TennisIDENTITY

Bright done right.

Yup, a red shirt but it's a really good one, perfect red, not too orange or bright. It's got classic style but with light, moisture wicking performance fabric it's meant for real play. The shoulders are cut with rolled shoulder seams which help to hold the fabric in place. You will not find yourself tugging at shoulders gone astray between points. The cut is slimming and the shirt-tail hem makes this look cool and relaxed over elastic waist, drawstring shorts. Our pro wore them with Fila's 9" black shorts, loose fitting without being baggy. The short's on-seam pockets are lined with terry and mesh for sweaty hands and ventilation.

You may think boring, but the look is anything but. Together the red and black is handsome, confident and decidedly competitive. You can find the essenza solid polo and 9" mccrory short in a wide range of colors at www.fila.com or www.tennis-warehouse.com. Check out Fila's new court footwear while you're at it. We love the prossimo II. Talk about sharp looking!

Condition Thyself for a Stronger Game

Anyone who plays aggressive tennis knows that it's not enough just to play. ATP and WTA players spend hours strengthening their bodies to improve stamina and power. We're not saying YOU need to spend hours but even a little fitness training will go a long way to improving your game.

Ultimate Conditioning for Tennis was developed by Alan Pearson the Chief Executive of SAQ International Ltd., an internationally renowned training organization. The book contains tennis specific exercises which are easy to follow and, a good section of which, can be done alone. Some require inexpensive training equipment, a court or a group. The group exercises are great for a clinic or team practice. You can pick and choose what your game needs more of (i.e balance, fast feet, overhead power) or focus more generally on what they call ultimate conditioning.

The book includes sample training sessions both for the professional and recreational weekend player. Buy it at www.amazon.com, $15.95 USD.

Serena and Raphael walk on water to kick off the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami

Serena Williams and Raphael Nadal literally played on water to kick-off the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open. Set in the pool atop the Gansevoort South Hotel in South Beach, Miami, the two had a little fun on the floating court before heading off to face tournament business.

Tennis fans, if you don't have tickets, the Sony Ericsson Open has some television viewing available weekdays and weekends  (Fox Sports network and CBS Sports). You can check out the television schedule at www.sonyericssonopen.com/media/tv_s.html. Set your DVRs so you can catch it all. The tournament runs March 26 - April 6. Image: Sony Ericsson/Getty Images

Look Sharp in Fila's Collezione Group

This collection offers any team a unified look while catering to individual style requirements. You can't play with sleeves? No problem. Love a cap sleeve, polo, v-neck or racer back? This line has it all, including warm-ups. The collection comes with a base of black or white with contrasting pinstripes and accents of Chinese red -- a symbol of good luck. The black based skort is pictured above. The line is super comfortable, moves well and looks strong on court. The separates (made of micro poly spandex) can also be paired with a solid color top or bottom in black, white or red using the old mix and match concept that can truly maximize your tennis wardrobe. The Fila Collezione short sleeve top (pretty red edged scoop neck), runs $50 USD and the matching skort with built in shorts $45.  The dress is $65. Check out the complete line at www.fila.com or www.tennis-warehouse.com

Ginepri keeps HIS cool in Under Armour

While players down south are trying to keep cool in the growing heat, their northern peers are just coming outside to play, bundled up with sweatshirts and wind breakers. Tough way to play but it feels pretty nice to be outdoors again. Here's a solution.

Under Armour seems to get it right when it comes to temperature regulation. Their close fitting thermal grid Cold Gear base (1.0 level works for cool early spring conditions) keeps you comfortably warm and unrestricted despite winter's last licks. Put one on under your tennis shirt and you can shed the bulky layers. A men's UA Cold Gear base crew 1.0 runs $39.99 USD.

For warmer settings, our most aggressive players like the UA Men's Heat Gear Edge Knit short that runs $39.99. It hosts side mesh zones for increased ventilation, and we love the terry-like PolyArmour lined pockets for drying off hands between points. The lightweight Heat Gear Edge Sleeveless Tee is $39.99. Both the top and short offer UPF 30 protection from the sun. Nice bonus! The Ventilator Cap pictured here on Ginepri is $23.99. The cap releases moisture and heat, something cotton caps out there don't do.

You can still find Cold Gear on the Under Armour site. The Heat Gear tops and shorts are available in a variety of colors at: www.underarmour.com or Tennis-Warehouse.com.

A print for every mood, every challenge

When you want to look really unique on court, express yourself with something fun from Smash Gal. Check out the incredible range of colors and prints from floral, check, paisley, polka dot and vintage to fashion-current wild animal, zebra and giraffe prints (see image left). The colors are gorgeous, bright and fade resistant and the prices comfortable at $26 U.S.D. for a skirt and $25 for a top. Court shorties to wear underneath are sold separately and run around $29.

If you are not a perfect size 6 or 8, no worries, these styles will still flatter your frame as the lightweight fabric fits loosely (read, no belly cling). The skirts have an elastic waist, and range in sizes from xs (size 2) to 2x (size 22). Team captains say they like this line as it offers comfort, fit and style for most body types. Sizes run just a little big so if you like a closer fit, order one size down.

Visit www.SmashGal.com to buy or learn more.

adidas' Barricade keeps getting better

We've seen these on Ana Ivanovic, Anna Chakvetadze and Maria Kirilenko. What more could they do to the good ole Barricade, you ask? Aside from numerous technical differences, the Barricade V offers improved ventilation, a lighter feel and more "bling" than the Barricade IV. The silver and aqua blue accents make these pop. You'll love the stability and if your foot runs medium to wide, you'll enjoy the snug fit. We had heard that there was a break in period for these but our tester actually put them on and ten minutes later went into a U.S.T.A. team match and won! What more can we say?

This style goes perfectly with the aqua and white adidas tennis fashions reviewed in this site's February 26 post. The Barricade V runs $120.00 U.S.D. Look for them at shopadidas.com or at www.tennis-warehouse.com

Unique towel offers cooling relief in the heat

This court side towel, the Sammy Cool 'n Dry, lives up to its name. If you live in the south you will want one year-round. When you are hot, it cools; when you are wet, it dries. The sponge-like hydrophilic, micro porous construction holds water and keeps that water cold, allowing you to cool yourself down between games and dry yourself off between points. Equally important the towel does not drip water all over the court, or down your back. Our entire team brought these towels to regionals and they were an enormous help in the killer heat. The Cool 'n Dry is washable and comes in a container you can fill with ice water prior to play. We kept ours in a mini cooler with our drinks. Available in blue, yellow and green, the large size is 33 1/4" x 13" and costs $14.95 U.S.D. To purchase or learn more about the Cool 'n Dry technology go to www.super-cool-products.com.

Watch Federer vs. Sampras tonight ONLINE at USTA.com

In case you didn't get seats, AND you don't get the Tennis Channel, take advantage of the showdown LIVE online, tonight, Monday, March 10 at 8 PM EST in streaming video.  It's being billed as a battle for tennis history. Fans worldwide can log on and watch the match for free at www.usta.com.

It's always good for your game to watch great tennis.

Get the stink out of those sweaty tennis clothes

Tennis apparel makers have done a great job developing workout wear that effectively manages moisture and body heat. You may have noticed however, that these same fabrics tend to hang onto odors, rendering even the finest athletic clothing unpleasant smelling even after washing.

WIN High performance sport detergent's super oxygenated cleaning technology specifically targets workout odors and stains, eliminating embedded sweat molecules and smells that can overwhelm athletic fabric over time. It really works. We tossed in a load of mens' tennis shirts we thought were at the end of their road and they came back nicely refreshed. WIN retails for $6.99 U.S.D. for 21 oz., is biodegradable based on OECD standards, and is available at Dick's Sporting Goods, specialty stores in the US and at www.WINdetergent.com.

The U.S. Olympic team has adopted the brand as their detergent of choice, a good vote of confidence for sure.

Serena's tunic; good luck in Bangalore

Serena Williams is in the semi-finals at Bangalore; her new on-court look has worked well for her, comfortable and unfussy, great for someone who wants to move big. Made of the soft, high-performance fabric Nike is known for, this figure flattering tunic hosts a built in support bra and feminine lines that visually sculpt the waistline with sharp color accents. Long side vents ensure maximum mobility. Serena wears the tunic paired with the complimenting Tennis Tight Capri, a close fitting, below the knee short that reminds us a little of Nadal's three-quarter pants (discussed March 6 on this site). You'll need to tuck your second ball into the top of the Capris.

The Nike Women's Cruise Serve Tunic runs $60 U.S.D. and the Tennis Tight Capris $50. To purchase visit www.nike.com or www.tennis-warehouse.com.

Image: STRDL/Getty Images.

Federer vs. Sampras, March 10; Last minute seats available

Tennis fans, according to the folks at Stubhub.com, there are still seats available for the Sold Out March 10 NetJets Showdown between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Stubhub is an online ticket reseller. There are a few extra fees involved but it's all outlined on the site. If you are dying to go...here's your chance. Go to www.stubhub.com.

Nice pants. They work for Nadal, why not you?

Raphael Nadal's tennis identity is uniquely his. Pictured here at the 2008 ATP Dubai Tennis Championship he is wearing the signature 3/4 pants and sleeveless muscle baring top that define his look (along with his awesome game, of course). We wonder why Raphael is the only pro wearing these very cool looking pants and why we don't we see more of them in recreational tennis? Although you might think that it would be restricting to play a hard game wearing longish pants, Nadal's number 2 position in the ATP rankings indicates they don't cramp HIS style.

One of our team members loves these pants and in fact, has them in every color. He says he likes them because they are different, comfortable and really don't feel like pants; made with super light stretch fabric, they don't slow him down at all. One additional bonus is that they keep leg muscles warmer than shorts and that helps with big gets a la Nadal.

Nadal's top is Nike's Global Power Sleeveless Top, $55.00 U.S.D. and the pant, Nike Global 3/4 pants, also $55.00. Both are made with Dri-Fit stretch. Shop www.nike.com or www.tennis-warehouse.com. Image top left, Julian Finney/Getty Images. Image bottom right, Karim Sahib/Getty Images.

A security blanket (ok, vise) for that weak ankle

This is one of the best ankle supports we've found. Wear one and you will feel solid no matter how tough your gets get. Andy Roddick wears one on each ankle. Take a close look at the Roddick image in this site's February 28 post and you will see them. If you are injured in any way, use the ASO Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis in line with your doctor's orders. If you are simply concerned because your ankle is weak and turns easily, strap one on to feel more secure.

ASOs take a little time to put on with all the lacing and wrapping of straps but the peace of mind is so worth it!  Ladies, you'll need to wear this with a taller sock. The manufacturer's website tells you how to measure for your size to insure the best fit. Visit www.medspec.com for more information or to purchase.  All sizes are $39.95 U.S.D. and they come in black and white.

Classic, body friendly fashion for the Ace in you

Straight from Toronto comes a line of premium tennis apparel that focuses on classic styling, simple designs and quality fabrics. The A-line dress pictured here ($115 U.S.D.) is part of the ACE Classic collection. Designed to be slimming, the monochromatic A- line is accented with two shots of vertical color, one on each side. ACE Classics are made with supplex (which is a little thicker than many tennis fabrics) and come with a solidly supportive built in bra. The skirt in this line has a built in compression short as well. The fabric wicks moisture and glides over the body, creating a nice smooth line that doesn't catch anywhere. The lengths are comfortable, not too short, not too long, and if you get the two piece style (top $90, skort $110), the top provides ample coverage when you reach up to serve. No more tugging over that troubling area between points.

View the entire collection at www.ace-collections.com. Order from the site or look for a retailer listing. Travelers, ACE Collections will be opening its first dedicated boutique in Toronto in March.

 

Energize your game with tasty, nutritious body fuel

You wouldn't put bad gas in a Porsche, so why put junk in your body? These energy bars are a team favorite because they do the job and taste good; that's pretty tough in this category. Made with whole, all natural (70 percent organic) ingredients and 23 vitamins and minerals CLIF bars are actually quite healthy for you if you are exercising. When it comes to fueling your body nothing beats real food for energy. These offer a perfect mix of protein, fiber, carbs and essential nutrients that keep you going through extended periods of activity. Our favorites are pictured here -- plus chocolate brownie. Our teens even like them.  Around 250 calories per bar, eat one an hour before play or have a few bites between sets as a pick me up. Available in most supermarkets and convenience stores. You can also order or learn more online at clifbar.com. This is body fuel that is good for your game and good for the planet.

Express your artistic style with whimsical courtside accessories

This set is a great alternative for the recreational player that carries a little less gear and whose game is about friends, exercise and fun. Ann Veronica Handprints are all originals; each piece is designed and silk screened by hand in Maine. The fabrics are beautiful and durable, and the quality of workmanship, exceptional.  Visit Ann Veronica's website and take a look at the variety of colors and patterns each piece comes in: lobsters in scarlet and berry; dots, circles and flowers in pink, green, violet and taupe; hearts in berry and pink; and a lace-like print in violet and taupe.

The Tennis Racquet Cover and Great Diamond Island Duffle shown here each run $128.00 U.S.D. Other tote and duffel styles range in price from $42.00 - $130.00. Visit annveronica.com to see the beautiful collection of colors and prints. The racquet cover is listed in the site's accessories section.