Murray, Verdasco 2012 Australian Open Adidas kit availability

With the Australian Open ready to kick off the 2012 season, Scot Andy Murray and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco will look to take the tennis season by storm by wearing the latest in Adidas apparel and footwear.

Never one to shy away from eye-catching colors and bold designs, Murray and Verdasco’s latest kit will feature an orange and yellow colorway. Look for the current world No. 4 and No. 24 to once again be the talk of tennis fashion in 2012.

Adidas’ spring 2012 tennis line will be available at TennisWarehouse.com starting Jan. 1. All Adidas apparel and footwear can be purchased by clicking the TennisWarehouse banner to the right or above

Djokovic to be in Stallone movie

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is set to play himself in the upcoming Expendables 2 movie with Sylvester Stallone.

Djokovic, who won three grand slam events this year, is currently in Bulgaria shooting his cameo. The movie is set to hit theaters next year.

Isner, Chang Join Delray Beach Line-Up

American star John Isner and Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang have been added to the star-studded lineup of the 20th annual Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (ITC), which will be played February 24 – March 4, 2012 at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center.

The Wimbledon record-setting Isner, ranked No. 18 in the world, will join Andy Roddick in the ATP World Tour event while 1989 French Open champion Chang joins fellow Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl as the headliners in the tournament’s ATP Champions Tour 8-player round-robin event.

“The addition of fan-favorite John Isner and perennial top 10 Michael Chang gives us strong fields already,” said Mark Baron, tournament director of the ITC. “Our ATP Champions Tour field is set, and we are expecting our ATP World Tour event to be the best in our history by the time our final draw is announced.”

Grand Slam champions Mats Wilander, Pat Cash and Johan Kriek, Grand Slam finalist Mikael Pernfors and Aaron Krickstein, the youngest player ever to be ranked in the Top 20, round out the ATP Champions Tour field. The tournament also announced that Lendl and Wilander will square off on Opening Night (Friday, February 24) as the 9:00 pm feature match while Roddick’s first ATP World Tour match will be Tuesday, February 28 at 9:00 pm.

“Lendl vs Wilander conjures up so many great memories,” said Baron. “Who could ever forget Mats’ epic 5-set win at the 1988 US Open that made him number one? This is an opportunity for our fans to see these guys up close and to remember and celebrate one of the greatest Grand Slam matches in history.”

Though he is known to the masses for his 11-hour, 3-day first-round match at Wimbledon in 2010, Isner, 26, has played the best tennis of his career in 2011. The former University of Georgia All-American has won two ATP World Tour titles this year and reached the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Chang, the youngest-ever Grand Slam winner, was also a 3-time Grand Slam runner-up and a member of the winning U.S. Davis Cup team in 1990. Regarded by historians as the greatest counter puncher in tennis, he reached No. 2 in the world in 1996. He won 34 ATP events, enjoyed a 6-year run in the top 10 in the ’90s and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008.

With the excitement building in anticipation of the 2012 event, the Delray Beach ITC is offering a holiday special for fans searching for that special gift. The tournament is offering discounts of 50% off box and reserved seats and 40% off grandstand seats for specific sessions: Opening Night (Friday, Feb. 24) and Day Sessions on Monday (Feb. 27) and Wednesday through Friday (Feb. 29 – Mar. 2). The discount will be in effect through December 31.

To purchase tickets call 561-330-6000, order online at www.YellowTennisBall.com or in-person at Walmart’s Ticketmaster outlets.

Facing Federer’s durable brilliance

by: Nima Naderi

Throughout a year which has witnessed Novak Djokovic carve and brush aside the most notable of foes along the way to his 10 titles and world No. 1 ranking, the question of: Will he be able to keep it up next year, has surely crossed many of our minds?

Djokovic’s year by many accounts was arguably one of the greatest to date. Not only did he tuck away three slam titles, but he recorded a 10-1 mark against two of the game’s greatest champions, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He beat the best when it counted, and in case there was any confusion as to what the means exactly, Federer and Nadal have pretty much dominated the sport through the last decade, winning 26 slams in total.

But while Djokovic’s record against the likes of Federer and Nadal may likely never be duplicated in a single season, I think it’s safe to say that Federer’s durable brilliance throughout the years will never be matched as well.

For you historical buffs out there, I open the archives to Federer’s 2006 season. Recording a 92-5 record while winning 12 titles, Federer’s year also included three slam titles and no drop off after the US Open. Where Djokovic’s season saw him mark up Rod Laver Arena, and slide through the clay season, only to end up on the floor after winning Wimbledon and the US Open, Federer’s ‘06 campaign saw the Swiss star run through the fall calender and win 22 straight matches.

Djokovic’s six straight wins against Nadal in finals will likely never be achieved by Federer, but let’s also keep in mind that the undisputed current world No. 1 went an unimpressive 6-4 after New York, suffering a slew of injuries.

It’s true that Federer may not be the gazelle around the court that he once was, but his effortless and stress-free strokes are still extremely relevant today. Gliding from his forehand to backhand corner, Federer dismantled Nadal along the way to his recent London title, and showed similar brilliance earlier this year when he ended Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak at the French Open.

Federer’s magical arm has always seemed to hold the answers to tennis’s most difficult shots, but we must also give the monogram champion his due props when it comes to conditioning and footwork.

When was the last time Federer was out of position for a shot? We’ve seen him shank a forehand with blinding racket-head-speed into the 26th row, sure, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t in position to end the point with conviction. What about Federer’s fitness? The elegant bandanna champion is known for not sweating even under the most debilitating of conditions, and while Djokovic and Nadal have had there fair share of wins against the Swiss star throughout the years, I can’t remember a single time when Federer was keeled over after a point.

Much of what makes Federer the player that he is lies within his balance between durability and passion. It’s easy to lose passion when injuries and illness overtake productivity, and cause one to question whether or not the pain is really worth the fight? With Federer never experiencing a severe injury throughout his career, he’s managed to keep his love affair with the sport in good standing, and still be in the conversation when the majors are on deck.

It remains to be seen if Federer will capture another slam title. Although he passed the autumn challenge with flying colors, most of his chief rivals were either injured or burned out, and most importantly, all of his wins were achieved under a three set format. I’m not questioning whether or not Federer will be able to last five sets during next year’s slam season; it’s more a question of maintaining his mental focus in that type of environment?

It’s easy to lead by a set and a break and see the finish line; it’s a completely different matter when there’s still another set to be played after that. We saw Jo-Wilfried Tsonga hand Federer a devastating loss at Wimbledon this year; trailing Federer by two sets, Tsonga roared back to reach the semifinals. We also witnessed Federer holding two match points (for the second straight year) against Djokovic at the US Open before crumbling. Federer said that Djokovic hit a “lucky” shot to save his second match point, but what that shot actually exemplified was Djokovic gaining comfort within his surroundings.

In saying that, though, would we be surprised if Federer won one or two slams in 2012? He’s proven us wrong before, and with Djokovic cooling off, and Nadal displaying mental fatigue, Federer appears like the next logical choice to raise some hardware.

If the end of 2011 showed us anything (much like the end of 2010 did) it was that Roger Federer still remains a force in the men’s game. That force, whether it be holding up the Aussie Open crown in late January, or three-peating the World Tour finals at the end of next year, signifies Federer’s elastic and ever-evolving arsenal over the age of 30.

Like a fine wine or great timepiece, Federer’s game continues to turn heads back and forth with amazement every time he steps on court.

Nestor, Mirnyi win ATP World Tour finals

NESTOR REPEATS AS CHAMPION AT THE BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

Montreal, November 27, 2011 –Daniel Nestor (Toronto, ON) and Max Mirnyi of Belarus were crowned doubles champions on Sunday at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, England. The third-seeded duo defeated the Polish team of Mariusz Fyrtsenberg and Marcin Matkowski 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match.

Nestor and Mirnyi went undefeated in the round robin stage of the tournament, including another win over Fyrtsenberg and Matkowski, to finish first in their group and earn a spot in the semifinals. In the semifinals on Saturday, the Canadian-Belarusian pair took out the top-ranked Bryan brothers before completing their perfect week in the final.

With the win, Nestor successfully defends the title he captured last year at the season-ending event with former
partner Nenad Zimonjic. In 13 appearances at the ATP Finals, the 39-year-old boasts a 32-19 record to go along with four titles. Meanwhile, this is Mirnyi’s second title win at the Final Showdown.

In their first full season together, Nestor and Mirnyi finished 2011 with four titles (Memphis, Roland-Garros, Shanghai Masters and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals) and a 48-19 record.

Podcast: Reviewing Federer’s record-breaking week in London

In this week’s PodCast, Nima and Parsa are back in action with a tournament review of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Will Roger Federer take his fantastic end to the 2011 season and win another slam in 2012? Will Rafael Nadal ever win the season-ending event? Will Novak Djokovic be able to regroup after a disappointing fall season and dominate again next year?

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

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Federer wins record sixth ATP World Tour final

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals—London, England

Defending champion Roger Federer ended a superb week of tennis at the ATP World Tour finals on Sunday, defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 for a record sixth title.

In a match that lasted two hours and 19 minutes, Federer won the 70th title of his career by smashing 11 aces, winning 80 percent of his first serve points, and breaking Tsonga’s serve on three occasions.

Closing out the 2011 season riding a 17 match winning streak, Federer defeated Tsonga for the seventh time in 10 meetings, and fourth time since Wimbledon.

Competing in his 100th career final, Federer won $1,630,000 for his efforts, while collecting 1500 ATP World Tour points toward his ranking total. Federer will move into the No. 3 position over Andy Murray on Monday.

Tsonga, who was contesting his first season-ending final, won $740,000 in prize money, and added 800 ATP World Tour points to his ranking.

ATP World Tour Finals: Order of play for Sunday November 27, 2011

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2011

CENTRE COURT start 3:30 pm
[8] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) vs [3] M Mirnyi (BLR) / D Nestor (CAN)

Not Before 5:30 PM
[6] J Tsonga (FRA) vs [4] R Federer (SUI)

Federer reaches ATP World Tour finals for seventh time; faces Tsonga

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals—London, England

Defending champ Roger Federer reached his third straight final on Tour and seventh ATP World Tour final on Saturday, defeating David Ferrer 7-5, 6-3.

In a match largely controlled by the Swiss star, Federer continued to take his chances on Ferrer’s serve before breaking the Spaniard to lead 6-5 in the opening set. Never losing to his opponent in 11 previous meetings, Federer finished off his diminutive opponent one hour and 26 minutes.

Setting up his first match point with a forehand volley winner, Federer would need a second match point to move past Ferrer. Reaching the 100th final of his illustrious career, Federer will move ahead of Andy Murray to No. 3 in the world with the victory.

Striking 24 winners in total, Federer never provided Ferrer with a break point opportunity.

Aiming to win his sixth title at the year-ending event, Federer will next face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the third time in the last two weeks. Tsonga defeated former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 7-5.

Tsonga lost to Federer in the round robin portion of the event, and the finals of the Paris Indoors in France.

ATP World Tour finals: Order of play for Saturday November 26, 2011

CENTRE COURT start 12:15 pm
[3] M Mirnyi (BLR) / D Nestor (CAN) vs [1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA)

Not Before 2:00 PM
[4] R Federer (SUI) vs [5] D Ferrer (ESP)

Not Before 6:15 PM
[4] M Bhupathi (IND) / L Paes (IND) vs [8] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL)

Not Before 8:00 PM
[7] T Berdych (CZE) vs [6] J Tsonga (FRA)

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