TennisIDENTITY

Keep Your Eye on the Ball and On Your Sight.

 

OnTheBaseline.com has just published my newest Tape Talk article on the importance of wearing sunglasses on court. Check it out by clicking here. Pictured here Samantha Stosur wears Oakley.

Tennis Apparel for the Vintage Connoisseur. Mens Fila from the Days of Borg.

 

Perhaps because the Swede in me loved watching Björn Borg, I adore these terra rosa pieces from the Settantetre (73) collection of Vintage Fila.

Channel some 70s energy with Borg's athletic apparel, offered in his cream, navy and red combination as well as the uber cool cream and lime combos above. The belted short shorts are not part of the group; good decision not to try and bring those back.

Pictured above left is the terra rosa jacket, $175 USD, in 70% acrylic and 30% wool -- top quality, warm and SO awesomely retro but with an updated color scheme. The shirt, right, is the terra rosa polo, $110 complete with snap placket, contrast collar and vertical stripes. Made in Italy, these 92% cotton shirts are the real deal, right down to the stitching, based on Borg's exact signature style but cut to fit the more modern man -- who is a bit less sinewy let's just say.

One of my team, a t-shirt and shorts kind of guy, popped the shirt on and instantly looked more polished and professional -- meaning less of a rec., more of a club identity. Interesting how much a shirt can change one's projected image. The jacket also looks great with a pair of jeans as we saw at one of Fila's recent shows.

Learn more or buy at Fila. For more on Borg and a look at some old images visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Play With Style in New Eliza Audley. Court Couture for Tennistas.

 

Eliza Audley has just released its Citrus Blend  and Pros Rose tennis groups. This is what I call court-couture. Designed by an avid tennis player looking to bring some zing to her tennis wardrobe, Eliza Audley offers superbly cut court-wear in mid-weight, dri-fit fabric. The colors are sophisticated and the silhouettes tailored, feminine and of course court functional. The design detailing is what makes the line so unique -- upscale style for women who like to dress for their game. The pieces skim the body in a very slimming, forgiving way and both groups offers a coordinating jacket to toss on before or after play. The built in bras include bra cups for modesty. This is the only tennis wear I have ever seen cups sewn into and it's a helpful touch.

The jacket pictured above left runs $128 USD, flip skirt $70 and double strap camisole $72. All are part of the Citrus Blend Collection. The Sheer Overlay Dress from the Pros Rose group, top right, $150, is a work of art with printed sheer netting/tulle over a printed under fabric. It comes as a top and skirt as well, really different and quite striking. Pay attention to the size chart when you order. I usually wear a small but found it too tight in this line.
 
Learn more and find a retailer at elizaaudley. Now at Tennis Warehouse. (June 2009)
Images: DeoneJahnke.com
 

Tennis Nets and Windscreen Reincarnated as Earth Friendly Tennis Bags.

Old windscreens and nets have taken on a new and useful life reincarnated as roomy tennis totes. In Atlanta Georgia one court maintenance company alone takes 50,000 linear feet of windscreen to landfill every year. Enter iflydesigns.

Their Matchpoint bag pictured left is fully lined with tennis windscreen underneath the colorful exterior. The Tiebreaker (not pictured) is almost 100% recycled, just windscreen and netting, kind of cool for the hard core recycling enthusiast.  A flat bottom helps the bag keep its shape. These are lightweight, well constructed bags for carrying your gear or shopping with your passion at your side.

The bags retail for $75 USD. Visit iflydesigns to learn more, find a retailer or buy. P.S. the blue/green stripe is gorgeous.

Recycle Those Tennis Balls, Racquets and Shoes. Be Good to Mama Earth.

We've all been party to recycling efforts at tournaments (bottles and cans) but there are organizations working hard to get the game to recycle gear. Here's where and how you and your club can get involved:  

Rebounces (logo left) makes the game's biggest throw-away item, the tennis ball, a recyclable and money saving commodity. The company has mastered repressurizing tennis balls to their original bounce -- we're not talking tournament balls here, but practice balls or hopper balls; clubs go through hundreds changing over entire baskets every two to three months. Rebounces will accept balls in good condition (batches of 250)  and will even pay for shipping. They supply clubs who use their ball rotation system giving used balls a second or often third chance on life (depending on felt quality) at a very nice price.

Got a few old but still ok racquets in your garage?  Tennis Racquets for Kids is an organization that accepts racquets in good condition and distributes them to financially challenged kids and teens. 

Holy footwear? Nike Reuse-A-Shoe provides players with an option for their worn ragged sneakers. Recycle your tennis shoes through the program and turn them into Nike Grind, a material used in sport surfaces.

Alternatively there is, of course, Goodwill or Salvation Army that will put your gently worn tennis items in front of someone who will really use them. Tennis gear is expensive but public courts are free so help someone less fortunate to enjoy our great game and be kind to mama earth to boot.

Fila Goes Green With New Fabrication in Personal Performance Collection.

In honor of Earth Day week here in the U.S. Fila has released the new "green" pieces in its Women’s Personal Performance Collection. The group is designed to cross-over between sports including our personal fav, tennis. Good for the wallet (multi-use) and good for the earth.

The new collection encourages sustainable agriculture and recycling by blending bamboo and soy based materials with recycled Poly Spandex and organic cotton in four of the performance pieces.  

The very cute Flower Sleeveless Muscle Tank (pictured left, $50 USD) is cut from screened soft recycled Poly Spandex. Pair it with a black skirt (who doesn't have one of those) and you've got a great tennis outfit that's good to mother earth.

Buy online only at Dick's Sporting Goods in the U.S. beginning in May.

A special Earth Day shout-out to Fila for partnering with American Forests an organization dedicated to tree planting programming globally.

Welcome, It's Earth Week (a day into a week) here at Tennisidentity!

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, our posts this week look to where tennis is "greening" up. Take a look at some of our other past posts here. It's an industry start.

Fetch This Ladies. Chic Court Style for Tennistas.

If you haven't seen Fetch let me introduce you.  Fetch, who's embroidered logo is a feisty little terrier, offers a line of sportwear designed for the tennista who wants their performance style with attitude.The line exudes essences of Juicy lounge style, very laid back and young L.A. 

Quite a bit of Fetch style is for off-court but I loved, loved, loved the Spring 09 Fetch Club Dress (pictured left, $92 nylon/spandex) with the deep trimmed neckline, super flattering for those of us with wide tennis shoulders. The fabric -- built in shelf bra -- skims the body right down to the simply pleated skirt. The boldly striped Mach 6 dress ($110) and Veruca polo ($135) with skirt were also style lover favs.

The Track Jacket ($110) and low-waisted Pant ($95) are spandex fitted and comfy, young and slimming with not a touch of frump or bulk. They also have versions in terry and cotton. Tonal Fetch racquets and name complete the look in a very understated yet slick sort of way.

Check out the whole line at Fetch. They are in select tennis shops only. A retailer listing will be up shortly on the site. Send the company an email if you want it in your local club.

Will "King of Clay" Ferrell Takes on Mats Wilander in K-Swiss Tennis Showdown May 2. Seriously.

Be a part of tennis history when Will Ferrell takes on Mats Wilander in what's being billed as The Global Tennis Showdown, May 2 in Los Angeles. Pictured left, Ferrell the self proclaimed King of Clay, warms up (at the wrong game) in preparation to face Swedish tennis master, Wilander, former world  #1 and winner of 7 Grand Slam men's singles titles. Why and for what reason? For fun and a good cause, the Swedish School of Los Angeles and The Sweden House.

Dare I speak out against Ferrell's professed tennis talent when I say that this is sure to be funny -- but you know it will. I've actually heard Will is a good player but...

"I'm extremely excited to be a part of this event," said Ferrell. "I can finally put an end to my long-standing feud with Mats. I am tennis."

The K-Swiss sponsored event takes place May 2 from 4 pm - 9 pm at The Los Angeles Tennis Center on campus at UCLA in Westwood, California. Tickets range from $25 for general admission to $200 for Courtside VIP seats. A BBQ, live and silent auction and performance by The Dan Band are all part of the festivities.

Visit Global Tennis Showdown or call 1-888-369-9909 for tickets.

2009 U.S. Open Tickets. USTA Members Only PreSale Begins April 18.

If you are a USTA member (and you should be if you live in the U.S. and play tennis)  you have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2009 U.S. Open before they go on sale June 8 to the general public. The offer runs 9 am EDT Saturday April 18 through 24 at 11 pm; USTA members only.

Call 1-866-OPEN-TIX or go to US Open  You will need a valid USTA number to take advantage of this pre-sale. Visit the USTA to join and get a number fast if you don't have one.

June 1 is the pre-sale date for American Express members

HEAD Launches YOUTEK Racquet Line. Finally, the Scoop on Novak Djokovic's New Stick.

Although we have been entertained by Novak's teaser speed lessons, class is over with the unveiling of HEAD's new YOUTEK^TM line. What's all the fuss you ask? It's actually pretty cool.

HEAD YOUTEK offers a technology that adapts to every shot you hit using d3o^TM  in the racquet shaft. d3o is a "smart material" that dramatically changes its behavior under impact. It reacts to the needs of a player in nano seconds providing a softer touch and better feel on slow speed impacts, like slices and drop shots, and increasing in stiffness to create power on high speed impacts, like serves and passing shots.

YOUTEK racquets also offer Teflon^® friction reducing polymer in the grommets which allows strings to slide with little friction or energy loss, translating to more powerful hits.

The following new HEAD racquets are part of the series: Speed Pro, $225 USD, used by Djokovic (above); the Speed MP 16/19 and 18/20 $225; Speed Elite, $210: Speed Lite $210; and Speed Junior $120. The racquets are designed for player levels in that order as well.

Learn more at HEAD or test drive and buy at Tennis-Warehouse.

Tennis Magazine Releases 2009 Shoe Buyer's Guide

Tennis Magazine has released its review of 2009 tennis shoes.

Reviewer and play-test ratings are offered by the magazine's editors as usual but writer Dr. David G. Sharnoff, D.P.M., also looks at a few foot-types (supinated, pronated, neutral)  and matches the current styles with those types of feet. Nice added value.

Check it out online or in the May print issue of Tennis Magazine.

Road Warrior. Spotted at a Tournament. "Just because you couldn't get it doesn't mean it was out."

Bad calls (I won't call it cheating) are a problem in junior tennis and this tee addresses the issue front and back in a matter of fact kind of way.

On the back, "Just because you couldn't get it, doesn't mean it was out." Available in a variety of colors and styles for all ages, this tennis line will make any opponent think twice about less-than fair line calls. 

"Are you sure" tops start at $18.00 USD. They are high-quality 100% cotton from American Apparel. The fitted one is cute for a teen girl.

Visit are you sure ? to learn more or buy.

Pictured is Marielle Williams at the Southern Closed Doubles Championships in Rome, Georgia.

Michelin Racing Technology in a Tennis Shoe. New from Babolat.

Auto racing technology in a tennis shoe? Tis true.  Babolat has partnered with Michelin to bring exceptional traction and durability to our on-court soles. The shoes are lower to the ground, better ventilated and lighter than previous styles; the Michelin man is unobtrusively printed on the back heels.

Pictured above is the Propulse Lady 2, worn by Nadia Petrova and this editor (absolutely no game comparison intended). These were out-of-the-box comfortable, no break in required, snug and light, a true-to-size fit for my narrow foot. The adjustable new footbelt technology gives the Propulse a 4-point super secure fit -- another racing analogy. On-court, lateral and diagonal movement felt great.

Babolat reports that the Michelin Optimized Cell System technology (OCS) in the new range makes these 40% more resistant to abrasion. This is GREAT news for hard court players who can go through up to 8 pairs of tennis shoes a year. Platform tennis players who go through even more, should rejoice at the possible savings these soles will generate.

The Propulse 2, left, worn and signed by Andy Roddick, is the men's option within the Propulse range.

Propulse Lady 2 MSRP $104 USD, Propulse 2 $109. The junior version, the Propulse Junior 2, is $59.90.

Michelin technology is also being offered in the new Babolat Team and Drive lower priced shoe ranges.

Find a retailer at Babolat or buy at Tennis-Warehouse.

Andy Murray Wins Men's Sony Ericsson Singles. Here's His Gear.

Congrats to Andy Murray who captured his third ATP title of the season Sunday winning against fellow HEAD player Novak Djokovic. 

“I think any time you win a tournament, obviously it gives you confidence,” said Murray. “The Masters 1000s... they're tough tournaments to win. Like all of your wins, it contributes to your confidence going into the slams.”

Andy (and his brother Jamie) wore a bespoke Fred Perry top, a custom colored version of the Australian Open T, $52. USD and Men's Performance shorts, $44. Hmmm,  anyone else not happy about the custom trend in tennis? Nike is doing this and now Fred Perry. C'mon guys, we want the real deal, not versions of.

Andy's stick? Microgel Radical MP, $210 USD. Shoes? adidas Barricade V.

TennisExpress carries Fred Perry in the US. Visit HEAD for more info and where to buy on the racquet OR test drive at Tennis-Warehouse.

Victoria Azarenka Electric in Electrolime.

 

Victoria Azarenka, aka Vika, will meet Serena Williams Saturday, this time healthy (hopefully), and for the Sony Ericsson Open title.

Vika's gear: Azarenka plays with the Head MicroGEL Extreme Pro with Teflon polymer, $200 USD. Pictured above in Miami she wears the Nike Women's Slam Day Tank, $60, and Skort, $60 in white with electrolime accents. There'a cute cover-up top for this outfit too, the electrolime Nike Women's Trend Cover up, terry with a vivid pink zipper, $60. Sharp. Could she look more color coordinated?

Find a racquet retailer at Head or shop Nike or Tennis-Warehouse.

Image Matthew StockmanGetty Images. Sony Ericsson WTA Tour

Juan Martin Del Potro. The Gear That Powers His Game.

 

Juan Martin Del Potro rocked Miami by denying world #1 Rafael Nadal the chance at his first Sony Ericsson title. The shorn and sleeveless Argentine is a hot one to watch in 2009. Just last year he rose from top 40 to top 10. The guy's got game (and lots more..those eyes for ex.).

Del Potro plays with the Wilson [K} Six One 95 racquet, $200 USD.  He recently signed a long-term contract with the brand so expect to see him stocked in Wilson from strings to bags for a good long time.

Del Potro's look at the Sony Ericsson includes the Nike Summer Athlete Sleeveless in mint green with classic charcoal and white, $55 and Nike men's summer athlete shorts, 21" in dark obsidian (navy), $45. Bandanna style headband in navy. Nice to see someone still working the exposed biceps.

Find a racquet retailer at Wilson or buy Del Potro's gear at Tennis Warehouse.

Serena Williams Channels Inner Power in Neon Orange.

 When Serena Williams turns it all on you've gotta love her stunning intensity. Pictured here Serena nails a key point at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Colorful, powerful and glam, Serena commands notice, in neon or not. Will she stay at number 1?  Looks like she's got it in her for sure.

Ms. Williams wears the new  Nike Women's Summer Athlete Tank and Skort, each $55 USD, offered to us mortal players in bright coral orange and vivid pink with soft pearl accents. Serena's exact version is not available.

Look for Serena's court-wear at Nike and Tennis-Warehouse. You'll have to find the signature bling elsewear.

Image: Al Bello/Getty Images

Win a Case of Nutrient Packed CherryPharm Juice for Health, Recovery and Performance.

Hey guys, win the 24 bottle Prevent and Recover Pack from CherryPharm, 12 bottles of Natural Health Juice and 12 Natural Recovery, a $50 value.

This is an all natural, 100% juice drink loaded with phyto-nutrients and antioxidants to fortify the body and speed recovery after a workout. Each bottle equals 50 cherries, loaded with body beneficial compounds. This editor loves it.

Register to win simply by commenting under this post below. Everyone who enters will get a 10% coupon off a first purchase from CherryPharm's website and 10% off a 3 month auto-ship program if you decide you like it. The winner (chosen by random draw) also gets a quick-dry CherryPharm tee.

Here's to your health and game!  This contest ends April 10 at midnight. Continental U.S. residents only.