The incredible Williams sisters

I maintain this is still one of the great underrated stories in sports.

Speaking is Jon Wertheim, the respected Sports Illustrated tennis writer. And he’s referring to the Williams sisters, both of whom are through to the Australian Open 2017 semifinals.

Seeing Venus and Serena's names in the draw at this stage of a major tournament is neither new, nor unusual. But when you consider their age, longevity and sustained success, the jaw progressively drops.

On Tuesday, Venus overcame talented ball-striker Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her 37th career Grand Slam quarterfinal to reach her second major semifinal in six months, having done the same at Wimbledon last year. The American – who first reached this stage of a Grand Slam event almost 20 years ago at the 1997 US Open – turns 37 later this year but shows no signs of slowing down.

In fact, she’s actually improving. Compared to a few years ago, when she languished outside the top 20 while adjusting to a playing career compromised by the effects of Sjögren's syndrome, Venus appears to be covering the court more nimbly and hitting with more authority and penetration from the back of the court.

She’s also less susceptible to fluctuations in form, energy levels and health. After a four-year span from 2011 to 2014 where she failed to get past the fourth round at a major, Venus has now reached at least the quarters at four of her past nine.

“I feel like I'm playing the kind of tennis I want to produce the results that I want,” she said following her 6-4 7-6(3) win over Pavlyuchenkova. “I have a lot to give to the game. I feel like I have a lot of great tennis in me. So any time you feel that way, you continue. Why not? I have nothing to lose, literally.”

Having “nothing to lose” is a mantra Serena lives by, too. She’s expressed these sentiments after almost every victory this fortnight in Melbourne. A day after Venus sealed her semifinal spot, Serena joined her at the same stage with a commanding 6-2 6-3 win over the red-hot Johanna Konta, snapping the Brit’s nine-match winning streak.

“I have absolutely nothing to lose in this tournament. Everything here is a bonus for me,” Serena said. “Obviously I'm here to win. Hopefully I can play better, I can only go better.”

Serena’s right. Anything she achieves at this stage of her glittering career is simply gravy, or icing on the cake, or any other food-related analogy you can conjure. The younger of the Williams sisters by 15 months has won literally everything you can win in the sport – all four Grand Slam titles in singles (and doubles) as well as a hefty swag of Olympic gold medals, a Fed Cup title and multiple trophies at the sport’s next-biggest events including the WTA Finals, Miami, Indian Wells and Rome.

Unlike Venus’ run to the last four – three of the 36-year-old’s five opponents so far were ranked outside the top 100 – Serena was forced to be sharp from the early rounds when she faced former top-10 players Belinda Bencic and Lucie Safarova in her first two matches.

And despite her tough road to the semis, Serena hasn’t dropped a set in five matches. She’s through to her 34th Slam semifinal, and has reached this stage at her last 10 major tournaments. These numbers, like Venus’, are simply staggering.

“I feel like we've been just going. I've been doing this for many years. The past few years I've been super consistent,” Serena said. “I'm just really happy for Venus, obviously. She's doing amazing … At the end of the day, it really helps me to realise that you have to always go for your dreams. So I feel like it's just great.”

The sisters stand just a win away each from meeting in their ninth Grand Slam final, but first since 2009 at Wimbledon. It would come more than 15 years after they first met in a major decider, back at the US Open in 2001.

Wertheim is right to describe this incredible story as “underrated”. You could take it a step further and safely say there will never be an equivalent. There have been plenty of siblings in professional tennis – think the McEnroes, Maleevas, Safin/Safina, Radwanskas, Zverevs and Pliskovas – but none have come close to the records, excellence, endurance and even transcendence Venus and Serena have attained.

Pavlyuchenkova, for one, can barely recall it any other way.

“I remember I was a little girl holding the racquet (that) was bigger than me, and they were ready to play in finals of a Grand Slam … It was intimidating watching them, to be honest, as a little girl,” she said.

“Everyone knows that both Serena and Venus, they're like legends in tennis. Not much I can say about it.”

SERENA WINS THIRD STRAIGHT US OPEN.

WHAT HAPPENED: No. 10 seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark is training to run the New York City Marathon later this year, but she had to do plenty of sprinting to try and track down the powerful shots of No. 1 seed Serena Williams in the women’s singles final.

In front of a packed house in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the American showed why she is one of the greatest players of all time. Attacking Wozniacki’s second serves with authority and playing the first-strike tennis she’s known for, Williams put in one of her best performances of the season to defeat her good friend and win the US Open for a third consecutive year, 6-3, 6-3.

Williams struck two clean return winners to take a 2-0 lead, but both players struggled with their serve in the early stages of the match. While Wozniacki’s second serve sat up for the No. 1 seed to attack, Williams’ first-serve percentage was below 30 percent at one point, resulting in five straight breaks of serve.

Down 2-5 in the second set, Wozniacki fought hard to erase a set point and hold serve. But a backhand winner on set point in the next game wrapped up the opening stanza for Williams. She hit 15 winners in the set compared to just one for Wozniacki.

The American continued her one-way dominance by breaking Wozniacki to open up the second set, but the Dane refused to go quietly. She managed to draw errors from Williams by running down shots that would be winners against most and began to up her first-service percentage.

Unfortunately for Wozniacki, Williams found the range on her first serve in the second set, upping her first-service percentage from 41 percent to 70 percent, and began to produce routine service holds. 

With Wozniacki serving to stay in the match at 3-5, a forehand winner from Williams set up championship point. A backhand sent long by Wozniacki after 75 minutes of play brought Williams to the ground and the crowd to its feet as the No. 1 seed won her sixth US Open women’s singles title.

“It was an unbelievable moment for me,” said Williams. “Playing all those matches this summer really helped me to get my confidence up. I just needed that confidence and calmness. I’ve been practicing so hard and all that hard work was showing through today.”                              

Despite the loss, Wozniacki was gracious as always in defeat.

“You played better than me and you’re an inspiration on and off the court,” said Wozniacki. “You’re an unbelievable friend and you definitely owe me drinks later!”                                

WHAT IT MEANS: With this win, Williams captures her sixth US Open women's singles title, which ties Chris Evert for the most Open singles titles in the Open era. The victory also gave the world No. 1 her 18^th Grand Slam singles title, trying Evert and Martina Navratilova. Steffi Graf is the only player in the Open era with more Grand Slam titles, at 22.

Williams also becomes the first player to win three consecutive US Open titles since Chris Evert, who swept four in a row from 1975 to 1978. This was also the third year that she won the US Open without losing a set, having previously done so in 2002 and 2008.

The No. 1 seed collected $3 million for winning the US Open this year, plus an additional $1 million bonus for winning the Emirates Airline US Open Series this summer, making her $4 million check the largest winner's purse in tennis history. Wozniacki received $1,450,000 for reaching the final.

Despite the loss, Wozniacki can consider this tournament a bona fide success after reaching her second Grand Slam final and first since the 2009 US Open. She will move back into the Top 10 when the latest rankings are released.

THE QUESTION: Do you think Serena can surpass Navratilova and Evert by winning Grand Slam title No. 19 next year?

La Décima ya es Real.

Real Madrid beats city rivals Atletico to win Champions League for 10th time

Iker Casillas lifts the Champions League trophy after a 4-1 win for Real Madrid over Atletico in Lisbon.

HIDE CAPTION

Real Madrid wins Champions League

Israel & Italy Sues Over The Unlawful Death Of Jesus.

Kenya Lawyer Sues Israel & Italy Over The Unlawful Death Of Jesus (Video)

This is one of those news one wishes wasn't true.

A Kenyan lawyer has filed a petition with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, suggesting that the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ was unlawful, and The State of Israel among others should be held responsible

Dola Indidis, a lawyer and former spokesman of the Kenyan Judiciary is reportedly attempting to sue Tiberius (Emperor of Rome 42 BC-37AD), Pontius Pilate, a selection of Jewish elders, King Herod, the Republic of Italy and the State of Israel. 

"Evidence today is on record in the bible, and you cannot discredit the bible," Indidis told newsmen

Yes, those he suggests should have been convicted during the original trial have not been alive for more than 2000 years, however Indidis insists that the government for whom they acted can and should still be held responsible. 

“I filed the case because it’s my duty to uphold the dignity of Jesus and I have gone to the ICJ to seek justice for the man from Nazareth,” Indidis told the Nairobian. “His selective and malicious prosecution violated his human rights through judicial misconduct, abuse of office bias and prejudice.”
Indidis apparently named the states of Italy and Israel in the lawsuit because upon the attainment of independence, the two states incorporated the laws of the Roman Empire, those in force at the time of the Crucifixion. 

He is challenging the mode of questioning used during Jesus' trial, prosecution, hearing and sentencing; the form of punishment meted out on him while undergoing judicial proceedings and the substance of the information used to convict him. 

The case was first filed in the High Court in Nairobi, but was rejected. Indidis had then applied to have it heard at the ICJ, which, the Kenyan news website Standard Media(SDE) reported constituted a pre-trial panel that would consider his case. 

Indidis says he wants to establish what crime Jesus was charged with and prays that the court decides “that the proceedings before the Roman courts were a nullity in law for they did not conform to the rule of law at the material time and any time thereafter.” 

“Some of those present spat in his face, struck him with their fists, slapped him, taunted him, and pronounced him worthy of death,” Indidis also told SDE. 

When Jesus died, Indidis insists he was not given an opportunity to be heard. "I am suing as a friend," he said. 

Indidis insisted on the validity of his case, saying "I know with a matter of fact and truth we have a good case with a high probability of success and I hope it is done in my lifetime." 

When asked about the case, a spokesperson from the IJC told legal news website Legal Cheek, "The ICJ has no jurisdiction for such a case. The ICJ settles disputes between states. It is not even theoretically possible for us to consider this case."

Man Forgotten in Jail Cell Wins $4 Million.

 (AP)

Student Left in DEA Cell for Four Days to Get $4 Million

The Justice Department has agreed to pay $4.1 million to a California college student left in a Drug Enforcement Administration holding cell last year, according to two people familiar with the case.
Daniel Chong was detained in an April 2012 drug raid in San Diego and left in a windowless holding cell for four days without food or water. He says he drank his own urine to stay alive.
The people familiar with the case spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the settlement before it is officially announced. His attorney filed a $20 million claim against the government last year.
A DEA spokesman, Rusty Payne, referred questions Monday to the Justice Department, which handled settlement negotiations. A call to the Justice Department's public affairs office was not returned.
Chong, who was attending University of California, San Diego, was at a friend's house in April 2012 when a DEA raid netted 18,000 ecstasy pills, other drugs and weapons. Chong and eight others were taken into custody.
Agents told Chong he would not be charged and had him wait in the 5-by-10-foot cell at DEA offices in San Diego. The door did not reopen for four days, when agents found him severely dehydrated and covered in his own feces.
Chong said he began to hallucinate on the third day. He urinated on a metal bench to drink his urine. He stacked a blanket, his pants and shoes on the bench and tried to reach an overhead fire sprinkler, futilely swatting at it with his cuffed hands to set it off.
Chong said last year that he gave up and accepted death. He bit into his eyeglasses to break them. He said he used a shard of glass to carve "Sorry Mom" onto his arm so he could leave something for her. He managed to finish an "S."
Chong was hospitalized five days for dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated esophagus. He lost 15 pounds.
The DEA issued a rare public apology at the time.

Masterpiece.. Victor Olaiya & 2face.

Award Winning Movie Director, Kunle Afolayan makes his music video directorial debut with Dr. Victor Olaiya's "'Baby mi da" featuring 2face Idibia.

It is simply a fusion of the evergreen and ever loved. The best of both worlds, Old-school meets new school. The legendary Highlife Trumpeter Dr Victor Olaiya featured Tuface Idibia in a remix of his classic hit titled 'Mofe mu yan' 

Enjoy this debut as they both weave a story of love, passion and more in this historical remixed love song now titled 'Baby mi da'.

How The Racist, 'White-Supremacist' American Legal System Failed Trayvon Martin.

Why did Marissa Alexander get a 20-year sentence despite invoking ‘Stand Your Ground’?.

Late Saturday evening, George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The issue of self-defense played a central role in Zimmerman’s not guilty plea and his defense’s argument against the second-degree murder charges, and his acquittal is drawing comparisons in the media to the verdict of another high-profile Florida shooting incident: the case of Marissa Alexander.

Alexander, an African-American Florida woman, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012 for shooting what she described as warning shots into a wall during a confrontation with her husband. Alexander’s lawyers claimed self-defense in the case, and said her husband had a history of abuse in their relationship. They invoked Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which gives people the right to use lethal force if they feel their life is threatened. The jury ultimately sided with prosecutors in deciding Alexander’s actions were not in self-defense, WJXT reported.

Her sentencing fell under the guidelines of what’s known in Florida as the “10-20-Life” law, which set certain mandatory minimum sentences for crimes committed with a firearm. The law enacted in 1999 requires that any crime committed with a gun earns the perpetrator a minimum ten year sentence, as the Florida Department of Corrections explains. If the firearm is discharged, the convicted will receive a 20-year minimum sentence, and if shots fired from the gun injure or kill anyone, the minimum sentence is 25-years to life.

Angela Corey, who oversaw the prosecution of Zimmerman, also tried the case against Alexander, and defended the sentencing at the time....