Andy Murray is officially a brand, logo included!

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray are known as the "Big 4" of men's tennis. But after today, they are also now known as the "Big 4" of...personal branding?

The Brit baller unveiled his personal logo, designed by Aesop, ahead of the year's first major, the Australian Open, that kicks off next week. It will be showcased on his tennis bag and on his warm-up t-shirts provided by new clothing sponsor, Under Armour. Their 4-year partnership was announced last month.

The inspiration behind the logo was the number 77, a reference to the number of years between the last British man to lift the Wimbledon trophy, Fred Perry, and Muzz's triumph at SW19 in 2013. (It also happens to be the name of his management company.) The logo combines the number 77 with his initials.

So how does Muzz's logo stack up to the other members of the Big 4?

Federer's, the first to be unveiled, does what logos are supposed to do. When you see the logo, it's instantly recognizable and you know who it's referencing. Plus, the use of negative space is smart and it represents Fed's brand values of quality, precision, and timelessness.

The bull logo for Rafa fits him perfectly. Strong, stubborn, hard working, and determined are all qualities represented by the bull and qualities the Spaniard displays every time he steps onto the tennis court.

There are two reasons why the eagle motif was used for Nole's logo; it's the national bird of his home country, Serbia, and it represents his style on the court. The eagle is hard to make out here, but the use of long, curved lines does mimic the world number one's supreme agility and flexibility on the court.

Ironically, Muzz's logo is somewhat reminiscent of the adidas logo with the use of three lines. Compared to the other three, I find it rigid and flat, which he can sometimes be when he's not playing well. But it's no-nonsense and does without any fuss. There's something very Muzz about that, too. So I guess it's perfect. I also see a pitchfork. Carry on.

[Via TheGuardian.com]

Andy Murray and adidas reportedly set to split at season's end

There's a good chance Andy Murray will be leaving adidas when his contract expires at the end of the season, according to The Telegraph's Simon Briggs:

Andy Murray's long-standing partnership with his clothing sponsor Adidas is unlikely to be renewed at the end of the season, according to sources within the equipment industry, as the Scot goes in search of one last big kit deal to cover the final five years of his career.

Murray, who beat Jerzy Janowicz yesterday in his first match at the China Open, will finish with close to £15 million – including performance-related bonuses – from the five-year contract with Adidas that is due to end in December.

For their next move, though, it seems that Murray’s agents are - eyeing niche brands that would base their strategy around him - and which might even offer him equity in the company, as the American nutrition specialists Fuse Science did last year. The example of Tomas Berdych, the Czech player who broke away from the traditional tennis labels to join high-street retailer H&M, could turn out to be a precedent.

In 2010, Muzz joined the German sports apparel giant after a stint with British fashion label, Fred Perry. Can you imagine the marketing push the company would have made for him last year when he became the first British man since Perry to claim the title at SW19? Anyway, it sounds like Muzz would like to return to a smaller brand where he can be the face. While it was certainly worth the jump to adidas from a financial standpoint, the company never did anything to make him stand out from the rest - no special collections or marketing strategies. He's always looking to do things a little differently (see: the appointment of Amelie Mauresmo as head coach), so it probably didn't sit well with him to be just another baller in their stable.

Any guesses on who his new sponsor will be? I think he'll go towards fashion rather than performance. Maybe a Brit brand such as Topman, French Connection, or Burberry? Ralph Lauren, although not exactly niche, has been involved in tennis for some time and could be looking to take that next step (plus they'd most likely have the funds). Perhaps The Gap or JCrew? Clearly I'm very interested.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

Will the U.S. Open Series mark a return to form for Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka?

Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka aren’t as different as it might seem from the outside. They both own two majors, and won one title in 2012 and another in 2013 (the U.S. Open and Wimbledon for Murray and two Australian Open championships for Azarenka). Both of them prefer the firm footing of a hard court. They can be, eh, vocal when playing - he to his baller box and she to basically anyone who is in earshot of the stadium. And, for the last few weeks these former top-five ballers have been sitting at number ten in their tour’s respective world rankings. With the North American hard-court season and the US Open Series underway, Muzz and Vika will be looking to salvage a so far forgettable season on a surface where they thrive.

No one was really surprised about the let down that occurred after Muzz became the first British man in 77 years to lift the Wimbledon trophy last summer. He had spent years hearing the voices and feeling the pressure of being “the one” who could finally end the drought. When he converted match point against Novak Djokovic during the lengthy final game of the men's championship match, like a pressure valve, the years of expectation were released in a primal scream.

At the U.S. Open, Muzz, the defending champion, reached the quarterfinals but also dealt with a recurring lower back injury. He underwent surgery at the end of 2013, and entered 2014 not in the best form. At the Australian Open he reached the quarterfinals falling to Roger Federer, and the fourth round and quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. It was during his campaign at the Miami Masters where he and coach Ivan Lendl parted ways. Lendl was looking to play more on the Champions Tour and it affected the amount of time he could dedicate to Muzz.

After getting thumped by Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros semifinals, the 27-year ended the speculation about his coaching situation by announcing the appointment of Amelie Mauresmo for the grass-court season (he is expected to officially announce Amelie as his full-time coach soon). Wimbledon, where Mopey Murray rose from the dead during a straight-set loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals, was too soon for the partnership to show any effect. But Muzz will be hoping the fellow 2-time major winner can help him rediscover his motivation and reestablish his confidence.

“I have a very strong coaching team already in place, but I think Amelie brings with her experience and tactical expertise and will push us all to improve, “ he said about the decision. “Everyone I know talks very highly of Amelie, as a person and coach, and I’m convinced that her joining the team will help us push on – I want to win more grand slams.”

A good start would be reaching a tour final, something he hasn’t done since winning Wimbledon (a pretty shocking stat for a baller with his resume). He’s certainly been hard at work. The Brit has been posting a constant stream of photos and videos on his Facebook page showcasing some of his workout regiment under the watchful eye of the Frenchwoman. But it’s not all work; he took some time out to catch up with fans during a hilarious #AskAndy Facebook Q&A. Andy’s first tourney in the U.S. Open Series will be the Rogers Cup Masters on Aug. 4th where he’s a former champion. Ballers say going back to a place they’ve had success gives them confidence they can do well again. Let’s hope he has better luck in Toronto than he did at Wimbledon.

Vika had a solid start to the 2014 season reaching the finals in Brisbane where she lost to Serena Williams. As the two-time defending champion at the Australian Open, she eased here way through the draw, not losing a set until the quarterfinals where she was defeated in three sets by a zoning Agnieszka Radwanska in a breathtaking, jaw-dropping display of all-court tennis.

A left foot injury forced the Belarusian to withdraw from the Qatar Open in February where she was also the two-time defending champion. She attempted a return at Indian Wells but did not look anything close to healthy in her loss to American Lauren Davis in her first match at the tourney. Withdrawals from Miami, Monterrey, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros followed. While she was certainly frustrated by her absence from the game, Azarenka took a decidedly philosophical approach telling the French sports newspaper L'Equipe,

“I've really played very well the past three years, and this is maybe my body sending me a signal, finding a way to tell me to take a step back. This has given me the opportunity to do different things, analyze why I miss tennis at this point."

Azarenka announced her return to competition at Eastbourne where she received a wild card. Although she lost in her first match against Italy’s Camilla Giorgi, it went three sets and nearly three hours, and her foot held up. Wimbledon soon followed where she fell in the second round to Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski in another tight three-setter.

Both matches proved that, although she was lacking match play, her fight was still very much intact. Ever the fierce competitor, it wasn’t enough for Azarenka to just be competing again; she expected to win. “The thing is that I created a lot of things to make happen for me today,” she said at the time. “I just didn't use any of those opportunities. All that stuff that I built up was good, but not taking advantage was not great.”

Her summer hard-court campaign begins this week at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. It will be good measure for her game with the likes of world number one ReRe, Angelique Kerber, Dominika Cibulkova, Ana Ivanovic, and a resurgent Venus Williams in the draw. Vika reached three finals last summer, including at the U.S. Open, which means she could fall even further down the rankings with some early losses. If Azarenka wants to begin the climb back to the top of the sport and save what's left of the season, she'll need to start with a strong showing during the U.S. Open Series.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

(UPDATED) +NETCORDS: Stephens and Annacone split, Neil Harman caught plagiarizing, and Vaidisova practicing again

Busy day in the tennisphere...

- Soooooo lookie (up) there. If it isn't our old friend, the ex-Worm loving Czech lady baller who retired at the age of 20, Nicole Vaidisova. She was hugely talented, although I always thought her backhand technique was, er, funky. But Vaida had big wins and was on her way up before calling it quits. Then there was the marriage to Radek Stepanek. Let's not relive that one. Apparently she's back to practicing and feeling good: These last couple weeks Im finally able to serve with less pain then i have in over 3 years, it makes me hopeful and happy to see progress after struggling the last couple years with repeated surgeries,rehabs and setbacks..its one step at a time but finally getting a step closer..

- Remember when I mentioned there would likely be more baller-coach partnerships ending? Well...

Sloane Stephens splits with coach Paul Annacone via release from her management company. #wta
— Douglas Robson (@dougrobson) July 23, 2014

Release calls split after 8 months “amicable.” Annacone said they couldn’t get “desired consistency” which caused “doubt” & confusion."
— Douglas Robson (@dougrobson) July 23, 2014

You can read more here. 

- Speaking of coaching partnerships, Ana Ivanovic, who recently split with Nemanja Kontic, will be working with former baller Dejan Petrovic on a trial basis through the North American hard-court season. Here's an all-black look she posted on Instagram today for a photoshoot in Napa Valley. Innnteresting.

- Ben Rothenberg on what Neil Harman said to him after being busted for plagiarism: “As you can imagine, I’m utterly, utterly shocked by the whole thing. It’s left me numb.” He said he “had no idea of the extent to which I have unfairly used other people’s words.” Um, I'm not even going to go into how lame Neil's explanations are and how disingenuous his remorse feels. He's clearly in deep denial and reaching for any excuse to save face. There was no public apology when he was first confronted with the evidence - only when it was about to go public. What I really want to know is who at the All England Club will be held responsible for trying to keep it all quiet; for allowing the Wimbledon Yearbook to still be sold even though they knew sections were plagiarized; and for still giving Neil media access at Wimbledon this year even after the plagiarism was discovered? Somebody has some explaining to do. A MUST READ OBVI.

- Genie Bouchard covers the August issue of Elle Quebec

- John Tomic is disputing news from IMG Tennis that both parties agreed to end the partnership with his son, Bernie. On July 16, the sports agency tweeted that they "mutually ended" their relationship with Bernie and wished him "great success." Papa Johns was no having any of it. He told Fairfax Media that they had been looking to leave IMG for the last year-and-a-half, but the agency wanted compensation to cover any losses they would incur from losing Bernie. Uh-huh.

- Caroline Wozniacki's dog, Bruno, has its own jersey courtesy of adidas. Because dogs are awesome.

- Andy Murray has been posting a bunch of training photos and videos on his Facebook page (I found the vid below on drills without actually hitting a tennis ball particularly fascinating). You can see Amelie Mauresmo in some of the photos which some believe signifies Muzz's intention on keeping the partnership intact. Perhaps. There hasn't been a formal announcement yet, but according to The Telegraph "the fact that Mauresmo has travelled to Miami, breaking her habit of holidaying in Biarritz in late July, suggests that she is committed to the project over the longer term." Solid reporting, y'all. 

Post by Andy Murray.

UPDATE: According to Matt Cronin of Tennisreporters.net, Sloane has brought on Thomas Hogstedt as coach. He has worked with Maria Sharapova, Li Na, and Caroline Wozniacki among others. Speaking of others, wasn't he just with Daniela Hantuchova at Wimbledon? What happened - was it just for the grass-court season?

WIMBLEDON: Dimitrov downs Murray, William and Kate arrive, and Serena's asleep

I mean, really. What kind of Championships defense was THAT? Andy Murray was completely off his game today and Grigor Dimitrov showed him the door with a 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-2 drubbing in the quarterfinals. I was going to write the Bulgarian “gladly” showed him the door, but, because they’re bros, Grisha was somewhat muted in his post-match point celebration.

Nothing was working for Muzz; his backhand misfired repeatedly and his speed was a non-factor because the 11th seed was quicker off the mark. Grisha seemed to be everywhere, sliding and gliding around the court with ease, and playing like he was the reigning champ. The Bulgarian opened his bag of tricks and clearly confounded the Brit baller from everywhere on the court.

Muzz admitted he was off his game (even Grisha noticed it in the warm up) and was clear on what needs to happen next.

“Today was a bad day from my side,” he said. “I made many mistakes. The younger guys are becoming more mature and improving all the time. I need to take some improvements to my game."

Yes, you do or the British press will NEVER ACCEPT YOU BACK.

Grisha’s now into his first major semifinal where he’ll take on Novak Djokovic. Roger Federer, who defeated his compartriot, Stan Wawrinka, will battle another first-time semifinalist, Milos Raonic. The Canadian ended the exciting run of the Rafa-slaying Aussie, Nick Kyrgios. On the ladies side, Eugenie Bouchard gets Simona Halep, while Petra Kvitova will face off against countrywoman, Lucie Safarova.

OH THE ROYALS WERE HERE THEY DIDN’T LIKE WHAT THEY SAW MUST HAVE BEEN A MUZZ SHOT. (h/t Ben Rothenberg)

Sooooo, there was more strangeness coming from Serena Williams. She posted this photo of her sleeping in front of her laptop with no explanation on her Instagram feed. I guess it means ReRe’s fine, or sleeping a lot, or she was watching the Muzz match and fell out after the first set (understandable). Martina Navratilova, never one to hold back her opinion, jumped into the fray with some words that were one part concern and another part outrage that ReRe was ever let on the court in the first place.

"I find it distressing," she said. "I think virus, whatever they're saying it was, I don't think that was it. I think it's clear that's not the case. I don't know what it is, but I hope Serena will be OK. And most of all, I don't know how she ended up walking onto the court."

Okay, I agree with her if the signs were obvious that ReRe was in such bad shape before heading onto the court. But, if she was walking to the court normally, not speaking to anyone, and got prepared for the warm up, the officials from the WTA and the tournament may not have known to stop it. Obviously, when the top lady baller began serving it became very clear something was wrong and should’ve been called off from that point. Not sure if we’ll ever know what really went on. But until we do, the questions will come.

Other notables: Nick Kyrgios may be gone, but he’s not forgotten. He even left us another ridiculously insane shot to remember him by. Good on ya, mate!

UPDATE: According to Andy Roddick, he texted ReRe to find out how she was doing and she texted back "I'm not well." He also says he's never known a tournament doctor to call a match due to a baller's medical issue. They can give a recommendation but the baller has to make the decision. (h/t 4AllSurfaces)

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

WIMBLEDON: Ones to watch in the gentlemen's draw

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

Here are the boys I'll be watching very closely this fortnight. No real surprises, because it would be an absolute shocker if one of the "Big Four" - all past champs - doesn't capture the title. But there are a few in the draw who could certainly cause them some issues.

Rafael Nadal. There’s never been a baller in the history of the game that owned a tourney the way Rafa rules Roland Garros. Seriously, one loss in 66 matches? Siiiick. But, unlike the clay where he always reigns supreme, the grass has not been kind to Rafa as of late. The world’s top baller seemed to have mastered the slick stuff earlier in his career, playing in two straight finals before playing arguably the best match, like, EVER when he pocketed his first Championships crown in 2008. He repeated the feat in 2010 over Tomas Berdych. But the last two years Rafa has sputtered out of the gates with a second and first round loss, respectively. If pre-Wimby results are an omen, it’s not looking good again this year. The 28-year old lost in Halle to Dustin Brown in his first match on grass. We’ll all be anxiously awaiting to see Rafa’s form in his first match.

Novak Djokovic. If there’s mystery concerning Rafa’s grass-court losses, there are even more questions surrounding Nole’s losses in his last three major final appearances, including two to Rafa and one to Andy Murray. Can you believe it’s been a year and half since he won his last major at the 2013 Oz Open? For someone with as much pride as he has, it’s got to hurt. The Serb was clearly not at his physical best in the Roland Garros final although he made a late surge in the fourth, and final, set. But he seemed spent and it went down pretty meekly at the end. Speaking of physical issues, he worried his fans again when he pulled out of The Boodles, a pre-Wimby exo this weekend, due to concerns with the wrist injury he sustained during the clay-court swing. There’s a lot of pressure on Nole to right the ship, get back to his Grand Slam-winning ways, and prove the addition of Boris Becker was a smart one (the jury’s still out on that).

Roger Federer. If there’s anywhere that could take the bitter taste out of his 5-set defeat to Ernest Gulbis in the French Open fourth round, it’s at Wimbledon. He owns 7 titles and a 67-8 record on the tourney’s historic lawns. But last year, a strange thing happened; the Swiss fell to Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round, ending his streak of 36-straight quarterfinals at majors. Even thinking about it now, the result was pretty shocking. But the word coming out of his own mouth right is “contender.” This year," Fed said, "I feel all the options are there. Return, serve, serve and volley, come in, my backhand -- everything is working to my liking.” It’s been two years since he won his last major (at the All England Club, of course), and if what he says is true, that drought could end this fortnight.

Andy Murray. It was good to see Muzz’s game finally start to come together in Paris where he made the semifinals for the second time. Even though Rafa crushed him, the Brit baller played some of his best tennis since undergoing back surgery and splitting with Ivan Lendl. And the timing couldn’t have been better. Muzz became a national hero when he won Wimbledon last season, the first British man accomplish the feat since 1936. Although he says there’s less pressure this year, his country will still be looking for the repeat. The addition of former champ Amelie Mauresmo as coach and the timing of it add an intriguing twist to this storyline. It usually takes time for a new coaching partnership to start paying off. We’ll see the results very soon.

Grigor Dimitrov. Big things have always been expected of Grisha and the he hasn’t usually handled the pressure well. But this year his game has been steadily building along with his confidence. He reached his first major quarterfinal in Oz and captured his first title on clay in Bucharest. Unfortunately, the Bulgarian faced off against the towering Ivo Karlovic in the opening round in Paris and was beaten in straight sets. But the 23-year old has rebounded well, winning his first title on grass at Queen’s Club and beating Stanislas Wawrinka and Feliciano Lopez along the way. With his versatility, movement, and all-court style, Grisha has a game tailor-made for the grass. 

Milos Raonic. Like Grisha, the Canadian has made a steady rise this season, reaching his first major quarterfinal last month in Paris (the first Canadian man to do so). Although their games are very different, Milos, like Grisha, has a game that translates to all surfaces, but especially the grass. The serve alone should win him a game or two easily. But his movement, unlike Grisha’s, is a work in progress and it could hurt him on the slick stuff. That being said, he’s still a very dangerous prospect on this surface regardless.

Ernests Gulbis. “Less talk, more action” is the refrain most people in the tennis world would use when referring to Curlbis. You could always score a nifty sound bite from the Latvian, but little else until now. It seems he has finally put in the work to match the talent, and it showed in Paris where he upended Fed in five sets and reached his first major seminfinal. His record at Wimbledon is a measly 5-6 with his best effort being last year when he reached the third round. But as we saw at Roland Garros, it’s a new Curlbis. Can he keep the momentum going?

Others to eyeball:

Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss has had spotty results since winning his first Grand Slam title at the Aussie Open, including an opening round loss in Paris. He went right back to work, though, reaching the semifinals at Queen’s Club. He’s never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon, but that could change.

Tomas Berdych. A former finalist, the Czech can never seem to close the deal when it matters most. At Wimbledon, he has the best winning percentage out of the four majors (71.88%) and his power game flourishes on the stuff. With a new crop of hungry young ballers readying to make their mark, it’s only going to get tougher for Tomas to make that long-awaited breakthrough.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

HE SAID/SHE SAID: 2013 Wimbledon, Day One

Q. You've said that only an arrogant man would not have doubts. You've said that a couple of times now. Do you have some doubts on your play on grass? And are you proud of your legacy on grass for a person who was brought up on clay?

RAFAEL NADAL: Obviously I have doubts. I have doubts on grass. I have doubts on clay and hard, for sure in indoor.
If I don't have doubts is because I really don't feel the passion for this game. You don't see myself with doubts the first week of Roland Garros? Yes, with a lot of doubts. Today I play with doubts. I lost, yes.

Q. But you're proud of your grass court play?

RAFAEL NADAL: If I'm proud today?

Q. Not today. Over the years, what you have done on grass.

RAFAEL NADAL: What do you think? Five finals, two victories. I don't know how many players have that. I think for me is a lot. That don't mean I not going to keep trying to have success in this surface.

Q. How did you draw on your years of experience when a friend of yours suffered a tough defeat in the first round in a big tournament back in America? Did you give some nice advice to console him after that setback?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Sorry, who are you talking about?

Q. Redfoo.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Oh, my God. I thought you were talking about real US Open tournament. He's happy with the match. I didn't see the match because was nighttime here. I mean, as long as he's happy ... I'm proud of him no matter what. 

To go out and have courage to do something like that, that's pretty remarkable. He's a champion in his heart. I mean, his forehand should get better, definitely. I mean, that's something that he has to work on.

Q. The win makes you the most successful British man in Grand Slams ever. Were you aware of that?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I didn't actually know that. Yeah, that's nice. You know, the Grand Slams are obviously the pinnacle of our sport. It's the tournaments I prepare extremely hard for, you know, 
where you want to try and play your best tennis.

Yeah, I guess that shows I've played some of my best tennis at the slams, and hopefully I can continue that.

Q. This week there's a commemoration of 40 years of the WTA. We have some of the best players ever playing right now. When you think of the sport, who do you consider the greatest woman player ever and why?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: That's an extremely tough question because I wasn't part of the generation which consisted of incredible players. I can only speak of the generation that I was part of.

I never played Steffi Graf. I never played Chris Evert. Never played Navratilova. So those are considered incredible champions.

So I think on many different levels, they all deserve a tremendous amount of respect. And I don't think one should be called greater than the other. There's no real reason for that.

Q. If you could play one player who you haven't played?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: Probably Steffi.

Q. How do you think you'd play with her great forehand, her speed?

MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think she'd chop me up (smiling).

Q. Last question from me. I'm from Switzerland, so can you talk a little bit more about Roger Federer's serve? Is it tough to read?

JERZY JANOWICZ: I played against Roger once in Rome, so I remember during the important points he was serving ace perfectly on the line. So this was quite annoying sometimes. But, yeah, it's not easy to read his serve. Second of all, he has unbelievable second serve. He has great kick.

Q. On grass, what do you think comes easy to you and what is challenging for you on this surface?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I think you get to hit the ball as hard as you can and most of the time it's still going to go in. I think that's good, and that's the easiest part. You just, like, go for your shots on. Most of the ones on hardcourts are like going to go to the fence, and on grass for some reason it stays in.

Moving is the hardest part. You want to run, and when you think you're going to slide and do something cool you're on the floor. So I think movement is the hardest part.

Q. This is your sixth time out there on opening day as defending champion. Does it now feel familiar, or do you have a sense of excitement and nerves? Would you wish this were a longer match, to have longer on court for the first day?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, the longer the match, the longer you spend on Centre Court, it's not a bad thing. That's what I was thinking today. It went by very quickly. But I guess at the end of the day you'd prefer to have it this way, walk away as a winner instead of being out there for five hours and losing in the first round.

It's been always a dream come true for me. In some ways, once I understood what it's all about, opening Monday, the defending champion gets the honor to open the court, ever since it's been an amazing day and match to be part of. And I see it also for the other players. They always think it's super exciting being a part of that match. I'm happy I won 'em all. So that's been a good thing, as well. That helps to enjoy it (smiling).

Q. Grass doesn't suck too badly.

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, it awkwardly has to do with the head a lot. Normally when I went into the grass season I was already pissed before I hit one ball. This time I was just in this whole mood of gratefulness for my second chance career. I just see it really as a second career. I was just like, Okay, you're just going to go for the grass and love it and try to start a romance with it.

If it didn't want you, you're going to force it to love back. So I'm just enjoying myself really. I'm never going to be ... it's never going to be my favorite surface, but as I said, I'm working at least on a romance.

Q. Can you tell us what was your very first thought on Friday when you saw the draw, Rafa in the first round?

STEVE DARCIS: Shit (laughter).

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

Shirtless Andy Murray shows off something sweaty

Andy Murray fan? Read The Times Magazine London? Like shirtless Brit boys? WELL, TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY!

The Times Magazine has what they're calling the Miami champ's "most revealing interview yet" with this photo of a bare chested, sweaty (or artificially lubed), moley, barely conscious Muzz kicking off the article. Get it? But, what what they won't be revealing is the rest of the article for all you freeloaders because of their pay wall.

Like it or not, you're going to have to pay a few pounds a week just to see how much more Muzz The Times Magazine is hiding behind that pay wall. But, let's make a deal. If you do, tell me what you find. Because I don't pay for internet stuff. Unless it's porn. Because that's totally worth it.

[Photo(s) credit: The Times Magazine via Andy Murray Facebook page]

Delpo goes down, double bagels and Kuznetsova all dressed up

"Yup. A real head scratcher."

Ahhhhh. The first week of play is over at the 2013 Australian Open. I dare say most everything has been going to plan, with the exception of sixth-seeeded Juan Martin del Potro’s 5-set loss to Frenchie Jeremy Chardy in the third round yesterday. If you follow me on Twitter (self-promo alert: @RawUncutTennis), you will have witnessed my conniption during the tennis match. You see, Delpo and I have a very special relationship. ‘Special’ as in I totally wrangled him into taking a picture with me after Taste of Tennis one year along with Karen from Tennis Panorama. Whatever. When he loses, I feel it, okay?

Sam Stosur imploded during her epic choke against Jie Zheng in the second round – certainly not “BREAKING NEWS!” for her in Oz. Disappointing? Yes. Shocking? Hell nah nah. Other than that, the faves have been making pretty quick work of their foes. Maria Sharapova not only performed a single axel, triple sow cow, double double bagel in her first two rounds, but also a pseudo-controversial post-match celebration after crushing Venus Williams. (Shrieka and/or her corporate sponsor doppelganger also officially joined Twitter.)

"Thumbs up for me in a dress?"

Like the Russian giant, Serena Williams has been barely losing games. She’s been rolling over her opponents and almost took her right ankle with her. But ReRe redeemed herself by pummeling two 128 mph serves – that’s gotta make a girl feel good. During her match against an injured Jamie Hampton (who can hit a serious ball) Victoria Azarenka seemed…cranky. Maybe she needs a RedFoo diet. Svetlana Kuznetsova is wearing a dress. That alone is news. But the 2-time Grand Slammer is having a good streak and winning matches. Shhhh! Don’t tell her.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PETRA KVITOVA? We didn’t get any closer to answering this question in Oz. Sadly.

"Gimme that MOMA, Worm."

Novak Djokovic is looking pretty flawless in game and Uniqlo fashion. Roger Federer and Andy Murray haven’t lost a set either, but they've all had some tight sets. Still, in this form, it’s hard to see any of them getting upset before the semifinals. Jerzy Janowicz gave an Oscar-winning performance. Can you believe the fucking unbelievably bad luck Brian Baker has had with injuries? It was heartbreaking to see him being wheeled off the court after tearing his meniscus during his second round match against Sam Querrey. Another four months out for BB. On the opposite side of the tennis spectrum, Rafael Nadal announced he’s officially returning a bit earlier at the Chilean Open on February 4. Rafanatics rejoice!

So, onto the second week. Bring it.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images, AP]

Letter to DtL readers: Not now, but later

Maybe this is better than kissing an Olympic gold medal. Maybe.

So, my apologies for having you look at that picture of Svetlana Kuznetsova and her hairy situation for months. It was cruel and unusual punishment.

I wanted to drop you guys a note about the status of Down the Line! With the wedding coming up, I won't be able to cover the US Open. So, at this point it just made sense to shut it down for the remainder of the 2012 season. But, I do plan to get back to some form of regular blogging next year. For those of you who have stuck around I say THANK YOU.

See you on the other side.

Rich

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

FASHION FIX: adidas for Roland Garros 2012

Andy Murray
Barricade Crew in dark onix and high energy

Caroline Wozniacki 
adidas by Stella McCartney Performance Tank + Skirt in yellow

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
adizero Crew in power green and high energy

Ana Ivanovic
adizero Dress in super green and core energy

Fernando Verdasco
adizero Verdasco Crew in electricity and high energy

A couple of more shots including Jo-Willy and a BODY BONUS courtesy of Fer after the jump - click the headline, y'all.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Andy Murray

If there was more tournaments on these courts, I think he could definitely be No. 1 in the world for the next few years.

- Andy Murray on Roger Federer's stellar play on the fast courts of Dubai

I was actually thinking about this very thing after reading that Fed won Dubai for the fifth time over the weekend. His last four titles before this one were all on indoor hard aka FAST: Rotterdam, ATP World Tour Finals in London, Paris Masters and Basel. He likes speed. Always has, always will.

But, do I think he could be the top baller over the likes of Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal over the next few years if more surfaces were quicker? Nope. Let's be real. While it's his best chance, he's not going to blow them off any surface consistently anymore, and not enough to grab the top spot. He'd be in the mix and would even sneak in another major. That's it, which is still impressive for someone at this point in their career.

But it's all just talk. We'll never know because the tourneys aren't going to all of sudden quicken up the courts. Me thinks Muzz might've had his tail tucked in between his legs a bit after this loss.

[Photo(s) credit: AP]

GUEST POST: Will Andy Murray ever win a Grand Slam?

If you want to guest blog on Down the Line!, submit your post to me at downthelinetennis@gmail.com. C'mon, you know you want to flash your stuff.

by Mark Hodgson 

Andy Murray lost again in a Grand Slam at last month's Australian Open and you couldn’t be blamed for thinking that he is destined never to win a major title – as most of the people I have spoken to think. But is this necessarily true? From what I gather people don’t seem to think Murray will ever win a Grand Slam. However, it’s probably not that clear cut.

Undoubtedly, the defeat to Novak Djokovic had a feeling of "the same old story." But if you look past the disappointment, there were some positives. One which stands out is the fact that he actually led the match 2 sets to 1, which has never happened in any other of his defeats to the top three in Grand Slams. He was by no means outplayed in the match, and at the end of the third set looked like he might have the momentum to go on to win the match. In the past – when losing in majors to the top three – the most sets Murray has ever been able to win is one.

There are also long term signs of improvement from the Scot. If you look back at his Grand Slam record, it is clear that he is progressing still. In 2008, he reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time at the US Open and, the following year, got to the semifinals of Wimbledon. He made the final of the Australian Open and the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2010. Then, in 2011, he reached at least the last four of every Grand Slam, making it to the final of the Australian Open (which is no mean feat whoever you are). So, although it may appear like Murray isn’t getting any closer to winning a Grand Slam, he has actually been improving year on year. There’s nothing to say he can’t keep on improving and eventually win a major.

The edition of Ivan Lendl, who won eight Grand Slams in his career, seems to have produced a slight change in mentality from the Scot. Murray has admitted himself that Lendl doesn’t hold back his opinions of the 24-year old's performances. It seems to have had an effect, with Murray only dropping one set before losing to Djokovic in Melbourne. This has been something plaguing him in the past as well - taking too long to beat opponents in the earlier rounds and leading to tiredness in the latter stages of tournaments. Maybe this is something set to change under the guidance of Lendl.

There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a tough task for Murray to win a Grand Slam; he will need some luck along the way to do it. But it is by no means unthinkable. The problem has always been psychological for Murray. He has shown throughout his career that he has the ability to beat the top three in various different tournaments – having won 17 matches total against the top three. So if he can overcome the mental barrier, surely he can become the first British male to win a major title in more than 70 years.

Mark Hodgson is a Sports Journalism student at the University of Sunderland and reads news on Spark fm. He's a big Middlesbrough FC fan and enjoys writing, especially about sport, on his blog, mrmarkhodgson. You can follow him on Twitter @mrmarkhodgson. 

[Photo(s) credit: William West/AFP/Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: We found love in a hopeless place

"One day it'll be yours. No, not me silly."

 If that's the consolation prize, sign me up.

[Photo(s) credit: Pool/aaron Favila/AFP/Getty Images]

Melbourne from the middle

Ahhh, what a great off-season. And, no, it didn't involve giddily dipping a dance girl on a tennis court. That's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and not one of my vacay pics. In case you were confused. Because it happens. Sometimes.

Anyway, I’ve been away for a bit and missed the season-opening tourneys and the first week of the Australian Open. But there was a silver lining. You got to see Rafael Nadal’s ass grab for about two months. No harm there.

Life has been busy. My full-time gig is going well but there’s bigger news: I’m getting married! Married? Yes, married. Married?? Yes, MARRIED! 2012 is the year I finally do the deed. Well, more like "we." Kalil and I always said if we could get legally married in NYC we would do it. So when Governor Cuomo announced the bill had passed making gay marriage legal in New York state last year, we looked at each other and excitedly said, “I guess we’re getting married!” It’s truly a special time right now. There’s so much to plan (no wedding planner…blame my control issues) and organize. But it’s all good. Really REALLY good.

What’s also really REALLY good is what’s going to come in the second week of the Australian Open. The big ballers on both the men’s and women’s sides are still around which means epic battles are most likely on the Aussie horizon. Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova are barely losing games. Juan Martin del Potro is showing some of that old form that made him a Grand Slam champ. He’s been steadily rounding into devastating form.

The veterans—Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters—have drool-worthy quarterfinals to look forward to. Fed gets Delpo and ReRe will get Shrieka if she gets by Ekaterina Makarova (no offense, Macky, but really…). And the defending women’s champ, who just about got the boot until she houdinied her way from 4 match points down and a balky ankle to beat Li Na, gets top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the quarters.

And there’s still Rafa, Andy Murray, Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka in the mix. Suffice it to say there aren’t any true feel good, prodigy-against-the-draw or journeyballer-on-a-hot-streak stories this season in Melbourne. But that’s okay. I’ll take a a few classic throw downs between top ballers under the lights any day because you just know it’s going to be good. Really REALLY good.

[Photo(s) credit: Reuters]

PHOTO OP: Stonefaced Murray

"Ummm...thanks?"

The art of the non-reaction. Good idea, Muzz.

So let's just say, hypothetically speaking, Andy Murray continues this tremendous run-of-form, wins either Shanghai or Paris, the season-ending Masters Cup in London and his first Slam in Oz. I think we'll look back at his demolition of Rafael Nadal in the last two sets of the Tokyo final as the big turning point. To be more specific, we can pinpoint the three consecutive bombs he threw down to save break points in the second set after earning the break over Rafa as the moment Muzz's balls finally dropped.

From that point on, he never looked back. He also never looked like the Muzz we've come to know. The one who, when things get tight, he gets defensive and even a bit edgy. This Muzz took it to the Spaniard and looked like he meant it. Not hypothetically, of course, but FOR REALS.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

SIGHTING: Andy Murray + Kim Sears at Burberry

Andy Murray and the WAGilicious Kim Sears were spotted at the Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 Womenswear Show at Kensington Gardens today in London. As he did last year, Muzz took his spot in the front row with Kim next to famed photog Mario Testino, who shot the Brit baller for Vogue, and model-actress Rosie Huntington Whiteley.

Muzz also made another bit of news today when he told the BBC that the ATPers were ready to do what was necessary to get the schedule changed, including the possibility of some sort of strike. Right now, it would take years to get anything done according to Muzz, but the current ballers want something done sooner rather than later. They plan to meet up in Shanghai next month to discuss their options, including a strike. Via BBC:

"It's a possibility. I know from speaking to some players they're not afraid of doing that [striking].

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that but I'm sure the players will consider it."

Asked whether the subject of a strike or boycott will be mentioned during the meeting in China, he continued: "Yes I think so.

"If we come up with a list of things we want changed - and everyone is in agreement but they don't happen - then we need to have some say in what goes on in our sport. At the moment we don't.

"We'll sit down, talk about it with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and International Tennis Federation (ITF), see if they will come to a compromise and, if not, we'll go from there.

"We just want things to change, really small things. Two or three weeks during the year, a few less tournaments each year, which I don't think is unreasonable."

Tennis is made up of so many disparate parts with competing agendas and bottom lines that need to be fed. I think having the ballers convene and come up with their demands is one way to get the officials to listen. As much as I wouldn't want to see a strike it's a pretty remarkable to think they would actually band together push back that way. We'll see if they do.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: Take a swig, Muzz

 You too, Shrieka. Don't hug it. SWIG IT.

[Photo(s) credit: AP]

US OPEN FASHION PREVIEW: adidas styles for Tsonga, Verdasco, Murray and Ivanovic

Yeah, we're looking at you, Frenchie.

So yesterday I posted about the Nike US Open fashions, and now it's time to check out the duds adidas busted out for some of their ballers.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be working the Fall adiZero Feather Theme Polo (about $51) in white with solid red and infrared paired with the Fall adiZero Feather Short (not pictured - about $43) in white with subtle striping.

adidas duds for Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco and Ana Ivanovic after the jump!

Let's not talk about 'The Big Four' anymore

I think it was last week when I heard something that made me spit my soda. It was during some live coverage of some ATP match (clearly a very innnnteresting match) on the Tennis Channel when I heard one of the commentators remarking on "The Big Four" - Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. THE BIG FOUR??! Cue the spittage. 

C'mon guys. We're living in a post-Wimbledon 2011 world where Nole owns three majors and the top ranking. And we know all the hardware Rafa + Fed have hauled over the years. So how the hell can anyone think Muzz fits into this group anymore, especially after today's 6-3, 6-1 loss to Kevin Anderson at the Rogers Cup in Montreal (as a 2-time defending champ no less)? He was barely hanging on by a ginger thread before Wimby and even less afterward. And now this loss. I'm stunned by the 'The Big Four' talk, which is kinda the way Muzz looked today. So let's not.

P.S. Is it my uber-critical eye or is he starting to lose his locks? If he is, nobody mention it. He's probably not going to take it well today. Just a thought.


[Photo(s) credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images]