TennisIDENTITY

Cotton ON to this line from Under Armour.

Cotton t-shirts are well-loved but they are not great for tennis. Once a sweat sets in they get wet, stay wet and cling. Under Armour's line of performance cotton (UA Charged Cotton) which weaves hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers together, solves the problem. 

Same soft, smooth feel as as old-friend tee, the new line really does wick and dry fast. I like them for the gym too. Basic tee for a guy but select women's tops have a loose but close fitted athletic cut (look for the words "semi fitted" on the label). Nice coverage up top and they are long, keeping that less-than-perfect zone under wraps while serving.

The t-back tank, right, is what I tried. 5% elastanane alongside 95% cotton adds stretch.

If you have been steering clear of cotton, check this line out which includes crew and v neck tees as well as shorts. Both tops pictured run $24.99 USD.

 Find the line at Under Armour, Tennis Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

Taylor Townsend. Tennis dreams do come true.

I recall John McEnroe telling everyone to be patient on the subject of US tennis talent. Here we go.

With bow and bracelets befitting her 15 years, Taylor Townsend, out of Stockbridge, Ga., won the junior singles girls final at the Australian Open. 

There are kids grinding their young lives out on tennis courts worldwide and this girl made it big. Not many do. Imagine the smile under those hands. 

Andy Roddick and Donald Young once won this tournament. Lindsay Davenport was a finalist. That's the short list.

And if winning singles were not enough,  Townsend also won the girls doubles tournament with partner Gabrielle Andrews.

Townsend, one of Prince's team "Who's Next," uses the Prince EXO³ racquet and has for two years. “This technology allows me to do a lot more on shots that I am pulled out of position for –which is most of the time at our level" said Townsend. "[It] has allowed me to win the four to five more points per set that many times are the difference between winning and losing. Since switching, my game has gone to a whole new level."

You can see the trademark grommets on the racquet above. According to Prince, these allow all players, including those at the most elite level of the game, to do more on balls they hit off center because the strings have more freedom to respond.

Townsend's tennis apparel is Nike, separates (love them) from the '12 Spring Rally Statement line that Serena Williams wore in Australia, right (and at Fed Cup in Worcester this past weekend).

Congratulations Taylor, and all the best to you for a successful career.

P.S - Blue becomes you.

Find it all at Prince, Nike, Tennis-Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

 

Vika victorious (and in gym shorts, OMG).

Congratulations to Victoria Azarenka who took home the 2012 Australian Open women's singles title and climbed into the #1 spot on the WTA tour...wearing track shorts (ha!).

Certainly there is much to say about Azarenka's game but what about those shorts people made such chat of? At an event where the latest in up-court dress is expected, track shorts and a tank are completely unexpected, something you'd wear on a practice court or just about anytime. Could there be a  little method to the "madness" here...usually is with Nike.

I rarely see anyone in a tennis dress. Far more wear separates/skorts and if young and buff, short shorts. Vika's are built for tennis with an interior compression short and a flip over waist band that states "Love Tennis." 

Azarenka also remarked that she was comfortable.  Ever heard it said, you've got to practice like you want to play? So why change it up and wear something unusual for match day? Smart thinking maybe.You can't argue with a win like OZ. 

Pictured is the Nike Tie Break Graphic Womens Tank in mega blue, $58 and white Tie-Break Knit Tennis Shorts, $55. Both are part of Nike's 2012 Spring Group.  Azarenka's racquet is the Wilson Juice 100.

Find it all at Wlson, Nike, Tennis Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

 

 

Novak Djokovic. Stick and Style at the Australian Open 2012.

 Novak Djokovic kicked off the 2012 season with new tennis fashion from Sergio Tacchini. No change in stick however; his HEAD Youtek IG Speed MP racket has certainly served him well.

The polo's colors (on white base for day, black base for night) are inspired by the Serbian flag which also appears in a heart at the lower left shirt hem.  The shirt also comes in navy and as a crew. ST designers tell me that the digital prints (that look to me like art created by a fast paint soaked jump rope) are an artistic interpretation of the dynamic nature of tennis, the force of a ball strike and the Serb's explosive energy. Explosive. Perfect word for Novak's game.

If anyone can prove that a line moves and breathes with you without any hindrence it's Djokovic. No question in the claim that the line here is ergonomic. No ST distribution in the US at this time. As of 2/3/2012 new Aussie Open SergioTacchini now available in US.

Find a HEAD racket retailer at HEAD or test drive through Tennis-Warehouse.  Novak's apparel is available at Sergio Tacchini. 

10 tennis players make Bloomberg/Businessweek top 100. 4 Men, 6 Women.

The 2012 Power 100 ranking of the most powerful professional athletes in the U.S was just released by Bloomberg/Businessweek. Ten tennis players made the cut:  

#5 Rafael Nadal, #6 Roger Federer, #9 Novak Djokovic, #25 Serena Williams, #33 Maria Sharapova, #40 Caroline Wozniacki, #80 Andy Murray, #83 Petra Kvitova, #93 Venus Williams, and #96 Victoria Azarenka.

The three in the top ten follow some of the biggest names in sports including Drew Brees (#1), Tom Brady, and LeBron James. Analytics used evaluated more than 3,000 athletes across a variety of sports, with 50 percent based on "off-field" measurements and 50 percent on "on-field" performance.

See the slide-show plus full info on contracts etc. at Bloomberg/BusinessWeek. 

Image ©GettyImages

Stanislas Wawrinka and Bernard Tomic choose YONEX.

Stanislas Wawrinka has welcomed 2012 with a full change to YONEX. He leaves le croc and Head behind.

Pictured he wears the Yonex Mens Australian Open 2012 crew and short. The shirt is also available in dark red with orange (which was worn by Lleyton Hewitt).

Thr inset below shows off the reverse side of this shirt. Big back graphics continue to make a statement. I'm a fan,

The on-court line is made with 100% very cool poly that reflects the suns rays and keeps body temp. down.

Bernard Tomic is another newbie to YONEX - racquet use only. His apparel is Nike - both Tomic and Wawrinka play with the VCORE98D.

“It has been a great start," said Tomic. "I'm enjoying playing with YONEX because there was a long process trying racquets and working choosing the right length and width. I'm happy to find it and it's gonna be a good start this year and I will be better this year..."

So far so good. RF was the one to stop him in Australia. Nice run though (for both guys).

Find a retailer at Yonex.

 

Vera Zvonareva moves to Fila. Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova renew contracts.

You may have noticed. Vera Zvonareva has joined team Fila and she looks damn good in her inaugural choices in Australia. 

“I have admired the Fila brand since I was a young girl and I am thrilled to join the elite group of athletes that have worn Fila throughout the years,” said Zvonareva. “The...brand aligns so well with my personal style...”

Pictured on Vera is the Fila Winter Collezione Racer tank, $50 in a super flattering platinum color with black and white accents and coordinating Collezione Petal Skort, $48. The built in undershorts are platinum. 

Heavy sweaters, consider the white or black base in this top.

For those who love the look but want more upper leg coverage, go with the Flounce Skort (in black or white) which is an inch longer with no peek-a-boo.

Fila has also announced extended endorsement agreements with long-time WTA champions Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova, two of my favs!

Find it at Fila, Tennis-Warehouse and tennis retailers worldwide.

 

Tomas Berdych refuses match-end handshake. Prompts question.

 

The hand-shake refusal. In the heat of the moment, whatever the circumstances, is it right not to shake hands if a match was played fairly? Probably hurt like hell getting hit by Almagro's drive but it happens if players are aggressive and the receiver is not quick enough to defend. 

Big talented boy lost his cool and still managed to win a really tight one (that's interesting actually). File this one under not appropriate.

Are there circumstances where a hand-shake refusal is appropriate however? Multiple blatantly bad calls, using purposeful distracting behavior?

Your thoughts?

Feliciano Lopez. Now available in Wilson.

Although Feliciano Lopez is out of the Australian Open I'm happy to note (albeit belatedly) that the Spaniard is now wearing Wilson. I'm certainly not saying he looked bad in Joma (not possible) but boo for us, the brand was not available in much of the world. 

Pictured here during an early round AO win, Lopez wears the hot looking new Wilson Laser Speed Crew (check out the back) and Laser Speed Short, white with orange blaze and pool. His shoes are Wilson Tour Ikon. Stick? Juice 100.

Best of all, the line is available worldwide. Have to say, some designers are going way to nuts with all over prints these days. This one is a keeper.

More love for Feliciano Lopez here.

 Find a retailer at Wilson or buy soon at Tennis-Warehouse and tennis retailers worldide.

 

What the hey is a Nike+ FuelBand?

Anyone interested in sports has likely seen some form of promo for Nike's new FUELBAND. I found this video that pretty well sums it up. Very cool, very easy. I'm predicting lots of stair-taking and amped up activity around the office and at the gym. The more you move, the more fuel you earn/burn.

 

Available for preorder now at NikeStore, $149. Check specifications on system requirements before ordering. Would you use it? Please leave a comment below.