Month: April 2021

If you’re stuck trying to find a gift for your tennis-loving friend, then have no fear, they’re actually pretty easy to buy for. Here are some great ideas to help you find gifts for tennis players or just lovers of the game.

Tennis Gifts

There are more than a billion tennis fans around the world, and if you can guarantee anything when something becomes that popular, it’s that people will start selling novelty gifts that cater to them. Even if your tennis-playing friend has gadgets up to the eyeballs, they probably won’t have one of these…

Does your tennis-fanatic friend serve their salad with the same kind of gusto as they do their topspin groundstroke? Then ensure they do so in true tennis fashion by gifting them these quirky, lightweight beechwood salad servers.

These SALADTEN1 salad servers from Suck UK will make a great addition to your friends’ kitchen and will keep them motivated to keep their diet light and healthy while training for their big tournament.

Tennis Bubble Gumballs

For some fun, tennis-themed stocking-fillers, you can’t go wrong with these flavourful Tennis Bubble Gumballs. They come in a pack of 12 tennis ball tubes and are made to look exactly like tennis balls – so real in fact, your friends will probably be tempted to give them a bounce.

These Tennis Gumballs are great novelty gifts for all ages and will prove to be a hit for tennis-themed parties or gift bags too.

ChalkTalkSports Personalized Printed Tennis Ball

Make sure your friends stay on top of their game by gifting them a personalized printed tennis ball from ChalkTalkSports. This ball – whether you customize it with your friends’ name or a personal message – will become the visual inspiration they need to slay on the courts.

This personalized printed tennis ball is not intended for use but decoration and motivation. It will become your friend’s favorite tennis-themed decorative piece for their desks or bedside tables.

You Just Got Served T-Shirt

This is the ultimate gift for that friend of yours who loves a good pun. This stylish, black t-shirt featuring the slogan, “You Just Got Served”, is made of 90% cotton, and will be sure to keep your friend cool and cheeky on the courts.

The text is printed in classic yellow-green and white tennis colors and is bound to get your friends a few giggles around the club.

Tennis Heartbeat Shirt

If you are certain your friend’s heart beats to the sound of tennis balls bouncing off the court, you can’t go wrong with a t-shirt that illustrates his sportive heartbeat. This simple and eye-catching Heartbeat t-shirt is made from 100% cotton and will make a great addition to your friends’ tennis wardrobe.

It’s Not My Fault: 150 Hilarious Excuses Every Tennis Player Should Know

One of the most important things we all need to succeed in life and our game is a good sense of humor. This funny little book of tennis humor features hilarious cartoons and the most ridiculous excuses that have been heard on courts from around the world.

It’s Not My Fault: 150 Hilarious Excuses Every Tennis Player Should Knowwill remind your tennis pals not to take themselves too serious and always find their sense of humor even during the toughest of matches.

Love Hurts Trucker Cap

Make sure your friend stays protected from the harsh sun rays during the next tennis season, by hooking them up with this cool “Love Hurts” trucker cap, featuring an embroidered tennis ball as the “o”.

The cap will act as a great reminder that, sometimes, we need to move through the pain and muscle-ache of training in order to thrive in the game we love.

Tennis Ball Wine Bottle Stopper

This is an excellent gift for the people in your life who have found the perfect balance between training and relaxation: a tennis ball wine bottle stopper. This unique gift is elegantly designed and will remind your friends to celebrate a great match with a good bottle of wine.

Candy Shop Tennis Gumballs

Here’s another great idea for your sweet-toothed tennis friends. These tennis gumballs have a deliciously fresh lemon flavour and can be used as cake-toppers and cookie decorations too. The ideal gift for your hard-hitting friends at the club!

Tennis Dammit Doll

If your friend is known to be a sore loser on the courts, help them avoid future embarrassment by hooking them up with a dammit doll. The tennis dammit doll was specifically designed to help keep your friends’ verbal aggression in check.

Instead of going on a foul-mouthed rant and throwing around their racket, they will now be able to throw around and beat on their dammit doll to let out their sore-loser aggressions.

You Got Served Served Wine Glasses

Allow your tennis friends and family to serve their favorite wines as beautifully as they do their backhand strokes with these cheeky You Got Served wine glasses. Dishwasher safe and stylish, these stemless big wine glasses will also serve a mean whiskey on the rocks or liquor of choice.

With so many tennis-lovers in the world, it’s not surprising that there’s a wealth of tennis-related equipment, gadgetry and novelty for all your gift-giving needs.

Official Wimbledon Towel

The Official Wimbledon Towel is a bit of a classic. In iconic purple and green, the towel is immediately identifiable with the century-old history of the world’s longest-standing Grand Slam tournament. Every Wimbledon towel sold is identical to those used by the players on court, so why not help your friend or loved one feel like a Grand Slam pro?

http://shop.wimbledon.com/stores/wimbledon/en/product/wimbledon-mens-2018-championship-towel/216355

Roger Federer Life Size Cutout

Every amateur tennis player will have an idol, whether from the long, nostalgic history of the sport, or a modern pro battling it out on the tour today. Tennis fans have idolized players for decades, with celebrities like Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Martina Navratilova all reaching pin-up status in their time.

However, the innovation for the modern age is that now your idols can be sent to you in the post – in life-size Roger Federer cutout form!

So why not give the perfect gift, and let your tennis player spend some time with their idol?

Personalized Tennis Mug

Perhaps it just looks like a mug to you, but tennis fans will really love this. This mug is full customizable so your imagination. Commemorate your loved one’s imaginary victory over Rafael Nadal, or create a lasting record of that friendly office match, and with this tongue-in-cheek gift.

TopspinPro

The best thing you can gift a friend who is struggling with their topspin groundstrokes is a tennis-coach-approved tool that is guaranteed to improve their technique. The TopspinPro can make that happen – in just two minutes a day.

The TopspinPro screens are designed to force players to hold their racket tilted forward, providing a constant angle within the contact zone. With the ball mounted to a spindle, this tennis tool will allow players to practice the movements needed to brush up the back of the ball for perfect topspin shots.

BusyBee Tennis Dampeners

Everyone can use some motivational language from time to time, especially when preparing for an important game. Show your friend support by gifting them these colorful BusyBee tennis dampers.

These high-quality and durable dampers will kill any unwanted vibrations during your game while keeping your mind focused and calm. Each damper comes in a different color and features a different mantra such as, “Focus”, “You Got This” and “Move Your Feet”.

With so many tennis-lovers in the world, it’s not surprising that there’s a wealth of tennis-related equipment, gadgetry and novelty for all your gift-giving needs.

Tennis Gadgets

But what to do if you know a tennis player with all the latest equipment he could ever need? Well he may not know about some of the fun tennis gadgets being made today. You can buy everything from a Tennis Ball Dryer (because no one wants to play with damp tennis balls), to a portable tennis ball machine, helping players to practice their serve by firing out 150 tennis balls at them.

Adidas MiCoach Cell

Here’s the idea behind the Adidas MiCoach Cell: you take a little green sensor and clip it to the laces on your tennis shoes, synchronize it with the MiCoach app on your phone, and there you go.

MiCoach will track your rallies, your speed, the distance you run, the directions you run. All you need to do is check your phone afterward for a full roster of performance stats. What tennis player wouldn’t be tempted by that?

String Thing Tennis String Straightening Device

If you’ve ever watched a tennis match and wondered what the players are doing when they constantly look down at their rackets and pluck at the strings, I’ll tell you.

The players are straightening out the strings after the impact of the tennis ball onto the racket has knocked them out of alignment. Naturally enough, there’s also a gadget that can straighten those strings for you and that is the String Thing Tennis String Straightening Device.

Zepp 2 Tennis Swing Analyzer

Charge the Zepp Tennis Swing Analyzer, sync it to a phone via Bluetooth, attach it to a racket and then get swinging. That’s all a tennis player needs to do, and then when they check the App afterward they’ll be greeted by an amazing breakdown of stats. S

hot power, spin, the length of rallies – they’ll be amazed at what the Zepp Tennis Swing Analyzer can tell them. Even better, the app analyses the player’s swing and offers personalized tips, coaching and drills.

Tennis Ball Machine

If you have a friend that is really into their tennis and you don’t mind splashing out a bit on them, a tennis ball machine could be a great gift to help them get better at the game and practice without the need for a partner. Be warned they are quite expensive!

Tennis Gear

Why not begin with the basics? Tennis has come a long way since the age when rackets were made from wood. These days, having the right equipment can make all the difference to a player’s comfort and performance, so why not help your friend or loved one to get ahead?

Tennis Rackets

High-tech tennis rackets made from pro-grade, ultra-light nano carbons with motion sensors in the handle are no longer the preserve of the tennis elite. Brands like Babolat, Wilson, Völkl and Yonex have been working hard to make high-tech options affordable.

Something Like the Babolat Pure Drive is light and responsive enough for a pro to feel at home with it, and comes complete with sensors in the handle to help you track your performance. A gift like that should be enough to make most amateur players shout with excitement.

Tennis Shoes

A lot of people think that trainers are trainers and that a shoe that’s good for the gym will be just as good for the Tennis, but that really isn’t the case.

Tennis is a very specific sport that requires shoes tailored for sprinting and high impact movement (to absorb the shocks from all that jumping). Excellent grip and a well-cushioned heel are the features to look out for.

Buy your loved one some high-quality tennis shoes, like the Addidas Barricade Club, and their feet will love you forever.

Tennis Lessons

Lessons may not be “gear” precisely, but they’re the purchase most likely to help improve your loved one’s game. Once you’ve mastered the basics, real improvement in tennis tends to come from minor corrections in technique to one particular shot or another. That’s why almost any amateur player is going to be delighted by the opportunity to learn from an expert.

To make it even easier, many tennis clubs these days will offer gift vouchers for tennis lessons so that your giftee can book them for a convenient date and time.

The Serbia Open was an ATP World Tour 250 series men’s tennis tournament. Held for the first time in 2009, the event was played on outdoor clay courts in Belgrade, Serbia.

In 2009, the event ran from the 4th to the 10th of May. In subsequent years, the tournament has commenced on a similar date. As Serbia had never hosted an Association of Tennis Professionals or a Women’s Tennis Association tournament before, the event was a first for the country and put Serbia on the sporting map.

Who Set it Up?

Serbia Open was set up by the family of Novak Djokovic, who still own the tournament today. Through their company, Family Sport, the Djokovic’s purchased the ATP Tour date in 2008 from the organizers of the Dutch Open.

Shortly after, they conversed with the Belgrade authorities and purchased a plot of land to build the venue. Additionally, they convinced the Serbia prime minister, Mirko Cvetković to back the event through the state-owned enterprise, Telekom Srbija.

When the Djokovic family set up the tournament, Novak Djokovic was deemed the third best player in the world after winning the Grand Slam title earlier that year. During its course, Djokovic won Serbia Open twice, in 2009 and 2011. Each member of the Djokovic family had a different role in the tournament, with Novak’s uncle Goran taking on the role of director. He continued to direct the tournament until he resigned in 2012, shortly after the 2012 competition ended.

Who is Novak Djokovic?

Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player. Currently, the sportsman is ranked No. 1 (January 2019) in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals.

He, along with female tennis players Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, have turned Serbia into one of the leading tennis nations in the world. Over the past few seasons, the Serbian players have excelled in their sport and turned Serbia into a leading tennis nation.

Over his career, Djokovic has won thirty-two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 series titles, fourteen Grand Slam titles, five ATP Finals titles, and twelve ATP World Tour 5000 titles. In terms of major tennis tournaments, he has won:

• 4 Wimbledon titles
• 6 Australian Open titles
• 3 US Open titles
• 1 French Open title

Shortly after his victory at the French Open, Djokovic was crowned the eighth player in history to achieve the Career Grand Slam. He also became the third man to hold the four major titles simultaneously.

Djokovic has won numerous awards including the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year in 2012, 2015, and 2016. In 2011, he bagged the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award and was the recipient of the Order of Karadorde’s Star, the Order of St. Sava, and the Order of the Republika Srpska. He uses Head tennis equipment.

Why are the Current Serbian Players So Successful?

Since the success of Djokovic, other Serbian tennis players have been climbing the ranks. According to Djokovic, the reasons for their success can be traced back to 1999. At this time, NATO planes bombed Belgrade just before Slobodan Milosevic was removed as president.

At just 12 years old, Djokovic was kept home from school because of the dangerous situation. Consequently, Serbian youngsters had hours of free time to practice tennis and other sports. Djokovic explained that other top players including Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic,  and Tipsarevic all went through the same situation.

“I think it is a question that has been raised and asked to all of us, for last two, three years, how come you are coming from such a small country with so many problems and you still managed to become top players you know,”

Additionally, Djokovic says that bonds formed during the bombings have given Serbian players a sense of community and purpose.

“As a small country we got united in those critical times and we supported each other and right now that the country is prospering and it has turned its intentions towards the West and I am happy with the situation as it is now,” he added.

Past Winners

Winning the tournament in 2012, Andreas Seppi was the event’s last singles champion. However, the competition has seen a host of other winners over the years.

In 2009, tournament owner Novak Djokovic became champion, followed by Poland’s Łukasz Kubot as runner-up. In 2010, the winner was United States Sam Querrey, followed by United States John Isner in second place. Novak Djokovic secured first place once more in the 2011 edition, followed by Spain’s Feliciano López.

The first winners of the doubles competition were Poland’s Łukasz Kubot and Austria’s Oliver Marach, with Sweden’s Johan Brunström and Netherlands Antilles Jean-Julien Rojer securing second place.

In 2010, Mexico’s Santiago González and the United States Travis Rettenmaier won first place, while Poland’s Tomasz Bednarek and Mateusz Kowalczyk finished just behind. The champions of the 2011 edition were Czech Republic’s František Čermák and Slovakia’s Filip Polášek. That year, Austria’s Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya came in second. The last doubles winners were Israel’s Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, winning first place in 2012.

Singles Champions

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
2009	Novak Djokovic	Łukasz Kubot	6–3, 7–6(7–0)
2010	Sam Querrey	John Isner	3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
2011	Novak Djokovic	Feliciano López	7–6(7–4), 6–2
2012	Andreas Seppi	Benoît Paire	6–3, 6–2

Doubles Champions

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
2009	ŁukaszKubot Oliver Marach	Johan Brunström Jean-Julien Rojer	6–2, 7–6(7–3)
2010	Santiago González Travis Rettenmaier	Tomasz Bednarek Mateusz Kowalczyk	7–6(8–6), 6–1
2011	František Čermák Filip Polášek	Oliver Marach Alexander Peya	7–5, 6–2
2012	Jonathan Erlich Andy Ram	Martin Emmrich Andreas Siljeström	4–6, 6–2, [10–6]

Results

2009

Round 1	Result
J. Tipsarevic – S. Roitman	2:0 (7 : 5) (6 : 2)
V. Crivoi – I. Ljubicic	1:2 (6 : 7) (6 : 3) (4 : 6)
L. Kubot – A. Zlatanovic	2:0 (6 : 3) (7 : 5)
K. Vliegen – D. Hrbaty	2:1 (2 : 6) (6 : 2) (6 : 2)
S. Querrey – V. Troicki	1:2 (6 : 4) (4 : 6) (3 : 6)
F. Krajinovic – M. Granollers	1:2 (0 : 6) (6 : 2) (2 : 6)
A. Clement – S. Ventura	2:0 (6 : 1) (6 : 4)
M. Daniel – G. Canas	2:1 (3 : 6) (6 : 1) (6 : 4)
C. Rochus – N. Devilder	2:1 (6 : 3) (6 : 7) (7 : 5)
Round 2
B. Dabul – I. Karlovic	0:2 (4 : 6) (6 : 7)
A. Clement – F. Cipolla	1:2 (6 : 1) (4 : 6) (2 : 6)
M. Daniel – I. Ljubicic	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 3)
A. Seppi – L. Mayer	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 1)
N. Djokovic – J. Tipsarevic	2:1 (6 : 2) (4 : 6) (6 : 0)
M. Granollers – V. Troicki	0:2 (3 : 6) (4 : 6)
C. Rochus – K. Vliegen	1:2 (6 : 3) (4 : 6) (3 : 6)
L. Kubot – I. Andreev	1:0 (3 : 2)
W. Odesnik – L. Mayer	0:2 (3 : 6) (2 : 6)
B. Dabul – N. Massu	2:0 (6 : 2) (6 : 1)
F. Cipolla – M. Baghdatis	2:1 (1 : 6) (6 : 3) (6 : 1)
Quarter Finals
N. Djokovic – V. Troicki	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 2)
A. Seppi – M. Daniel	2:0 (6 : 4) (7 : 5)
F. Cipolla – I. Karlovic	0:2 (3 : 6) (3 : 6)
K. Vliegen – L. Kubot	0:2 (6 : 7) (3 : 6)
Semi Finals
N. Djokovic – A. Seppi	2:1 (4 : 6) (6 : 1) (6 : 2)
L. Kubot – I. Karlovic	2:0 (7 : 6) (6 : 2)
Final
N. Djokovic – L. Kubot	2:0 (6 : 3) (7 : 6)

2010

Round 1	Result
H. Zeballos – J. Tipsarevic	2:1 (2 : 6) (6 : 4) (7 : 6)
H. Zeballos – P. Polansky	2:1 (2 : 6) (6 : 4) (7 : 6)
M. Djokovic – A. Dimauro	1:2 (7 : 6) (5 : 7) (0 : 6)
A. Seppi – L. Mayer	2:1 (2 : 6) (6 : 1) (6 : 4)
E. Donskoy – F. Krajinovic	1:2 (7 : 5) (6 : 7) (1 : 6)
F. Fognini – F. Skugor	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 1)
O. Rochus – R. Gasquet	0:2 (0 : 6) (1 : 6)
F. Cipolla – J. Ouanna	0:2 (3 : 6) (1 : 6)
V. Troicki – I. Navarro	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 0)
D. Lajovic – I. Karlovic	0:2 (6 : 7) (4 : 6)
E. Korolev – M. Russell	2:0 (6 : 1) (6 : 0)
I. Andreev – B. Kavcic	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 2)
K. Beck – F. Serra	0:2 (3 : 6) (3 : 6)
Round 2
N. Djokovic – F. Fognini	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 4)
F. Krajinovic – H. Zeballos	2:1 (6 : 3) (1 : 6) (7 : 6)
J. Ouanna – J. Isner	0:2 (2 : 6) (4 : 6)
A. Seppi – R. Gasquet	1:2 (6 : 4) (2 : 6) (5 : 7)
V. Troicki – F. Serra	2:0 (6 : 0) (6 : 1)
A. Dimauro – S. Wawrinka	0:2 (1 : 6) (4 : 6)
S. Querrey – E. Korolev	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 4)
I. Andreev – I. Karlovic	2:0 (6 : 4) (7 : 5)
Quarter Finals
N. Djokovic – F. Krajinovic	0:1 (4 : 6)
S. Querrey – I. Andreev	2:1 (6 : 3) (2 : 6) (6 : 4)
V. Troicki – S. Wawrinka	1:2 (5 : 7) (7 : 6) (6 : 7)
R. Gasquet – J. Isner	1:2 (6 : 2) (6 : 7) (3 : 6)
Semi Finals
F. Krajinovic – S. Querrey	0:2 (1 : 6) (2 : 6)
S. Wawrinka – J. Isner	0:2 (5 : 7) (5 : 7)
Final
S. Querrey – J. Isner	2:1 (3 : 6) (7 : 6) (6 : 4)

2011

Round 1	Result
F. Volandri – D. Lajovic	2:0 (6 : 1) (6 : 4)
R. Mello – J. Isner	2:0 (6 : 4) (7 : 6)
M. Granollers – F. Skugor	2:0 (7 : 5) (6 : 1)
F. Gonzalez – M. Klizan	2:0 (6 : 2) (6 : 4)
A. Peya – M. Berrer	1:2 (6 : 4) (3 : 6) (4 : 6)
J. Monaco – F. Lopez	0:2 (4 : 6) (5 : 7)
A. Ungur – R. Ramirez Hidalgo	2:1 (6 : 7) (6 : 3) (6 : 4)
M. Kukushkin – S. Dev Varman	1:2 (6 : 1) (4 : 6) (2 : 6)
E. Gulbis – I. Marchenko	0:2 (2 : 6) (4 : 6)
K. Nishikori – J. Tipsarevic	1:2 (6 : 2) (2 : 6) (6 : 7)
M. Zverev – D. Sela	2:1 (7 : 6) (3 : 6) (6 : 3)
T. Kamke – B. Kavcic	0:2 (6 : 7) (1 : 6)
Round 2
M. Granollers – V. Troicki	2:0 (6 : 2) (6 : 3)
M. Zverev – J. Tipsarevic	0:2 (2 : 6) (0 : 6)
I. Marchenko – F. Volandri	1:2 (3 : 6) (6 : 1) (3 : 6)
G. Garcia-Lopez – S. Dev Varman	1:2 (6 : 7) (6 : 2) (6 : 7)
N. Djokovic – A. Ungur	2:0 (6 : 2) (6 : 3)
F. Lopez – F. Gonzalez	2:0 (6 : 4) (7 : 6)
M. Berrer – A. Montanes	1:2 (6 : 3) (2 : 6) (2 : 6)
B. Kavcic – R. Mello	2:0 (7 : 5) (6 : 3)
Quarter Finals
N. Djokovic – B. Kavcic	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 2)
S. Dev Varman – J. Tipsarevic	1:2 (3 : 6) (6 : 3) (4 : 6)
F. Volandri – M. Granollers	2:0 (6 : 2) (6 : 4)
F. Lopez – A. Montanes	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 4)
Semi Finals
N. Djokovic – J. Tipsarevic
F. Lopez – F. Volandri	2:0 (7 : 6) (6 : 2)
Final
N. Djokovic – F. Lopez	2:0 (7 : 6) (6 : 2)

2012

Round 1	Result
L. Rosol – L. Kubot	2:0 (7 : 5) (6 : 2)
B. Kavcic – A. Veic	0:2 (1 : 6) (1 : 6)
B. Paire – F. Fognini	2:0 (6 : 1) (6 : 4)
G. Garcia-Lopez – I. Kunitsyn	2:1 (7 : 6) (6 : 7) (6 : 2)
E. Schwank – D. Sela	2:0 (6 : 2) (7 : 6)
R. Harrison – J. Souza	0:2 (3 : 6) (3 : 6)
V. Hanescu – C. Gomez-Herrera	2:1 (6 : 2) (5 : 7) (6 : 3)
A. Bedene – M. Klizan	2:0 (6 : 4) (7 : 6)
G. Muller – L. Lacko	2:1 (6 : 0) (4 : 6) (6 : 3)
F. Volandri – M. Djokovic	2:0 (6 : 3) (6 : 1)
E. Donskoy – D. Lajovic	0:2 (5 : 7) (4 : 6)
I. Dodig – A. Ungur	2:1 (6 : 2) (6 : 7) (6 : 4)
Round 2
V. Hanescu – L. Rosol	0:2 (6 : 7) (3 : 6)
G. Garcia-Lopez – B. Paire	1:2 (6 : 4) (5 : 7) (5 : 7)
P. Andujar – F. Volandri	2:1 (4 : 6) (7 : 5) (6 : 2)
A. Bedene – D. Nalbandian	0:2 (4 : 6) (3 : 6)
G. Muller – E. Schwank	2:0 (6 : 3) (7 : 6)
J. Souza – D. Lajovic	1:0 (4 : 2)
I. Dodig – A. Seppi	0:2 (4 : 6) (2 : 6)
Quarter Finals
J. Souza – D. Nalbandian	0:2 (3 : 6) (2 : 6)
G. Muller – A. Seppi	0:2 (4 : 6) (3 : 6)
J. Nieminen – B. Paire	1:2 (6 : 0) (2 : 6) (5 : 7)
P. Andujar – L. Rosol	2:0 (6 : 4) (6 : 3)
J. Nieminen – A. Veic	2:1 (6 : 3) (4 : 6) (6 : 3)
Semi Finals
D. Nalbandian – A. Seppi	1:2 (6 : 2) (2 : 6) (5 : 7)
P. Andujar – B. Paire	1:2 (3 : 6) (6 : 1) (3 : 6)
Final
B. Paire – A. Seppi	0:2 (3 : 6) (2 : 6)

What Happened?

During it’s running, Serbia Open was a popular competition that saw a host of world-class names. However, in 2013 the tournament was replaced on the ATP schedule by the Power Horse Cup in Düsseldorf. According to reliable sources, the tournament failed to attract major sponsors or top players. In the 2012 edition, even Djokovic himself failed to attend, along with other top Serbian players. Family Sport, the organizers of the tournament, said that canceling the event was the most rational decision considering the circumstances.

Although Serbia Open may have run its course, Novak Djokovic remains a top tennis player.

In professional tennis, perfectly decent tennis balls are produced, used and discarded in large volumes and in no time. To meet the industry standards, balls have to be in mint condition, since the slightest deviation or deformity in its curvature could lead to losing an important set, match, or even a tournament. Tennis balls get quite dirty after frequent use and yet, they are always expected to be in pristine condition, especially during high-end televised events. At competition level, balls are changed after every third or fourth game, with a Grand Slam Tournament using up to 5000 balls.

Amateur players tend to see tennis balls as short-term, dischargeable items, too. After all, they are not too expensive. Once you start making numbers, however, you will realize the number of balls you use up in one year add up. By keeping your tennis balls in good condition, you will be saving a small fortune.

That’s not the only advantage of maintaining your tennis balls properly. 300 million tennis ball are fabricated every year, 125 million of which are used in the United States alone. Unfortunately, many of those end up in garbage dumps, where they decompose very slowly, producing contaminating methane gas. By keeping your tennis balls in good shape for a longer life of usage, you will also be contributing to the environment.

When playing tennis on an amateur level, tennis balls are much easier to maintain, since they are not subjected to the same stress and forces as they are in the professional field. No matter what kind of game you’re playing, however, balls will get dirtier and dirtier with every match – especially when playing on an outdoor tennis court – to the point you may think it’s no longer worth keeping them. This is also true for the many balls that end up being recycled as pet toys that look like nothing more than a slimy ball of germs.

By following these methods below, you will be able to clean your tennis balls and make them look as good as new without affecting your game – or your pet’s health.

Hand washing your tennis balls

The first approach to cleaning your tennis ball is the most straightforward: nothing beats a good old hand-washing session.

Start by holding the balls under the tap one by one and rinsing them thoroughly. Focus the water pressure on any stubborn patches of residual dirt, and you’ll usually find you can blast it off with the help of a little gentle massage.

Fill a bucket or sink with warm water. Make sure the water isn’t too hot, so you don’t burn your hands when you submerge them. The amount of water will depend on the number of balls you will wash at the same time, so as to leave enough space to manoeuvre them. If the balls are very dirty, just wash one or two of them at a time. Add some fairy liquid or laundry detergent; a few drops per ball should do, but you can add more if needed. These detergents are soft enough to help eliminate dirt without damaging the ball’s surface and texture. If the ball you’re washing is your pet’s toy, you can use vinegar instead, which is completely pet-friendly.

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty: Put your hands in the water, grab a ball and start rubbing it with your thumbs to get rid of any deep-rooted dirt, then move on to the next one. Once you’ve rubbed off the muck, allow the balls to soak for a few minutes (around 5 minutes per ball; 8 if they are very dirty).

Take the balls out of the water and dry them with a cloth. The rough texture of the fabric will help remove any remaining grime from the ball as it dries. You can finalize the drying process by laying them out in the sun. You can also place them in the dryer on a low-temperature program, although this is less advisable.

Cleaning your tennis balls using a washing machine

As per the first method, rinse the tennis balls under the tap and be sure to remove any superficial dirt. Sometimes, little fragments adhere to the surface of the ball when playing on asphalt or gravel; if you frequently play on these types of grounds, you may want to reconsider cleaning them in your washing machine to avoid damage.

Washing tennis balls in a washing machine can be a tad tricky since you’re not managing the whole process manually. The balls can be affected by several aspects, namely temperatures and centrifugation, which can deform the balls beyond repair. Therefore, it is very important to use a cold wash program without a spin cycle. For the rest, it is like doing your daily laundry; use the same quantity of laundry detergent you would normally use for a small load of clothes and start the program.

Once the washing machine has worked its magic, you can dry the balls by laying them out in the sun or using a hair dryer at low temperature and at a distance, as to not damage the ball surface.

Use Kleenball

If you’re not convinced by any of the previous options, you can always use “Kleenball”, the first patented tennis ball cleaner. Created in 1905, Kleenball is a tool in the shape of an egg, with a wooden outer casing and an opening in the middle that divides the two pieces. The inside is fitted with bristle ball cleaning and reviving brushes. To clean your tennis ball using Kleenball, simply insert the ball, close the tool and use your hands to move both pieces in a circular motion, letting the robust brushes do their work. It won’t be easy to get your hands on one of these, though; there are but a few of them scattered around the world and can only be found via online auctions and the odd antique shop, with prices ranging from 200 to 300 pounds.