INCREDIBLE! Young Tony Stark takes his first Grand Slam title, beating fellow American rival Justin Hammer three sets to one in the hotly contested Australian Open. With world number one Steve Rogers not competing due to recent personal tragedy, it seemed this new prodigy encountered little resistance on his path to victory – is this a sign of great things to come? Nineteen and recently graduated from MIT, our resident genius turned pro only four months ago and has been rapidly collecting titles since, though this is his first major victory. Still, could any less be expected from the only child of the great Howard Stark?
BACK IN THE GAME! Following Rogers' absence at the Australian Open, many wondered if America's poster boy could keep his (well deserved) place as world No. 1. As defending champion, all eyes were on him during the French Open, and he certainly didn't disappoint! Unfortunate opponent Bruce Banner, who put young hopeful Tony Stark out in the semi-finals, was hardly able to keep up, eventually losing 6-2, 7-6, 6-3 to the indomitable Rogers. Recently voted the greatest tennis player of all time, we have to wonder if anyone will ever be able to compete with his almost superhuman ability.
A NEW DIRECTION FOR TENNIS? Tony Stark shocks the world with his quarter-final victory over Steve Rogers in the US Open, despite being absolutely destroyed by the blond in the Wimbledon final only two months previous. Should Stark go on to win the competition (and we can't see there being much of a possibility of him going out), it will mean the Grand Slam titles this year have been evenly split between the two men. Should Rogers be watching his back, or was the youngster's victory a fluke? Stark's success is accompanied by a revolutionary new type of racket, which allowed him to combat his opponent's incredible strength and stress him in return, though details are being kept tightly under wraps. We can only hope to see something similar being released by Stark Industries later this year!
SEX, DRUGS & ROCK AND ROLL. Hungover and clearly exhausted, Tony Stark fails to live up to expectations as he fails to make it through even the second round of the French Open, losing to an unseeded opponent in an embarrassing display of sloppy play. Has his light burnt out already? It seems Stark's playboy lifestyle is catching up to him; the countless scandals he finds himself involved in cannot be conducive to sort of focus. Maybe more time should be spent on the practice courts and not between the sheets, Tony!
TROUBLE IN PARADISE? Though Rogers and Stark's mutual dislike is well documented, reports indicate that the two men almost came to blows in the hotel last night. Hard to believe it of Rogers, who has never shown anything other than good sportsmanship and respect to rivals, but it seems Stark is capable of getting under everyone's skin. It should make for an interesting match when they play each other in two days time!