This unique tshirt commemorates the craziness that happened at this year's Wimbledon. American 23rd seed John Isner beat the French qualifier Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history, measured both by time and number of games. After 11 hours, 5 minutes of play over three days, the match finished 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(9-7), 7-6(7-3), 70-68 (183 games). The match began at 6:13 pm British Summer Time (17:13 UTC) on Tuesday 22 June 2010.
At 9:07 pm, due to fading light, play was suspended at two sets each. After resuming on Wednesday 23 at 2:05 pm, the record for longest match was broken at 5:45 pm. The light faded again, and so play was suspended at 9:10 pm, with the final set tied at 59 games each. Play resumed at 3:43 pm on Thursday 24, and Isner won at 4:48 pm, the final set having lasted 8 hours, 11 minutes. (via Wikipedia)
Isner and Mahut's Longest Tennis Match Ever, Immortalized in a URL?
Wimbledon's over, but the history that John Isner and Nicolas Mahut made in their 11 hour, 5 minute match lives on. This is a record that will never be beaten, which is why we're posting about something we've never posted about before...URLs, domain names, website addresses.
We have but one big observation regarding the equipment of this year's Wimbledon on the ladies' side of things. And that observation...K-Swiss has arrived.
Of course, K-swiss has been around for a long long time, and they've been the choice of many a club player including yours truly forever. But they've only been going into the pro game for a few years. Yes, the Bryan brothers are K-Swiss head to toe which is amazing. But let's be real, doubles doesn't sell product. Singles does, which is why Vera Zvonareva's final appearance was noteworthy to us.
First, the apparel. Very sharp, classic yet modern. Not too flashy. Contemporary tennis threads. Check it out at Do It Tennis or Tennis Warehouse.
The Shoes: K-Swiss Women's Defier RS
The Defier RS is engineered to stand up to the most intense game. The TecTuff high-abrasion toe wrap creates a durable barrier between the court and the foot. The abrasion-resistant DragGuard is placed in the toe and the heel of the Aosta 7.0 rubber outsole. The Defier RS outsole features non-marking and a clay-friendly herringbone tread pattern for multi-surface traction.
Geico Wimbledon commercial touts a Lobster ball machine
We didn't get the Geico ads with the caveman and Billie Jean King at first...and we still may not. But we will say they're funny. But we saw a newer ad during Wimbledon that caught our eye for a different reason - a big fat ad for the Lobster Elite 3 Ball Machine. I don't know if Lobster paid for it, but they sure got a lot of great exposure.
The Lobster Sports Elite 3offers an unparalleled 4-8 hours of court time. Its ergonomic design allows for easy transport with a full hopper (150 balls). The Elite's sports 80 MPH ground strokes, full corner-to-corner random oscillation, sky-high lobs, and heavy spin. Features triple oscillation: not only does this machine sweep randomly from left to right, but it also oscillates vertically, giving you short and deep shots in a random pattern. The ball-hopper can be inverted and the handle removed to easily fit in the trunk of your car. Secured by two pins, the 3-foot, ergonomically designed handle makes it easy to push or pull the machine. Oversized, 8-inch, wheels allow easy movement over any surface: grass, gravel, small steps, even curbs. The sleek hopper holds 150 balls. And the hopper cutout allows you to monitor the ball level from the other side of the court.
We could talk about the big win, as usual, for Nikein this year's men's final between Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych - Nikehas them both head to toe. But that's pretty apparent. Here are our two less obvious notes:
Djokovic's Move to Sergio Tacchini Sergio Tacchini
We've known the Joker to be an adidas guy, but things change. We may be late to the party on this news, but we're big fans of the old school brand, Sergio Tacchini.Classic, clean, perfect for Wimbledon.
Rafa's New Strings
As part of his standard excellent color commentary of the Wimbledon final, John McEnroe made note of the specific string Champion Rafael Nadal was using, Babolat RPM Blast. The RPM Blast is the new string used by both Nadal and Andy Roddick - its a good string for big hitters like those two. It sports an 8-sided cross-section which adds extra bite on the ball for added topspin and slice. New high density co-polymer polyester monofilament combined with a new cross-linked silicone coating provides even more spin and greater ball control.
Tommy Haas wearing Nike shoes for Wimbledon, not K-Swiss
Tommy Haas is supposed to be head-to-toe K-Swiss but looks like he's laced up his old sponsor, Nike, for Wimbledon. Haas isn't the first pro to switch up shoe brands for a given occasion, but I'm sure K-Swissisn't too happy.
Check it out, we mentioned the Prince Wimbledon Guess Ball Contest yesterday, and thought we'd show you the actual container that holds the balls. Can't make it to NYC? No worries, just go to www.princetennis.com to make your guess.
07/08/08 - Austria - Kennelbach - HEAD players battled tough competition to reach the semifinal and final rounds of Wimbledon last weekend.
Former World No. 1 and HEAD player Marat Safin reached the semifinal round where he faced five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who later lost to eventual Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal.
"It's my first semi-final, so levels are a little bit different," said Safin. "To beat Federer you need to be Nadal and run around like a rabbit and hit winners from all over the place."
On his way to the semifinal round, Safin defeated World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in 3 straight sets with his MicroGel Prestige Mid,6-4, 7-6, 6-2. Safin could improve his ranking South African Airways ATP ranking from 75 to 40 due to his success at Wimbledon.
Fellow HEAD player Rainer Schuettler of Germany also reached the semifinals, where he lost against eventual winner Rafael Nadal. In the quarterfinals, Schuettler defeated HEAD player Arnaud Clement in five sets after a grueling 5 hour long match, with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-7(7), 8-6 win. Schuettler, who climbed 55 ranks to position 39 in singles, plays with the HEAD MicroGel Prestige Mid.
"It could have gone either way. I don't know how but I won it," said Schuettler. "Tennis is brutal like that. I can't remember ever playing for five hours, missing so many chances or taking so many chances. And if I'd have lost, I'd have said to Arnaud 'Well played, good luck'. And that's exactly what he said to me."
Additionally, eight out of 16 HEAD pros reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and four out of eight HEAD pros reached the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, HEAD player Nenad Zimonjic and partner Daniel Nestor claimed the men's doubles championship, despite Zimonjic's broken wrist bone. Zimonjic, who plays with the HEAD MicroGel Radical MP, and Nestor defeated Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett 7-6(12), 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3 to earn the doubles title.
"This is my first Grand Slam title and it's special that it's Wimbledon as well," said Zimonjic. "It is my 21st title and the biggest one for sure."
This is the first Wimbledon title for Zimonjic and Nestor. The win tops off an impressive year, with the pair winning 21 out of 23 matches thus far.
Venus Williams wins 7th Grand Slam with the [K] Blade Team
Daniel Nestor completes a career Slam in Men's doubles with his [K] Six.One 95
Roger Federer has thrilling five-set final with his [K] Six.One Tour
07/07/08 - Chicago--Wilson and their [K] Factor technology made its presence known in nearly every Wimbledon Championship match for another year. Wilson players dominated Wimbledon, had 11 players in the finals and capturing 6 out of 9 titles: Men's Doubles, Women's Singles, Women's Doubles, Junior Girls' Singles, Junior Girls' Doubles, and Junior Boys' Doubles. They all featured [K] Factor rackets in the hands of Wilson's top players.
The ad for HSBC (below) is on the grounds at Wimbledon, and it uses images that were grown in grass. The process works like photographic paper, because of the properties of the grass itself. There are images of players and umpires.
Federer & Serena Push Fashion Boundaries at Wimbledon
If you have read this blog for any period of time, you know I appreciate the classic looks in tennis. I'm not a fan of the sleeveless shirts or the graphics that are better suited on a low-rider than a tennis shirt. And that's not to say I don't like fashion forward tennis apparel either.
But we need to talk about the outfits Roger Federer and Serena Williams wore today to kick off Wimbledon. Let's start with Federer.
He's the #1 player in the world, probably the best of all time. I appreciate he respects the tradition of Wimbledon. But does that mean he needs to look like Bill Tilden and Mr. Rogers' love child? The sweater makes him look like a prep schooler, not to mention its silly looking with the modern look of his regular apparel and headband.
His bag? Besides looking like a women's bag, its great...
On to Serena...
I like the look. And I like the coat. And I like both on her. But I just don't like the street clothes look on the tennis court. I didn't like her dominatrix boots, denim skirt and leather top a few years ago at the US Open. The same way I didn't like it when Agassi wore Levi's as warm up pants and denim shorts. I think where the line is for me is that you can be fashion forward all you want, but ultimately it needs to be within the tennis apparel family somehow.
TechCrunch has alerted us to an offer that we hope is still available. This year's Wimbledon coverage will be streamed online by MediaZone at Wimbledon LIVE beginning June 23rd.
The "all-access pass" costs $25, but TechCrunch is offering 50 free passes by sending an email here.
Here's a first look at the adidas Edge Spring/Summer 2008 in white/mauve tint - the dress French Open champ Ivanovic will wear at Wimbledon. It is set to be available for sale this month at a retail price of $65.
Images courtesy of adidas; Heads up from Tennis Served Fresh
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Tshirt Immortalizes Epic Wimbledon Match
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offers an unparalleled 4-8 hours of court time. Its ergonomic design allows for easy transport with a full hopper (150 balls). The Elite's sports 80 MPH ground strokes, full corner-to-corner random oscillation, sky-high lobs, and heavy spin. Features triple oscillation: not only does this machine sweep randomly from left to right, but it also oscillates vertically, giving you short and deep shots in a random pattern. The ball-hopper can be inverted and the handle removed to easily fit in the trunk of your car. Secured by two pins, the 3-foot, ergonomically designed handle makes it easy to push or pull the machine. Oversized, 8-inch, wheels allow easy movement over any surface: grass, gravel, small steps, even curbs. The sleek hopper holds 150 balls. And the hopper cutout allows you to monitor the ball level from the other side of the court. 
6-4, 7-6, 6-2. Safin could improve his ranking South African Airways ATP ranking from 75 to 40 due to his success at Wimbledon.
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