Tennis has always been a country club, countryside sort of sport. Monday in Toronto, however, it was urban as it could get when Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic took to the streets downtown in an exhibition event for this week’s Rogers Cup.
See more Toronto street ball, an urban tennis classic and our favorite Monday hair-do after the cut.
Even L. Jon Wertheim, SI columnist and active tennis author was candid on Jelena Jankovic’s dress this week in Cincy. We called it our favorite while Mr. Wertheim claimed it may have helped her win the title.
In any case, congrats to Jelena (and Andy!) on their wins today. Inching closer to USO time!
(jankovic screen grab via yahoo; wertheim tweet via twitter)
In this summer’s US Open Series, the women and men of the pro tennis tours have done their best to sport some red, white and blue in honor of America’s lead up to the grand daddy in New York City later this month.
Simple as usual, world number one Dinara Safina has sported this red adidas top with a bleach-white skirt all summer. Perhaps she’s hoping the consistent attire will help consistent results?
The always-sensual Gael Monfils sported bright blue and white in Montreal, complete with wristbands on each wrist to match.
More American-inspired fashion after the cut.
In just over a week, TSF will have the chance to sit down with a few of the game’s players at the Pilot Pen Championship in New Haven. While we aren’t sure just whose brain we will get to pick and play with, we are certain we want to ask some quirky, off-topic, killer Qs. That’s where you come in.
We want you to submit questions that you’d like the pros to answer. From fashion to tennis failures, from politics to favorite pizza, from socializing to sex(?!), we want to know what you want to know. Nothing is off limits, so submit away and we’ll compile our favorites for the stars!
(photo by dh2 via flickr.)
It seems as though the tennis media (Comebacks galore!) has joined the mainstream media (Oh, those nasty town-hall meetings!) in a one-topic frenzy this past week.
There was Kim Clijsters and her “Mom-back” in Cincinnati, along with the growing entourage that Roger Federer had acquired and how Rafael Nadal would fare in Montreal. Meanwhile, news of Mary Pierce making an effort to return to the tour surfaced. There was even an announcement that Taylor Dent would receive a wild card in New Haven next week. What about Monique Viele?! We’re just waiting for her return…
Well Clijsters, Federer and Nadal all lost in the quarterfinals (in different scenarios, mind you), but their comebacks are in full swing. Meanwhile, color made a full comeback to the tour as well this week, as players shed their Wimbledon whites for more summer-appropriate attire. While many players, like Clijsters and Andy Roddick, switched off between a colored top and a white one from day to day, summer brights were out to rule this week.
Our fave had to be Jelena Jankovic in her ruffled, canary yellow piece, on top. The Serb is trying to make a comeback of her own this summer. Bellies aren’t so fashionable on this tour… check out more shots after the cut.
Comeback? At least, not for Kim Clijsters. The WTA star has the entire sports world abuzz with her grand re-entry to the women’s game last night, a decisive straight-set win over Marion Bartoli. Bartoli claims Clijsters is already at “top ten level, for sure” and that the former world number one can find her footing in the game once again.
A different POV: John Branch, in Cincinnatti covering the tourney where Clijsters has re-emerged, mused today on the NYT’s “Straight Sets” blog that while things might be looking up for Clijsters, her (so far) easy return to the tour isn’t something the women’s game should smiling about overall. Just where does that mean the game is – quality-wise – he wonders?
Don’t say the ‘R’ word. While Clijsters is calling her return to the game a “second career,” Mary Pierce refuses to utter the ever-blasphemous phrase on the WTA Tour: “retirement.” The two-time slam winner Pierce, now 34, is actively working on a comeback of her own with coaches and trainers. The Frenchwoman impressed us with her golden year in 2005 (two slam finals and the WTA Championships crown), so we say: why not?! We miss Mary and her quirky on-court habits.
Pictures this. Check out TENNIS.com’s week in pictures layout. They’ve got a great (and awkward) shot of Del Potro and Roddick meeting at net in D.C. (really, really awkward) and another of Clijsters and Elena Dementieva playing their own version of water tennis at a Cincy theme park. Only in Ohio…
No peaking. In Montreal, the men of tennis were once again on the fashion catwalk, as is a tradition with this Canadien event. While Novak Djokovic didn’t make it to his undies this time around, the Serb did walk out with just a bathrobe on. Check out the video to see what happened next.
My original plan for Part 2 of the WTA Headshots series was to go with the three most talked-about women of the last week: Flavia Pennetta, Kim Clijsters and Marion Bartoli. However, in doing research for another piece, I came across a couple of gems and just couldn’t resist putting them up. So, without further adieu, here’s installment numero dos of the headshots.
Melinda Czink | Bravo’s newest installment of the popular Real Housewives series has gone global with the Real Housewives of Budapest. What better candidate is there than Ms. Melinda Czink, a Budapest native and a world-trotting tennis player with fashion zeal. You can see from her RHOB audition picture that Ms. Czink has a distinguished style, wearing a glimmering necklace and simple, pearl-inspired earrings. “I don’t think I look anything like Alex!” Melinda exclaimed in her audition tape, at the Budapest Valley Palms Mall last weekend. “And I would never hook up with Simon! Ewwwww!” We’re sure Melinda wouldn’t hook up with Simon, but not so sure she will play nice with the other, uppity housewives of Budapest.
Daniela Hantuchova | In a bizarre, but not necessarily surprising turn of events, Daniela Hantuchova has announced that she will travel through time next month after the U.S. Open to 1972. The Slovakian said she has felt her whole life that living in the ’70s was what she was supposed to do, and now thanks to her dual citizenship in the country of North Korea, she will be launched to said decade in a matter of weeks. “It’s going to be far out,” Daniela said. And asked whether she may or may not try to battle with the tennis greats in her new decade, Daniela had this to say: “I already have.” Then she pulled out this photo as proof. Hey, we believe her.
The New York Times has an article out today on how our society is increasingly turning to technology (literally) when we wake up. Instead of brushing our teeth, eating breakfast or walking down the hall to rub the sleep out of our eyes, we’re opening laptops, checking BlackBerrys and making sure we catch up on anything we missed out on in the few hours we were asleep.
That goes for tennis players, too. Here’s a snapshot of Monday morning Twitter updates from a few of our faves.
And to find out which former U.S. touring pro made an ill-advised book purchase over the weekend, click below.
A quick weekend trip to the Brooklyn flea market reminded us that a shortage of creative, well-produced and trendy clothing for the masses will never, ever, ever occur. Online, that rings more true than at the market or boutique, especially since DIY web sites can look savvy and sell for cheap. Our latest find is a sports-inspired, quick-witted apparel company based out of Philadelphia appropriately named PhillyPhaithful.
Phaithful is owned and run by former ESPN employee, Dan Hershberg, a native Philadelphian who knows a thing or two about Philly sports phasion. Hershberg joined forces with cousin Paul Flaharty a year ago to form the company and the two went gaga over American Apparel blended cotton tees, which they use exclusively for their line.
But before we go phanatic (You’re loving the over-use of the ph, right? So are we.) over the the inbreeding that went on to birth this company, it’s suffice to say that if Hershberg and Flaharty dropped the stencil and silk screener and took off for London as hopefuls for the ever-entertaining British sports press, they’d have pretty good careers. The tees at Phaithful are full of caustic, witty phrases, most of which don’t pertain to the Philadelphia sports scene whatsoever, but rather Philly rivals (see above).
“Why support the Eagles when you can make fun of Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg while wearing sweatpants in the club?” Hershberg muses. “And, sure it’s great to buy a Phillies World Champions shirt, but isn’t it more entertaining to buy one that laughs at how unbelievably bad the Mets have been for two years running?”
Our fave happens to be that tee at the top, the Plexico Burress ditty. We wonder what kind of tees Phaithful would come up with for the tennis world? Perhaps Richard Gasquet plus coke-covered lips plus dancing club woman equals worst excuse slash beard cover up ever? A couple more Phaithful phaves (last time, promise!) after the cut…
Via L. Jon Wertheim’s Twitter, we noticed that Nike is betting on Sweet 16 for Roger Federer a little early. The company is selling a collector’s edition tee for fans that are banking on the world’s number one to take the title in New York City next month: “What are the chances he will make it two slams in a row when the US Open rolls around at the end of August ?” the site reads.
While we dig the RF logo on the front of the shirt, we’re not quite sure of the “Sixteen” written on the back. Click the link to see for yourself.
The tees are 100% cotton dri fit and so far, only come in black. And, if you look closely on the linked page, the other apparel UK-base Pro-Direct is pitching on that page belongs to one Mr. Rafael Nadal. TSF loves a little apparel cat-fight when we see one.
(screen grab via pro-direct web site)
Purple People Eater: Roger Federer’s official site went purple over the weekend. Hmmm… that purple, green and white combo looks familiar to us. What do you think?!
Third best: Somehow Elena Dementieva has had a difficult time grasping the concept of Twitter. The Russian updates her account in third person, usually linking to article on, well… herself. “Elena still can’t figure out Twitter.”
(screengrab via rogerfederer.com)
