Let me first start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a happy Channukah, a great Festivus, and happy Kwanza! It's that time of year again, and once again, my Tennis Christmas Wish List.
Now the economy is picking up, but it's still not great, so I'm going to do the prudent thing and limit my list this year. Instead of 10 items, I only desire seven. It's a good, "auspicious" number, and I'm sure there will still be more then enough to discuss about it.
Each year for nearly decade, I've been creating this list as my public thoughts and feelings about where I hope the professional game will go in the coming year, and something about the products that I think will make a splash. I also make it a point to highlight something in the tennis world that few notice or may know of and invite the readers to explore. Of course, I also do it in hopes someone who normally buys me a gift will read it and supply something from it. So if any of my friends are reading this...
Okay, without further ado, in ascending order, here goes:
7. A Dunlop Biomimetic 200 Tour. Dunlop was once the king of tennis rackets, having produced the Maxply for nearly three quarters of a century and dominating the wood racket era. In recent years, they have had a spate of hits and misses, but this year, I think they have a hit. I tested the Biomimetic 200 Tour and while I found it to be true to the Dunlop name and had the very familiar Dunlop grip shape, there was something a little different with it.
I'm intrigued by the incorporation of the technology developed from studying nature and natural materials to come up with a racket that moves through the air smoother and faster. I'm not exactly sure if I could detect the improvement brought by the Aeroskin technology (based on the surface of the skin of a shark), but the racket did feel smooth and quick, especially for a tour model. I don't particularly like super tacky grips, but the Gecko-Tac grip did work as advertised. Overall, a good frame. Oh, and my grip size is 4⅜.
6. More Caroline Wozniacki. I'm asking for this one very hard this year. At times toward the end of the season, she was seen sporting leg braces and stabilizers, and as we have seen on the WTA Tour recently, the sophomore jinx usually hits. With Ana Ivanovic seeming to languish, and with U.S. stars like Melanie Oudin not yet ready for regular top-10 level play, I'm looking to see current world number one Wozniacki continue to improve and hold on to her spot.
It would be refreshing to have a consistent and new face leading the women's game and also creating the possibility for a great rivalry in the future. She's still young and can be inconsistent, but she comes into 2011 better rested and now major tournament tested. I'm looking for her to make at least the semis in Australia and hoping for a final appearance at Wimbledon in 2011. Father Christmas, can you hear me?
5. A major tournament victory for Andy Murray, preferably at Wimbledon. Let's face it, Murray has been hanging on and not quite living up to his potential. He always seems to make great runs in the big tournaments, especially at Wimbledon, only to fall short around quarterfinal time. Britain will be alive this year, as Prince William and Kate Middleton will be tying the not in April, which will only fan the UK fans flaming desires to see someone home-grown, or nearly home-grown, walk away with the title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Seventy two years is a long time to have a drought, especially given that for many years England gave birth to a host of great champions. England also gave us Australia, which of course dominated tennis from the mid-1950s until today. Murray has much more talent than Tim Henman ever had, but he doesn't appear to have the drive yet. I never saw a match at Wimbledon where Henman didn't realize that he had to play to his destiny. I still cannot forget his three-day loss to Goran Ivanisovic in 2001. I won't lament everything that happened, but had Henman beat Ivanisovic, he would have been the champion for sure.
So this year, Christmas Man, please bring Andy Murray a career season. Please give him a rocket serve, deep, penetrating ground strokes, the volley of Ken Rosewall, and the speed of the Flash. I'm not asking for too much here, and it's not that big of a stretch. So please bring this in 2011.
4. A pair of Vibram Five Finger Bikila running/fitness shoes. I have been seeing these funny, five-toed, gecko-like shoes more and more lately on runners in my area. While there are other brands, the Vibram company seems to be making the most models and has the best product reviews. I've never tried to play tennis in them, and would wonder if it would help or hurt your ankles given they don't have ankle support, but I'm guessing that if you are moving more like nature intended, injury should be less of a risk. I mean, could you imagine if you put a cheetah in boots? Exactly. I also need to start running more again, as I'm not as young as I used to be and need to keep up with the exercise. I think these shoes will help. I also think that if more of the WTA Tour players did their sprints and running in these while they worked out, there would be fewer injuries and a more entertaining tour.
3. A Grand Slam. This is going to be a challenging year for tennis, especially for tennis tournament attendance. Globally, the economy is down and the banking industry, one of the biggest sponsors of tennis, is not doing as well as was expected at this point. People have to make choices of where they will spend their money. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a whole tennis year building to the U.S. Open? Imagine the stories we journalists could write. Imagine the coverage it would get from TV. So I'm going to put this one on Andy Murray or Roger Federer. Let's see one of them win in Australia, and then at Roland Garros, then at Wimbledon, and then come into NYC with all the history riding on their back. I'd like to see another one in my lifetime on the men's side. Santa, it has just been way too long since Rod Laver and 1969.
2. Instant replay in key matches. I hate to admit it, but limiting replay in matches to player challenges has really made the game actually suck. Not that I want to see a three-set match go 22 hours because of replay, but I think at critical points a booth review, like is done in the NFL, should be made permanent. It will change the individual player pace, but I think a quick look at calls at the key points in a match would at least make it fair. Either that or eliminate it completely. You either live with the human eye or you don't. It wasn't that long ago that a net judge used to call all the "net" calls. Now they've been replaced with a sensor and "eagle eye." So why not start to eliminate the line and baseline judges almost completely? Heck, it will make it harder for Serena to yell at someone.
And last, but not least...
1. A Daniela Hantuchova calendar. Okay, its really shallow. But I've seen some shots from it. It's very good, without being over the top. I've read a lot of tennis books this last year, and I have seen a ton of professional sports calendars. Daniela's takes the cake. Tasteful and very artistic. It also doesn't hurt that all of the proceeds go to the House of the Smile Children's Hospital of Cambodia to help children with HIV. Professional sports is loaded with athletes who cannot see beyond themselves. It's nice to recognize a young tennis player who realizes that there is something more important out there. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting one in my stocking, but hopefully some of you will.
In case you still have last-minute shopping to do, there are a few professional tennis players who have their own businesses, as well, so I encourage you to check out their stores for gift ideas. Of course there is always Alina Jidkova and her BeMyPearl.com jewelry designs. Serena and Venus have their clothing lines. Many of the players have their own fragrances. Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, heck, even Rafa Nadal is the new face of Lanvin Sport fragrance. Or maybe you can purchase your tennis fan or significant other tickets to a tournament or tennis exhibition.
So there you have it, my Tennis Christmas Wish List for 2010. I'd like to wish all of the professional tennis men and women a great holiday season and much success in the new year. I'd also like to thank you, the readers of Sports Central. For another year you have blessed us with your readership and many of you have added your commentary and insight, which makes Sports Central the premier sports website.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
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