Tennis Week Day 1: Maria Sharapova Is All Sweetness and Smiles at Bloomingdale's, Meanwhile Rafael Nadal Sets Hearts Racing at Macy's Herald Square

Maria Sharapova with one of her favorite sweets at Bloomingdale's. Photo courtesy of Bloomingdale's.

ONE could call it Tennis Tuesday in New York City as the stars of the court descended on department stores with the force of a 125-mph serve.

Well, not exactly, but Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal did thrill some crowds yesterday evening.

MS presented herself at Bloomingdale’s for the launch of the Sugarpova pop-up store. Named for the candy line owned by the world No. 2 female tennis player, the sweets-selling store will be up until 14 Sept.

Smashing in a white, lace jacket-short ensemble from Chloe, MS sweetly signed autographs and posed for pictures with the enthusiastic crowd, a gathering clearly sweet on her.

Doubles Team Rafa and Tommy at Macy's

Rafael Nadal and Tommy Hilfiger at Macy's Herald Square yesterday for a Q&A and the launch of the fragrance, TH Bold. Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tommy Hilfiger.

Elsewhere, specifically 20-something blocks southwest, RN was close to causing some at Macy’s Herald Square to swoon.

The Spaniard, the new face of the Tommy Hilfiger brand, appeared at a Q&A with the designer to launch the new fragrance TH Bold.

The fragrance is a heady mix that includes pomelo, bergamot, jasmine, mandarin blossom, cedar, sandalwood and vetiver. TH Bold hopes to capture the winning rebel within every man who wears it. (See video above of RN in underwear campaign).

For a photo with Rafa, one was required to put out more. The first 10 customers to spend at least $50 on a TH fragrance or underwear earned an opp to pose next to the world’d No. 8 men’s tennis player.

Gabby Is Taking That Smile All the Way …!

Gabby Douglas appears solo on the front of the Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal box, as well as with her U.S. Olympic Fierce Five teammates. Photo courtesy of Kellogg's.

UNDOUBTEDLY, for most Americans one of the highlights of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas’ gold medal wins, particularly in the all-around gymnastics competition.

Many have remarked that she’s the first black to win the all-around. Is it really so exceptional? Not really. GD's achievement is extraordinary because she's an extraordinary gymnast, not because she is black. She achieved nothing that other black girls potentially can not if they put in the time, effort and make the other necessary sacrifices. After all, blacks do not have a genetic defect that has made it impossible for them to win gold medals in the all-around. The defect lies in the paucity of blacks in the sport.

Logically, the greater the number of black gymnasts, the greater the likelihood of black gold medal gymnasts. To put a fine point on it, blacks have been MIA in the medal count, not because they lack the ability to win them but because they are grossly under-represented in the sport.

Anyway, Yours Truly will always remember GD’s accomplishment because it happened on 2 Aug., a very special day on my calendar. (See video below from Team USA of GB’s routines from the Olympic trials ).

Alexandr Vinokourov crossing the finish line after the men's road cycling race. Photo courtesy of AP.

With the Olympics coming to an end today, I am already growing nostalgic. Other personal highlights are Serena Williams crushing Maria Sharapova to take the gold medal in singles tennis, then winning another gold with sister, Venus, in doubles for the third-consecutive Olympics. It was gratifying to witness 38-year-old Kazakh Alexandr Vinokourov – a retiree after the Games and dismissed as an also-ran – take the Olympic gold in the men’s road cycling race. Ditto for Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, like the Williams sisters, doing a threepeat in their sport, beach volleyball.

One of the most incredible stories of the Games has been that of South African track star Oscar Pistorius. He became the first double-amputee to compete in the Games when he ran on prosthetic legs in the first heat of the men’s 400-meter race. While he made the semifinals, he did not qualify for the finals. Notwithstanding that result, his achievement is no less remarkable. His example can potentially inspire amputees everywhere, particularly young men and women who serve their countries and return home broken in both mind and body.

Of all the wonderful stories from these Games, GD's will be with me for some time, not only because of the date it took place but also because of the massively unnecessary bimbo interruptions. Seriously, folks? I won’t belabor the issue. No doubt, everyone has heard, unless s/he has been buried deep under a rock. Of course, it is all nonsense and born of envy, self-hatred, sheer stupidity and a need for intensive psycho-analysis. VEVLYN’S PEN writer at-large Daralyn Jay put it nicely, “Gabby needs to go on national TV and tell all the hair-haters to kiss her gold medals!”

Gabby can do much more than give her detractors a piece of her mind. Sponsors such as P&G and Kellogg’s are lining up to give the young Virginian sky, moon and stars. She looks like a million bucks on the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes cereal box and she will be performing many dates during the 2012 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions starting next month. With the Games behind her, GB's next big trial is getting her driver’s license. Reportedly, she wants an Acura NSX Roadster — "just like the one in 'The Avengers'." Will Acura soon be knocking at her door?

Indeed, Gabby can do much more to answer her critics. She can take that gazillion-dollar smile straight to the bank. Truly ... success is the best revenge.