FIRST MASTER PRO TOUR STRINGERSFIRST MASTER PRO TOUR STRINGERSASHAWAY DYNAMITE 18 SOFTASHAWAY DYNAMITE 18 SOFTDUNLOP MAX 200G RETURNSDUNLOP MAX 200G RETURNSGAMMA VERVE & DART STRINGSGAMMA VERVE & DART STRINGSINDUSTRY NEWSINDUSTRY NEWS

ISSUE IIIISSUE III

RACQUETTECH RACQUETTECH MAGAZINE 2012 MAGAZINE 2012 EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION

BEAST

PRECISION TUNED THERMO-POLY

WWW.BEASTXP.COM

UNLEASHTHE

BEAST XP

RT CONTENTS

Features

Industry News

4 My Serve6 New Products10 Industry News21 Mary Pierce26 Junior Racket Transi on

TIA UK & LTA JoinHopman CupESPN Signs ATP & WTAITF re-launches e-NewsPrince Beast StringsNew ShortsDunlop’s Ross HutchinsTIA UK New Posi on

4

RACQUETTECH EUROPEEuropean Racquet Stringers Association

DirectorMark Maslowski

Offi ce ManagerSanda Maslowski

ERSA AustraliaAnthony Aley

ERSA UK ManagerJamie PethickERSA UK TesterRoger Dalton

ERSA Spain ManagerRichard Parnell

ERSA France ManagerJean Baviera

ERSA Italy ManagerMarco Rosanni

ERSA Netherlands ManagerMark Verschoor

ERSA Greece ManagerPetros BirisERSA Greece Workshop ManagerGeorge Pahiokas

ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia Vaclav Smat

FOUNDING MEMBERSAshaway BabolatHead IsospeedKirschbaum LuxilonPacifi c Wilson

CORPORATE MEMBERSAshaway HeadPrince IsospeedGOSEN Tecnifi bre

STRING SUPPLIER MEMBERSApollo Leisure Bow BrandKirschbaum Signum Pro

TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Rod Cross

TENNIS CONSULTANTGabe Jaramillo

European Racquet Stringers AssociationLenaustr. 3840470 DüseldorfDE GermanyPhone/Fax +49(0)211-87511548www.ersa-stringers.com

MY SERVE

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 inter-ested in receiving the e-Magazines allow our e-mails to be received. We still have some comingback as not allowed or discontinued.

We have had our management committee voteon our fi rst Master Pro Tour Stringers. They are listed on the following page and Sam Chan, our fi rst 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 knowledge-able stringers in the world. I think the ERSA was funamental in increasing the quality of stringing in professional tournaments over the last dec-ade and thank everyone who has supported this project. You can fi nd ERSA Pro Tour Stringersin almost every major tournament and many of them have strung at all four Grand Slams.

AAs we have a large number of Certifi ed String-ers and Master Racquet Technicians certifi ed this month, we will publish them in the next is-sue.

AAs we have seen some people offering CS and MRT Certifi cation through other so-called asso-ciations, we would like to confi rm that they havenothing 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 downas of December 31,2011 and is looking for someone to invest in the company. This was

a great source fora great source fora great source for press releases frommanufacturers and associations. Ten-niswire was founded in 2004 by a grantfrom the TIA in theUSA to offer mediainformation covering the tennis industry.

Mark Maslowski

Kirschbaum Sportartikel GmbH · Schweerstraße 1 · D-58456 Wittenphone: +49 (0) 23 02-9 70 50 · fax: +49 (0) 23 02-7 76 76www.kirschbaum-strings.de · info@kirschbaum-strings.de

NEW

HELIX®

Built like natureThe Kirschbaum HELIX monofi lament is helically wound in a multistage twisting process, followed by an additional heat setting treatment. The twisting process provides increased string elasticity for excel-lent 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 16Units: 40 f and 660 f

ERSA now off ers cer fi ca on for diff erent levels of stringers, from beginners to the top professional stringers in the world. The fi rst level is ERSA Stringer is for new stringers to show they have completed a stringing course and learned to string correctly. Cer fi ed Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches, club stringers, shop string-ers, 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 fi ca on is for MRTs who are stringing at ATP and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this cer fi ca 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 2012Sam 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

ERSA now off ers cer fi ca on for diff erent levels of stringers, from beginners to the top professional stringers inthe world. The fi rst level is ERSA Stringer is for new stringers to show they have completed a stringing course andlearned to string correctly. Cer fi ed Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches, club stringers, shop string-ers, 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 fi ca on is for MRTs who are stringing at ATP and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this cer fi ca on, Level 1, Level 2 and Master Pro Tour Stringer. The highest level, Master PTS is only given to stringerswho have proven themselves at professional tournaments for over 10 years.

The First ERSA Master Pro Tour Stringers - March 2012Sam 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

6

NEWPRODUCTS

DUNLOP BIOMIMETIC MAX 200G - EINE LEGENDE KEHRT ZURÜCK - THE LEGEND RETURNS

Das legendäre Tennisracket von Dunlop wird in einer Neuaufl age angeboten. In den 80er Jahren war der Dunlop Max 200G das erfolgreichste und meistver-kaufte 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 Aufl age des Rackets wur-de 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 wur-de 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 grafi schen 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 Gewicht: 313g unbespannt Saitenbild: 16x19

Rahmenhärte: 66 RA Balance : 320mm Profi l : 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 off ering 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 mak-ing it easily recognizable.

7

Ashaway Introduces Zyex® Based Dyna-mite® 18 Soft Tennis String

-- Zyex multifi lament core maximizes softer feel and resilience, reduces tension loss-- Ultra-thin construction with braided surface sharp

ens control, improves spin

Ashaway has added Dynamite® 18 Soft to its growing line of Zyex® based tennis strings. Built on a new multifi lament 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 multifi lament core increases power and resilience, while reducing tension loss over the life of the string. The ultra-thin construction and braided surface softens im-pact 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 fi nd 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 play-ers, 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 mate-rial technology have produced Zyex fi laments that are even fi ner and stronger than before, he said. "We've been experimenting with these in our R&D lab, developing ever thinner multifi lament 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 num-ber 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. Recommend-ed 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 Offi cial String of USA Racquetball and the Women's International Tennis Players Association. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. also makes braided products for medi-cal and industrial applications. For more information visit www.ashawayusa.com

For additional product information, contact: Website: http://www.ashawayusa.comEmail: sales@ashawayusa.com

NEWPRODUCTS

8

Zo VerveGamma 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 molecularweight. 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 gaugeColors 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

NEWPRODUCTS

Zo DartA 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 gaugeColors: Black or White

Feature: Zo High Energy Polyester Core Benefit: Softer core material for greater feel and comfort

Feature: Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyester Benefit: Stiffer polyester mono filaments for greater control and durability

Actual Cross Section

Designed for Pro‘s. This monofi le polyester string offers ultimate controlcombined with high ball speed. Now released!

www.isospeed.com

Diese Monofi le Polyestersaite wurde speziell für die Anforderungen auf der Profi tour entwickelt. Volle Kontrolle bei hoher Beschleunigung. Jetzt released nach erfolgreichem Einsatz auf der Tour!

10

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 pre-sents.

„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 offi cial 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

INDUSTRY

NEWS

11

ENTDECKE DIE WELT

DER

WE MAKEA WORLD OFDIFFERENCE

Die Int. Plattform für alleTrainer und Coaches

die professionell unterrichten

INFO: PTR European HeadquartersLeichtergasse 28 - 39012 MERAN

Fon: +39 0473 230097 - www.ptrtennis.de - info@ptrtennis.de

INDUSTRY

NEWSBRITISCHES 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 Repräsent-ant für uns sein und wir freuen uns auf eine lange und erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit.“

Ross Hutchins empfi ehlt den Slazenger Aerob V98 Tour. Für weitere Informationen über das gesamte Slazenger Tennis Angebot erhalten Sie auf:

www.slazenger.com/tennis

13

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 lead-ing competitions, including the Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, as well as top fl ight 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 fi rst 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 fi nal 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 fi nale 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:

30 April: Portugal Estoril Open

21 May: Internationaux de Strasbourg, Austria

29 October: Bulgaria Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, Sofi a

INDUSTRY

NEWS

15

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 gratifi ed by the interest shown in this new full-time 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, Presi-dent 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 profi le.“

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 benefi t of existing members,“ said Vice Chairman Mike Ballardie, who spearheaded the recent nega-tions 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 fur-ther afi eld.“

It is hoped that the new offi ce at the NTC will become operational in mid-April.

„We are moving ahead with preparations for establishing the new offi ce 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 prod-ucts 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.

INDUSTRY

NEWS

16

INDUSTRY

NEWS

TIA UK AND LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION IN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTThe Tennis Industry Association (TIA UK) has signed a joint partnering agreementwith the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the national governing body for Britishtennis.

It marks a major milestone in the TIA UK’s evolution in which it has established itselfover the past decade as the voice of the industry by representing a signifi cantnumber of diverse UK tennis businesses, ranging from the major brands to keyservice businesses within the sport.

The UK tennis industry has a turnover well in excess of £1.3billion and isconsequently a signifi cant contributor to the country’s economy. The agreement willsee the TIA UK move its administrative offi ces to the National Tennis Centre inRoehampton, and the appointment of a full-time Executive Director to further thework of the association.

The Chairman of the TIA UK Steve Matthews said: “We are very excited at theprospect of working more closely with the LTA because we believe this partneringagreement will change the face of the tennis industry in this country and help to boostBritish tennis.”

TIA UK Vice Chairman Mike Ballardie added: “When the governing body and tradeassociation work together in tandem, much can be achieved, as is testifi ed by therelationship 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 willhelp us in our shared objective, particularly around encouraging more people to playtennis.”

The TIA UK is committed to supporting and assisting the development work of theLTA and the partnering agreement is a positive step towards ensuring the interests ofall constituents of Tennis in the UK are taken into consideration.

17

Mary Pierce’sFavorite Drills

The fi rst 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 fi rst 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 compe-tition. 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 prac-tices, 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/daugh-ter 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 uncontrol-lable. 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 fi red 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 owner-ship 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 prac-tices 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 consist-ent 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. Hon-estly, 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 confi dence 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 sacrifi ce. She played with confi dence 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

18

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 fi nally 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 infor-mation 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- crossObjectives:A) To develop consistency and placementB) Improve aerobic capacityC) Improve footwork

Execution:A) Two male players at the base line, one on each cornerB) Mary at the baseline, center of courtC) The boys hit the ball with power to the center without making errorsD) Mary hit one-one combinations, hitting deep and consistentE) This drill was done for 15 minutes non-stopF) After, Mary would position herself on the forehand side and from there, she placed one ball to the forehand and one ball to the backhandG) The next progression was from the backhand side, again hitting one to the forehand and one to the backhandH) These 3 exercises took 30 minutes

2) TWO and ONE from the base line – cross courtObjectives:A) Aerobic enduranceB) Change in directionC) Consistency and placementD) Hitting on the run with power and con-trolExecution:A) Two male players at the base lineB) Mary from the center of the base lineC) The two boys would hit every ball down the line, Mary would respond with cross court shotsD) Mary would do 5 sets of 3 minutes each with 30 seconds rest in betweenE) 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.

Execution:

Objectives:

Execution:

19

3) TWO and ONE from the base line – down the lineObjectives:E) Aerobic enduranceF) Change in directionG) Consistency and placementH) Hitting on the run with power and control

Execution:F) Two male players at the base lineG) Mary from the center of the base lineH) The two boys would hit every ball down the line, Mary would respond with cross court shotsI) Mary would do 5 sets of 3 minutes each with 30 seconds rest in betweenJ) 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 serveObjectives:A) Technique, technique, technique!B) Hitting an aggressive returnC) Reading the serve earlyD) Returning close to the linesExecution:A) Server at the service lineB) Server hitting 70% of the paceC) Unlike Monica Selles, Mary often did not know where the serve was goingD) Mary concentrated on a short backswing and using the linear momentum to create power

www.gabejaramillo.com

20

STARS OF TOMORROW

From 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 season-ending 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 edu-cational events held in tandem, ensuring a social and informati-ve aspect to tournaments which

allows players to focus on more than just their tennis and pro-

vides 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

represent their country at prestigious cham-pionships 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 Cham-pionships 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 exten sive 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 lear-ning 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.

The Tennis Europe Junior Tour is the leading pan-European competitive forum for junior talent in any major sport. Jonathan Jobson reports

The Tennis Europe Junior Tour has proven to be

a fruitful training ground for world-class players

such as Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic.

12 & UNDER l 14 & UNDER l 16 & UNDER

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22

News ShortsJorge 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 fi rst 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 fi nal to Monday, possibly starting this year. They stated they wanted to give the men and women a one day break between the semifi nals and fi -nals.

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 syn-thetics 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 offi cial online retailer for the ATP World Tour prod-ucts.

The ITF has renewed their agreement with Wilson as the Offi cial Ball of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup for fi ve 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 Lux-ilon Alu Power in fi fth place.

INDUSTRY

NEWS

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 Lux-ilon Alu Power in fi fth place.

The ITF has renewed their agreement with Wilson as the Offi cial Ball of the Davis Cup and FedCup for fi ve more years, through 2017.

Sam Querrey has signed a three year contract with Babolat. He will be using the Aero Pro DriveGT Plus.

Babolat held their fi rst 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.

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.

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 syn-thetics for the cross strings. www.L-tectennis.com

Kei NIshikori, currently ranked number 17 on the ATP Tour, signed a partnership agreement withwatch manufacturer Tag Heuer.

23

Beast XP: A New Breed of Polyester

String for a New Breed of AthleteToday’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 confi -dence and produce higher swing speed and ball spin.

We are referring to polyesterbased strings. Let Prince’s Global Busi-ness Director for Strings, Nathan Price break it down in its simplest terms:

Q: What are polyester strings?

A: Monofi lament in construction, so they are vulnerable to tension loss.

To make it more challenging, poly-ester 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 poly-ester 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 fi rst 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 ob-

INDUSTRY

NEWS

24

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 fl ight.

Varying parameters such as polymer formula, processing conditions, tension, and string pat-terns were studied. This process was critical in determining the key factors in optimizing poly-ester performance.

Q: What are the benefi ts?

Beast is able to defl ect and return more dur-ing 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 benefi ts 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

INDUSTRY

NEWS

Tennis Industry Association UK

If Tennis is your Racket

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!

MEMBERSHIP BRINGS: Free entry in The Tennis Book

Reduced rates at the London Golf & Tennis Show and in Tennis Outlook

Sales opportunities via The Tennis Shop at selected events

Wimbledon ground pass entry

TIA UK Insurance

Access to TennisWire PR services

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.

26

INDUSTRY

NEWSTransitioning from a Junior Racquet to an Adult Racquet -What Parents & Coaches Need to KnowBy 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 rac-quet to an adult length racquet. There are a few things to consider before mak-ing 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 fi nd 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 Perfor-mance 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 fi nally, to an adult 27” rac-quet. 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 specifi cally 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 fi nd a racquet that not only is the correct weight but also fi ts his or her hand - both of which helps the child develop proper me-chanics 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 develop-ment.

27

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 Con-sulting, Technical Educational Programs through the EuropeanRacquet Stringers Association, and Membership in the ERSA, the leader in racketsports in-formation technology.

Group Buying offers the independent racket-sports dealer the possibility to compete with the large chains, mail-order businessesand internetshops.

Marketing Concepts promoting group members as experts in the retail racket sports industry, and the advan-tages of professional advice to the end consumer.

Advertising and Designservices are available for the members at great savings.

Management Consultingto help set up and run your business professionally and PROFITABLY.

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.

The Racquet Tech Sports Group

PWR FUSIONOften, 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 monofi lament fi bres at the core encased by eight multifi lament layers. The result? Enhanced power paired with exceptional comfort.

WHAT’S YOUR GAME? FIND OUT AT HEAD.COM/TENNIS

Wax coating

4 Polyamide monofi laments

8 Multifi lament fi bers