Thursday, July 30, 2009

Nike bandana review

I'm making this review for everyone interested in buying a Nike bandana but isn't sure whether it's worth the money or not. I hope this review will answer most of the questions that you have about the swoosh and dri-fit bandanas.



First of all, I do own the bandanas, several of the dri-fit and a couple of cotton ones as well, I don't have any head-tie bandanas yet but I am planning on getting one in the future so I'll add my opinion about them when I get around to buying one. There are also Yonex and Addidas bandanas which I don't own, so I'm not sure what they're like by comparison.

Nike cotton bandana:

Fit: It's basically fits and feels like any typical bandana, it's 100% cotton and has a nike swoosh painted on the front.

Comfort: I think these bandanas are very comfortable, it's thin though, so if you sweat a lot you will probably have to wash it every other practice session.

Is it worth the price? Well as I said before there is absolutely no difference between this and a traditional bandana and since a normal bandana can typically be purchased for around a dollar, it wouldn't seem like a very good deal but they are very stylish and great quality, so I would strongly recommend them if you're willing to put up a few more dollars for style.

Side note: The white bandana gets dirty really easily. It's hard to keep clean and even harder to get the stains out of it. You'll probably have to wash this one the most of all the bandanas and while it's probably the nicest one, it's also the hardest by far to keep clean.

Nike Dri-fit bandana:

Fit: This one is bigger and thicker than the cotton bandana. It absorbs sweat better than the cotton one.

Comfort: This one is, also very comfortable but it does feel a little bit tight, when you tie it and because of the bulkiness I think the cotton bandana may be slightly more comfortable but both are still very good.

Is it worth the price: I think with this one it depends mostly on your preference for the fit of the bandana. If you like a slightly bulkier fit, you will probably like this one. I would probably recommend trying the cotton swoosh bandana first and if you like that one, then consider buying one of these.

Over-all I prefer the cotton one, just a little bit more than the Dri-fit bandana. Thanks for reading my article, please let me know if you agree with me.:)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Early predictions for the US Open

Even though the US Open is nearly a month away, I've decided to post my early predictions for the last major of the year. I say early, because they may still change, it's impossible to know what will happen with Nadal, how he'll feel and whether he will even play in the US Open. So for this prediction I won't be including him.

Here are some of the serious contenders for the 2009 US Open title:

1. Roger Federer: This guy has won the US Open 5 times in a row. He's obviously a huge favorite. But this year things could be different, he just recently became a father and shortly before that, he broke Sampras's record of 14 grand slams. Roger's biggest obstacle this year may be his focus rather than his competition. If I'm wrong and he comes to the Open with more determination then ever to win, I really don't see anyone who could stop him, except for maybe Andy Murray. Prediction: Roger wins his sixth US Open.

2. Andy Murray: Last years finalist, is still the guy most likely to upset Roger. He wasn't ready before but he might be now. It will take everything Andy's got to beat Roger but he is capable of doing it. He's won the last four matches against Roger and they have all been on hard courts, but he's never beaten Federer on a big occasion at a major. Andy is going to have to do that, before he can be considered a legitimate rival to Roger. Prediction: Murray finishes runner-up but there is a chance for him to win.

3. Andy Roddick: Even though Andy Roddick, has been out recently with a shoulder injury, he's still a favorite to win the US Open. In July he beat Andy Murray to make the finals at Wimbledon and I really felt that he should have taken the final from Roger. He was unlucky to lose that match. If Roddick plays at the US like he played in the Wimbledon final, he will win the US Open. Otherwise look for him to make the second week. Prediction: Semi-finals if he plays normally, champion if he plays his best.

4. Novak Djokovic: It seems like Novak has been on a steady decline since winning the Masters Cup last year. He's number 4 on my list only because he's the #4 player in the world, I don't think his chance of winning is very good. He desperately needs a resurgence and winning this title would give it to him, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire during a match later in the tournament. Prediction: Quarterfinals or earlier.

5. Juan Martin Del Potro: He's a promising up and comer. He took Federer, to five sets at the French and probably came within a few points of winning Roland Garros (assuming he had beaten Soderling in the finals). Maybe in another year or two he will be ready to win his first major. At some point I think it's going to happen for him. Prediction: Maybe this is a little extreme, but I'm going to say Quarter-finals.

Other people to look out for:

Tommy Haas: He's having a career resurgence right now. Some people think he's playing the best tennis of his career. He's not the person that comes to mind when you think champion but he could cause a few upsets. Prediction: I'll go out on a limb and say Semi-finals.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga: He has a big, serve and power ground strokes, he's also a former Australian Open finalist. This guy could make a deep run in the tournament. Prediction: Fourth round.

Robin Soderling: Much like the player above, Soderling has all the right tools to cause an upset. Big serve and powerful ground strokes, can he duplicate his success at Roland Garros? Prediction: Fourth round.

Fernando Verdasco: He plays well on the hard courts and he took Roddick to five sets 3 years ago. He made the semi-finals at the Australian Open this year and he has the potential to upset some of the higher seeded players. Prediction: Quarter-finals.

I was going to include Sam Querrey on this list but after watching him choke against Ginepri, I don't know about his chance. He's a question mark for right now.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Indiannapolis Finals Sam Querrey vs Robby Ginepri review

Usually Robby Ginepri, is not known for his consistency but I'll give him credit, he played a solid match, Sam Querrey, on the other hand, played atrociously. His first serve percentage was very low and he missed way too many shots, making the quality of this match (especially in the first set) pretty bad. Things picked up a bit in the second set. There were a few extended rallies and Ginepri showed off his shot making ability, Sam started to play better but quickly reverted back to his old ways at 4-all when he gifted Ginepri a break by double faulting. Ginepri, then pulled through his next service game to win the match 6-2, 6-4.

As I said before this wasn't a real great match, I think the pressure got to Sam and he choked it away. This should provide a confidence boost for Ginepri and puts him in serious contention for winning the US Open series. I was disappointed by Sam's performance and I hope to see more from him next time.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Nike 2009 Fall line...with dots

Ordinarily Nike is one of my favorite tennis brands. They've got great quality clothes and most of the time their stuff looks awesome but I've been pretty disappointed by most of what they've released in 2009. It's been a very strange year from them, to say the least:





To stay consistent with their strange patterns. Nike is releasing new clothes for the fall, with dots.





Ordinarily Nike is one of my favorite tennis brands. They've got great quality clothes and most of the time their stuff looks awesome but I've been pretty disappointed by most of what they've released in 2009. It's been a very strange year from them, to say the least:





Now some of this stuff is not bad, the colors are pretty nice, especially the gold and I kind of like the shoes:




And this polo is nice too.

But part of the reason I like them is because ot the absense of the dots. Maybe, I'll pick up a few of these when they're on clearance but for the most part I'm not too impressed with what I see. Hopefully they'll have some better stuff in 2010.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Favorite tennis You tube videos

In my opinion, You Tube is one of the best places to go if you want to watch tennis videos. Well, it's probably one of the best places for free videos period. Yesterday, I came across a few vids that I really liked and I thought I'd share them with you, so I've created a top 5 count down of my favorite You Tube tennis videos.

Here they are:

#5: Tennis player kills pigeon


And you thought Roger's forehand was precise.

This one's funny, although I feel kind of sorry for the bird. Lol.

#4: Andy Murray warming up...sort of



Not really a whole lot to do with tennis but I like this for the amusement factor. Doesn't Murray's hair kind of remind you of Kuerten?



#3 Pros warming up

Ok, I'm sort of cheating with this one because I'm using two videos. I like this video of Nadal warming up, the music fits in well with the video.



But this one of Gael Monfils is better. It's also filmed from a court-side view which is cool. I find videos like this to be useful for improving my game. You can learn a lot just by watching a pro.



#2 Nick Bollettieri on Donald Young



This is a pretty good video. Nick Bollettieri has trained some great players in the past like Becker, Agassi, and Hingis. More recently he trained Sharapova and Jankovic. He does seem a little skeptical of Donald's career but that's another story in itself. All in all I like this one because it gives you an inside look, for the life of an up and coming tennis player.

And my #1 choice is:

Bret Abel tennis videos



These videos are great, they're fun to watch and he gives a lot of good advice to help improve your technique. Sort of like a free tennis lesson. There are a few other tutorial videos on You Tube, which are also worth checking out as well.

Anyway, those are my top 5 favorite videos. I hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Who looks promising in the next generation of American tennis players

As we're approaching the end of this decade, one question is becoming more imminent. Who is going to take over for James Blake and Andy Roddick when they retire? James Blake, is now five months away from his 30th birthday and Andy Roddick is about a month away from his 27th. Obviously, these guys aren't going to be around forever but there are a few promising young players that might be able to fill in their shoes. I'm talking about John Isner, Sam Querrey, Jessie Levine, Ryan Sweeting, and Donald Young.

I'll start with Isner, the tallest of these guys who has a tremendously strong serve and groundstrokes. Isner, made it to the fourth round of the US Open in 2007, where he took Federer to four sets. Since then he's had a few wins against guys as good as Monfils and Marat Safin but he's mostly been ranked outside of the top 100. Recently he had to take some time off because of the mononucleosis, which he contracted back in May. His game is very similar to Karlovic's and with the huge serve he should be able to get his ranking back into the top 100 or even top 50 once he makes a healthy return to the tour. But with that being said, I don't expect him to be the next Roddick or Blake, because he doesn't really have the consitency and talent needed to land in the top 20. Next on my list is Jessie Levine. While not one of the taller guys on tour (he's 5'9) he has some great attributes like speed and aggressive ground strokes, not to mention excellent hand eye cordination. Like, Isner he's beaten some credible opponents. At this years Wimbledon he defeated Marat Safin and went all the way to the third round before falling to Wawrinka in four sets. At 21, I think we could see some exciting things from this guy, he's an up and comer with potential.

Sam Querrey, is next on the list and perhaps has the best prospects of all these guys. He has a big serve and powerful, aggressive ground strokes. He's been to the fourth round of the US Open, has beaten Blake and taken sets off Nadal. He's had the best results of the guys that I've mentioned. I think right now, Sam Querrey is the front runner for this group of up and coming Americans. Last there is Donald Young. He's the youngest of these players at 19 but probably has the bleakest looking career. He's done fairly well on the challenger tour but has been totally overwhelmed on the ATP. While he'll continue to get better over the next few years, I don't think that he has the abilities needed to hang with the top guys. My guess is eventually, he'll find some balance between the challengers and the occansional ATP level tournament.

Now that I think about it, there's one more guy I probably should mention, that's Ryan Harrison. He's 17 years old right now which means he will be on the tour and in his prime after the Federer era is over. That in itself should make winning a major much easier. Harrison has already won an ATP level match and he made the semi-final round at the boys Australian Open. He's definitely got potential and with his speed and powerful ground strokes he's got a game perfectly suited to hard courts.

Time will tell with all of these guys but to me, Querrey, Levine and possibly Harrison look to be the future of American tennis.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Federer breaks Pete's record, wins sixth Wimby title and is the new #1.


Roger, had to put up the fight of his life but in the end he was just good enough to pull out the Wimbledon championship in a nail-biting five set match, which lasted over four hours. I felt bad for Roddick at the end, you could tell how badly he wanted to win. After-all that might have been his last chance at winning a major. If anything Roddick, played a better match today then he did on Friday. He did almost everything right and still lost. What impressed me most about his game was his consistency and ability to hold his own against Roger, even in the extended rallies. Something which he could not have done 4 or 5 years ago. Roddick, has developed a really nice shot with his backhand down the line. He scored quite a few winners against Federer by using this in the important points during the match. Both guys served great but Roger, was far better. He had 50 aces against Roddick's 27 and only 4 double faults. He hit an astounding number of winners (107) and kept his errors down to 34. Compare that to his semi-final match against Djokovic in Miami. When he had 17 winners and 49 unforced errors. WOW.8O If Roger, keeps playing like this for the rest of the year, he will be almost unstoppable.

Roger, made some great tactical decisions against Roddick and I thought it was particularly clever of him to slice the ball low to Andy, knowing that his topspin heavy forehand would struggle with a low bouncing ball. Andy, rarely had an answer for these and netted most of them. Despite Roger's great strategy he was mostly over-whelmed by Roddick's serve and wasn't able to break him until the very last game of the fifth set. In this match Roddick was Roger's equal and from the way that they played you would have never guessed that he had lost to Roger 18 out of 20 times.

In many ways, this could be the start of something new for A-Rod. He's now with-in a few hundred points of being #5 in the world. I would love to see Roddick make a resurgence and I think it's likely that he will. The US Open is his favorite tournament and he plays his best tennis when he has his confidence and the support of the crowd. If Andy, was able to come with-in a point of winning Wimbledon, then there's no reason why he shouldn't be a valid contender at the US Open.

Now that Roger has regained his #1 ranking and won his 15th grand slam, fans are beginning to speculate on how many more he'll be able to win before he retires. There is no accurate way to predict this because it mainly depends on his rival, Rafa Nadal's physical condition. I hope Nadal comes back to the US Open feeling better, makes it to the finals and plays Federer. It's the only major title that has eluded him and if he wins it, he'll have completed the career grand slam. It's too early to know if he can do it. We'll have to wait and see how he's playing when he makes his return to the tour.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Federer and Roddick are in the finals.

I am by no means exaggerating when I say this. Roddick played the match of his career to beat Andy Murray and make it to his third Wimbledon final. This is easily the best match I've ever seen him play, John McEnroe said it too and I'm agreeing with him. His tactical decisions were great, he switched up his play when he needed to and his consistency was there when he needed it most. While this is a tremendous achievement for Roddick, it will take this kind of performance and a lot of luck for him to have any kind of chance in the finals on Sunday.

Roger, is so tough on grass, that no matter how well Andy plays it will still be a nearly impossible challenge for him to overcome. Fed, played a solid match against Haas in the other Wimbledon semi-final. His performance wasn't ground breaking or anything but it should be good enough to out-do Roddick in a best of 5 set match. Although wouldn't it be amazing if Andy did beat him? Usually I'm a Federer fan but I may support Roddick tomorrow when he plays for the championship. It's hard not to. He's made a lot of improvements in his game and he came so close in 2004. Roddick is kind of in the same position that Nadal was in last year. Playing phenomenal matches against Roger and continuing to improve until he finally breaks through and de-thrones the king. It took Rafa 3 tries so maybe the third time is the charm for Roddick as well.

Whatever happens I'm just hoping for another classic Wimbledon final.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Wimbledon quarter-final review, Haas makes first ever Wimby semi-final

At 31 years old Haas, has been doing some amazing things. Taking Federer, to five sets in the French, beating Djokovic in Halle and then again in Wimbledon to set up a semi-final match with Federer. While, I don't think Haas will win this match, I would say that his chances of upsetting the Wimbledon king are better than anyone Federer has faced so far. It's been 7 years since He's beaten Roger but within that time, Tommy, was able to push Federer, to five sets twice and took a set off him in Halle. It would take everything Haas has and Federer would have to be off his game but there is a small possibility of an upset.

the other Wimbledon semi-final is going to be a "battle of the Andy's". Murray, owns their head-to-head 6-1 and most of those wins weren't particularly close. Roddick has been playing well but not good enough to beat Andy Murray. I'm going to go with Roger to face Andy Murray in the finals. By the way, I hope you saw the quarter-final match between Hewitt and Roddick, it was definitely worth watching. The match lasted five sets and it was a great showdown between two tennis veterans.

It's unusual for me to cover women's tennis but there's something that's been bothering me and that's Serena and Venus's total domination of this tournament. Sharapova, Ivanovic, Safina, and even Henin (back when she played) were completely dominated by one or both of these sisters. When the #1 player in the world is nearly double baggled by the #3 that should be a sign that there's something severely wrong with the tour. With the WTA, it seems like everyone gets a turn at being #1. A year ago, Ivanovic was the #1 player in the world, then she lost early in Wimbledon and was replaced by Jelena Jankovic, who at the time had never even been beyond the semis of a slam. I feel that the Williams sisters deserve to be #1 and #2 but what annoys me is that there isn't anyone around to really challenge them. Jankovic, is one of the few players able to stand her ground against the Williams and she hasn't even won a major. It's too bad that Justine Henin retired from pro tennis. If she came back, she might even be able to regain the #1 ranking.

I'll be back here on Friday with a recap of the Men's semi-final matches.