La Manga Club Tennis Centre is simply one of the World's finest outdoor tennis facilities! Whether you just play tennis for fun or are a top professional, this is definitely the Spanish holiday for you. La Manga Club Tennis Centre is simply one of the World's finest outdoor tennis facilities!
Do you know Petra Kvitova? You should. The power Czech took home her biggest career win this past weekend in Madrid pushing her into the WTA’s world top 10. It’s her debut appearance in the elite group. Additional wins in 2011 tourneys include Paris and Brisbane. Surely she’s a tennis talent to watch.
Kvitova wears Nike Gridiron group here. The smash classic tank in white with gym pink is $55 USD. It’s got a wide keyhole opening in the back which would be problematic for bra finding reasons had Nike not built a high-impact bra right into the top. I’m loving this trend which allows a great looking outfit to stay attractive without all sorts of sports bra sticking out.
If you prefer sleeves, and many, many do. There is one, $50, pictured right. No bra for the sleeved top though.
The skort here is in in pink with gridiron and white, $55.The top also comes in the solid pink with gridiron accent and the skort, white and pink.
Very classy, strong look for the court. Hint of old school cheerleader in the skirt but just a hint. We’re all grown up now so that’s good.
Tennis Resorts Online has just published its 2011 list of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps in the world. I’m a big fan of vacation (who isn’t actually) and a tennis vacation…heavenly. Sites were selected based upon reviews by over 2,500 avid tennis playing vacationers. Below, no pay-to-play favors here, just the straight-up on the top 10 in each category:
2011 Top 10 Tennis Resorts:
1. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
2. Rancho Valencia, An Auberge Resort, California
3. La Quinta Resort & Club, California
4. Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria
5. Wild Dunes, South Carolina
6. Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort, U.S. Virgin Islands
7. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hawaii
8. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, South Carolina
9. Topnotch Resort & Spa, Vermont
10. Longboat Key Resort & Club, Florida
2011 Top 10 Tennis Camps:
1. Roy Emerson Tennis Weeks, Switzerland
2. New England Tennis Holidays at Sugarbush, Vermont
3. Cliff Drysdale Tennis School at Stratton, Vermont
4. PBI Tennis Camp at Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, Austria
5. Saddlebrook Tennis, Florida
6. Topnotch Tennis Academy, Vermont
7. Wintergreen Tennis Academy, Virginia
8. Reed Anderson Tennis School, California
9. Vermont Tennis Vacations at The Essex, Vermont
10. Stan Smith Tennis Academy, Sea Pines, South Carolina
Visit Tennis Resorts Online for the full 100 lists and detail on how the locations were ranked. The website, launched in 1999, is run by Roger Cox, the former travel and resorts editor for Tennis Magazine.
David Ferrer hit the clay in Madrid wearing Lotto’s handsome new Graphic Crew and Short. Sergiy Stakovsky, Ferrer’s next opponent, did the same. It’ll be an all-Lotto event. Looking forward to seeing what they show up in tonight.
The white with cyan shirt pictured here (taken in Monte Carlo) also come in Fanta orange and white with black accents. It’s available as a polo as well. The crew cut and neckline mimic the style of a soccer (aka football) jersey, something I’ve seen becoming popular on court since 2009.
The top is $43 USD and shorts, $40 (elastic waist and built in brief). The discreet dotted graphic on the shirt is also at the top back of the shorts. Nice touch. The coordinating wristbands are $23
So what’ll it be guys? Maybe they mix up the color scheme a bit but the blue and white does look sooo good against the clay.
Tennis109 with Jimmy Connors is a new app for iPhone that features the 109 title winning phenom as your personal pro.
The app includes a section loaded with game improving instruction on a wide variety of shots and strokes, and a section featuring his thoughts/insight on the game past, present and future as well as his greatest matches, toughest opponents and more. There are bulleted tips and a spot within the app to jot notes down on your own game as well.
The content is presented in rich, clear video filmed on the courts of the Malibu Racquet Club. Man is it gorgeous.
As apps go, this one is up there at $9.99 USD, but with privates running from $30-200 per hour depending on the pro and area, it’s a relative bargain that offers the recreational player some good things to think about when on court and the ability to reference it all again and again.
If you are a Connors fan from back in the day you’ll also enjoy the insight interview segments. The signature vest is omnipresent.
Keep in mind that Connors hits a pretty flat ball. If you are a modern-day heavy spin hitter some of the instruction will not feel like a fit for your game. More old school shot makers will feel a fit right away.
President Obama took a break from OBL planning and played a little Quickstart tennis on the White House lawn recently. Pictured above he waits for a return from Chris Evert. Also on court are Katrina Adams and a couple of lucky kids at the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Nice to see our game getting some national exposure within the initiative to get kids out of the house and active.
Maria Sharapova has revealed her newest on-court weapon. Now officially painted, Sharapova premiered the new HEAD YouTek IG INSTINCT tennis racquet first round at the Mutua Madrid Open and came up with a win. The racquet has been a work in progress since early 2011.
“The game became a lot more powerful, a lot more physical,” Sharapova said. “I was really looking for a powerful racquet, and am thankful that HEAD provided me with exactly that.”
The new stick is said to provide “Effortless Power” actually. The YouTek Instinct IG series will be available in August in two versions, the MP and the S model. Both will allow players to create power in their strokes much more easily, due to better maneuverability of the racquet during the swinging motion and less energy loss at ball impact; built in Innegra™ technology reduces vibration on ball impact and allows for more control.
More specs are forthcoming.
HEAD CEO Johan Eliasch noted, “Maria gave a lot of input to help develop this new series of racquets. We are proud that she joined our team and trusts our products.” Proud? Yes of course but much more likely… very, very thrilled ;)
Maria’s apparel here? All Nike Maria Sharapova Group. The Statement Tank in lemon frost/lightbulb $60 and Skort, in gridiron $60. Very pretty two piece set.
The Matua Madrid Masters Open kicked-off yesterday with a vertical tennis court complete with two hanging players engaged in a singles battle (ball free).
Inspired by the dragonfly’s artful energetic flight and irridescent wings Eliza Audley’s Dragonfly collection brings the charm and energy of summer’s sky dancers to your game.
Left is the Dragonfly dress in white, $150. The printed mesh overlay is 80/20 polyester spandex so it stretches with you. The attached under dress is 90/10 and has a built-in bra with cups for support and modesty. The silhouette has a pretty keyhole t-back and also comes in charcoal.
Yes, courture lovers this is high-end tennis wear most often seen on the chicest of courts. The signature ‘e’ logo is made out of Swarovski crystals.
The aqua marine cami top below is $70.00 and the skimmer skirt is available with ($92) or without shorties ($80). The two piece set is really gorgeous.
Pretty, pretty stuff; well constructed and slimming without cling.
Dunlop tennis has signed Tim Smycek, a hot-on-court Milwaukee native, to a racquet deal. His win last week against Donald Young in the 2011 USTA French Open Wild Card Playoffs earned him the coveted ticket to Roland Garros.
“Tim is a great signing for Dunlop,” said Kai Nitche, Vice President and General Manager of Dunlop Racket Sports. “He possesses the key characteristics we look for in our Tour Team members; he works extremely hard both on and off-court, he’s dedicated, and he pulls through in clutch situations. It’s been a pleasure to work with him thus far, and we wish him well as he continues his climb up the ATP World Tour rankings.”
The 23 year old trains at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa and now makes his second appearance in a Grand Slam main draw; he won the USTA playoff last August to get into the US Open. This year he’s continued his upward momentum by reaching the quarters in San Jose in February and the second round in Indian Wells after qualifying for the main draw.
Smycek currently wears adidas apparel and footwear. Yeah, you’re right, he’s hot off court too
TENNIS Magazine’s 2011 Buyer’s Guide is in their May issue. Pick one up if you don’t subscribe.
If you are in the market for a new racquet or shoes this issue outlines playtester reviews of what’s new with the biggest brands and tells it like the players felt it.
Read the dets closely and don’t just buy a racquet model because your favorite player uses it. Look for features that suit YOUR game style.
In the background…my lovely Fila jacket, the one Kim Clijsters wore when she won the 2009 US Open. Still looks great doesn’t it?
Djokovic broke Federer in the third game of the first set, and came down from a break in the second set. Djokovic consistently pounded the Federer backhand, which is not aging gracefully with the 29-year-old Swiss, much like Pete Sampras’ one-handed backhand declined in his final years. Late in the second set the Federer backhand also let him down, producing some critical unforced errors.
