Friday, June 28, 2013

Is this THE END?

Following a rather disappointing first half of the season, Roger Federer came into Wimbledon hoping to write another sensational story. Last year, the Swiss enjoyed a fairytale fortnight, beating Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to claim his seventh crown. The win saw him make an emphatic return to world No.1, a position he hold on to long enough to break the 300 week milestone in October.
This year everything turned out differently though. Roger did not play his great tennis since the Cincinnati Masters, last August, and although he just won his first title of 2013 at his favourite warm-up, in Halle, he was far from convincing when he announced he likes tough draws and he is in for a successful defense. The Swiss got a huge break when his potential clash with his nemesis Rafael Nadal got called off following the Spaniard's surprise defeat to Belgian Steve Darcis in the first round. He did not get to benefit from the opportunity though, as Federer produced a shock of his own, losing 7-6,6-7,5-7,6-7 to 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky.
Although I rooted for the Swiss, I really cannot say I am surprised by his early exit. Roger lived on the edge for several Grand Slams now, so I expected him to run out of luck sooner or later. Unfortunately, it was sooner rather than later. The loss is just the latest in a series of surprising defeats that seem to indicate the end of his era.
The Swiss remains confident though as he emphasized he has no plans of calling it quits for at least a few more years: “I still have plans to play for many more years to come. It's normal that after all of a sudden losing early after being in the quarters 36 times, people feel it's different,” he said. “You guys hyped it up so much: me playing Rafa, and we're both out. So there's a letdown clearly. Maybe it's also somewhat a bit disrespectful to the other opponents who are in the draw still. I think it sends a message to you guys as well that maybe you shouldn't do that so often next time around.”
Asked how he deals with the tough loss, Federer said that “you don't panic at this point, that's clear. You just go back to work and come back stronger really. It’s somewhat simple. It’s hard to do sometimes. But usually, I do turnarounds pretty good. I'm looking forward to what's to come. I hope I can play a good summer, a good end to the season. This is clearly not what I was hoping for here today at this tournament.”
Whether he can regroup or not remains to be seen, but it's clear that Roger is going through one of the darkest periods of his career. I will always expect the Great Federer to win another major, but it could very well be that his time has passed. Independent on the outcome, the Swiss has had his huge share of winning throughout the years, so there are no regrets.

photo: GETTY IMAGES

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Better Late than Never for Larcher de Brito

When she turned pro at the tender age of 14, talented Michelle Larcher de Brito seemed headed for greatness. When she cracked the top 100 at 16, the Portuguese had everyone talking about how she is the next Martina Hingis and how she will very soon become a Grand Slam champion.
Time passed and nothing happened. Michelle kept on playing, she kept on believing, but that big breakthrough seemed to elude her. She kept on going, knowing her time will come and her patience was rewarded today when she got the biggest win of her career, stunning former champion and world No.3, Maria Sharapova, to reach her first third round at a major.
"When I was 16, when I was in the Top 100, everybody was comparing me to like Martina Hingis, and expecting me to win a Grand Slam at that age. But that doesn't happen anymore, winning Grand Slams so young. Tennis is such a competitive sport now and so hard, it's just really hard to stay there.
"But I just tried to keep going, and now I'm here again, and I hope to keep doing well all year."
No win over Sharapova comes easy though, the Russian being the ultimate fighter. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, the Portuguese missed four match points, before finally closing out a sensational 6-3,6-4 victory.
"I'm really excited. I really can't believe it. It's a little bit of shock and excitement," the talented Larcher de Brito declared. "I'm just really happy I got through that match. It was a really great win for me.
"The end was really nerve-wracking. I tried to stay calm. I gave it my all. It was 5-4. If I lost that, it would have been 5-all. If it were 5-all, it would have been tough to get back up again, because she was serving, and she was serving really well. I thought, 'Now or never.' I tried to stay calm, even though it's hard sometimes. I just gave it my all, like I always do, and it turned out well for me in the end." 
While de Brito goes on to face Karin Knapp in the next round, Sharapova was left really frustrated with the state of the court. After slipping several times, Maria accused the court of being too 'dangerous'.
On an extremely bizarre day, the bottom half of the draw lost its big names. Azarenka withdrew after a nasty fall that damaged her knee, Sharapova lost to de Brito, Ivanovic succumbed to inspired Canadian, Eugenie Bouchard, Wozniacki twisted her ankle before falling to Petra Cetkovska, and lastly, Jelena Jankovic, was beaten by fellow Serb, Vesna Dolonc. Under the circumstances I root for Marion Bartoli to make the final.

After slipping several times during the match, Sharapova accused the court as being too 'dangerous'. The Russian struggled with her movement, eventually falling in straight sets to an inspired opponent.
Once a huge promise, Michelle Larcher de Brito got her big breakthrough, stunning four time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova, to make her first third round appearance at a major. She hanged it tough, serving out a 6-3,6-4 victory.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

GAME OVER for Vika

Although I was confident she can recover in time from the nasty knee injury she sustained in her opening round, Victoria Azarenka had to throw in the towel, withdrawing minutes before her clash with Italian Flavia Pennetta.
"Well, it was pretty obvious it was a very bad fall," the former No.1 explained. "I tried to stay optimistic as possible. I went to get an MRI, and I thought there was hope for some good news because the MRI didn't show something really torn, something extreme. So that was a small positive note on that.
"But it didn't show a very promising near future for me. We tried everything possible, but it was a very significant fall. To recover in two days seems impossible with the compensation on the entire body by finishing that match. The injury maybe takes 48 hours gap, and 48 hours just made it worse. I forget the medical term - it's kind of a bone bruise. I'm just not sure of the medical term, but the tendon and ligament were not hurt, which was positive news. But the rest, no."
Needless to say I am extremely disappointed by this outcome. I was expecting her to be there awaiting Serena in the grand finale at the end of the fortnight. Vika was terribly upset too: "I couldn't be more disappointed. Wimbledon is a tournament I was looking forward to. I love playing here. To not be able to play just because of something with such bad luck is very, very frustrating. I was playing well. I started my first match well. But I couldn't prevent something that happened.
"I don't see anything positive as of today. But there is positive news. I'm pretty lucky that what happened to me is not critical. It could have been, because after the fall the doctors saw it and they were surprised I was even able to get up. I guess that's one positive thing I can look up to."  
Get well Vika, and let's rock'n roll during the North American summer! #letsdothis

photo: AP

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Nadal Stunned by 'Little Man' Darcis

He was probably the main favourite heading into Wimbledon, but once again Rafa Nadal struggled to find his game on grass, losing in his opening match against Belgian Steve Darcis. Although he was hoping to revenge last year's stunning defeat to cold-blooded Lukas Rosol, Nadal could not cope with his aggressive opponent, losing 6-7,6-7,4-6. This was his maiden first round Grand Slam exit.
The defeat was such a shock as the Spaniard played sensational this year, reaching the final of every tournament he entered since returning from a lengthy injury time-off in March. He even won the last four tournaments he played, including a record-breaking eight French Open crown just a few weeks ago.
The loss re-ignited the discussion about Rafa's knee problem. Is he fully healed? Will his body hold on hard-courts? Can he sustain the intensity his tennis requires for a longer period of time? For the last few seasons, he was really successful only on his beloved clay, a surface where he can probably still beat anyone even if he is not 100% healthy. He proved that at Roland Garros where he didn't play his best but still managed to successfully defend his title.
It remains to be seen how the rest of the season will go for the Spaniard. He already achieved his goal, winning in Paris, but he is surely hoping to get that season ending No.1 ranking back from Djokovic. Now I am not a Nadal fan, but it will be interesting to find out if this setback will affect his confidence going into the North American hard-court season. Many are expecting him to take a longer break to heal properly, so let's see what the future holds.


Belgian Steve Darcis played the greatest match of his career, stunning Rafael Nadal 7-6,7-6,6-4 in the first round of Wimbledon.
For the second year in a row, reigning French Open champion was stunned in the early rounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Vika Lives to Fight Another Day

When I saw Vika take a nasty fall in her first round match at Wimbledon I feared that that would be the end of her campaign this year. The Belorussian is a renowned drama queen, but even so, the scene was frightening. Azarenka leaned towards the ball when she slipped and twisted her knee. She immediately fell to the ground screaming and shouting with pain.
"After the serve, it happened so quickly in a second that my leg kind of collapsed," she said. "It felt like my knee just turned to the other way, and it was just so nasty. I was in such shock. For two minutes I had such consistent pain that it just completely freaked me out. Because you never know - you're just down on the ground and you never know what happened. It was so quick and a huge shock. 
"At that moment it's so shocking because you have no ground. You basically just fall. Your legs go one way and there's no balance or nothing. Nothing I could control in that moment, and that's scary."
The physio came to assess the damage and, after heavily tapping the injured knee, Vika decided to continue. She was already 6-1,1-0 up against Portugal's Maria Joao Koehler and she knew that if she can somehow overcome her opponent, she would get a much needed break to properly deal with the misfortune situation.
"At that moment I was just thinking I had to try to do something," the Belorussian said. "I was concerned, and the physios were concerned. 'Can you go through, can you play on it?' And I had no idea until I went and tried. It felt really painful. One moment it was getting better, then it was inconsistent - but I just wanted to give everything I had on the court even though I knew it could get worse out there. So I really went for my shots - I felt like I had to be aggressive, to finish as quick as possible."
Taking advantage of Koehler's lack of experience, she did manage to close out an easy 6-1,6-2 victory. Although she has been accused of gaming her schedule by pulling out of tournaments without reason, Azarenka is tough enough both mentally and physically to sustain high level tennis even with such an injury, especially in a Grand Slam. That's why I expect her to do her utmost best to be recover in time for her clash with Italian Flavia Pennetta on Wednesday. 
"I still have to do some more check-ups to make sure," she said. "I will still have some tests today to cover every single possibility, but I still need to make the final assessments. It's good to have tomorrow so I can recover." 
I am proud she didn't give up today, she remained calm, played it smart and gave herself another shot at the title. You go Vika! Show them who's the best player in the world! #letsdothis



For a few minutes it looked like Vika's Wimbledon campaign would be over before it began, as the Belorussian injured her knee in a nasty fall during her first round match. She sucked in the pain and carried on the dispute, eventually overcoming Portuguese Maria Joao Koehler 6-1,6-2 to make the second round.

photos (top-down): AP, GETTY IMAGES (x3)

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Tennis Moods Style: Dressed for Grand Slam Success - Part III

On June 20th, London's Kensington Rooftop Gardens were once again home to a fabulous party to mark the 127th edition of Wimbledon. WTA's leading ladies dressed up for a night to remember, a night dedicated to fashion, beauty and tennis. Burberry was the star brand of the gala, with top names such as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Laura Robson, all wearing signature gowns. I liked Serena's dress, but I was even more impressed by her styling, as the American tops my best dressed list. It was a close call though, as Brit Anne Keothawong almost stole the show with her stunning white colourblocker Antonio Berardi gown. That dress is drop dead gorgeous, but overall, I liked Serena's look more.
Although some played it safe, going with the regular lbd, the young generation showed courage and class, with both Heather Watson and American Sloane Stephens looking stunning in vibrant yellow mini frocks.
Sara Errani and Angelique Kerber provided two sad examples of how not to dress on such a glamorous occasion. They wore boring and uninspired outfits.

SERENA WILLIAMS stole the show in a stunning white Burberry London dress to which she accessorised a turquoise clutch. The American is my pick for the 'Best Dressed' award.
ANNE KEOTHAVONG gave Serena a run for her money wearing a stunning white colourblocker Antonio Berardi gown. Anne took a risk and it paid off. I totally loved the dress. It was the highlight of the night.
MARIA SHARAPOVA rocked the red carpet in a Burberry Prorsum pre-fall 2013 dress with Charlotte Olympia accessories.
ANA IVANOVIC remained faithful to designer Matthew Williamson.
Always edgy, VICTORIA AZARENKA opted for a lbd which she spiced up with a golden belt and a spiky pair of shoes.
A much too blonde AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA also relied on the famous lbd. I love the accessories, the multicoloured shoes and the nude pink clutch.
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA looked rather scary in this oddly shaped lbd. The transparency is really not helping her, as her breasts seem mutilated. The make-up didn't work either, as it was ageing her tremendously.
Fashionista wannabe, JELENA JANKOVIC, pulled together a winning look, opting for a long coral gown. The Serbian resembled a Greek goddess.
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA wore a mini little white dress that showed off her gorgeous legs.
LAURA ROBSON looked sophisticated and chic in a emerald green Burberry Prorsum dress.
HEATHER WATSON was all smiles in this yellow Forever Unique lace dress.
Teen sensation, SLOANE STEPHENS, continued to show exquisite taste, opting for a courageous short yellow frock that perfectly complements her skin tone.
EUGENIE BOUCHARD turned heads in a sexy electric blue frock that showed off her great body.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS always knows how to make an entrace. The American wore a completely crazy green&blue hairdo, plus the latest technology from Google, Google Glass, that had everyone talking. At least she kept it simple with her clothing, opting for a simple white long gown.

DON'T MISS the 2011 and 2012 Pre-Wimbledon Parties!

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Monday, June 17, 2013

Federer Finds Winning Touch on Grass

Although he insisted he is feeling good and is as motivated as ever, Roger Federer looked an uncharacteristic self since losing to Andy Murray in the Olympic final last year. His unbelievable triumph at Wimbledon, followed by the emphatic return to world No.1, probably took its tool on the Swiss, who lost some of his intensity and mental focus, especially when playing his great rivals, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.
Since the start of the new season, his poor form prevented him from reaching more than the Rome final, but even there he ended up being crushed by Nadal in the much anticipated showdown. Consequently, Roger has not tasted victory since the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati last August. However, there's no place like a grass-court for Federer and the Swiss came to life in Halle, one of his favourite ATP stops. 
Seeking revenge for last year's surprise defeat to good friend, Tommy Haas, in the final, Roger was keen to reinforce his supremacy in Halle. The Swiss played some good tennis throughout the week, recording his second career double-bagel against German Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals, beating Haas in the semis, then overcoming Russian Mikhail Youzhny to collect his sixth crown on the German grass. The victory marked his 77th career title, tying his with American John McEnroe for the third most tournament wins in history.
Roger will now try to successfully defend his Wimbledon crown. Although he is not playing his utmost best, he can always bring out his A game when he needs it. You go Federer, go and show them how to win Wimbledon!

photo: GETTY IMAGES

Monday, June 10, 2013

Nadal Continues Joy Ride in Paris

Following a stellar comeback after his lengthy lay-off, Rafael Nadal has now achieved his goal for the season, successfully defended his French Open title with a straight sets 6-3,6-2,6-3 victory over his good friend and compatriot, David Ferrer. Ferrer was playing the best tennis of his career, reaching the most important final of his career without dropping a set.
Nadal secured his place in the history book, becoming the first player to win the same Grand Slam tournament eight times, strengthening thus his credentials as the best clay-court champion to have ever graced the court. Although he lost his Monte Carlo crown to arch-rival, Novak Djokovic, the Spaniard has been invincible since, winning titles in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.
Is no secret that I am not a Nadal fan. However, no one can argue his incredible feat. Even though he struggled on some occasions, the Spaniard was impeccable when it mattered most. Probably the toughest test came in the semifinals, when he had to rely on all his experience, coming from a break down to overcome Djokovic in an epic battle that denied the Serb the opportunity to complete his Grand Slam collection. Rafa is now Novak's top contender for the season-ending No.1 spot.


Rafael Nadal did it again. The Spaniard won his eight crown at Roland Garros, becoming the first player in history to win a major for eight times.
Although David Ferrer did not surrender a set en route to the final, the Spaniard was unable to prevent his compatriot from successfully defending his French Open title. Nadal won 6-3,6-2,6-3.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Unstoppable Serena Conquers Paris

When she's on, there's probably not a single player who can stand a chance against Serena Williams. I always believed that beating Serena is an extremely difficult, if not impossible task. Few have done it recently, and there are even fewer who have achieved the feat in a Grand Slam. 
Following her stunning defeat to Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano in the first round of the French Open last year, Serena had just one thing on her mind: vengeance. The American has had an impeccable clay-court season this year, winning titles in Charleston, Madrid and Rome, but she still needed to win Roland Garros to complete her revenge.
Although she always felt at ease in Paris, she only won the tournament once, in 2002, following a victory over her sister, Venus. Since then, she never made the finals, so she was determined to change her fortunes this year. When Serena sets her mind on something, there little to stop her and she proved it again during the fortnight. Careful to avoid any unexpected hiccups, the American was razor sharp from the first round, reaching the quarterfinals without dropping more than three games in a set. Although she was tested in the quarterfinals, she found a way to overcome former champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-1,3-6,6-3. Serena quickly regained her focus, crushing last year's runner-up, Italian Sara Errani, to make just her second Roland Garros final.
Cheered by her French boyfriend, coach Patrick Mouratoglu, Williams faced defending champion, Maria Sharapova, for the title. Sharapova gave it her all to make the last act, coming from behind to succumb Serbian Jelena Jankovic, respectively Victoria Azarenka, but all her resources were not enough to stop Serena, who was too strong. Even though she didn't play her utmost best, she remained calm under pressure, found her big serves, and ultimately close out a straight sets victory with her 10th ace.
Talking about the fact that her second Roland Garros crown came eleven years after her maiden success in Paris, Serena said: "I always practice weeks and years in advance. And now I've had 11 years to practice it! Actually 11 years ago I didn't even think I'd still be playing. I never thought I would play past 28, or something like that. But I'm still here. And this one was so good. It's the only one I hadn't won more than one of. Now I have multiple titles at every major, singles and doubles, so I'm really pumped."
Riding on her longest winning streak, 31 consecutive matches, Serena is now hot favourite to successfully defend her Wimbledon title. Probably the only one who can stop her is Azarenka, though if she maintains the level shown in Paris, she will be impossible to stop.



Following an impeccable clay-court season, Serena finally won her second French Open title, eleven years after claiming her maiden crown in 2002. The American world No.1 now holds 16 Grand Slam titles, two short of equaling Evert's and Navratilova's record.
Continuing her supremacy over Maria Sharapova, Serena beat the Russian defending champion 6-4,6-3 in the final. She received the Suzanne Lenglen Cup from clay-court legend, Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Un Scoop de la Mode Parisienne

Every Grand Slam provides a great opportunity to talk not only about tennis, but also about fashion. With the French Open taking place in Paris, la capitale de la mode, everyone is expecting to put on their most sophisticated garments and to look their utmost best when they step onto the court. As we've experienced in past years though, see fashion scoops from 2011 and 2012, not everyone is leaving up to the challenge. 
My top 3 picks from this edition are, in no particular order, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens and Ana Ivanovic. From the men, I liked Tsonga and Federer, but I also appreciated the nice colours showcased by Nadal (i.e. the peachy pink) and Djokovic (i.e. the mint green). The outfits I liked the least were Wozniacki's, Sharapova's and, sadly, Azarenka's, who was just too boring. There were of course some not-so-beautiful disasters, such as Monfils, Kuznetsova or tablecloth looking, Ryan Harrison. In terms of star colours, yellow maintained its supremacy, with orange being the alternative proposed by Nike.

The Ultimate Queen





Serena Williams - NIKE
The undisputed queen of the French Open, Serena Williams looked the part in an edgy grey dress to which she matched orange underpants and accessories. I like the use of the grey as it tones down the otherwise loudly coloured Serena. The look represents another good example of the mature Williams. Although she came a long way from her rebellious days, I really appreciate that she kept her edge, always delivering that trademark Serena style.

Electric Teen




Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour
Sloane Stephens is not only the leading teen of the next generation, she's also the next big tennis fashionista. The American is clearly not afraid of taking risks, or of getting creative with her fashion choices. She is making a powerful statement in this gorgeous electric yellow dress that is perfectly complementing her dark skin tone. Love the turquoise accessories, especially the pleaded head pieces. Sloane makes my top 3 picks from this year's Roland Garros.

Cool, Hip, Trendy, Fun



Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - AdiZero
Ana Ivanovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put Adidas in contention with their unique AdiZero apparel, specially designed for the French Open. I like both pieces, I think they're great. Ana opted for a more sophisticated, more elegant navy dress, while Tsonga kept true to his flamboyant self, looking sharper than ever in this navy-yellow ensemble.

Kristina Mladenovic - AdiZero
Although this dress is a few months old, I wanted to feature it to highlight another promising fashion prospect, teen sensation, Kristina Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman has a certain restless vibe that I resonate with. 

It's Black, It's White, It's Black&White


Laura Robson - Adidas by Stella McCartney


Maria Kirilenko - Adidas by Stella McCartney
Since the merger of the Barricade with the Stella McCartney line in January, fashion icon, Maria Kirilenko, and teen sensation, Laura Robsons, got their chance to shine in designer clothes. Following the great success of their previous apparel, both ladies continue to look stunning, this time in black&white ensembles. Although controversial, I think Stella brings a much needed touch of class to the tour. I might not like all her pieces (remember that horrible raffles dress?!), but overall I am a huge fan.

The Fall of the Dane



Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney
Once the joyful queen of women's tennis, Caroline Wozniacki is now miserable trying to recapture the form that took her to the top of the ranking just a few months ago. Benefiting from an exclusive Stella McCartney line, the Dane 'managed' to look doubtful in this confusing dress. To start with, I don't like this shade of blue, but the biggest issue I find is the colour blocking. The use of the beige in the lower front part is odd. I don't get it. It makes the entire look seem unconnected. A total miss from Wozniacki this time.

The Leading Gentlemen



Rafael Nadal - Nike
Rafael Nadal might be the best clay-court player in history, but he's not always the best dressed man. This time, he made a wise choice though, matching a peachy pink pair of shorts to a dusty grey T-shirt. I like the combo, it is cool and fresh.


Roger Federer - NIKE RF Group
Roger Federer stepped out of his comfort zone, opting for something other than a polo T-shirt. Although his outfit is not as loud as in previous years, see 2011 or 2012, I actually love the light violet of the T-shirt matched with the really small touches of neon green and the navy pants. Although he went slightly hipper than usual, the Swiss retained his class.

Grigor Dimitrov - NIKE
Sharapova's new boy toy, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, should give his girlfriend some style lessons. Grigor showcased a clean look that is perfect for his age. The young generation should be all about having fun, being hip and wearing cool clothes. The T-shirt is the show stopper.



Novak Djokovic - UNIQLO
I am not a fan of Novak's style, nor I am a fan of his Asian sponsor, but I did like the nice green mint of his 2013 French Open apparel. The colour looked really well in contrast to the dark red of the Parisian clay.

Improved JJ



Jelena Jankovic - Fila
I am the first one to comment on Jelena's doubtful fashion style, but this time the Serbian surprised me by wearing a really cool Fila garment. The navy dress is both classy and hip, plus I really appreciated the layering at the bottom that reveals the pink underskirt. Well done, JJ!

Boooring!



Victoria Azarenka - NIKE


Maria Sharapova - NIKE 'Maria Sharapova' Group
Although they are among the best female athletes of the planet, both Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova looked dull and uninspired in their Roland Garros garments. While for Sharapova this is an ongoing trend that sees her top the worst dressed list on a regular basis, Vika is actually one of my favourite fashionistas, the Belorussian usually putting together edgy, hip and extremely cool looks, e.g. the 2012 AO attire. However, while her dress is just boring, in the Russian's case, things are far worse. This cut is not working on her body. Maria looks fat and her big shoulders are emphasized in an unflattering manner. Maria, please go back to your former days of glory!

The Pink Panther



Venus Williams - EleVen
On a rather chilly day, the American had to dress up, so I think it is just unfortunate that Venus Williams got to look like the Pink Panther at this year's French Open. Although the result was not memorable, it made me want to see more. I was dying to check out her new EleVen look, but sadly she lost in the first round. I look forward to a great rebound at Wimbledon.

Oh Mon Dieux, Les Faux Pas


I might be accused of being biased when it comes to the big names, but none of the lesser known brands got to showcase at least some decent looks. Starting with Monfils' multi-coloured, ill-matched Asisc garments, continuing with Berdyc's blank H&M pieces and finishing with Kuznetsova's horrific experiment, all these guys are worthy occupants of the worst dressed list. To add to this, American Ryan Harrison decided to wear his tablecloth as pants. Smart move, Ryan!


Gael Monfils - Asics

Tomas Berdych - H&M
Ryan Harrison - NIKE
Svetlana Kuznetsova - Qiaodan
David Ferrer - Lotto
Although he got to shine brightly at this year's French Open, David Ferrer failed to look the part. Beaten by his good friend in his first Grand Slam final, the Spaniard suffered another blow when he ended up on the worst dressed list due to his ugly neon green T-shirt from Lotto. Horrible colour, you should know better David!




Bethanie Mattek-Sands - Unknown
Are you familiar the curious case of Bethanie Mattek-Sands? Well, let me reiterate. You take one fashionista-wannabe, you let her go wild with the fashion picks and what you get is a crazy-looking tennis player, a Lady Gaga of the tennis courts, a fashion case gonna terribly wrong, or better said, Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The hopeless American did it again, wearing several mis-matched tops, as well as her signature high socks.

photos: GETTY IMAGES