Maria Camila Osorio Serrano Wins First Career WTA Title at Copa Colsanitas

Posted on by
Reply

It’s a homecoming to remember for Maria Camila Osorio Serrano…

The 19-year-old Clombian tennis player completed her Cinderella run in front of her home crowd at the Copa Colsanitas in epic fashion, winning her first WTA title 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 over No.5 seed Tamara Zidansek.

Maria Camila Osorio Serrano

“It’s been an unreal week for me,” Osorio Serrano said after her win. “I still cannot believe that I won the title.”

At two hours and 48 minutes, it was easily the longest final of the season, 40 minutes over the previous benchmark set by Daria Kasatkina‘s victory over Marie Bouzkova to take the Phillip Island Trophy.

“I played a really great match against Tamara, and I didn’t know how I turned the match,” said Osorio Serrano. “I lost the first set and I was a little bit tight, so I still cannot believe I won.”

World No.180 Osorio Serrano becomes the lowest-ranked WTA title winner since World No. 299 Margarita Gasparyan won Tashkent 2018.

The former junior World No.1 and 2019 US Open girls’ champion is the fourth teenage titlist on tour in 2021 following Iga Swiatek in Adelaide, Clara Tauson in Lyon and Leylah Fernandez in Monterrey.

She’s also the third Colombian to capture the Bogota title in the tournament’s 23-year history, joining four-time champion Fabiola Zuluaga (1999, 2002-04) and 2010 winner Mariana Duque-Mariño on the roll of honour.

“With this tournament, my calendar is going to be more open, I’ll have more options to play bigger tournaments, so I’m super, super happy with this win,” Osorio Serrano said. “And of course that I’m home, with my family, with my friends, with my fans from Colombia. ”

“That was my dream, and kind of a goal, to win the tournament,” Osorio Serrano added.

Osorio Serrano’s last appearance in Bogota had been a significant breakthrough – as a wildcard ranked World No.438, she reached the 2019 quarterfinals, where she lost a high-quality three-setter to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova. This year, playing just her fourth WTA main draw, Osorio Serrano’s talent was on display as she made the final without dropping a set.

Pablo Carreno Busta Outlasts Jaume Munar to Claim First Andalucia Open Title

Posted on by
Reply

Pablo Carreno Busta is celebrating a special first…

The 29-year-old Spanish professional tennis player won his first ATP Tour title at home on Sunday, defeating fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 to claim the Andalucia Open trophy in Marbella.

Pablo Carreno Busta

Carreno Busta, the top seed, clinched his 200th tour-level victory by defeating the 23-year-old in the championship match. Carreno Busta needed to summon all of his experience to triumph after two hours and 21 minutes.

“I suffered like yesterday trying to continue fighting all the time… I needed to do it if I wanted to win this kind of match,” Carreno Busta said. “It’s a pleasure to win a title here in Spain, in Marbella. For me, it’s very special. It’s my fifth title, so I’m very, very happy for the victory.”

The level reached its peak towards the end of the match, with both men hitting sensational shots under an incredible amount of pressure. From magical drop shots to jaw-dropping half-volleys, they certainly showed their racquet skills on the Spanish clay.

“I started really good, really focused, being very aggressive,” Carreno Busta said. “After that I missed a little bit and Jaume started to play better and at the end.”

Now a five-time ATP Tour titlist, Carreno Busta was relentless in his pursuit of the win. At 4-4 in the decider, Munar fought hard to avoid losing serve. But on his seventh break point of the game, the favorite finally made good on his opportunity, blasting a backhand return up the line from deep in the court to force an error from his younger adversary.

Carreno Busta earned 17 break points in the match. Although he was unable to convert just four of them, it was enough to claim his first title since Chengdu in 2019. He earned 250 ATP Rankings points.

Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus Munar put forth a tremendous effort in his maiden ATP Tour final. The World No. 95 scratched and clawed no matter what Carreno Busta threw at him, but it was not enough to earn his first crown at this level. The World No. 15 was just a bit better on the day.

Munar, who captured 150 points, was comfortable in Marbella, where he’s now 12-3 on the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour combined. He reached Challenger finals at this venue in 2020 and 2021 before his impressive run this week.

Jay Wheeler Releases New Single “Viendo el Techo”

Posted on by
Reply

Jay Wheeler is dealing with a little heartbreak…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican singer and songwriter has released his latest single “Viendo el Techo.”

Jay Wheeler

With the new single, Wheeler continues to demonstarte why he’s considered “La Voz Romantica.”

Wheeler, one of Billboard’s Latin Artists to Watch in 2021, drops the romantic urban bop that perfectly sums up one’s feelings after a breakup: emptiness, confusion, shame.

“I’m not good at pretending that I forgot you/ Baby, I miss you, the nights are long without you,” Wheeler, who penned the lyrics, sings.

The music video captures a heartbroken man in his bedroom remembering his best memories with his ex-girlfriend.

Maria Camila Osorio Serrano Reaches First-Ever WTA Final

Posted on by
Reply

Maria Camila Osorio Serrano is thisclose to claiming her first WTA title.

The 19-year-old Colombian tennis player, the former junior World No.1, continues her Cinderella run on home soil in Bogota’s Copa Colsanitas.

Maria Camila Osorio Serrano

Osorio Serrano, a wildcard in this tournament has had a breakthrough run, which continued on Saturday with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 semifinal victory over French qualifier Harmony Tan, putting her through to her first WTA singles final in just her fourth career WTA main draw appearance.

Her effort this week has seen her earn her first win against a Top 100 player, beating No.7 seed Tereza Martincova in the second round, before following that up with a victory over former Top 50 player Stefanie Voegele in the last eight. She has not dropped a set in four victories this week.

“I feel super happy to be in the final,” Osorio Serrano said after the match. “I was really hoping to be here and to play in the final. I really don’t feel any pressure and I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to enjoy, to play my best and to do what I’ve been doing the whole week.

“It’s my chance to show my tennis, show my best and I hope that I can play well in this final.”

After winning a nearly 15-minute game to begin the match, Osorio Serrano overwhelmed the French qualifier in the first five games to build a 5-0 lead. Contesting her sixth match of the week, Tan received a medical timeout at the ensuing changeover and saved the bagel, but never found a foothold in the match over the course of 85 minutes.

Though each player landed less than half of her first serves in the match, it was Osorio Serrano who proved all the more effective on return: in all, the wildcard broke serve seven times.

Currently ranked World No.180, Osorio Serrano is the lowest-ranked singles finalist on the WTA this year, and is the third player from her country to play for the title in Bogota. Fabiola Zuluaga won the event four times, in 1999 and 2002-04, and Mariana Duque-Mariño won her crown in 2010.

The former US Open junior champion will play No.5 seed Tamara Zidansek for the title.

At the event’s last staging in 2019, Osorio Serrano reached the quarterfinals as a wildcard before bowing out to eventual Amanda Anisimova in three sets. She and Zidansek, the lone seeded player among those to reach the quarterfinals this week, have never played.

“It would mean a lot to win my first WTA title because that’s what we’re working for,” Zidansek said. “I’ve won two WTA 125Ks, but I remember that feeling, how it felt. Going for my first WTA 250 title, winning that would be amazing.”

Alex Rodriguez Finalizing Deal to Buy the Minnesota Timberwolves

Posted on by
Reply

It looks like Alex Rodriguez is ready to get in the basketball business…

The 45-year-old Dominican American former MLB slugger Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore are finalizing a deal to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from majority owner Glen Taylor, according to ESPN.

Alex Rodriguez

The purchase price in the deal is expected to be in the $1.5 billion range, sources said.

Taylor will continue to hold full control of the team for two years before Rodriguez and Lore take over in 2023.

“We look forward to entering this phase of the process with Glen Taylor,” Rodriguez and Lore said in a joint statement on Saturday. “Our respect for him and the legacy he has built lays an amazing foundation for what is to come. We are excited by the prospect of getting to know the Timberwolves organization.”

Taylor announced in July 2020 that he was looking for a buyer. The terms of the sale are similar to talks Taylor had in the past year with billionaire Ryan Smith, who walked away from a potential deal to ultimately purchase the Utah Jazz for $1.66 billion in October.

Taylor, 79, saved basketball in Minnesota when he bought the team for $88 million in 1994 after it nearly moved to New Orleans. But he has had an unspectacular ownership run in the 16 years since, reaching the playoffs only once.

Taylor has discussed keeping the Timberwolves in Minnesota with new ownership, but Rodriguez’s ties to Seattle and that city’s desire for a return of an NBA franchise could become an issue in the long term.

Rodriguez was also part of a group that bid unsuccessfully for the New York Mets.

Mon Laferte Releases New Regional Mexican Album “Seis”

Posted on by
Reply

Mon Laferte is changing things up for her next album…

The 37-year-old Chilean singer and songwriter wrote her sixth album, Seis, while hunkered down in the pueblo mágico Tepoztlán, nearly two hours south of Mexico City.

Mon Laferte 

Mon Laferte started writing it a month after the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed.

“I was like everyone else, just filled with uncertainty,” she tells Billboard. “So I clung onto my music and my guitar because I thought, if the world ends, I at least want people to know how I was feeling.”

It’s the first album in which she sings regional Mexican (banda, corridos tumbados, mariachi) music in homage to the country she’s live in for the past 14 years. In it, she doesn’t hold back while singing about toxic relationships, past and future loves, and the love she has for her mother and other women.

“The entire writing process was very solitary, bleak and melancholic … it was nights of just me and my guitar, drinking mezcal, with the crickets in the background,” she adds.

J Balvin Teams Up with Khalid to Release New Single “Otra Noche Sin Ti”

Posted on by
Reply

It’s another night for J Balvin…

The 35-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer has joined voices with Khalid to release the joint single, “Otra Noche Sin Ti,” along with a music video directed by Colin Tilley.

J Balvin x Khalid

The song, produced by Lexus and Keityn, is the third single from Balvin’s upcoming new album.

The track pairs Balvin’s Spanish lyrics with Khalid’s English verses, with Khalid crooning, “Been a while since I’ve seen your face/ When you know it gets lonely in L..A/ Thinking of you every day/ Say the word I’m on a one-way.”

The monochrome music video, set in a foggy forest, brings the singers together for the soulful song.

Ahead of the video’s premiere, Balvin and Khalid appeared on YouTube series Released to discuss their creative process and how the two originally met via Twitter.

In February, Balvin shared his single “Ma’ G.” Then, in March, Balvin released a new song called “Tu Veneno.”

Nicky Jam Launches New Restaurant, La Industria Bakery and Cafe

Posted on by
Reply

Nicky Jam is adding bread to his jam(s)…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican & Dominican American Latin trap and reggaeton singer/songwriter has officially inaugurated La Industria Bakery and Cafe in Bayside Marketplace.

Nicky Jam

Named after his management company, the brunch spot offers sweet treats, signature pancakes and baked goods, to name a few.

“I went to a Venezuelan restaurant and I really loved what they did and they gave me an idea. I wanted to do a restaurant where people go and take photos of their breakfast and it’s going to be so incredible, and so nice, and so delicious that people are gonna go crazy. I’m going to take a bunch of artists over there. Bayside is going to be a hit no matter what,” he previously told Billboard.

Duki Teams Up with NBA Latam for Special Docuseries “NBA Freestyle”

Posted on by
Reply

Duki is taking his love of basketball to the next level…

The 24-year-old Argentine Latin trap star, whose real name is Mauro Ezequiel Lombardo, has teamed up with with NBA Latam for a 10-part series that captures not only his love for freestyle, but also sports.

Duki

The series, which launched with its first episode this week, is part of the NBA’s commitment to offer local productions in Latin America. New episodes will launch on the NBA Latam YouTube channel every Wednesday.

During the 10 episodes, Duki will tell his relationship with basketball and the NBA from when he was a child to this day through an exclusive interview, reactions to the best players in the league and even singing a series of themed freestyles.

“I remember the first NBA game I ever watched,” he recalled. “I was home with my brother in Santa Teresita and the All-Star Game happened to be on at 2 o’clock in the morning. I was crazy about it… I remember Allen Iverson’s braids in that game. I’ve been a fan ever since.”

The series includes an exclusive song that will only be available on the NBA Latam YouTube channel. For the making of the video, Duki wears the shirt of one of his favorite players today: the Argentine, Facundo Campazzo of the Denver Nuggets.

“I had first spoken to Facu and he answered me. In a cross of words and jokes. He already knew who I was. I really want to do a song for him, with him by my side, a good heavy trap”

The series also includes unique video content highlighting the intersection of basketball, entertainment and lifestyle.

Juanes Releases Re-Do Recording of Fito Paez’s “El Amor Después del Amor”

Posted on by
Reply

Juanes is looking for love after love…

The 48-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter has released “El Amor Después del Amor,” a captivating cover of Fito Paez‘s 1992 love anthem.

The single serves as the first preview of Juanes’ forthcoming 10th studio album titled Origen – a collection of reimagined songs that have inspired his career.

True to Juanes’ essence, this new version is a bit more rock deftly fused with gospel influences and blues powered by Juanes’ smooth guitar skills.

“‘El Amor Después del Amor’ is one of my favorite rock songs of all time,” Juanes said in a statement. “Since the day it came out, what it spoke to, and still does, resonates with me and a whole generation. I have the utmost admiration for Fito- I admire his greatness as a composer and his lasting influence on Latin Rock.”

Juanes will perform his version of “El Amor Después del Amor,” co-produced by Juanes and Sebastian Krys, live at the Latin AMAs on April 15.