Luxilon on Tour

Wimbledon - round 3

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Bethanie Mattek of the USA (Alu Power 125 Rough) has been better known by many for her ‘unique’ taste in clothing rather than her abilities. But that has been changing recently (her clothes are still as provocative - except at ultra-conservative Wimbledon - but her tennis skill is attracting more attention than her taste in fashion) and she is starting to put together a very solid game and run of successes in both singles and doubles. Today she underscored her growing confidence and serious level of skill with a convincing straight-sets win over 11th seeded Marion Bartoli of France - 6-4 6-1.

She also won her doubles match with partner Sania Mirza of India, beating the British pair of Elena Baltacha and Naomi Cavaday 6-4 6-2.

An no, I can’t work out the various layers of her outfit either…

Roger Federer (Alu Power Rough and Wilson Natural Gut) continued his steady progress towards the final with a relatively easy win over Marc Gicquel of France 6-3 6-3 6-1. With 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles, Roger has already achieved the level of Wimbledon sainthood - as depicted in our picture above - and has yet to drop a set in his quest for his 6th. He will next play Lleyton Hewitt of Australia - the last Wimbledon champion before Roger began his winning ways.

© Manuela Davies - doubleXposure.com

Andreas Seppi of Italy (Alu Power 125) lost a close 4-setter 6-7(5) 6-3 6-7(3) 4-6 to the reborn Marat Safin of Russia. Andreas, seeded 29, won 22 games - 10 more than 3rd seed Novak Djokovic who was only able to take 12 games against the resurgent Safin in his straight sets loss in the 2nd round. No doubt Marat has been stung into action as a result of hearing it from ‘little’ sister, Dinara, who has been putting together a strong record in 2008 and recently won the German Open in Berlin.

Alla Kudryavtseva (Alu Power 125) of Russia fought her way into the fourth round of the Championships with a 6-3 1-6 6-4 win over Shuai Peng of China.

Fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova (Alu Power 125) also made it to the next round with a straight-sets win over Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-4 6-4.

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Wimbledon - round 2

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Roger Federer of Switzerland (Alu Power 125 Rough and Wilson Natural Gut) cruised to a 6-4 6-3 7-6(3) win over Robin Soderling (Alu Power 125) of Sweden and will be hoping for a few more straight sets wins to conserve his energy for what he (and the rest of the world) will surely be hoping for - a revenge final against Rafa.

Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia (Alu Power 125) and currently ranked 154 was ecstatic to beat fellow Russian, and 3rd ranked and seeded player, Maria Sharapova in straight sets 6-2 6-4.

In the post-match interview, she explained her determination to win the match: “It’s very pleasant to beat your ?? you know, Maria. Why? Well, I don’t like her outfit. Can I put it this way?”

Here’s the outfit - for those that are wondering:

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Wimbledon - round 1

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Simone Bolelli of Italy (Original 130) gave British spectators little to cheer about by defeating local boy Alex Bogdanovic 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(4).

Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania (Alu Power 125) did not fare so well against Samantha Stosur of Australia losing 6-2 6-2. But she did look pretty good anyway..

Anne Keothavong of (in spite of the name) England (Alu Touch) beat Vania King of the USA 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Julia Goerges of Germany (Alu Power 125) was understandably relieved to advance to the second round after a marathon battle against Katerina Srebotnik of Slovenia (Alu Power 125)…

… who still managed a smile (maybe of relief to be heading to the massage table). The final score:

Andreas Beck of Germany (Alu Power 125) was not disgraced as a result of a 6-4 6-4 7-6(0) loss to 2nd seeded Rafael Nadal. Any player would, I think, be happy to take 14 games off Rafa in a match….

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Wimbledon quallie highlights

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Lilia Osterloh of the USA (Alu Power Rough 125) had good reason to be excited as a result of her win over Stefanie Vogele of Switzerland in the first round of qualifying.

The score was 7-5 4-6 13-11…

Kristina Barrois of Germany (Alu Power 125) narrowly got the better of Roberta Vinci of Italy (Alu Power Fluoro) in a tight 2nd round match 7-6(5) 7-6

After the match, both players denied being the owner of this unusual form of transportation that appeared to be strategically placed for a quick getaway…

…back to Hogwarts..!

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova had a straight-sets win over Ekaterina Ivanova of Russia 6-3 6-1 to advance to the 3rd and final round of qualifying. She subsequently beat Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 6-3 6-4 to earn a place in the main draw where she will face the 4th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Mathilde Johansson of Sweden (Ace Touch) beat Jelena Kostanic Tosic of Croatia 6-4 6-3 in the 3rd round to advance to the first round of the main draw where she will meet Camille Pin of France.

They may share similar racquets and string but that does not mean there is any hope of any brotherly love out on the court. Andreas Beck of Germany (Alu Power 125) was happy to deprive Jaroslav Pospisil (Original 130) of the Czech Republic of a place in the main draw with a straight sets win 6-3 6-1 7-5.

But his celebration may be short-lived. Andreas will not expect or receive any mercy in his first - and probably last - round of the main draw. He is scheduled to play the 2nd seed Rafael Nadal on Centre Court.

Zuzana Ondraskova of the Czech Republic (Alu Power 125) got the better of Ekaterina Dzehalevich of Belarus (Alu Power 125) 6-3 6-2.

Zuzana will meet countrywoman Nicole Vaidisova in the main draw first round.

Alexander Peya of Austria (Alu Power 125) ended the hopes of local favorite Richard Bloomfield of Great Britain after a marathon a 6-4 6-4 3-6 1-6 8-6 struggle. Alex will play Mischa Zverev of Germany in the main draw.

Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine (Alu Power 125) beat Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico 6-3 6-4 7-5 to advance to the main draw where he will play 5th seed David Ferrer of Spain (Original 130).

Adrian Cruciat of Romania (Original 130) risked his - er - wellbeing to return this lob from opponent Philipp Petzschner of Germany (Original 130). Unfortunately, his risky manoeuvre was in vain and he lost the match sfter a tough 5-setter, 4-6 7-5 7-5 2-6 3-6.

Flavio Cipolla of Italy (Alu Power 125) wasn’t able to beat Pavel Snobel of the Czech Republic - but, in true Italian style - he lost stylishly…

And his match featured one of Wimbledon’s new cost-cutting measures - recruiting ballgirls who can also double-up as on-court security guards…

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Bad (hair) day for Roger

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

There’s no denying or hiding the fact that it was not Roger Federer’s day in the final of Roland Garros. First, the hair, and then the score…

Rafael Nadal - or the red clay of Roland Garros - has become Roger’s nemesis. For the third succesive year, Nadal has been the victor on finals day.

The statistics say a lot about the match: Roger hit 35 winners - 6 more than Rafa; but he also had 35 unforced errors compared to just 7 for Nadal.

For me, the following two images tell the story of the match:

Both balls are hit on the frame - and both on the top of the frame. Federer is clearly anticipating that the ball will be several inches lower than it actually is. Nadal is known for the amount of top-spin that he generates - leading to the ball bouncing extremely high after bouncing on the court. The clay surface heightens this effect producing balls that are typically shoulder height rather than waist height - where they would be on other surfaces if struck with the same degree of pace and spin. Roger does best with balls that he can hit at waist height - which possibly explains why he has won Wimbledon for the last 5 consecutive years - and beaten Rafa in the last two: the opposite of their results at Roland Garros. On grass, the ball tends to bounce less high than on any other surface - giving Roger a ball in his comfort zone and taking away one of Rafa’s biggest advantages.

How to cope with this? (as though Roger needs any coaching from me!)

The stats of the match show that Roger won 18 nets points against Nadal’s 2. So, all he has to do is play more net points and avoid the ball bouncing on the court and getting up too high… Simple, until you take into account that Roger also lost 24 net points - illustrating how difficult it is - even for the number one player in the world - to get to the net and hit a winner against Rafa’s formidable power and placement.

The same problems would also prevent Roger using an alternative strategy - standing closer to the net and hitting the ball earlier and before it has an opportunity of getting too high…

Roger may have found a barrier in Rafa and/or the red stuff but perhaps the green grass of Wimbledon will continue to prove Rafa’s nemesis and we will be treated to many more years of a rivalry that would be much less exciting if it was any more one-sided…

We hope you have enjoyed a glimpse of Luxilon at Roland Garros - and a few facts and faces that you would not have seen on NBC or the Tennis Channel.

We will bring you more from Wimbledon……….

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Luxilon players win doubles titles

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

Anabel Medina Garrigues (Original 130) and Virginia Ruano Pascual (Alu Power 125), both from Spain, won the women’s doubles title - beating Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Francesca Schiavone of Italy in a close three-setter 2-6 7-5 6-4

Vivi’s nephew was the first to congratulate them on their victory…

… and show them how to celebrate.

Vivi was formerly half of the world’s number one women’s doubles team with Paola Saurez before Poly retired a year ago.

In the men’s championship, Pablo Cuevas of Uraguay (Original 130) won the men’s doubles final with partner Luis Horna of Peru 6-2 6-3 over Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia.

It was an outstanding win considering that Cuevas (ranked 50) and Horna (ranked 43) beat the 3rd and 6th ranked doubles players. They had previously beaten the top seeds and number one team in the world Bob and Mike Bryan in the quarterfinals.

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Golovin gases up

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

With gas at record prices and climbing, even a tennis superstar needs a little help to pay the costs of tooling around in exotic sports cars. So Tatiana was very excited when she heard that Gaz de France wanted her to join their team.

It was only after signing on the dotted line that she was told that gas in France is used for cooking and heating - and not for fueling automobiles as in Miami where she lives. And with no pipeline between France and Florida to even feed her stove the value of her sponsorship seemed to be dwindling.

Just kidding….!!!

Gaz de France is a huge sponsor of tennis and tennis players in France. Tatiana, born in Russia, moved to France when she was very young and speaks French fluently. Although she moved to Florida to train at the Bollettieri Academy, she remains a French citizen and regards France as ‘home’. She is also sponsored by the French Lacoste clothing company.
She is currently dating Samir Nasri who plays soccer for Marseille and the French National team so has good reasons for making regular visits to France.

Tati is currently recovering from a back injury and missed Roland Garros as a result. She also did not play in Miami in March. She is not sure if she will be recovered enough to compete at Wimbledon - starting in 2 weeks. Before her latest injury, she achieved a career-high ranking of 12. She won her first WTA title at the Bausch and Lomb Championship at Amelia Island, Florida in April 2007.

Tati relies on Alu Power 125 to add power and control to her natural grace and vitality on court.

We look forward to seeing her talent and that impish smile back on the court again soon…

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Problems in Paris! Local hero or dream final?

Friday, June 6th, 2008

Today the French crowd had a real problem. Should they be hoping for a win for Gael Monfils - native of Robigny near Paris? Or for Roger Federer (Alu Power Rough 125/Wilson Natural Gut) setting up the much anticipated repeat final between Roger and Rafael Nadal of Spain.

I suspect that they resolved the dilemma by screaming for the local boy while secretly hoping for a Federer win.

The crowd got a good deal. Their hero, as always, sliding and diving around the court to make this an exciting match for the spectators no matter what the score. A close match - 6-2 5-7 6-3 7-5 - with Monfils by no means disgraced against the world’s number one. And a Federer win to set up the final that everyone really wanted.

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The Red, White and Blue advances

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

Kaia Kanep of Estonia (Alu Power 125) advanced to the Quarterfinals with a three set win over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Although the young lady from Estonia lost the 2nd set, she made no mistake about the third and won the match 6-3 3-6 6-1. Her next opponent will be Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Roger Federer of Switzerland (Alu Power Rough 125.Wilson Natural Gut) continued his winning ways with a quarterfinals defeat of the hard-hitting Fernando Gonzalez of Chile despite losing the opening set. He won the next three sets to win the match 2-6 6-2 6-3 6-4. He will meet local hero Gael Monfils in the semifinals.

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David Ferrer: hungry for the title - or just hungry?

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

David Ferrer may look lean and mean out on the court - and that’s precisely what he is.

Like most pro athletes, he follows a strict regimen of diet and exercise that keeps him in top physical condition and able to keep those legs pumping for hours on the notoriously energy-draining red, slidey stuff. This is particularly important at a Grand Slam event where you have to play the best of 5 sets - and sometimes need all them to win your match.

And David’s opponent today - Radek Stepanek - is one of those players that, when he is on form and playing his best tennis, he can beat anyone out there. Today he was on form and was determined to win.
But David does not only have the advantage of his Luxilon Original 130 strings. Our ever-observant photographer, Manuela, was able to catch sight of a couple of David’s lesser-known secrets for maintaining his energy level during those long matches.

The American pioneers knew a thing or two about keeping hunger at bay while crossing those arid deserts for days at a time on their one horsepower modes of transport. A strip of beef jerky kept deep in your pocket might be a little salty and ripe after a few hot days in the saddle but it could always be counted on to provide a few much-needed calories when the going got tough and the Gatorade ran out. Beef jerky is a little harder to come by in Paris than it is in Yuma, Arizona (did you know that word “yummy” originated from the famous beef jerky store established in Yuma in 1850?) but the cowskin of your leather racquet grip is a good substitute in a pinch - and, after a few games, is even able to reproduce that sweaty ripeness beloved of the early pioneers . It is, of course, a little tough to chew but that’s what keeps you going back for more - knowing that each gnawing session will be a little juicier than the last. And all that chewing is also good for developing and accentuating the jaw line - important if you are to appear determined and menacing to your opponent. And the taste will also create enough of a sour face for him to think that you mean business out there.

David’s second secret is to always have an emergency source of supply for the time when the grip finally becomes too soggy to stay in your hand and a new racquet has not yet been softened up. Those black rabbit ears that David always has tucked into his shorts are not just for luck! (yes, I know that it’s normally a rabbit’s foot - but tennis players like to be a little different - look at Bethany Mattek…). They are also a handy source of nutrition! Their strategic placement even creates a ‘groininess’ that is similar to the beef jerky of pioneering times! A quick, discreet nibble can be taken under the guise of wiping the sweat from your face by slipping the ear into the towel before applying it to your face. Of course, David doesn’t sweat any more in the third set of a match than he does in the second, but you will see him taking more frequent trips to the towel as the match progresses and the need for a quick fix of ear becomes more urgent. This remedy was well know to the English in Victorian times when fresh meat in the cities was much scarcer than it is today. The cries of “ear ear” could often be heard from the poor that would surround butchers shops at the end of the day, hoping to find a little to eat when practically nothing was left. It is still heard today from people in a crowd hoping to be noticed by someone of importance who is addressing them.
Armed with such an array of strategies to maintain an edge over his opponent, David was able to win his match 4-6 6-2 1-6 6-3 6-3 and will meet Gael Monfils of France in the quarterfinals.

As instructed by Mirka, eager to have time for a little shopping before dinner at L’Arpege (where normal people need to make reservations several weeks ahead), Roger Federer (Alu Power Rough and Wilson Natural Gut) won his match against Julien Benneteau of France in straight sets - 6-4 7-5 7-5. He will play his quarterfinal match against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile.

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Archive for June, 2008

Wimbledon - round 3

Wimbledon - round 2

Wimbledon - round 1

Wimbledon quallie highlights

Bad (hair) day for Roger

Luxilon players win doubles titles

Golovin gases up

Problems in Paris! Local hero or dream final?

The Red, White and Blue advances

David Ferrer: hungry for the title - or just hungry?

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