FASHION FIX: Fila's kits for the 2015 Australian Open

Fila has released the gear their ballers will be working at the 2015 Australian Open. The new Platinum collection offers a cohesive range of fashions, marked by fresh new fabrics, design details that showcase a high-end flavor, and stand-out styles. Training pieces were created to complement tennis apparel, for complete looks that can easily be worn on and off-court. As Fila’s most advanced line yet, technology is a crucial component of the Platinum story.

Jelena Jankovic, pictured above, will be wearing the Platinum dress ($90) in white and, appropriately, diva pink.

Germany's Julia Goerges will be sporting the Platinum wide racerback tank ($75) in diva pink/pirate charcoal and the Platinum skort ($75) in diva pink/pirate charcoal.

The women's collection also features a range of complementary pieces highlighted by the Platinum woven jacket, in silver/diva pink, which features embossed FILA neck taping, a bungee puller and stopper at curved bottom hem, a hood with drawcord, and front zippered pockets with lockdown pullers. The Platinum full zip jacket and pant, Platinum shorts, and Platinum capris with tennis ball pockets on the sides round out the collection.

American Sam Querrey will be wearing the Platinum zip placket polo shirt ($75) in white/navy power and the Platinum short ($60) in navy power/shocking orange.

Italy's Andreas Seppi will be sporting the Platinum laser cut top ($65) in navy power/shocking orange and the Platinum short ($60) in navy power/shocking orange.

The Platinum half-zip top and pants complete the men's collection. All styles are available at Fila.com. 

[Photo(s) credit: Fila]

WIMBLEDON: Rosol busted, Kyrgios rises, and Cornet goes full-on Cornet

Although he preferred to say otherwise, Rafael Nadal exacted revenges on Lukas Rosol for the shock defeat he suffered in the same round (second) on the same court (Centre) two years ago. Little did Rafa know that the Czech had other ideas up his Lotto sleeve. On a changeover Lukas purposefully used his racquet to knock down one of the Spaniard’s water bottles. As any tennis fan knows, Rafa always perfectly positions his two water bottles in the same spot by his chair (one of his many famous idiosyncrasies). NOT. COOL. LUKAS. I suppose you got what you deserved in the end.

@richardgasquet1 @Wimbledon Thanks mate, you're a class act and it was a pleasure to share the court with you. #Respect
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 26, 2014

Youth was served up in Paris and it looks like the trend is continuing at Wimbledon. Take 19-year old Nick Kyrgios. He’s the youngest baller in the men’s draw but showed elite quality when he saved nine, yes NINE, match points to defeat the 13th seed Richard Gasquet today. Talk about clutch. It was impressive stuff to watch. Even Richie had to give it up to the Aussie. Respect.


Only Alize Cornet would be able to win the "Best Actress in a Vine Award" by the second round. Screw tennis; THAT takes real talent. Hope she brings some of it to her third round match against Serena Williams. Duh, of course she will (sorry, I have a penchant for self-talk). Enjoy the lulz. I will be.

Other notables: On their match’s second day, 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga finally closed out Sam Querrey 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-3, 14-12. Another talented up-and-comer, 20-year old Jiri Vesely, bested the 24th seed Gael Monfils 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-7(3), 6-4 in his Wimbledon debut and will face Kyrgios for a spot in the fourth round. American Madison Keys continued her stellar grass-court form. The Eastbourne champ took out the 31st seed Klara Koukalova 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-2.

Samurai, Lleyton and Li get their grass-court games in gear for Wimbledon

Sam Querrey became the first baller to win a title on three different surfaces this season after defeating compatriot Mardy Fish 7-6 (3), 7-5 at Queen's Club. He won his first title of the year on hard at Memphis, second on clay in Belgrade and this week on grass. It's a tremendous win for Samurai especially when you consider who was in the draw at the start of the week: World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick to name just a few. He seems primed to do better than his career-best second round appearance at Wimbledon.


Lleyton Hewitt decided 15 straight losses were enough and shocked Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Halle where the Swiss holds a lifetime contract. It was the Aussie's debut at the tourney and, more importantly, his first win over the 16-time Grand Slammer since he beat Fed in five sets at Davis Cup in 2003. As for Fed he lost for only the second time in his last 78 matches on the slick stuff, the only other one being the epic Wimbledon final in 2008 against Rafa.

Lleyton will be, what's the word, RELIEVED to have that monkey off his back and he'll no doubt like his chances to make a good run at Wimby now. But what about Fed, who hasn't won a title since capturing the Aussie Open in January? Well, he's on his best surface entering the tourney he loves the most so he should be feeling good about that. But his confidence isn't living at its usual heights (as evidenced by his recent losses) which might make him vulnerable early on at Wimby. He's an expert at managing his game over the two weeks of a major, though, so if he gets through the first one relatively unscathed he could still go all the way.


Li Na went one further this year in Birmingham but needed to defeat Maria Sharapova again to get there. The Chinese lady baller, who ousted Shrieka last season in the semifinals but lost in the final, once again bested the Russian 7-5, 6-1 to claim the crown. Nice win for Li and a good effort by the former Wimby champ to get to another final. But Shrieka threw down 7 DF's in the match after smacking 12 aces in the semifinals which shows real inconsistency in her serve. She'll be looking at another early round loss at The All England Club if she doesn't get that part of her game under control.

Noticeable Notables:

Dinara Safina lost her fifth straight match going down this time to Magdalena Rybarikova 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of 's-Hertogenbosch. I'm not feeling too good about her chances to defend the Wimby semifinal appearance from last year or even make it past the first week, and that could mean a big tumble down the rankings. Like out of the Top 30 even.

Novak Djokovic & Jonathan Erlich were REALLY happy about the men's doubles title they won at Queen's Club:


Let's hope they double up s'more.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: Samurai stop (please)

"Cluck, cluck y'all."

This photo of Sam Querrey is awkward on so many levels I don't even know where to start - the K-Swiss catastrophe, his facial expression, the strange on-court chicken dance. It's all just a big MESS.

But maybe this explains his first round 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7- 5 loss to qualifying home boy Daniel Muzoz-de La Nava in Madrid today. Exactly. WHO???

Oh Samurai, you've seen better days in all ways (like last week in Belgrade.)

[Photo(s): Reuters]

So long adidas: Sam signs seven-figure deal with K-Swiss

Sam Querrey will be adding a fourth stripe to the three he currently sports with adidas.

According to Sports Business Journal, the 22-year old American has signed a seven-figure apparel and shoe deal with K-Swiss and will debut the new duds beginning in 2010. Sam's contract with adidas is set to expire at the end of the year and discussions were held with a number of high-profile companies about a possible sponsorship deal according to his agent, John Tobias, who confirmed the details with Tennis Week this morning:

We are very excited about Sam's new partnership with K-Swiss. We had discussions with several other companies including Nike, Lacoste and Li Ning. Ultimately, adidas had the ability to match any offer and they passed on matching the K-Swiss proposal. Sam is excited to be with a smaller company where he will join Mardy Fish as the lead endorser in the U.S.

Along with the two Americans K-Swiss also houses The Flying Bondarenko Sisters Alona + Kateryna, Tommy Haas, Vera Zvonareva, and Anna Kournikova.

Of course, the end of the year is always ripe with rumored sponsorship switches as current contracts expire and lucrative offers hit the table. Novak Djokovic is said to be considering a "Sam Sequel" and taking his own leap from adidas to K-Swiss while whispers have been growing about Andy Murray leaving Fred Perry for the German sports giant in the very near future.

Stay tuned!

(Photo: SamQuerrey.com)

FASHION FIX: Sam + Mel get personal with their adidas Barricade V's

Sam Querrey + Melanie Oudin will be debuting new one-of-a-kind adidas Barricade V's personally customized by the American ballers for their US Open campaigns.

The US Open Series champ was looking for a style that really stood out and announced his arrival as a contender on tour while Mel's inspiration was more introspective and features the word "BELIEVE" on the side which is a manifestation of her motivation to succeed.


You can check out more details on their designs and customize your own Barricade V's over at miadidas.com.


(images via adidas)

2009 US OPEN PREVIEW: The Boys

The major tourney season is coming to a close *cries* and it's the last chance for the boys to grasp at glory and make their mark on the 2009 season.

Who are top faves for the US Open title? Let’s take a look:

From where he started this year (think: Oz Open tearfest) it seemed Roger Federer was a broken baller. But in a display of impressive determination, he turned the season on its head grabbing a Career Slam by taking his first Roland Garros title, breaking Pete Sampras’ record of major wins by winning a sixth Wimbledon Championship and 15th Grand Slam (holds 3 outta the 4 majors now) and returning to the top spot. Of course, the Swiss maestro’s personal life has gained almost as much attention with his marriage to Mirka Vavrinec and subsequent births of his twin mangoes. So with all of these happenings you’d think he’d be slightly distracted and less motivated, right? Wrong-o. He capped off his US Open Series effort by snapping a 4-match losing streak to Andy Murray in Cincinnati on his way to snapping a 2-match losing streak to Novak Djokovic in the final, winning his 16th Masters 1000 shield (one behind all-time leader Andre Agassi.) Fed has an astounding 45-4 record at Flushing Meadow and hasn’t lost a match there since 2003 so he’ll be feeling good about his chances for a sixth consecutive title.

He’s the highest ranked baller from his country ever sitting at World No. 2 and becoming the first man not named Federer or Nadal to hold the 1-2 ranking since 2005. Unfortunately Andy Murray has fallen short at each of the Grand Slams this year including a fourth round loss in Oz, a quarterfinal exit in Paris, and a semifinal defeat at Wimby. But outdoor hard-courts are where this Brit baller shows his best counter-punching stuff as evidenced by wins at Doha, Miami, and Montreal, three of his five titles this season. Most pundits and fans agree it’s just a matter of time before Muzz wins his maiden major and most feel Flushing Meadow, where he won the US Open junior title and reached his first Grand Slam final last year, is his best chance.

After his devastating loss to Fed in their monstrous Wimby final battle, no one was sure how Andy Roddick would recover. Would he retreat into a defensive posture or become even more motivated to earn a second major title? The answer isn’t completely clear yet but the former US Open champ made a strong statement to the latter by reaching the final in Washington, DC and the semifinals in Montreal losing both times to Juan Martin del Potro. And even though he lost to a streaking Sam Querrey in his opening round match at Cincy, his physical and mental games have looked solid. If he can ride the waves of the New York crowd’s boisterous support, A-Rod could make his third trip to the final Sunday.

Novak Djokovic has been an enigma the entire season. At times the Serb seemed to be hitting his stride and at other times he seemed downright indifferent. Check this stat: he’s reached seven finals already this season but has lost five including four losses in Masters Series 1000 tourneys. Ouch. But Nole’s a former finalist in The Big Apple and enjoys the raucous atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium (when he’s not getting booed that is), a quality important in winning the US Open. Plus, the 22-year old will be toting around another former finalist, Todd Martin, in his coaching back pocket so maybe, just maybe, he’ll find his form again.

It seemed 2009 was going to be his for the taking, no? Rafael Nadal began the season as the world’s top baller and solidified that status by winning his first Oz Open title and sixth career major. He continued with wins at Indian Wells and his usual domination of the clay-court circuit until Madrid where, after winning an exhausting 4-plus hour semifinal against Nole, he was defeated by Fed snapping his 5-match winning streak against the Swiss and 33-match win streak on the slippery stuff. The biggest shocks were still to come as he suffered his first ever loss at Roland Garros to Robin Soderling in the fourth round and withdrew from the defense of his Wimby crown due to knee tendinitis. His return to the ATP World Tour has shown improvement with each week but he’ll need to be at his best form to reach his first final at Flushing Meadow and complete a possible Career Slam.

ON THE RADAR:

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO – He’s on the cusp of being a top contender but hasn’t reached a major final….yet. The hard-courts are the Argentine’s fave surface, though, having grabbed the biggest scalp of his career in Miami defeating then top baller Rafa in Miami while also earning titles in Auckland and Washington, DC on this surface. It was at Flushing Meadow last season where Delpo reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal so he’ll have good motivation to take it further.

SAM QUERREY – It seems Sam Querrey is becoming more comfortable with the mantle of "Next Best American Baller". The 21-year old went on an absolute tear post-Wimby reaching three straight finals (winning the last one in LA), grabbing the aforementioned win over A-Rod in Cincy, and ending as the US Open Series champ. Sam may not be quite ready to steal the top prize in Flushing Meadow but a second week appearance should be for the taking.

JO-WILFRIED TSONGA – The Frenchie made one of the most riveting comebacks in recent memory recovering from 1-5 down in the decider to defeat Rog at the Montreal Masters. It was his best win since defeating Rafa in the '08 Oz Open semifinals. His high-flying, athletic game and infectious personality should play well with the appreciative New York crowd so if he can gain their backing while playing with controlled aggression Jo-Willy could make a deep run here.

Also make sure to check out which ladies I think will make some NYC noise here!

(images via getty, ap)

The Samurais extend HotHaas an olive branch...and a beer

The Samurais would like to make an amends with Tommy Haas Obama-style.

The German was visibly irritated by the rowdy supporters of eventual LA champ Sam Querrey during their semifinal bout and described the group as having "no class" afterwards.

But now the shirtless wonders are trying to calm the stormy waters, though they still disagree on the matter at hand:

First off, we would like to extend an apology to Tommy Haas for what he he believes was 'inappropriate' and 'classless' behavior.... Contrary to what Tommy Haas asserted, we were not cheering his errors and missed serves (our restraint is something we actually take pride in), but, simply applauding (yes, in a pretty boisterous fashion) the unbelievable effort from our former classmate and good friend, Sam Querrey. We understand that this line can easily be blurred in a competitive tennis match and therefore apologize to Haas for the confusion. To make up for it, we would like to follow in the steps of the White House, and offer to take Haas out for a beer (Beck's of course) and reconcile our differences at the upcoming U.S. Open Championships.... Again, we are simply trying to direct some passion and spirit toward the great game of tennis that we all love.... The Samurai.

Ah, just what tennis needs - a little back and forth. If the ladies can do it, why can't the boys?

Let's just say I can't wait for the rematch.

(images via getty)

VIDEO VAULT: Behind-the-scenes of adidas' baller development program, moobs and all

Thanks to DtL reader Sara for sending me the link to this video about adidas' baller development program. Yay!

It's pretty interesting to hear about the program in more detail from Gil Reyes, Sven Groenefeld, and a few of the adidas execs. WTA CEO Larry Scott and ex-ATP CEO Etienne de Villiers also make appearances.

Ana Ivanovic, Fernando Verdasco, Caroline Wozniacki, Sam Querry, Sania Mirza + Grigor Dimitrov are all interviewed in the video and discuss their experiences and the great benefits of working with the coaches and trainers. Note to Nando: you don't have to work the faux-hawk when you're lifting too. Put the gel down. Just sayin'.

PS - Sara was right about Gil's moobs being straight up boobs. Ana's got nothing on him nor do most of the lady ballers, although he and ReRe could probably share sports bras.

THE LOW DOWN: Querrey's Monte Carlo march over choking Gasquet

Aside from his ridiculous comment on Roger Federer yesterday, Sam Querrey and his intriguing non-dom hand are having a great ride at the Monte Carlo Masters. Who wudda thunk it?!

Sam's dismissal of former French Open champ Carlos Moya in the first round was enough of a shocker, but today the 6' 5" American blasted perennial head-case Richard Gasquet 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. He'll have a monster task, though, in the quarterfinals: Novak Djokovic.

But does this match say more about Sam's abilities on clay and the growth of his game or Richard's eminent tag as a choker? I'm not sure, but one thing is clear: Richard's Davis Cup debacle has legs.

(images via AP + Getty)