{"id":2062,"date":"2016-02-20T07:45:52","date_gmt":"2016-02-20T07:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/?p=2062"},"modified":"2016-02-21T07:48:47","modified_gmt":"2016-02-21T07:48:47","slug":"maria-esther-bueno-hits-at-rio-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/maria-esther-bueno-hits-at-rio-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Maria Esther Bueno hits at Rio Open"},"content":{"rendered":"

A word on the tennis<\/h2>\n

\"Snip20160217_16\"<\/a>Maria Esther Bueno has been making appearances on and off the court during the Rio Open this week. In the commentary box she has been keeping a watchful eye on the tennis, well into the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night I finished at 1.30 in the morning,\u201d she laughed. \u201cBut it is all worth it because it is promoting the game I love in so many different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also had a chance to talk to many of the players, including Rafa [Nadal] and Francesca [Schiavone], who are both doing well this week and have reached the semi-finals.<\/p>\n

\"Francesca<\/a>

Francesca Schiavone showed her fighting spirit<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFrancesca has come back in two matches to win in very hot, humid conditions. Very impressive, especially since she is probably the oldest player in the women’s draw.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a difficult match and the conditions were not easy,\u201d admitted\u00a0the Italian, speaking of her quarter-final win over qualifier Cindy Burger of the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ball kicks a lot on this courts here, so it\u00b4s quite challenging. The heat is also extreme, but I like to play in these conditions and I have prepared well for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rafael<\/a>

Rafael Nadal making good progress<\/p><\/div>\n

There are no seeds left in the women’s draw so the title is very much up for grabs.<\/p>\n

A lot of seeds have tumbled out of the men’s draw too, leaving Nadal and Dominic Thiem as favourites to contest the final but they have to get there first and face clay court specialists Pablo Cuevas and\u00a0Guido Pella respectively.<\/p>\n

As for Rafa, he, apparently is rather jealous of Maria Esther\u2019s credentials that describe her as a 19 Grand Slam Champion while his only says \u2018player\u2019!<\/p>\n

Maria Esther Hits at Rio Open with Flavia<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"DSC_8552\"<\/a>In between her commentary for\u00a0SporTV, she has been trying her hand at some Formula 1 driving and keeping her game well tuned\u00a0with a hit with Flavia Pennetta.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great fun hitting with Flavia yesterday,\u201d she said. \u201cI really admire the way she plays. It is more classical than the style of younger players these days\u00a0and we got a good rhythm going! \u201cWe also seemed to attract a lot of interest! I suppose it is not often you get two US Open champions hitting on a court together.\u201d They both took time to give interviews, pose for photos and signed autographs. Take a look at these clips:<\/p>\n

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Miss @flavia_pennetta<\/a>? Watch the @usopen<\/a> champion hitting with 19-time GS champion Maria Bueno at #RioOpen2016<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/DKY2xaDpYw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rio Open (@RioOpenOficial) February 17, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A video posted by Rio Open (@rioopenoficial)<\/a> on