Blink Car

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Simona Halep, who had breast reduction surgery to help her game, comfortably won her first round match against Bojana Jovanovski


At the age of 17, Simona Halep decided that nothing would stand in the way of her ambition to make it to the top in tennis. And that included her generous curves.

She underwent extensive breast reduction surgery to take her from a 34DD to a more modest 34C and as a result rocketed up 450 places in the world rankings.

Two years on, she breezed through her first-round match yesterday and said she was looking forward to a ‘successful Wimbledon’.


Before and after: In 2008 at the French Open girls' singles, left, and today at Wimbledon, right


When she burst on to the scene as a junior champion at the French Open in 2008, Miss Halep’s bountiful chest attracted lots of attention and a growing male fan base.

But she found it was uncomfortable, caused her severe back pain and hampered her movement on court, leaving her ranked 500 in the world.

Following the operation, the Romanian teenager spent several months resting before resuming her career last summer.

She had revealed her decision to fans before going under the knife – and many (presumably male) petitioned her in an attempt to persuade her to reconsider.


Serena Williams was on Centre court as she began her bid for a fifth Wimbledon crown against Aravane Rezai


Serena Williams was overcome with emotion at the end of her match against France's Aravane Rezai, having endured one of the toughest years of her career since she last played in SW19


Diana Ross was there to watch Serena Williams on Centre Court, and found herself surrounded by members of the England cricket team


Celebrating their own victory: Fresh from beating Sri Lanka in the test series, England cricketers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss enjoy a drink with other team members


But she said her mind was made up.

‘My ability to react quickly was worse and my breasts made me uncomfortable.’
Her large chest guaranteed her attention - and won her a few male admirers - but for Romanian tennis hopeful Simona Halep it was a hindrance.

The extra weight on her chest was uncomfortable and caused severe back pain, which affected her performance on the court - so she decided to have breast-reduction surgery.

And the 19-year-old Romanian today continued to reap the rewards of her decision with a comfortable victory against her Serbian opponent, Bojana Jovanovski, 19, winning 6-1 6-2.

Halep was first noticed on her way to becoming junior champion at the French Open in 2008. In a bid to boost her game, she spent much of the following year recovering from the surgery, which took her cup size down from 34DD to a more modest 34C.


Vitalia Diatchenko displays her power on her way to defeat at the hands of 25th seed Daniela Hantuchova


Currently ranked 58 in the world, she is playing in her first Wimbledon.

At the time she explained her decision to fans, saying: 'It’s the weight that troubles me. My ability to react quickly, my breasts make me uncomfortable when I play.

'I don’t like them in my everyday life, either. I would have gone for surgery even if I hadn’t been a sportswoman.'

Another player who was attracting much attention today was Serena Williams as she began her attempt to claim a fifth Wimbledon title - and third in a row - despite barely lifting a racquet in anger in the past year.

And she overcame a second-set blip to beat Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-3 3-6 6-1.

Afterwards she burst into tears oivercome with emotion as she tried to put behind her one of the toughest years of her career

Williams fought through a mid-match slump, re-establishing her authority in the third set with her big serve and powerful groundstrokes.


Tennis fans wait in a queue hoping for better weather45 than disrupted yesterday's play



The sun broke through early in the day, giving the fans something to smile about


She showed why she is still considered a title favourite despite her long layoff after two foot operations and blood clots on her lungs.

After serving her 13th ace to close out the match, Williams buried her face in her towel and sobbed as she sat on her courtside chair. She was still crying as she walked off the court.

Meanwhile, with Andy Murray safely through in the men's draw, all eyes were on the all-British match between Anne Keothavong and Naomi Broady, which British number 3 Keothavong comfortably won 6-2 6-4.

The day started with organisers having to try and clear a heavy backlog of play after rain wiped out hours of tennis on the opening day.

It may only be day two of the tournament but torrential downpours yesterday meant a series of games were suspended and others did not even begin.

But despite the weather, fans were warned about sunstroke today after 85 people were treated at Wimbledon yesterday despite some of the heaviest rain in years.


Anne Keothavong shakes hands with Naomi Broady of after winning their first round all-British affair


American star Andy Roddick was watched by his wife Brooklyn Decker during his first round match


Slovakia's Karol Beck and Argentina's Carlos Berlocq play out their game under blue skies, in stark contrast to the torrential rain of yesterday evening


The bad weather meant the roof was closed for Murray's match, which did not start until 6.30pm yesterday evening



Bags of support: Murray's kitbag with the messages from fans


Supporters entered an online competition to have their messages displayed on Murray's bag


Early on in the game it was hard watching for his mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears


At full stretch: Murray lost the first sense but once his game clicked into gear he completed a comfortable victory


Andy Murray acknowledges the Centre Court crowd carrying the bag with messages of support


John Isner poses after finally claiming victory on the third day of his first round match against Nicolas Mahut


Serena vs Rezai at 2011 Wimbledon


2011 Wimbledon Roger Federer Signed Patiently for Fans Before R1 Match


Roddick vs. Beck - Wimbledon 2011 R1 Highlights


source : dailymail

By EMILY ANDREWS and PAUL HARRIS

Overcome: Serena Williams showed her emotions today after he first round victory by burying her head in a towel before openly crying as she left Centre Court


It's not the image that most people would associate with the so-called Queen of Mean.

Serena Williams – one of the toughest players on the tennis circuit – won her first-round match, sat on her chair … and then dissolved into tears.

Such a display might have been expected from a novice winning her first match at Wimbledon – rather than the defending champion who has won the title four times.



All too much: Miss Williams was upset because she has been out of the game for year following a severe foot injury and suffering from blood clots on her lungs


But as the 29-year-old explained later, emotion overwhelmed her because yesterday was a day she feared she would never see after a year in which her life – let alone her sporting career – almost came to an end.

The American has been absent from tennis for 49 weeks after suffering serious foot injuries in an accident, then life-threatening blood clots on her lungs. ‘It definitely hit me at the end of the match,’ she said. ‘I’m not a crier, so I don’t know.

‘It definitely was so emotional for me because throughout the last 12 months, I’ve been through a lot of things that’s not normal. So it’s just been a long, arduous road. To stand up still is pretty awesome.


Watching on: The large crowd sees Serena rifle down another serve during the match


‘So this was probably the most emotional I’ve gotten after a match, after a win.’ By the standards of some of her previous outfits, Miss Williams was dressed relatively soberly in a white tennis dress with navy piping, matched by a classic cable-knit cardigan – although her hot pants were black.

She added: ‘It wasn’t about winning the match. It was about being out there. Everyone that has had some troubles, whether it be health, whether it be something else, to realise that you can do it. But it just really goes to show if you don’t give up, you still have a chance.’


Hand raised in victory: Serena forces a smile seconds after confirming her win and before the emotion got too much


Within days of claiming her 13th Grand Slam title at the All England Club last summer, Miss Williams’s feet were cut by glass as she left a restaurant in Munich, wearing sandals.

Then in March she had trouble breathing and was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism.


She revealed: ‘I was on my death bed at one point – quite literally. It got to the stage where it felt like I could hardly breathe. Some days I didn’t get out of bed at all. I just laid on a couch thinking, why has this happened to me?

‘At first people said it would be fine, it would be all right but it turned out to be a lot more serious. If it had been left two days later it could have been career-ending – or even worse. They told me I had several blood clots in both lungs. A lot of people die from that.’


In action: Serena Williams plays a forehand during her two sets to one victory over French player Aravane Rezai



Knocked out: Aravane Rezai reaches for a shot during the defeat to Williams on Wimbledon's Centre Court


Floored Serena Williams makes winning lob



source: dailymail

By JESSICA SATHERLEY and LAUREN PAXMAN

Tiny playsuit: Venus Williams wore a thigh-skinning playsuit - with a curiously baggy top half for her first Wimbledon game today


Venus and her sister Serena have so much in common. They are both world class tennis players... and they both have terrible fashion sense.

The older Williams sister cruised through her Court Two match against Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova this morning, but it was her tiny playsuit - rather than her powerful serve - that everyone was talking about afterwards.

The white onesie was so short you could clearly see the golden hotpants she was wearing underneath every time she bent forwards during the match.


Short shorts: The back of the playsuit was featured an on-tend cutaway, but one that is much more suited to black tie evening wear than to a sporting event


It also had a curiously baggy, and very unflattering top-half, which made her chest look saggy as she ran around the court.

But far from being something a sponsor forced the player to wear, this was an outfit from Venus' own clothing line, EleVen.

The back of the playsuit featured an on-tend cutaway, albeit one that is much more suited to black tie evening wear than to a sporting event.


In action: Venus' outfit showed off her enviable figure - and the gold hot pants she was wearing underneath


Venus did not get everything wrong though - the cotton material had a pretty leafy design woven into it which could have made a lovely sun dress.

The short cut also showed off the tennis star's enviably long legs as she took huge strides towards the net. And the strange outfit clearly did not hold the 31-year-old back, she won her sets 6-3, 6-1.


Cut above: Another view of the outfit from the rear


Yesterday, Venus' little sister, Serena, made her return to Wimbledon following a serious foot injury and blood clots in her lungs that almost ruled her out of tennis for life.

She made sure to stand out in fit form during warm ups by wearing some skin-tight pink and white tie-dye leggings.

And by the looks of the fiery stare in her eye, the US player about to give it her all during her comeback.

Serena, who is a fan of flamboyant on-court ensembles, combined her Nike leggings with a white long-sleeved T-shirt and a Nike black cap.


On-court ensemble: Serena brightened up the court during her warm ups by wearing the tie-dye leggings


She is currently ranked World No. 25 in women’s singles, but has admitted that her and her sister Venus haven’t been able to train as much for the competition as they would have liked.

Serena said: ‘We spent a lot more time together because we were both off.

‘We both haven’t played pretty much at all. It’s been good because, sometimes I hate to say it, but, when you’re down, it’s always good to see someone down with you.’


Letting her hair down: Serena of the USA was talking to the media at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club yesterday ahead of the Wimbledon Championships


Last year Serena won her fourth Wimbledon championship but afterwards suffered a serious foot injury from stepping on broken glass at a restaurant – preventing her from playing for the remainder of 2010.

In March this year she then suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism but has still returned as the defending champion at Wimbledon this year.

While her sister Venus suffered from a hip muscle injury this year.

On top of Serena's medical complications, she may also have to face a showery start to Wimbledon.


Sisters in white: Serena and Venus both wore all-white tennis outfits while training over the weekend


Weather forecasters have predicted torrential rain for the first three days .
But tennis fans still braved the weather to camp outside the All England Lawn Tennis Club in south London last night.

Luckily for the players, officials are preparing to shut the £100million retractable roof on Centre Court, to prevent the rain interfering with the match.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, 25, of Spain will open this year’s 125th Wimbledon Championship on Centre Court.


Off-court glamour: Serena looked elegant in a green silk dress at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London last week





source :dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


You're dead: Harry jokingly aims his fingers at his future cousin-in-law Mike Tindall (far right) as the pair larked about before the Prince took to the polo pitch


He has no doubt become a dab hand at handling firearms thanks to his training in the armed forces.

So one might wonder exactly what Prince Harry was saying to Mike Tindall as he jokingly cocked his 'finger gun' and aimed it at his future cousin-in-law's head.

Was the Prince was giving the England rugby captain pointers on how to face down the enemy in a conflict situation? Or maybe the 'threatening' gesture was to do with the fact Harry's on-off girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, has not be invited to the wedding of 32-year-old Tindall to Zara Phillips.

Back orf Windsor: A friend intervenes after Harry's mock threat... and Tindall (in the black and pink t-shirt) is seen laughing


Perhaps he was cautioning the newest recruit to the Royal Family over his hedonistic antics on his booze-soaked stag-do in Florida last week.

After all, the series of outrageous photographs which surfaced of Tindall downing beer, dancing with women and - at one point - wearing a tutu, might not have impressed his future grandmother-in-law, The Queen.

But whatever the motive behind Harry's joke gesture, Tindall laughed it off in what was clearly an afternoon of horse play - on and off the polo field.

Tomfoolery: The England captain is seen tussling on the ground with the polo-playing Prince


Horse play: Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall were seen larking about at Harry's polo match, ahead of their pending nuptials


Making the most of his time before he is sent to fight in Afghanistan next year, Harry spent the afternoon joking with friends and, at one point, was seen wrestling with Tindall on the ground.

The young royals, including Tindall's bride-to-be Zara Phillips, had gathered at the Bernard Weathrill Charity Cup at Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire to watch Harry once again display his athletic prowess.

The prince took to the polo field in front of a crowd including Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding, former X Factor contestant Diana Vickers and pop star George Craig, from One Night Only.

Horsing around: Harry showed off his athletic prowess during the Bernard Weatherill Charity Cup polo match

A touch of glamour: Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding (left) and former X Factor contestant Diana Vickers were among the spectators. Vickers was also spotted smooching her current squeeze George Craig

Good cause: The match helped raise money for the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund and the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign


Prince Harry's team lost but he was praised by England polo player Mark Tomlinson for scoring 'an amazing under-the-net goal from a hugely acute angle'.

The match helped raise funds for the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund and the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign - which Harry and his brother Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, are both patrons of.

Money was also raised for the Royal Marsden Hospital, of which the Duke of Cambridge is president.

What would Granny say? Mike Tindall dances with a woman on his stag do. He then put on her tutu

The Prince of polo: Harry chats with his cousin Zara, her groom Mike Tindall and friends in between play


source:dailymail

In this photo provided by Miss Universe Organization, contestants perform during the 2011 Miss USA Presentation Show, Wednesday, June 15, 2011, in Las Vegas. The 2011 Miss USA Pageant is scheduled for June 19, 2011.


The Miss USA 2011 live streaming will be aired here. The live broadcast will air on June 19, 2011 at 9:00 PM (ET). Enjoy the fast and uninterrupted streaming straight from Las Vegas, Nevada


Miss USA 2011 Live Stream. The Miss USA 2011 beauty pageant will be held at the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas airing LIVE on NBC. On June 19, 2011, let's watch Miss USA 2011 as it showcase its candidates from 50 states and the District of Columbia. As expected, Miss USA 2011 will surely hit blockbuster on Miss USA 2011 Live Stream. Tickets were already sold out early. This will also be the fist time that one of the fifteen semifinalists will be selected exclusively by fans via online voting and SMS messaging. Watch Miss USA 2011 Live Stream on June 19.


Miss USA 2011 - Rehearsal


Miss USA 2011 - Contestant Floor

Past Miss USA titleholders gather at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV on Friday June 17, 2011. The beauty queens will appear in the 60th Miss USA Competition on Sunday, June 19, 2011. First row, from left, Miss USA 1983, Julie Hayek; Miss USA 1989, Gretchen Polhemus (Jensen); Miss USA 2004, Shandi Finnessey; Miss USA 2005, Chelsea Cooley Altman; Miss USA 2006, Tara Conner; Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton; Second row, from left Miss USA 1978, Judi Anderson (Harrison); Miss USA 1980, Jineane Ford (King); Miss USA 1982, Terri Amos-Britt; Miss USA 1969, Wendy Dascomb Bryan; Miss USA 1972, Tanya Wilson (Condello); Miss USA 1974, Karen Morrison (Comstock); Miss USA 1976, Barbara Peterson (Burwell); Miss Universe 1967. (AP Photo/Richard Harbaugh - Miss USA Organization.




Miriam Stevenson (Breckenridge), Miss USA and Miss Universe 1954, Miss USA 1965, Sue Downey (Olsen) and Miss USA 1964, Bobbi Johnson (Kauffman) visit after a gathering of Past Miss USA titleholders at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday June 17, 2011. The beauty queens will appear in the 60th Miss USA Competition on Sunday, June 19.



Miss USA 1957, Charlotte Sheffield and Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih pose at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday June 17, 2011. The beauty queens will appear in the 60th Miss USA Competition on Sunday, June 19.



Past Miss USA titleholders gather at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV on Friday June 17, 2011. The beauty queens will appear in the 60th Miss USA Competition on Sunday, June 19, 2011. Miss USA 2010, Rima Fakih, Second Row from Left, Miss USA 1990, Carole Gist (Stramler); Miss USA 1995, Shanna Moakler; Miss USA 1999, Kimberly Pressler; Miss USA 2001, Kandace Krueger; Miss USA 1983, Julie Hayek; Miss USA 1989, Gretchen Polhemus (Jensen); Miss USA 2004, Shandi Finnessey; Miss USA 2005, Chelsea Cooley Altman; Miss USA 2006, Tara Conner; Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton; Miss USA 1957, Charlotte Sheffield; Miss USA 1959, Terry Lynn Huntingdon (Tydings); and Miss Universe 1954, Miriam Stevenson (Breckenridge); Third Row from Left, Miss USA 1997, Brandi Sherwood; and Miss USA 1993, Kenya Moore; Fourth Row from Left, Miss USA 1977, Kimberly Tomes; Miss USA 1978, Judi Anderson (Harrison); Miss USA 1980, Jineane Ford (King); Miss USA 1982, Terri Amos-Britt; Miss USA 1969, Wendy Dascomb Bryan; Miss USA 1972, Tanya Wilson (Condello); Miss USA 1974, Karen Morrison (Comstock); Miss USA 1976, Barbara Peterson (Burwell); Miss Universe 1967, Sylvia Hitchcock (Carson); Miss USA 1965, Sue Downey (Olsen); Miss USA 1964, Bobbi Johnson (Kauffman); and Miss USA 1963, Marite Ozers.


source : daylife
photo: AP photo

Kamie Crawford, Miss Teen USA 2010; Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico (L) and Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010 celebrate the season by testing their skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City on November 22,2010.



Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 celebrates the season by testing her skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.



Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico (C) and Kamie Crawford, Miss Teen USA 2010 celebrate the season by testing their skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.



Kamie Crawford, Miss Teen USA 2010 (L) ,Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico (C) and Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010 celebrates the season by testing her skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.




Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico celebrates the season by testing her skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.



Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 celebrates the season by testing her skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.



Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010 from Mexico celebrates the season by testing her skating skills at Wollman Ice Rink in New York City November 22,2010.









source: Daylife
photo: Gettyimages