What is on your mind on Saturday, Aug. 7? You’ll probably be helping to set a new world record, if you’re a bowler.
Across the United States, more than 3,200 bowling centers will be teaming up that day to set a new, single-day record for most games played.
The record-setting attempt will be the culmination of the 2010 National Bowling Week, which kicks off on July 31, dubbed National Bowling Day. Bowlers can download a free game coupon and bowlers can download a free game coupon at www.gobowling.com, in an attempt to help break the record.
Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) are the sponsors of the event and week.
The current record of 741,821 bowling games played in a single day, which was set last year; bowlers across America will make an attempt to break the same.
To break, the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America was established. To bring together what was at the time a fragmented group of proprietors and as an attempt by a small group of bowling center owners revive their businesses, this association began.
The ATP summer hard court season of 2010, named as the Olympus US Open Series, officially kicked off by the Atlanta Tennis Championships. After nine years, once again Atlanta has the privilege to host some of the world’s best male tennis players.
There has already been plenty of action during the qualifying stages on the weekend, although Monday July 19 was the opening day of the Atlanta Tennis Championships. There were some doubles matches and only a few singles matches, on day one.
The Americans had a great start and won their first round matches in Atlanta, as Michael Russell, Rajeev Ram and Mardy Fish. Over Karol Beck, Ram won 6-4 7-6(4), Russell upset eight seed Benjamin Becker 6-3 6-3 and Fish took out James Ward 6-1 6-2. Ukranian Illya Marchenko and the German veteran Rainer Schuettler were the other first round winners.
On the doubles side, fellow Americans Ryan Sweeting and Robby Ginepri were taken out by James Blake and John Isner 3-6 6-4 10-3. The duo of Jonathan Erlich and Janko Tipsarevic knocked out top seeds Fleming and Skupski. Additionally, Kevin Anderson and Michael Russell defeated fourth seeded doubles team of Hutchins and Kerr. Overall, for the Americans on the singles and doubles sides, it was an excellent day.
First seed Andy Roddick is the focus of the tournament. There are expectations for Roddick to make a real impact in the hard court season leading to the US Open, after a disappointing early loss at the grass courts of Wimbledon. Roddick will face Rajeev Ram in the second round and he got a bye in the first round.
To this point, the first five stages of the Tour de France have been surprising and exciting and Mark Cavendish of Britain and Team HTC-Columbia capped off Stage 5 with a spectacular and emotional dash to the finish just 200 yards out from the line.
Every expert was doubting Cavendish could win a stage this year, although he won six stages last year. With a 23-second lead over Britain’s Geraint Thomas, Fabian Cancellara held tightly to his yellow jersey. Other notables after Stage 5, Alberto Contador, who is in ninth one minute 40 seconds off the lead and Lance Armstrong who is two minutes and 30 seconds back in 21st place.
In the Pyrenees l, both Tour de France champs will make their time up and neither is feeling any pressure for being off the pace at this point of the Tour De France. In 2010, Armstrong has already had an eventful Tour de France, crashing hard during Stage 2 but he did not receive any serious injuries aside from bumps and bruises.
From the moment the stages were announced, stage 3 was the stage all riders feared. For the first time in the Tour since 2003, stage 3 featured a cobblestone or pave’ section and none of the riders looked forward to it. Prop bets favorite, Frank Schleck was the first victim, as he fell hard in front of the peloton and broke his collarbone. Lance Armstrong fell victim to a flat tire from the rough conditions although he did not fall.
Tuesday, June 29, featured all of the ladies quarterfinal matches of the 2010 Wimbledon. Besides that, all other matches were doubles, mixed doubles, and juniors.
The headline of the day was when Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria defeated second seed Venus Williams 6-2 6-3 on Court 1. This was the biggest upset of the tournament on the ladies draw. Venus’ shots landed everywhere but inside the court, as she had a total of 29 unforced errors, compared to Pirnokova’s 6. Pirnokova definitely had the confidence to win today’s match because she upset Venus Williams before at the first round of the 2006 Australian Open. Additionally, Pironkova became the first Bulgarian to reach the semifinals of a grand slam. Meanwhile, Serena Williams comfortably won her quarterfinal match on Centre Court against Li Na 7-5 6-3. The hope of seeing a Williams sister holding the championship trophy is still alive.
Another slight upset of the day was by #21 seed Vera Zvonareva, who defeated #8 seed Kim Clijsters 3-6 6-4 6-2. Clijsters played aggressively, as reflected by her 33 winners and 36 unforced errors. In the middle of the second set, the errors really hurt Clijsters as she let Zvonareva get back into the match. After the match, Clijsters said she was very disappointed and not too thrilled with her own level of play towards the end.
The most competitive quarterfinal match of the day was between Petra Kvitova and Kaia Kanepi. Most tennis fans are unfamiliar with these two unseeded players, who have never advanced past the second round of Wimbledon. The young Czech Kvitova won the nearly three hour battle 4-6 7-6(8) 8-6.
