Australian Open 2020: Garbine's Got it in the Bag But I Want Sofia to Shock Us

I have only seen Sofia Kenin play this Aussie Open yet she has shown amazing fighting spirit that reminds you of the sport's greats!

On paper, this is Garbine Muguruza's title to lose - a French Open and Wimbledon champion already, this win will bring her a step closer to a career grand slam! One of the only few women ever to do it!

It does look like Garbine's already got it in the bag, but I want Sofia to shock us. I have seen how she dismantled the feisty Ashleigh Barty before the hometown crowd.

She has the ability to do it again, against Garbine, in the finals.

That's why it's going to be an exciting women's finals!

Australian Open 2020: Baby Thiem Should Be in Another Grand Slam Final

Who do you cheer for when you love both players, lol - a quandary I usually find myself in from time to time 😀

Well, I did cheer for Stan against Alexander and for Dominic against Rafa. Different sets of players, different levels of adulation.

Might cheer more for my baby Dominic though, this time.

I think, among the young players, he has the most weapons and the most experience in the finals to stop Novak from breaking Roger's record of number of grand slam titles, lol

Otherwise, within a year or two, Novak will eclipse Roger - and that would be a major upheaval in men's tennis which I could not accept easily......

Taylor Swift's 'The Man' Tops My International Top 10 Countdown This Week

Taylor Swift's "The Man" tops my international Top 10 countdown this week.  It's the second song from her 'Lover' album that tops the countdown.

Here are my ten favorite songs this week by international artists -

#1 The Man (#2)
     Taylor Swift

#2 Megatron (#3)
     Nicki Minaj

#3 Blessing (#4)
     Laura Story

#4 NASA (#5)
     Ariana Grande

#5 Earfquake (#6)
     Tyler the Creator

#6 Don't Feel Like Crying (#8)
     Sigrid

#7 Rare (#10)
       Selena Gomez

#8 Make It Right (NEW)
      BTS

#9 Don't Start Now (NEW)
     Dua Lipa

#10 Yummy (NEW)
       Justin Bieber

Spongecola and Karylle Top My OPM Top 10 Countdown for a Second Week

Spongecola and Karylle top my OPM Top 10 countdown for a second week.

Here are my ten favorite OPM songs for the week ending January 24, 2020 -

#1 Promises (#1)* 2 weeks
     Spongecola / Karylle

#2 Tipints (#3)
     Alex Gonzaga

#3 Umaga (#4)
     Shanne Dandan

#4 Rewind (#5)
     Riva Quenery

#5 Body Crashes (#6)
     Rhian

#6 Patawad, Paalam (#7)
     Moira dela Torre / I Belong to the Zoo

#7 Lagi (#10)
       John Roa

#8 Di Lahat (NEW)
     Donnalyn Bartolome

#9 Keke Love (NEW)
     Mimi / Elmo Magalona

#10 Lazy Day (NEW)
       Keane Trinity

Australian Open 2020: The Last 4 Women

These are the four women who have survived all the stunning upsets that have been happening in the women's game this fortnight - and all are playing at the top of their game, without anyone dropping a set in their quarterfinal matches.

One interesting characteristic about them is that three of them are French Open champions, with only Sofia Kenin as the greenhorn. So even with all the upsets, the depth of women's tennis is still wide enough to cast a net of three former and current grand slam champions.

Local darling Ashleigh Barty will square off with American Sofia Kenin.  Barty has been handling the pressure of being the first Australian woman in 40 years to reach the final here - and she has a very good chance of getting there - as Kenin is fairly a newbie this deep in a grand slam. Experience may help Barty win their match.

Simona Halep has been to the final here and she gets another shot later today - against Garbine Muguruza of Spain, her fellow French Open champion.  It would be interesting to see the two play as Garbine is known for her aggressive play and Simona is more of a counterpuncher.

I will be gunning for a Barty-Halep final.  Let's see how it unfolds!

Australian Open 2020: It Has Officially Become A Free For All in the Women's Draw

The women's draw in this year's Australian Open is in such topsy-turvy state that if you do a head-to-head of the remaining players, it would be Sofia Kenin vs. Alison Riske in the upper half and Garbine Muguruza vs. Simona Halep in the lower half when it comes to the semifinals stage of the tournament.

Of course, you can throw those statistics out the window since Barty and Gauff would want those data to be revised, and they could!

So the best thing to do is just sit back and relax and let the remaining 16 women surprise you!

It has now officially become a free for all!

Tony's Movie Review: Jojo Rabbit Reconciles Innocence with the Cruelties of War

Jojo Rabbit is an all out satire on Adolf Hitler and Nazism but done in a lighthearted manner that you can actually bring your kid to watch it.

I think it was written and directed purposely for children as the main protagonist is a ten year old boy played endearingly Roman Griffin Davis.

In his young and innocent mind, he is excited over the prospect of being part of Hitler's Youth group and doing fun things like throwing grenades and hunting for Jews.

Comedy and Hitler and the extermination of the Jews has been done well several times, my favorite being Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds - maybe because Tarantino allowed us to have our revenge over the Nazi bastards - even if only in film.

Despite being a comedy, what is good about Jojo Rabbit is that it did not shy away from showing the cruelty and the harshness of life at that time - the eerie demeanor of the Gestapo - and the hanging of anti-Nazi sympathizers.

"Let everything happen to you

Beauty and terror

Just keep going

No feeling is final"

This short excerpt from a poem by Rainer Marie Rilke was shown in the end of the movie and in a way it encapsulates the whole World War II experience of Jojo Betzler, the boy in the movie.

Scarlett Johansson plays his Mom and is the moral center of the story. Taika Waititi, the director and screenwriter is from New Zealand so it's amazing that he tackles this sticky subject matter with fearlessness. He also plays Adolf really well, it's a pity he did not get any acting nominations.

There is even a hint of homosexuality in the role of Sam Rockwell as the boys' trainer. It is done subtly and played wonderfully by Sam! No wonder every director wants him! He can play anything!

It's good the movie has fans among the Academy members, as it was nominated for Best Picture. Comedy still has a place in a year of big, masculine dramas.

Australian Open 2020: I Hope Cori Gauff Does Not Become A Cautionary Tale

I wish Cori Gauff all the best, achieving so much at the tender age of 15.

But I am playing the devil's advocate here, because I have been a fan of this sport for more than two decades, and there are plenty of stories on the women's side of young female tennis prodigies come out of nowhere and winning the grand slams and then crashing and burning in the end!

I am worried that maybe it's her parents who are really pushing her because professional tennis offers big money - she may win this Australian Open, but would she be mature enough to handle the immense pressure that this newfound fame and fortune opens up to her?

Professional tennis is like the fashion world. The competition calendar is relentless and all year round.

The toll on the physical body and a player's mental state is enormous, not to mention the nonstop traveling!

You never get to sleep on the same bed for months! That instability would be tough on a teenager.

Top players today have to stay healthy, sane, and at tiptop form, otherwise, there's always another girl waiting for you to fail.

I was 15 once and I just wanted to be a teenager. I hope they also let Cori be a teenager first. It would be a pity if she wins, what, one, two, three, grand slams, then crashes out of the sport at the age of 18.

That would be such a tragedy for women's tennis!

Australian Open 2020: Gauff, Kenin, and Riske Take the American Mantle as the Veterans Crash Out

Today shows how deep the bench is in American women's tennis.

While their top draws like Serena Williams and Madison Keys tumbled out of the Australian Open today, three up-and-coming players stepped up to the plate!

Although Cori Gauff has gotten the most press coverage, on paper, Sofia Kenin, her compatriot has a better H2H but as with Cori Gauff, you can just throw that sheet of paper out the window as she has become the giant killer of this tournament.

Let's just see if she can handle the pressure after winning over the defending champion, Naomi Osaka.

No such pressure exists for Sofia Kenin, and if she plays her cards right, even if she meets Serena conqueror Qiang Wang, she still has a better H2H than Wang, making her the favorite now to reach the semifinal slot on her side of the draw.

I love Alison Riske and I am so happy for her that she has reached the fourth round here in Melbourne! Good news for her, she also has a winning H2H over Ashleigh Barty and possible QF opponent, Maria Sakkari, making her, the favorite to reach the SF slot on her side of the draw.

So a possible Riske-Gauff or Riske-Kenin may await in the semi's.

At least, that's what we can glean from the latest H2H statistics.

Australian Open 2020: Qiang Wang Gets Her Sweet Revenge

Usually, you'd have to wait till the finals of a grand slam before any player in the women's draw can defeat Serena Williams.

Bianca Andreescu did it in the US Open last year.

Qiang Wang though had other plans. I think her 61 60 loss to Serena in the US Open QFs last year gave her all the learning she could from that match to give Serena a 64 67(2) 75 loss when they met again here in Melbourne.

I was in the edge of my seat most of the time because Wang wasn't giving up. She was really pushing Serena who was really playing well too!

One great thing about Serena is that she never rolls down and plays dead, when she's in the backseat. She always fights back, so Qiang had to be fighting in all cylinders just to make sure she stays ahead.

It has been awhile since Chinese women have made a dent in women's singles tennis - Li Na, Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai have made inroads before.

Today's generation of Chinese players still have to make their presence felt. Zhang Shuai made a dent here in Melbourne a few years back.

I hope Qiang Wang opens the doors for them and goes deeper into the tournament, this time around.

With Naomi Osaka flying the flag for Asian women players, I look forward to seeing more Asians in the top 20 soon.

Australian Open 2020: Ons Jabeur Into Fourth Round with Win Over Wozniacki

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki are the best of friends and I really thought they'd meet again in the 4th round here in Melbourne, in what would've been one of Caro's last few games, especially that she is retiring after this tournament.

Well, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia just gave Caro her pink slip a round earlier in a very tenacious manner.

I have never seen Ons play in a grand slam, but I am familiar with her since she tends to hang around in the first two rounds.

Now she goes deeper, fourth round in a grand slam, and I think, the only African and Arab woman left in the women's draw.

I really hope she goes deeper as she can inspire a whole generation of Arab and African girls to take to tennis.

There have been successful players before from their part of the world but they have been few and far between.

I hope Ons can continue to work hard and spread the sport in that part of the world.

Alex Gonzaga

Alex Gonzaga has two hits in My OPM Top 10 countdown.

2020 - Tipints (#2)

2019 - Chambe (#7)

Vampire Weekend Tops My Top 10 International Countdown This Week

Vampire Weekend tops my Top 10 international countdown this week in time for this weekend's Grammy Awards.

Here are my ten favorite songs by international artists for the week ending January 24, 2020.

#1 Harmony Hall (#2)  *1 week
     Vampire Weekend

#2 The Man (#3)
     Taylor Swift

#3 Megatron (#4)
     Nicki Minaj

#4 Blessing (#5)
     Laura Story

#5 NASA (#6)
     Ariana Grande

#6 Earfquake (#7)
     Tyler the Creator

#7 Good as Hell (#8)
      Lizzo

#8 Don't Feel Like Crying (NEW)
     Sigrid

#9 Love You Anymore (NEW)
     Michael Buble

#10 Rare (NEW)
       Selena Gomez

Grammy Awards 2020: A Toss-Up Between Lizzo and Billie Eilish

Ok, now that the Grammy's have adapted that 8 nominees rule for their 4 major awards - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist - it has become a bit difficult to choose who the frontrunner is since the increase in number of nominees can spread over genres and split the votes.

However, I have a strong feeling this year that the Recording Academy will award their biggest 4 awards to any of these two interesting women - Lizzo and Billie Eilish - both newcomers to the music scene - and both creating their own niches in a pretty crowded pop and R&B field.

When you thought you've had angst figured out (remember, I grew up listening to Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, and Nirvana), here comes Billie Eilish with her own angst-ridden album - this time, with her own macabre interpretation of pop music!

I did listen to her seminal album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, and it has some pretty good songs in it.  Unfortunately, maybe because of my age, I couldn't quite connect with her emotions and ideas.  Otherwise, her image - which is very important to a pop artist - jives perfectly well with her well-crafted songs.

While Billie is weird, and macabre, Lizzo is such a breath of fresh air. When I first heard her album Cuz I Love You, I realized, OMG, I thought I heard all types of R&B music already - but this woman - just pushes R&B in a whole new direction - one that is positive, joyful, shameless and proud.  That's because Lizzo is a heavyweight, literally, and she makes no qualms about it.  I think it's what makes her voice quite strong and with so much bravado.

I don't know how the Grammy voters will split the votes - maybe Album and Best New Artist - to Billie Eilish - and Record and Song to Lizzo.

Anyway, no matter which way they give the major awards, I hope these two are recipients of it.

They deserve it!  Their music truly defined 2019!

My Picks for Grammy 2020

It's Grammy voting time again and I am once again casting my vote, pretending to be one of the Grammy voters.

It is a very fresh set of nominees this year and since I belong to the older demographic, my votes will go to the ones I kinda like.

I will be voting in all the four major awards as well as in the pop category, since that is my forte.

So here goes.....

RECORD OF THE YEAR - Post Malone and Swae Lee - Sunflower

None of the songs here reached my personal top 10 and none of them actually played too long in my VIBBIDI set.  The closest though would be Post Malone and Swae Lee's Sunflower.  Among all eight nominees, this is the one that I like the best.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride

This is the easiest category for me to vote.  Hands down, Vampire Weekend's Father of the Bride. I have loved the work of these guys since Contra.  Now that they are nominated, I give my vote to them!

SONG OF THE YEAR - Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved

Among all the songs nominated this year, this one reached my own personal top 10 countdown. I think it even went to #1. 

BEST NEW ARTIST - Lizzo

I think she's an audacious performer and I love her album. If not for Vampire Weekend, I would've voted for her.  Also, Truth Hurts is not my favorite song of hers but those were the ones nominated unfortunately.  She has so many gems in her album!

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE - Billie Eilish - Bad Guy

Probably the most unique artist to come out last year.  Such a breath of fresh air!

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE - Jonas Brothers - Sucker

I have been a fan of these boys for the longest time. This is a strong record from them.  My vote goes to them!

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM - Andrea Bocelli - Si

One of my personal Album of the Year!  Breathtaking work from Andrea!  His work here have brought tears to my eyes!

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM - Taylor Swift - Lover

I was surprised this was snubbed in the Album of the Year category.  It's probably one of my most favorite albums of hers.  Such strong songwriting and she has always pushed the boundaries of pop!

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Kiki Bertens

Kiki Bertens emerges as the player most likely to get the semifinal slot on her side of the draw, here in the Australian Open.  She is in a pretty crowded draw but apparently, she has the best H2H record among the group.

This includes Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, former champion here Angelique Kerber, and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine - all pretty big names in women's tennis nowadays.

However, she has a winning h2h over Elina Svitolina, a prospective opponent in the 4th round, as well as with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, her prospective opponent in the QFs.

On paper, Kiki can be a dangerous player to deal with and she has shown that by reaching both a quarterfinal and semifinal in a grand slam.

With these statistics, she should be able to also do just that this AO.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Ashleigh Barty

After winning over Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the first round, the only player in her side of the draw with a winning h2h against her, world #1 Ashleigh Barty, secures her position as the player most likely to get the semifinal slot on her side of the draw.

For now, she pushes out Madison Keys, but let's see how this unfolds as each round progresses.

Barty will next meet Polona Hercog of Slovenia, another dangerous opponent. Rybakina, Goerges and Keys are the other prospective opponents she might meet.

Defending champion Naomi Osaka may await in the semi's and former world #1 Simona Halep is a prospective opponent in the finals.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Men's Singles Title - Novak Djokovic

While the young guns are trying to assert through media that 2020 may be the year their breakthrough happens, the legendary 3, including Novak Djokovic, are letting their records and preparations speak for themselves.  The results last year bear reason as he and Rafa were the ones who captured all four grand slam title, with Federer showing up in the Wimbledon finals.

Can they do it again?  Well, that depends really more on the challengers, if they can finally win their breakthrough winning games against the legendary 3, because with their records of consistency, Novak and Rafa and to a lesser degree, Roger, will play at their highest level every time, especially at the grand slams.

On his side of the draw, Novak may possibly face Marin Cilic of Croatia, Diego Schwartzman of Argentina and Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan. 

In the semi's Roger Federer is a most likely opponent, while Rafael Nadal could be his nemesis if he reaches the finals. 

Once again, none of the young ones may challenge him, unless Greek Tsitsipas is not foiled in the earlier rounds.  The Greek is also in his side of the draw.

For now, with a relatively easy draw, let's see if Novak can make it title #8.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Men's Singles Title - Roger Federer

Roger Federer is already into his third decade of playing grand slam tennis and surprisingly, he still comes out on top of the draw that he's in.  Currently at #3 in the rankings, the Fed is still playing some of his best tennis, at least against 99% of the draw.

Federer has been granted a relatively easy draw with John Millman of Australia, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Guido Pella of Argentina as his possible opponents.  Italian Mario Berrettini is also on this side of the draw but Pella has a better head-to-head so he might prevent a collision with Federer.

In the semi's Novak Djokovic is a possible opponent, and if he does get through him, Rafael Nadal is a possible finals opponent.  On paper, Federer might not even meet any of the top young guns and still deal with his two archnemesis to win another grand slam title.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Men's Singles Title - Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev of Germany is lucky not to have one of the top 3 on his side of the draw, making it possible for him to reach the semi-final slot.  Not to take away anything from the guy, but at least he doesn't have to meet any of the top 3 till the semi's where Rafael Nadal possibly awaits.

Daniil Medvedev of Russia and #4 seed is also on this side of the draw, but Zverev holds a formidable 5-1 win-loss record over the Russian, making him the favorite to win the title on their side of the draw.

His other possible opponents include Casper Ruud of Norway, veteran Fernando Verdasco of Spain and another Russian, Andrey Rublev.

It's not going to be an easy trip for him but that should get him ready for the big guns in the latter stage of this grand slam.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Men's Singles Title - Rafael Nadal

Earlier this year, Dominic Thiem asserted that the top 3 can be toppled this year at the grand slams.  Now, he has the chance of doing just that as one of the top 3, #1 seed Rafael Nadal, is in his side of the draw, and a possible quarterfinal match with him will show, if indeed, one of today's young guns is ready to topple, at least, one of the top 3.

For me though, I will wait for the results instead, and for now, Rafa holds a 9-4 H2H with Dominic so I feel Rafa still has what it takes to propel him to another Australian Open final, being a runner-up last year.

Among his other possible nemesis on the way include compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta and dangerous Russian player Karen Khachanov.  Alexander Zverev of Germany is his possible opponent in the semi's.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Marketa Vondrosouva

Marketa Vondrosouva is a surprise pick for the Australian Open title but she has proven at last year's French Open that she can come from nowhere and reach the semifinal of a grand slam.

Interestingly, Vondrosouva has a winning  H2H with the players that she may run into - Camila Giorgi of Italy, Angelique Kerber of Germany, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia and Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands.

That's the reason, she's the pick for her side of the draw!  Elina Svitolina is also on this side of the draw, but she has a nemesis here who has a better H2H than hers - Kiki Bertens.

Anyway, this is just victory on paper, we still have to see if it pans out in reality.

Marketa's prospective semi-final opponent is Simona Halep.  It could be a Simona Halep - Naomi Osaka final.  That we will have to see.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Simona Halep

Simona Halep continues to pose a threat to the field in this year's Australian Open. In her side of the draw, she is the best pick to reach that deep into the tournament.  The other seeded player, Belinda Bencic, might get sidelined, as she is set to meet Anna Schmiedlova, who just defeated her earlier this year.

That loss could open up the draw in Halep's favor. Her possible opponents could include Japanese Misaki Doi, Taiwanese Su-Wei Hsieh, Belgian Elise Mertens and up-and-coming Russian player Veronika Kudermetova.

Waiting in the semi's could be up-and-coming Czech player, Marketa Vondrosouva.

Already a finalist here in 2018, this relatively easy draw could help Simona reach all the way to the finals and have a shot again at another grand slam title.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Naomi Osaka

Defending champion Naomi Osaka looks set to defend her title and win a third consecutive Australian Open title this year.

However, she has a tough draw to deal with which includes tennis legend Serena Williams.

Her possible opponents as she comes up the draw are Zheng Saisai of China, tennis veteran Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic and American newbie Sofia Kenin.  She and Serena might possibly meet in the QFs so that is a match well worth watching.

For now, she holds a 2-1 win loss record against Serena, although in their last outing, Serena won.

It would be interesting how she deals with Serena, if they do meet here.

Her possible semi-final opponent is Madison Keys.  That should put her in a good position to defend her title again.

Australian Open 2020: My Picks for the Women's Singles Title - Madison Keys

Madison Keys, this year's Brisbane runner-up is poised to have a good start in the grand slams this year.  In a pretty crowded draw, she is the player poised to get to the semi-final slot on her side of the draw, thus becoming one of my four favorites to win this year's Australian Open.

Currently ranked outside the top 10 (#11), Keys started the year by reaching the Brisbane finals, and defeating Petra Kvitova in the semifinals there.  It may happen again here in Melbourne, possibly in the 4th round, thus making Keys the favorite in this part of the draw.

Her other possible opponents in the early rounds are all notable players, including Polish Magda Linette, Russian Margarita Gasparyan and German Julia Goerges in the QFs.

Local darling Ashleigh Barty, the #1 seed, is also in this side of the draw, but she will meet in the first round, a nemesis who has defeated her before, Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko.  Although Tsurenko is currently ranked outside the top 100, she knows how to defeat Barty and the added pressure of a home grand slam may not be of any help to the Aussie.

Although Tsurenko's win over Barty was already 2 years ago, it was in Aussie soil, in Brisbane.  Melbourne is a much bigger deal and the pressure to win here might be too tough for Ash to carry - for now.

That we will see on Monday.

Paul McCartney Tops My International Top 10 Countdown This Week

Legendary rocker Paul McCartney tops My International Top 10 countdown this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs by international artists for the week ending January 17, 2020.

#1 Happy With You (#2)
     Paul McCartney

#2 Harmony Hall (#3)
     Vampire Weekend

#3 I'm the Man (#5)
     Taylor Swift

#4 Megatron (#4)
     Nicki Minaj

#5 Blessing (#6)
     Laura Story

#6 NASA (#7)
     Ariana Grande

#7 Earfquake (#8)
    Tyler the Creator

#8 Lose You to Love Me (#9)
     Selena Gomez

#9 Good As Hell (#10)
       Lizzo 

#10 Into the Unknown (NEW)
       Idina Menzel / AURORA