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

Magnificent Gisela Ends Stosur's Dreams

The fact that Samantha Stosur is struggling this year is no surprise to anyone. However, I think that many were expecting her to recapture the brilliance and to shine once more on the Parisian clay. For the last two seasons the Aussie was red-hot at Roland Garros, making her first Slam semifinal in 2009 before reaching the final last year. She was genuinely impressive in 2010 when she defeated the best players in the world, i.e. ‘Claycourt Queen’ Justine Henin, world number 1 Serena Williams and former world no.1 Jelena Jankovic, just to fell short in the final to a surprisingly tough Francesca Schiavone.

While last year she dominated the claycourt season, this year her preparation was flawed, the only noteworthy performance being the Rome final, where she lost to Russian Maria Sharapova. Nevertheless, she started her favourite tournament strongly, posing easy victories over Czech Iveta Benesova and Romanian Simona Halep. It didn’t take long though and in her third round clash she run into deep trouble. Her opponent, Argentinean Gisela Dulko who tops the doubles' rankings alongside Italian Flavia Pennetta, is renowned for her claycourt skills. However, having lost the two previous encounters with Stosur on this surface, she seemed like an easy target for the powerful Australian. She started the strongest though, quickly establishing a 5-2 advantage. Samantha fought back, but Gisela hold on to win the first set 6-4. Stosur caught fire, unleashing her most efficient weapons and storming through to a decider after winning the set 6-1. Just when things seemed to be heading her way, Samantha lost the momentum and with it four consecutive games, allowing Gisela to get back into the match. Serving at 5-3, the Argentinean quickly raced to a 40-0 lead and put the matter to rest at the first time of asking. After a convincing display, she has now reached the French Open last 16 for a second time, having made it this far in 2006 when she succumbed to Anna Lena Groenefeld.

This performance comes to capture what has been a relatively good claycourt season for Dulko. After winning in Acapulco, the fourth round of the French Open reconfirms her as one of surface’s most exquisite specialists. For Stosur, the loss marks yet another disappointment. Not being able to defend the last year’s points could cause her the place among the best 10 players in the world.

photo: GETTY IMAGES