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Not to be outdone, the Fila men, Dmitry Tursunov and Janko Tipsarevic trotted out in new Fila Heritage Collection this week down in Miami. Top left Dmitry wears the men's Heritage stripe polo, $45 straight from Fila's design archives in Italy. Bottom, Janko sports the new raglan ss top, $46 (also in a already popular white version). Only the longer shorts, untucked shirts and eyewear give away 2009.
Also see women's new heritage. Janko's Oakley eyewear.
Shop Fila and Tennis-Warehouse.
Fila's Heritage performance line has returned, debuting at the Sony Ericsson in Miami. Pictured left, Anna Chakvetadze wears the collection's new cami tank, $50 USD, her personal favorite in the group. The ruching on the center front and thin contrast twist back straps add very current feminine detail. Anna's skort is the navy (peacoat) essenza skort, $44.
Other fave pieces from the Fila old school style Heritage line range include: the cap sleeve tee, $42 (pictured on Svetlana below), the Heritage jacket, $65, a super cute terry zip style with matching warm up pant, $55. White is selling fast at the tourney.
Buy at Fila or Tennis-Warehouse.
For the recreational tennis player with prep in their step, behold the new Ame & Lulu Tucket and Hot Pink Backpack. It holds two racquets, has three interior pockets, an exterior pocket and adjustable closure and straps, 20" x 16" MSRP $88 USD (add $20 for a monogram).
Here's the image: You, Nantucket on a cruiser, riding down a sandy road on the way to your morning match, racquet bag on your back. That's this bag. Also available with grass green accents. Sweet quality.
Learn more or buy at Ame & Lulu.
Nicole Vaidisova has been warming up in Miami wearing this hot little number from Reebok, the women's On the Go Tennis Dress, in red attack and grey.
This is a fitted for the fit dress (read, not forgiving of a less than svelte shape), 23" in length, MSRP $60. The adjustable wide straps cross in the back and provide comfortable support. The bodice offers a built in bra and double layered compression. This dress is a good option for the more amply chested who have avoided shoulder baring thin-strap styles because of lack of support. PlayDry fabric keeps you cool in the heat.
Available as the "Women's Spring Move Dress" at Tennis Warehouse. It's not on the Reebok site.
Vaidisova's racquet? The New Yonex RDiS 100 midplus.
Sally Parsonage B.SC, Ph.D., R. Nutr., C.I.S.S.N., Nutrition Division Head at IMG Academies International Performance Institute offers her tips to tennis players looking for the best nutrition for their game. Check out the complete article by Karin Burgess, editor of Tennisidentity.com at OntheBaseline.
More blue from adidas and a beautiful blue it is. Caroline Wozniacki turns to a palette of open sky and clouds for the Sony Ericsson Open and Roland Garros. Pictured here Wozniacki wears the same two-piece combo she has been wearing this year but in a refreshed color scheme. The top is the adidas adilibria tank, SRP $45.00 in Cyan, soft ClimaCool fabric with medium impact bra. It has a fitted, layered look up top and a longer length for good tummy coverage on overheads.
The skirt is the low riding adilibria skort, $50 in white, ClimaCool with seamless inner short, 12" length.
Brenda Cooper, Emmy award winning stylist, says that power colors are the more intense hues on the spectrum and when worn in harmony with your skin tone can positively affect how you are perceived. That said, me'thinks this will do well for CW's game.
Buy at adidas Tennis or Tennis Warehouse.
Venus Williams and Andy Murray kicked off the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open with a little "Traffic Tennis" atop two SUV's on Miami's Ocean Drive yesterday. The tournament runs March 25 - April 5. World Men's #1 Rafael Nadal will open play on the purple courts, March 28.
If you are in the area visit the Sony Ericsson Open website for ticket information. Click here for where to watch on tv and here for an online tournament pass via Tennis TV. Enjoy. Love that dress Venus! Talk about Miami heat.
Getty Images/Courtesy Sony Ericsson Open/WTA tour
Novak Djokovic is updating his look for the Sony Ericsson Open and Roland Garros. Like Ana Ivanovic, he's turned to a Miami perfect blue. Pictured here Djokovic wears the adidas Edge polo, $50 USD in pool, black and running white, ClimaCool fabric with full mesh back and sides for optimal cooling and ventilation. The special Djokovic inspired Falcon graphic sits on the back of the left shoulder.
Djokovic's shorts are the10" Men's Edge Bermuda, $50 in white and phantom. Drawcord waist and side seam pockets.
His shoes are the CC Genius, $130 in pool, black and running white. Low to the ground and well cushioned, carbon composite technology used in lateral strips in the upper give added forefoot support.
Buy at adidas Tennis or Tennis Warehouse.
Confirmed for the Sony Ericsson Open, Miami and Roland Garros, Ana Ivanovic will wear the adidas women's adilibria dress, in cyan, SRP $50 USD. This is the same dress Ivanovic has been wearing for a while, asymmetrical v-neck, drop waist, pleats on the shoulder and skirt, ClimaCool fabric -- nice to see the color change though. Blue is a particularly calming color but powerful in its intensity, beautiful in combination with Ana's skin tone.
As noted earlier this year, this dress is best on the truly fit physique sitting right on the hips to fall correctly. You will need to buy shorties.
For footwear Ana will wear the Barricade V, SRP $120.00 in running white, light onix and metallic silver. The shoe is lighter than earlier versions and boasts adiwear, a durable rubber that avoids the early wear-out that is a problem with many soles.
Buy at adidas Tennis or Tennis-Warehouse.
Looking for Andy Murray's shirt at Indian Wells? It's the Fred Perry US Open T-shirt in Scottish/Blue, $52 USD. Not new but nice looking for sure and still available. It's made of Activair fabric designed to keep you cool and dry and contains 38% recycled polyester (file that under green effort).
Find a retailer at Fred Perry. You won't find the shirt on their site OR a mention of their winning ambassador. Strange. Tennis Express carries the shirt in the U.S.
LBH has just released its newest women's tennis fashion group, Patina. This six piece collection showcases fine detailing not often found in sportswear, the dress for example has an empire waist, bead accents and double shoulder strapping. The cobalt (nautique blue) and turquoise colors combine in an ocean like print. LBH fabrics are Scotchguard protected and 50+ UV protective.
Pictured left is the Patina jacket, $108 USD and skirt, $46. Tops in this group range from $49 - $62 and bottoms $46 - $69. Blue is going to be big this spring...
Learn more at LBH or buy at Tennis-Warehouse.
Pictured is the rad-regal 2009 Melbourne Crew from Yonex's Pro Player Collection, $49.99. We've also seen it in grass green/white/black on Lleyton Hewitt and black/white/navy (rich look) on David Nalbandian most recently at Indian Wells. Yes Melbourne has come and gone but these weren't out then. Coordinating shorts are the Yonex Men's 2009 Open short, $46.99. 100% performance polyester, all guy.
Pull it all together with Nalbandian's signature tied bandana, $9.99. Scrap the terry strip and go for the better look -- not sure why so many American players still go for that one.
Learn more at Yonex or buy at Tennis-Warehouse.
Gotta say Fila has some yummy tennis stuff coming up alongside some remakes of Borg style classics. I'm going to HAVE to get the mod floral black top and skirt. Check it out. They've got everyone covered right down to the kiddies. Appearances by Anna Chakvetadze, Marin Cilic (see top right), Agi Szavay and Andreas Seppi (left).
Click Here to Watch. the video clip.
Tennis has always been hip within its inner circles but it appears to be catching on again with the masses. Thanks to a tremendous effort by the USTA and TIA to bolster community and team programming and WTA/ATP backed pro talent whose games and personalities have garnered commercial endorsements outside of tennis the game is growing. Today's tennis identities have become household names like Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg were (and still are). According to today's Wall Street Journal, "Fresh data from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association suggests that the fastest growing sport in the country is...tennis. After years of stagnation participation has grown 43% since 2000 and jumped 9.6% last year, while baseball, golf, gymnastics and football shed participants over the same period." The days of empty public courts may be over. That's a really good thing for our game.
Mine are junior tournament weekend warriors and there are thousands out there across the country. Every weekend, driving, playing, losing, winning, waiting, eating and drinking out of coolers, and driving home again late at night stopping for a quick dinner at the nearest Subway. If your kid wins, you do it again Sunday.
The players are impressive in their focus and drive (especially the teens who are passing up a lot of social time for the game). Some parents are less so but most are simply driver warriors who have given up weekends to "do tournaments."
And so begins an occasional highlight of a junior player's wardrobe item that pops out of the blur that is junior tournament weekends. Check out this dri-fit RAFA tee. Loved the U-12 guy who stepped out wearing this and the signature headband. $30 USD. at Nike and Tennis-Warehouse.
Racquet Sports Industry (RSI) magazine has just reported that Prince Premier LT 16 has been chosen as the #1 overall synthetic string ever tested by the United States Stringers Association. Wow. That's quite a statement seeing as the team has tested 124 kinds of synthetic string over the years. "With Premier LT, the excellence was virtually across the board," reports RSI's March issue. "The only other string we've tested with similar across-the-board scores is a natural gut."
Prince Premier LT is a multifilament string offering Linear Technology for great control, comfort and touch, like gut but without the price tag. It was included in my recent article on string choices in on THE BASELINE. Premier LT 16 is an excellent choice for players with a tendency to tennis-elbow. It is also the recommended string for the Prince EXO3Red 105 and EXO3 Silver 118.
MSRP: $16 USD per package
Learn more or find a retailer at Prince or buy at Tennis-Warehouse.
So nice to see Marie out there again (nothin' wrong with doubles), as always looking stunning in a Nike designed ethereal looking cocktail style skirt and athletic fit top -- loved the pale gold and bright white combo.
Sorry to report that the new outfit is not/will not be available at retail. This one's for the comeback girl only -- better luck next time Maria. See you in Miami?
Babolat has just unveiled its newest racquet line, the Babolat Y, an oversized series offering players both power and precision, something many oversize racquets do not. These racquets were designed specifically for the club player, men and women, age 40+ who play recreationally and/or competitively several times a week. Many of these players already use an oversized head. The four key technologies in the Y's construction: side drivers, dual-graphite construction cellular grommet system and smart grip, combine to deliver optimal power in every swing and absolute precision in every shot.
The Y line includes the: Babolat Y112 Limited, $249 USD; Y112 (on left), $229.00; Y112 with smart grip, $229; and Y118 (on right) with or without smart grip, $239. Babolat VS Natural Gut String is recommended for all of the racquets for added comfort and forgiveness. The optional ergonomic smart grip, makes holding the racquet less of an effort for older hands.
The Y112 Limited is for a higher level player with a fuller swing than the other versions of the Y which will benefit a player with a shorter swing, i.e., slice and place players.
There's lots more to know so check it all out or find a retailer at Babolat. Tennis-Warehouse will also carry the Y and offers a a demo program.
Can't be there? Check out these links for live television and online coverage of all the action live from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Click here for television coverage courtesy of the BNP Paribas Open's official site, and for online coverage click on TennisTV, $14.95 for the full online tournament pass. Sorry employers of the world, we need to watch this, every minute of it.
Marion Bartoli of France took the trophy at the Monterrey Open which concluded Sunday in Mexico. This was Bartoli's fourth Sony Ericsson WTA tour singles title.
Bartoli wore the Nike women's spring woven skort in white, $50 USD and the fitted, racer back spring seamless tank in vivid pink with white accents. Both pieces are part of Nike's spirited Spring 09 collection which offers a coordinated selection of black, white and that gorgeous pink, sure to cure any pinkaholic's craving. Yes, performance all the way.
This comfy skirt would also look great with the spring open tank, $60 USD which has a very current asymmetrical neckline. For those who like a little sleeve, this collection has you covered. Very now and I've got to say cheerful; we could all use a little of that.
Next stop Indian Wells.
Buy the new collection at Nike or Tennis-Warehouse.
Image courtesy of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
Tennis Magazine has released its review of 2009 tennis racquets including the just-out stick by adidas. Player reviews by those who tested blacked out models (meaning they couldn't see cosmetics) offer real consumer oriented perspectives. Absent in the line-up is the still-to-be-released racquet currently being used by Novak Djokovic.
Click here for Jon Levey's 2009 Racquet Guide online at Tennis.com. The reviews are in the April issue of the print publication.
Lejay's black and coral "Second Skin" tennis line is out with ten different coordinating pieces to choose from. This is a really fun looking group for teams or individuals looking to spice up their on-court style. A variety of figure flattering cuts offer every body-type the coverage they desire. Lejay's performance fabrics are lightweight and moisture wicking.
WIN the outfit of your choice from the Second Skin collection by visiting Lejay or Tennis-Warehouse and emailing your size and outfit choice to contests (at) tennisidentity (dot) com. Total retail value caps at $100. The winner will be chosen by random draw and notified on March 16, 2009. U.S. addresses only please. One entry per person. Good luck.
Live from Birmingham Alabama, the Tennis Channel has got this weekend covered in HD: March 6, 2 pm, singles; March 7, 2 PM, doubles; and, March 8, 2 PM singles. "Instant Encore" replays will air throughout the weekend for those who can't catch the live matches.
Leading the American team is Captain Patrick McEnroe. He returns with the same team that won the title in 2007: twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the World No. 1 doubles tandem and 2009 Australian Open doubles champions, along with No. 6 and No. 13 singles players Andy Roddick and James Blake, respectively. Switzerland will be without its top-ranked player Roger Federer, who was forced to withdraw due to a back injury, but still brings an impressive roster of Stanislas Wawrinka, Stephane Bohli, Marco Chiudinelli and Yves Allegro into Birmingham.
Learn more at Tennis Channel.
Have you seen Tsonga's tennis shoes? He designed them on mi adidas. Previously only available in select adidas Sport Performance stores, mi adidas customization is now online in the U.S. I just cooked up a rad pair of adidas Barricade Vs for myself.
You pick the shoe style and colors for the top, sides, laces, grommets, bars and soles. Everything is custom, down to the shoe size. One foot smaller than the other? Order each of your dogs a different size/width. Toughest part is deciding which of the myriad of color combinations you want. Go wild. I created four designs and then made my choice after looking them over top to bottom with the 360-degree zoom and rotate buttons. You can also have a message printed on the back of each shoe. Mine say FOCUS.
Check it out at mi adidas. Custom Barricade Vs will run you $140 USD; no charge to design. Have fun but my bet is you won't be able to resist the purchase. Very cool.
For info on Tsonga's look above check out our post on Jo-Wilfried.
Andre Agassi will return to professional tennis competition this summer, playing two matches for the Philadelphia Freedoms of the Advanta World Team Tennis Pro League, July 10 in Philly and 17 in Newport Beach, California.
The league's plans include 73 matches in 10 markets, July 2-26. The Eastern and Western Conference Champions will battle for the Advanta WTT Championship title on July 26.
Agassi joins other marquee players: Serena Williams/Washington Kastles (July 9, 10, 13, 14); Venus Williams/Philadelphia Freedoms (July 7, 8, 9); Martina Navratilova/Boston Lobsters (July 14, 15, 16, 21); John McEnroe/New York Sportimes (July 13, 15, 16, 21); Anna Kournikova/St. Louis Aces (July 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13); Michael Chang/Sacramento Capitals (July 10); and Bob and Mike Bryan/Kansas City Explorers (July 17, 18, 19, 21).
Learn more about the Advanta WTT Pro League, players, venues, dates and tickets at WTT.
Image: Fred and Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA.
