The former national team player was in trouble, one set down and trailing 4-5 when the retired army commander-in-chief arrived at the courts. Play was briefly halted while he received an official welcome, then Ekkarin broke a string in his racquet as the match suddenly swung Attapol's way.

"I get goose bumps every time I think about this. I was so excited to see him watching me play. He is my idol," said Attapol, who has been a fan of Gen Surayud since his days in charge of the army. "He even shook my hand and praised me for being a good player during the trophy presentation. I was really flattered," he said.

Now Attapol will have to keep a promise he made to the sacred statue of Luang Phor Sothorn, where he prayed before the championship. With his wish already granted, he will have to present 100 boiled eggs to the sacred image. - The Nation.

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Acting weighs heavy on 'Nong Orn'

Athens Olympic gold medallist Udomporn "Nong Orn" Polsak could be the most envied girl in town as she had a chance to perform intimate scenes with a Thai celebrity in a TV commercial. In one scene that had her friends green with envy, "Nong Orn" had to pretend to kiss "Tik" Jessadaporn Pholdee, one of the most desirable actors on television. Her friends and family have not stopped asking her about their heart-throb and her intimate role.

"It was the most difficult scene for me. They had to shoot more than 10 takes to get that scene right because I was very shy, even though we did not really kiss each other," she said. "Nong Orn" revealed that at first she was not crazy about this Thai celebrity like other women, but admitted she had to change her mind when she met him. "I admit that Tik is a good-looking man. He is very nice and he always advised me how to act." The former athlete, who was well known as "Nong Orn Soo Woei" (Come on Nong Orn), pocketed Bt100,000 for her appearance in the commercial. - The Nation.

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Anna serves up a new look

With her new "Olive" shape, few people recognised one-time Russian tennis starlet Anna Kournikova when she took to the catwalk at the annual General Motors fashion show in Los Angeles last week. Kournikova was a shadow of her former self. The hard, muscular arms and shoulders she sported during her tennis career have given way to slender, bony limbs. There were even fears that she may have been sucked into one of the risky diet regimes that plague the fashion industry.

"Anna has lost at least a stone [6.35 kilograms], probably more. She has lost muscle from her limbs, and her face is looking skinny, which is ageing her," The Daily Record quoted nutritionist Angela Dowden as saying. "At 5ft 8in, Anna's former weight of eight stone, seven pounds was on the cusp of being underweight. But at 7st 7lb, her weight has fallen below a critical level which can affect fertility and sex drive," Downing said. However, Anna is delighted with her new look.

"My shape has transformed and I'm much narrower. My shoulders are smaller, my torso is slimmer and my legs leaner, which I really like," she said.

But what about her boyfriend, Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias, what does he think about the new slimmed down Anna? We can only speculate he's all for it - the two are rumoured to be getting married in June. - The Nation.