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Wilson Sporting Goods Co. releases Rush Pro 2.0 Tennis Shoe

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Wilson Sporting Goods Co., announced today the release of the highly anticipated Rush Pro 2.0 tennis shoe. Featuring new construction and the Company’s patented Pro Torque Chassis arch technology, the new Rush Pro 2.0 is a shoe made for performance tennis players with a range of playing styles.

“The Rush Pro 2.0 represents the next evolution of Wilson footwear and reflects smart engineering enhancements based on player feedback and deeper study of game play styles,” said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager, Racquet Sports. “We introduced the Rush Pro Collection in 2013, and it quickly became one of the top ten best-selling tennis shoes in the U.S. We believe it will be our flagship tennis shoe franchise of the future.”

The shoe debuts the Company’s Pro Torque Chassis, a patented arch technology engineered to provide torsion control and stability for maximum acceleration, so players can keep up with the speed of today’s game. And the shoe’s enhanced forefoot support provides for explosive starts and optimum stability in every direction on the court. Further, new outsole construction with zonal tread engineering makes the Rush Pro 2.0 lighter with better grip for improved traction consistency, increasing stability and control.
The Rush Pro 2.0 also employs enhancements to technologies that are staples of the Rush Pro line, including Endofit technology on the interior for enhanced comfort, stability and an overall natural-fit experience. The shoe also contains Perfect Fit technology, offering players a shoe that fits uniquely to each foot.

The Rush Pro 2.0 Women’s shoe features the Company’s Women’s Specific Support (WSS), reflecting the biomechanical difference in women’s feet compared to men’s. Designed for the competitive player, Wilson Labs engineered the WSS construction to deliver enhanced support and stability. Using an asymmetrical and elongated medial side, WSS construction features a TPU heel counter and a dual density molded sock liner. The inner structure of the shoe for women helps hold the heel in position, while providing added support through the mid-foot area.

The Rush Pro 2.0 is available in seven color options for both men and women. For more information on the Rush Pro 2.0 and various retail partners, visit www.Wilson.com. The MRSP for the Rush Pro 2.0 is $140.

Wilson launches power-packed, sleek burn racket

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Wilson Sporting Goods Co., announced today the introduction of the BURN family of rackets. This new line is built specifically for performance tennis players seeking a bold, sleek racket that accelerates power from the baseline. The BURN is the first Baseliner-focused product to emerge from the Company’s new PlayerID system, which categorizes three key types of tennis playing styles: Baseliner, Attacker and All Courter. The system helps athletes better select products that speak to their playing style and enhance their overall performance on the court.Burn-One-Sheet

“We are very excited to launch the BURN. This is a racket that has been designed specifically for athletes, particularly juniors, who are looking for booming power and an aggressive frame,” said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager, Racquet Sports. “This line symbolizes our deep understanding of performance tennis, our constant evaluation of how the game is evolving and what players truly need on an individual performance basis.”

The BURN line consists of five rackets, each with a headsize of 100 square inches. Each BURN racket is constructed with High Performance Carbon Fiber, which increases frame stiffness for explosive power on groundstrokes. And the BURN comes with the X2 Shaft, a longer handle that allows for increased feel and leverage on two-handed backhands, and an optimal shaft shape to enable quick grip changes for extreme grips. The rackets also feature Parallel Drilling, which dramatically increase their sweet spot, while providing a forgiving feel.

In addition, the BURN 100S, BURN 100LS, and BURN 100ULS rackets are equipped with the Company’s Spin Effect technology and differ in weight, allowing juniors to work their way up within the BURN family of rackets as they grow.

Current top-ten players and Wilson Advisory Staff members Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep will be two of the first athletes to play competitively with the new BURN during the 2015 Australian Open in Melbourne.

Wilson Sporting Goods Co., announced today the introduction of the BURN family of rackets. This new line is built specifically for performance tennis players seeking a bold, sleek racket that accelerates power from the baseline. The BURN is the first Baseliner-focused product to emerge from the Company’s new PlayerID system, which categorizes three key types of tennis playing styles: Baseliner, Attacker and All Courter. The system helps athletes better select products that speak to their playing style and enhance their overall performance on the court.

“We are very excited to launch the BURN. This is a racket that has been designed specifically for athletes, particularly juniors, who are looking for booming power and an aggressive frame,” said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager, Racquet Sports. “This line symbolizes our deep understanding of performance tennis, our constant evaluation of how the game is evolving and what players truly need on an individual performance basis.”

The BURN line consists of five rackets, each with a headsize of 100 square inches. Each BURN racket is constructed with High Performance Carbon Fiber, which increases frame stiffness for explosive power on groundstrokes. And the BURN comes with the X2 Shaft, a longer handle that allows for increased feel and leverage on two-handed backhands, and an optimal shaft shape to enable quick grip changes for extreme grips. The rackets also feature Parallel Drilling, which dramatically increase their sweet spot, while providing a forgiving feel.

In addition, the BURN 100S, BURN 100LS, and BURN 100ULS rackets are equipped with the Company’s Spin Effect technology and differ in weight, allowing juniors to work their way up within the BURN family of rackets as they grow.

Current top-ten players and Wilson Advisory Staff members Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep will be two of the first athletes to play competitively with the new BURN during the 2015 Australian Open in Melbourne. Consumers are invited to visit www.wilson.com/burn for more information on the BURN family of rackets and to register for pre-sale notification. Pre-sale for the BURN 100S and BURN 100ULS begins February 2, and for the BURN100LS and the BURN 100 on March 2. Pre-sales will be available on www.wilson.com/burn and major tennis retailer websites. The BURN will retail for $199. The BURN racket will be in retail stores in mid-February.

ABOUT WILSON’S PLAYERID SYSTEM

The BURN is the first Baseliner-focused product to emerge from the Company’s innovative PlayerID system, which allows tennis players to easily identify the appropriate Wilson racket model based on individual play style.

Through extensive player research, Wilson identified three core playing styles in relation to the modern tennis game:

  • Baseliner – the player who battles from the baseline with consistency and speed
  • Attacker – the player who attacks the ball early to dictate play inside the baseline
  • All-Courter – a versatile player, who hits from all corners of the court

After identifying which playing style they belong to, athletes can quickly narrow their racket search by model type and weight. Every racket for Wilson will correspond with one of the three playing style segments, streamlining the racket selection process and ensuring a player’s equipment is best suited for his or her style of play.

For more information and product specifications on the full line of Wilson BURN rackets, log on to www.wilson.com/burnthebaseline.

Wilson launches next generation BLADE racket

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Wilson Sporting Goods Co., announced today the introduction of four new rackets to its BLADE performance tennis franchise: BLADE 98 16×19, BLADE 98 18×20, BLADE 98S and BLADE 104. The rackets join one of Wilson’s best-selling lines globally, and are designed specifically for big- hitting, attacking-style players seeking aggressive control. Current top-ranked players and Wilson Advisory Staff members Serena Williams, Milos Raonic, Gael Monfils, David Goffin and Madison Keys will play with the BLADE during the upcoming 2015 season.
The BLADE is the second attacker-focused product to emerge from Wilson’s new PlayerID system. For this system, Wilson categorized three core playing styles in today’s game: Baseliner, Attacker and All Courter. The PlayerID system helps players better select products that speak to their playing style and enhance their overall performance on the court. The introduction of the next generation BLADE rackets follows Wilson’s highly successful re-invention of its attacker-style Pro Staff franchise, which launched in 2014.

wilson-blade-2015

“BLADE is an incredible story of how to take performance tennis engineering and design to the next level,” said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager, Racquet Sports. “We really dug into the playing style of attacker athletes and what they need to optimize their game. Then we looked at materials, construction, string pattern, weight, head size and feel, to design a racket that gives these powerful players greater control, feel and a bigger sweet spot.”

The new 2015 BLADE features a bold, new design with lime green accents on a sleek, black base, and is technology-packed. Evolutionary Braided Graphite and Basalt construction allows the BLADE to be more elastic and reactive at the point of contact for enhanced feel and greater control. The racket also includes Wilson’s Parallel Drilling, a technology that ensures the racket’s grommet holes are parallel with the string bed. This expands the sweet spot size by up to 26 percent, resulting in more power and a forgiving feel.

Further, the BLADE 98S delivers precision spin through Wilson’s patented Spin Effect Technology, which creates 200+ more RPM’s on every shot and enables players to get more balls in the court. And the BLADE 104, Serena William’s racket of choice, has a larger head size and bigger sweet sport.
The BLADE is available for pre-order now at select retailers and will be in retail stores and on Wilson.com in mid-January. The MSRP for the Blade is $230.

ABOUT WILSON’S PLAYERID SYSTEM

Wilson’s innovative PlayerID system allows tennis players to easily identify the appropriate Wilson racket model based on their individual style of play.

Through extensive player research, Wilson identified three core playing styles in relation to the modern tennis game:

  • Baseliner – the player who battles from the baseline with consistency and speed
  • Attacker – the player who attacks the ball early to dictate play inside the baseline
  • All-Courter – a versatile player, who hits from all corners of the court

After identifying which playing style they belong to, athletes can quickly narrow their racket search by model type and weight. Every racket for Wilson will correspond with one of the three playing style segments, streamlining the racket selection process and ensuring a player’s equipment is best suited for his or her style of play.

“The powerful relationship between an athlete and their equipment is often underplayed, yet at the crux of performance tennis,” added Reh. “We want every player to play at their personal best and achieve their goals and aspirations. We believe PlayerID will help athletes determine which racket will be their best tool for their best game.”

 

djokovic ready for shot at fifth australian open crown

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Novak Djokovic goes into the 2015 Australian Open, which begins later this week, as the favourite to win his fifth title in this event and start the year in the best possible manner.
The Serbian secured his maiden Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne in 2008 and has since gone on to bring that tally up to seven, while also securing the top spot in the men’s world rankings.Novak Djokovic

ATP World Tour Finals success

At the end of the 2014 campaign, Djokovic ended the year in the best possible way by winning his third straight ATP World Tour Finals crown in London. Unfortunately the crowd at the O2 Arena did not get treated to the final they were hoping for as Roger Federer pulled out on the game with a back injury, handing the world number one the trophy without having to face the Swiss player. Although Djokovic received a handover in the final, he did look in good form throughout the week and he was fancied to beat the 16-time Grand Slam winner.
The victory in London capped off a solid season for the 27-year-old. There was just one Grand Slam to his name, which came at Wimbledon, however, he ended the year at the top of the world rankings as he was the most consistent player on the men’s tour. That is a reason why the likes of betfair.com have him around 10/11 for success in Australia.

Preparation for Australian Open

However, Djokovic’s preparation for the 2015 Australian Open has not necessarily gone to plan. He withdrew from the Mubadala World Tennis Championship final in Abu Dhabi due to illness in his return to the court following the winter break. That came after he had defeated 2014 Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka in the semi-final.
The Serbian then suffered a surprise defeat to Ivo Karlovic in the Qatar Open. All three sets in that game went to a tie breaker, with the Croatian winning two of them to advance into the semi-final of the competition in Doha. Before the upset, Djokovic defeated Dusan Lajovic and Sergiy Stakhovsky in straight sets, dropping just six games in those two ties.
However, despite a lack of success in either of his pre-Australian Open tournaments, Djokovic still got a good run of games under his belt, which would have been his priority.
Conditions in Melbourne are always straining on the players as the heat really does test the fitness in the opening Grand Slam of the year. By playing in Qatar in his two warm-up events, Djokovic has become accustomed to competing in such high temperatures once again which will be similar next week over a five-set format.

Question marks about rivals

All three of Djokovic’s main rivals going into the Australian Open have question marks hanging over their heads.
Federer finished 2014 with a back injury so it is unclear what his fitness is like ahead of a gruelling Grand Slam campaign.
The Swiss player did, though, take part in the Davis Cup final where he helped Switzerland defeat France to win the team competition for the first time in its history. He also recently won the Brisbane International where he beat Milos Raonic in the final. At the age of 33, however, Federer is looking for his first Grand Slam title since he lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2012.

Rafael Nadal is on course for his return to the ATP in the Australian Open. He has been out of action since the back end of the 2014 season which forced him to miss the US Open and ATP World Tour Finals due to him needing an operation on his appendix. It is likely that Nadal will not be at his best for his first Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2014 as the five-set format may just come too soon for him.

Andy Murray also needs to prove that he is 100 per cent fit again and is ready to win another Grand Slam to add the US Open and Wimbledon titles in won in 2012 and 2013, respectively. His best run in 2014 was in the French Open where he eventually went out in the last four in Paris on what is considered his least favourite surface.

Previous success

Only Andre Agassi and Federer have won as many Australian Open titles in the modern Open era as Djokovic, but the Serbian is bidding to exceed that joint-record this year by winning the crown once again in order to stand alone with five tournament successes to his name.
Between 2011 and 2013, he avoided defeat in Melbourne and his run only came to an end last year when eventual champion Wawrinka beat him 9-7 in a fifth-set decider in the quarter-final of the 2014 competition.
In his last seven appearances in the Australian Open, Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals or better so he is a more than worthy contender.

want for christmas: RF97 autographed and the Juice 100 by Wilson

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With the holidays around the corner and you don’t know what to get your loved ones, we figure we can help out by offering you some ideas for Christmas morning. First off is the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autographed.

The sport of tennis is evolving, so is the Pro Staff. Developed with the help of Roger Federer and engineered for the next generation of tennis, the new Pro Staff delivers more power, a larger headsize, and a bigger sweet spot, but keeps the pure, classic feel that players love.

Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autographed

And next up is the the Wilson Juice 100.

Developed to deliver high power for the widest range of playing styles, the Juice is ideal for nearly all play levels. A lightweight, forgiving modern frame design in a mid-plus head size offers versatile performance and maneuverability from the baseline or the net. Amplifeel 360 increases power and enhances feel and Parellel Drilling increases sweet spot size.

If you think this makes a great gift then head over to the Wilson shop and surprise your loved ones with the gift of a lifetime.

andy murray in form ahead of ATP Tour Finals

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Andy Murray’s rise to the top of world tennis was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication but 2014 has arguably been his hardest year of all. Having seemed certain to miss out on this year’s ATP Tour finals in London (so certain, in fact, that he was not included in the giant posters advertising the event) the Brit has gone on one of the most remarkable winning runs in recent times and enters the tournament in some of his best ever form. The 27 year old’s form is reflected in his odds and he is now third favourite for the event with Betfair offering a tempting 7/1 on an outright win.Andy Murray

Fall from Grace

When defeated by Novak Djokovic at the quarter final stage of the US Open back in September Murray dropped down to 12th in the World rankings. This was the first time he had been out of the top 10 since 2008 and, having started 2014 up at 4th in the rankings, was an indication of just how far he had fallen and what a significant impact the back surgery that he had at the end of last year had made on his form. At this stage many players would holed up for winter, got back on the practice courts and attempted to come back stronger than ever in 2015…but not Murray. He decided to embark on a punishing schedule of tournament play in a last ditch attempt to secure enough ranking points to re-enter the top nine (Rafael Nadal has withdrawn due to appendix surgery so his spot will go to the ninth ranked man).

Hectic Schedule

Murray’s decision to enter six tournaments in six weeks ahead of the ATP Tour Finals saw him take on his most hectic schedule since his early days on the tour as an 18 year old but his gamble paid off and his place in London is secured. Unbelievably the Brit won three of the six tournaments- first taking the Shenzhen Open (his first title in 14 months), then the Vienna Open and finally the Valencia Open. In the process of winning the finals in both Valencia and Shenzhen he saw off five match points against the luckless Tommy Robredo of Spain demonstrating that his old steel and determination is well and truly back.

Aiming for Hat-Trick

Before winning the Shenzhen Open title, Murray’s last tournament victory had been at Wimbledon back in 2013. His victory over Novak Djokovic in the final delivered the first British men’s singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936 and came hot on the heels of his impressive win at the 2012 Olympics. Since that famous victory Murray has switched coaches, moving from Ivan Lendl to Amelie Mauresmo in June, and has undergone surgery to resolve a disc problem in his back forcing him to miss last year’s ATP Tour Finals event. For the man from Dunblane, victory in London would complete a memorable hat-trick of home wins and would prove many of his doubters wrong.

Man to Beat

Despite Murray’s impressive form, a win in London is still hard to envisage, with the world’s best players all vying for one of the sport’s biggest prizes. Novak Djokovic, who beat Murray comprehensively in Paris last week, will be desperate to hold on to his title and he looks to be the man to beat. Thankfully Murray has avoided the Serb in the group stages, being drawn alongside Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic, but if he is to win his first ever ATP Tour finals title then he looks certain to have to beat the 27 year old at some stage. If he could do that then there would be no doubting whatsoever that he was back to his best.

Maria Sharapova and boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov to participate in Mexican Open

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Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova and boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov confirmed their participation for the XXII edition of the 2015 Mexican Tennis Open held in Acapulco from February 23-28. While Dimitrov will be back for seconds after winning the men’s field in 2014 against Kevin Anderson, this will be Sharapova’s first time playing in the famed Mexican resort town.maria sharapova

Other distinguished players confirmed for next year’s event include, Japanese US Open finalist, Kei Nishikori, #5 ATP-ranking player, David Ferrer and Juan Martin del Potro, winner of the 2009 US Open.

“We are very excited to welcome this caliber of athletes to Acapulco and be once again the host of this important event,” said Guerrero Tourism Board Secretary, Javier Aluni Montes. “Acapulco’s visibility as a sports town is increasing rapidly; this year alone, we have confirmed triathlons, fishing competitions, golf tournaments and international rally events,” he added.

The tournament will take place at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess and will feature outdoor hard courts for the second time (the change was introduced in 2014). Other novelties include a revamped “Grand Stand” which will now have capacity for 1,630 people. Prices for the men’s field will amount to $300,000 dollars and 500 points towards ATP classification. The price for the winner for the female series will consist of $37,000 dollars and 280 points towards their WTA ranking.

The Mexican Open is an attractive tournament for ATP and WTA players. Since 2014 it is part of the ATP’s “Hot Tour” along with Indian Wells and Miami. The event also represents an important economic boost for the state of Guerrero not only due to the creation of new job opportunities (600 new positions have been confirmed), but also for its role in tourism arrivals.

Tickets will be available to public beginning October 13, 2014.

andy roddick added to Mylan World TeamTennis Smash hits field

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Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick has joined the all-star lineup for Mylan World TeamTennis Smash Hits in London. The event, which benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation and is co-hosted by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King, will be Sunday, December 7 during the final session of the Statoil Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall. Andy Roddick

Roddick is a longtime supporter of the event and returns for his 10th Mylan WTT Smash Hits appearance. Roddick won 30 singles titles on the ATP World Tour, including the 2003 US Open and was ranked in the top 10 for nine consecutive years. He is also a member of the Austin Aces, the Mylan WTT professional team based in his hometown of Austin, Texas.

The field for Mylan WTT Smash Hits also includes former world No. 1s John McEnroe and Kim Clijsters, former British No. 1 Tim Henman and 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki. The players will form two teams, coached by King and John, and will play a Mylan World TeamTennis match. The one-night event will be during the final session of the IMG-owned and staged Statoil Masters Tennis tournament. More players to be announced in the coming weeks.

Since 1993, Mylan WTT Smash Hits has raised more than $12 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and various local AIDS charities throughout the United States. This is the first time in the event’s 22-year history that it will be staged outside the U.S.

Tennis action is set for 6:00 p.m. and Team Elton has the edge in the overall series 11-10 after defeating Team Billie Jean in Orlando, Fla., in 2013.

Tickets are available from £18.50 through www.WTTSmashHits.com, www.statoilmasterstennis.com or through the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on +44 (0) 20 7070 4404.

Sponsorship and Group VIP packages are also available by contacting Natalee Jarrett at njarrett@wtt.com or 212-586-3444 x. 111.

For more information on Mylan WTT Smash Hits, visit www.WTTSmashHits.com.

For more information about the Statoil Masters Tennis tournament, go to: www.statoilmasterstennis.com.

For more information on the Elton John AIDS Foundation and how you can help create an AIDS-free future, go to ejaf.org/London. Elton John AIDS Foundation is a registered UK charity – No. 1017336

davis cup: swiss take on italy, czech take on france while usa fights slovakia for next year

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It’s Davis Cup weekend and the USA is taking on Slovakia to ensure a spot in the 2015 Davis Cup tournament. Captain Jim Courier has selected John Isner, the top ranked US player who was the last player to exit the US Open 2014.  Sam Querrey, who recently defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to reach the semi’s at  Winston-Salem for the third year in a row only to be defeated by Jerzy Janowicz and they are both joined by tennis twins  Mike and Bob Bryan, who are widely considered to be the best men’s doubles team of all time. The Bryans bros won the US Open 2014 which marked their 16th Grand Slam win and 100th title.

The USA hopes to uphold their unbeaten record versus Slovakia but their last victories already dated from the 2002 and 2003 season.  The 2014 US Davis Cup team shows parallels with the 2003 when the team took on Slovakia at the same stage in Bratislava and beat the Slovaks with an epic 3-2 victory. In order for the USA to compete in the Davis Cup 2015 they must beat Slovakia this coming weekend.

If Slovakia wins then they will be the ones who will compete in the 2015 Davis Cup.  The Slovakia Davis Cup team is captained by Miloslav Mecir and features Martin Klizan, Lukas Lacko, Norbert Gombos and Michal Mertinak.

Meanwhile Roger Federer leads Swiss’ Davis Cup challenge as they take on Italy in the semi’s of the tournament. Swiss is captained by Severin Luthi and the team consists of Roger Federer, winner of 17 Grand Slam tournaments, Stanislas Wawrinka, winner of the Australian Open 2014 and is completed by Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer.  The Italian team consists of Andreas Seppi and Fabio Fognini.

Federer considers Swiss to be the favorite in this encounter.

“We obviously are favorites,” the third-ranked Federer said. “We have a formidable team. We are playing at home and we chose the surface. We can do it.”

Swiss captain told the press that having Federer and Wawrinka with the team has greatly improved the preparation for the upcoming weekend.

“We could train together as soon as Tuesday, which was not the case in our opening two rounds,” Luthi said, referring to the tight 3-2 wins over Serbia and Kazakhstan.

If the Swiss win they will take on the winner of the match between France and the Czech Republic.

France takes on the Czech Republic who have proved themselves to be great cupfighters as they have won the Davis Cup twice in a row.  France’ team consists of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, both players who are currently in top form. Tsonga recently won the Rogers Cup in Toronto while Gael Monfils reached the fourth round of the US Open 2014 where he lost to Federer in an epic five set match where he failed to convert two match points.

France coach Arnaud Clement called the Czech team “the best team in the world” and is looking try to stop the impressive winning streak of the Czechs.

“This is the best team in the world,” France captain Arnaud Clement said of the Czechs. “One can’t win the Davis Cup twice in a row by chance. We’ll be trying to put their amazing run to an end.”

The Czech team consists of Radek Stepanek, Tomas Berdych and is completed by Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely.

Stepanek is looking forward to playing at Roland Garros and even more so when he found out that Roland Garros was originally built to host Davis Cup matches.

“It’s special when you come here for a Grand Slam tournament and it’s definitely even more special for us to play here and play for our country. It’s even more special to play here in the semifinals.”

Make your predictions for the upcoming Davis Cup weekend matches and check if it is a good bet with the best tennis betting online sites.

serena williams wins 6th U.S. Open and 18th grand slam; kei nishikori makes tennis history with finals appearance

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Long-time Wilson player Serena Williams won her 6th U.S. Open and 18th Grand Slam title this past Sunday, tying Wilson’s Chris Evert for third most Grand Slam titles of all-time. Meanwhile, Wilson’s Kei Nishikori made tennis history of his own by becoming the first Asian-born male to compete in a Grand Slam final.

Williams relied heavily on her signature attack style of play (Wilson Blade Racket) en route to defeating Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 in the final. She dominated the field throughout the tournament with her hard-hitting serve and baseline game, never dropping a set. Her six U.S. Open singles titles also ties Evert for the most all-time – Williams’ first Open title came at age 17 while using the Wilson Hyper Hammer.

“Serena is one of the greatest tennis players ever, and we’re thrilled to have her as a member of the Wilson Advisory Staff,” said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager of Racquet Sports at Wilson Sporting Goods Co. “The fact that Wilson has played a role in her success leaves us overflowing with pride. On behalf of everyone at Wilson, we want to congratulate her on winning the U.S. Open and adding another chapter to her remarkable story.”

Nishikori’s historic run to the finals wasn’t as smooth as Serena’s, yet his powerful and precise groundstrokes (Wilson Steam Racket) helped him dictate points as he won back-to-back four-hour matches in the 4th round and quarterfinals against the No. 5 and No. 3 seeds respectively. Two days later, he came back to take down the current world No. 1 seed to reach the finals.

“Kei has played inspirational tennis the past two weeks,” said Reh. “We at Wilson are proud to equip Kei and feel lucky to partner with someone whose talent on the court is only exceeded by his humility off of it. A big congratulations goes to him as well.”

Earlier this year, Kei also made history when he became the first Asian-born player to be ranked top-ten in ATP’s world rankings.