absolutely alex’s adventures & times

Spain continues to be denied the chance of having its players take home the Sony Ericsson Open championship trophy, despite having had three finalists making a play for it — Sergi Bruguera in 1997, Carlos Moya in 2003, and Rafael Nadal this year.

Nadal again came up short in his second final appearance in Miami today. In 2005, he lost in a five-setter to Roger Federer. Today, he was blown out of the water by Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko in just two sets.

It is one-for-one in Russia’s case, as Davydenko is the first Russian man to make the final and went all the way, destroying Nadal 6-4, 6-2 in one and a half hours. Perhaps Nadal’s consolation would be that he would be leaving the US and heading back to Europe, where the start of the clay court season awaits.

US Presswire photo

Continuing this Miami storyline of the law of averages coming up to haunt the players who had held the upper hand in previous match-ups, Davydenko again broke through to beat Nadal, whom he had never defeated in two previous meetings.

Davydenko’s winning streak against previous opponents he had not managed to beat started with his snapping of a five-game loss record to Andy Roddick, when he defeated the American easily [7-6 (5), 6-2] en route to today’s final.

It is the Russian’s second Masters Series title, with the first won in 2006 in Paris.

And the amazing thing is, he was only playing with one racket throughout the tournament, having just switched to a new one with a special 18 main string configuration.

“I have only one racket,” Davydenko said. “Surprising I didn’t break a string. Warm up and play match, warm up and play match, every match, and I finish with the racket.

“I’m going to keep forever this racket.”

Perhaps the usually low-profile Davydenko is too modest. It was his impressive serves and even more amazing returns that sealed the title for him. He was able to answer anything Nadal threw at him but Nadal was also playing too defensively to overcome Davydenko’s clever shot placements or challenges at the net.

This unexpected win by Davydenko will hopefully go some ways towards getting him out of the funk he had been playing under since the allegations of his involvement in a match-fixing scandal broke last year, along with the ATP’s investigations.

Perhaps the quiet Russian will finally come into his own now, after having been a proverbial bridesmaid in the men’s tennis game.

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Forget about a respite, let alone a new start, in Russian-Western relations with Russia’s new president, Dmitry Medvedev.

Right after winning the presidential elections over the weekend, Medvedev showed how much he is his predecessor Vladimir Putin’s prodigy. Not for Medvedev just the use of words to prove that he is a Putin-groomed man. Medvedev backed up his words to stay the course undertaken by Putin with action, by cutting the gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine.

The latest gas cuts from Russia’s Gazprom to Ukraine, some 50% of total supply, was due to Russian accusations of Ukraine not paying bills for previous deliveries, to the tune of $1.5 billion. The Ukrainians deny that, claiming they had already settled that bill. The latest cuts mean Ukraine no longer gets gas directly from Russia, the BBC reports. But the problem is that Ukraine’s other sources of gas supplies from other states have to pass through Russian-controlled pipelines.

Medvedev, incidentally, is still the chairman of Gazprom.

So countries who had been hoping that the change of guard in the Kremlin would yield a more liberal leader are going to be sorely disappointed by Medvedev, or rather, the status quo.

The European Union is going to be very nervous about this development because its own gas supplies are pumped through Ukraine to reach the west. Two years ago, a similar Russia-Ukraine tiff, then over prices, affected gas supplies to the West. While the Russians have been quick this time to assure the West that the dispute will not affect them, the EU remains uncomfortable.

Not a good start in relations between Russia and the EU for Medvedev. This, especially after he said he would be the external relations face of Russia.

Besides sending a chill to the West, the leadership change also sent a firm signal that things would remain the same at home. The Kremlin set riot police on opposition protesters in Moscow, resulting in about 50 people being detained over the weekend, says the Financial Times.

But like it or not, the West really has no choice. Despite the cooling of relations with Russia, they still have to engage it and its new president. Russia has emerged as too important a power player in the world stage, from issues like North Korea, to Iran and the Middle East, to be ignored. It is just unfortunate that the atmosphere in which to conduct business has to be so chilly and unpleasant. But it is just as well that expectations remain low, so that the West could tread carefully and be well-prepared for future hiccups.

We have known for a while about the Russian penchant for standard operating procedures such as a disregard for the rule of law, show trials and intimidation.

The Kremlin, or more accurately, the country’s strongman and president, Vladimir Putin, has already hand-picked his successor, while ensuring that he would stay in the power game by moving on to the prime minister’s office.

The PR machinery has been hard at work in the last few months promoting and cementing the “legitimacy” of Dmitry Medvedev as the next Russian president. There are posters of him with Putin in Moscow, and traditional Matrioshka dolls with his face sold in the streets.

But that’s not enough for the Russian authorities.

A story has surfaced in the British newspaper, the Guardian, that the Kremlin has in place a plan to rig votes to artificially boost turnout numbers and give Medvedev a bigger mandate.

Governors, regional officials, and head teachers have all been co-opted into the process to contribute to the illusion of Medvedev winning by a commanding landslide, according to the Guardian. The acceptable “winning figures” for Medvedev is at least 72 per cent of the votes. To reach that number, the usual tricks like ballot box stuffing and threatening government employees to vote or risk losing their jobs are just some of the methods that would be employed.

What is sad is that Medvedev would probably have won anyway, without the vote-rigging and scare-tactics, given the high approval rating Putin enjoys with the populace and hence the willingness to accept Medvedev for being his prodigy.

But the Kremlin, aware that the turnout is likely to be low and it has not totally suppressed all dissent in the country, has to prove that its leaders have been “legitimately” chose by popular choice and by a large margin at that. So it is ensuring that Medvedev will crush three other presidential aspirants, who do not have a realistic shot anyway.

What an unfortunate start it is to Medvedev’s debut as the new president. While he has been seen as more liberal or amenable to changing the way things are done in Russia, it is seriously doubtful if Putin’s hand would stop being the one pulling the strings and give Medvedev much of a chance for independence or reform.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

We tried offering a base in Azerbaijan to you so that we could work together on the whole missile defense shield system, but you declined, so don’t be surprised that we’re producing intercontinental ballistic missiles for new-generation nuclear submarines or beefing up our air defense.

That’s in essence Russia’s message of defiance and retaliation to the Western world, particularly Bush’s plan to install a US missile defense system in what Russia still see as rightful sphere of influence, the Czech Republic and Poland, despite these countries already being in the European Union and NATO.

Russia had never believed US explanations that the anti-missile system is for warding off potential danger from states like Iran or North Korea. It thinks the US system is not only redundant, but a real threat to Russia itself. Last month, Russia stopped participating in the conventional arms treaty that puts limits on Russia and NATO deployments in Europe.

Now that its Bulava-M missiles were successfully tested recently, Russia will be ordering more of it.

Russia isn’t stopping there. It’s also stepping up its air defense, with a new system that has missile-intercepting weapons, Reuters reports.

The surface-to-air missile unit can destroy ballistic targets, ballistic missiles and aerodynamic targets, according to the Russians. Ostensibly, it is meant to defend Russia’s 2014, which would be held in Russia’s Black Sea region of Sochi. But in reality, the air defense system is a not-so-veiled counter to the US’ planned system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

In a sign that’s reminiscent of the arms race era, Russia added that it has started work on a more sophisticated anti-missile defense system that will be mobile.

An increasingly-assertive and oil and natural minerals boom-induced cash-rich Russia will be harder to deal with. Add to that the ultranationalism that Putin has actively been spreading among the youth, and it looks like the West will have another Cold War-style issue to contend with.

Today, Venus Williams showed the champion that she is, crushing Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 in a first-rate match at the fourth round of Wimbledon that had the look and feel of a championship game.

Of the two, Venus had more tricks up her sleeves; moving well, serving phenomenally and being aggressive right from the start, not letting up on the pressure on the Russian. No matter how hard Sharapova shrieked and tried to psyche herself, she was helpless against the relentless Venus, who had a stranglehold on her serve and didn’t drop it once during the match.

Venus also showed Sharapova why she was a three-time winner at Wimbledon, with her sure and rapid groundstrokes and agility. Sharapova by contrast, seemed stuck to the baseline. The few times she tried to move forward, she was punished, no doubt increasing her unease at playing at the net. It looked like her determination and will to succeed were the only things that pushed her on, where she mentally refused to be cowed by Venus’ pressure, even if her game was.

There were occasions when Sharapova looked like she could assert herself, particularly in the third game of the second set, but that was when her serve was under threat. She never came close to threatening Venus’ serve at any point in the match. In contrast, Venus was close to, or breaking, Sharapova’s every serve.

Venus goes on to face 2004 US Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals. More significantly, Venus’ last trip to the quarters at a major was at the 2005 US Open.

Her little sister, Serena, is playing Belgium’s Justine Henin in the quarterfinals today. That’s bound to be a tougher match, as Henin is a much wilier player than Sharapova, and has more variety in her game. Henin is also playing her best tennis ever, mixing up her game with effective serve and volley, while displaying a new mental fortitude and contentment as she reconciles with her long-estranged family.

Serena recently survived her fourth-set match after a dramatic cramp, and could be finding it a little tough to move the way she wants to. She is also determined to play on, despite doctors’ advise against it. But there’s no underestimating will and determination.

It’s going to be a treat for tennis fans today.

Should we start worrying about the latest salvo fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin?

In a move reminiscent of the old Cold War days, he had just threatened to target Russian missiles at Europe in a tit for tat move for US plans to have a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The US had said the missile defense system it plans to install in eastern Europe is meant to counter threats from states like Iran and North Korea.

But Russia is not biting.

Refuting that Iran or Korea is the intended target, Putin instead suggested that the real aim is Russia.

So is this just the latest flap or is Russia serious about challenging what it sees are threats to its very existence and turning hostile?

It could be argued that Russia is still uncomfortable with the growth of NATO right up to what it feels are its doorstep and backyard, the eastern European states.

Another theory is that Putin, mindful of his departure from office next year and the elections, is keen to buttress his nationalistic credentials, playing to the domestic audience and trumpeting Russia’s new sense of toughness, to ensure a smooth transition for his hand-picked successor. Russians are known to prefer a strong and dictatorial leader to one who’s democratic yet weak, so it’s no wonder that Putin is enjoying high ratings. Its repressed media also probably has much to do with his showing with the Russian people, but that’s another story.

The Russian leader might also have been reacting in anger at what it deems as Washington’s unilateral actions. The Bush administration did withdraw in 2002 from the anti-ballistic missile treaty that had previously been in force for 30 years. Washington had also proceeded with its plans of the missile shield a little too quickly, without ensuring that Russia is suitably mollified, and is now reaping the consequences of Russia’s wrath.

The BBC calls current US-Russia relations “… an era of self-interest, with both sides following and promoting their own agendas, which may or may not coincide or clash”.

But President Bush is trying to build bridges with Putin before things get out of hand.

The International Herald Tribune says Bush has invited Putin to the Bush family estate at Kennebunkport in Maine, an honor Bush has never accorded to any other world leaders. Not much good though, is expected to come out of that, with analysts even speculating that the Kremlin is deriding the Bush reaction after the series of belligerent Russian statements, the IHT reports.

On the other hand, there is truth to the argument that the missile defense system destabilizes the strategic balance of Europe and Russia is justifiably nervous at the westward sweep of NATO alliance forces. It is perhaps perceived not only as a snub, but also raised its heckles. Coming at a time when Russia is feeling flush from rising oil prices and its growing strategic importance with its involvement in issues such as the Iranian nuclear issue, Putin is more emboldened to assert itself and even turn hostile by hitting back at what it views are threats to its place.

Putin’s latest reactions are distressing, considering the succession of incidents recently: from Putin likening the US to Nazi Germany, Russia’s bellicose attitude towards Estonia, to its blatant disregard for human rights such as the attack on and detention of gay rights protesters in Moscow.

It seems unlikely that the US-Russia relation will turn back to the time when Bush declared that he saw into Putin’s soul and decided he could do business with the man. Perhaps the tension will remain at the level of a war of words until both men leave office and might not erupt into a return to the Cold War, although it is threatening to step dangerously into that territory.

“I will defend my convictions while respecting others,” pledges French President Nicholas Sarkozy, declaring his guiding philosophy, as he plunges into his job with relish, giving an opinion on anything or everyhing.

This is a man who has the energy of a man half his age, seems like he is staying up all night thinking through all the biggest issues of the day and is keen to unleash himself and his ideas onto his first big international appearance, at the G8 summit in Germany this Wednesday, while simultaneously projecting the image that France is once again a major player in the world stage.

On the European Union and its role, Sarko has been urging that European leaders accept a new, simplified European treaty that will be ratified by member states through parliamentary votes rather than popular vote, which had sealed the fate of an earlier incarnation through rejection by French and Dutch voters. His philosophy towards the EU has also solidified around the idea of it wielding more power as an economic entity and less in political realms. But at the same time, he told the Financial Times he opposed EU’s trade policy, labeling it “excessively liberal”. It figures. Despite his reformist credentials, Sarko is at the core a protectionist when it comes to French industries, insisting on staying the course on French agriculture and justifying it by explaining that “the security of Europe’s food supplies was vital”.

On the incoming UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Sarko had this piece of advice. “Gordon Brown has advanced and modernized the British economy over 10 years. I hope that in moving from Number 11 to Number 10 Downing Street he understands that Europe is not outmoded.” But Sarko smoothly added, “Europe has need of the UK and the UK has need of Europe.” He further established the groundwork for a smoother transition in his dealings from Tony Blair to Brown, by telling the Financial Times that “I don’t think that everybody shares my opinion. I don’t have this arrogant vision. He is more liberal than I am.”

Sarko, who has long professed his admiration for the US, is also playing nice when asked about US President George W Bush, Iraq and Bush’s recently-announced environmental initiatives. Regarding Iraq, he pulled out the diplomatic card, professing to not being qualified to comment when he doesn’t have troops in Iraq and affirming French support in Afghanistan through continued troop presence. When it came to commenting on Bush’s environmental plan, Sarko called it an “encouraging evolutionary”. This guy looks set to have a great conversation on the sidelines of the G8 summit with Bush. Expect an invitation to Camp David in the mail for him soon.

But really, Sarko seems set to build consensus and make friends everywhere. It’s a smart move that will warm him to the leaders and create an easier basis for doing business. He was equally flattering about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, complimenting her on her leadership in the EU’s rotating presidency and expressing confidence of her ability to push for issues such as reform and the environment through.

The only person that might not get the full assault of Sarko’s charm is Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the latest hissy fit Russia is throwing about the US’ missile plan, Sarko said he plans to have a “frank and direct” discussion with Putin. Though professing to desire a strategic partnership and amicable relations with Russia, Sarko had came out strongly to condemn Moscow’s strengthening authoritarianism and human rights abuses in Chechnya while campaigning for the presidency. Russia is unlikely to forget that quickly.

So it looks like this upcoming G8 summit might be a little more than just boring business as usual with Sarko’s kinetic and involved presence. The attending heads of states will no doubt have to hear plenty of his opinions and contend with a French President with an assertive approach. While it remains to be seen if Sarko will wear them out, the media, especially the European ones, is still nursing its love affair with Sarko. You could bet on seeing, and hearing, a lot of the guy over the next few days.

More evidence of Russia’s troubling human rights records — over the weekend, peaceful gay rights activists were punched and kicked as they attempted to stage a gay rights march in Moscow.

The police looked the other way as thuggery again reared its ugly head in Russia. Ultra-nationalists and skin-head types showed up, turning violent on the gay rights activists, some from other European capitals, even as television cameras from around the world captured every blow on tape.

To add insult to injury, the activists were arrested or detained while their assailants got away scot-free. Among the activists detained were European Members of Parliament.

All this, even as Russia has decriminalized homosexuality for 14 years.

The law may have changed but it is obviously just lip service.

It didn’t help matters that Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov condemned homosexuality as “satanic” as he swore never to allow gay pride parades in Moscow. The country’s Russian Orthodox Church, too, is on his side, giving the Mayor its blessings by supporting the ban. No wonder the ultra-nationalists were emboldened.

It’s shameful that the G8 nations give Russia a seat at the table when it repeatedly refuses to play by the rules of civilized nations which have embraced tolerance and diversity as part of their raison d’etre.

Besides just warring with the US over the climate treaty, the G8 has to make it its priority to condemn unequivocally Russia’s recent action against the gay rights activists and make clear its reprehensible behavior have no place in the grouping in its upcoming summit. The European Union, under Germany’s leadership, had spoken out against Russia’s clampdown on its political activists in a recent summit. It’s only logical that the EU followed up on that and crank up the pressure by speaking up for the gay rights activists and gay rights itself.

Mayors from various European capitals have already condemned the episode, calling it sad and deplorable.

While gay rights activists in Russia had predicted the fracas and many stayed away, they should have turned out in full force, if nothing else, to show that brutality and violence cannot cow them into silence and hiding. It’s unfortunate that foreigners were the ones spearheading the movement and taking blows for it, but Russian activists will have to show more fortitude in bringing across the message to the authorities that they too have rights and can no longer be intimidated.

One of the activists who was attacked, British singer Richard Fairbrass of the band Right Said Fred, expressed it best when he told the BBC: “When it was over I actually felt more sorry for the guy that whacked me than I did for me… How threatened can he be, how insecure is he to be threatened by a bisexual pop singer who’s most famous for singing ‘I’m too sexy’?”

If we’re not back in the days of the Cold War yet, we’re most probably heading there fast.

Russia under Vladimir Putin is on a war path with the West and its latest fight is with the UK, in Russia’s refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB officer charged by the UK of killing Alexander Litvinenko with the radioactive isotope polonium-210 last November.

Naturally, it would be hard for Russia to hand Lugovoi over, those who have pointed the finger at the Kremlin said, for fear of the British unraveling the mystery and identifying the perpetrators.

They said that Lugovoi would not have obtained the polonium without assistance from well-placed sources in the Russian administration. “Clearly it was a state-sponsored job. But who within the Russian state? . . . It must be someone very, very high up,” Alex Goldfarb, a spokesman for Litvinenko’s family told the Washington Post. “It is unrealistic to think Putin will surrender the perpetrator because he will tell the whole plot to the British.”

But the world at large, and the West in particular, ought to be getting alarmed at Russia’s increasingly aggressive, even thuggish behavior in its foreign policy, propelled by its need to defend and assert itself amid misplaced notions of nationalism and resurgence.

Silencing an exiled citizen who had mouthed-off against Russia is a mere footnote compared to recent Russian behavior against other nations, which has become more antagonistic.

Earlier this month, Russia unleashed its wrath against Estonia for removing a statue of a Soviet soldier from central Tallinn, in what is believed to be an orchestrated series of cyber attacks against Estonia’s government websites, banks, newspapers and companies. Russians have also staged violent protests against the Estonian embassy in Russia, even to the point of trying to attack the Estonian ambassador to Russia.

Putin himself had recently made progressively provocative pronouncements. Just this month, he criticized the US as being akin to Nazi Germany. Not too long ago, he had openly complained of its feeling of being encircled as the US looks towards placing missile sites near Russia’s border, in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Russia’s relations aren’t much better with the European Union. Last week’s summit between Russia and the EU ended on a sour note, with the EU boldly criticizing Russia’s restrictions on protesters for the summit while raising Russia’s human rights record.

Russia’s actions have even provoked a warning by the EU that Russia has to deal with the EU as a whole, a warning for Russia not to continue regarding former Soviet-sphere countries as its satellites and subjecting them to trade sanctions.

Putin is scheduled to meet the leaders of the G8 in a gathering next month. The leaders of those nations should use the occasion to continue standing up to Russia by working together to reject its bullying tactics.