monday.

The punishment comes after last week’s release of a report by attorney Ted Wells, who was hired by the league to investigate the incident.

The investigation was initiated to determine what was behind the Patriots’ use of underinflated footballs during January’s AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots beat the Colts en route to a Super Bowl XLIX victory.

The Wells report found that “it is more probable than not” that Brady was “at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities” of locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski.

Jastremski has been with the team for 14 years, the past three as the staffer in charge of preparation of the game-day footballs.

In a letter to Brady, NFL Executive President Troy Vincent said the quarterbacks actions were detrimental to the integrity of the sport.

“Each player, no matter how accomplished and otherwise respected, has an obligation to comply with the rules and must be held accountable for his actions when those rules are violated and the public’s confidence in the game is called into question,” Vincent wrote,

The 243-page Wells report said Brady, who answered questions from investigators over the course of one day, did not turn over personal information such as texts and emails. Furthermore, the report doubted the quarterback’s claim that he didn’t know the name of McNally, the part-time Patriots employee who investigators think most likely improperly deflated footballs just before the team faced off in January’s AFC championship game.

Brady will be suspended for the first four regular season games of 2015, but can participate in training camp and other activities including preseason games.

Jastremski and McNally, who have been indefinitely suspended without pay since May 6, cannot be reinstated without NFL approval, the league said.

In the event the two staff members are reinstated, they will be prohibited from certain duties, such as managing the locker room or overseeing preparation of the game footballs.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the punishment is in line with the findings of the Wells report.

“We relied on the critical importance of protecting the integrity of the game and the thoroughness and independence of the Wells report,” he said.

In announcing the penalties, the NFL also noted that the report did not find evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the coaching staff.

“I think this will be in the first or second paragraph of any bio that’s ever written about Tom Brady going forward,” CNN Sports analyst Christine Brennan said. “This is absolutely a huge hit to Brady’s reputation as Mr. Clean, as the boy next door — the smiling, laughing guy that everyone seemed to like.”

But Brady is not short on defenders, who say the Wells report was inconclusive.

The document contains a lot of information, but also a lot of words like “probable” and “generally.”

In the report, no one said the quarterback tampered with the balls himself. The evidence implicating him comes from texts involving and interviews with McNally and Jastremski.

The NFL took into account that Brady declined to turn over texts and other evidence to investigators.

Brady’s agent, Don Yee, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the quarterback didn’t agree to hand over text messages because that would set a bad precedent for other players involved in disciplinary investigations.

A report released last week showed the New England Patriots knowingly deflated footballs ahead of the AFC Championship game vs. Indianapolis. Brady, whose team won the Super Bowl last season, denied his involvement at the time.

Unless his suspension is appealed and reduced, Brady’s first game back would be on Oct. 11 against the Indianapolis Colts on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Of course, it was the Colts that tipped off the NFL about the Patriots’ football-deflating, so that would make this game one of the most anticipated of the season.

As Super Bowl champions, the Patriots appear in the traditional Thursday night opener on NBC — against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That game suddenly looks much different without Brady and his start power.

And CBS is hoping that the suspension is reduced at least by one game, because it has the national afternoon doubleheader game on Oct. 4 between the Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

Rafael Nadal Rankings Slide Continues Down To 7

Jackie Warner

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May 11, 2015

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Rafael Nadal Rankings Slide Continues Down To 7

Rafael Nadal fought hard in the 2015 Madrid Open to cling to his number four slot in the rankings, but Andy Murray defeated him sending him spiraling down three more slots. The Spaniard had dropped to the number 5 slot in early April, but was able to jump up 4, but this will be quite the challenge for the guy that has overcome some major challenges over the past few years.

Having the likes of superstars Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray above him and rising stars like Kei Nishikori right on his tail, the pressure is truly on Nadal.

Rafa Nadal`s slide down the ATP rankings means if he wins a record-extending 10thFrench Open title early next month it would go down as one of the greatest achievements of his illustrious career.

The Spaniard dropped three places to seventh on Monday as a consequence of his 6-3 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Britain`s Andy Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters the previous day.

And with another 600 points to defend at this week Rome Masters, the 28-year-old could fall to his lowest ranking for 10 years by the time play begins at Roland Garros on May 24.

Not since April 2005, just before his maiden French title, has Nadal been lower than seventh.

The Spaniard insisted after losing to Murray that he was beginning to feel the “old sensations” again after struggling to find his best form in the wake of the wrist injury and appendicitis issues that undermined him last year.

But the fear factor that once inhibited opponents on the red clay appears to have disappeared.

In Monte Carlo, he was soundly beaten by world number one Novak Djokovic. He then lost to Italy`s unpredictable Fabio Fognini in Barcelona and in Madrid, after appearing to be getting back on track with wins against Grigor Dimitrov and Tomas Berdych, he was stopped in his tracks by Murray.

Murray had never beaten Nadal on clay and was thrashed in last year`s French Open semi-final, but on Sunday he won with nonchalant ease.

“I will just stay with the good things that happened this week, and there are a lot of them, more good than bad. I will try to recover the good feelings in Rome,” Nadal said.

“Whatever will happen will be. It`s something that we have to realise, all of us, that what`s happening during these last years, it`s very complicated to be 10 or one years without leaving the top four.”

Barring an early loss in Rome, Nadal should manage to stay in the top eight but the possibility of a quarter-final meeting with Murray, Djokovic or world number two Roger Federer looms.

Unlike Wimbledon, where ATP rankings can be adjusted to reflect performances on grass, the French Open sticks stringently to the rankings.

And while that does not look good for Nadal, it will also worry the likes of Djokovic and Murray, who could find themselves coming face-to-face with the greatest claycourt player of all time a little earlier than expected.

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Trans for Chris Brown, Amber Rose Drunk & Diddy’s Love Has Ties

The Curvy Girl Diva

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May 11, 2015

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Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Trans for Chris Brown, Amber Rose Drunk & Diddy’s Love Has Ties

It’s the start of the week (hope that you had a great mother’s day) and it’s time for some highlights from the weekend in celebrity happenings. Chris Brown again has found someone who can’t stop loving him, Amber Rose blames booze and Diddy proves his love has to be chained.

Karrueche Tran Still Loves Chris Brown

There is no getting away from how sweet Karrueche Tran really is. I mean, did you see her interview with Iyanla Fix My Life? She was warm, cute and down right endearing. The way she answered the questions made me mad at Iyanla for even asking them!

Anyway, after Chris Brown’s “house guest” last week (a crazed fan broke in and really made herself at home) the cheating, rapping, singer got a phone call from the woman who left him after it was made public that he had a 10 month old daughter with some old model.

The rumors that they were getting back together, even after the whole baby Royalty revelation, my have been cut short after Amira Ayeb broke into his house (I guess Tran wouldn’t feel safe). According to sources, Tran gave him a call to see if he was okay. She asked him about his birthday bash in Vegas and the source says she told him “I love you.”

The thing that I don’t get with this chick or with women in general is why the keep taking back men that have done them wrong. From the reports that I have seen, they are low key back together and he plans to propose to Tran on her 27^th birthday? Um I guess she is just a glutton for surprise babies that she did not give birth to.

Amber Rose: “I Was Drunk When I Dissed Kanye”

When you are known for nothing more than having a big ass, a blond fade and screwing rappers, you have to stay relevant somehow and showing your body on Instagram apparently gets old real quick.

Amber Rose recently bagged on her ex, Kanye West, accusing him of not writing his own music. She let the cat out of the bag during one of her appearances at the Supper Club in Los Angeles.

“Stop playing niggas I used to fuck… Why don’t we play the niggas who writes the songs for the other nigga…Travis Scott”?

I don’t know what happened between her saying it and the moment she decided to
“clear things up” but it is obvious that she had a change of heart.

“Lol Note to self Amber- when ur [s**t] faced off the Crown and coke stfu it’s not cute…”

It’s cool and all that she can make fun of herself, but I wonder where it came from because in my view, there is always some truth in the jokes that people make about other people. I mean she did date him for a while and was all up in his stuff. But I have to admit, as much of an arrogant ass I think Kanye can be sometimes, I don’t want to believe that he doesn’t write his own songs, so I’m with Amber on this one, just shut the hell up when you’re drunk bitch.

Janet Jackson to Release New Album… Maybe

All Janet Jackson fans rejoice. Rumors are that Damita Jo, aka. Miss. Jackson is set to release her 11^th studio album come July.

There was an apparent leaked “Coming Attractions” memo from Atlanta Records and it included a July 10^th release date for a Janet Jackson album that has yet to be titled. It has been almost seven years since her last studio project and is a much anticipated (fingers crossed that it is true) and welcomed addition to her music catalogue.

This week in Janet Jackson pop Herstory:

May 15, 1993
After scoring seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10s from her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet Jackson picked up right where she left off, as “That’s the Way Love Goes,” the first single from janet., began an eight-week run at No. 1.

Diddy Has a “Love Contract”

So how would you feel if the person you are with said that they need you to sign a “love contract?” According to his appearance on Watch What Happens Live (WWHL), Diddy has a contract with his girlfriend Cassie, which is obviously a clear indication of his views on marriage.

He openly and proudly said that he is not looking to walk down the aisle anytime soon, he told Andy Cohen that he committed to a love contract.

“I’m talking about where there’s some money involved….if there’s any problems. You have to have an agreement. You can’t just love somebody and take ’em and ya’ll just part….”

For the record, I totally get what he is saying and where he is coming from. When you are famous and have a whole bunch of money, it is silly to not have some kind of legal paperwork in place that protects you in the case that you and your partner go your separate ways.

We have all seen and heard of people that were taken for a lot when they got a divorce (or in the case of places like California where there is something called common law marriage) and it is not a pretty or pleasant thing. I am all about love, don’t get me wrong, but I am also about protecting what I have earned because sometimes, people go cray, cray when relationships end.

I salute Diddy and those who take such precautions.

Premier League Soccer Biggest Winners & Losers 2014 & 2015

Luka Alario

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May 11, 2015

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Premier League Soccer Biggest Winners & Losers 2014 & 2015

The Premier League comes to a close later this month and unlike other leagues barring the Bundesliga, they already have a winner in Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s side stormed through the competition, being on top of the table since day one.

With just a few games left in the season, we take a look at some of the winners and losers of the 2014-2015 Premier League season.

Winners:

Chelsea

This is an obvious pick not only because Chelsea won the league but because of the way they did it. They not only sold David Luiz, Kevin de Bruyne, Ryan Bertrand, Andre Schurrle and Juan Mata for a huge profit but invested it wisely in players like Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa.

The new signings – Fabregas and Costa in particular – hit the ground running instantly as Chelsea were never below first in the table and at the time of writing, have only lost two games all season with three games left in the campaign. An impressive feat for a team with the lowest net spend from the top five Premier League teams in the last two years.

Harry Kane

It’s still crazy to think that with his 20 league goals this campaign, Harry Kane wasn’t even a starter for Spurs at the start of the season. But with the faltering Roberto Soldado and the polarizing Emmanuel Adebayor, Kane got his chance and took it with both hands.

With 30 goals in all competitions at the time of writing, Kane has truly deserved his PFA Young Player of the Year award and can only push on for greater things.

Alexis Sanchez

What a debut season for the Chilean. Signed from Barcelona, Sanchez has adapted seamlessly to life in England and the Premier League.

Having stepped up for the Gunners time and time again, the former Barcelona forward currently has 24 goals to his name in all competitions, including 16 league goals.

And if most foreign players are judged on their second season, Arsenal fans can expect to see even more spectacular showings from the magical Chilean.

Losers:

Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers’ star has fallen the last year or so. Last season, Liverpool exceeded expectations and looked like they were going to win a first Premier League title until a collapse saw them finish 2nd with Luis Suarez eventually leaving to Barcelona.

What followed was a string of terrible signings who couldn’t make up for the departure of the Uruguayan as Rodgers’ side are back in 5th place at the time of writing – a position they’ve occupied for much of the last few years.

Champions League football isn’t happening and having blown the chance to consolidate it this season, it’s been a season to forget for Liverpool and Steven Gerrard.

Angel Di Maria

Signed for a record British transfer fee, the former Real Madrid star has had a debut season to forget. While he did start life brightly, a huge loss in form along with injuries and an attempted burglary at his house have seen a dramatic decline in Di Maria.

It’s even reached the point where United fans would prefer him out of the starting eleven while fringe players like Ashley Young are now preferred to the Argentine. Maybe next season will be better for Di Maria?

Manchester City

The defending champions were inconsistent at the start of the season but after a good run of games, found themselves level on points and goal difference with Chelsea on January 1st.
Now they’re 13 points behind the new champions Chelsea in what was been a shocking run of results for Manuel Pellegrini’s men who will be enduring a trophyless campaign. Likely to finish 3rd this season, Pellegrini will have a lot to do in the summer if he wants to keep his job.

Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: Champions League semi-final 2nd leg

Luka Alario

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May 11, 2015

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Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: Champions League semi-final 2nd leg

Bayern Munich are trailing 3 – 0 after the first leg of the semi-final at Camp Nou and on Tuesday they have the opportunity to make a sensational comeback like they did against Porto in the quarter-finals.

The German champions lost 3 – 1 at Porto in April, but they thrashed the Portuguese side 6 – 1 at the Allianz Arena in the return leg. Although, a similar result is less likely as Guardiola’s men are pitted against arguably the best team on the planet. Lionel Messi was at his majestic best in the first leg and even the best goalkeeper in the world, Neuer couldn’t control the diminutive Argentine.

In all competitions, the Bavarians have now lost four successive matches while their opponents in the midweek are just cruising in all competitions. The Catalan giants have won all of their last eight matches and they haven’t conceded a goal in last seven. After Real Madrid’s draw in La Liga at the weekend, a treble for Barca is very much on the cards. Not only that, they are also the favorites in all these three competitions.

Bayern Munich would miss their key players Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Both the wingers had it in them to turn around the match on their own. Pep Guardiola knows the huge task at hand as he knows the inside-out of his former team.

In a recent interview, the Bayern boss said, “The only way we can make the final is by playing better than Barcelona and doing what we did in the second half [of the first leg].

“Our only desire is try until the end. We are the Bundesliga champions and we’ve had an extraordinary year, despite some difficulties.

“I’ve never had to solve everything based on courage alone nor have I ever told my players that we will have to be braver than our rivals.

A three goal deficit isn’t an easy task to overcome, although it isn’t impossible. The German giants have a home advantage, but Barca can accentuate troubles for Bayern if they manage to score an away goal.

Guardiola added: “We have to be more aware of what our offensive duties are and, after the game, the result will speak for itself.”

The German forward Thomas Muller hasn’t given up on a chance to play in yet another Champions League final. He said, “We have nothing to lose against Barca and this is how the players and the coach are approaching the match. We will give it a try, it is not over yet. We will give everything until the referee blows his whistle.”

Despite the big lead from the clash in Spain, Luis Enrique isn’t taking Bayern for granted. The Barcelona boss is convinced of the quality of his opponents.

“We know how big Bayern Munich is and we will have to be at our best to progress,” he told reporters. “If we take the lead it would be good for us. But Bayern has the quality to score and they did cause us problems in Barcelona.

“The common objective is to go to the final. We don’t want the game to be a crazy one. We have to use our weapons to hurt our rivals.

“We want the game to be as similar as possible to the first leg. Everyone attacks and everyone defends. Bayern has a lot of potential to score goals. We will have to go out focused on the idea of winning.”

Bayern defeated Barcelona 7 – 0 on aggregate in 2013 and advanced to the final of the Champions League. But this time around the ball is in Barcelona’s court.

Is Microsoft’s Edge Sharp or Blunt?: Windows 10 Updates

Tech News

Marius Manuella

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May 11, 2015

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Is Microsoft’s Edge Sharp or Blunt?: Windows 10 Updates

It’s been made official for a few weeks now that Project Spartan’s name is Edge. Many Windows 10 insiders were disappointed with the browser’s official name though not bad, was just not as cool as Spartan. Many were ready to put on their leather trousers until the reveal. Not much has changed for the browser since the last 10061 release except for the name and the icon. Microsoft’s reason for choosing both the name and icon was for the sake of familiarity as the company did not want to further alienate its users than it already has. The name Edge was the best the company could come up with. It does sound edgy but what’s more important was a name that stood for its new ‘e’ icon.

Edge’s icon looks similar to the old icon for Internet Explorer, a flat lowercase ‘e’ but without the ring. What’s edgy about it is that it looks like two scythes coming held together by a bar forming an ‘e’. Microsoft apparently wanted Windows 10 users to know that when they click the e icon, they’re opening up a browser and not something else. Unfortunately for Edge users might mistake it for Internet Explorer. Microsoft still has time to change it, hopefully. Enough about the name, (still disappointed) how does Microsoft’s new browser stack up against Chrome and Firefox?

As a browser, Edge seems to work fine. The browser remains simplistic as it looked on previous builds. Back, forward and refresh buttons at the left of the integrated search and address box is IMO a great idea and to the right of the address bar is the reading mode and favorites buttons, the web note or annotation button, the feedback button and the ellipsis menu for settings and other stuff. Gone is the main Windows menu which is activated when pressing the Alt key. Edge is keeping things simple. Its elliptic menu is also quite simple and not as confusing or cluttered as Chrome and Firefox’s hamburger menus. It has few important items such as Zoom, Share, Find, Print and Settings. The Settings page is also easy on the eyes and informs the users as simply as it could on the browser’s various settings. Unlike Chrome though, Edge does not automatically adapt to the regional language.

On website rendering, there’s little to no problems encountered with the websites I frequent such as ZDNet, Facebook, Pinterest, Wordress, TechCrunch, Yahoo, YouTube and Wikipedia. Though I’ve noticed that some don’t scroll via touch screen. They work as well as they used to except for some slowdown or lag. There are also times when pages don’t appear immediately and I have to click Refresh. What would be nice if Edge could grab site settings from Internet Explorer such as perpetual logins.

The best feature of Edge for me is the reading mode. For supported websites, it provides a distraction free browsing experience free of ads and popups and other clutter. It works most of the time but excludes some elements that are part of the articles. Also, the Favorites button allows the addition of web pages to either bookmarks or reading lists. Another great feature of Edge is the annotation or web note button which allows users to share annotated web pages. Users can mark, encircle and highlight certain points of a website for personal use or discussion among friends and colleagues. These features are built right into the browser which other browsers do through add-ons. However, annotation works best via touch screen, which again puts emphasis on touch devices somewhat alienating desktop users from this nifty feature. Annotation works well via mice or touch pads but users need real steady hands.

Cortana is also a neat addition to Edge, but something Google has been doing for a while through voice search and Apple through Siri. Nevertheless, this catch-up play by Microsoft does have its merits. Better than nothing at all. With Cortana listening in, busy executives could find her very useful when searching.

Overall, Edge is okay. Still rough around the edges but there’s still time for sharpening until the release date. Is it recommendable? Still depends on the users but good enough for a default browser. Unlike before when I don’t think twice about installing Chrome and Firefox after a clean Windows install. Internet Explorer has had a bad rep ever since those anti-trust problems involving Netscape. As a software company, Microsoft needs a good clean break in the browser business. Edge could be it, though its name, especially the icon could have been better.

Google for Entrepreneurs: A Goldfish Tank or Piranha Tank?

Tech News

Marius Manuella

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May 11, 2015

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Google for Entrepreneurs: A Goldfish Tank or Piranha Tank?

Caught an episode of Shark Tank last week while channel surfing. Hearing good things about it, I decided to stick around. It was indeed like an American Idol for businessmen. It was enjoyable, it was interesting and a bit harrowing for some of the clueless contestants. It reminded me of something I read about a month ago. It was an event called Google for Entrepreneurs Demo Day. It was basically a presentation similar to Shark Tank but with a nicer set of judges. A bunch of hopeful entrepreneurs hoping the judges will buy into their ideas giving them the venture capital they need. We all know now that Google is throwing around its vast reserves of money into various ideas and hoping it sticks. This is one of those avenues. Will Google actually help these fledgling businessmen or eat them alive?

Google is now far from that company which sells ads and top search spots. Google is now into selling laptops, phones and tablets, snooping eyewear, driverless cars, internet connections and communications and lately an energy tea that would give Red Bull a run for its money. Thinking about all these makes me wonder whether Google, in the future would fly us all out into space after polluting the earth with its products and make us all fat and socially inept.

For Google, diversifying might be an understatement. How far has the company gone that it decided to work from search and ads to driverless automobiles? It started out from being an internet company to something that actually lays internet infrastructure (Google Fiber). To ensure its continued presence, it’s working on massive Wi-Fi access via hotspots on blimps. Those blimps in Big Hero 6 actually reminded me of that particular project. Google is also now gaining traction with Chrome and Chromebooks. Come the age of the Internet of Things, Google just might be into everything.

But not all is peachy for Google, its Glass project was heavily criticized due to privacy concerns and early this year, the public was under the impression that it was cancelled. That is until last week when Google announced that it was developing another Glass version. Its driverless car project is also being panned by pundits that cars were out of Google’s league. Google’s not alone though, Apple is also in on it but hardly anyone criticizes the fruit company for this, yet. Basically, some people think that Google’s wearing itself too thin, investing in stuff that’s far from its actual line of work, information technology. That its efforts should go to a less-fragmented, less buggy Android version or an updated Google Earth and better navigation programs. But who’s to say that Google doesn’t have the cash and the power to do whatever it wants? That it can’t invest in the next Furby, fund its own NBA team, produce its own TV show, open up a chain of coffee shops and even bake shops? Google is just being Google, a company open to adventurous investment. Some critics say that Google doesn’t have a clue so it’s letting others do the thinking and the businessmen handle the rest.

Actually Google has been scouting for and funding entrepreneurs for a couple of years now under the guise of a charitable investment program, Google for Entrepreneurs. As mentioned, its second demo day just wrapped up and the winner was a young female entrepreneur with a revolutionary natural energy boosting tea. Should her drink take off, Red Bull could kiss much of its market share goodbye. The Demo Day program was like Shark Tank, only with nicer judges. Other contestants were also given opportunities. Other success stories include an inmate who started a social network for inmates, family and friends. You’d be surprised at the combine number of people who did and are currently serving time. Next is the idea of 3D printing long lost precious trinkets and heirlooms from photos and lastly, a Brazilian version of Uber called Easy Taxi.

So how sincere is Google in this investing thing? Will Google eventually eat these companies alive? Well, no one seems to have called any lifeguards yet. If Google for Entrepreneurs is anything like Shark Tank, Google is only into companies for a limb or two. Should these companies really take off, Google’s already in them and yes, maybe absorb them or eat them whole. Buyouts happen every day and the company sure is generous in throwing money around, enough to make both parties happy.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Fabio Fognini Redux: 2015 Rome Masters Open

How Andy Murray Defeated Rafael Nadal: 2015 Madrid Open

Grigor Dimitor & Gilles Simon Move On At 2015 Romas Masters Open

2015 Rome Open: John Isner & Grigor Dimitrov Kick Off Action

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE Ep 710: Trixie Is No Prancing Queen

Deflategate Knocks Out Tom Brady: Suspended For 4 Games Plus Patriots Fined $1 Million

Rafael Nadal Rankings Slide Continues Down To 7

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Trans for Chris Brown, Amber Rose Drunk & Diddy’s Love Has Ties

Premier League Soccer Biggest Winners & Losers 2014 & 2015

Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: Champions League semi-final 2nd leg

Is Microsoft’s Edge Sharp or Blunt?: Windows 10 Updates

Google for Entrepreneurs: A Goldfish Tank or Piranha Tank?

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