Sports Stars: June 2011

Monday, June 6, 2011

daniela hantuchova wallpapers 2011 Pictures best

Daniela Hantuchová (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈdanɪjɛla ˈɦantuxɔvaː]; born April 23, 1983) is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top ten.

She is currently coached by Larri Passos.Her Tour mentor in the "Partners for Success" program was Martina Navrátilová, who was her doubles partner for a brief period in early 2005. As of May 23, 2011, Hantuchová is ranked World No. 29 singles and No. 30 in doubles.

In 2005, she became the fifth female tennis player to have won the mixed doubles title in all four Grand Slam tournaments during her career.
* 1 Personal life
* 2 Career
o 2.1 2002
o 2.2 2003
o 2.3 2004
o 2.4 2005–2006
o 2.5 2007
o 2.6 2008
o 2.7 2009–2010
o 2.8 2011
* 3 Career statistics
* 4 Endorsements
o 4.1 Product endorsement and equipment
o 4.2 Video games
* 5 Achievements
o 5.1 Team achievements
o 5.2 Special achievements
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

Hantuchová was born in Poprad, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) to father Igor, a computer scientist, and mother Marianna, a toxicologist

When her parents split up in 2003, Hantuchová's performances temporarily worsened At Wimbledon that year, she failed to convert several match points and was seen weeping on court She also suffered from a weight problem during this period She was suspected of being anorexic but denied this.

Hantuchová speaks three languages (Slovak, English and Germanand was trained as a classical pianist. She is thought to be a perfectionist and puts a lot of pressure on herself during her training She qualified for university in Slovakia but deferred it to pursue tennis

She appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition alongside Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin in a pictoral entitled Volley of the Dolls.

Hantuchová started the year as the world number 38, being known as a new up-and-coming player, in the Gold Coast where she lost to World No. 7 Justine Henin in the second round in a three setter 1–6, 6–0, 6–3. After reaching the last 16, after qualifying, in Sydney, Hantuchová went on to play at the Australian Open losing in the third round to the second seed Venus Williams 3–6, 6–0, 6–4.

After climbing the rankings to world number 26, having competed in Paris and Antwerp (reaching the round of 16 in both), she went into the prestigious Indian Wells event, defeating Justine Henin in the fourth round 6–3 6–3 and Martina Hingis in the final 6–3 6–4. She was the lowest ranked player of 26th (seeded 18th) to ever win the Tier I event In Miami and Amelia Island Hantuchová went on to lose surprisingly in the second rounds. She then played in Charleston only to be beaten by again in the second round by 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open Champion, Mary Pierce 6–3, 6–4, Pierce being ranked 232. Playing in Fed Cup she won one of her two singles rubbers against Switzerland. Also in the clay season Hantuchová reached the quarterfinals in Hamburg and Berlin losing to Martina Hingis respectively in straight sets and Anna Smashnova 1–6, 6–2, 6–3. Having entered the French Open as the 11th seed and World No. 13 and losing her previous match in Rome in the first round, she beat Cara Black (after losing to her in Miami earlier in the year) only to lose to former champion Monica Seles in straight sets in the fourth round.

Hantuchová progressed to the semi-finals of Eastbourne losing to Myskina again in aid as a warm-up tournament into Wimbledon, where she beat 7th ranked Jelena Dokić in the round of 16 only to be beaten by the eventual champion, Serena Williams as the 11th seed.
Daniela Hantuchová

Her US Open Series season was modest as she lost in the second rounds of San Diego and Los Angeles, after having first round byes in both tournaments, but as improvement in match fitness going into the US Open she reached the semi-finals of the Tier I event in Montreal, losing to Amélie Mauresmo, and New Haven, losing to World No. 2 Venus Williams. At the final Grand Slam of the year Hantuchová defeated 1997 French Open champion Iva Majoli in round three, World No. 6 Justine Henin, 6–1, 3–6, 7–6(4) in round four only to be beaten in her second consecutive Slam quarterfinal by Serena Williams (whom again went on to win the title).

Later on that year, Hantuchová also reached the quarterfinal in Leipzig and the final in Filderstadt, losing to Kim Clijsters 4–6 6–3 6–4, the only set Hantuchová has taken from Clijsters in their nine meetings. She then went on to reach the quarterfinals of Zurich, losing to eventual champion Patty Schnyder in three tight sets, the semi-finals in Linz and winning both of her singles rubbers in the Fed Cup final, winning Slovakia their only title to date against Spain. This impressive season amassed her enough points to compete at the prestigious annual Tour Championships losing in the first round to 17th ranked Magdelena Maleeva 6–2, 7–5. Hantuchová's record for the year 56–25 and was 6–10 against top 10 players; 6–2 in singles Fed Cup play (helping lead Slovakia to their first Fed Cup victory against Spain in the final); 10–6 on indoor carpet, 6–2 on grass, 11–7 on clay, and 29–10 on hardcourts.

Daniela Hantuchova

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Nastia Liukin Russian-American 2011 artistic gymnast

Anastasia Valeryevna "Nastia" Lyukina (Russian: Анастасия "Настя" Валерьевна Люкина; born October 30, 1989) is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars. With nine World Championships medals, seven of them individual, Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller and Alicia Sacramone as the American gymnasts having won the most World Championship medals. Liukin has also tied Miller's record as the American gymnast having won the most medals in a single non-boycotted Olympic Games

The daughter of two former Soviet champion gymnasts, Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin – the first man to do a triple backflip – and World Champion rhythmic gymnast Anna Kotchneva, Nastia Liukin was born in Moscow and moved to the United States as a young child. She began gymnastics after spending time in the gym while her parents coached. Liukin is coached by her father at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, her family's gymnastics club in Plano, Texas.

Liukin became a member of the U.S. junior national team when she was 12 years old and won the National all-around title at the age of 13. She was the all-around silver medalist at the 2003 Pan American Games. Since 2005, Liukin has been a key member of the U.S. senior team. She is a four-time all-around U.S. National Champion, winning twice as a junior and twice as a senior. She has been the U.S. senior National Champion on the uneven bars since 2005. Liukin has represented the United States at three World Championships, the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games, and the 2006 and 2008 Pacific Rim Championships.

* 1 Personal life
* 2 Junior career
* 3 Senior career
o 3.1 2005–2006
o 3.2 2007
o 3.3 2008
+ 3.3.1 2008 Olympics
o 3.4 2009
* 4 Routines
* 5 Floor music
* 6 Media appearances
o 6.1 Film and television
o 6.2 Professional Alliances
* 7 Competitive history
* 8 References
* 9 External links

Liukin was born on October 30, 1989, in Moscow, Russia SFSR, USSR. She is the only child of two former Soviet champion gymnasts: 1988 Summer Olympics gold medalist Valeri Liukin and 1987 World Clubs Champion in rhythmic gymnastics Anna Kotchneva Liukin and her family are members of the Russian Orthodox church. Her nickname Nastia is a Russian diminutive for Anastasia. The family moved to the United States when Nastia Liukin was two and a half years old, after the breakup of the Soviet Union and settled first in New Orleans before moving to Texas. In 1994, Valeri Liukin teamed with another former Soviet champion athlete, Evgeny Marchenko, to open the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano.
Liukin is fluent in English and Russian. She graduated from Spring Creek Academy, located in Plano, Texas, in the spring of 2007 She had enrolled as a freshman international business major at Southern Methodist University in January 2008, but took a leave from classes to concentrate on preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. She returned to campus in Spring 2009, but her travel schedule and professional commitments caused her to withdraw before the end of the semester. Nastia's signature color is pink, hence her pink leotard worn during the 2008 Beijing Olympics All-Around competition.

Liukin currently updates a blog on her official website and regularly posts on Twitter as @NastiaLiukin. She has a line of GK Gymnastics Leotards and grips and a line of pink gymnastics equipment from AAI.

It is rumored that Nastia Liukin is in a relationship with American figure skater Evan Lysacek. People Magazine claimed to confirm their relationship in a February 2010 article but Lysacek denied the rumors in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, stating that the two are just "very close friends

Liukin began gymnastics at the age of three because she was "always hanging around in the gym with her parents, who could not afford a babysitter to look after her while they were working as coaches. Liukin's parents initially did not aspire for their daughter to become a gymnast, knowing the pressure of high-level competition firsthand, but relented when they noticed her aptitude for the sport

Liukin competed in her first National Championships as a junior in 2002, at the age of 12½. In contrast to her teammates Carly Patterson and Hollie Vise who finished first and second respectively, Liukin suffered a fall on the uneven bars which rendered her unable to finish the routine. She continued through the rest of the competition, and despite the incomplete bars set, finished 15th, which landed her one of the final spots on the U.S. National Team.She was chosen to compete with the U.S. team at the 2002 Junior Pan American Championships, where she contributed to the team gold medal and placed second on the uneven bars, balance beam and all-around

By 2003, Liukin was one of the strongest junior gymnasts in the United States. She won the junior division of the U.S. National Championships, as well as gold medals on three of the four events: uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. She repeated these accomplishments in 2004. Liukin was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. team at the 2003 Pan Am Games; she took second place in the all-around behind fellow American Chellsie Memmel. She also won the all-around in the junior division of the 2004 Pacific Alliance Championships

Born in 1989, Liukin was ten months too young to compete as a senior in 2004, and thus was not eligible for a place on the U.S. team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Her scores in the junior division at the 2004 U.S. National Championships were competitive with those being posted by the seniors, and Marta Karolyi, U.S. National Team Coordinator, has said that if Liukin had been eligible, she would have been named to the Olympic team

Nastia Liukin

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Daniel Guiza Football Player

Daniel Gonzalez Güiza (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈnjel ˈɣwiθa]; born 17 August 1980) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Fenerbahçe S.K. in Turkey, as a striker.

A late bloomer, he made a name for himself at the age of 27, being crowned La Liga topscorer with RCD Mallorca. Subsequently, he helped the Spanish national team win the UEFA Euro 2008, and signed with Fenerbahçe in Turkey shortly afterwards.

* 1 Club career
o 1.1 Early career
o 1.2 Getafe
o 1.3 Mallorca
o 1.4 Fenerbahçe
* 2 International career
o 2.1 International goals
* 3 Statistics
o 3.1 Club
o 3.2 International
* 4 Honours
o 4.1 Club
o 4.2 Country
o 4.3 Individual
* 5 Personal life
* 6 References
* 7 External links

Having started playing on the streets of his hometown of Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz, Güiza used to hide behind trees in an attempt to avoid the running, despite being then coached by boyhood idol Kiko, who begun his professional career with local Cádiz CF.He eventually made it into his local team, Xerez CD and, after one season there, first showed his eye for goal at third-tier side Dos Hermanas CF, loaned immediately after RCD Mallorca bought him. Such performances saw him make his debut in La Liga at the age of 19, but he would fail to perform, being demoted to the B team where he scored 28 goals in 70 games.

Güiza was then loaned out to Recreativo de Huelva, but could not find a secure place in the team, and was soon after loaned to FC Barcelona B, where he scored five third division goals.Subsequently, he moved to Ciudad de Murcia in division two, where his career saw a turning point, with two consecutive top-five finishes in the topscorers' list (runner-up in the 2004–05 campaign

Bernd Schuster found this impressive enough to sign him for Getafe CF. Güiza became an instant first-choice, and became recognised as a top flight striker, scoring 20 goals in just over 60 games and six in as many Copa del Rey appearances, while the team from Madrid's outskirts achieved back-to-back ninth-league places.

The club's president, Ángel Torres, described him as "the best finisher in the first division after Ronaldo

After four years, Güiza returned to Mallorca in a €5 million move, brokered by his wife and agent Nuria Bermúdez, experiencing a breakthrough season. On 20 April 2008, he scored a hat-trick against Real Murcia and finished the season as the league's top scorer, scoring 27 goals in 37 matches, a feat achieved without a single penalty kick.

Club coach Gregorio Manzano said: "In 24 years of coaching I've never had the winner of the Pichichi in my team. Dani is the top goalscorer in our league, and deserves extra credit for doing it without taking penalties, and he is also worthy of selection to Euro 2008

On 8 July 2008, Güiza signed for Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K. for €14 million In his first month, he managed to score twice in the Süper Lig and another two in the club's UEFA Champions League campaign.

Güiza ended a long scoring drought on 22 March 2009, with an early goal against Bursaspor, as Fenerbahçe lost 2–1 in the dying minutes of the game. Prior to the beginning of the 2009–10 season, he scored three against Budapest Honvéd FC in the UEFA Europa League third round, in a 5–1 home win (6–2 on aggregate), netting his first in the domestic competition in matchday one against Denizlispor, in the first minute of the game

During his first two seasons with the Istanbul club, Güiza helped the team to consecutive Turkish Cup finals, netting in the 2008–09 edition, a 2–4 loss against Beşiktaş JK.

Torres, Güiza and Fàbregas celebrating after their success at Euro 2008.

Güiza was a late bloomer on the international stage, having been first called-up by Spain on 8 November 2007 (aged 27), for UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Sweden and Northern Ireland, as the national team was already qualified for the finals in Austria and Switzerland. He made his international debut against the latter on 21 November, in a 1–0 home win, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Güiza was subsequently selected to the final squad of 23 but, despite being the league's top scorer in that year, still doubted his chances of being picked: "I was really scared I'd miss out, because being the league's top scorer doesn't guarantee you a place On 18 June 2008, he made his debut in the tournament, and scored Spain's winning goal against Greece during the dying moments of the last match group stage match

In the quarterfinals, Güiza came on as a substitute against Italy, missing the team's fourth attempt in an eventual penalty shootout win In the semifinal match against Russia, he scored his second international goal, in a 3–0 win: after receiving a pass from Cesc Fàbregas, he quickly side-flicked it over the goalkeeper

Güiza played 15 minutes in the final against Germany after replacing Fernando Torres (who scored the game's only goal), and came very close to assisting Marcos Senna