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France's Aravane Rezai - Source: Photosport -
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The best schoolboy prank ever
After her convincing win in Thursday's quarter-final, fashionable Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai strolled into the after match press conference.
Covered in blue ink. On her hands, arms and even her skirt.
"I don't know wat ''appened" she smiled in her lovely French accent. Somebody gave me a ball to sign and zen zhey left."
"And zhen I looked down, and zhis."
You can't help but think that somewhere in suburban Auckland, a young freckle-faced boy is feeling very happy with himself and his prank against one the ASB Classic semi finalists.
Calling the Beatles
In a new innovation, music is played in the 90 second breaks while players have a drink, contemplate and change ends.
Great idea, but be sensitive with the choices.
Shahar Peer, down 3-6 0-5 in her quarter-final against Elena Dementieva on Thursday and having a shocker.
And a certain Beatles song appears on the turntable.
"Help! Help I need somebody! Not just anybody!
Help me if you can, I'm feeling down".
Ouch.
Dallow deals to the heckler
During one of the many on-court entertainment episodes inbetween games, it all became too much for one frustrated spectator.
He started an audible chant of "Boring, Boring, Boring" to the surprise of most around him in the usually impeccably behaved tennis crowd.
ASB Classic MC Simon Dallow, more recognisable as the 6pm news anchor on TV ONE, didn't mince words in reacting to the rather large heckler.
"Thank you for your 'boring' chant sir, perhaps next time you can come down and entertain us".
The jogging millionaires
The dynamite combination of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Yung-Jan Chan were clearly ecstatic after their epic 6-0 5-7 14-12 over the glamorous Russian duo of Elena Dementieva and Elena Vesnina on Wednesday evening.
After shaking hands with their opponents and the umpire, they ran off court, and in the best traditions of Forrest Gump - just kept on running.
Down the corridors of the ASB Tennis centre, out the back entrance and onto Stanley Street.
Turning right towards the hallowed turf of Carlaw Park, which is sadly now just a car park, these two tennis teenagers resisted the temptation to pop into the nearby Subway and hightailed back along Stanley St.
Slightly bemused spectators clapped the energetic duo, while cars and trucks on the nearby motorway honked their horns.
The deadly Danish driving test
World number 12 Caroline Wozniacki has been one of the most popular figures at the ASB Classic this week, both for her exciting style of play and friendly pleasant nature off court.
She is something of a sensation in her native Denmark, and we were keen to find out just how big a star she is in the land of pastries and cheese.
"Every time I am in the sports news if I do something, but even small things, like my 18th birthday, getting my driving licence, buying my first car - everything is covered".
Thankfully for Caroline there are actually no steep streets in Copenhagen, avoiding those nasty hill starts that all first time drivers dread.
But can you imagine the scene for Miss Wozniacki?
Picture gruff driving instructor, arms folded, shorts tucked in up to his underarms.
"Okay, Caroline could you do that parallel park again, this time concentrate more on what you are doing than smiling for the cameras."
Protest by the numbers
18 people opposing the presence of Israeli Shahar Peer at the ASB Classic made for a noisy morning outside the media room.
It made you realise just how important simple digits are to protest chants.
1,2,3,4 Occupation no more
5,6,7,8 Israel is a terrorist state.
1,2,3,4 Stop the war in Palestine
5,6,7,8 Opposition is the crime
1,2,3,4 Free, free Palestine
5,6,7,8 Free, free Gaza.
After a series of songs, another group appeared to protest the presence of the protestors.
Just the kind of situation Jerry Seinfeld would have loved.
