Article:2008 Hottest Female Athlete Tournament - Third Round Voting (Regions 3 & 4)

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Natalie Ward |- | (Softball) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Erica Blasberg |- | (Golf) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Malia Jones |- | (Surfing) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Daniela Hantuchova |- | (Triathlon) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Sasha Cohen |- | (Figure skating) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Bia & Branca Freres |- | (Swimming) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Anna Kournikova |- | (Tennis) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Gretchen Bleiler |- | (Snowboarding) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

=REGION 3=

Natalie Ward vs. Erica Blasberg
Ms. Ward rose from virtual obscurity to advance to the third round of this contest. She has parlayed a racy photo where her softball glove strategically covers her dirty pillows to two early round victories over Jackie Frank and Amanda Coetzer. Ward has proven she is for real. Blasberg has established herself as one of the hottest female golfers out there and made us all take notice of her hotness. Blasberg owns victories over Grace Park and Maurizia Cacciatore and could move into Round 4.

Advantage Ward: afore mentioned strategically placed softball glove, gorgeous smile, dimples that would make Jennifer Garner envious

Advantage Blasberg: extremely photogenic, great legs

Prediction: Oi, this one could be close. I'm guessing here, Ward by 5%

Malia Jones vs. Daniela Hantuchova
Perhaps no hottie in this tournament has obliterated the competition with the ruthless ease Malia Jones has dispatched her first two opponents. Jones dominated Gale Devers and Laila Ali, never surrendering more than 6% of the vote in either of her two wins. Hantuchova had an easy first round victory over Jill McGill, but struggled to beat Franzi VanAlmsick in Round 2. Hantuchova has exponentially tougher competition for Round 3.

Advantage Jones: momentum, a body that could stop traffic, a plethora of bikini pics

Advantage Hantuchova: multiple appearances on other hottie lists

Preediction: Jones in a landslide, by at least 35%

Sasha Cohen vs. Feres Twins
Does Sasha Cohen resemble Christina Ricci? It could be my imagination though. Either way, Cohen has found her way to Round 3. She was pushed nearly to the brink in the first round by Mia St. John but cruised in surprisingly easy fashion against Tanith Belbin in the second. The blond duo juggernaut known as the Feres twins has crushed two foes thus far. In Round 1 they just punished Chris Evert and easily beat Anna Rawson in Round 2. Some have contended not breaking the two up has given them a competitive advantage. This is a good point, but we found the twin factor just too juicy to get rid of. Hence the Feres Twins.

Advantage Cohen: cuteness, unreal legs, she’s flexible

Advantage Feres Twins: hotness squared, jaw dropping beauty, an air of sultry freakiness

Prediction: Feres Twins in a rout by 30% at least

Anna Kournikova vs. Gretchen Blieler
The somewhat iconic Anna Kournikova blazed onto the tennis court as a professional in 1995. In the mean time she has won two Grand Slam doubles titles, made the semis at Wimbledon in 1997, dated Pavel Bure, Sergei Federov, and Enrique Iglasias. Her career was largely a flop but she has more than made up for athletic short comings by becoming one of the most photographed faces in the world. Kournikova was not seriously challenged in either of her first two matches, beating Amber Stachowski and Logan Tom rather handily. While Gretchen Blieler has a more decidedly under stated public persona than Anna K she takes a back seat to no one in the looks department. Blieler got at least 85% of the votes against both Amalie Mauresmo and Sarah Will to advance to the third round.

Advantage Kourniova: a ton of revealing pictures scattered all over Google, a fantastic body, name recognition

Advantage Blieler: multiple appearances on hottie lists, not afraid to show off her stuff

Prediction: Blieler by a whisker

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Leryn Franco |- | (Javelin Throwing) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Hope Solo |- | (Soccer) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Missy Gibson |- | (Surfing) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Kristi Leskinen |- | (Skiing) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Veronica Kay |- | (Surfing) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Maria Kirilenko |- | (Tennis) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

{| |- | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Ana Ivanovic |- | (Tennis) |- | |} | valign="top" | {| width="150px" |- | Gina Carano |- | (Mixed martial arts) |- |  |} | valign="top" | {| width="250px" |- |  |} |}

=Region 4=

Leryn Franco vs. Hope Solo
Franco has dominated her opponents with stunning ease. In Round 1 she crushed Anastasia Myskinaby by 86% to 14%, respectively. Then in Round 2 she faced a lady that many feel was a pre tourney favorite and perennial hottie contestant Gabrielle Reese. Now no one was too shocked Franco won because she is freakin’ hot. What shocked us all was the ease with which Franco dispatched Reese, a 91%-9% drubbing. Franco is legit. Hope Solo had a fairly easy win over Linda Hanley in Round 1 then demolished Natalie Coughlin in Round 2. Solo may be the best goalie in women’s international soccer and is damn cute to boot.

Advantage Franco: momentum, Hollywoodesque good looks, photogenic as hell

Advantage Solo: electric smile, cuteness factor

Prediction: if Franco can nearly blank Gabby Reese she can crush Solo…Franco by 70%

Missy Gibson vs. Kristi Leskinen
The surfing hottie phenom known as Missy Gibson has shown through the early rounds she is a force to be reckoned with. In Round 1 Gibson destroyed Jana Kandar, and then breezed by Katie Hnida in Round 2. Kristi Leskinen has been an early round powerhouse, beating Loudy Tourky and Jelena Dokic by at least 60%.

Advantage Gibson: gorgeous eyes, smoldering sensuality

Advantage Leskinen: lingerie pics, big blue eyes, a tasty FHM pictorial

Prediction: Leskinen by 30%

Veronica Kay vs. Maria Kirilenko
Another sultry surfing godess has advanced through the first two rounds quite nicely. Veronica Kay took on Barbara Schett and Tatiana Grogorieva and posted no less than 90% of the vote on both. She is on a roll. Maria Kirilenko knocked out the controversial Marion Jones in the first by a wide margin  then humbled Lauren Jackson in the second. This matchup will be interesting.

Advantage Kay: she's tall at 5'10", incredible body, a very nice Stuff photo shoot

Advantage Kirilenko: natural hotness, good athlete, nice legs

Prediction: Kay will roll by 30%

Ana Ivanovic vs. Gina Carano
Arguably the best female tennis player in the world, Ana Ivanovic is a hottie too. She is the reigning French Open champion and was runner up in the Australian Open. Ivanovic beat Ashley Tappin and Michelle Wie by big margins to make into Round 3. Gina Carano is probably the toughest girl, pound for pound, in the world. She couples that with Hollywood starlet beauty and a humble yet sweet persona. She eased by Tatiana Golovin in Round 1 and Gisela Dulko in Round 2. Carano, the Elite XC (now defunct) women's champion, has a former NFLer for a dad but doesn't need his protection as her Muay Thai skills could turn most into mulch.

Advantage Ivanovic: a statuesque 6'1", professional success

Gina Carano: bad arse girl persona, best smile in the tournament, starred on American Gladiators, an ESPN 360 feature

Prediction: Carano by 15%