ISSUE I
RACQUETTECH MAGAZINE
2012
EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION
25 YEARS HEAD PRESTIGE JIM COURIER’S FAVORITE DRILLS NEW PRODUCTS ERSA ITALY LAUNCHED INDUSTRY NEWS
UNLEASH BEAST THE
BEAST XP
PRECISION TUNED THERMO-POLY WWW.BEASTXP.COM
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CONTENTS
Features 4 My Serve 6 New Products 16 Jim Courier 21 Industry News 27 ERSA Italy
Industry News Australian Open ManĆ&#x;s Signs Rusedski Bryan Brothers Beast Babolat Play & Connect WTA & Dubai Duty Free Murray Joins With Lendl USA Tennis Growth TIA UK Signs With Trident
MY
SERVE My Serve
RACQUETTECH EUROPE European Racquet Stringers Association Director Mark Maslowski Office Manager Sanda Maslowski ERSA Australia Anthony Aley ERSA UK Manager Jamie Pethick ERSA UK Tester Roger Dalton ERSA Spain Manager Richard Parnell ERSA France Manager Jean Baviera ERSA Italy Manager Marco Rosanni ERSA Netherlands Manager Mark Verschoor ERSA Greece Manager Petros Biris ERSA Greece Workshop Manager George Pahiokas ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia Vaclav Smat FOUNDING MEMBERS Ashaway Babolat Head Isospeed Kirschbaum Luxilon Pacific Wilson CORPORATE MEMBERS Ashaway Head Prince Isospeed GOSEN Tecnifibre STRING SUPPLIER MEMBERS Apollo Leisure Bow Brand Kirschbaum Signum Pro TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Rod Cross TENNIS CONSULTANT Gabe Jaramillo
European Racquet Stringers Association Lenaustr. 38 40470 DĂźseldorf DE Germany Phone/Fax +49(0)211-87511548 www.ersa-stringers.com
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Welcome to our first issue of 2012. This is a Hi Res PDF edi on and the first printed edi on will be publishd February 25. Make sure you have allowed our e-mails with your browser and are not blocking them. They will be sent with the e-mail mmaslo3330@aol.com. Six printed edi ons will be sent out every 2 months with the PDF edi ons every 2 months. Our management commi ee has agreed to expand the Pro Tour Stringer Cer fica on. We have some great new stringers with li le tournament experience who want a cer ficate to string in tournaments, as well as many of the best stringers who have been stringing in tournaments for 10 to 25 years. The new cer fica on will be divided into 3 levels, PTS 1, PTS 2, and Master PTS. The applicants have to be a MRT and apply for a PTS 1 test, a er 5 years they can apply for PTS 2 which will be voted on by the management commi ee. Master PTS will be nominated by our management commi ee and voted a er pu ng together a resume and at least 2 recommenda ons. The ERSA is expanding in the same direc on as we have in the last several years. We are se ng up country associaons with a manager to run the teaching and cer ficaons programs as well as transla ng, and dealing with the racket sport associa ons, teaching associa ons, magazines and members in their own language. We now have the Digest, Study Guide and tests available in 7 languages, so there is not any reason to not get cer fied today. We will also be prin ng Cer ficates in dierent languages this year as some members said it would be be er for their customers to read. Next month in RacquetTech we will be introducing all the new rackets for 2012 and their sta s cs. The stringing pa erns will be added to the online Digest on www.ersastringers.com in February. We have new managers this year in France, Italy and the Netherlands. We are also nego a ng with 2 other countries for this year and hoping to get everything translated in Russian in the next 2 months. Best Wishes Mark Maslowski
ERSA now offers cer fica on for different levels of stringers, from beginners to the top professional stringers in the world. The first level is ERSA Stringer is for new stringers to show they have completed a stringing course and learned to string correctly. CerƟfied Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches, club stringers, shop stringers, a er passing a day of prac cal and wri en tests. Master Racquet Technician is for shop stringers and owners who can tune racquets, string at a high level and have a broad knowledge of products for their customers. Pro Tour Stringer cer fica on is for MRTs who are stringing at ATP and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this cer fica on, Level 1, Level 2 and Master Pro Tour Stringer. The highest level, Master PTS is only given to stringers who have proven themselves at professional tournaments for over 10 years.
New Master Racquet Technicians - January 2012 Marco Rosanni - Milano, Itlay Adriana More - Milano, Italy
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NEW PRODUCTS 25 Years of HEAD Prestige – The Legend continues HEAD launches new YouTek™ IG Prestige Tour Racquet Series
For 25 years, one racquet has constantly redefined maximum control and feel on the court and became a legend in itself: the HEAD Prestige. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Prestige racquet excellence, HEAD is launching the revitalised YouTek™ IG Prestige series for 2012 and adding the innovative S-model to the range. The Prestige philosophy can be summed up in three words: Heritage, Precision & Class. Tennis legends like Henri Leconte, Thomas Muster, Goran Ivanišević, Gustavo Kuerten or Marat Safin have been using the HEAD Prestige series initially introduced in 1987, and until today they praise that unique feel and sound which only tennis players, who have ever picked up a Prestige, can share. “It is a feeling very tough to describe, but everybody who has ever played with a Prestige racquet understands” confirms Robin Soderling. “The Prestige racquet gives me the best mix of both power and control.” The Swedish two-time French Open finalist is HEAD’s lead endorser for the new Prestige line, including the Pro, MP and Mid, as well as the totally new S-model, latest product of HEAD’s innovative product design development . In line with HEAD’s YouTek™ philosophy of combining superior technologies to provide each player with the right racquet for his or her individual needs, the new S-Model will enable more tennis players to experience the unique playing characteristics of the legendary Prestige. The special setup and reduced weight of the Prestige S makes the model easier to play for a broader range of players. The racquet features a new 16/19 double grommet string pattern for a more comfortable game and better sound, while a unique new shaft construction yields improved ergonomic and enhanced torsional stiffness. All of the new YouTek™ IG Prestige racquets are showcasing HEAD’s Innegra™ and D3O™ technologies. Innegra™ belongs to the lightest performance fibres in the world today. In combination with carbon fibre, Innegra™ forms an ultra-tough, hybrid-composite frame structure. The material, also used in Formula 1, results in a racquet frame offering improved stability and increased shock absorption. Tests show that vibration on ball impact is reduced by up to 17 %, resulting in unique control and precision. The new Prestige models are also visually stunning, designed with monochrome colour ways inspired by the traditional Prestige Red, textural contrasts, geometrical icons and tone-ontone detailing. The new YouTek™ Prestige will be visible on the courts of the Tennis Tour and available in Retail stores around the world in-time for the Australian Open, the first highlight of the 2012 tennis season. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Prestige, HEAD will launch prior to the Australian Open a bespoke Facebook application and a series of Prestige videos. On www.youtube.com/headtennis, and www.facebook.com/headtennis tennis fans will have a chance to join legendary Prestige players of the past and today in celebrating the history of the racquet – and thanking the Prestige for Absolute Precision since 1987!
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NEW PRODUCTS For Radical Creativity on the Tennis Court HEAD presents new 2012 YouTek™ IG Radical Tour Racquet Series
Always unpredictable, multi-talented, with a game as versatile as it is unexpected - this is Radical Creativity on the court. In 2012, HEAD equips creative players with the brand-new YouTek™ IG Radical tour racquet collection. Andy Murray’s YouTek™ IG Radical Pro leads the line-up for the popular Radical series, which has established itself as a premium racquet for both power and control. “I’ve played with the Radical since I was 13 and I never wanted to change since,” says ATP No.4 ranked Andy Murray. “With the new YouTek™ IG Radical, I feel I have a lot more variety in my game.” All HEAD Radical racquets are marked by a continued dedication to the core values of creativity and a fresh, radical approach to tennis equipment which provides versatility on court. Made for creative players with a big variety of shots, the Radical line now features further improved technology and includes the S-model next to the well-established Pro, MP, OS and Lite versions. All of the new YouTek™ IG Radical racquets are showcasing HEAD’s well-accepted Innegra™ and D3O™ technologies. Innegra™ belongs to the lightest performance fibres in the world today. In combination with carbon fibre, Innegra™ forms an ultratough, hybrid-composite frame structure. The material, also used in Formula 1, results in a racquet frame offering improved stability and reducing vibration on ball impact by up to 17 %. In line with HEAD’s YouTek™ philosophy of combining superior technologies to provide each player with the right racquet for his or her individual needs, the innovative Radical S is designed to enable more tennis players to experience the unique playing characteristics of HEAD’s tour racquet models. The special setup of the S-model featuring a bigger headsize and reduced weight makes it easier to play for a broader range of players. Further, the entire YouTek™ IG Radical range spots a distinctive and aggressive new look. Design elements include a refreshed, more agressive orange colour tone, geometrical icons and tone-ontone detailing. The IG Radical is equipped for the first time with a full, smoky cap with a modern shape for a unique feel. The new YouTek™ IG Radical will be visible on the courts of the Tennis Tour and available in Retail stores around the world in-time for the Australian Open, the first highlight of the 2012 tennis season.
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NEW PRODUCTS
Man s Sport has introduced 2 new frames, the Tour 315 and the
Tour 305. Both are players frames with 95 square inch head size and 20mm beam width. For more informa on visit: www.man s-sport.com
Tour 315 Headsize - 95 sq. Inch Beam width - 20mm (parallel) String paĆŠern - 18x20 Weight (unstrung) - 315g Balance (unstrung) - 310mm RA (unstrung) - 66
Tour 305 Headsize - 95 sq. Inch Beam width - 20mm (parallel) String paĆŠern - 16x18 Weight (unstrung) - 305g Balance (unstrung) - 315mm RA (unstrung) - 66
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gauge: 1,20 mm/17 | color: peettrol troll | le len len en nggt gtth h: 12 h: 12 m/40 feet
gau gga au aug uggeee:: 11,2 ug ,,20 ,2 20 mm/1177 | color: ccolor: or: petrol petro p rol | lengt pe petr len le length: length: length gth: 122 m/40 m/4 /40 feet fee fe t
A xons, t he b o d y ’s pr imar y ner v o u s systee m f ibre s, c onduc t imp ul s e s f rom t he br a in to th he mu s c l e s . A XON – t he ne w s t r ing f rom I S OSPEED – re l ay s t he s e imp ul s e s d ire c t ly t o t he ball, gu ar an t e e ing pre c is ion pl ay and c om fort. Feel t he game and ke ep t he b al l and y o ur oppponee nt under c on t rol . A XO N – T h e u l t im a t e u n ion o f p l a y e r an d b al l !
www.isospeed.com
NEW PRODUCTS
Isospeed, one of the leading innovators in string technology, has introduced a new string for top level tournament players. The string, Black Fire, was developed tes ng a wide range of strings with many top level players. The strings tested varied in small increments and were the end choice of all the players. The string comes in black, 1,25mm gauge and 200 meter reels. Black Fire is a monofil Polyester with a Liquid Wax Coa ng.
ENTDECKE DIE WELT DER
WE MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE 10
Die Int. Plattform f端r alle Trainer und Coaches die professionell unterrichten
INFO: PTR European Headquarters Leichtergasse 28 - 39012 MERAN Fon: +39 0473 230097 - www.ptrtennis.de - info@ptrtennis.de
NEW PRODUCTS
GAMMA has introduced a new line of racquets for 2012. The RZR (Razor) line was designed by a new team with great new cosme cs. Five racquets will be available shortly in Europe. For more on the racquets see: www.gammasports.com
RZR 98 Built for players who like a 98 headsize but want
RZR 98T Designed with the serious player in mind. The
more racquet speed. The RZR 98 is an ideal racquet for the up and coming junior player or the adult player who prefers a lighter more maneuverable frame.
RZR 98T weighs in at nearly 12 oz. The racquet of choice for players wan ng to hit deep penetra ng groudstrokes and big serves.
Headsize 98 in² Length 27” Width 22 mm Weight 10.6 oz. / 300g (un) | 11 oz. / 315g (s) Balance 12.6” / 320 mm (un) | 13” / 330 mm (s) S ffness 65 ra Swingweight 310 (s) Grip RZR™ Tac
Headsize 98 in² Length 27” Width 22 mm Weight 11.4 oz. / 325g (un) | 11.9 oz. / 340g (s) Balance 12.2” / 310 mm (un) | 12.6” / 320 mm (s) S ffness 68 ra Swingweight 328 (s) Grip RZR™ Tac
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NEW PRODUCTS
RZR 100
RZR 100T
Headsize 100 in² Length 27” Width 24-26-22 mm Weight 10 oz. / 285g (un) | 10.5 oz. / 300g (s) Balance 12.6” / 320 mm (un) | 13” / 330 mm (s) S ffness 75 ra Swingweight 298 Grip RZR™ Tac
Headsize 100 in² Length 27” Width 24-26-22 mm Weight 11. oz. / 315g (un) | 11.5 oz. / 330g (s) Balance 12.8” / 325 mm (un) | 13.2” / 335 mm (s) S ffness 77 ra Swingweight 338 (s) Grip RZR™ Tac
The RZR 100 has all the power of the RZR 100T with added feel and speed. Great selec on for players who desire more racquet speed to hit explosive shots with more spin.
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Built for players who want to punish every ball they hit from anywhere on the court, the RZR 100T has just enough bulk for deep heavy groundies and big boomimg serves.
NEW PRODUCTS
Firestorm
Diese Saite wurde speziell für und in Zusammenarbeit mit Mikhail Youzhny entwickelt, gespielt wird sie inzwischen auch schon von ATP Pro Sergyi Stakhovsky. Diese Saite hat ein enormes Powerpoten al bei trotzdem knackigem und kontrolliertem Firestorm (Made in Germany) 1,20/1,25/1,30 mm, gold-metallic 200 meter (UVP 99,-€) 100 meter (UVP 55,-€) Firestorm is the new string developed for Mikhail Youzhny and also being presently used on the tour by ATP Pro Sergyi Stakhovsky. The string was designed to offer enormous power for a crisper feeling control string. The string is made in Germany and comes in 100 meter and 200 meter reels. Color is gold-metalic and comes is 1,20mm, 1,25mm and 1,30mm.
Thunderstorm
, 10-sei ge und axial verdrehte Co-Polyestersaite, ideale Ergänzung zum Testsieger und Topseller Tornado mit etwas geringerem Spin Poten al zugunsten höherer Haltbarkeit in einer Knaller-Farbe. Thunderstorm (Made in Germany) 1,24/1,30 mm, viole (lieferbar ab März 2011) 200 meter(UVP 95,-€) 120 meter (UVP 59,- €) Thunderstorm is a 10 sided twisted co-polymer string, to complement the test winner and topseller Tornado. It has a li le less spin poten al but more durability than Tornada and is available in bright violet color. It is made in Germany and comes in 200 meter and 120 meter reels in 1,24mm and 1,30mm gauges. It will be available in March 2012.
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Jim Courier’s Favorite Drills Jim Courrier came to the Bolliterri academy at 13 years of age, he was from Florida only about one hour away from the academy loca on in Bradenton. Jimbo, as he liked to be called, was a very hard worker, with an unorthodox playing style, He had a two handed backhand with a very strong semi-western grip in the non- dominant hand which was a cause of my many sleepless nights as I thought about how to convince him to change it. In the end, we were not able to change that “cacominigrip”, but he was able to compensate with his athle cism, by running around most of his backhands. He was a very good athlete, in all that he did. I remember, during the ATP tournament in Stow Vermont, one of the ac vi es that the players enjoyed the most, especially the American players, was playing a game of so ball. Amongst all the other players, Jimbo was always the star, a great ou ielder and a champion who could knock the ball out of the park. Jimbo was o en in the background of the top players at the me, including Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and David Wheaton. Of those players, I felt he was the hardest worker and loved to compete. We played matches every a ernoon and Jimbo always wanted tougher opponents. He was very smart analyzing the rival’s games and was a master exploding their weaknesses. Once a month we played three out of five sets and I don’t believe that he never lost one of those matches. Twice a month, as part of his training, Jose Lambert would take the en re top group for a five-mile run and Jimbo consistently finished on top. While Agassi, Sampras and Wheaton, o en received special a en on, Jimbo did not. He was, however, smart and mature enough to ask for it, and he had the type of work ethic and charisma that I couldn’t say no to. He used to prac ce put away forehands every day, even when prac ce was over. I o en give the example to my players today of how Jimbo used to chase me on my way out of the academy at the end of the day because he needed to hit a basket of put-away forehands. From a very early age, Jimbo understood his style of play. He knew that to be an effec ve “aggressive base liner” he had to put the ball away with his forehand any me he was inside the base-line, and that any ball in the middle of the court was a forehand. During the Davis Cup match in1988 when USA played Peru in Peru, Jimbo was invited as the alternate player. The Federa on coaches usually take the young players as alternates for experience and to be warm up hi ers for the top players, which were Andre Agassi and Jay Berger. At that me, Andre was way ahead of Jimbo. A er the USA jumped to a commanding three cero lead, Jimbo played the exhibi on match against Alejandro Aramburu In front of two thousand Peruvian fans, he beat Alejandro 6/0; 6/0. That was the first me that I knew in my gut that Jimbo would someday be number one in the world. My mother was an Olympic swimming coach. As a sport, swimming is way ahead of tennis in terms of preparing and scheduling workouts. Swimming coaches generally plan four years ahead, and the training and scheduling is mucmore scien fic. Having seen the results of this training method first-hand, I was confident the training method could translate to tennis and produce be er results. In 1983, I began an experiment to test my hypothesis. The experiment was conducted using two groups. The first group con nued the Bolleteri Academy training with no changes, and the second group began training using my method, which was called the Periodiza on Method. I selected Sergio Cruz to direct the second group using the Periodiza on principles. A er talking to Jim Courrier he agreed to be a member of that second group, and the results were very obvious. Four months a er the experiment began, Jimbo was much stronger, playing be er, compe ng at a higher level, and he was s ll hungry. In addi on, there were zero injuries! As planed, a few years later, s ll u lizing the Periodiza on Training principles, Jim Courrier had reached his goal to be in the finals of the French Open. He beat Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open Final. Jimbo became our first player to win a Grand Slam and also the first one to be ranked number one in the world. He did it the old fashion way, he truly earned his success through hard work and dedica on. www.gabejaramillo.com
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10 Ball Run a Round Backhands ObjecƟves - To improve racket head speed or accelera on - To improve footwork runing around the backhand fast to be able to hit only forehands - To use the proper mechanics of the stroke - To ob mize footwork hi ng the ball with power and control - This sequense of repe
on gave Jimbo a lot of confidence, he was able to
put the ball away from enywhere inside the baseline with his forehand
ExecuƟon 1. Feed ball out of the basket 2. I fed the ball at a speed to forced him to move fast 3.The ball was fed inside the base line, between the service line and the base line 4.Some mes I fed a flat ball, other mes high with topspin The emphasis in the mechanics of the stroke was placed on having a short backswing with a complete follothrough, hi ng the ball early I placed a lot importance on the footwork while execu ng the shot, if the ball was a waist level he hited the ball by skeeping and hoping, if the ball was high he used open stands and transfering Use targets and change those targets
9 ball drill, 2 forehands, 1 backhand ObjecƟves: - Movement, ge ng in posi on early to be able to load properly - Improve ball control, hi ng deep and with control
ExecuƟon Fed ball out of the basket Ball fed deep, 2 balls to the forehand and 1 to the backhand 3 series of 3 balls for a total of 9 balls 20 second rest in between sets the dura on of this dril lis about 5 minutes Place targets deep on the court
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STARS OF TOMORROW The Tennis Europe Junior Tour is the leading pan-European competitive forum for junior talent in any major sport. Jonathan Jobson reports
F
rom its earliest tournaments into the 1970s and its official creation in 1990, the Tennis Europe Junior Tour has come to be universally recognised as the best starting point for a successful career in tennis. A string of world #1s, from Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf to Roger Federer and Justine Henin chose this path, alongside non-Europeans such as Lindsay Davenport, Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian and Andy Roddick, all of who had an early taste of success on the courts of Europe’s premier junior events. The increasingly professional organisation of the tournaments has meant that the Tennis Europe Junior Tour effectively serves as a dress rehearsal for life as a professional tennis player, with
a cumulative ranking system, a seasonending Masters tournament, Player of the Year awards, online ranking information, calendars and the playing records of potential opponents. The Tour has expanded from 43 tournaments in its first year to over 300 annual events for players of age categories 12, 14 and 16 & under. Care is taken that the focus is not solely on performance, with sightseeing tours, players parties and educational events held in tandem, ensuring a social and informative aspect to tournaments which allows players to focus on more than just their tennis and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about anti-doping, nutrition and training patterns, to name just a few topics. Team events are some of the highlights of the season, as top players earn an early chance to
The Tennis Europe Junior Tour has proven to be a fruitful training ground for world-class players such as Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic.
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represent their country at prestigious championships such as the Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD, the European Summer Cups and the Tennis Europe Nations Challenge by HEAD. July’s European Junior Championships is without doubt the most sought-after prize for individual players, as past champions such as Novak Djokovic, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Martina Hingis and Boris Becker can attest. As the tour goes from strength to strength, so does its appeal. Some 350,000 spectators attend Tennis Europe Junior Tour events each year to see around 10,000 young talents from over 100 countries take their first steps on the international tennis stage. Aside from extensive coverage at TennisEurope.org, reports about the Tour in over 780 newspapers and magazines and over 12,000 minutes of annual radio and TV airtime ensure that every day, people are learning about the latest players to follow in the footsteps of stars like Rafael Nadal, Andrew Murray, Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova in celebrating some of their earliest successes on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour.
Tennis Europe Junior Tour 1 GAME 1 TOUR 1 CONTINENT 43 ORGANISING COUNTRIES 282 TOURNAMENTS 7320 VOLUNTEERS 10000 PLAYERS 25936 MATCHES 190000 TENNIS BALLS 354200 SPECTATORS
PARTNERS OF THE TENNIS EUROPE JUNIOR TOUR
RECOMMENDED BALL
tenniseurope.org
RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPUTER
ADIDAS/PAUL ZIMMER
12 & UNDER l 14 & UNDER l 16 & UNDER
6 ball drill ObjecƟves - Prac ce all the strokes hi ng from all zones of the court - Use the system 5 to iden fy the tac cal decisions - Use proper footwork to hit all the different shots - Prac ce rally, transi on, and a ack skills
ExecuƟon 1. Feed balls out of the basket 2. 6 balls in the following sequence; 1 forehand cross court, behind the base line, 1 backahand cross court, behind the base line, 1 forehand approach shot down the line, from the service , 1 forehand volley cross court, 1 backhand volley cross court, 1 overhead to the open court 3. Use targets 4. For the approach shot use the skip and hop or open stands and transfering
10 balls from the base line ObjecƟves: Use a combina on of shots from the base line Concentra ng in hi ng a different shots each me Proper footwork on each shot
ExecuƟon Fed ball out of the basket The ball was fed away from Jimbo, he had to take at least 3 steps to hit each shot He had to hit different shots every me he stroked the ball, flat, topspin, angles, slices and at least one me a drop shot Jimbo used to this drill at least 3 mes, taking a 30 seconds rest in between
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
WILSON TAKES AUSTRALIAN OPEN BY STORM, BOASTING TOP TOUR PLAYERS DEBUTING JUICE™ AND STEAM™, NEXT GENERATION OF RACKET TECHNOLOGY, AND NEW PERFORMANCE APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR Wilson Ambassadors Federer, Kvitova, Lopez, Azarenka, Nishikori and Raonic Kick-off Grand Slam Opener; Azarenka and Kvitova Bring in Early Wins with Juice and Steam Wilson Spor ng Goods, (www.wilson.com), armed with its new series of rackets and a complete line of performance apparel and footwear for men and women, is hi ng its stride for 2012 at the Australian Open. Wilson players such as Roger Federer, Petra Kvitova, Feliciano Lopez, Victoria Azarenka, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic will have a fresh arsenal of Wilson tools and technology for victory. This includes: the new Juice™ and Steam™ rackets with Wilson’s Amplifeel handle system for enhanced feel; apparel featuring proprietary performance designs, including Liquid Stretch and Tri-Color Burn Out for intui ve fabric movement with the athlete’s body, and the Tour Ikon shoe, engineered to excel on hard and so court surfaces. Sixteen- me Grand Slam champion and four- me Australian Open winner Roger Federer comes to the tournament a er a very strong finish in 2011. This included victories with the new Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 90 at the ATP Indoor Tournament in Basel and at the ATP World Tennis Finals in London. Petra Kvitova, recently named WTA Player of the Year, is a strong contender for the Women’s Singles tle. She entered the 2012 season playing with the Wilson Steam 100 and recently beat the current no. 1 Caroline Wozniaki at the Hopman Cup. Victoria Azarenka, new to the Wilson team of elite tennis tour players, is the current WTA Tour world no. 3. Playing with her new Wilson Juice racket, the 21-year old won the Apia Interna onal Sydney tle yesterday Thursday over China’s Li Na. Other Wilson tour players to watch include: ATP Tour no. 20 ranked Feliciano Lopez playing with the Wilson Juice 100 and Japan’s highest ranked player ever Kei Nishikori, currently ranked no. 26 and playing with the Wilson Steam 100.
Murray enlists Ivan Lendl in quest for major Ɵtles Andy Murray has appointed a former world No 1, Ivan Lendl, as his full- me coach and begins working with him immediately over the lead-up to the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 16 January. Eight- mes a grand slam champion, Lendl came up short in four major finals before he finally clinched the 1984 French Open at Roland Garros. He followed this up with the first of three US Open tles (1985-87) and three further final appearances in Paris, winning again in 1986 and 87, to which he added the 1989 Australian tle. It is a mark of Lendl's dominance that he reached another eleven major finals in addi on to appearing in The Masters Finals nine mes, winning five tles, and three WCT Finals, winning twice. Murray, the Bri sh No 1, hopes the former Czech who is now a US ci zen will help him win his first major in 2012.
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
WTA TOUR WORLD No. 3 VICTORIA AZARENKA JOINS WILSON Azarenka starts 2012 with new Wilson Juice™
Wilson Spor ng Goods (www.wilson.com), has signed a long term partnership with world no. 3 Victoria (Vika) Azarenka. “I’m extremely excited to be changing to Wilson’s new Juice racket. The power and spin that I feel with this racket is insane and I look forward to seeing what I can do with it,” said Azarenka. In addi on to the Wilson Juice tennis racket, Azarenka will accessorize with the matching new blue Tour tennis bag and exclusive Wilson Emo sorb shock absorber every me she steps on to the court. “Vika’s talent is undeniable, and she has been one of the tour’s most consistent performers. Our goal is to provide the best equipment to help elevate her game and help her reach her goal of winning her first Grand Slam,” said Renaud Vallon, global tour director for Wilson. “She is a very powerful player, with a dynamic personality and we are very thrilled to have her join the Wilson family.” In 2011, Azarenka finished at a career high of number three to become the highest-ranked Belarusian player in history, a er reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the finals at WTA Tour Championships in November. Azarenka has also begun to dis nguish herself off the court as a tennis teen idol with her good looks, fashionista ways and engaging Twi er posts. Leading up to the 2012 Australian Open, last week, Azarenka upset world number one Caroline Wozniacki, at the World Tennis Charity Invita on in Hua Hin, Thailand, by bea ng her 6-2, 7-5 and is off to a great start at the Apia Interna onal Sydney, defea ng Stefanie Voegele 6-2, 6-1 in the 1st round.
FELICIANO LOPEZ STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIP WITH WILSON AND BECOMES EXCLUSIVE ATHLETE Wilson has expanded its long- me racket partnership with Feliciano Lopez to now include apparel and footwear, making him one of Wilson’s highest ranked head to toe, exclusive tennis athlete’s. The 30-year old Spaniard, who has now reached a career high ATP #20 world ranking has been playing Wilson rackets since he was a junior and will now also proudly debut Wilson’s new 2012 spring apparel collec on and new footwear as well as making the change to Wilson’s en rely new Juice racket. The new spring collec on that Lopez will debut for the Australian Open includes the Wilson Laser Speed Crew with tri-color burn out technology for advanced cooling within a dynamic design, a Wilson Blow Away Crew with laser cut seams for abrasion resistance and total mobility, and the Wilson Tour Ikon shoe, featuring trademarked RG technology for ul mate support and durability. Lopez is also excited to make the change to Wilson’s new Juice racquet that was specifically developed to further enhance power and spin. A member of the Spanish Davis Cup Team this year, Lopez recently helped li Spain to its fi h championship win. In 2011, he was a Wimbledon quarter finalist, he has two ATP Singles tles and one ATP Doubles tle to his name, and he is now a three- me Davis Cup winner for his na ve country Spain. Lopez has been key player, represen ng Spain for seven years in Davis Cup play and now looks to take it one step further as he vies for a spot in the Olympic games in London.
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INDUSTRY
NEWS MANTIS sign Greg Rusedski as Brand Ambassador Exci ng new UK based tennis brand MANTIS have today announced former Bri sh number 1 Greg Rusedski as brand ambassador. The new addi on to the MANTIS team comes on the back of a successful first full year in the market, which has also seen them become the official tennis racket and ball partner to the AEGON Masters Tennis Championship. Rusedski, a US Open finalist, former World number 4 and Great Britain Davis cup star, will play a major role in future product development and an ac ve part in the tes ng of new MANTIS ranges. The Wimbledon quarter finalist will be using a MANTIS Tour 305 racket in his day to day role as a talent and performance ambassador for the Lawn Tennis Associa on. Rusedski, who also works as a tennis pundit on TV, said; “I am delighted to be joining the MANTIS team as an ambassador for this exci ng new Bri sh brand.” “The passion, a en on to detail and love of tennis was apparent from the first conversa on I had with the guys at MANTIS. Great rackets just have that feel about them the moment you pick them up for the first me and for me, it was definitely the case with the MANTIS frame.” Despite being a rela vely new brand MANTIS have had a fantas c response both in the UK and interna onally, with their philosophy of producing products of excep onal quality at vastly superior prices at the heart of their core values. Mar n Aldridge, Founder and Managing Director of MANTIS, said; “The signing of Greg Rusedski as brand ambassador demonstrates our commitment to the expansion of MANTIS in the coming years. “Greg’s expert knowledge and his experience in the game at the highest level will be invaluable moving forward as we con nue to extend our por olio of high quality products.” For more informa on about MANTIS go to www.facebook.com/man ssports
Babolat invents a new approach to tennis - 'Play and Connect' Babolat is developing the ‘Play and Connect' racquet, which offers a new experience to players, thanks to integrated sensors that record the flow of data. As a result of research conducted over the course of five years, Babolat is developing the new technology that incorporates sensors integrated in the racquet to record the flow of data. It is a new approach to the game as it played today, with players having li le data for evalua ng their performance outside of the match results. Players currently lack data for analysing their progress or for comparing themselves to other players. Now, with ‘Play and Connect', players will be able to collect data about their performance, without affec ng their feeling of the game. This technological advancement offers easily accessible data to all players, for the purpose of be er analysing their game, making improvements to it and enjoying their passion even more-no ma er their playing level. The first demos and presenta on of the Babolat ‘Play & Connect' racquet prototype will be made at the 2012 French Open and, star ng in September 2012, 100 prototype racquets will be tested around the world ahead of a worldwide launch planned for 2013. Tennis lovers, novices, pro players and amateurs, whatever their level, will now have access to informa on about their game in order to be er understand their game and to improve their performance on the court in an enjoyable way. With ‘Play & Connect', it will now be possible, for the first me, to measure and challenge the performance between players of all levels, including the professional players of Team Babolat.
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
Tennis’ Bryan Brothers ‘Unleash the Beast’ at Australian Open
Prince’s New Thermo-polyester String The New Weapon of Choice for the World No1’s A er years of tes ng and denying dozens of other polyester strings, current No. 1 ranked doubles champions, Mike and Bob Bryan, cite “more pop, ul mate feel and hands-down a be er string,” as the reasons they have converted to the new Prince Beast XP thermo-polyester string star ng at this year’s Australian Open. Fans watching the first Grand Slam tennis event of 2012 will see the twins not only with a new, bright yellow Prince EXO3 Rebel racquet, but also with the iden fiable Prince green Beast string to maximize performance. “We are constantly approached to try different strings, but it has to be something very special for us to even consider it and something truly extraordinary for us to convert,” said Bob Bryan. “The fact is, this is the first me in years we have changed string, because Beast is that good.” It is very feasible that Bob makes a switch to a new product, and I do not,” added Mike Bryan. “That is always a possibility. But, immediately a er we hit it, there was no ques on in either of our minds that we had found a new string. Prince’s poly ‘blows the doors off ’ the polyester string we had been using previously, and we are ready to ‘unleash the Beast’ in 2012.” The Bryan Brothers were provided string by Prince’s Global Business Director of Strings, Grips and Accessories, Nathan Price, earlier this winter and the brothers called him immediately to get more string before heading to Australia. They dominated their first event with the new strings, taking home the Australian Open warm up event in Sydney without dropping a set. Said Price, “We’ve spent a great deal of me and energy developing product in the Prince R&D Innova on Center, but it was a group of elite, passionate, knowledgeable and commi ed players who put Beast on the map as early adopters. To have two of the sports’ elite players – and most knowledgeable gear experts – acknowledging its performance is special and another exci ng step forward for this new string. We are receiving more calls and serious interest from other top pros, as well as elite juniors and coaches, all asking about the Prince Beast.” The company has responded by launching a new program designed to enable coaches and program directors to more easily ou it their athletes with Beast XP. Full program details may be found at www.princetennis.com/tennis/files/teamPrinceSponsorShip.aspx. “As a brand relentlessly commi ed to innova on, we made some enhancements to the original string for 2012 - making an incredible string, even more special,” said Roberto Gazzara, Vice President of Innova on and R&D at Prince. “The Beast is now even more durable, more powerful, and con nues to outperform other compe ve product in the lab and on the court.”
www.princesports.com.
Trident commits to a third year with TIA UK Insurance Trident Insurance is to conƟnue its commercial agreement with the Tennis Industry AssociaƟon UK over the provision of TIA UK Insurance. As the trade body’s insurance provider, Trident’s con nued support of the work of the associa on entered into its third year of collabora on, star ng on the 1st January, 2012. To mark the occasion, a new page has been designed to offer TIA members the means to obtain quotes online via www. auk.org. This is in addi on to the dedicated Freephone line direct to Trident through which Members, their colleagues, families and friends, can obtain a full review of their insurance arrangements, as well as access to compe ve quota ons prepared by experienced and sympathe c staff. Trident Insurance, which became part of Advanced Insurance Centres Limited in June 2000, delivers a comprehensive range of cover from car, fleet and commercial vehicle and courier insurance to home content and building insurance. Through an independent panel of insurers and underwri ng syndicates with Lloyds of London, Trident offers a broad range of insurance policies via TIA UK Insurance covering all areas of ac vity to meet corporate, business and domes c needs. The agreement the TIA UK has made with Trident includes a provision that for every new business placed with Insurers or Underwri ng Syndicates in Lloyds of London through the TIA UK Insurance service, the associa on receives a split of the commission. The Broker is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, is a member of the Financial Services Compensa on Scheme, and under the jurisdic on of the Financial Ombudsman Service, so TIA UK members are assured of exemplary service.
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If Tennis is your Racket MEMBERSHIP BRINGS: x Free entry in The Tennis Book x Reduced rates at the London Golf & Tennis Show and in Tennis Outlook x Sales opportunities via The Tennis Shop at selected events x Wimbledon ground pass entry x TIA UK Insurance x Access to TennisWire PR services x Networking and industry contacts
www.tiauk.org
Then the TIA UK is the trade body for you. We provide a range of benefits and resources to boost your business and can help to raise your profile.
Tennis Industry Association UK FOR MORE INFO CONTACT OUR ADMIN OFFICE AT: c/o Sport Wins, PO Box 238 Tadworth KT20 5WT, UK Phone +44 (0)1737 831 707 Email: gilly@tiauk.org
Over 60 companies already enjoy membership!
INDUSTRY
NEWS ERSA launches ERSA Italy
The ERSA, keeping with it’s new policy of se ng up na onal associa ons, has appointed a new manager to start up ERSA Italy. The new head of ERSA Italy, Marco Rossani, is well known as the owner of La Boge a del Tennis in Milano. He is also working together with Tennis Italiano, Italy’s tennis magazine, doing the racket prepara on and stringing for their tes ng. Marco has also strung in many professional tournaments including Monte Carlo. He comes to ERSA bringing a wealth of informa on and experience, and is now se ng up plans for workshops and expansion for the upcoming year.
Marco has passed his MRT test with almost perfect marks and is looking forward to taking the Pro Tour Stringer Cer fica on. We now have the Stringers Digest, Annual Study Guide and all the tests in Italian and will offer Cer ficates in Italian later this year.
Dubai Duty Free & WTA Extend Through 2014 The WTA has announced that Dubai Duty Free, the world's leading airport retailer, has extended its longstanding global sponsorship of women's tennis for an addi onal three years through 2014. Under the three-year, mul -million dollar agreement, Dubai Duty Free will con nue as one of the WTA's premier sponsors and enjoy a series of innova ve and unique benefits highlighted by: 1. A new Dubai Duty Free Player Ambassador Program supported by star WTA players, with the players to be included in the program for 2012 to be named in the near future; 2. A "Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises Travel Show", a unique short form-travel series that will be aired on TV and online and hosted by and feature WTA stars; 3. Sponsorship of the WTA's year-end World No.1 singles and doubles awards; and 4. Presen ng Sponsorship of the WTA's Pre-Wimbledon Party, the No.1 tennis party of the year, held in London and a rac ng the world's best tennis players and a host of celebri es annually. The core elements of the new partnership are designed to align Dubai Duty Free's standing as the No 1 duty free retailer in the world with many of the WTA's premium assets. A WTA sponsor since 2004, Dubai Duty Free's partnership with the WTA has over the years been marked by leadership and innova on. Over the past 18 months, the WTA has secured $160 million in revenues through the signing of major new sponsors in Europe (Oriflame) and Asia-Pacific (Peak and Jetstar), the signing of BNP Paribas and its Turkish partner TEB as co- tle sponsors of the WTA's year-end Championships in Istanbul, the signing of Rolex as a sponsor of the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships - Istanbul, a series of renewals with exis ng partners and securing of addi onal year-end WTA Championships revenues. In December 2011, the WTA signed a landmark four-year deal with a digital sports specialist PERFORM that is expected to double the overall exposure for WTA tennis through a significant increase in the produc on of WTA content, the development of new pla orms, and an enhanced focus on digital distribu on. Addi onally, WTA a endance in 2011 at Premier events is up 12% and television viewership is up 73% from 2010 to 2011.
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The Racquet Tech Sports Group
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