It’s almost as if Roger didn’t happen.
The loss of Roger Federer to Andy Roddick at last week’s Sony Ericsson Open created a vacuum in fashionable men’s tennis gear, but Rafael Nadal quickly stepped up to the plate. Fortunately for TSF, some good screencaps by the folks at VamosBrigade.com (plus photojournalists at the tourney) have given us a good luck at Rafa’s Nike kit for the week.
First, the murse. Actually, let’s talk about the word murse for a second. I am over it. Call a bag “a bag”; a purse “a purse”. No need to qualify it it’s a men’s bag or a women’s bag. The style (and who carries it) should speak for itself.
It looks to me like Rafa was using the Nike Vault Track Bag, on sale for $58.99, originally $85.
And let’s talk about this gross misuse of his bandana. He wore it pirate style with a white Global Power Tank from earlier this spring (that “tire tread” look). Thankfully, this only made an appearance in his doubles matches with Tommy Robredo, and they didn’t last too long in the draw.
And even his shoes get a little personalization. His Air Max Breathe Cages (also from Nike) have his name inscribed on the back.
And finally, a fun windbreaker for those offcourt appearances.
(Click on each photo to view photo sources)
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Kolya as Cinderella: racquet and shoes fit
If the shoes and the racquet fit… In case you missed it, Nikolay Davydenko made a racquet switch between Indian Wells and Miami. Prior to the Sony Ericsson Open, he had been using the Prince Ozone Tour.
Racquet switches are usually done during the off-season to give the player a chance to acclimate to the difference. (Remember James Blake‘s unsuccessful affair with Prince?) At the beginning of last week’s tournament, Davydenko switched to the Ozone Pro Tour, a racquet with the same frame (“cosmetically”) but with a denser string pattern. Instead of 16 rows of strings, it has 18. This means more control.
During the trophy ceremony, in an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez, Kolya talked about his stick. “I have only one [racquet]. Surprising I didn’t break a string. Warm up and play match, warm up and play match, every match, and I finish with the racket… I’m going to keep forever this racket.”
My question is: how come he only had one? Can someone from Prince answer this question?
It should also be noted that this is the first tournament that Kolya’s worn the Prince OV1 shoes. He’s very particular about his shoes (but really, what top ATP player isn’t?), and has played extremely well in his new kicks.
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One last time: Guga Kuerten as an ATP pro in Miami
Guga Kuerten lost his first round match against Sebastien Grosjean in the first round of the Sony Ericsson Open. The scoreline: 6-1, 7-5.
While his game might not have held up, his fashion sense sure did. He wore a bright orange/red kit (with red hat, red shoes) from Diadora Guga Kuerten. Le sigh, we’ll sure miss his flair when he retires.
In doubles, he wore white and won one match with Nicolas Lapentti against Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. They lost in the next round to Aspelin and Knowles.
Lapentti also presented Kuerten with an award at an ATP banquet during the tournament.
Looking forward: Kuerten’s next stop on his farewell tour is a Challenger-level tournament in Florianopolis, Brazil. That event begins on April 14.
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(photos by Getty Images)
The Rooster Crows: Le Coq Sportif's Spring 2008 line
The rest of the line: We showed you Le Coq Sportif‘s Myth Shoe last week, and now here’s the rest of the Spring 2008 line, aka the first collection into the brand’s American relaunch.
The new brigade is headed by former adidas exec Tim McCool (CEO), Kip Meyer (CFO), and Patrick Ouyi (Marketing & Communications).
The arsenal: Clothing and footwear for the spring will come in three lines: Sport Chic, Retro Chic and Tennis…
The Sport Chic line has a few fun details — silk, cashmere, linen, and cotton enhanced with pleats, wood buttons, etc.
Retro Chic was Inspired by the 80’s — patch embroidery: an oversized rooster logo, and a bright palette.
The Yannick Noah polos came from the Frenchman’s historic achievements in the 80s. Clockwise, from top left: the 1986 Roll Polo, $59.99; the 1982 Porquerolles Polo, $59.99; another retro shirt; and a Tie-Dye version of the Roll Polo, $59.99.
There are some other tennis looks.
Accessories: The “Noah Club 1983” gets a reissue — half cup sole, expanded rubber midsole, and classic leather tennis shoe. Also for sale is a modern interpretation of the “Noah Club Prestige”. And a tennis accessories collection these days couldn’t be complete without a racquet bag.
Fashion Focus: Le Coq Sportif's Myth is all true
The rooster crows: French brand Le Coq Sportif has a busy spring this year. They plan to release a new line of performance shoes called Myth and they’re also relaunching their sports and lifestyle collections in North America (more deets on that later). All this ado is perfectly timed with the 25th anniversary of Yannick Noah‘s 1983 French Open singles title — a big deal since it was the last time a Frenchman has won a Grand Slam (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came pretty close last month).
Italian Potito Starace, who contributed to the shoe’s design, had this to say about the new kicks:
“It is a privilege to be one of the few players wearing Le Coq Sportif apparel and footwear. I almost feel like I have a unique style when I walk on the court. Comfort is key for me but I also appreciate the ‘elegance’ of the tennis line.”
Details: Myths have two innovative features: the “ERGO +” flexibility system in the instep, supporting the foot; and the “DS2” patented inside sole which keeps the foot dry — no stink! And as far as colorways, a black version is available for men while pink and lime are for the women. (Le sigh… sometimes, a guy just wants to wear lime. Or pink.) What do you think of the shoes? Tell us!
Take a closer look: See the black/white and pink/white versions of the Myth after the cut
Monica has dancing shoes, Steffi hawks Louis Vuitton pumps
A tale of two legends: Recent retiree Monica Seles will join Marlee Matlin, Adam Carolla, Priscilla Presley and Kristi Yamaguchi in the latest season of Dancing With the Stars. Wow, that’s a “Who’s Who” if I ever saw one.
The sixth season of DWTS will premiere March 17 on ABC. On joining the show, the 34-year-old Seles says “I’m a tennis player. I don’t know a tango from a mango.”
Seles’ recent return to the limelight is likely a big push to move her away from “tennis star” to “celebrity”. If you remember, she followed an appearance on the CBS Morning Show earlier this week with the announcement of her retirement. And now, the dancing. She’s well on her way, but has to play catch up to her biggest rival on the court…
Steffi Graf‘s PR machine continues to churn. Graf will have a guest stint on Oprah’s Big Give, a “pay it forward” reality show produced by Oprah Winfrey. (Remember when hubby Andre Agassi whacked her in the face? They were taping a segment for it.)
And page five of this week’s New York magazine has an ad from Louis Vuitton featuring the Narcisse Pump. The uppers on this two-tone three-inch heel are hand-stitched. Below the picture is this copy:
“Walk with me. By Steffi Graf”
I look at my schedule and I just have to laugh. I’d need to be six people to get through it all. It seems I’m still running all over the place – only my footwear has changed.”
That’s deep. Do you think she wrote it herself?
Buy: Narcisse Pump, two-tone hand-stitched calf leather with three-inch heel, $1,120, louisvuitton.com.
(USA Today via Marie; photo from New York)