This Week in Sports :: July 7-11, 2008

Jul 10, 2008

Rafael Nadal breaks Roger Federer's invincible streak and Elton Brand surprises everyone and bolts from the Clippers. See what else happened!

Nadal Dethrones Federer

Roger Federer's dominance at Wimbledon ended last Sunday. After winning the last five Wimbledon titles, Federer lost to arch-nemesis Rafael Nadal in the Final 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7. The match lasted four hours and 48 minute, which was the longest men's final in Wimbledon history. Tennis legend John McEnroe described the match as, "The greatest match I've ever seen." Despite the loss, Federer retained his number one ranking. As for Nadal, this was his second Grand Slam victory of the year. He won his fourth straight French Open last month.

Brand Skips Town

When the Los Angeles Clippers signed All Star point guard Baron Davis a week ago, people envisioned Davis along with franchise player Elton Brand were going to be one of the deadliest combinations in the NBA. Only problem, is Elton felt differently. In a shocking twist, Brand opted out of his contract and signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The New York native, returned to the East Coast with hopes that being in a weaker Eastern Conference will improve his chances to get deeper in the playoffs. Now the Clippers are scrambling to find a replacement for Brand. Word is they are pursuing Atlanta Hawks high flying forward, Josh Smith.

MLB All Star Game

The best in baseball heads to the Big Apple on Tuesday, July 15 for the 79th annual MLB All Star Game. For a variety of reasons, the mid-summer classic promises to be one of the more memorable All Star Games in recent history. For one, the game is in New York City. Secondly, Yankees Stadium is in its final year, so this will be a good tribute to the legendary building. On Monday, the league will have its annual Home Run Derby. There will also be a parade prior to the game, that will pass through Manhattan. Forty-seven Hall of Famers will participate in the parade and be honored during an on-field ceremony.

Notes Around the Sports World

Former University of Florida standout basketball player Teddy Dupay has been charged with rape and assault in Utah. The Florida native was a part of that Florida Gator team that made it to the 2000 NCAA Tournament Final Game.

Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He still plans to compete in the Beijing Olympics next month and will have surgery and treatment immediately after.

The New York Mets are quietly starting to make noise in the National League. The Mets have won six straight games and eight of the last 10. They are currently in second place in the NL East, two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

This Week in Sports :: June 23-27, 2008

This Week in Sports :: June 16-20, 2008