The 2012 HARD Fashion Scoop

After a thrilling London Olympics, the tennis world got back on track quickly, resuming the North American hardcourt season, which will culminate with the US Open at the end of August. This time of the year marks the transition period between Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, so, fashion wise, players are switching from the tradition all-white London attire to more vivid, colourful pieces. Roger Federer and Maria Kirilenko stuck to white though, but there were others who opted for powerful, bold colours such as neon yellow or strawberry pink.

In the battle of the titans, both Nike and Adidas upped their game. While the first proposed an interesting colour palette, mixing blue, black and white with some neon touches, Adidas displayed a colour splash of pinks and blues to create some trademark cool, hip garments.

Roger Federer - RF Group NIKE

Federer was once again at his imperialist best in a classy white-navy ensemble. I love the discrete touches on the sides of his shorts, as well as on the sleeves. Although this is not the epitome of creativity, the Swiss showcased once again a clean, well-thought look.

Maria Kirilenko - AdiPure

I was a huge fan of this outfit since I first saw it at Wimbledon. It is stunning. I love the dark green stripes and the fabric of the skirt. For me this is one of the standouts of 2012 and I was happy to see Maria continue to wear it after Wimbledon.

Serena Williams - NIKE

Juan Martin del Potro - NIKE

Although I am not a big neon fan myself, Nike proved it pays close attention to current trends by introducing some neon yellow tops to its fall collection. Serena Williams and Juan Martin del Potro were quick to pick up the opportunity, though in the American's case I feel she somehow took the easy way out. While the outfit is extremely current, I was a bit let down by its dullness.

Venus Williams - EleVen

While I prefer the black&white version of her 2012 EleVen collection, Venus Williams continues to spice up the tour with her out of the ordinary, spectacular clothing. Aiming at making a strong statement, the American opted for a bold strawberry pink which to perfectly complement her dark skin tone.

Sorana Cirstea - AdiZero

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Angelique Kerber - AdiZero

Jo-Wilfired Tsonga - AdiZero

Lucie Safarova - NIKE

Petra Kvitova - NIKE

Contrary to what happened last year when Nike was crushed by archrival Adidas, this time around things were a bit more balanced with both manufacturers producing interesting summer garments. While Adidas had a canvas feel with the colour splash displayed on the sides, Nike showcased some more structural pieces with blue and black lines being the motif. The only downside was again Kvitova's belly which continues to be revealed without any restrictions.

Samantha Stosur - Asics

The smaller manufacturers try hard to come up with interesting designs but they seldom succeed. It's the case of Asics, Sam Stosur's new sponsor, who followed on the geometric trend, but failed to deliver due to the ill-picked colour combination and the cheap overall feel.

photos: GETTY IMAGES