ISSUE III
RACQUETTECH MAGAZINE
2012
EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION
FIRST MASTER PRO TOUR STRINGERS ASHAWAY DYNAMITE 18 SOFT DUNLOP MAX 200G RETURNS GAMMA VERVE & DART STRINGS INDUSTRY NEWS
UNLEASH BEAST THE
BEAST XP
PRECISION TUNED THERMO-POLY WWW.BEASTXP.COM
RT
CONTENTS
Features 4 My Serve 6 New Products 10 Industry News 21 Mary Pierce 26 Junior Racket TransiƟon
Industry News TIA UK & LTA Join Hopman Cup ESPN Signs ATP & WTA ITF re-launches e-News Prince Beast Strings New Shorts Dunlop’s Ross Hutchins TIA UK New PosiƟon
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 Issue III of RacquetTech Magazine. This is an e-Magazine this month so no printed copies will be sent out. We have had a number of members send in new e-mail addresses after last months request. Make sure anyone interested in receiving the e-Magazines allow our emails to be received. We still have some coming back as not allowed or discontinued. We have had our management committee vote on our first Master Pro Tour Stringers. They are listed on the following page and Sam Chan, our first Pro Tour Stringer is featured on the cover this month. I am proud to be included in this group as they are the best and most knowledgeable stringers in the world. I think the ERSA was funamental in increasing the quality of stringing in professional tournaments over the last decade and thank everyone who has supported this project. You can find ERSA Pro Tour Stringers in almost every major tournament and many of them have strung at all four Grand Slams. As we have a large number of Certified Stringers and Master Racquet Technicians certified this month, we will publish them in the next issue. As we have seen some people offering CS and MRT Certification through other so-called associations, we would like to confirm that they have nothing to do with the ERSA or USRSA. Next month’s issue (printed and electronic) will offer new products including 2012 outdoor shoes and list of 2012 racquet introductions. Unfortunately, Tenniswire.org has shut down as of December 31,2011 and is looking for someone to invest in the company. This was a great source for press releases from manufacturers and associations. Tenniswire was founded in 2004 by a grant from the TIA in the USA to offer media information covering the tennis industry. 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.
The First ERSA Master Pro Tour Stringers - March 2012 Sam Chan- Australia, Toru Yusuki - Japan, Vaclav Smat- Czech Republic, Roger Dalton- UK, Richard Parnell- Spain, Ron Kohn-Australia, Mark Maslowski-Germany, Stewart Allwright -Australia, Petr Krejci-Czech Republic, Petros Biris - Greece %23! 0RO 4OUR 3TRINGER
HELIX
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The Kirschbaum HELIX monofilament is helically wound in a multistage twisting process, followed by an additional heat setting treatment. The twisting process provides increased string elasticity for excellent playability and lively hitting feel. The additional heat treatment stabilizes the polymeric properties of the tennis string for better control and higher tension maintenance. • excellent playability • optimum mixture of power and control • high tension maintenance Gauges: EUR 7,5/US 17, EUR 8/US 16 L, EUR 8,5/US 16 Units: 40 f and 660 f
NEW Kirschbaum Sportartikel GmbH · Schweerstraße 1 · D-58456 Witten phone: +49 (0) 23 02-9 70 50 · fax: +49 (0) 23 02-7 76 76 www.kirschbaum-strings.de · info@kirschbaum-strings.de
NEW PRODUCTS DUNLOP BIOMIMETIC MAX 200G - EINE LEGENDE KEHRT ZURÜCK THE LEGEND RETURNS Das legendäre Tennisracket von Dunlop wird in einer Neuauflage angeboten. In den 80er Jahren war der Dunlop Max 200G das erfolgreichste und meistverkaufte Turnierracket weltweit. Steffi Graf und John McEnroe erzielten mit dem Dunlop Max 200G ihre größten Karriere-Erfolge. Zahlreiche Grand Slam- und Turniersiege konnten beide mit Unterstützung dieses Rackets erringen. Die erste Auflage des Rackets wurde 1980 herausgebracht und sollte Dank der herausragenden Erfolge der beiden Ausnahme-Spieler schnell zu einem Verkaufsschlager werden. Anfang 1989 wurde das ein millionste Racket verkau . Beide – Steffi Graf und John McEnroe – vertrauten viele Jahre dem gleichen Racket. Steffi Graf erzielte 1988 ihren Golden Grand Slam Titel mit dem Max 200G. John McEnroe beendete seine Karriere 1992 mit diesem Racket. Dunlop spielte ab 1977 eine Vorreiterrolle bei der Entwicklung von Graphitrackets. Der Dunlop Max 200G wurde im revolu onären Spritzgussverfahren hergestellt und bestach durch seinen einmaligen Touch. Die neuar ge Technologie sowie die op malen Spieleigenscha en garan erten dem Dunlop Max 200G im Bereich Turnierschläger ein konkurrenzloses Dasein über viele Jahre. Mit der Biomime c-Technologie hat Dunlop nun erneut einen Meilenstein bei der Entwicklung von Schlägertechnologien gesetzt. Ihre drei Bestandteile AeroskinTM, HighModulus CarbonTM und Gecko TacTM garan eren herausragende Spieleigenscha en. Bei der Entwicklung des Biomime c Max 200G war John McEnroe persönlich involviert, was sich auch in einem McEnroe-Autogramm auf jedem Rahmen manifes ert. Mit der grafischen Umsetzung der goldenen und grünen Spitze im Scha bereich sowie der schwarz-grünen Farbgebung wird die op sche Wiedererkennbarkeit des Original-Rahmens sichergestellt. Technische Daten des BIOMIMETIC Max 200G: Kopfgröße: 98 sq inch
Länge: 27 inch
Rahmenhärte: 66 RA
Balance : 320mm
Gewicht: 313g unbespannt
Saitenbild: 16x19
Profil : 21mm
The Legendary Racket from Dunlop is back. In the 80s the Dunlop 200G was the Best Selling Players Racket in the World. Steffi Graf and John McEnroe were the two most famous players using this racket. The racket came out in 1980 and by 1989 one million rackets had been sold. Steffi Graf won her Golden Slam with this racket in 1989 and McEnroe re red in 1982 s ll using the 200G. Dunlop started making graphite rackets in 1977 and introduced the 200g using a new technology offering more feel in the frame. The new Dunlop Biomime c technology has been introduced to the new 200G including HighModulus Carbon, Aeroskin and GekoTac. John McEnroe was personally involved in the new 200G developement and the frame has his signature on it. The frame has the same cosme cs as the original making it easily recognizable.
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NEW PRODUCTS Ashaway Introduces Zyex速 Based Dynamite速 18 Soft Tennis String -- Zyex multifilament core maximizes softer feel and resilience, reduces tension loss -- Ultra-thin construction with braided surface sharp ens control, improves spin Ashaway has added Dynamite速 18 Soft to its growing line of Zyex速 based tennis strings. Built on a new multifilament core, Dynamite 18 Soft is 1.15 mm in diameter (18 gauge) and designed to provide a softer feel, and optimum ability to spin the ball. The Zyex multifilament core increases power and resilience, while reducing tension loss over the life of the string. The ultra-thin construction and braided surface softens impact to provide better feel, while improving ball control and the ability to impart spin. "We're seeing increased demand for thinner stronger tennis strings on two fronts," said Steve Crandall, Ashaway Vice President of Marketing. "One is among top competitive players who find that thinner strings increase 'bite' on the ball, and give them better overall control and an ability to 'cut' and work the ball and increase spin. The other group is the increasingly savvy recreational set, players who don't have the skill or power of the pros, nor the conditioning to allow their bodies to shrug off the rigors of the game. These players, too, are looking for an extra edge, but they also want a string that plays softer and is more forgiving to tender joints and muscles." Dynamite 18 Soft should be of interest to both groups, according to Crandall. Recent advances in material technology have produced Zyex filaments that are even finer and stronger than before, he said. "We've been experimenting with these in our R&D lab, developing ever thinner multifilament core packages with increased linear density and more cross-sectional strength. As a result, we're now able to produce thinner, stronger, lighter-weight strings which provide superior feel, more power, and optimum ball control, yet still offer the well known Zyex playing characteristics and tension holding properties." During the development process, Ashaway provided test sets to a number of top amateur, and recreational players. The response was uniformly positive. Both groups noted increased power and control, and a number commented that the strings gave them "more feel and more grip," improved topspin, and better ability to slice the ball. Bright blue in color, Dynamite 18 Soft is available for all players in 40 ft. sets and 360 ft. reels. Recommended stringing tension is up to 55 lbs. (25 kgs). Ashaway suggests using 10-15% less tension than normally used for standard tennis strings. Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for tennis, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family since 1824, Ashaway has been making racquet strings since 1949, and is responsible for several important technical innovations. Ashaway is the Official String of USA Racquetball and the Women's International Tennis Players Association. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. also makes braided products for medical and industrial applications. For more information visit www.ashawayusa.com For additional product information, contact: Website: http://www.ashawayusa.com Email: sales@ashawayusa.com
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NEW PRODUCTS Zo Verve Gamma Zo Verve is a unique co-extrusion polyester string that combines two types of material. At the core is a softer, more elastic, and resilient red polyester. Embedded around the periphery of the red core are three sections (on 120-degree centers) of a stiffer black material that has a higher molecular weight. The black sections stand out slightly from the red core, giving Zo Verve an innate texture in the form of longitudinal ridges. This blend of materials allows for a more forgiving feel yet provides massive amounts of spin. Zo Verve is designed for players looking for maximum topspin, and polyester users of all levels. Available in 16 and 17 gauge Colors Black/Red and Black/White
Feature: Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyester Benefit: Stiffer polyester mono filaments for maximum spin and durability Feature: Zo High Energy Polyester Core Benefit: Softer core material for greater feel and comfort
Actual Cross Section
Zo Dart A softer co-polyester matrix that features 6 stiffer monofilaments for the perfect blend that offers greater comfort while delivering on performance. This blend of materials allows for a more forgiving feel yet provides the control a player expects form a polyester string. Zo Dart is designed for players looking for maximum control, more comfort and polyester users of all levels. Available in 16 and 17 gauge Colors: Black or White
Feature: Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyester Benefit: Stiffer polyester mono filaments for greater control and durability
Feature: Zo High Energy Polyester Core Benefit: Softer core material for greater feel and comfort
Actual Cross Section
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Designed for Pro‘s. This monofile polyester string offers ultimate control combined with high ball speed. Now released!
Diese Monofile Polyestersaite wurde speziell für die Anforderungen auf der Profitour entwickelt. Volle Kontrolle bei hoher Beschleunigung. Jetzt released nach erfolgreichem Einsatz auf der Tour!
www.isospeed.com
INDUSTRY
NEWS Tennis Australia to provide services to Hopman Cup
The International Tennis Federation has announced in a statement that it has signed an agreement with Tennis Australia under which Tennis Australia will be contracted to provide certain services to Hopman Cup for the 2013 and 2014 events. This includes the provision of a Tournament Director, player procurement and the secondment of an Operations Director to Hopman Cup Pty Ltd, the subsidiary under which the ITF manages the tournament. Under this agreement, Hopman Cup will be returned to the Australian Open Series ahead of the 2013 event. ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: „The return of Hopman Cup to the Australian Open Series is an important step towards maintaining the world class status of the event and maximising the opportunities which the new Perth Arena presents. „Finally, I want to thank Paul McNamee once again for his long service on behalf of Hopman Cup.“ The arrangement follows a reported bitter boardroom battle at an ITF meeting in Vienna that resulted in the Tournament Director, former Wimbledon doubles champion Paul McNamee, being ousted from the unique mixed doubles event he founded almost a quarter of a century ago along with others, including Aussie Wimbledon winner Pat Cash.
ITF re-launches This Week as e-Newsletter
The ITF has re-launched its weekly newsletter, This Week, as an e-newsletter. The e-newsletter contains all the latest news from the ITF and its events, including Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, with links to the major stories on the ITF‘s official website ITFtennis.com. Subscribers can also access the latest juniors, seniors and wheelchair world rankings, full results from the previous week‘s ITF Circuit events, details of all events coming up this week, and National Association changes. For more information and to register to receive This Week e-newsletters, press releases and other announcements from the ITF visit www.itftennis.com
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INDUSTRY
NEWS BRITISCHES DUO ERRINGT TURNIERSIEG IN DELRAY BEACH. ROSS HUTCHINS UND SEIN DOPPEL-PARTNER COLIN FLEMING GEWANNEN AM WOCHENENDE BEI DEN DELRAY BEACH INTERNATIONALEN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FLORIDA IHREN ZWEITEN TITEL AUF DER TOUR. Hutchins, der mit dem Slazenger Aerob V98 spielt, besiegte zusammen mit Fleming das Duo Mertinak/Sa in einem packenden Finale mit 2:6 7:6 (7:5) und 7-6. Das britische Doppel musste im Finale über zwei Stunden unter der Sonne Floridas kämpfen, um den Turniererfolg verbuchen zu können. Für ihre Kontrahenten Mertinak und Sa war es bereits das dritte Finale in Folge. Sunny Singh, Verantwortlicher bei Slazenger im Bereich Sport Marketing meinte nach der Partie: „ Was für ein spannendes Spiel. Das war eine wirkliche Achterbahn-fahrt für Ross und Colin.“ „Sie zeigten ein tolles Teamwork und große Ausdauer, um letztendlich gewinnen zu können. Es war nicht einfach, da Mertinak und Sa ein super funktionierendes Team sind. Der Sieg war hoch verdient.“ Sunny Singh, Chef der Sport-Marketing-Abteilung bei Slazenger sagte: “Ross ist bereits jetzt schon ein weiterer herausragender Spieler, der bei Slazenger unter Vertrag steht. Jedes mal, wenn wir einen Spieler seines Formats unter Vertrag nehmen, unterstreicht dies die Qualität und Glaubwürdigkeit unseres Produktes. Ross wird ein großartiger Repräsentant für uns sein und wir freuen uns auf eine lange und erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit.“ Ross Hutchins empfiehlt den Slazenger Aerob V98 Tour. Für weitere Informationen über das gesamte Slazenger Tennis Angebot erhalten Sie auf: www.slazenger.com/tennis
ENTDECKE DIE WELT DER
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Die Int. Plattform für 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
INDUSTRY
NEWS ESPN secures rights to 11 ATP Tour and 3 WTA Tour events
ESPN has secured the rights to televise 11 ATP World Tour 250 events during 2012, featuring some of the game‘s top stars, as well as three WTA tournaments. The events continue to broaden the range of sports ESPN offers its viewers following on from its recent acquisition of live darts and golf in the form of BDO World Professional Darts Championships, the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open. Since it launched, ESPN has brought coverage of more than 40 sports to fans in the UK and Ireland including football from Europe‘s leading competitions, including the Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, as well as top flight English and French rugby union, and exclusive coverage of major American sports such as NFL, NBA, MLB and UFC. Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President TV Channels, ESPN EMEA, said: „As we continue to expand our content in the UK and Ireland, we‘re delighted to add outstanding tennis tournaments from the ATP and WTA circuits. ESPN‘s coverage of the ATP World Tour 250 begins on Friday April 13 with the US Men‘s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Focus on the clay circuit continues in the first week of May with the Estoril Open in Portugal - won last year by current World No. 11 Juan Martin Del Potro - and the Serbia Open, which world No. 1 Novak Djokovic won last year. The week before the French Open will see ESPN‘s coverage from Open de Nice Cote D‘Azur, which last year featured David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych, as players make their final preparations on clay before Roland Garros. Coverage continues with seven more tournaments from July to September. ESPN will also have coverage of three WTA events - clay tournaments in Estoril and Strasbourg, and the season finale Tournament of Champions, which was won in 2011 by Serbian star Ana Ivanovic.
ATP World Tour 250 tennis on ESPN:
9 April:, US Men’s Clay Court Championship, Houston
30 April: Portugal Estoril Open, Estoril
30 April: Serbia Serbia Open, Belgrade
21 May: Italy Open de Nice Côte d‘Azur, Nice
9 July: Croatia Studena Croatia Open, Umag
16 July: USA Atlanta Tennis Championships, Atlanta
16 July: Crédit Agricole Suisse Open, Gstaad
23 July: Bet-At-Home Cup, Kitzbühel
20 August: Winston-Salem Open, USA
17 September: St. Petersburg Open, Russia
24 September: Malaysia Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur
WTA International tennis on ESPN:
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30 April: Portugal Estoril Open
21 May: Internationaux de Strasbourg, Austria
29 October: Bulgaria Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, Sofia
INDUSTRY
NEWS Applicants for new TIA UK position reviewed
The Working Group assigned by the new Council of the Tennis Industry Association UK to sift through applications and appoint an Executive Director met on Tuesday 3 April and had a task on their hands. „We received over three dozen applications for the job,“ said Chairman Steve Matthews. „And they were quality people offering a wide range of skills and experience so we are very gratified by the interest shown in this new fulltime position.“ Every application was assessed against the same criteria and a shortlist compiled of the most suitable candidates for the role of Executive Director. „This needs a person with the ability to work alongside an existing team who can lead the effort into a new era,“ said Ian Peacock, President of the TIA UK. „It is a real opportunity for the right person looking to make a name for himself (or herself) in our sport because the position will quickly grow into one with a high profile.“ All applicants will be contacted with regard to the status of their offers while those on the shortlist will be interviewed over the coming days. „We are looking for someone who can sell our association to those businesses which have yet to join as well as to Preferred Suppliers providing professional services for the benefit of existing members,“ said Vice Chairman Mike Ballardie, who spearheaded the recent negations with the LTA over the partnering agreement that paved the way for relocating the headquarters of the TIA UK to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. „It is great to see such a wide range of candidates for the job but it is early days yet and if the right person isn‘t there yet, we will look further afield.“ It is hoped that the new office at the NTC will become operational in mid-April. „We are moving ahead with preparations for establishing the new office at the NTC,“ said Barbara Wancke, Executive Vice President and Company Secretary of the TIA UK. „It takes considerable planning and we are indebted to the efforts of the LTA and Gilly English, our Executive Administrator, for laying the groundwork ahead of the appointment.“ Meanwhile it is business as usual for the TIA, which will shortly publish its fourth edition of The Tennis Book, its directory of member products and services. „The Tennis Book has become a valuable resource for everyone with an interest in British Tennis,“ said Steve Matthews. „We are grateful to the LTA which has supported its distribution to all stakeholders since we launched the publication in 2009.“ With the recent addition of Tennis Force, the industry‘s products and services are becoming more accessible to Places to Play and others interested in promoting the game among the community.
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
TIA UK AND LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION IN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT The Tennis Industry Association (TIA UK) has signed a joint partnering agreement with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the national governing body for British tennis. It marks a major milestone in the TIA UK’s evolution in which it has established itself over the past decade as the voice of the industry by representing a significant number of diverse UK tennis businesses, ranging from the major brands to key service businesses within the sport. The UK tennis industry has a turnover well in excess of £1.3billion and is consequently a significant contributor to the country’s economy. The agreement will see the TIA UK move its administrative offices to the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, and the appointment of a full-time Executive Director to further the work of the association. The Chairman of the TIA UK Steve Matthews said: “We are very excited at the prospect of working more closely with the LTA because we believe this partnering agreement will change the face of the tennis industry in this country and help to boost British tennis.” TIA UK Vice Chairman Mike Ballardie added: “When the governing body and trade association work together in tandem, much can be achieved, as is testified by the relationship between the US TIA and the United States Tennis Association, particularly in respect to research and growing the game.” Welcoming the development, Roger Draper, Chief Executive of the LTA, commented: “The LTA’s goal is to grow and sustain British tennis, and this new partnership will help us in our shared objective, particularly around encouraging more people to play tennis.” The TIA UK is committed to supporting and assisting the development work of the LTA and the partnering agreement is a positive step towards ensuring the interests of all constituents of Tennis in the UK are taken into consideration.
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Mary Pierce’s Favorite Drills The first time I met Mary Pierce she was 13 years old and had come with her father, Jim. I remember having her on the stadium court where I was at the net volleying and she was at the baseline. Mary was a machine! We hit for 45 minutes non-stop and she didn’t miss a ball. I was pushing her hard and she did not break down. Her movement, consistency, concentration and the way she hit the ball so cleanly, was very impressive. Her work ethic and discipline were exceptional….I knew she was a champion. Mary had begun playing tennis when she was 10 years old. Although she had never played any sports up to that point, she was able to make contact with the ball from the moment she first stepped onto the court. As is typical, the coach had initially placed her with the beginner group of players. After a few shots, he moved her to a more advanced court and then later another. By the end of the morning, she was playing sets in the top courts. The coach that day saw her talent immediately and believed that Mary was born to play tennis. He spoke with her parents and she started her tennis training the very next day. When she moved to Florida she was already winning tournaments and she was looking for more competition. In the beginning, her and her family lived inside the academy in a very small room but they never complained. Mary had the support of her entire family, her father, Jim, was very involved in every practice. Unfortunately, he often didn’t understand how to separate being a coach from being a parent. After practices, he would take her home and talk incessantly about the practices. Many at the academy felt that he was so completely obsessed with his daughters tennis that it was detrimental not only to their father/daughter relationship, but also to her tennis. Jim and I always got along great, especially outside the court. But, often, when he was inside the court with Mary, he was a nightmare and his temper was virtually uncontrollable. When practices were not going well, he would lose his temper with her and create many unsettling scenes. Understandably, she felt a lot of pressure which only grew when she turned pro at the age of 14. From the ages of 13 to 18, Mary increasingly questioned her desire to play professional tennis. Her entire existence was all about playing what she considered “a very lonely sport”. When she was 18, she fired her father as her coach and hired her own personal coach. At that time, her brother, David, was also very involved with her training as well. Mary continued to train at the academy and she took complete ownership of her own practices. She was very organized and at the end of each practice, I would sit down with her and David and plan the practices for the next day. We were thorough and would discuss what hitting partners she needed, what drills she wanted to do, what court she wanted to use, and how long the practices were going to be. She was very demanding with the hitting partners as she expected them not to miss a ball or she would ask me to change them. She didn’t allow her partners to push, they had to be consistent but at the same time, they needed to hit the ball with power and accuracy. She always trained with the boys and often intimidated them with her work ethic and passion for competition. She had an incredible sense of urgency when she played. She wanted to make it “big” and she did not want to waste a second of her time. Every practice needed to be perfect and every day she worked with clear focused goals. Honestly, it was quite a show just watching her. Not only was Mary very smart, she was also an extremely elegant player. She possessed the aura of confidence which made many gaze in awe of her. She carried herself like a champion, both feminine and strong, with an upright posture and classy demeanor. She handled press interviews with the utmost style and grace and spoke in perfect English and French. She was well read and discussed subjects such as art and politics as easily as she discussed tennis. This “star quality” made her very marketable. Many of the young female players at the academy wanted to look and sound like Mary Pierce. Mary won the Australian Open in 1995 beating Aranxa Sanchez Vicario. In 2000, she then won the French Open by beating Martina Hingis. These were her rewards for so many years of hard work and sacrifice. She played with confidence and guts. Following her 2000 French Open victory, Mary presented me with a gift of her appreciation for all of my hard work. It was a beautiful Rolex watch. To this day, it remains the
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only present that I have received from a player after winning a grand slam. I was honored and still wear the watch today. In her career, her highest rankings were #3 in singles as well as #3 in doubles. At 25 years of age, Mary finally came to realize what tennis was all about. She embraced what tennis had done for her and began to truly love the sport. Today, Mary is very happy. She remains active in tennis and is now coaching. She loves coaching and says that her students are like her family. Her advice for parents is that they should “let the coach be the coach”. She suggests that players should only receive information from one person and receiving information from others will only serve to confuse the player. Whether it be as chauffeurs, cooks or organizers, Mary thinks the most important role for parents is to “be there for their children with an unconditional loving and positive attitude”, something she clearly understands from experience.
Mary’s Favorite Drills while working with Gabe
1)
TWO and ONE from the base line- cross
Objectives: A) To develop consistency and placement B) Improve aerobic capacity C) Improve footwork Execution: A) Two male players at the base line, one on each corner B) Mary at the baseline, center of court C) The boys hit the ball with power to the center without making errors D) Mary hit one-one combinations, hitting deep and consistent E) This drill was done for 15 minutes non-stop F) After, Mary would position herself on the forehand side and from there, she placed one ball to the forehand and one ball to the backhand G) The next progression was from the backhand side, again hitting one to the forehand and one to the backhand H) These 3 exercises took 30 minutes
2) TWO and ONE from the base line – cross court Objectives: A) Aerobic endurance B) Change in direction C) Consistency and placement D) Hitting on the run with power and control Execution: A) Two male players at the base line B) Mary from the center of the base line C) The two boys would hit every ball down the line, Mary would respond with cross court shots D) Mary would do 5 sets of 3 minutes each with 30 seconds rest in between E) After a 2 minute break, the boys would then hit cross court and Mary would respond with down the line shots – same work/rest ratio. 18
3)
TWO and ONE from the base line – down the line
Objectives: E) Aerobic endurance F) Change in direction G) Consistency and placement H) Hitting on the run with power and control Execution: F) Two male players at the base line G) Mary from the center of the base line H) The two boys would hit every ball down the line, Mary would respond with cross court shots I) Mary would do 5 sets of 3 minutes each with 30 seconds rest in between J) After a 2 minute break, the boys would then hit cross court and Mary would respond with down the line shots – same work/rest ratio.
4)
Return of serve
Objectives: A) Technique, technique, technique! B) Hitting an aggressive return C) Reading the serve early D) Returning close to the lines Execution: A) Server at the service line B) Server hitting 70% of the pace C) Unlike Monica Selles, Mary often did not know where the serve was going D) Mary concentrated on a short backswing and using the linear momentum to create power
www.gabejaramillo.com
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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
INDUSTRY
NEWS
News Shorts Jorge Andrew named president of PTR Board. Last month at the PTR Symposium, Jorge Andrew was named President of the PTR Board for 3 years, replacing Jean Mills. A former Venezualen Davis Cup player and ATP pro, Andrew serves on the USTA Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Paralympic Committees. Babolat held their first VS String Academy February 29 in Louisville, Colorado at the Babolat US Headquarters. Two of the stringers were selected to string at Roland Garros this year. The USTA has announced it will move the men’s final to Monday, possibly starting this year. They stated they wanted to give the men and women a one day break between the semifinals and finals. L-TEC, the latest new string brand launches a line of poly hybrids. The co-polymer strings come in 4 shapes, a squared off oval, triangle, pentagon and traditional round. They are paired with synthetics for the cross strings. www.L-tectennis.com Manuel Orantes, Spanish tennis star will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Master Player category. Orantes was ranked number 4 in the world and won the US Open in 1975. The induction ceremony will be July 14 in Newport, R.I. Kei NIshikori, currently ranked number 17 on the ATP Tour, signed a partnership agreement with watch manufacturer Tag Heuer. Novak Djokovic was recently named Laureas World Sportsman of the Year. Sam Querrey has signed a three year contract with Babolat. He will be using the Aero Pro Drive GT Plus. Tennis Warehouse and the ATP have announced they will extend their partnership through 2014. Partners since 2000, Tennis Warehouse is the official online retailer for the ATP World Tour products. The ITF has renewed their agreement with Wilson as the Official Ball of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup for five more years, through 2017. US tennis racquet sales have stayed constant with no change from 2010 through 2011. Babolat had 4 of the top 5 selling rackets in specialty stores in the USA in 2011. Top selling tennis strings in retail stores in the USA were still led by Prince Synthetic Gut DF with Babolat RPM Blast moving into second place. Wilson followed with NXT and Sensation, and Luxilon Alu Power in fifth place.
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INDUSTRY
NEWS Beast XP: A New Breed of Polyester String for a New Breed of Athlete Today’s game has evolved into producing a heavier ball struck with both power and spin to controlyour opponent. String technology has evolved as well, allowing players to hit out with more confidence and produce higher swing speed and ball spin. We are referring to polyesterbased strings. Let Prince’s Global Business Director for Strings, Nathan Price break it down in its simplest terms: Q: What are polyester strings? A: Monofilament in construction, so they are vulnerable to tension loss. To make it more challenging, polyester strings have a narrow range of tension where they perform optimally. Q: What do polyester strings allow athletes to do? A: What attracts top players to polyester strings is the extra ball spin produced, which results in more control, enabling players to increase swing speed to hit a bigger ball. Q: How is Beast XP truly different? A: Beast XP string is actually the world’s first thermo-poly. This refers to a special production process where our proprietary polymer formula is extruded, then heated and stretched over a sequence of processes which dial in these optimal dynamic properties. Q: How did we develop it? A: Our team of engineers inside our Italian Innovation Center used advanced ob23
INDUSTRY
NEWS servation techniques and high speed video at 5000 frames/ second to witness critical factors that determine the dynamic behavior of strings, ball velocity, rebound angle, and ball spin which combined determine ball trajectory and how a string performs. The engineers validated lab results on court by measuring the effectof string properties on ball flight. Varying parameters such as polymer formula, processing conditions, tension, and string patterns were studied. This process was critical in determining the key factors in optimizing polyester performance. Q: What are the benefits? Beast is able to deflect and return more during ball dwell time, it increases ball rotation to generate more spin on the ball than any other string we have tested. In fact, in a survey of polyester players comparing the current top polyesters on the market, results showed Beast #1 in the categories of: Power, Control, Feel, Comfort, Spin and Tension Maintenance! Q: What are the results? A: Beast XP delivers game enhancing benefits to a host of player types - from top, #1 ranked ATP players Mike and Bob Bryan to elite ITF juniors like the 2011 US Open Boys champion Oliver Golding and 2012 Australian Open Girls champion Taylor Townsend to “weekend warriors� alike. What makes Beast XP special is its ability to provide explosive power and liveliness across a broad range of playing styles and swing speeds, racquet types and head sizes. www.princetennis.com
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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 Transitioning from a Junior Racquet to an Adult Racquet What Parents & Coaches Need to Know By Coach Shane Wells -Prince Who’s Next Academy Alliance Director; North Hills Club, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA One of the most important decisions that junior players, parents and coaches need to make is knowing when to transition a junior from a reduced length racquet to an adult length racquet. There are a few things to consider before making that decision: 1. The child’s body type. 2.The length and strength of their arms and hands and their skill level. 3. The child’s seriousness about playing tennis and competing in junior tournaments. You should find quality 25 and 26 inch racquets which allow the junior to stay with a Reduced Length Performance racquet until they are physically mature enough to handle an Adult Performance racquet. It is worth the added expense to invest in a quality graphite racquet as opposed to a cheaper aluminum frame. It is also worth noting that juniors who play in tournaments in the 10 and under divisions are required to play with a racquet measuring 25” or less. While some juniors might be able to go from a 25” racquet into a standard 27” adult racquet with no problem, others might need to go from a 25” junior racquet to a 26” racquet and then finally, to an adult 27” racquet. This again depends on the child’s size and physical makeup. It is always good to make sure the junior tries the racquet at length before a decision is made. Very often the move to a longer racquet feels awkward to the child and it takes a while before they begin feeling comfortable with it. When the child is physically able to transition to a full length adult racquet, most manufacturers offer light weight adult racquets specifically designed to help junior players make the move to a longer adult frame. Prince provides quality lighter Adult Performance racquets offering them in a 4” grip to accommodate smaller hands. Two best-in-class choices from Prince include the EXO3 Tour Lite and the EXO3 Hornet.. Prince also engineers junior racquets from the” ground up”, and not simply cutting short adult racquets to a reduced length. By offering these types of frames, Prince allows the junior player to find a racquet that not only is the correct weight but also fits his or her hand - both of which helps the child develop proper mechanics from an early age and have a better on-court experience. If you keep these guidelines in mind you can help your junior player enjoy the game and progress more quickly in their development.
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BUYER’S GROUP FOR
RACQUET SPECIALISTS
The Racquet Tech Sports Group
offers many advantages to independent retailers in the racket sports industry.
offers Group Product Ordering, Marketing Concepts, Marketing Services, Management Consulting, Technical Educational Programs through the European Racquet Stringers Association, and Membership in the ERSA, the leader in racketsports information technology.
Group Buying
Marketing Concepts
Management Consulting
offers the independent racketsports dealer the possibility to compete with the large chains, mail-order businesses and internetshops.
promoting group members as experts in the retail racket sports industry, and the advantages of professional advice to the end consumer.
to help set up and run your business professionally and PROFITABLY.
Advertising and Design services are available for the members at great savings.
Educational Programs including topics such as Marketing, Management, Technologies, Stringing; racket repair and tuning are offered to the members. Training Seminars set up and run by Master Racquet Technicians and ProTour Stringers throughout Europe.
Membership in the
European Racquet Stringers Association Yearly membership is included as part of your Racquet Tech Sports Group membership, giving you all the technical information and new product information to run your shop successfully.
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The Racquet Tech Sports Group
Wax coating 4 Polyamide monofilaments 8 Multifilament fibers
PWR FUSION Often, great progress is achieved through small details. The perfect example: the new HEAD PWR Fusion Tennis String. Underneath its outer wax coating lies the innovative combination of four polyamide monofilament fibres at the core encased by eight multifilament layers. The result? Enhanced power paired with exceptional comfort.
WHAT’S YOUR GAME? FIND OUT AT HEAD.COM/TENNIS