let’s do the masha mash!

(We were working on the blog late one night…)

Here’s what Maria Sharapova will be wearing on the court for the 2010 Australian Open.

The dress: The solid blue slip dress with the printed mesh overlay — a design plucked from Maria’s personal sketchbook a year ago — has some hints of yellow and green to help the outfit pop in the bright blue courts of Melbourne Park. Note the high neckline with the ruffled edging. The Australian dresses are never our faves, and this one is about par. What do you think of it? Tell us!.

This piece is part of a larger campaign, Nike’s Maria Sharapova Collection, which’ll have seven dresses (along with tank/skirt combos) dropping throughout the year. She even helped select the army of tennis players (sorry, models) to help do her bidding on court: Kai-Chen Chang, Julia Goerges, Anastasia Pivovarova, and Madison Keys will all wear pieces from this collection.

Click on to see her shoes, her bag, and her drop earrings — all

now cough

From the desk of TSF, M.D.: Yep — it’s time for Andy Roddick‘s annual check-up, and he passes with flying colors. The American is heading into Melbourne as the Australian Open’s seventh seed. With momentum from winning Brisbane (over Stepanek), he has an easy quarter and could face either Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal in the bottom semi. (Men’s Draw) Do you think he has a chance?

More: More pics of from his practice (both in and out of Lacoste shirts)

maria’s clothes: a look back (video)

Masha works with Nike Creative Design Director Janice Lucena on future outfits.

On the eve of the debut of Maria Sharapova‘s Australian Open 2010 ensemble, the accomplished Russian takes a look back at some of her more notable Nike ensembles, including the LBD from the ’06 U.S. Open, the Swarovski-ed red dress from ’07; the simple dress from Wimbledon ’04 (our fave) and the handmade one from ’09 that lived under the majorette jacket; the navy blue dress from Paris ’08; the corseted one from the 2007 Australian.

It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, so we were happy for some of the shots zooming in on the clothes’ details. And Maria (who has a mind for fashion) doesn’t just go through the I’m-doing-this-for-my-sponsorship-money lip service, instead adding trivia about each outfit.

Video: Click here.

(video courtesy of Nike)

jmdp gets towled

Juan Martin del Potro was featured on Towleroad.com’s “Sportrait” today. The gay-news blog gave del Potro plenty of (pictured) ink. Though through the fuzz (his, not the tennis balls’), it doesn’t appear that the US Open champ is in tip-top shape. Will it hinder his chances at a second straight Slam? Will be interesting to see what happens…

(photo via towleroad)

a friday feud and, oh, that’s better! (and worse)

We’ve got a feud on our hands here folks, and for once it doesn’t involve Jelena Dokic or any of the people in her camp. Sounds as though Pete Sampras is pretty upset with Andre Agassi over the way Sampras was portrayed in Agassi’s book, “Open“.

Read this Yahoo! Sports blog entry for more juicy details.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer cleaned up his look on the practice court today, sporting shorter shorts and a bright-colored tee (we’re loving the tees, Rog!). We also love how Arnaud Clement (who is in the Auckland final against American John Isner) is starting off 2010 with a bangdana. Oops, we mean a bang. Never do you disappoint, Arnie.

More: Check out John McEnroe’s frightening top (hopefully the flashes whited it out) and see a chainless (but taped up) Serena shot from her ugly loss in Sydney.

serena waisting (and not wasting) time

Leave it to Serena to take it to the next level; even with the fashion-heavy Aravane Rezai across the net — the frenchwoman deserves her own post — TSF was still wowed by the belly chain accent on Ms. Williams’ red Nike outfit (what if it got caught on that ring?!). And kudos to that Hello Kitty receipt bag (from Venus) she had in her purse at the AO preview presser.

She has earned the Australian Open’s top seeding on the women’s side (just released), and is efficiently prepping for the year’s first major by extending her winning streak in Sydney. Serena has a chance to take the title from defending champion Elena Dementieva. In the semis, Serena needed three sets to beat Rezai while Dementieva brushed aside Azarenka in two quick sets.

(image via Getty Images)

if marat safin and fabio fognini made babies…

…this is what they’d spawn. (La Monf or Grigor Dimitrov could be in the picture, too, with equal results!) Nick Lindahl, an Australian up-and-comer, has snagged a wildcard spot at this year’s Australian Open with a hard-earned win — 6-7 (6), 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 — over Bernard Tomic.

More: A few more pics

for ana, it’s back to the basics

While most players start the year clad in bright colors and popping looks on the practice courts of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Ana Ivanovic was warming up for the year’s first slam today in a simple black-and-white get up from adidas. The Serbian, who is trying to take her game back to the basics after a dismal 2009, will sport this yellow dress for the tournament’s play. We’ve got to say we love her toned-down practice apparel.

What are your thoughts on her dress? Get a peek at it after the jump or click the link above.

let’s go video

TennisServedFresh has a lot of exciting things in store for the 2010 season. One of them is a consistent video blog from Contributing Editor Nick McCarvel. Check out these once-in-awhile posts and please feel free to comment and join in on the conversation! Have something you’d like Nick to talk about? Want more fashion? Match analysis?! Let us know and we’ll make it happen. Click the picture to watch.

we like the top, but…

The bottom needs work…

shirtless: carlos moya

Holy mole-y: What is it with the Spaniards and their skin? (I’m not complaining….)

FYI, Carlos Moya is busy getting ready for the 2010 Australian Open, which starts this coming Monday in Melbourne. The draw’ll come out on Friday; you can watch for it here.

(image via australianopen.com)

short balls: it’s 2010, y’all!

We’re glad to be back here at TSF for another year of tennis. 2009 held plenty of entertainment for us, and we can’t wait to see what this year will bring. Week one set the bar high, with the Belgian gals battling in Brisbane, Andy Roddick claiming a season-opening title and Nicolay Davydenko vaulting back from the brink to beat Rafael Nadal in Doha.

Whew! We’re already exhausted…

She. Could. Go. All. The. Way. Well, don’t get too worked up about Laura Robson just yet, but the young Brit is showing as steady of a progression onto the women’s tennis pro tour as any player in a long while. Following her 2008 Wimbledon junior title (that set off a media firestorm), Robson has dabbled in pro events, won some challengers and made a (semi-successful) senior debut at The Championships. Pat Cash offers his thoughts on why she’s the real deal, and I have a 2010 preview up over at OnTheBaseline.com on what the future holds for this lefty teen.

Pac10s. Oh, we get it: “Pack. Ten. Nis.” The Pacific 10 (better known as the Pac 10 to you and me) has set up a groovy website (pac10s.com) where all of its men’s tennis results will be posted to throughout the season. Such forward thinking, right? As the college game grows, this kind of stuff will only become more pertinent. Their next goal should be reaching out to the ladies and putting up their info, too…

The green ground goes white (and still looks pretty). While its blazing hot down in Melbourne for the start of the Australian Open, Londoners have been suffering through a cold snap that has brought frigid temperatures to the city and even some snow. The storm provided rare pictures of the All England Tennis Club ground blanketed in snow. Still picturesque though, right? We wonder if snow-packed courts could be added to the tour’s surfaces? Maybe a tour stop in Denver? Oslo?!

It’s not good if you hit it over the fence, Derek. Recently-engaged Yankee slugger Derek Jeter was caught playing some shirtless tennis on vacation by TMZ. We wonder if anyone told him that it’s not good to hit the ball over the fence in tennis? And though TMZ claims he has “the stomach for tennis”, we prefer a little more shape around the abdominal region. He’s got nothing on Andy…

We’ll be around the rest of the week to get geared up for the Australian Open and can’t wait to bring you all the off-court happenings we know you love. One prediction we will make for twenty ten: it’s the year of the shirtless pic. They’re everywhere. Already. (We’re not complaining.)

in case ya missed it: the belgians battle it out

Thanks to Nick for sending me this link to last Sunday’s awesome Brisbane International final. The score: Kim Clijsters d. Justine Henin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6).

In case you’re still shaking off the dust from the “off season”, watch some of the match highlights — they should perk you right up!

happy 2010

We’re baaaaaack!

(image via Getty Images)