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Biofile with Novak Djokovic

Scoop Malinowski — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:32:28 +0000

Status: ATP #1 player in the world. Won Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year.

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 176

DOB: May 22, 1987 In: Belgrade, Serbia

Tennis Heroes: “Well, Pete Sampras, he was always my idol. I always liked his game even if I don’t have the same game as he does. I liked his attitude and the way he played. The way he act on the court I like a lot. He was concentrated a lot during all the matches. And he was playing the best tennis on the very important points, during the very important matches. That’s what I liked about Pete Sampras. That’s why he was always my idol. He finished his tennis career – I’m really sorry that I didn’t have a chance to meet him and to play with him. But I hope in the next two years I will have a chance to meet him. And since he finished the tennis, I like a lot Federer’s game and Safin. Safin actually played, not same, but similar game to mine – very aggressive and using all the opportunities. I had the chance to play against Safin in Australian Open and it was a great moment and a great experience, my first appearance on the big center court.”

Tennis Inspirations: “A win. The feeling of winning a match or winning a tournament. The feeling of winning a tennis match is irreplacable.”

Favorite Movies: “Yeah, I’m a movie watcher. I like all kinds of movies, action and thrillers, drama and horror. The favorite one – maybe Pulp Fiction is one of the best.”

Musical Tastes: “I’m a music fan also like everybody. For me, it is also important the company you have. When you are going out, company that’s around you, then you don’t really pay attention to music so much. I like R&B, house music, I don’t like actually Serbian music, our music, so I’m not a big fan of this. So I’m listening to American, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, house. I like all kinds. Also classical sometimes when I need to relax.”

Favorite Meal: “As a tennis player I have to eat a lot because I expend a lot of energy. Mostly during the day I’m eating pasta. So this is one of my favorite meals. But I also like a lot of chicken with mashed potatoes, and some salad. That’s like my favorite [laughs].”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Well, I like a lot of chocolate. I have to admit that. I like sweets a lot. So I like chocolate ice cream.”

First Tennis Memory: “Yeah sure, I remember I started when I was four. My father owns a restaurant in one mountain in our country. And when I was four they were making three tennis courts in front of my restaurant. And I was helping them to make these courts. And I was interested a lot because no one in my family ever played tennis. My father was a professional skier. My mother was also skiing. And he also played soccer and wallyball, a lot of different sports, but not tennis. So I was the first to start playing tennis when I was four. The first coach, Jelena Gencic, she teach me how to play tennis and how to act on the court. She teach me a lot. This was very important to have a good coach in the period when I was seven years old to eleven. And I was really lucky to have her.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Well, I try not to think too much because I want to be focused for the match. Before the match I do the usual warmup, stretching. I need 30-45 minutes to prepare all my racquets and everything. I’m thinking…mostly I’m speaking with my coach about what tactics we should prepare for this player. Think tactics, strategy, how I should act on the court, what should I use more. These kinds of things. I try not to think too much. I just go out on the court and do my best. I have more motivation to play and to win more Grand Slams – now more than ever, that I know that I can actually, you know, perform equally well on any surface, that I have equal chances on any Grand Slam that I play. So this is something that gives me a lot of desire.”

Early ATP Memories: “I have a few moments that I like. At Wimbledon when I reached the third round in 2005 was really great. In second round I saved five match points from 0-2, I came to 3-2 to win. This was a great moment. And this was really important match for me. Because when I won the match I got to top 100. So this was really nice feeling. And also the fact that I played the first time on the grass. So that’s really nice, I like Wimbledon a lot.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Well, since I started the professional tennis I had great moments, I don’t have exactly the one moment. Winning Wimbledon was my dream. Becoming #1. Winning the Australian Open in 2008 and this year and winning the Davis Cup for Serbia was a very nice moment.”

Most Painful Moment “Well, I cannot say that I really had a painful tennis moment that I wanted to quit tennis or something like that. I hope that I will not have. Probably being injured or not feeling 100% healthy. But I never had any really like painful moments.”

Favorite Tournaments: “I like Australia and Wimbledon a lot. I like the grand slams. And I like to play Belgrade.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I like to watch McEnroe playing. He was really funny on the court. And Safin, when he would throw the racquet when he was really nervous. And it was really fun watching Yannick Noah. I like watching the old matches when I was really a baby. And McEnroe was really funny.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Well, when I lost to one guy from Serbia actually. It was about seven or eight years ago when I was first in Europe. I lost to this guy and it was really embarrassing because everybody expected me to win easily, so.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “I’m really in good relationship with everybody. So I’m trying to keep it that way. I’m really good friends with Janko Tipsarevic and the players from my country.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “I don’t know. Everybody is funny. I don’t put out one. John McEnroe made me laugh.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Well, all the players are tough to play against, everybody is trying their best to win the match.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Just I like people who have a lot of sense of humor. And who are very honest. I like nice people, like really honest person, who can be good friends of yours. It’s really difficult because every where you go you meet a lot of people and it’s difficult to find your friend. Like real honest friends.”

Biofile with Sammy Hagar

Scoop Malinowski — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:40:45 +0000

STATUS: Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as member of Van Halen. Former lead singer for Van Halen (‘86-96).

DOB: October 13, 1947 IN: Monterey, CA

CHILDHOOD HERO: Elvis Presley.

HOBBIES: I like to run, mountain bike and hike in the mountains by myself or with my wife. And I like to do nothing. And I love fights of any kind, whether it be boxing, jiu-jitsu, karate matches or Ultimate Fighting Championships [Sammy is a former boxer].

FAVORITE MOVIES: El Topo, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, Gladiator was brilliant. And I’m an Ingmar Bergman freak when it comes to movies.

MUSICAL TASTES: I’m a rock ‘n roll guy, of course. But I actually like new-age music. Music that you don’t have to really sit down and concentrate on. But it’s in the background and you do whatever you want to do – whether it be have sex, cook a meal or eat a meal. Things that don’t interfere with your every day life. I like that kind of music. Craig Chiquico and a Wyndham Hill collection of various artists called Winter Solstice.

PRE-PERFORMANCE FEELING: There’s four or five different feelings. The first one is most of the time I don’t feel like I’m ready. I always feel unprepared. Then the other thing I have to deal with sometimes, I’m a little too excited and too anxious. And I try to control myself cause I’ve got another hour. And right now, I’m ready like right now. So I have a lot of bad feelings. So right before I go onstage, it’s not a good thing. That’s probably one of the most uncomfortable times of my 24 hours – is that hour before I go onstage. It’s not a great feeling. It’s a lot of frustration, lot of anxiety. A lot of over-amping. A lot of unsuredness. It’s a strange time. I don’t like that time.

FIRST JOB: Paper route for The Mirror News in San Bernardino, CA (age 9).

EARLY MEMORY: Sure. I remember the first time I felt I connected with an audience. As an opening act for the group Boston during their first tour, in St. Louis (‘78). In a 15,000-seater in the Checkerdome. The people rushed the stage, ripped the barricades down, jumped on stage, you know, it’s like hysteria. It was the first time I really experienced it on a big level. And that was pretty exciting. I went, Wow! They love us here! Well, I knew I had it. But that was the first time the audience said, Yeah, you’ve got it [laughs]! Because most of the time as an opening act, people just play and that’s it. They applaud. But they don’t attack a stage like you’re the Beatles.

FUNNY MEMORY: So much has happened. I’ve fallen off the stage. I’ve ripped my pants. I’ve shit in my pants. I’ve done everything you can do onstage [smiles].

GREATEST CAREER MOMENT: There’s so many. Maybe the greatest moment might’ve been the moment I was onstage at the Cabo Wabo with Van Halen (‘88). I dreamed up this club and built it. I felt when we played the song Cabo Wabo at the Cabo Wabo at the grand opening, I’d have to say that was pretty fuckin’ magical. It came from a dream. I was driving down the street in Cabo San Lucas. I saw a guy staggerin’, hittin’ the barb wire fence. He had been drinkin’ all night and I said, Look at that, he’s doing the Cabo Wabo. The light went on, I wrote the song, built the club, made the tequila. It just all rolled. Just a magical moment to me when we played that song for the first time there.

MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: There’s never been a painful moment in my career. Except maybe when my long time manager Ed Loeffler died in ‘93. After 18 years of managing me. That was painful.

FAVORITE MEAL: Food from the great, great chefs – Julian Serano, Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali.

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Vanilla.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Biofile with Rachael Cordingley

Scoop Malinowski — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:40:54 +0000

Status: Professional model.

DOB: July 20 Birthplace: Liverpool, England

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: Swimming, running, gym.

Last Book Read: Married Lovers by Jackie Collins, I love her!

Favorite Movies: Sexy Beast, Leon, Pulp Fiction.

Favorite TV Show: Desperate Housewives.

Musical Tastes: Dance music, Florence and the Machines, Beyonce.

First Job: Glass collector in a cricket club.

Current Car: Mercedes CLC220 Sport Coupe.

Favorite Meal: Chicken caesar salad, nachos.

Favorite Ice Cream Flavour: Chocolate with chocolate sauce!

Favourite Fashion Designers: Dior, Chanel, Christian Louboutin.

Childhood Dream: I wanted to be a Pop Princess, loved dancing!

Greatest Career Moment: Becoming Miss Maxim Global.

Most Painful Moment: My grand-dad passing away.

Funny Career Memory: Slipping over at a photo shoot and flashing my bits to the whole crew!

Embarrassing Career Memory: Having to dance when I took part in the final of the ‘Miss Great Britain’ competition – cringe-worthy!

Last Holiday: Cuba with Carl (boxing world champion boyfriend Froch).

Personal Heroes: Kylie, Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson- I used to dance to his music in my living room when I was about 7!

Favourite Quotations: “No, no, no, no, no!”

“Is it my imagination or did I arrive in a limousine?!”

People Qualities Most Admired: Good manners, sense of humour.

To see more on Rachael, visit her official site – www.rachaelcordingley.com

To read the Carl Froch Biofile… http://thebiofile.com/2009/12/biofile-with-carl-the-cobra-froch/