EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION
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Features 04 06 07 20 23 26 28
My Serve Symposium Schedule Industry News News Shorts Box Method Around the World Ashaway String Test ERSA Around the World
Industry News - Ashaway Renews Sponsorship Agreement with Britain's Daryl Selby - Roland Garros Increases prize money for 2013 - Sharapova signs with Porsche - Babolat 2013 - Wimbledon’s Master Plan - USPTA World Conference heads to Orlando
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MY SERVE RACQUETTECH EUROPE European Racquet Stringers Association Director Mark Maslowski ERSA Germany, Austria, Switzerland 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 Rossani ERSA Netherlands Manager Timo van Driel Rob Maessen ERSA Greece Manager George Pahiokas ERSA Greece Tester Petros Biris 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 Tyger / Tennis Planet
Welcome back to issue 3 of RacquetTech Magazine! The ERSA Member Meeting / Symposium this Spring in Düsseldorf on the 17-19 May is getting off to a great start with 35 people signed up so far from around the world. The presentations will take place at the Tryp Düsseldorf Airport Hotel. Rooms are available from 52€ for a single room with breakfast buffet. The schedule of presentations is included in this issue. You will also be able to watch world class tennis during the week. The new Power Horse Cup 2013, a 250 ATP tournament will take place 200 meters from our office. Top seeds so far are Janko Tipsarevic and Nicolas Almagro. Qualifications will be on Sunday and First Round on Sunday. Racquet testing will be available at the Tennisclub BlauSchwarz Düsseldorf, a 5 minute walk to the ATP tournament. Anyone wishing to test for CS, MRT or PTS can do so on May 20, after the Symposium is finished. Richard Parnell and Mark Maslowski will be testing all day Monday. Please sign up early as the spaces for testing is almost full. You can take either the Certified Stringer, Master Racquet Stringer or Pro Tour Stringer certification. Please sign up and pay online or e-mail to me to reserve your place. If you paid your 2013 membership dues, do not forget that you have included ERSA Stringer Software free of charge. A 99€ value. Just copy the link on our website shop and go to Help, then Request Code. Please confirm to mmaslo3330@aol.com that you have done this so we can check the e-mail address. Some members requested a code with another e-mail that is not on our list and no code will be sent out. Members also receive 1 license for 1 computer for 1 year. An updated copy will be available each year. Additional licenses can be purchased for 10€. Please request from the ERSA. I will include my schedule if anyone needs to meet up with me. I will be in the Düsseldorf office except for these dates: May 1720 ERSA Symposium, May 27-30 Roland Garros, June 22 – 30 Wimbledon, July 12-14 Milano, Italy Pro Tour Stringer Workshop and Testing, July 25- August 5 Montreal, Rogers Cup, September 5 – 15 Poland (TBA) Davis Cup, September 26October 6, Tokyo, Rakutan Open. I will also be travelling doing workshops in October and November.
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Rod Cross TENNIS CONSULTANT Gabe Jaramillo European Racquet Stringers Association Lenaustr. 38 40470 Düseldorf DE Germany Phone /Fax 0049(0)211-68814151
Best wishes and hope to meet many of you personally at the Symposium!
Mark Maslowski Director - ERSA
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Timo van Driel – Netherlands Rob Maessen – Netherlands Oscar Sallmen – Sweden Giuseppe Sella – England Ray Wan – England Geoffand George New Certified Stringers, Master Racquet Technicians Pro- England Tour Stringers. ERSA now offers certification 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. Certified Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches, club stringers, shop string¬ers, after passing a day of practical and written 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 certification is for MRTs who are stringing at ATP and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this certification, 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 – Anyone with a Master Racquet Technician certification can take the Level 1 Pro Tour Stringer certification without tournament experience. This will only be a practical test. After five years, the applicant can apply to take the Level 2 certification. A resume will be required with tournament experience. Master Pro Tour Stringer can be applied for after 10 years and must be recommended from another Master PTS. Congratulations to : MASTER RACQUET TECHNICIANS Nikki Giles - England Duncan Callan – England Miomir Vitanovic-Serbia
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SPONSORS PRESENTATIONS GAMMA – GAMMA Stringing Machines and Strings Solinco – Solinco Tennis Products Prince – New Prince Technologies – Stringing Machines Beers Technic – ERT 300 Mantis – Strings and Racquets
ERSA Symposium Schedule – May 17 – 20, 2013 FRIDAY
Welcome Cocktails *For Companions on the weekend is the Dusseldorf Jazz Festival or the ATP 250 Power Horse Cup
SATURDAY
9:00 „ERSA Meeting & Question & Answer Session with the Managers“ - 60 minutes 10:00 – 11:00 „Tournament Stringing“ - Mark Maslowski 11:00 – 12:30 „Stringbed Testing“ Fred Beers 12:30 – 14:00 Lunch Buffet 14:00- 15:30 „Aesthetics of stringing" Richard Parnell 15:30 – 17:00 „Private Stringing Lessons with the Pro Tour Stringers“ 16:00 – Speed Stringing Contest 16:00 – Racket Testing TC Blau Schwarz or ATP Tournament Qualifications
SUNDAY
9:00 – 10:30 „Grip Moulding“ - Rob Maessen 10:30 – 12:00„The Art of Stringing Natural Gut" Richard Parnell 12:00 – 13:30 Lunch Buffet 13:30 – 17:00 „Speed Stringing Finals“ 13:30 – 15:00 „Racket Tuning“ Mark Maslowski 16:00 - Sponsor Presentations 16:00 - „Racket and String Testing“ TC Blau Schwarz 16:00 - „Power Horse Cup“ ATP 250 Tournament
MONDAY
9:00 – 14:00„ERSA Certified Stringer, Master Racquet Technician and Pro Tour Stringer Ceritification“ Monday – Mark Maslowski, Richard Parnell 9:00 -14:00 Racket Testing
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Ashaway Renews Sponsorship Agreement with Britain's Daryl Selby - World No 15 recently scored second upset over world number two Nick Matthew - Longtime Ashaway string user plays with Zyex®-based UltraNick® 18
Ashaway, RI – Ashaway Racket Strings has renewed its three-year sponsorship agreement with top-ranked British squash player Daryl Selby, it was announced today. Selby first signed with Ashaway in 2010 after breaking into the world top 10 rankings and after switching to Ashaway's new Zyex-based UltraNick® 18 string. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "Daryl continues to impress," said Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall. "His work ethic and determination keep him solidly in the top tier of the world rankings, and we're delighted he has agreed to continue his relationship with Ashaway. According to his official PSA World Tour bio, Selby "has become a firm fixture in England team line-ups in recent years -- but the 30year-old from Essex established his national credentials in emphatic style in 2011 when he became the British National champion for the first time, after a stunning final upset over the then world number one Nick Matthew." Currently ranked No. 15 by the PSA, Selby broke into the world's top 30 at the beginning of 2009, then made it into the top ten to celebrate a career-high No 9 ranking in April 2010. For Selby continuing with Ashaway was not a hard decision. "I have been using the strings for a long time" he said, "and they are in my opinion without a doubt the best strings in squash." A longtime Ashaway PowerNick® user, Selby now uses Ashaway's UltraNick 18 with its Zyex® multifilament core technology. "PowerNick is a great string that feels more solid and generates slightly more power, in my opinion," he said, but, "UltraNick has just added a touch more feel to my front court game." And while he said he breaks more of the new strings, "UltraNick feels slightly softer, and I can get a bit more slice and cut on the ball." But, he added, "I honestly don't mind playing with either." Although Daryl's 2013 campaign got off to a slow start with a first round loss in the Swedish Open to fast-rising Egyptian Tarek Momen, his fortunes have picked up considerably of late as he produced his second upset over world number two Nick Matthew in the third PSA World Series event of the year at the Qadsia Sporting Club in Kuwait.
Daryl is also an avid golfer and ultra-endurance runner. In January of this year, he and wife Lucie, celebrated the birth of their first child, son Noah. Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for squash, 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 has been the Official String of USA Racquetball for more than ten years. 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: Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. PO Box 549 Ashaway, RI 02804 USA Tel: (800) 556-7260 (U.S. only) or +1 (401) 377-2221 Fax: +1 (401) 377-9091 Website: http://www.ashawayusa.com Email: sales@ashawayusa.com
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DUNLOP UND DIADORA MIT GEMEINSAMEM AUFTRITT NEUEINFÜHRUNG DER MARKE DIADORA IN DEUTSCHLAND
DIADORA ist eine der führenden Sport-LifestyleMarken. Seit über 60 Jahren entwickelt und vermarktet DIADORA Sportartikel für den Wettkampf- und Freizeitsport und verfügt über ein reiches sportliches Erbe. Weltbekannte Sportler wie Björn Borg, Edwin Moses und Sebastian Coe verwendeten DIADORA Schuhe bei ihren größten sportlichen Erfolgen. DUNLOP Sport ist offizieller Distributeur für DIADORA Tennis, Running, Soccer, Leisure und „Hidden Power“ Sportswear in Deutschland und führt die Marke DIADORA nach mehrjähriger Pause wieder im deutschen Markt ein. Rechtzeitig zu Beginn der Sommersaison sind jetzt die neuen DIADORA Tennisschuh-Modelle im Fachhandel erhältlich. “DUNLOP und DIADORA bilden eine perfekte Verbindung aufgrund ihres bedeutenden Erbes als technische Marken in Kombination mit einer langen Tradition als funktionellem Sportequipment. DIADORA Tennisschuhe ergänzen in idealer Weise DUNLOP Tennisbälle, Schläger, Zubehör und Tenniswear. Neben Tennisschuhen werden wir auch mit dem Verkauf von Lauf- und Fussballschuhen sowie von hochfunktioneller Bodywear beginnen und diese über Spezialisten im Markt vertreiben. Wir beabsichtigen zukünftig auch weitere DIADORA Produktkategorien zu nutzen, um unser Angebot zu erweitern“, so Torsten Bonacker, Marketing Communications Manager bei DUNLOP SPORT.
Weitere Informationen auf www.teamdunlop.de und www.diadora.de.
Seit Anfang des Jahres schlagen DUNLOP und DIADORA gemeinsam auf deutschen Tennisplätzen auf. Zwei Marken, die eines miteinander verbindet: Eine große Tradition basierend auf der Kooperation mit herausragenden Sportpersönlichkeiten gepaart mit kontinuierlichen Produktinnovationen.
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Roland Garros Increases prize money for 2013
Prize money at the French Open, which begins on 26 May, will rise for both singles champions and players who lose in some of the early rounds.
"The progress that has been made through our discussions with the Slams over the past 15 months has been truly significant for our sport as a whole.�
Roland Garros organizers said on Monday that the overall total for the tournament will go up from $24.6 million to $28.7 million, with the winners receiving $1.96 million compared to $1.64 million in 2012.
The singles champions will be paid 20 percent more than last year in a move that Is part of a plan to boost the total prize money by a further $13.08 million to $41.9M by 2016.
Players eliminated in the second, third and fourth rounds will receive 25 percent more than they did last year. French Tennis FederationsTournament Director Gilbert Ysern said his organisation wished to maintain its effort with regards to players eliminated during the first week.
This year's Australian Open prize money was $31.31 million while US Open prize money, which will reach $33.6 million this year, will rise to $50M by 2017.while Wimbledon prize money was a total of ÂŁ16,060,000 in2012. An announcement on 2013 prize money at this year's Championships is expected from the All England Lawn Tennis Club next week.
"A better distribution of winnings guides our thinking on pay," he said. "Last year, the Roland Garros was the first of the four majors to change its distribution of prize money as it increased pay for the early rounds of the main draws as well as the qualifying tournament." ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett welcomed the news. "The Roland Garros prize money increases are another positive step forward for our players and we welcome the long-term commitment the FFT has made through 2016," he said. "Following on from the Australian Open and US Open increases, Roland Garros is the latest Grand Slam to step up and recognise the input the players have in the success of its tournament.
Tickets for the 2013 French Open are available from the official ticketing site at www.rolandgarros.fft-tickets.com
For more information visit www.rolandgarros.com
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Sharapova signs with Porsche
Maria Sharapova, who the richest female athlete in the world, is breaking new ground by becoming the first woman to globally endorse German car maker Porsche. The brand, which is dominated by male buyers, has chosen Sharapova to be the face of its company for the next three years. Porsche, which sponsors the German women's national team and the Porsche Talent Team supportIng promising young players in Germany, said the latest agreement reflects its "long-term commitment to women´s tennis." The company also said Sharapova is familiar with the company and its vehicles.
"Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars", said Porsche AG chief executive Matthias Mueller. Born in Russia and living in the U.S., Sharapova is famous for a long career in which she has won all four Grand Slam tournaments in women's tennis: Wimbledon in 2004, U.S. Open in 2006, Australian Open in 2008, and French Open in 2012. "I have had the privilege to be associated with some of the best brands in the world, but now to be partners with Porsche, is such an amazing honor," Sharapova said. "This says a lot about her longevity and her brand power," said her agent, Max Eisenbud. "To have a company like Porsche that is so high-end and so meticulous to allow her to stand next to their car says a lot." Sharapova is back in Stuttgart, where the car maker is based, to defend her title in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. After winning there last year and earning herself a white Porsche 911 Cabriolet, she went on to win the French Open. More than 88 percent of the Porsche 911 buyers are men, according to research by automotive data website Edmunds.com. "Maria is the perfect choice," said Mueller. "Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche." Sharapova, the world No 2 makes about $20 million a year in endorsements, more money than any other female athlete and part of her allure is that she appeals to both men and women. Sharapova has deals with Nike, Cole Haan, Evian, Tag Heuer and Samsung. She is also turning into a candy mogul with her Sugarpova brand that sells gummy candy and gumballs. Since August, the company has sold more than 1.5 million bags of its candy around the world, including 30,000 bags online in the first six months without any advertising, Eisenbud said. The candy is already sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan and will soon be in Canada, China, Korea, Peru, Colombia and Uruguay. This is Sharapova's second car deal, having signed a deal with Land Rover in 2006 but was lost in the shuffle when Ford sold the brand less than two years later. On a personal note, Sharapova admitted last week that her relationship with professional basketball player　 Sasha Vujacic.is over.
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"It was obviously a challenging decision, you know, from both of our ends," she said in a post match interview. Word of their engagement came in October 2010, when Vujacic said he had proposed on the one-year anniversary of their first meeting at a friend's barbecue. Vujacic was there to support Sharapova at Wimbledon last year during her run to the final, even standing and screaming and pumping his fists in her guest box. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. Still would love to call him a friend," Sharapova said. "We spent really great years together.
Now fully fit after a shoulder injury kept her out of the game for nine months in 2008, Sharapova talked about the long process of rehabilitation, surgery, another stint of rehab and dealing with another injury, a bone bruise. “The shoulder, it's a huge part of the tennis game," she said. "The serve is huge and my game is all about being aggressive and powerful strokes, so when you're out of the game nine months, when you don't have too many examples of athletes coming back after such an injury, of course you have doubters.�
"He wasn't home one time during the 10 months that he was in Turkey, so that made it extremely difficult," Sharapova concluded.
Sharapova never lost faith that she would recover. "I had to work through a lot of things, and more mentally as well because I always thought that during those months that I was away, everyone was working and everyone was training and everyone was playing so it kind of felt like I was left behind a little bit," she said. It explains her commitment to off-court activities and last year she was named by Forbes as the world's 71st most powerful celebrity.
The 26 year old has no plans on retirement, according to long-time agent and close friend Max Eisenbud. "I think she's going to play another four to five years and through the Rio Olympics (in 2016) if she stays healthy and hungry," he recently told CNN.
According to Forbes, Sharapova is the world's highest-paid female athlete, pulling in almost $28 million - more than her career prize money - over a 12-month period that ended last July. For more information visit www.mariasharapova.com
"It was a really nice period of time for both of us, but you know, our career schedules just made it extremely difficult to see each other with the traveling, and especially his career move to Turkey. ... He wasn't able to travel much.
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“RANKED NUMBER ONE” AT WIMBLEDON AND THE FRENCH OPEN With its expertise and passion for tennis, Babolat—the tennis lover’s brand—creates partnerships with key tennis actors. Since 2011, Babolat has been the official supplier of racquets, balls and strings of the French Open tournament. From this partnership, an entire range featuring this prestigious tournament’s colors was born. A collaboration devoted to tennis was established, allowing Babolat to reinforce its presence internationally and activate synergistic partnerships around the world. In 2013, Babolat reinforces its presence in the Grand Slam tournaments by becoming the official tennis shoe brand of The Championships, Wimbledon. Whether it’s in the British tradition or French-style sports, every player can now live the “Ultimate Tennis Experience” with gear in Grand Slam tournament colors.
BABOLAT, “SO BRITISH!” Babolat expands its product range to include the new SFX Wimbledon. In keeping with the British tradition of elegance at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, this white shoe model features touches of green and purple—a nod to the tournament colors. Benefitting from the best of Babolat’s expertise and technologies, the SFX Wimbledon takes center court, adapting to a player’s feet with unrivaled support and comfort. Also, durability and grip on all surfaces are optimized thanks to the outsole, developed in partnership with Michelin.
THE LEGENDARY BABOLAT PURE DRIVE IN THE FRENCH OPEN COLORS This year, the iconic Pure Drive racquet gets a brand new look with French Open colors. Powerful and elegant, the 7th generation Babolat Pure Drive is enhanced with an exclusive technology, Cortex Active technology, for more control in every shot. The Pure Drive is the ideal weapon for both club and professional players such as Na Li (CHN), winner of the 2011 French Open; Sara Errani (ITA), runner-up at the French Open in 2012, and Julien Benneteau (FRA). Created in 1875, in Lyon, France, Babolat is the longestrunning international company specialized in tennis.
THE BABOLAT “FRENCH TOUCH” FOR THE FRENCH OPEN For the third year in a row, Babolat teams up with the famous Grand Slam tournament in Paris. Provider of the official tennis ball of the fortnight, the French brand also provides stringing services for all tournament players. Babolat unveils its new range of French Open products, combining a bold look and cutting-edge technologies. The brand proposes gear for players of all levels to help improve performance and get more enjoyment from playing tennis. This new range presents the best of the brand’s key products: racquets, strings, balls, bags, grips and accessories for those who have a passion for tennis.
Today, Babolat is number 1 in tennis racquet sales in the United States, Japan, France, Spain, and Italy. Family-run for five generations, Babolat is an innovative brand in the tennis sector providing complete equipment for tennis players: racquets, strings, shoes, balls, bags, apparel and accessories. Babolat equips numerous tennis players with racquets and strings including: Rafael Nadal (SPA), Kim Clijsters (BEL), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA), Li Na (CHN), Andy Roddick (USA) and Julien Benneteau (FRA) (these last two also play with Babolat tennis shoes).
Website: www.babolat.com - www.Facebook.com/Babolat
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Wimbledon invests in record prize money for players and new Master Plan The launch of Wimbledon's state-of-the-art iPad App in mid-June illustrates how the traditional All England Lawn Tennis Club always has its eye to the future. It is all about investment and almost as soon as the paint had dried on the Club's long-term development plan that began in 1993 and was accomplished in 2011, a new Master Plan was being considered to ensure that The Championships continued to be played at the finest tennis venue in the world. The announcement of the Club's new vision came alongside the revelation that the players at this year's Championships will benefit from the largest single increase and the largest total prize money purse in the history of professional tennis. An additional £6.5 million, or 40%, over 2012 levels builds on the then focus of targeting those players who need it most - early round losers and qualifiers. For the vast majority (88%) of singles players who lose in the first three rounds of The Championships, there is a step-change rise of over 60% in the prize money each will receive, an unprecedented increase of around 90% over a two-year period. Similarly, there is a 41% increase for qualifying, bringing the twoyear increase for this group to 71%.
The box office appeal of those reaching the last 16 has prompted a 40% increase while the two singles champions will take home £1.6 million for their efforts, a £450,000 (39%) bonus on last year. "We listened very carefully to the players and the tours," said Philip Brook, the AELTC Chairman at the Spring Press Conference held on Tuesday. "This is our work, our decision on the significant increases made because we wanted to, not because we had to. "We live in a competitive sport and compete with other international events and sports. "At this moment in time we need to respond and it is the right thing to do.” Mr Brook added that the increase was affordable and would not impact on ticket prices that fans pay or the surplus due to the LTA, providing this year's Championships is as successful as in the past.
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Wimbledon's Master Plan Wimbledon's Master Plan was published for the first time and confirmed the Club's intent to provide a new fixed retractable roof over No 1 Court in time for the 2019 Championships. This will involve some remodelling of the show court that could also offer an opportunity to increase seating for spectators after final designs are approved over the coming two years. Once complete, Wimbledon will have the ability to maintain covered play on its two main show courts for over 26,500 spectators up until 11pm. "The publication of the Wimbledon Master Plan is the first step in a consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders that will take place in the coming months through meetings, presentations and a public exhibition," said Mr Brooks. Among the key objectives of the plan is to improve the experience for all concerned while resolving operational issues to ensure the smooth running of The Championships for now and the future. The plan focuses on remodelling the four areas of the grounds through a radical rethink and strategic reconfiguration of the courts to enable an improved landscape setting around wider walkways, viewing areas and public plazas. The Northern area will see existing structures demolished to make way for new player facilities under three new match courts with an impressive public walkway offering entry into the grounds from Southfields.
The Central area will have congestion relieved by the introduction of a new plaza on two levels on court 19 with new basement accommodation under four match courts with increased viewing around while landscaping and terracing is significantly improved. The historical Southern area will benefit from the opening up of St Mary's Walk from the top of the site to its southern apex and offering a new, distinctive entrance for those approaching the grounds from Wimbledon Village. Two of the grass courts will be relocated to the northern area to free up the walkways between the repositioned match courts. A new plaza provides an additional major destination to the south and accommodates additional areas for queuing for a greater number of unreserved seats for Courts 2 and 3. Court 12 will be repositioned to the south of Court 2 and will have permanent seating on three sides. The Somerset Road area will be redeveloped to accommodate new indoor courts located further north in a new complex and 8 new outdoor clay courts. The plans encompass much innovation and with many of the new buildings being located underground, Wimbledon's English Garden setting will be greatly enhanced.
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MASTER PLAN KEY OBJECTIVES: •Maintain The Championships as the premier tennis tournament in the world and on grass. •Strengthen and enhance Wimbledon as a world class sporting venue of national and international significance. •Conserve Wimbledon's unique and special heritage. •Guided by ‘Tennis in an English Garden', develop the finest setting and facilities for the entertainment and enjoyment of all visitors. •Ensure that all new building is world class quality in keeping with Wimbledon's international status and reputation. •Continue to make a positive contribution to the local neighbourhood and community. •Resolve key operational issues to ensure the smooth running of The Championships for now and in the future. •Reduce carbon emissions from the grounds. •Develop effective transport solutions which reflect the priorities of the Club, its neighbours and those visiting during The Championships. •Establish a long term framework to ensure that future development is carried out in a coordinated, sustainable and resilient manner. •Based on these objectives, we have developed our vision for the Wimbledon Master Plan on which further detailed consultation and study will take place. "The cost of the Master Plan will be met in the same way as previous Club development plans," confirmed Ms Brook. "This has never impacted the surplus to British tennis and will not do so now."
NEW MEDIA PARTNER IN CHINA In other news, The Championship's viewing figures will rocket as part of a new multi-tiered media partnership in China with CCTV5, the national sports broadcaster, which will lead to an increase in viewing homes from 85 million to 250 million. Other media partner included regional sports channels and Tencent, the largest internet portal in China.
THREE-WEEK GAP Wimbledon's proposed move back in the calendar by one week in 2015 in order to create a three-week gap between The Championships and Roland Garros was announced in 2012. This will not only give the players more time to rest and to prepare for Wimbledon but also allow the establishment of a longer grass court season. The Club has been working with the ATP and WTA on a restructured calendar and welcomed the recent announcement to approve the request of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart to be a key part of the new extended grass court season.
OPERATIONAL INFORMATION •Grounds capacity remains unchanged at 38,500 •Start times remain unchanged from 2012: 11.00am on outside courts, 1.00pm on Centre and No.1 Courts •The Queue only starts from 8:00am on Sunday 23 June / £5.00 fee (proceeds donated to charity) for storage of camping equipment •Ground entry security procedures will be at an appropriately high level: Only one bag per ticket holder - no larger than 16x12x12ins (40x30x30cm). No hard-sided hampers, cool-boxes or brief cases allowed into the grounds. No Left Luggage facilities inside the grounds (facilities located outside the grounds on the Golf Course, Car Park 1 and St Mary‟s Church car park).
CHAIRMAN'S SPECIAL GUESTS
IPAD APP Wimbledon's iPad App will offer fans the next best experience to actually being there on the grounds and will complement www.wimbledon.com . Users will be able to navigate the grounds for live content, including scores, draws, live video and live radio as the tournament unfolds, while also exploring unique 360 degree content.
•Vic Seixas - 60 years since becoming Gentlemen's Singles Champion, 1953 •Margaret Court - 50 years since becoming Ladies' Singles Champion, 1963 •Billie Jean King - 40 years since becoming Ladies' Singles and Doubles‟ Champion, 1973 •Jan Kodes - 40 years since becoming Gentlemen's Singles Champion in 1973 For more information visit www.wimbledon.com
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The French Open has continued its efforts to address player demands for more equal distribution of prize money at tennis’ four Grand Slams by unveiling a new four-year financial plan.
USPTA World Conference heads to Orlando The United States Professional Tennis Association’s World Conference will be held Sept. 23-27 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla. The conference, which is the premier educational event for the tennis industry, gets a new look this year. It will still feature numerous general sessions, seminars and specialty courses, but each day will feature a theme focusing on a core competency including 10 and Under Tennis, Club O p e rat i o n s / B u s i n e s s , P l aye r D eve l o p m e nt a n d Teaching/Sport Science. This year will also include an exciting new and improved awards luncheon featuring Pat Williams as the keynote speaker, sponsored by Rezilient Direct. Williams is the cofounder and senior VP of the Orlando Magic and one of the nation’s top motivational speakers. The conference will continue to offer all things tennis including the nation’s largest tennis-only buying show, International Tennis Championships, networking opportunities, awards, industry meetings, parties and more. It is the country’s premier tennis gathering featuring the who’s who in the tennis industry including tennis professionals, industry leaders and representatives, manufacturers, wholesalers and media. USPTA members, their friends and family, nonmember tennis-teaching professionals, tennis enthusiasts, industry leaders and media are all invited to attend the conference. Sign up early for special pricing and discounts. More details about the conference, including registration information, are available at usptaworldconference.com or by calling USPTA at 800-877-8248.
The 2013 French Open, which commences on May 26, will offer total prize money of Eur22 million, a Eur3 million increase on last year’s purse. While the winners at Roland Garros will receive a record Eur1.5 million apiece, it will be the early round losers who gain the biggest increase. First round losers will receive a 17% rise in their compensation to Eur21,000, with figures rising by 25% for the second, third and fourth rounds, with players eliminated in the latter stage securing Eur100,000. The four-year plan will see Roland Garros’ prize purse rise by another Eur10 million by 2016. “A better distribution of winnings guides our thinking on pay,” said Gilbert Ysern, director of the tournament and director-general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT). “In this case, the FFT hopes to continue its efforts with regards to players who are eliminated in the first week.” The French Open last year led the way amongst the four Grand Slams, becoming the first tournament to restructure its distribution of prize money to present greater reward for early rounds, as well as the qualifying tournament. Its rivals followed suit and more changes have been witnessed for this year’s events. The 2013 Australian Open’s men’s and women’s singles champion each received A$2.43 million (US$2.54 million), the biggest prize money purse in the history of the sport. The distribution of the total prize fund of A$30 million saw the biggest percentage increases come in the first three rounds. The first round was up 32.7% to A$27,600, second round up 36.6% to A$45,500 and the third round up 30% to A$71,000. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) last month sealed a five-year deal with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) that called for an increase in prize money to US$50 million by 2017. In financial terms, the US Open will offer an additional $4.1 million in prize money to the already announced purse for this year’s tournament, bringing the total base prize money for 2013 to $33.6 million, which is a record $8.1 million increase from last year’s event. Wimbledon is set to announce its prize money structure next week. Commenting on the French Open’s plans, ATP executive chairman and president Brad Drewett told Bloomberg: “The Roland Garros prize money increases are another positive step forward for our players and we welcome the long-term commitment the FFT has made through 2016. The progress that has been made through our discussions with the Slams over the past 15 months has been truly signif
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The draw has been made for the Davis Cup by BNPParibas World Group play-offs, which will take place during the weekend of 13-15 September, and is as follows: (hosting nations listed first) Spain vs. Ukraine, Netherlands vs. Austria, Croatia vs. great Britain, Switzerland vs. Ecuador, Germany vs. Brazil, Poland vs. Australia, Belgium vs. Israel, Japan vs. Colombia. The ATP event in Stuttgart will be played on grass in 2015 during the week following Roland Garros, as the calendar shifts to allow an extra week between the French Open and Wimbledon. A combined ATP/WTA Tour event will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next February, and will become the biggest event in South America Dunlop has signed young American player Mallory Burdett, who is using the new Dunlop Biomemetic M3.0 racket, which she used to qualify and reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The United States Tennis Association recently installed its 10,000th mini-tennis court. The German Tennis Federation has announced a 10-year media rights deal with domestic commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat1 which will provide coverage of the nation’s Davis and Fed Cup matches as well as premier WTA events. Further events are expected to be added to the deal, which will commence with the broadcast of this month’s Fed Cup tie against Serbia. Head Tennis Facebook reached 1 million fans in March. Former world #1 Justine Henin has given birth to her first child, daughter Lalie. Marion Bartoli has hired former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna as her coach Top players including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are reported to have signed up to take part in a new Asian professional tennis league modelled on cricket’s Twenty20 format, expected to launch during the off-season later this year. The ITF has announced that mixed doubles events will be trialled at some NEC Tour Wheelchair Tennis Super Series events this year. The Estoril Open has changed its name to the Portugal Open. Organisers of the Boodles Challenge at Stoke Park near London have announced that Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Thomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, Richard Gasquet, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic will take part in the exhibition event from 18-22 June. Martina Hingis will return to World Team tennis this summer, playing for defending champions Washington Kastles. The Swiss former world #1 will also be inducted into the International tennis Hall of Fame this summer, alongside Cliff Drysdale, Ion Tiriac, Charlie Pasarell and Thelma Coyne Long. The USTA is again condidering adding a roof to the Arthur Ashe Stadium. This was rejected before as the stadium could not support the weight of the roof. With new materials and technologies, it is now possible. Racquet Art has introduced Cleansing Grip Spray, an antibacterial, anti-fungal spray which is safe for all grips. Just spray it on and let it dry. Sony Open is planning a $50 million facelift starting with the first phase in 2014, pending an agreement with Miami-Dade Parks. icant for our sport as a whole.”
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Tennis Europe Annual Meeting
The 39th Annual General Meeting of Tennis Europe was hosted in Tallinn during the weekend of 22-24 March as part of the centenary celebrations of the Estonian Tennis Association.
Chaired by Tennis Europe President Jacques Dupré, and opened by the President of the Estonian Tennis Association Urmas Soorumaa, the Meeting took place at Swissôtel Tallinn and saw a total of 98 delegates from 36 of Tennis Europe’s 49 member nations in attendance. The main event was preceded by meetings of Tennis Europe’s Junior and Development Committees, as well as a meeting of the Board of Management. The opening day saw the launch of Tennis Europe’s Coaches Education Initiative by Chief Executive Officer Olli Mäenpää and the ITF/Tennis Europe Development Officer, Hrvoje Zmajic
who announced plans for the creation of a digital communication platform to share information about the diverse coaches’ education systems in Europe, with the ultimate goal of establishing European standards. The remainder of the first session focused on International Tennis Federation matters, with President Francesco Ricci Bitti providing his annual update on the organisation’s activities and Executive Vice-President Juan Margets giving the delegates a detailed look at the current situation of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas competition.
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An opportunity was then given for the European candidates at the forthcoming ITF Board of Directors elections to make short presentations and participate in a question and answer session with the delegates. The plenary session saw annual reports from Tennis Europe’s President and CEO, as well as updates from Chairpersons of the various committees; Günther Lang (Development), Karin van Bijsterveld (Juniors), Philios Christodoulou (Seniors), and also from the Honorary Treasurer, Peter Bretherton. Constitutional matters addressed during the meeting included the approval of Serbia’s application to change its membership status from ‘C’ to ‘B’- Nation and the adoption of a proposal for the automatic adjustment of membership fees linked to the European index, which will take place with effect from January 1st 2014. An application for affiliated membership status from the Tennis Federation of Kosovo failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority required from the assembly. Mr. Dupré remarked; “The meeting was very well attended and I am grateful to all of the delegates, guests and observers for their contributions on both days, in particular Mr. Ricci Bitti, whose presence and commitment is greatly appreciated.
The reports given here have shown that Tennis Europe has continued to perform well in our key activities over the past year, and we are looking forward to embarking on the new projects announced for the coming months. It is a source of great pride for us to see the continued progress of tennis in Serbia, and their ascension in membership status is entirely merited. I would also especially like to thank Mr. Soorumaa and all his staff for their hard work and warm hospitality. We are honoured to have been invited to Tallinn during the centenary year of the Estonian Tennis Association and to be able to see first-hand the excellent job that they are doing.” In accordance with tradition, Saturday’s official dinner at Tallinn’s Modern Art Museum was the scene of the presentation of the Tennis Europe Awards, which are nominated by member nations in recognition of outstanding contributions to the sport and its administration. There were nine recipients in total; Ernst Wolner (AUT), Max Mirnyi (BLR), Toomas Leius (EST), Tom Kinloch (GBR), Janis Pliens (LAT), Evert-Jan Hulshof (NED), Wojciech Radomski (POL), Igor Vadimovich Vsevolodov (RUS) and Domenico Vicini (SMR).
Guest of honour at the dinner was Ene Ergma, President of the Riigikogu, who was on hand to see the European Tennis Trophy awards presented to 2012 winners Netherlands (Wheelchair Tennis), Germany (Seniors Tennis), Russia (Junior Tennis) and Czech Republic (Professional Tennis and Overall Performance). Special awards were also given to recognise the exceptional performances of Serbia (Best-Performing ‘C’-Nation), the Slovak Republic (Best-Performing ‘B’-Nation) and Hungary (Greatest Improvement). Tennis Europe confirmed during the meeting that next year’s AGM will be hosted by the Bulgarian Tennis Federation in Sofia from 27-30 March.
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TOURNAMENT STRINGING Box Method Around the World The Box Method is the most used Around the World on the professional tour. There are many variations to this method also. Some of them are more advantageous to certain frames and not so much to others. The major advantage of Around the World techniques is that we can start the cross strings at the top of the frame and string down to the throat. The major advantage of the Box Method is that all the outside main strings are not knoted and we can tie off the crosses at the top and bottom. This offers tighter strings on the outside of the frame. A Standard 1 piece stringing method ties off 1 main on the side and 1 cross at the top and bottom. Sometimes the tie-off string can be 4-5 kilos looser than on the other side of the frame. Especially on polys. This will end the balance in the frame and slightly change the trajectory of the ball.
The major disadvantage is that we have hard weaves every second cross which is dangerous with gut unless you are very experienced with it. It is also more difficult to weave every second string. For example, with a thick textured poly on a tight pattern. It is possible to make special Around the World techniques for each frame. Some box methods go 2 or 3 times around the outside of the frame for better aestetics and easier angles on the strings. Most stringers find this too difficult when they are under stress stringing 30+ frames a day. That is why most of them use the technique described below. We will put an article in the next issue with different possibilities with the Box Method.
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The frame we are using is a 16 x 18 frame. We have strung 7 mains on the short side and 8 on the long side (Figure 1).
You can see that we have an easy angle again on the outside main going up to the second cross (Figure 4). We will use the top cross and the second cross from the bottom for the tie-offs.
4
1 The 8th string on the long side is clamped off and we string the 1st cross on the top with 4 kilos more and tie off. As you can see (Figure 2), the angle from the 7th main to the first cross is not very sharp. This helps reduce shear breakage on polys.
We finish stringing the crosses down to the 3rd cross from the bottom (Figure 5).
2
As the frame has 18 mains, we have to install the bottom cross with the opposite weave as the top cross. Next we install the 8th main on the other side and have completed our box around the outside of the frame (Figure 3).
5
The last string, the 2nd cross is a very hard weave and difficult to get enough tension on it. We add 5 kilos on the last string and pull back and forth with the straightening awl to get tension on this string. We tested the string against one pulled from the top to bottom without hard weaves and it is almost impossible to get the correct tension on it. If you use 2 or 3 boxes around the outside it is even much more difficult to get tension on the last string. You have to weigh the disadvantages against the advantages of each stringing method and decide which one is for best for you.
3
25 25
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String Playtest Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro is the thinner version of Monogut ZX that we tested earlier. It is a monofilament string made from polyetheretherketone, a high grade engineering grade polymer known as PEEK and polyketone. The one used by Ashaway is called ZYEX and is a trademark name. Zyex molecules form complex chains with three aromatic bonds. Nylon has simple covalent bonds that tend to break down and polyester has a single aromatic bond. According to Ashaway this results in a better molecular bond offering better tension maintenence. Ashaway tells us this gives more comfort, power and a gut like feel when playing along with the durability of a polyester monofilament. The player profile for this string is someone looking for the good power and comfort of gut and the durability of a monofilament at a reasonable price. The strings are available in 12 meter single sets in red and natural, 110 meter reels and 220 meter reels. 17 gauge 1,22mm.
IN THE LAB
We tested the 17-gauge (1.22 mm) Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro . The coil measured 13.4 meters. The diameter measured 1.23 – 1.26mm prior to stringing, and 1.20 – 1.24mm after stringing. We recorded a stringbed stiffness of 37 Dynamic Tension on a Beers ERT 300 immediately after stringing at 25 kilos in a (16 × 19 pattern)racquet on a Prince 6000 constant-pull machine. After 24 hours (no playing), stringbed stiffness measured 35 RDC units, representing a 5.5 percent tension loss. Our control string, Prince Synthetic Gut Original Gold 16, using the same string as the USRSA, representing a 9 percent tension loss. The Monogut ZX Pro coil weighed 22.4 grams and added 16.6 grams to the weight of our unstrung frame. The string has a smooth surface. The ERT tests were in the above average range for this type of string. The string was tested for five weeks by 25 ERSA playtesters, with playing levels of intermediate to nationally ranked. These are blind tests, with playtesters receiving unmarked strings in unmarked packages. Average number of hours playtested was 11.1 hours.
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STRINGING Two playtesters broke their samples during stringing pulling the knots, no stringers complained of problems with coil memory, typical with single sets of string, and many said there was very little coil memory for a monofilament. No one had problems with friction as it is a very smooth string and thin. In comments, many said it was the easiest monofilament to string they have tested. Two stringers said it was difficult tightening the knots. All rated it as the same to much easier to string than other strings in this category
PLAYTEST Tension Loss was rated from a little worse to much better from everyone. This was the same as our lab tests, with a very low tension loss for a monofilament over 24 hours. All of the testers found the string a little below average to much better in Playability. Power was rated about the same to much better. String movement and control were rated from a little worse to much better. Comfort and feeling were rated a little below average to much better. Durability was rated from the same to much better than the strings they currently use. Four testers broke their strings between 6 and 17 hours of play.
CONCLUSION Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro is a totally new type of string and is much closer to natural gut than other monos in the power and comfort ratings. No Tester compared to gut, but the Power rating were above any other mono we tested. Also, the Spin ratings were very much higher that gut, typical for a thin monofilament. We asked the stringers to compare it to other monofilaments which gave it very high rating in several categories. Almost every tester they would consider adding the string to their sortiment if the price was reasonable, which it is. As the distributors in the EU have different prices, we can only tell you in the USA it is less expensive than the most popular monos.
RATING AVERAGES From 1 to 6 (with 1 being the best)
Playability Durability Power Control Comfort Feel Spin Potential Holding Tension Resistance to Movement
3.2 3.0 3.6 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.2 3.1 2.8
10 Stringing tips for Ashaway Monogut ZX
COMMENTS “The best poly I have tested. Sounds different also.” Team Player – Babolat Pure Drive – RPM Blast “Good power and easy on my arm.” Coach and Tournament Player – Prince EXO3 Tour – GOSEN Polybreak “I think it had a little more power than my string but spin was much better.” Men’s Club Player with Wilson Steam – Head Sonic Pro
1.Do not pull the knots too tight 2.Do not scrape or nick the string. Be careful when using a starting clamp. 3.Allow the string to elongate under tension. 4.Use slowest tensioning speed on electronic machines. 5.Reduce tension 10% from nylon strings. 6.String at maximum 60 pounds or 27.5 kilos. 7.Poly players can use prestretch to take the some of the power out of the string. 8.Carefull with sharp tools. 9.Release the base first with double action clamps. 10.Check racket grommets for excess wear before stringing.
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ERSA New Around the World
The 2013 ERSA Symposium has taking place in Dßsseldorf on May 17 – 20 has participants coming from 15 countries so far. The greatest interest so far is in tournament stringing with 7 stringers signed up for the Pro Tour Certification. Mark Maslowski will be stringing for the Austrlalian Davis Cup Team in Poland on September 13-15, 2013. The site is to be announced in the next week. Marco Rossani, ERSA Manager and Tester for Italy is organizing a Pro Tour Certification weekend in Milano in July.
The ERSA had their first workshop in Skopje, Macedonia on April 4-5. Miomir Vitanovic from Serbia passed his Master Racquet Technician certification test to become the first MRT in Serbia. Meeting were also held during the week to organize the next workshop for the area of Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. The ERSA will be launching ERSA Ukraine this summer and will be looking to expand into other countries in eastern europe. Workshop and certification dates will be announced in June after meeting with the new managers. Since opening up the Pro Tour Stringer Certification Level 1 this year, over 50 stringers have signed up for the test in 2013 . Two international stringing services have also inquired about certification for their teams. We have 7 stringers signed up for the Symposium and 8 more signed up for this summer already. The ERSA has had more inquiries for the PTS certification than the Certified Stringer certification in 2013. We are hoping this will open up the possibilities for more qualified stringers to get into tournmaments. Many of the stringers who have passed the test are getting contracts with Tennis Europe, ITF and national tournaments to start off.
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