+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Do you like your women beautiful and athletic? Well, you'll get that and more in Nike's 'Make Yourself Girl Power' campaign shot by famed photog Annie Leibovitz and starring Grand Slammers Maria Sharapova + Li Na along with track-and-field stars Allyson Felix + Perri Shakes-Drayton, soccer's Hope Solo, dancer Sofia Boutella, and surfer Laura Enever. The Double Bagel has additional shots, including Shrieka getting her crunch on.

- Speaking of Li Na, WSJ.com has a good piece on the influence her win at Roland Garros will have on sports in China. One person who's happy about the changes in the Chinese system is Zheng Jie. "I am so thankful for this mini-truce," she said.

- GQ.com showcased some of the best and worst styles worn by Rafael Nadal over the years (pirate pants!) while CNBC.com says Nike's decision to move the Mallorcan Matador towards more conservative attire helped retailers' bottom line.

- Andy Roddick knows how to deal with those pesky rain delays in London. With - what else? -  Angry Birds! Oh, and if you need to know what's been on his iPod while there, click here. For reals.

- So, this is what happens when you reach 20,000 fans on Facebook, for better or worse:



- Andre Agassi was interviewed for The New York Times and discusses everything from his charter schools, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, his controversial memoir "Open" and the 1999 French Open where he and wife Steffi Graf reigned as singles champs: "We don’t really talk about it, but the memory is so alive. But you also live with the fact her experience was way different than mine. This was a hard tournament for me, so to get over the line at that moment was something special."

- Federer likes it FAST.

- Deadspin's Dylan Stableford talks Borg-McEnroe and JMac's man-crush on the iconic Swede: "But did you know McEnroe had something of a heterosexual man-crush on Borg when he first saw Bjorn? 'I'd never seen a tennis player look like this," McEnroe admits in HBO's 'McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice,' documentary, which airs on Saturday night. 'He had this sort of perfect Viking godlike look, and I certainly wanted to get the same type of things that he seemed to be getting, which was a lot of interest and a lot of girls. … I think everyone wanted to look like Bjorn. Certainly he had the cool clothes and the sweet headband and the great locks.'"

- Dinara Safina on Rafael Nadal + Novak Djokovic for Sport.ru: "I like them both, I know them both, and they are both nice guys. What I like about Nadal is how he turns the audience on, charges everyone with his emotions, even when something is not going right. But if we take the beauty of the game Djokovic has the advantage."

- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Tracy Morgan still feeling the heat for homophobic rant; Britney Spears covering Madonna's 'Burning Up' on tour (just kill me); Congressman Weiner's sexts get the dramatic (and hilarious) treatment; Well, hello there Jessie Williams; Brief-tastic Francesco Totti moments courtesy of Kickette of course; MTV cans 'Skins'

[Photo(s) credit: Nike]

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- It was Les Enfants de Roland-Garros a.k.a Kids' Day at Roland Garros today. Weeee! Shockingly (not), Novak Djokovic stepped in for Bob Sinclar and hit the decks with DJ Big Ali in Philippe Chatrier Stadium. And he doesn't look one inch out of place. I see a post-tennis career in the making. Don't you? More shots from Kids' Day here and video here.

- Speaking of Nole (and who isn't - right Johnny Mac?) you must check out this awesome story by SI's S.L. Price on the Serb and his move towards history this fortnight.

- Tom Perrotta interviewed the head of the USTA baller development program, Patrick McEnroe, and Jose Higueras, the USTA's director of coaching, on the challenges facing U.S. tennis and what steps they're taking to overcome them - namely getting the ballers to be more proficient on the clay. "You can't predict the future, technology, whatever," PMac said. "But the way the game is going, it would be very surprising if we went back to some kind of bang-bang tennis. One-shot tennis is dead."

- Make sure to check out the Roland Garros Twitvid page. It's chalk full of quick but super fun footage of practice sessions, interviews and other action you don't normally get to see. Insidery, if you will.

- Marty's got Maria's back: "There is no real reason, though, why Sharapova, whose victory in the Italian Open in Rome came against last year’s French Open runner-up Sam Stosur, cannot also win this year’s title at Roland Garros."

- Bethanie Mattek-Sands is at it again. No, it's not her on-court fashions. Yet. She's blogging for USA Today again.

- Bear Grylls grabbed a hit with Andre Agassi and apparently held his own. Um, yeah.

- Christopher Clarey of The New York Times interviewed Bjorn Borg and grabbed a money quote: "I always have said that records are meant to be beat, not only in tennis but in all sports. I wish Rafa the best of luck. It would be great to see him win the sixth time or seven or eight times." You should also check out his other piece. It's 20 years in the making.

- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams all made the 2011 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Translation: How to Make Bank and Influence People.

- Mary Carillo, who is now with the Tennis Channel as a broadcaster and analyst, not only enjoys being in front of the camera but also behind the scenes as she explained in a conference call this past week for Roland Garros:

I love the sport of tennis, but I also really like the sport of television. I like a lot of different parts of it. I like pre-production. I like post-production. I like live. I like editing. I like writing. I have written a couple of documentaries. I am really hoping that if this goes well, I get to hang around and do all kinds of things for Tennis Channel.

So I guess it should come as no surprise that one of the reasons for her departure from ESPN late last year may have been due to differences in opinion with regards to the production of their telecasts. Here's Mary in an excerpt from ESPN Book:

ESPN is very graphics oriented, and [it] was explained to me – because I was having a hard time watching the screen get smaller and smaller – that all the wizardry is there because there’s a lot of places where the sound is off. ESPN is shown in bars or people have it on in the background. They’re watching out of the corner of their eye...So they want to give them a lot of graphics. I got some really big issues with that.

While we're on the subject of Tennis Channel here's a look at their promo spot for Roland Garros. And don't forget: TC will be streaming matches LIVE on their website starting tomorrow at 5 AM EST and showcasing matches in 3-D for fans with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast or DIRECTV during Memorial Day Weekend. CHECK IT:



- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Darren Criss and all his adorkableness for GQ; Bert sans Ernie meets Andy Samberg and all hell breaks loose (not really); Hunger Games' Jennifer Lawrence takes Elle in Miu Miu; RIP Macho Man; it's a boy for Oscar winner Marion Cotillard; Bane from The Dark Knight Rises is revealed; Messi the genius; "Stand by your man..."

[Photo(s): Deadspin.com, AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER KLEIN]

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Credit Suisse has released the official commercial for their international image campaign I previewed last month starring a soaking wet Roger Federer and shot by Jordan Scott.

- Maria Sharapova is interviewed in the June edition of O Magazine in a feature called 'My Best Life'. Apparently she discusses the joys of karaoke. Can someone please get her in the French Open karaoke box please? I'm sure it'll be an instant classic.

 - Andy Roddick ain't happy with the ATP. He and doubs partner Mardy Fish were docked $42,800 - the prize money they made for reaching the final in Rome - after the former U.S. Open champ pulled out with an injured shoulder. Here's a bit of what he said about the incident: "We're going to have to beg for the money we've earned. Why should Mardy be punished when I can't play? Mardy has played the (semifinal) match, he won the match, he earned the money, you can't take away something he has already done. This is embarrassing for the tour."

 - Looking for Marat Safin fix? Well, you're not alone - believe me. So here you go: The sexy Russian is interviewed and featured in a pretty good looking photo spread for the May 2011 issue of InStyle Russia. Did I mention I drool for a SexGawd in stripes? I do, it's true.

- While we're on the topic of Safin, little sister Dinara has put her tennis career on hold indefinitely to deal with her never-ending injury issues. Sad news for the former top lady baller. Be well.

- Double OMG. Feliciano Lopez was caught in the act! And then he wasn't. WHATEVAH pretty boy.

- As we all know, Serena Williams isn't competing next week at Roland Garros due to her continued recovery from the pulmonary embolism she suffered recently. Her absence will def be a blow to the fashion meter at the tourney. But FEAR NOT! Here's a look at what she would've worn has she made it to Paris. Click here to check out what a few of the other Nike ballers will be wearing.

- Tennis Channel will be streaming French Open matches live and on-demand again this year via their website. Those fans with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast or DIRECTV will have the added bonus of viewing matches from Philippe Chatrier Court in 3-D during Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30. Love it.

- Never one to shy away from ANY spotlight the undefeated Novak Djokovic hit the catwalk at the Cannes Film Festival's Fashion for Relief benefiting Japan. Not sure who he's wearing but I've seen him in better outfits on a runway. Check out the pics here and some video footage here. (Thanks for the tip OnTheGoTennis!)

- Vienna tourney Tennis Trophy has lost its main sponsor, Bank Austria. TD Herwig Straka is hoping to announce a new main sponsor shortly. The CEO of Bank Austria explained the decision saying the tourney venue announced a sponsorship deal with their main rival.

- For all of you who are lucky enough to be in Paris this week: Rafael Nadal will be making an appearance at the Nike store on the Champs-Elysées this Friday. Get it, peeps. BONUS: Here's a Babolat print spot featuring Rafa, A-Rod and Kim Clijsters from the latest issue of TENNIS.

- Kei Nishikori will be ready for Roland Garros. The Japanese baller had to forfeit his opening round match in Rome last week after suffering from kidney stones. Via his FB page: Hi everyone, just wanted to give you a little update. I went back to Japan to get a second opinion from a Japanese doctor last Saturday. After some examinations and more treatment from the doctors here in Tokyo, I am feeling better and I am ready to play the French Open. Had my first practice today in Tokyo and I am leaving Japan tomorrow to join my coaching team in Paris and start preparing for the French Open.

- Tomas Berdych + Marcos Baghdatis take to the streets of Nice.

- I'd like to wish all the best to Ken Rosewall who was hospitalized after becoming ill during the Rome Masters last week. Though the exact cause is unclear, the Australian media was reporting the tennis legend may have suffered a stroke.

- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Arnold Schwarzenegger had another baby mama; Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld is the new face of Miu Miu; stateside The X Factor is ramping up(front); Steven Tyler tried to go gay while an NBA exec has come out all the way; so what's with this Bamboo Ceiling?; the trailer for "X-Men: First Class" fucking rocks; and since it's Frenchie time here's a last little tid bit: First Lady Carla Bruni may be preggers. BOOM.

[Photo(s): TENNIS, InStyle Russia, Credit Suisse]

+ NETCORDS: News from around the grounds

- Unless you're Andy Roddick or photographer Mark Squires you've probably never seen Brooklyn Decker like this (NSFW).

- The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) be mad. Well, more like they're in a questioning mood. Albert Costa, their Davis Cup captain, has raised issue with the court surface the United States has chosen for the Spain-U.S. tie scheduled for July in Austin. The court's manufacturer, Premier Courts Inc., is not one of the 91 ITF-approved manufacturers according to the RFET. "So the problem I have right now is to explain to the players what kind of court they will encounter because even if we wanted to train on a similar one we could not install it because it is not approved," said Costa. They appealed to the ITF who will give their decision on Thursday. The RFET aren't happy about the USTA presale either.

- Andy Murray pulled out of Barcelona with the elbow injury he sustained at the Monte Carlo Masters while Tomas Berdych sited a stomach virus for his withdrawal.

- With Roland Garros on the horizon SI's Bruce Jenkins isn't seeing this depth in the WTA that some fans and pundits keep discussing. Listen, when you're missing a dominant No. 1 or a compelling rivalry the next best storyline is "depth". Anyway, he's bucking his journalistic objectivity (as if THAT really exists) and backing his fave lady baller to take the RG crown: "So I'll say it again: Go, Francesca. Shameless rooting from the press box. I've got everything but the T-shirt." Way to be honest about it, Bruce.

- Did you know that Julia Goerges isn't "jealous" of the recent attention given to compatriot Andrea Petkovic? Because two female athletes couldn't possibly be competitive without being jealous, you know. Fucking dumb.



- If you like your Roger Federer soaking wet then check out some behind-the-scenes footage (above) from an ad he recently shot for Credit Suisse.

- TENNIS' Tom Perrotta penned a piece for the Wall St. Journal online about Novak Djokovic's brilliant start to 2011 and the rise of Serbian tennis.

- The Monte Carlo Baller Party wasn't a total drag. Janko Tipsarevic and friends took to the stage to give their best impression of Nole dealing with his team. "I had to do it...even thou he is not like this...I had to do it" is what he said on the video's YouTube page. Sure Tipsy. Suuuure.

- And more Nole: The Serb first gave us black, white and grey and today he gives us good face.

- Serena Williams, who recently returned to light practicing and flashy on-court fashion, was spotted on Miami beach in a mis-matched tini-wini bikini. Poor thing is struggling. The bikini, not ReRe y'all.

- Anna Chakvetadze was forced to retire from her first round match in Stuttgart against Zuzana Kucova with dizziness. It's the third straight match that Chaky had to retire because of this mystery illness. "I saw a doctor before the tournament and they told me everything would be ok, which is why I decided to play here," said the Russian. "But now it's the third tournament in a row I have had to retire with this dizziness problem. It seems the doctors don't have all the answers yet, so I have to rest. Hopefully we will find a solution." Petty worrisome stuff.

- Balls, Balls, Balls: NaturAna's top matches in her career so far...TAG Heuer gave Shrieka a sick gift for her 24th birthday...Wozzi was named Female Athlete of the Month by the United States Sports Academy...Tommy Haas gets a visit from his fave physio, Klaus Eder...La Monf has launched a new website.

- Totally Off-Topic: Having a horrid day? Well, click here. And if this video doesn't make you feel a little bit better you ain't human. You might want to check on that. Cheers!

[Photo(s): Mark Squires, Daily Mail]

(UPDATED) + TUESDAY NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

* Rafael Nadal, who is scheduled to return to the practice courts this Thursday according to his site, was spotted with girlfriend Xisca Perello on the green still in vacation mode. You see? His infamous ass-ets are so drool worthy even SHE needs to document them and Xisca's seen them up close and personal, I'm guessing (read: fantasizing.)

* Ana Ivanovic was denied a wild card into Montreal and will need to play qualifying to get into the main draw. The tournament director handed it to homegirl Stephanie Dubois instead and said in a statement, "...she's a player who has done a lot for our tournament - almost saved it one year. She has a lot of charisma. Everyone likes her. But the fact is that she hasn't demonstrated (with her play) that she deserves a wild card. It's not the same as a player who has been injured and away for awhile. ... She is the one who dropped down to No. 65, not because of an injury."

Agreed and not at all disrespectful in my opinion. The truth, no matter how it's said, really does hurt. NaturAna should start playing some tourneys on the ITF Women's Circuit (women's Challengers) and rebuild her game and confidence Agassi-style. She's not one win away from getting her A-game back - she's many wins away. If she really has the goods we'll see her back full-time on the WTA tour. If she doesn't, well...

* TENNIS mags Steve Tignor + Peter Bodo talk tennis fandom: truth vs. modesty and social vs. solitary

* Serena Williams a.k.a. Kandse (which I LOVE and may start calling her) is given some spotlight in this month's Vogue and not for her tennis. The aspiring nail-technician gives writer Marina Rust a manicure and said of a recent nail-fail incident, "One time, I was at Wimbledon, and I was going for this shot, and I fell and broke a nail. I was so mad I stopped the game. I had to focus that anger on the other player, the one that made me break that nail." Geez. I'd hate to see what she did to the person who broke the glass that cut her foot, espesh if it means she'll miss the U.S. Open. You are DEAD.

* Ravi Ubha for ESPN.com tells us who he thinks needs a strong summer including Andy Roddick, Marin Cilic, Victoria Azarenka and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

* 18-time Grand Slammer Martina Navratilova will receive the Eugene L. Scott Award for "her contribution to tennis and commitment to communicating honestly and critically about the game."

* "Without tennis, who am I?" is a pointed and painful question Jennifer Capriati, who's recovering from an accidental prescription overdose, has asked of friend Justin Gimelstob according to an insightful article about the 3-time Grand Slammer by Johnette Howard for ESPN.com. Thankfully for all, the answer isn't a 'Celebrity Rehabber'. Double PHEW.

* Thank you Fue Buena for this photo. That is all:

UPDATE: TMZ has more Rafa porn, more specifically the Mallorcan Matador beaching it today!

[Photo(s): Serena Williams - Vogue, Rafael Nadal - Sina Sports, Splash News Online] 

DtL's shameless self-promo moment: The Preppy Princess

Hey readers -

I'm excited to say my recent post discussing the insanity that is Ana Ivanovic's adidas "ladyfinger" dress was quoted on The Preppy Princess, a guide to everything preppy including fashion, publishing, sports, celebrity, etc.

Here's the excerpt from their post The Pirate over the Preppy, Sharapova’s Next Dress…?:

As the good folks at Down the Line Tennis note:

All you want is an originally designed, inspired and functional dress to wear for the final Grand Slams of the year and here’s what they give you: The Wimbledon dress (above), in the required white with lilac piping around the neckline and arm holes, was supposedly inspired by flower petals but I’m thinking someone was eating lady fingers when they came up with the design. And for the US Open you’re sporting the same dress but in some drab grey-brown moment (below). *Yawn* Even the proportions, most noticeably the length of the dress, seem awkward on you.

BTW, Down the Line is a must see for anyone favoring fashion + tennis, a wonderful read blending those two elements and more.

Very cool! Thanks again TP!!

(image via thepreppyprincess.com)