Tennis Moods Style: Tatiana Golovin

Rated as the next big thing since early childhood, Tatiana Golovin rose to fame at the 2004 Roland Garros, when the 16 years old made sensation by winning the mixed doubles title alongside compatriot Richard Gasquet. Professionally speaking, her on-court achievements were not a perfect reflection of her immense talent. Brought up at the Nick Bollettieri’s Academy, she was always predicted a great future. She reached her pick in 2006-2007, when she finally won some tournaments and started challenging the better ranked players. Just when she was building her way up to the top of the ladder, her career was ended, leaving her to rue the ‘what ifs’.

Moi, Tatiana

Born in Moscow, Tatiana embraced the newly acquired lifestyle fully, becoming the ambassador of French apparel Lacoste. Little by little, she emerged as one of the few fashionista on the tour, developing a sexy, flirty, vivid style. It was obvious from the beginning that the company made the young hope, their leading star. Although the brand cannot compete on equal terms with the likes of Nike and Adidas, they did a great job in building a unique image for Tatiana making her easily stand out from the crowd. In a way, Tatiana adopted a similar style to Anna Kournikova. In their attempt to support such an image, Golovin’s wardrobe featured an impressive array of short tops and sexy hot pants. Although they were both endorsed as the sexiest athletes ever, the Frenchwoman ended up with a Lolita like image, perfectly capturing the French playful naughtiness.
For me, Lacoste is all about bright, intense colours and qualitative fabrics. Their pieces are not bold or over-the-top, the cuts are simple, unicoloured and seldom feature any prints or patterns. Also, their repertoire is rather limited at times, as you get the impression of having seen the same dress a few seasons ago. However, they do a great job at balancing the outfit, letting the colours do the talking, thus making creating a sharp, edgy esthetic. For Lacoste, the novelty lies in the colour combination.
Although a string of persistent injuries abruptly terminated her career, Tatiana continues to turn heads and inspire people with her fashion choices wherever she goes. So far, no clear decision has been taken about the future of her professional career. Nonetheless, even though she’s currently enjoying to the fullest leading the life of the rich and famous, I look forward to the day when she decides to make a comeback.

Roland Garros 2004

Wimbledon 2004

US Open 2004

Charleston 2005

Roland Garros 2005

Birmingham 2004

US Open 2005

Roland Garros 2006

US Open 2006

Melbourne 2007

Miami 2007

Charleston 2007

Wimbledon 2007

US Open 2007

Stuttgart 2007

Hopman Cup 2008

Melbourne 2008

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A Win to Heal the Wounded Ego of the French

After their disappointing 1-4 loss to Spain in the Davis Cup semifinals a week ago, the Frenchmen were hoping to turn the tables by perpetuating the local success on home soil in Metz. Two of their finest guns entered the venue, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, seeded one and two, leading the assault. While Gasquet stumbled early on, going out in the quarterfinals after a two sets disposal at the hands of Luxembourger Gilles Muller, Tsonga fared much better. Riding on the kind of form that led him to two consecutive wins over former world number 1 Roger Federer, Tsonga succumbed the stiff resistance of his compatriot Nicolas Mahut in the last eight before getting some much desired revenge over Alexandr Dolgopolov, who caused uproar at the Australian Open in January, shocking the Frenchman in the third round. He also got the better of him at the same stage in Miami, leaving the frustrated Jo stunned at the end of a tight three-setter defeat. This time around though, he was prepared to set things straight, dismissing the bold Ukrainian with a double 6-4.

Having worked his way through to the third final of 2011, Tsonga was determined to make the most of it and capture the first trophy of the season. Previously, he lost the final showdown in Rotterdam to Soderling and at Queen’s to Murray. Cheered by a partisan Metz crowd, he was quick in taking the initiative, capturing the first set 6-3. His opponent, the experienced Croat Ivan Ljubicic fought back to take the second on a tiebreak, leveling the match. Some big hitting and powerful serves from the Frenchman proved decisive in the end, as he clinch the clinical break to serve out the clash.

Having re-established himself as France’s number 1 player, Jo-Wilfried, who is currently 7h in this year’s race, is now looking forward to earning one of the last four available spots for the season ending Championships in London.

photo: Le Republican Lorrain

Almighty Djokovic Slams Nadal Once More

It's already very well known what a sensational year Novak Djokovic is having. In a season in which he lost only two matches (one of them due to retirement) and won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and five Master titles, the Serb was a natural choice and a safe bet for the Flushing Meadows crown. Deep down, I made belief that Federer can stop him. The Swiss was close, but faltered miserably when it mattered most, granting Novak one of the most spectacular comebacks the game has witness.

Compared to previous years, the Serb looks more focused and he is determined in winning every single battle. He has stepped up his game to such an extent that he now looks to have no weakness. Despite lacking a killer weapon, his consistency and inspired shot-making help him sail through matches. He has developed a sort of invincibility that is rarely seen in such a highly competitive sport. High newly found mental strength triggered a different approach to his clashes with his main rivals, Nadal and Federer. I remember last year during the clay-court period when the Serb came so close to beating the Spaniard on his beloved clay. At that stage, Nadal still hold the upper hand, managing to break Novak’s resistance and ensure hard fought three setters victories. We have witnessed a totally different scenario this year though, with Djokovic beating Nadal in all their five meetings. After the two made it to the final of the US Open, many were wondering if we would witness a history repeating with Rafa getting his much awaited revenge.

Novak was on fire though, cruising through the first two sets. The Spaniard fought back in the third and with the Serb failing to serve out the match, he managed to push it into a tie-break. Showing some glimpses of his utmost best display, Rafa pushed the match into the fourth set. His joy was short-lived though, as Djokovic regain his composure and sailed to victory, losing only one more game on his way. The win marked a first US Open title for the current world number 1, taking his tally to four.

It is interesting to see what a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, Nadal was celebrating his Grand Slam completion after disposing of a tense Djokovic in a four setter. Since then, the Serb has emerged into the Spaniard’s biggest nemesis, stripping him of his most precious assets. With the season not over yet, Novak has enough achieved we now was enough reason to celebrate his whole life. Nevertheless, he doesn’t like his is going to rest on his laurels. The Serb is hunger than ever to add more success to his already prestigious career and he is keen on keeping the winning stream going.

Novak Djokovic proved he is no fluke, winning his third Slam of 2011 with another hard-fought victory over arch-rival, Rafael Nadal. In a rematch of last year's final, the Serb took revenge, defeating the Spaniard 6-2,6-4,6-7,6-1.

photos:  GETTY IMAGES

Achieving the Impossible Mission

What a shocker this US Open turned out to be! After Serena cruised through the draw, disposing of young guns Victoria Azarenka, Ana Ivanovic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, she looked to be holding her fourteen Grand Slam trophy at her fingertips. Moreover, faced with an opponent known for choking on big occasions, i.e. Samantha Stosur, the final showdown looked like a mere formality for the ruthless American. Based on her imperious display, she was everyone's favourite for the title. 

But as often happens nowadays in this unpredictable sport, the unexpected occurred. Williams seemed slow early on and out of sorts, allowing Samantha to impose her supremacy. Relying on an efficient kick serve and some powerful forehands, the Aussie took the first set 6-2. It marked the first time Williams lost a set this fortnight. Renowned for fighting her way up through a match though, everyone was waiting for her comeback. She had some chances of building an advantage at a start of the second set, but a strange altercation with Greek umpire Eva Asderaki proved vital for the American. She failed to gain her focus and composure, slipping to a straightforward 6-2,6-3 defeat.

In spite of all the distractions that surrounded this final, credit must be given to a brilliant Stosur. She held her nerves, was focused from the beginning to the end and made Serena work extremely hard for every point. She was aggressive, went after winners and didn't give anything away. All these paid off and, at 27 years old, she witnessed her dream come true by winning a maiden Grand Slam trophy. She might not be a typical champion, but as Schiavone did last year at the French Open, she has now achieved a feat that the likes of Azarenka, Wozniacki, Dementieva or Safina failed to.

It might be farfetched to assume that the Australian will rule the world following her success at the Flushing Meadows. As with Schiavone or Li, Samantha is likely to retain her place in the top 10, but she doesn't have the attributes, nor the consistency, to challenge Williams, Sharapova, Azarenka or Wozniacki on a steady basis. She might have accomplished a sort of mission impossible, but at the end of the day, she will always be remembered as the 2011 US Open singles champion. This is something that can never be taken away from her.

After failing to Francesca Schiavone in the 2010 Roland Garros final, Sam Stosur has finally captured that elusive Grand Slam trophy, disposing of an erratic Serena Williams 6-2,6-3.

photos:  GETTY IMAGES

Too Much Drama In Roger's Life

The fact that Federer lost again is sad, but not spectacular. The fact that he lost this particular semifinal match with Djokovic though is tragic. After the Serb abruptly ended his Australian Open campaign, the Swiss champion had a tough time recapturing his winning ways. These eight months marked the darkest period since 2002, as he reached only two finals, at Dubai where he succumbed once more to the Serb and Roland Garros where he lost to Nadal.

Before the encounter with Novak, he seemed in good form. Of course one shouldn't get his hopes up, but,  although his North American hardcourt preparation has been poor, Roger showed glimpses of genius during the first rounds of the US Open. He even raised his game to such an extent that he disposed of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a player to whom he suffered two consecutive defeats, among them the painful Wimbledon loss. It's now clear that Federer is a man of patterns. When he was at the peak of his career, he used to fall to lower ranked Nalbandian. After that, he developed a sort of a Nadal fobia, losing most of his battles with his Spanish rival. Now, the latest Federer trend is to lose a match after being 2 sets to love up. He did it at Wimbledon against an inspired Tsonga and he was keen of keeping things going at Flushing Meadow. 

An exceptionally sharp Roger quickly set up a 2 sets advantage against the newly crowned world number 1 in their semifinal meeting. A tenacious Djokovic fought back, cruising through the next two to take the match into a decider. Federer recaptured his composer and at 4-3, he pulled the trigger and got what ought to be the vital break. Serving for a well deserved place in the final, the Swiss 'managed' to throw everything away, missing two match points and allowing his opponent to break right back. The momentum switched decisively in Novak's favour, as the Serb went on to win the match 7-5 in the fifth set. For the second year running, Federer blew away match points to end up losing his US Open semifinal clash with Djokovic.
It's not so much the fact that he is losing his battles with Nadal or Novak. It's more the way these matches unfold. Almost every time, the Swiss is the one dictating the outcome. He looks firmly set for a victory but at one point something happens and the victory slips away. There is too much drama associated to him and to his on court performances nowadays. The once smooth progress through the draws has transformed into a 110 metres hurdles. Unfortunately for Roger, he stumbles just before the first line, having led most of the race.

photo:  GETTY IMAGES

Pennetta Misses Date With Destiny

After a rather disappointing season marred by injuries and lack of form, Flavia Pennetta got an unexpected chance of fulfilling her Grand Slam quest at this year's US Open. After her thrilling victory over hot favourite Maria Sharapova in the third round, Flavia, faced with an easy side of the draw, became the front-runner for a semifinal berth. Moreover, after Australian Samantha Stosur disposed of second seeded Vera Zvonareva, the Italian's dream of reaching the final showdown of a major started taking roots. Should she have won her quarterfinal clash with unseeded German Angelique Kerber, ranked no. 92 in the world, Pennetta's 4-0 head-to-head record over the Aussie set her in pole position for a place in the big finale against either Serena Williams or world number 1, Caroline Wozniacki.

Things didn't go as planned though, as Kerber's stiff resistance and inspired shot making paid off eventually. The enormous number of unforced errors took their toll and the Italian saw her dream crumble to pieces after a heart-breaking 4-6,6-4,3-6 defeat. Flavia was magnificent at times, turning the second set around from 2-4 down. Nevertheless, her inconsistency proved too much to handle. Her game totally deserted her in the end when she lost the last five games of the match to give Angelique the biggest success of her career. 

As I said, there was so much at stake for her, that she probably choked under pressure. A great result at Flushing Meadows could have turned her season around. This is not meant to take anything away from her still decent performance, i.e. she had reached the last eight at a Slam for the third time. If someone asked her at the beginning of the tournament, she would have happily settle for a place among the elite's best eight. It's the rue opportunity that could linger in her mind. If she'll never face another such opportunity again, she has only herself to blame for missing her date with destiny.

On top of her singles defeat, Flavia and partner Gisela Dulko exited the doubles competition prematurely, succumbing to the Italian duo Sara Errani - Roberta Vinci in the third round. This adds to a miserable season for the team that looked to have the world at its feet after winning the Australian Open crown in January.

photos:  GETTY IMAGES

The 2011 New York Fashion Scoop

Every year the US Open provides the ultimate tennis fashion experience and this year was no exception, with the top players ready to showcase their newest garments. It’s acknowledged by now that tennis fashion has developed a life of its own. Nowadays, players stopped wearing common sports apparel and they engage in profitable endorsement deals. Top athletes such as Sharapova, Wozniacki, Federer or Nadal benefit from exclusive clothing lines which guarantee them outfits in line with the latest trends.

Venus Williams - EleVen

She might be a sporadic figure on the WTA tour, but when Venus Williams attends a venue, she surely makes the headlines.  In New York, she stirred the waters by presenting her interpretation of the famous LBD. In spite of all the negative feedback she received, I really liked the lace back, accessorized with a big pink zipper. The dress was worth all the money, being the most spectacular piece of this year’s Open.  Following her withdrawal after being diagnosed with an incurable immune system disease, i.e. the Sjogren's syndrome, many were quick in drawing the final curtain on her career. Nevertheless, with a fashion line relying heavily on her ambassadorship, I am sure Venus will continue to make several appearances here and there, just to ensure word of mouth for her brand. To me, she is in a fashion league of own and she proved it once more. It was a pity that she played only one match, as I was curious to see what else she had prepared part of the EleVen 2011 fall collection.

Maria Sharapova - NIKE Maria Sharapova Group

Another fashion Diva, who even has her own Nike line, is Maria Sharapova. For whatever reason though, I wasn’t impressed by her New York pieces. They look overly elaborated, too athletic and the gown she wore during the night session lacks the sophistication and elegance required by the occasion. 

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE

Serena Williams - NIKE

Julia Goerges - NIKE

Rafael Nadal - NIKE Rafa Ace

From the Nike selection, I loved Azarenka’s dress nevertheless. It’s simple, but not boring and the blue & black mix proved an inspired decision under the shiny New York lights. Applying the same rationale, I liked Serena’s blue dress. However, I am not a fan of her alternative garment, as I find the pink-black mixture tiresome. Also, the American should broaden her colour pallet and move away from the pink to which she comes back every two collections. Adding to the Nike’s prestige is Nadal’s yellow T-shirt. Again, an excellent colour choice to match the Flushing Meadows ambiance.

Kimiko Date-Krumm - AdiPure

Maria Kirilenko - AdiPure

There weren't any novelties as far as the AdiPure attire was concerned, both Maria Kirilenko and Kimiko Date-Krumm wearing a different colour version of the clothes they showcased since earlier this season. The Russian looks great in anything though, so a big plus to have her as the ambassador for your brand.

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

A big sigh of relief went out when Caroline Wozniacki finally decided to put the Hawaiian raffles away. Although it’s not comparable with the dress she wore last year, the white Stella McCartney outfit marks a big improvement.

Gisela Dulko - LACOSTE

Samantha Stosur - LACOSTE

A rather dull competitor on the fashion glamland, Lacoste got back in the game with their fall collection featuring these cool geometric black-white-purple dresses.

Svetlana Kuznetsova - FILA

Svetlana Kuznetsova wore one of the new inspired Fila costumes. She usually has a rather messy style, seriously lacking any fashion sense. Nevertheless, I kinda liked the dark version (i.e. right) of her colourful deux-piece.

Nadia Petrova - ELLESSE

Nadia Petrova ended up on a list after wearing a surprisingly decently looking Ellesse dress. This is far better than anything I saw from the Russian since she teamed up with this sponsor. Compared with the horrible raffles she showcased these past months, this colorful dress is actually a pretty inspired choice. Well done Nadia!

Bethanie Mattek-Sands - UnderArmour

Bethanie Mattek-Sands' Under Armour outfit provided something to remind us we are on American soil. Mattek-Sands opted for an ingenious pair of socks made the resemble her national flag. Another daring fashion statement from Bethanie who has made a name for herself as the Lady Gaga wannabe of tennis.

Gael Monfils - K-Swiss

Jelena Jankovic - ANTA

Melanie Oudin - Wilson

Elena Baltacha - Yonex

Yellow was one of the hot colours of the Open, with many players opting to wear it. If Gael Monfils and Rafael Nadal's garments had only some touches, Jelena Jankovic and Elena Baltacha selected an all yellow dress, while Melanie Oudin played with a yellow-white combination.

photos (top-down / left-right): GETTY IMAGES (x32), Fotki