Tag Archives: tennis

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Miami Open

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We’re about halfway through the Miami Open, the last hardcourt tournament before the tour heads to the clay season.   It’s been quite an interesting tournament already (who said March Madness was just for basketball?!).  So far we’ve seen quite a few seeded players fall:  Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer, Stan Wawrinka, John Isner, Andy Murray & more are all already out of the tournament before the 4th round.

This Week’s Tournament:
Miami Open – Miami, FL USA

4th Round Matches to Watch
Men’s fourth round action takes place today.  We’re looking forward to watch Dominic Thiem, who has had an outstanding 2016 so far, take on Novak Djokovic.  Grigor Dimitrov had his biggest win of the year so far, taking out Andy Murray in 3 sets.  He takes on Gael Monfils in what is guaranteed to be an entertaining match!

grigor-dimitrov-miami-open

Tennis + Puppies = Love
Two of our favorite things collided this weekend, when Manny the Frenchie took over the Miami Open and hung out with some of our favorite tennis players for the day.

 

World Team Tennis Draft Announced
The WTT player draft was held last week, with all of the teams picking their marquee and roster players.  In addition to the previously announced Andy Roddick on the New York Empires, this season will also see former players James Blake on the San Diego Aviators and Mardy Fish on the Washington Kastles.  John Isner, the Bryan Brothers, Donald Young, Caroline Wozniacki and more complete the 2016 lineup. Head over to WTT.com for the full draft results!   The season schedule will be released in April.

wozniackiWTT

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Welcome to Miami

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This week the tour moves to the East Coast, with Miami Open action starting on Wednesday.  Enjoy this last hardcourt tournament in North America before the tour moves to Europe for the clay season!

This Week’s Tournament
Miami Open – Miami, FL USA

Novak Djokovic Wins BNP Paribas Open
Djokovic captured a record 5th title in Indian Wells.  It was one-way traffic in the men’s final, mostly due to opponent Milos Raonic’s recurring injury, but also due to Djokovic’s outstanding play.

 

Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut Win Indian Wells Doubles
P2Hugz and Nico had an incredible week, winning their first Masters 1000 title as a team.  (yes team, not squad ahem tennis commentators…)  They defeated “Team North America” in the finals, AKA American Jack Sock and Canadian Vasek Pospisil.  We’re big fans of both these teams and happy to see them continue to do well!

 

World Team Tennis Draw March 25
We already know that Andy Roddick will be leading the New York Empires in WTT this Summer in Forest Hills (best news ever).  The WTT draw on Friday will reveal the rosters for all of the teams in the league.  Stay tuned to WTT.com!

WTT_draftday2016

header photo via the Miami Open

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Indian Wells

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All eyes are on the California desert as the first Masters 1000 event of the season is taking place this week in Indian Wells.  The BNP Paribas Open is one of our favorite tournaments of the year to watch.

This Week’s Tournament
BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA

#MERICA
The Americans have been making a splash at the tournament so far.  18-year-old Francis Tiafoe, one of the ATP World Tour’s #NextGen stars, was impressive in taking out Taylor Fritz and then playing a close match against world #18 David Goffin.  He may have lost but the match proved he could go toe-to-toe with a top 20 player.  Pittsburgh native Bjorn Fratangelo was also impressive in his match against Novak Djokovic, taking the first set 6-2 (no easy task) and fighting until the very end.   Be sure to catch fellow Americans John Isner, Sam Querrey, Stevie Johnson and Jack Sock in action today.

Jack Sock For President
Babolat launched a brilliant new campaign with the rising American star Jack Sock that we can totally rally behind.  Watch his “campaign” video below and make sure you sign up for a “S.O.C.K” at JackSockForPresident.com to show your support for #SockIn16!    We’re looking forward to a showdown between Jack and Dominic Thiem later today.  Let’s rally, America.

Grigor Dimitrov Hot Shot
Grigor lost in the 2nd round to another #NextGen player, Alexander Zrevev.  (We don’t want to talk about it.)  But not before hitting this crazy leaping behind the back shot.   Teach us your skillz.

Nadal vs Verdasco
Verdasco may have beaten Rafa in the 1st round of the Australian Open earlier this year, but there’s no bad blood between the two.  The teamed up for doubles in Indian Wells, loosing to the Bryan Brothers in an entertaining match.  They’ll face off against each other again today, 3rd on Stadium 1.  Will Rafa get revenge?

RAFA_Verdasco_2016_IW

header photo from BNP Paribas Open

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: World Tennis Day

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Tennis in 2016 has gotten off to an um, interesting, start.  And it’s only March!  Which means two of the biggest tournaments in the US are coming up, with Indian Wells starting on Wednesday and the Miami Open at the end of the month.    Here’s our roundup of the news of the week.  Happy World Tennis Day!

This Week’s Tournaments
BNP Paribas Open – Indian Wells, CA

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Set
After a drama filled weekend and some great matches, the Davis Cup quarterfinals are set!  The next round takes place July 15-17, just after Wimbledon.  We’re thrilled the US is back in the quarters after a 3 year absence (and are hoping the tie will take place somewhere near NYC so we can go!)   John Isner was impressive in his 2 wins, even hitting one of the fastest serves on record (157mph).

USA* vs Croatia
France vs Czech Republic*
Italy* vs Argentina
Serbia* vs Great Britain
*host country

World Tennis Day
Today is World Tennis Day!  Celebrations are happening all over the world, including the BNP Paribas Showdown tonight at Madison Square Garden.  The event features Gael Monfils vs Stan Wawrinka and Serena Williams vs Caroline Wozniacki in an exhibition match.  Tickets are available here.  The event kicks off a month of fun activities hosted by the USTA.   Visit their website for more info.

bnp--paribas-showdown2016

Maria Sharapova Announcment
Rumors started flying as soon as Maria gave notice of a press conference on Monday, with a “major announcement.”  Would she be announcing her retirement?  A new Sugarpova flavor?  It turned out to be neither.  Maria tested positive for a banned substance at the Australian Open, taking full responsibility in her press conference which you can watch below.  One thing is for sure, when she does announce her retirement, it will not be in a place with ugly carpet.

ATP World Tour Announces “Next Gen”
The ATP announced their “Next Generation” Campaign for 2016, featuring 14 of the hottest young stars under 21.  The list includes Americans Taylor Fritz, Jared Donaldson, and Frances Tiafoe, along with Borna Coric, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Nick Kyrgios and more.  Get to know the “next gen” here!  (side note: that Nike kit is almost the official uniform of the #nextgen)

ATP_NextGen_2016

Jack Sock Signs with Nike
Speaking of that next gen Nike kit, Jack Sock will also be sporting the look starting with Indian Wells!  He just signed a new deal with Nike, leaving old sponsor Adidas.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Davis Cup Preview

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Of all of the tennis tournaments that happen throughout the year, Davis Cup weekends are always our favorites to watch.  We love the team spirit and camaraderie that happens amongst players, and of course, the loud,energetic crowds that seem to be a Davis Cup tradition.  Here’s a look at the World Group action happening this weekend, March 4-6!

USA vs Australia
Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne Australia
Team USA
John Isner / Jack Sock
Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan

Team Australia
Bernard Tomic / Nick Kyrgios
Sam Groth / John Peers

The US Davis Cup team is looking to advance to the World Group Quarterfinals for the first time since 2013(?) after back to back losses to Great Britain in 2014 and 2015. But they have a tough match up in Australia against Nick Kyrgios, who just won his first title in Marseille, and Acapulco finalist Bernard Tomic.  We’re also excited for Lleyton Hewitt’s first tie as Davis Cup captain!

France vs Canada
Vélodrome Amédée Detraux in Guadeloupe
Team France
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga / Richard Gasquet
Gael Monfils / Gilles Simon

Team Canada
Vasek Pospisil / Frank Dancevic
Phillip Bester /Adil Shamasdin

With the depth of talented French players currently on tour, it’s surprising they haven’t yet had Davis Cup glory. They’ve made it to the finals and lost to eventual champions Great Britain and Switzerland in 2014 and 2015.  With a new captain, Yannick Noah, and a talented team, we’re hoping this is the year they can make it all the way!   Unfortunately Canada’s top player, Milos Raonic, had to withdraw with injury.

Germany vs Czech Republic
TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany
Team Germany
Philipp Kohlschreiber / Alexander Zverev
Dustin Brown / Philipp Petzschner

Team Czech Republic
Tomas Berdych / Lukas Rosol
Jiri Vesely / Radek Stepanek

Radek Stepanek is ready to go with his infamous shirt.

Great Britain vs Japan
Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, England
Team Great Britain
Andy Murray / Kyle Edmund
Jamie Murray / Dominic Inglot

Team Japan
Kei Nishikori / Taro Daniel
Yoshihito Nishioka / Yasutaka Uchiyama

2015’s Davis Cup champions Great Britain take on Japan in their opening round.  This one should be interesting to watch – if nothing else the British tennis fans always BRING IT.

Belgium vs Croatia
Country Hall du Sart-Tilman in Liège, Belgium
Team Belgium
David Goffin / Kimmer Coppejans
Ruben Bemelmans / Arthur de Greef

Team Croatia
Marin Cilic / Borna Coric
Ivan Dodig / Marin Draganja

Belgium had an impressive run to the final in 2015.  Can they repeat last year’s success?

Poland vs Argentina
Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland
Team Poland
Jerzy Janowicz / Kamil Majchrzak
Lukasz Kubot / Marcin Matkowski

Team Argentina
Leonardo Mayer / Guido Pella
Carlos Berlocq / Renzo Olivo

Italy vs Switzerland
Adriatic Arena in Pessaro, Italy
Team Italy
Andreas Seppi / Paolo Lorenzi
Simone Bolleli / Marco Cecchinato

Team Switzerland
Marco Chiudinelli / Henri Laaksonen
Adrien Bossel / Antoine Bellier

Serbia vs Kazakhstan
Pionir Hall in Belgrade, Serbia
Team Serbia
Novak Djokovic / Viktor Troicki
Filip Krajinovic / Nenad Zimonjic

Team Kazakhstan
Mikhail Kukushkin / Andrey Golubev
Aleksandr Nedovyesov / Dmitry Popko

It’s great to see that Djokovic is back playing for his country. Winning the title in 2010 helped launch one of the greatest years of his career.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

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Last week on the ATP World Tour was an exciting one for us, with several of our favorite players making the finals!   Here’s our roundup of the tennis news of the week.

This Week’s Tournaments:
Delray Beach, FL, USA
Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Marseille, France

Taylor Fritz Makes First Final
The 18-year-old American made his first ATP World Tour Final in just his 3rd event on tour.  To put that in perspective, it took Roger Federer 21 tour events to reach his first tour final.  We were rooting for Fritz all week and are looking forward to more!  Also, the Memphis Open officially has the coolest trophies on tour.

memphisopenkeifritz

DelPotro Back in Action Tonight
Juan Martin Del Potro is making his comeback tonight at the Delray Beach Open against American Denis Kudla.  Vamos Delpo!!

delpodelraybeach

Dominic Thiem Beats Nadal, Wins Argentina Open
Thiem was impressive in beating Nadal (on clay!) and followed it up with a 3 set win over Nicholas Almagro to win the title.  Too often we’ll see players follow up a big win with a loss in the next round, so we’re glad to see Thiem get the win!

THIEM_Argentina

Milos Raonic Plays NBA All Star Game
The 6’5″ Raonic was impressive at the NBA All Star Game in Toronto over the weekend, making a slam dunk look just as easy as one of his (scarily) fast serves.

Friday Five, Sports, Tennis

The Friday Five: Australian Open Preview (Fangirl Style)

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The Australian Open kicks off this weekend in Melbourne!  It’s time for our annual bae-watch list. Here are some of the (many) players we’ll be rooting for for the next two weeks.

1. Borna Coric

Coric finished 2015 as the youngest player in the top 100. He is definitely one of the top young guns to watch in 2016 – he already has a win over Rafael Nadal, and played his first ATP World Tour final last week in Chennai. And is it just us or does anyone else get a little Jake Miller vibe from him?

2. Jack Sock

The young American has started 2016 with a bang, beating top players Kevin Anderson and David Ferrer en route to the finals in Auckland. Jack has a powerful, aggressive forehand and the game to match. But he’s also known for his great sportsmanship, suggesting his opponent Lleyton Hewitt challenge a call during Hopman Cup last week.

3. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (AKA P2Hugz)

P2Hugz is p2cute. He teamed up with fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to win the US Open doubles trophy last Fall. The duo also made it to the finals of the 2015 Australian Open, so they will be confident playing on these familiar courts. Pierre-Hugues is also looking to qualify for the singles draw (ALLEZ!!!)

4. Taylor Fritz

Taylor is another young American player on a hot streak. Since winning the US Open Juniors title a few months ago, he has gone on to win 3 ATP Challenger titles and risen to 154 in the rankings. Fritz is also playing qualifying st this years tournament.

5. Benoit Paire

We’re not sure which Benoit will end up at this year’s tournament: the one who beat Nishikori at the US Open or the one who has on court meltdowns. But we can guarantee he’ll be entertaining to watch either way! We also suggest following him on Instagram for heart- eyes worthy photos.

BONUS: Lleyton Hewitt

The Australian Open is sadly Hewitt ‘s last tournament as a professional. We’ll be cheering Aussie Aussie Aussie OY OY OY until the last point. We expect him to go down fighting in some epic 5 set matches.

Friday Five, Sports

The Friday Five: US Open Preview (Fangirl Style)

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As we’ve said before, tennis is the perfect sport for fangirls.  And the US Open is finally here!  After spending the rest of the year watching our score app or trying to find a live stream, we finally get to see our favorite players up close and in person.  So, in honor of the US Open kicking off on Monday, August 31st, here are our 5 players to watch.

1.Grigor Dimitrov
Grigor is one of the hottest young rising stars in the sport.  And if you’ve ever wondered what Grigor’s favorite Backstreet Boys’ song is, we suggest you watch this video.  (also an ATP boyband?  Yes please!)

2.Rafa Nadal
Thank you, Tommy Hilfiger.  Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gcy31SJHUc

3.Richard Gasquet
The Frenchman has by far the most beautiful backhand in the game, among other things. We’ll be cheering “ALLEZ!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0n-SJf1Ls4

4.Mardy Fish
We’re thrilled to see Mardy back at the US Open this year, as he’s played some of our favorite matches ever at the tournament.  Sadly Mardy will be retiring after this year’s US Open.  We’ll never forget the crowd cheering “who lives in a pineapple under the sea?”  “MARDYYY MARDDYYYY”

5.Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Or as well call him, “P2Hugz,” thanks to his Twitter handle.  The Frenchman was officially inducted to the French Davis Cup squad earlier this year, and they made him sing.

(header photo via Nike Court)

Music, Sports

American Authors To Headline 2015 US Open Arthur Ashe Kids Day

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The official kickoff to the US Open is the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day, a festival full of great music, tennis players, and fun activities on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  There’s nothing we love more than tennis and music, so naturally it’s one of our favorite events of the year!  This year’s event, on August 29th, will feature headliners American Authors. Other musical guests include Bea Miller, Kalin & Myles, Jacob Whitesides, and Natalie La Rose.  Tennis players include Novak Djokovic and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, with more to be announced!

US Open Arthur Ashe Kids Day
August 29th at 1pm
Buy Tickets

AAKidsDay2015

Stadium Show Lineup
American Authors
Bea Miller
Kalin & Myles
Jacob Whitesides
Natalie La Rose

Stay tuned for more artist and athlete announcements!  Outside of the main show in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the grounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are filled with fun activities! Everything from face painting to tennis drills to watching the pros practice up close.

Watch the video for American Authors’ latest single, “Go Big Or Go Home.”

Be sure to follow Arthur Ashe Kids Day & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Austin Mahone, Boys We Like, Country Music, Friday Five, Jake Miller, Music, Sports, Tennis

The Friday Five: Sexiest Men Alive

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One of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions is the release of People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue.  It’s the perfect reading material for your car/plane/train/bus ride home.  We can’t help but feel like this year’s list is a little bit lacking.  Here’s who we would include if we could takeover People for a day.  (sidenote: if you haven’t seen the episode of “Don’t Trust The B” where James Van Der Beek receives the sexiest man honor, do yourself a favor and watch it now).

1. Sam Hunt
This up and coming country singer was recruited for the NFL but decided music was his true calling.  And thank god because Sam Hunt’s deep voice and his thick Georgia drawl are part of his charm.  He’s a talented singer and songwriter, with a unique sound incorporated his wide range of influences.  Oh, and his rapping skills are on point too. Grab a copy of Sam Hunt’s debut album “Montevallo” on iTunes or Amazon now so you can sing along on the “Lipstick Grafitti” Tour.

2. Austin Mahone
The one man boyband is basically all of your favorite boyband members in one.  He’s currently in the studio working with Max Martin on his debut full length album.  We’re hoping it will capture more of that 90s pop sound we heard on “The Secret” EP.   Since Martin is responsible for “I Want It That Way,”  “Baby One More Time, and “It’s Gonna Be Me,” among countless others, we’re sure it will.   Make sure to pickup a copy of the new Teen Vogue for some beautiful wall-worthy photos.

3. Jake Miller 
Florida born singer/rapper Jake Miller definitely qualifies as “sexy” – have you seen his muscles?  Any guy who can make a goofy face and still look good is definitely a keeper!  Jake is also very good about interacting with his fans on Twitter.  Be sure to pick up a copy of Jake Miller’s new EP “Lion Heart” on iTunes or Amazon now!

4. Grigor Dimitrov 
HEART EYES EMOJI  all day because not only is Grigor one of the hottest young tennis stars (just look at that backhand!), he also is very sweet to his fans – he even stopped a match to help a ball girl who fainted (probably at the sight of him). Grigor also appreciates the finer things in art like art, custom designer travel bags, and puppies!!  Make sure to follow him on Instagram.

5. Ryan Lewis
Ryan Lewis is just a beautiful man.  Not only is he a talented producer/DJ, he’s also been using his popularity for a good cause and launched the charity The 30/30 Project to help aid those impacted by HIV/AIDs.  Lewis is definitely the lesser known member of the Grammy winning duo (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis if you’re totally clueless), as spoofed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.  That definitely would not have been our reaction to spotting Ryan Lewis in the park.