ISSUE I

RACQUETTECH MAGAZINE 2012

EUROPEAN RACQUET STRINGERS ASSOCIATION

25 YEARS HEAD PRESTIGEJIM COURIER’S FAVORITE DRILLSNEW PRODUCTSERSA ITALY LAUNCHEDINDUSTRY NEWS

BEAST

PRECISION TUNED THERMO-POLY

WWW.BEASTXP.COM

UNLEASHTHE

BEAST XP

RT CONTENTS

Features

Industry News

4 My Serve6 New Products16 Jim Courier21 Industry News27 ERSA Italy

Australian OpenMan s Signs RusedskiBryan Brothers BeastBabolat Play & ConnectWTA & Dubai Duty FreeMurray Joins With LendlUSA Tennis GrowthTIA UK Signs With Trident

4

RACQUETTECH EUROPE European Racquet Stringers Association

Director Mark Maslowski

Offi ce 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 Rosanni

ERSA Netherlands Manager Mark Verschoor

ERSA Greece Manager Petros Biris ERSA Greece Workshop Manager George Pahiokas

ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia Vaclav Smat FOUNDING MEMBERS Ashaway Babolat Head Isospeed Kirschbaum Luxilon Pacifi c Wilson

CORPORATE MEMBERS Ashaway Head Prince Isospeed GOSEN Tecnifi bre

STRING SUPPLIER MEMBERS Apollo Leisure Bow Brand Kirschbaum Signum Pro

TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Rod Cross

TENNIS CONSULTANT Gabe Jaramillo

European Racquet Stringers Association Lenaustr. 38 40470 Düseldorf DE Germany Phone/Fax +49(0)211-87511548 www.ersa-stringers.com

tries for this year and

MY SERVE

My ServeWelcome to our fi rst issue of 2012. This is a Hi Res PDF edi on and the fi rst printed edi on will be publishd Febru-ary 25. Make sure you have allowed our e-mails with yourbrowser and are not blocking them. They will be sent with the e-mail mmaslo3330@aol.com. Six printed edi ons willbe sent out every 2 months with the PDF edi ons every 2 months.

Our management commi ee has agreed to expand the Pro Tour Stringer Cer fi ca on. We have some great new stringers with li le tournament experience who want a cer fi cate to string in tournaments, as well as many of thebest stringers who have been stringing in tournaments for 10 to 25 years. The new cer fi ca on will be divided into 3 levels, PTS 1, PTS 2, and Master PTS. The applicants have to be a MRT and apply for a PTS 1 test, a er 5 years they can apply for PTS 2 which will be voted on by the manage-ment commi ee. Master PTS will be nominated by our management commi ee and voted a er pu ng togethera resume and at least 2 recommenda ons.

The ERSA is expanding in the same direc on as we have inthe last several years. We are se ng up country associa- ons with a manager to run the teaching and cer fi ca- ons programs as well as transla ng, and dealing with the

racket sport associa ons, teaching associa ons, maga-zines and members in their own language. We now have the Digest, Study Guide and tests available in 7 languages, so there is not any reason to not get cer fi ed today. We will also be prin ng Cer fi cates in diff erent languages thisyear as some members said it would be be er for their customers to read.

Next month in RacquetTech we will be introducing all the new rackets for 2012 and their sta s cs. The stringing pa erns will be added to the online Digest on www.ersa-stringers.com in February.

We have new managers this year in France, Italy and the Netherlands. We are also nego a ng with 2 other coun-

tries for this year andtries for this year andhoping to get everythingtranslated in Russian in the next 2 months.

Best WishesMark 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.

New Master Racquet Technicians - January 2012Marco Rosanni - Milano, ItlayAdriana More - Milano, Italy

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 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 stringerswho have proven themselves at professional tournaments for over 10 years.

New Master Racquet Technicians - January 2012Marco Rosanni - Milano, ItlayAdriana More - Milano, Italy

6

25 Years of HEAD Prestige – The Legend continues

HEAD launches new YouTek™ IG Prestige Tour Racquet Series

For 25 years, one racquet has constantly redefi ned maximum control and feel on the court and became a legend in itself: the HEAD Prestige. To celebrate a quarter of a century of Prestige racquet excellence, HEAD is launching the revitalised YouTek™ IG Prestige series for 2012 and adding the innovative S-model to the range.

The Prestige philosophy can be summed up in three words: Heritage, Precision & Class. Tennis legends like Henri Leconte, Thomas Muster, Goran Ivanišević, Gustavo Kuerten or Marat Safi n have been using the HEAD Prestige series initially introduced in 1987, and until today they praise that unique feel and sound which only tennis players, who have ever picked up a Prestige, can share.

“It is a feeling very tough to describe, but everybody who has ever played with a Prestige racquet understands” confi rms Robin Soderling. “The Prestige racquet gives me the best mix of both power and control.” The Swedish two-time French Open fi nalist is HEAD’s lead endorser for the new Prestige line, including the Pro, MP and Mid, as well as the totally new S-model, latest product of HEAD’s innovative product design development .

In line with HEAD’s YouTek™ philosophy of combining superior technologies to provide each player with the right racquet for his or her individual needs, the new S-Model will enable more tennis players to experience the unique playing characteristics of the legendary Prestige. The special setup and reduced weight of the Prestige S makes the model easier to play for a broader range of players. The racquet features a new 16/19 double grommet string pattern for a more comfortable game and better sound, while a unique new shaft construction yields improved ergonomic and enhanced torsional stiffness.

All of the new YouTek™ IG Prestige racquets are showcasing HEAD’s Innegra™ and D3O™ technologies. Innegra™ belongs to the lightest performance fi bres in the world today. In combination with carbon fi bre, Innegra™ forms an ultra-tough, hybrid-composite frame structure. The material, also used in Formula 1, results in a racquet frame offering improved stability and increased shock absorption. Tests show that vibration on ball impact is reduced by up to 17 %, resulting in unique control and precision.

The new Prestige models are also visually stunning, designed with monochrome colour ways inspired by the traditional Prestige Red, textural contrasts, geometrical icons and tone-on-tone detailing.

The new YouTek™ Prestige will be visible on the courts of the Tennis Tour and available in Retail stores around the world in-time for the Australian Open, the fi rst highlight of the 2012 tennis season.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Prestige, HEAD will launch prior to the Australian Open a bespoke Facebook application and a series of Prestige videos. On www.youtube.com/headtennis, and www.facebook.com/headtennis tennis fans will have a chance to join legendary Prestige players of the past and today in celebrating the history of the racquet – and thanking the Prestige for Absolute Precision since 1987!

NEWPRODUCTS

7

For Radical Creativity on the Tennis CourtHEAD presents new 2012 YouTek™ IG Radical Tour Racquet Series

Always unpredictable, multi-talented, with a game as versatile as it is unexpected - this is Radical Creativity on the court. In 2012, HEAD equips

creative players with the brand-new YouTek™ IG Radical tour racquet collection.

Andy Murray’s YouTek™ IG Radical Pro leads the line-up for the popular Radical series, which has established itself as a premium racquet for both power and control. “I’ve played with the Radical since I was 13 and I never wanted to change since,” says ATP No.4 ranked Andy Murray. “With the new YouTek™ IG Radical, I feel I have a lot more variety in my game.”

All HEAD Radical racquets are marked by a continued dedication to the core values of creativity and a fresh, radical approach to tennis equipment which provides versatility on court. Made for creative players with a big variety of shots, the Radical line now features further improved technology and includes the S-model next to the well-established Pro, MP, OS and Lite versions.

All of the new YouTek™ IG Radical racquets are showcasing HEAD’s well-accepted Innegra™ and D3O™ technologies. Innegra™ belongs to the lightest performance fi bres in the world today. In combination with carbon fi bre, Innegra™ forms an ultra-tough, hybrid-composite frame structure. The material, also used in Formula 1, results in a racquet frame offering improved stability and reducing vibration on ball impact by up to 17 %. In line with HEAD’s YouTek™ philosophy of combining superior technologies to provide each player with the right racquet for his or her individual needs, the innovative Radical S is designed to enable more tennis players to experience the unique playing characteristics of HEAD’s tour racquet models. The special setup of the S-model featuring a bigger

headsize and reduced weight makes it easier to play for a broader range of players.

Further, the entire YouTek™ IG Radical range spots a distinctive and aggressive new look. Design elements include a refreshed, more agressive orange colour tone, geometrical icons and tone-on-tone detailing. The IG Radical is equipped for the fi rst time with a full, smoky cap with a modern shape for a unique feel.

The new YouTek™ IG Radical will be visible on the courts of the Tennis Tour and available in Retail stores around the world in-time for the Australian Open, the fi rst highlight of the 2012 tennis season.

NEWPRODUCTS

8

NEWPRODUCTS

8

Tour 315Headsize - 95 sq. Inch

Beam width - 20mm (parallel)

String pa ern - 18x20

Weight (unstrung) - 315g

Balance (unstrung) - 310mm

RA (unstrung) - 66

Tour 305Headsize - 95 sq. Inch

Beam width - 20mm (parallel)

String pa ern - 16x18

Weight (unstrung) - 305g

Balance (unstrung) - 315mm

RA (unstrung) - 66

Man s Sport has introduced 2 new frames, the Tour 315 and the Tour 305. Both are players frames with 95 square inch head size and 20mm beam width. For more informa on visit:www.man s-sport.com

www.isospeed.com

17 | c17 | co7 | co7 | c|| lor: petroor: petroor: petrollor: plor: pelor: petrrol | lengt| l| lelengtlenlenength: | length: gth: lengt| length 12 m/4012 12 m/40 fem/4m/40/40 12 m/40 fee2 m/40 fee2 m/40 fee12 m/40 feet t17 | color: petrol | length: 12 m/40 feet 17 | color: petrol | length: 12 m/40 feet gagauauguguggegee:e: : 1 11,1,2,2020 mm/1ggauauugugggeee:: 111,2,2020 mm/1

2 m/40 feet gauge: 1,20 mm/17 | color: pegauge: 1,20 mm/17 | color: pe 2 m/40 feet 2 m/40 feet 11||etettroltrol ngn ththgggglleennnnnn : : gtgggngnngn : :: : 11111212l l ||| | ttlleelelennnnngggtgtenen hhh: h:

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AAAXXXXOOOOONNNNN –––– TTTThhheee uuulllttttiiiimmmmmaaaattteeeee uuuunnnniiiiiiioooooooonnnnnn ooooofffff pppppppplllllllllaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyeeeeeerrrrr aaaannnddddddddddd bbbbbbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll!!

10

Isospeed, one of the leading innovators in string technology, has introduced a new string for top level tour-nament players. The string, Black Fire, was developed tes ng a wide range of strings with many top level players. The strings tested varied in small increments and were the end choice of all the players. The string comes in black, 1,25mm gauge and 200 meter reels. Black Fire is a monofi l Polyester with a Liquid Wax Coa ng.

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

NEWPRODUCTS

12

NEWPRODUCTS

GAMMA has introduced a new line of racquets for 2012. The RZR (Razor) line was designed by a new team with great new cosme cs. Five racquets will be available shortly in Europe. For more on the racquets see: www.gammasports.com

RZR 98T Designed with the serious player in mind. The RZR 98T weighs in at nearly 12 oz. The racquet of choice for players wan ng to hit deep pen-etra ng groudstrokes and big serves.

Headsize 98 in²Length 27”Width 22 mmWeight 11.4 oz. / 325g (un) | 11.9 oz. / 340g (s)Balance 12.2” / 310 mm (un) | 12.6” / 320 mm (s)S ff ness 68 raSwingweight 328 (s)Grip RZR™ Tac

RZR 98 Built for players who like a 98 headsize but want more racquet speed. The RZR 98 is an ideal rac-quet for the up and coming junior player or the adult player who prefers a lighter more maneu-verable frame.

Headsize 98 in²Length 27”Width 22 mmWeight 10.6 oz. / 300g (un) | 11 oz. / 315g (s)Balance 12.6” / 320 mm (un) | 13” / 330 mm (s)S ff ness 65 raSwingweight 310 (s)Grip RZR™ Tac

14

NEWPRODUCTS

RZR 100T Built for players who want to punish every ball they hit from anywhere on the court, the RZR 100T has just enough bulk for deep heavy groundies and big boomimg serves.

Headsize 100 in²Length 27”Width 24-26-22 mmWeight 11. oz. / 315g (un) | 11.5 oz. / 330g (s)Balance 12.8” / 325 mm (un) | 13.2” / 335 mm (s)S ff ness 77 raSwingweight 338 (s)Grip RZR™ Tac

RZR 100 The RZR 100 has all the power of the RZR 100T with added feel and speed. Great selec on for players who desire more racquet speed to hit explosive shots with more spin.

Headsize 100 in²Length 27”Width 24-26-22 mmWeight 10 oz. / 285g (un) | 10.5 oz. / 300g (s)Balance 12.6” / 320 mm (un) | 13” / 330 mm (s)S ff ness 75 raSwingweight 298Grip RZR™ Tac

15

NEWPRODUCTS

FirestormDiese Saite wurde speziell für und in Zusammenarbeit mit Mikhail Youzhny entwickelt, gespielt wird sie inzwischen auch schon von ATP Pro Sergyi Stakhovsky.Diese Saite hat ein enormes Powerpoten al bei trotzdem knackigem und kontrolliertemFirestorm (Made in Germany) 1,20/1,25/1,30 mm, gold-metallic 200 meter (UVP 99,-€) 100 meter (UVP 55,-€)

Firestorm is the new string developed for Mikhail Youzhny and also being presently used on the tour by ATP Pro Sergyi Stakhovsky. The string was designed to off er enormous power for a crisper feeling control string. The string is made in Germany and comes in 100 meter and 200 meter reels. Color is gold-metalic and comes is 1,20mm, 1,25mm and 1,30mm.

Thunderstorm, 10-sei ge und axial verdrehte Co-Polyestersaite, ideale Ergänzung zum Testsieger und Topseller Tornado mit etwas geringerem Spin Poten al zugunsten höherer Haltbarkeit in einer Knaller-Farbe.Thunderstorm (Made in Germany) 1,24/1,30 mm, viole (lieferbar ab März 2011) 200 meter(UVP 95,-€) 120 meter (UVP 59,- €) Thunderstorm is a 10 sided twisted co-polymer string, to complement the test winner and topseller Tornado. It has a li le less spin poten al but more durability than Tornada and is available in bright violet color. It is made in Germany and comes in 200 meter and 120 meter reels in 1,24mm and 1,30mm gauges. It will be available in March 2012.

FirestormDiese Saite wurde speziell für und in Zusammenarbeit mit Mikhail Youzhny entwickelt, gespielt wird sie inzwischenauch schon von ATP Pro Sergyi Stakhovsky.Diese Saite hat ein enormes Powerpoten al bei trotzdem knackigem und kontrolliertemFirestorm (Made in Germany) 1,20/1,25/1,30 mm, gold-metallic 200 meter (UVP 99,-€) 100 meter (UVP 55,-€)

Firestorm is the new string developed for Mikhail Youzhny and also being presently used on the tour by ATP ProSergyi Stakhovsky. The string was designed to off er enormous power for a crisper feeling control string. The string ismade in Germany and comes in 100 meter and 200 meter reels. Color is gold-metalic and comes is 1,20mm, 1,25mm and 1,30mm.

Thunderstorm, 10-sei ge und axial verdrehte Co-Polyestersaite, ideale Ergänzung zum Testsieger und Topseller Tornado mit etwas geringerem Spin Poten al zugunsten höherer Haltbarkeit in einer Knaller-Farbe.Thunderstorm (Made in Germany) 1,24/1,30 mm, viole (lieferbar ab März 2011) 200 meter(UVP 95,-€) 120 meter (UVP 59,- €) Thunderstorm is a 10 sided twisted co-polymer string, to complement the test winner and topseller Tornado. It has ali le less spin poten al but more durability than Tornada and is available in bright violet color. It is made in Germany and comes in 200 meter and 120 meter reels in 1,24mm and 1,30mm gauges. It will be available in March 2012.

16

Jim Courier’s Favorite Drills

Jim Courrier came to the Bolliterri academy at 13 years of age, he was from Florida only about one hour away from the academy loca on in Bradenton. Jimbo, as he liked to be called, was a very hard worker, with an unorthodox playing style, He had a two handed backhand with a very strong semi-western grip in the non- dominant hand which was a cause of my many sleepless nights as I thought about how to convince him to change it. In the end, we were not able to change that “cacomini-grip”, but he was able to compensate with his athle cism, by running around most of his backhands. He was a very good athlete, in all that he did. I remember, during the ATP tournament in Stow Vermont, one of the ac vi es that the players enjoyed the most, especially the American players, was playing a game of so ball. Amongst all the other players, Jimbo was always the star, a great ou ielder and a champion who could knock the ball out of the park.

Jimbo was o en in the background of the top players at the me, including Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and David Wheaton. Of those players, I felt he was the hard-est worker and loved to compete. We played matches every a ernoon and Jimbo always wanted tougher opponents. He was very smart analyzing the rival’s games and was a master exploding their weaknesses. Once a month we played three out of fi ve sets and I don’t believe that he never lost one of those matches. Twice a month, as part of his training, Jose Lambert would take the en re top group for a

fi ve-mile run and Jimbo consistently fi nished on top.

While Agassi, Sampras and Wheaton, o en received special a en on, Jimbo did not. He was, however, smart and mature enough to ask for it, and he had the type of work ethic and charisma that I couldn’t say no to. He used to prac ce put away fore-hands every day, even when prac ce was over. I o en give the example to my players today of how Jimbo used to chase me on my way out of the academy at the end of the day because he needed to hit a basket of put-away forehands. From a very early age, Jimbo understood his style of play. He knew that to be an eff ec ve “aggressive base liner” he had to put the ball away with his forehand any me he was inside the base-line, and that any ball in the middle of the court was a forehand.

During the Davis Cup match in1988 when USA played Peru in Peru, Jimbo was invited as the alternate player. The Federa on coaches usually take the young players as alternates for experience and to be warm up hi ers for the top players, which were Andre Agassi and Jay Berger. At that me, Andre was way ahead of Jimbo. A er the USA jumped to a commanding three cero lead, Jimbo played the exhibi on match against Alejandro Aramburu In front of two thousand Peruvian fans, he beat Alejandro 6/0; 6/0. That was the fi rst me that I knew in my gut that Jimbo would someday be number one in the world.

My mother was an Olympic swimming coach. As a sport, swimming is way ahead of tennis in terms of preparing and scheduling workouts. Swimming coaches generally plan four years ahead, and the training and scheduling is mucmore scien fi c. Having seen the results of this training method fi rst-hand, I was confi dent the training method could translate to tennis and produce be er results. In 1983, I began an experiment to test my hypothesis. The experiment was conducted using two groups. The fi rst group con nued the Bolleteri Academy training with no changes, and the second group began training using my method, which was called the Periodiza on Method. I selected Sergio Cruz to direct the second group using the Periodiza on principles. A er talking to Jim Courrier he agreed to be a member of that second group, and the results were very obvious. Four months a er the experiment began, Jimbo was much stronger, playing be er, compe ng at a higher level, and he was s ll hungry. In addi on, there were zero injuries! As planed, a few years later, s ll u lizing the Periodiza on Training principles, Jim Courrier had reached his goal to be in the fi nals of the French Open. He beat Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open Final. Jimbo became our fi rst play-er to win a Grand Slam and also the fi rst one to be ranked number one in the world. He did it the old fashion way, he truly earned his success through hard work and dedica on. www.gabejaramillo.com

17

10 Ball Run a Round Backhands

- To improve racket head speed or accelera on

- To improve footwork runing around the backhand fast to be able to hit onlyforehands

- To use the proper mechanics of the stroke

- To ob mize footwork hi ng the ball with power and control

- This sequense of repe on gave Jimbo a lot of confi dence, he was able toput the ball away from enywhere inside the baseline with his forehand

1. Feed ball out of the basket

2. I fed the ball at a speed to forced him to move fast

3.The ball was fed inside the base line, between the service line and the base line

4.Some mes I fed a fl at ball, other mes high with topspin

The emphasis in the mechanics of the stroke was placed on having a short backswing with a complete follothrough, hi ng the ball early

I placed a lot importance on the footwork while execu ng the shot, if the ball was a waist level he hited the ball by skeeping and hoping, if the ball was high he used open stands and transfering

Use targets and change those targets

9 ball drill, 2 forehands,1 backhand

- Movement, ge ng in posi on early to be able to load properly

- Improve ball control, hi ng deep and with control

Fed ball out of the basket

Ball fed deep, 2 balls to the forehand and 1 to the backhand

3 series of 3 balls for a total of 9 balls

20 second rest in between sets

the dura on of this dril lis about 5 minutes

Place targets deep on the court

Execu on

Objec ves

Objec ves:

Execu on

18

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

1 GAME1 TOUR1 CONTINENT43 ORGANISING COUNTRIES282 TOURNAMENTS7320 VOLUNTEERS10000 PLAYERS25936 MATCHES190000 TENNIS BALLS354200 SPECTATORS

AD

IDA

S/P

AU

L ZI

MM

ER

Tennis Europe Junior Tour

PARTNERS OF THE TENNIS EUROPE JUNIOR TOUR

RECOMMENDED BALL RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPUTER

tenniseurope.org

20

6 ball drill

- Prac ce all the strokes hi ng from all zones of the court

- Use the system 5 to iden fy the tac cal decisions

- Use proper footwork to hit all the diff erent shots

- Prac ce rally, transi on, and a ack skills

1. Feed balls out of the basket

2. 6 balls in the following sequence; 1 forehand cross court, behindthe base line, 1 backahand cross court, behind the base line, 1 fore-hand approach shot down the line, from the service , 1 forehandvolley cross court, 1 backhand volley cross court, 1 overhead to the open court

3. Use targets

4. For the approach shot use the skip and hop or open stands and transfering

10 balls fromthe base line

Use a combina on of shots from the base line

Concentra ng in hi ng a diff erent shots each me

Proper footwork on each shot

Fed ball out of the basket

The ball was fed away from Jimbo, he had to take at least 3 steps to hit each shot

He had to hit diff erent shots every me he stroked the ball, fl at, topspin, angles, slices and at least one me a drop shot

Jimbo used to this drill at least 3 mes, taking a 30 seconds rest in between

Objec ves

Execu on

Objec ves:

Execu on

21

WILSON TAKES AUSTRALIAN OPEN BY STORM, BOASTING TOP TOUR PLAYERS DEBUTING JUICE™ AND STEAM™, NEXT GENERATION OF RACKET TECHNOLOGY, AND NEW PERFORMANCE AP-PAREL AND FOOTWEAR Wilson Ambassadors Federer, Kvitova, Lopez, Azarenka, Nishikori and Raonic Kick-off Grand Slam Opener; Azarenka and Kvitova Bring in Early Wins with Juice and Steam

Wilson Spor ng Goods, (www.wilson.com), armed with its new series of rackets and a complete line of performance apparel and footwear for men and women, is hi ng its stride for 2012 at the Australian Open. Wilson players such as Roger Federer, Petra Kvitova, Feliciano Lopez, Victoria Azarenka, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic will have a fresh arse-nal of Wilson tools and technology for victory. This includes: the new Juice™ and Steam™ rackets with Wilson’s Am-plifeel handle system for enhanced feel; apparel featuring proprietary performance designs, including Liquid Stretch and Tri-Color Burn Out for intui ve fabric movement with the athlete’s body, and the Tour Ikon shoe, engineered to excel on hard and so court surfaces.

Sixteen- me Grand Slam champion and four- me Australian Open winner Roger Federer comes to the tournament a er a very strong fi nish in 2011. This included victories with the new Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 90 at the ATP Indoor Tournament in Basel and at the ATP World Tennis Finals in London.

Petra Kvitova, recently named WTA Player of the Year, is a strong contender for the Women’s Singles tle. She en-tered the 2012 season playing with the Wilson Steam 100 and recently beat the current no. 1 Caroline Wozniaki at the Hopman Cup.

Victoria Azarenka, new to the Wilson team of elite tennis tour players, is the current WTA Tour world no. 3. Playing with her new Wilson Juice racket, the 21-year old won the Apia Interna onal Sydney tle yesterday Thursday over China’s Li Na.

Other Wilson tour players to watch include: ATP Tour no. 20 ranked Feliciano Lopez playing with the Wilson Juice 100 and Japan’s highest ranked player ever Kei Nishikori, currently ranked no. 26 and playing with the Wilson Steam 100.

Murray enlists Ivan Lendl in quest for major tlesAndy Murray has appointed a former world No 1, Ivan Lendl, as his full- me coach and begins working with him immediately over the lead-up to the Aus-tralian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 16 January.

Eight- mes a grand slam champion, Lendl came up short in four major fi nals before he fi nally clinched the 1984 French Open at Roland Garros.

He followed this up with the fi rst of three US Open tles (1985-87) and three further fi nal appearances in Paris, winning again in 1986 and 87, to which he added the 1989 Australian tle.

It is a mark of Lendl's dominance that he reached another eleven major fi nals in addi on to appearing in The Masters Finals nine mes, winning fi ve tles, and three WCT Finals, winning twice.

Murray, the Bri sh No 1, hopes the former Czech who is now a US ci zen will help him win his fi rst major in 2012.

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22

WTA TOUR WORLD No. 3 VICTORIA AZARENKA JOINS WILSONAzarenka starts 2012 with new Wilson Juice™

Wilson Spor ng Goods (www.wilson.com), has signed a long term partnership with world no. 3 Victoria (Vika) Aza-renka.

“I’m extremely excited to be changing to Wilson’s new Juice racket. The power and spin that I feel with this racket is insane and I look forward to seeing what I can do with it,” said Azarenka. In addi on to the Wilson Juice tennis racket, Azarenka will accessorize with the matching new blue Tour tennis bag and exclusive Wilson Emo sorb shock absorb-er every me she steps on to the court.

“Vika’s talent is undeniable, and she has been one of the tour’s most consistent performers. Our goal is to provide the best equipment to help elevate her game and help her reach her goal of winning her fi rst Grand Slam,” said Renaud Vallon, global tour director for Wilson. “She is a very powerful player, with a dynamic personality and we are very thrilled to have her join the Wilson family.”

In 2011, Azarenka fi nished at a career high of number three to become the highest-ranked Belarusian player in his-tory, a er reaching the semi-fi nals of Wimbledon and the fi nals at WTA Tour Championships in November. Azarenka has also begun to dis nguish herself off the court as a tennis teen idol with her good looks, fashionista ways and engaging Twi er posts.

Leading up to the 2012 Australian Open, last week, Azarenka upset world number one Caroline Wozniacki, at the World Tennis Charity Invita on in Hua Hin, Thailand, by bea ng her 6-2, 7-5and is off to a great start at the Apia Interna onal Sydney, defea ng Stefanie Voegele 6-2, 6-1 in the 1st round.

FELICIANO LOPEZ STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIP WITH WILSON AND BECOMES EXCLUSIVE ATHLETE

Wilson has expanded its long- me racket partnership with Feliciano Lopez to now include apparel and footwear, making him one of Wilson’s highest ranked head to toe, exclusive tennis athlete’s.The 30-year old Spaniard, who has now reached a career high ATP #20 world ranking has been playing Wilson rackets since he was a junior and will now also proudly debut Wilson’s new 2012 spring apparel collec on and new footwear as well as making the change to Wilson’s en rely new Juice racket.

The new spring collec on that Lopez will debut for the Australian Open in-cludes the Wilson Laser Speed Crew with tri-color burn out technology for advanced cooling within a dynamic design, a Wilson Blow Away Crew with laser cut seams for abrasion resistance and total mobility, and the Wilson Tour Ikon shoe, featuring trademarked RG technology for ul mate support and durability.

Lopez is also excited to make the change to Wilson’s new Juice racquet that was specifi cally developed to further enhance power and spin.

A member of the Spanish Davis Cup Team this year, Lopez recently helped li Spain to its fi h championship win. In 2011, he was a Wimbledon quarter fi nal-ist, he has two ATP Singles tles and one ATP Doubles tle to his name, and he is now a three- me Davis Cup winner for his na ve country Spain. Lopez has been key player, represen ng Spain for seven years in Davis Cup play and now looks to take it one step further as he vies for a spot in the Olympic games in London.

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23

MANTIS sign Greg Rusedski as Brand AmbassadorExci ng new UK based tennis brand MANTIS have today announced former Bri sh number 1 Greg Rusedski as brand ambassador.The new addi on to the MANTIS team comes on the back of a successful fi rst full year in the market, which has also seen them become the offi cial tennis racket and ball partner to the AEGON Masters Tennis Championship.Rusedski, a US Open fi nalist, former World number 4 and Great Britain Davis cup star, will play a major role in future product development and an ac ve part in the tes ng of new MANTIS ranges.The Wimbledon quarter fi nalist will be using a MANTIS Tour 305 racket in his day to day role as a talent and perfor-mance ambassador for the Lawn Tennis Associa on.Rusedski, who also works as a tennis pundit on TV, said; “I am delighted to be joining the MANTIS team as an ambas-sador for this exci ng new Bri sh brand.”“The passion, a en on to detail and love of tennis was apparent from the fi rst conversa on I had with the guys at MANTIS. Great rackets just have that feel about them the moment you pick them up for the fi rst me and for me, it

was defi nitely the case with the MANTIS frame.”Despite being a rela vely new brand MANTIS have had a fantas c re-sponse both in the UK and interna onally, with their philosophy of producing products of excep onal quality at vastly superior prices at the heart of their core values.Mar n Aldridge, Founder and Managing Director of MANTIS, said; “The signing of Greg Rusedski as brand ambassador demonstrates our commit-ment to the expansion of MANTIS in the coming years.“Greg’s expert knowledge and his experience in the game at the high-est level will be invaluable moving forward as we con nue to extend our por olio of high quality products.”For more informa on about MANTIS go to www.facebook.com/man s-sports

Babolat invents a new approach to tennis - 'Play and Connect'Babolat is developing the ‘Play and Connect' racquet, which off ers a new experience to players, thanks to integrated sensors that record the fl ow of data.As a result of research conducted over the course of fi ve years, Babolat is developing the new technology that incor-porates sensors integrated in the racquet to record the fl ow of data.It is a new approach to the game as it played today, with players having li le data for evalua ng their performance outside of the match results.Players currently lack data for analysing their progress or for comparing themselves to other players.Now, with ‘Play and Connect', players will be able to collect data about their performance, without aff ec ng their feeling of the game.This technological advancement off ers easily accessible data to all players, for the purpose of be er analysing their game, making improvements to it and enjoying their passion even more-no ma er their playing level.

The fi rst demos and presenta on of the Babolat ‘Play & Connect' racquet prototype will be made at the 2012 French Open and, star ng in September 2012, 100 prototype racquets will be tested around the world ahead of a worldwide launch planned for 2013.Tennis lovers, novices, pro players and amateurs, whatever their level, will now have access to informa on about their game in order to be er un-derstand their game and to improve their performance on the court in an enjoyable way.With ‘Play & Connect', it will now be possible, for the fi rst me, to measure and challenge the performance between players of all levels, including the professional players of Team Babolat.

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24

Tennis’ Bryan Brothers ‘Unleash the Beast’ at Australian Open

Prince’s New Thermo-polyester String The New Weapon of Choice for the World No1’s

A er years of tes ng and denying dozens of other polyester strings, current No. 1 ranked doubles champions, Mike and Bob Bryan, cite “more pop, ul mate feel and hands-down a be er string,” as the reasons they have converted to the new Prince Beast XP thermo-polyester string star ng at this year’s Australian Open.Fans watching the fi rst Grand Slam tennis event of 2012 will see the twins not only with a new, bright yellow Prince EXO3 Rebel racquet, but also with the iden fi able Prince green Beast string to maximize performance.“We are constantly approached to try diff erent strings, but it has to be something very special for us to even consider it and something truly extraordinary for us to convert,” said Bob Bryan. “The fact is, this is the fi rst me in years we have changed string, because Beast is that good.” It is very feasible that Bob makes a switch to a new product, and I do not,” added Mike Bryan. “That is always a possibility. But, immediately a er we hit it, there was no ques on in either of our minds that we had found a new string. Prince’s poly ‘blows the doors off ’ the polyester string we had been using previously, and we are ready to ‘unleash theBeast’ in 2012.”The Bryan Brothers were provided string by Prince’s Global Business Director of Strings, Grips and Accessories, Nathan Price, earlier this winter and the brothers called him immediately to get more string before heading to Australia. They dominated their fi rst event with the new strings, taking home the Australian Openwarm up event in Sydney without dropping a set. Said Price, “We’ve spent a great deal of me and energy developing product in the Prince R&D Innova on Center, but it was a group of elite, passionate, knowledgeable and commi ed players who put Beast on the map as early adopters. To have two of the sports’ elite players – and most knowledgeable gear experts – acknowledging its performance is special and another exci ng step forward for this new string. We are receiving more calls and serious interest from other top pros, as well as elite juniors and coaches, all asking about the Prince Beast.”The company has responded by launching a new program designed to enable coaches and program directors to more easily ou it their athletes with Beast XP.Full program details may be found atwww.princetennis.com/tennis/fi les/teamPrinceSponsorShip.aspx.“As a brand relentlessly commi ed to innova on, we made some enhancements to the original string for 2012 - making an incredible string, even more special,” said Roberto Gazzara, Vice President of Innova on and R&D at Prince. “The Beast is now even more durable, more powerful, and con nues to outperformother compe ve product in the lab and on the court.”

www.princesports.com.

Trident commits to a third year with TIA UK InsuranceTrident Insurance is to con nue its commercial agreement with the Tennis Industry Asso-cia on UK over the provision of TIA UK Insurance.

As the trade body’s insurance provider, Trident’s con nued support of the work of the associa on entered into its third year of collabora on, star ng on the 1st January, 2012. To mark the occasion, a new page has been designed to off er TIA members the means to obtain quotes online via www. auk.org. This is in addi on to the dedicated Freephone line direct to Trident through which Members, their col-leagues, families and friends, can obtain a full review of their insurance arrangements, as well as access to

compe ve quota ons prepared by experienced and sympathe c staff .Trident Insurance, which became part of Advanced Insurance Centres Limited in June 2000, delivers a comprehensive range of cover from car, fl eet and commercial vehicle and courier insurance to home content and building insurance.Through an independent panel of insurers and underwri ng syndicates with Lloyds of London, Trident off ers a broad range of insurance policies via TIA UK Insurance covering all areas of ac vity to meet corporate, business and domes c needs.The agreement the TIA UK has made with Trident includes a provision that for every new business placed with Insurers or Under-wri ng Syndicates in Lloyds of London through the TIA UK Insurance service, the associa on receives a split of the commission.The Broker is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, is a member of the Financial Services Compensa on Scheme, and under the jurisdic on of the Financial Ombudsman Service, so TIA UK members are assured of exemplary service.

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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

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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

Dubai Duty Free & WTA Extend Through 2014The WTA has announced that Dubai Duty Free, the world's leading airport retailer, has extended its longstanding global sponsorship of women's tennis for an addi onal three years through 2014.Under the three-year, mul -million dollar agreement, Dubai Duty Free will con nue as one of the WTA's premier sponsors and enjoy a series of innova ve and unique benefi ts highlighted by:

1. A new Dubai Duty Free Player Ambassador Program supported by star WTA players, with the players to be included in the program for 2012 to be named in the near future;2. A "Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises Travel Show", a unique short form-travel series that will be aired on TV and online and hosted by and feature WTA stars; 3. Sponsorship of the WTA's year-end World No.1 singles and doubles awards; and4. Presen ng Sponsorship of the WTA's Pre-Wimbledon Party, the No.1 tennis party of the year, held in London and a rac ng the world's best tennis players and a host of celebri es annually.The core elements of the new partnership are designed to align Dubai Duty Free's standing as the No 1 duty free retailer in the world with many of the WTA's premium assets.A WTA sponsor since 2004, Dubai Duty Free's partnership with the WTA has over the years been marked by leader-ship and innova on.

Over the past 18 months, the WTA has secured $160 million in revenues through the signing of major new sponsors in Europe (Orifl ame) and Asia-Pacifi c (Peak and Jetstar), the signing of BNP Paribas and its Turkish partner TEB as co- tle sponsors of the WTA's year-end Championships in Istanbul, the signing of Rolex as a sponsor of the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships - Istanbul, a series of renewals with exis ng partners and securing of addi onal year-end WTA Championships revenues.In December 2011, the WTA signed a landmark four-year deal with a digital sports specialist PERFORM that is expect-ed to double the overall exposure for WTA tennis through a signifi cant increase in the produc on of WTA content, the development of new pla orms, and an enhanced focus on digital distribu on.Addi onally, WTA a endance in 2011 at Premier events is up 12% and television viewership is up 73% from 2010 to 2011.

ERSA launches ERSA Italy The ERSA, keeping with it’s new policy of se ng up na onal as-

socia ons, has appointed a new manager to start up ERSA Italy. The new head of ERSA Italy, Marco Rossani, is well known as the owner of La Boge a del Tennis in Milano. He is also working together with Ten-nis Italiano, Italy’s tennis magazine, doing the racket prepara on and stringing for their tes ng.

Marco has also strung in many professional tournaments including Monte Carlo. He comes to ERSA bringing a wealth of informa on and experience, and is now se ng up plans for workshops and expansion for the upcoming year.

Marco has passed his MRT test with almost perfect marks and is looking forward to taking the Pro Tour Stringer Cer fi ca on.

We now have the Stringers Digest, Annual Study Guide and all the tests in Italian and will off er Cer fi cates in Italian later this year.

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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.

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