Issue

7-2017

ERSA International Racket Sports

OPEN Magazine
______________________________________
AUSTRALIAN STRINGING

PRO STRINGER
HEAD RED COLLECTION
TECNIFIBRE T-Flash
BABOLAT PURE AERO
INDUSTRY NEWS
TIPS

NEW PRODUCTS
-Tecnifibre Bags
- GAMMA
ISSUE 5Rackets
1- -2015
www.ersa-stringers.com

ISSUE 2014
INDUSTRY NEWS
ASHAWAY ZYEX
ERSA SQUASH
TIPS
contents
04 My Serve
Contents
Features
4 My Serve
6 New Products
05 New CS, MRT, 10 What is Zyex
04 My
PTS, MRS Serve 13 Symposium
05 New MRTs 15 Tour Shorts
06 New Products 16 Industry New
06 NewNews
19 Industry Products
24 Squash News
18
24 Tips String Intros
26 Tips

26 0420 Industry News

ERSAMyATWServe
30 ERSA ATW Industry News
06 New Products
13 Industry News
Ashaway Signs Elias
Lacoste aquires Tecnifibre
Kirschbaum GUT FEELING

24 Tips Dunlop Srixon

Laver Cup
Amazon Prime
26 ERSA ATW New PTR Office
 4

My Serve
Pro Stringer
European Racquet Stringers Association

ERSA Australia
Noel Dodds

ERSA Benelux
Timo van Driel, Rob Maessen
ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia
Vaclav Smat
ERSA Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Mike Emenako, Mark Maslowski
ERSA Greece Manager
George Pahiakos
ERSA Italy Manager - Marco Rossani
ERSA Ireland - Roger Henry
ERSA Korea - Taikki Lee
ERSA Latin America
Ricardo Dipold
ERSA Serbia - Dr. Alexander Ducic
My Serve
Finally we have the 2018 Sympo-
sium set up. Due to problems with
the venue we had to find a new hotel and tennis center. We
now have a great facility in Milano with meeting rooms, courts
and a large choice of hotel rooms. The 2018 Symposium
will take place from April 6 - 10, 2018 with an expected 100+
members attending.
Please sign up as early as possible as we are expecting a
record number of sign-ups. Tennis Europe will also join us in
promoting the Symposium to all of their members and
readers. Right now, the flights are very inexpensive so it is
time to start planning. The sign-up sheet and schedule are
included in this issue. The exact times of presentations and
speakers will be presented in the next issue.

ERSA Spain - France After a busy tournament stringing summer season our
Richard Parnell
managers have a large number of workshops and certification
ERSA Taiwan - Bernie Chen courses scheduled for
October. Our current managers and testers are all pro tour
ERSA UK
Paul Skipp, Huw Phillips, Dr. Jamie Pethick
stringers so our summer season is much slower for
certification and workshops. ERSA will be giving over 70
ERSA UKAINE - Sergey Konovolenko certification tests around the world and workshops for over
FOUNDING MEMBERS
100 stringers in one month.
Ashaway Babolat
Head Isospeed ERSA China will be launched in October and I will be doing
Kirschbaum Luxilon
Pacific Wilson
the first workshop and certification in Shanghai. We have new
managers and testers who will take over and are looking for a
CORPORATE MEMBERS busy year with a large number of members.
Ashaway Head Babolat
Prince Isospeed Yonex
GOSEN Tecnifibre We are now working on the new ERSA Pro Stringers Guide
which is replacing the
STRING SUPPLIER MEMBERS
Apollo Leisure MSV String Kong
Stringers Digest. A new
Kirschbaum Signum Pro Techniques Section will be added
this year with updated information
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
PTR Europe TIA UK
along with all the new stringing
TENNIS EUROPE information on all the 2017-18
tennis, badminton and squash
TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS
Rod Cross - Australia - Physics
rackets.
Gabe Jarmillo - Pro Tennis I hope to see many of you on my
travelsover the next months in
European Racquet Stringers Association
Lenaustr. 38 40470 Düsseldorf
Asia, Middle East and Europe.
DE Germany
Phone / Fax +49(0)211-68814151
Mark Maslowski
www.ersa-stringers.com
 ERSA Stringers, PS, MPS, PTS
ERSA now offers certification for different levels of stringers, from
beginners to the top professional stringers in the world.

The first level is ERSA Stringer is for new stringers to show they have
completed a stringing course and learned to string correctly.

ERSA Professional Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches,

club stringers, shop stringers, after passing a day of practical and written
tests.

ERSA Master Professional Stringer Level 1 and Level 2 is for shop ERSA PROFESSIONAL STRINGER

stringers and owners who can tune racquets, string at a high level and
have a broad knowledge of products for their customers.

Pro Tour Stringer certification is for those who are stringing at ATP and
WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this certification, Level 1, Level
2 and Master Pro Tour Stringer. ERSA MASTER PROFESSIONAL STRINGER

We now offer certification for Tennis, Badminton and Squash.

STRINGS
MADE IN GERMANY
SINCE 1985
6

New Products
GAMMA introduces their new line of RZR rackets with an
open string pattern for lots of spin and power.

The blackRZR is an all round racket that can be used by inter-

mediate to tournament players. The racket is designed for
powerful groundstrokes and spin with the open string pattern.
Avilable in grip sizes: L2 and L3
Replaces the RZR 100M

Headsize: 100 in²

Length: 27"
Weight: 300 g
Width: 24-26-22 mm
Grip: RZR Tac
String Pattern: 16/18

The blueRZR is the lighest racket in the new RZR series. The
racket is designed for
powerful groundstrokes and spin with the open string pattern.
Avilable in grip sizes: L2 and L3

Headsize: 98 in²
Length: 27"
Weight: 285 g
Grip: RZR Tac
String Pattern: 16/18
 7

New Products
The redRZR is an all round racket designed for ambitious
recreational players. The racket is perfect for a junior or adult
player looking for a light maneuverable frame.
Avilable in grip sizes: L1, L2 and L3

Width: 22-20-20 mm
Grip: RZR Tac
String Pattern: 16/18

The whiteRZR was developed for the all court player with
tremendous spin potential on ground strokes and serves. High
maneuverability and touch at the net, as well as power at the
baseline. The racket has a smaller headsize, head light and a
thinner beam.

Headsize: 95 in²
Length: 27"
Weight: 315 g
Width: 22-20-20 mm
Grip: RZR Tac
String Pattern: 16/18
8

New Products

Rackpack
Tecnifibre has come up with a great new bag line. I ordered the
Rackpack Pro for our shop as soon as I saw it. Something totally new and innovative. There is an
organizing system inside to keep everything in it’s place. A place for water, clothes, balls,
accessories, shoes, mobile and wallet.
www.tecnifibre.com

Rackpack Backpack
L -32cm x W - 52cm x D - 20cm
The backpack has adjustable shoudle
straps, high density foam inside for shock
absorbtion, 2 racket packet, 1 large center
pocket, 1 accessoriees pocket and 1 phone
pocket.

RACKPACK Club
L - 60cm x W - 31cm x D - 31cm
The Little Big Bag holds 10 rackets, has 2 long
shoulder handles, 2 carrying handles, 1 large
pocket for up to 10 rackets, 1 separated ventilated
shoe pocket for 2 pairs, 1phone pocket and one
net pocket.

RACKPACK Pro
L - 79cm x W - 33cm x D - 33cm
Adjustable backpack handles, 1 chest
belt, 2 carrying handles, high density
foam inside for shock absorbtion, air
mesh outside for breathability, clothes
rack, balls rack, water rack, accesso-
iries rack, ventilated shoe packet for 2
pairs, phone pocket and 2 net pockets.
9

Designed for Pro‘s. This monofile polyester string offers ultimate control
combined with high ball speed. Now released!

Diese Monofile Polyestersaite wurde speziell für die Anforderungen auf der Profitour entwickelt. Volle Kontrolle bei
hoher Beschleunigung. Jetzt released nach erfolgreichem Einsatz auf der Tour!

www.isospeed.com
10

What is Zyex
What in the World is Zyex®, Anyway?
By Steve Crandall
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Ashaway Racket Strings
One of my pet peeves are those TV ads that tell you a product is wonderful because it "contains
Hydromethoxoflam," or some such miracle ingredient, but then never tell you what "Hydrometh-
oxoflam" is, or why it makes the product so good. Well, it should be no secret by now—at least, I
certainly hope it's not a secret—that Ashaway is now producing several new Zyex® tennis strings.
And we too are making claims about how wonderful they are (which in our case are all true, of
course). So, I think it's a reasonable question to ask, just what is Zyex, and why does it make such
wonderful string?

Actually, Zyex is rather neat stuff, and I'll try to describe it with as little technical jargon as pos-
sible. Zyex is the trade name for a high temperature, engineering grade polymer known as poly-
etheretherketone, or PEEK. According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, "Polyketones are a
family of high-performance thermoplastic polymers. The highly polar ketone groups in the polymer
backbone of these materials gives rise to a strong attraction between polymer chains, which in-
creases the material's melting point. Such materials also tend to resist solvents and have good
mechanical properties."

In layman's terms, this means that PEEK materials like Zyex have several physical properties of
interest to manufacturers. Specifically, PEEK monofilaments and fibers are very tough and du-
rable, and have excellent abrasion resistance, particularly under extreme conditions. The mate-
rial's melting point is 633ºF (334ºC), which is very high for plastic. Its maximum continuous service
temperature is 500ºF (260ºC), and short-term service can be up to 570ºF (300ºC). By contrast,
PET, polyester, the material typically used for soda bottles and monofilament tennis string, loses
strength rapidly as temperatures reach 200°F, and even the much vaunted aramid fibers begin to
lose strength around 450°F. So PEEK is hot
stuff!

In terms of abrasion resistance, PEEK also

offers good performance. In tests measuring
"thread on thread" abrasion conducted at room
temperature, PEEK multifilaments outlasted
aramid fibers by a factor of approximately 5.5.
PEEK also has very low moisture uptake at
0.1%, which means you don't need to worry
 11

What is Zyex
about a protective bag or head cover for carrying your racquets in the rain. And if perchance you
want to play outside in thunder and lightning, PEEK is also a very good insulator.

In fact, one of the original applications for PEEK was as aerospace insulation designed to protect
electrical wiring from abrasion damage, especially at extremes of temperature. PEEK monofil
braids have also been successfully used in automotive and nuclear installation wiring. According
to the Zyex website, the material can be ideal in "any enclosed situation when toxic fumes from
burning wiring could pose a threat to life." I don't know if this will help with those old socks in the
bottom of your gym bag, but you can't be too careful.

But perhaps the most interesting application for Zyex—other than tennis strings, of course—is in
musical instrument strings. A number of manufacturers now offer Zyex violin, guitar and other mu-
sical strings. Zyex provides a subtle but appreciably fuller tone than other synthetic string materi-
als such as nylon. It also stays in tune much longer on a guitar or violin than is possible with other
conventional music strings. So when tennis players say they love the way their racquets strung
with Zyex stay in tune, they have good reason.

In racquet strings, Zyex offers low dynamic stiffness that allows it to deform and recover more
completely than other synthetic materials. It can also be made to have exceptionally low creep un-
der continuous tension, allowing racquet strings to maintain tension and playability longer. And as
noted previously, the manufacturer of Zyex continues to improve and "tweak" the material, mak-
ing it even better for string applications. Recent advances have produced Zyex filaments that are
even finer and stronger than before.

However, it takes more than Zyex to make a string. We've been working with these new filaments
in our R&D lab to develop even thinner multifilament core packages with increased linear density
and more cross-sectional strength. The result, we feel, is a significant advance in string technol-
ogy: thinner, softer, lighter-weight strings that provide superior feel, more power, and improved ball
control, while still offering the well-known Zyex playing characteristics and tension holding proper-
ties.

Our latest Zyex development is a monofilament tennis string that can actually rival natural gut in
performance and outlasts it in durability. Called Zyex MonoGut in the original version, and now
officially dubbed MonoGut® ZX, this new string is designed for players seeking both gut-like play-
ability and superior durability in a solid monofilament string, as well as players using monofilament
strings in hybrid stringing patterns. Like natural gut, MonoGut ZX retains tension better than any
other synthetic material and provides exceptional energy return—meaning power. Also like gut, it
remains soft at higher tensions, reducing impact shock. This adds to comfort and what we call 'soft
power.' MonoGut ZX contains no polyester. Its 100% Zyex monofilament construction maximizes
abrasion resistance and enhances string life.
completely than other synthetic materials. It can also be made to have exceptionally low creep
under continuous tension, allowing racquet strings to maintain tension and playability longer. In
addition to 16-, 17-, and 18-gauge multifilaments, our latest Zyex development is MonoGut® ZX, a
monofilament tennis string that can actually rival natural gut in performance and outlast it in dura-
bility. www.ashawayusa.com
Sign-up 2017

Sign up Now for 2017 and free membership until January 1.

Become a member today and receive:
- STRINGERS DIGEST
- PRO STRINGER MAGAZINE - 10 ISSUES
- WEB ACCESS
- DISCOUNTS ON ADVERTISERS PRODUCTS
- FREE SAMPLES
- REDUCED PRICES ON WORKSHOPS AND CERTIFICATION
- ANNUAL MEETING / SYMPOSIUM - Value 600€ for 149€ -
Minimum 100€ in Free Samples plus prizes worth 100s €

2017
1 Year Membership -99€
2 Year Membership – 180€
3 Year Membership - 230€

Name_____________________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________

Postcode___________________City____________________________________

Country___________________________________________________________

1.Year Membership 99Euro____________________________________________

2.Year Membership 170Euro___________________________________________

3.Year Membership 220Euro___________________________________________

Credit Card AMEX_____ VISA_____ Mastercard______

Card Number________________________________Exp. Date_______________

Signature_____________________________________________________

Please Fax or e-Mail this form to European Racquet Stringers Association.

Phone & Fax +49(0)211-68814151; email mmaslo3330@aol.com
 2018 ERSA
Symposium and Annual General Meeting
Sign-up Sheet
Friday, April 6, 2018
20:00 – Welcome Cocktail – Excel Milano 3 Hotel
Samstag, April 7, 2018
9:00 – 17:00 Presentations – Excel Milano 3 Hotel
followed by private lessons
Sunday, April 8, 2018
9:00 – 17:00 Presentations – Excel Milano 3 Hotel
followed by private lessons
Monday, April 9, 2018
9:00 – 13:00 Presentations – Excel Milano 3 Hotel
14:00 - 17:00 Racquet and String Testing - Sporting Club Milano 3
9:00 - 13:00 Certification Testing

ERSA Member _______149€

ERSA e-Member______199€
Non-Members________249€

Excel Hotel Milano 3

Piazza Marco Polo 14
20080 Basiglio (Milano)
Single - 94€ Double - 104€
Single check-in __________check-out___________
Double check-in__________check-out___________

Excel Next Hotel 3 (no breakfast and 1km from meeting room, breakfast in Sporting Club from 2€)
via Sardegna 7
Fizzonasco (Milano)
Single - 54€ Double - 54€
Single check-in __________check-out___________
Double check-in__________check-out___________
Company_______________________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________________________________
Address________________________________________________________________________
Postcode__________________City______________________Country_____________________
Phone_________________________________E-mail___________________________________
Date________________Signature___________________________________________________
Credit Card______Amex______VISA______Mastercard______
CC Number_________________________________________Exp.Date____________________

e-mail or fax to mmaslo3330@aol.com +49(0)211-68814151

14

SSyyymposium
ps
2018 ERSA Symposium
We will update the schedule as we book the presentations.
April 6, 2018
20:00 Welcome Cocktail
April 7
9:00 – 11:00 Annual Meeting - Presentations
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 Presentations
13:00-14:30 Lunch Break
14:30-17:00 Presentations followed by private lessons
April 8
9:00 – 11:00 Presentations
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
12:30-13:00 Presentation
13:00-14:30 Lunch Break
14:30-17:00 Presentations followed by private lessons
April 9
9:00-12:00 Workshops - Tuning, Moulding, Squash, Badminton, Tennis, Private Lessons
12:00-13:30 Lunch Break
14:00- 17:00 Tennis Racket and String Testing
Aprill 10
9:00-13:00 Certification Testing

ENTDECKE Die Int. Plattform für alle

DIE WELT
DER
Trainer und Coaches
die professionell
unterrichten

WE MAKE
A WORLD OF INFO: PTR European Headquarters

DIFFERENCE Leichtergasse 28 - 39012 MERAN

Fon: +39 0473 230097 - www.ptrtennis.de - info@ptrtennis.de
 15

Tour Shorts
The
T he dra
draws
aws for the
the 2018 8 Daviss Cup and
an
nd Fed Fed Cup World Group ties played the following
Cup by BNP ParibasPaaribas have
have been
beeen made.
mad de. Davis weekend (10-11 February) see
Cup
C up World
Wo orld Group
oup first round action
Gro action Belarus vs. Germany,
((2-4
2-4 February)
Febbruary) is as follows (host
(hhost nation
nattion Czech Republic vs. Switzerland,
llist
ist first)
rst):
): France vs. Belgium,
France
F rance vs. Neth
Netherlands,
herlandss, and USA vs. Netherlands.
JJapan
apan vs.
vs. Italy, World Group II sees Slovakia vs. Russia,
Spainvs.
S painvss. Great Britain, Australia vs. Ukraine,
A ustralia
Australiaa vs. Germany,
Ge ermany,, Romania vs.Canada and Italy vs. Spain.
Kazakhstan
K azakhsstan vs.. Switzerland,
Switze
erland, The 2017 Davis Cup final between France and
Croatia
C roatia vs. Canada,
Cannada, Belgium will be staged in Lille on an indoor hard
S erbia vs.
Serbia vs. USA,
USA A, court, from 20-22 November.
Belgium
B m vs. Hungary.
elgium

Former
Foormer International
International Tennis
Teennis Federation
Feederatioon Director
Direcctor
Belarus will host the United States on an indoor off Developmentt Dave Miley
Miley has
haas joined Universal
Univeersal
hard court at Chizkovka Arena in Minsk, Tennis
Teennis Rating
Rating ass a consultant.
conssultant. In his new
new role,
role
e,
Belarus, in the 2017 Fed Cup World Group Miley
Miley will
willl be responsible
ressponsible for international
intternatio
onal
Final, Nov. 11-12. The U.S. Fed Cup team partnerships
paartnerships for UTR, andand willconsult
willcconsult on specifi
speccific
made its last appearance in the final in 2010, projects
prrojects related tothe growth
grrowth off the rating
when it lost to Italy, 3-1, in San Diego. The U.S. system.
syystem.
won the last of its record 17 Fed Cup
titles in 2000. Belarus will be competing
in its first Fed Cup Final. The
Th
he ATPP has anannounced
nnounce ed that itt will trial
al full
tria
electronic line calling
alling via
ca a Hawkk Eye att the Next Neext
The
The ITF has ann
announced
nounced d a neww live streaming
strreaming g Gen Fina
Finals,
als, with
h no linespeople
line
espeople e on court.
platform
platform for Davis
Davvis and Fed
Fed Cupup by BNP
Cu BNNP Paribas
Paribbas
competitions.
competittions. The
he Daviss Cup app
Th app can alreadyy The German Tennis Federation has announced
be
be downloaded
down nloaded from the e usuall providers,
provideers, with
ha that Boris Becker is now in charge of Men’s
Fed
Fed Cup p app to follow in time for
for the final of this
this Tennis for the organisation, while Barbara
year’s
year’s competition
co
ompetitioon next month. Rittner will lead Women’s Tennis.

Online
Online broadcaster
broadcasster Amazon
Amaazon has
haas won the rights
righ
hts The Spanish Tennis Federation has announced
to
o show ATP 1000
ATP 10000 and 500
500 events
eve ents via
a the Ama-
Amma- that Conchita Martinez will no longer serve as
zon
zon Prime
me platform
Prim orm in the
platfo he UK from
th from 2019,
20119, and Davis & Fed Cup captain and is currently
has
has also become e the offi
fficial streaming
sttreaming g partner
partne
er looking for a replacement.
of
of the ATP
AT
TP Worldd Tour.

Former Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling The

The list o off playe
players
ers that will
will not compete
compette again n
will be the main coach of former European this
his season
th seasson due e to injuries
injurries includes
udes Andy
inclu
Junior Champion Elias Ymer, who recently won Murray,
Murray, Novak Djokovic,
Djokovicc, Stan Wawrinka,
Wawrin nka, Gilles
his first ATP Challenger title. Mueller
Mueller andand Timea
mea Bacsinszky.
Tim Baccsinszkyy.
Player
Player Novak
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic may be e sidelined,
ned, but
sidelin
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) has split with coach has
haas plenty
plennty of news.
neews. Having
Havving welcomed
weelcomed d the birth
birrth
David Kotyza, off his second
seecond child,
hild, the former world #1
ch #1
while Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) is reported to confi
onfirmed
co rmeed that A Andre
ndre Agassi
Aggassi will be his
hiis main
be working with Thomas Hogstedt. coach
oach throughout
co hroughout the 2018 season.
th seaason.
16

Industry News
Ashaway Sponsors Rising Squash Sensation
Diego Elias
-- Ranked #17 in the world, 20-year old Elias is the first Peruvian to ever to win a PSA World Tour
title

Ashaway Racket Strings has just signed a sponsorship agreement with young Peruvian squash
sensation Diego Elias. Twenty-year old Elias, who is currently ranked #17, joined the PSA tour in
2013 and won his first title a year later at the Resistencia Open, becoming the first Peruvian to win
a PSA World Tour title. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Diego is an exceptional player," said Ashaway's Steve Crandall. "That has been clear since he
won his first Open and broke into the top 50 after just over a year on the Tour. We are delighted
to have Diego on the Ashaway team, of course, and look forward to great things from him in the
future."

Born in Lima, Peru, in 1996, Diego won his second Tour title in October 2014 at the Salt Lake City
Open and his third at the Costa Rica Open in June 2015. Elias started the 2015/16 season with a
succession of quarter-final finishes, then made the semi-finals at the Netsuite Open and the Char-
lottesville Open in 2016, before going on to make the final the following week at the Nash Cup.
However, Elias went on to claim yet another title, this time coming out on top at the Edmonton
Open in 2016. This was followed by two semi-final appearances at the Motor City Open and Hol-
trand Open in 2017.

Diego strings his Dunlop Precision Elite racquets with Ashaway’s UltraNick® 18 at 25 lbs. Ul-
traNick 18 is one of the first squash strings to use Ashaway's Zyex® based multifilament core, and
is designed to provide increased power and resilience, and reduced tension loss over the life of
the string. The ultra-thin 18 gauge construction of UltraNick 18 softens impact and provides better
feel, while the braided surface sharpens ball control.

Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufac-
turer of string for squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family
since 1824, Ashaway has been making racquet
strings since 1949, and is responsible for several
important technical innovations. Ashaway has
been the Official String of USA Racquetball for
more than fifteen years. Ashaway Line & Twine
Mfg. Co. also makes braided products for medical
and industrial applications. For more information
visit www.ashawayusa.com. Zyex is a registered
trademark of Zyex Ltd.
 17

Industry News
NEWS
Hulic Daihatsu Japan Para-Badminton International Tournament 2017
Yonex served as an official supplier at the Hulic Daihatsu Japan Para-Badminton International Tournament
2017 in Machida City General Stadium in Tokyo on September 7-10th.
While the tournament attracted attention as Japan's first international para-badminton tournament, Yonex
supported the athletes with the Yonex Stringing Team and also provided shuttlecocks, court mats, etc.

Approximately 180 players gathered from 28 different countries around the world to a big international
tournament which has never been seen before. During the 4-day event, large crowds of over 3,500 people
cheered along and commented such as "I was amazed at the power of Para-Badminton.” Para-Badminton
will be an official competition from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

After the finals concluded another first, The Legends' Vision Japan, was held. Aimed at further promot-
ing badminton, it was presided over by Legends of the badminton world, Peter Gade (Denmark), Lin Dan
(China), Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) and Lee Yong Dae (Korea). A total of 3,200
spectators packed the event with the entire venue wrapped in enthusiasm and enjoyment.
18

Industry News
Lacoste acquires Tecnifibre
Lacoste has agreed to acquire French racquet and string manufacturer Tecnifibre.
The purchase price was undisclosed. Lacoste will acquire an 80 percent stake and the deal is
expected to close in October.
Tecnifibre is best known for its its strings, and has started gaining traction with its racquets and ac-
cessories, such as its growing line of tennis bags, apparel, and balls.

“We are pleased to announce the arrival of the French brand Tecnifibre into our group,” said Thi-
erry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste. Tecnifibre is an authentic specialist in the field of tennis with recog-
nized know-how.”
The acquisition follows Lacoste’s signing of Novak Djokovic to a long-term deal.
Tecnifibre offers a range of strings, rackets and accessories for tennis, squash and padel, as well
as balls in partnership with Bridgestone. Tecnifibre has a large presence in France through a
specialized distribution network and is now developing its business internationally, particularly in
Europe and the United States.
“This ambitious project will make it possible to make use of valuable synergies for both compa-
nies: the acceleration of international development for Tecnifibre and the development of technical
products under the Lacoste brand,” said Guibert.

Kirschbaum Gut Feeling Test Winner

Kirschbaum Strings won the string test with Tennis Magazine in Germany.
The string
GUT FEELING implies a feeling simular to natural gut. The string is a very
soft multifilament which is very close to a gut feeling.
The string tested was 1.25mm 17 gauge in natural color.
GUT FEELING got the highest notes in Power, Feel, Comfort and Control.
This string also had the longest durability for 17 gauge multifilament .
Recommended for players of all levels with a note: with closed stringing
pattern (18x20).

#NextGenWilson
Andrey Rublev, one of the top rising ATP players won his
first ATP tournament in Umag, Croatia this year. He also is the
second jungest US Open quarter finalist, beating number 9
Grigor Dimitrov and number 14 David Goffin on the way.
His ranking climbed to number 37 in the ATP Ranking.

www.wilson.com
 19

Industry News
Kevin Anderson plays with the new Dunlop Srixon Racquet
his first Grand Slam Final
South African Uses Dunlop Srixon CX 2.0 Tour LE Racket in Run to U.S. Open Finals
Almost 14 days ago Kevin Anderson powered his way through the Men’s Singles category at this year’s
U.S. Open, making it all the way to his first Grand Slam final. The 31-year-old South African used the
Dunlop Srixon CX 2.0 Tour LE racket on the road to his final match. The racket, previously only available in
Japan, will be released in the United States at the end of September and throughout Europe in spring 2018.
“Kevin has played tremendous tennis this entire summer, but we saw him reach an entirely new level the
past couple weeks at the U.S Open,” said Jamie Douglas, Marketing Director for Dunlop International.
“Kevin joins a list of some of the game’s greatest players who have played Dunlop and reached the highest
level. We feel like this signals a new beginning for our historic brand.”
He adds: “Kevin’s hard-working style and never-give-up attitude makes him an incredible ambassador for
our company as we look to grow our presence in tennis worldwide and to set new standards in the tennis
industry for product quality and innovation.”
CX 4.0 Used to Win U.S. Open Wheelchair Singles Title
Yui Kamiji, the number one ranked female wheelchair singles player from Japan, won her fifth career Grand
Slam title at the U.S. Open where she used her Dunlop Srixon CX 4.0 to defeat Diede de Groot 7-5, 6-2 in
the final.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), purchased the Dunlop Sports brand in the U.S., Europe and other
Western markets in April of this year. SRI has a long history with Dunlop that dates back to 1909. Other
brands SRI controls include Dunlop Tires, Falken Tires, Srixon, Cleveland Golf and XXIO golf.
About Dunlop Tennis
A historic racket sports brand offering market leading products for almost 100 years, Dunlop focuses on
developing new technologies and building on its great heritage. Recently acquired by Sumitomo Rubber
Group, Dunlop is excited for the future and continued growth in the racket sports market. Current players
on tour using Dunlop rackets include Kevin Anderson, Jiri Vesely, Tommy Robredo and Misaki Doi.
20

Industry News
Europe wins inaugural Laver Cup
Dramatic to the end, the inaugural Laver Cup came down to the last — and arguably best — of the
competition’s dozen matches as Roger Federer fought back to beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6 7-6(6) [11-9]
and secure the first title for Team Europe.
The O3 arena was a wall of noise as the most compelling singles showdown of the weekend de-
livered a high-wire act of a match, Kyrgios coming within a point of dragging Team World from 9-3
down at the start of the final day into the winner-takes-all doubles decider.
In the end, however, Federer sealed the title in a match tiebreak — the sixth of the weekend, and
18th tiebreak in all — recovering from 8-5 down and saving a match point at 9-8 to secure Team
Europe’s triumph.
“I was ready to go — I had to be,” said Federer, who ended up contributing three victories and six
points to the hosts’ 15-9 victory.
“That’s what a team member does. The boys played fantastic all weekend, but we knew it could
change very quickly on Sunday. The Team World boys have been great, in the doubles especially,
and we knew it was going to be tough. I was looking at getting ready for doubles at the very end.
I’m very pleased and relieved that we did win the singles and got it done.”
“I’m most proud of these guys — they fought with their heart and soul and put everything into this,”
John McEnroe said in tribute to his underdog squad during the trophy ceremony. “And we were so,
so close to pulling this off.”
Total tournament attendance — 83,273

RESULTS
TEAM EUROPE defeated TEAM WORLD 15-9
PTS
MATCH 1 Marin Cilic d Frances Tiafoe 7-6(3) 7-6(0) 1
MATCH 2 Dominic Thiem d John Isner 6-7(15) 7-6(2) [10-7] 1
MATCH 3 Alexander Zverev d Denis Shapovalov 7-6(3) 7-6(5) 1
MATCH 4 Kyrgios / Sock d Berdych / Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(7) [10-7] 1
MATCH 5 Roger Federer d Sam Querrey 6-4 6-2 2
MATCH 6 Rafael Nadal d Jack Sock 6-3 3-6 [11-9] 2
MATCH 7 Nick Kyrgios d Tomas Berdych 4-6 7-6(4) [10-6] 2
MATCH 8 Federer / Nadal d Querrey / Sock 6-4 1-6 [10-5] 2
MATCH 9 Isner / Sock d Berdych / Cilic 7-6(5) 7-6(6) 3
MATCH 10 Alexander Zverev d Sam Querrey 6-4 6-4 3
MATCH 11 John Isner d Rafael Nadal 7-5 7-6(1) 3
MATCH 12 Roger Federer d Nick Kyrgios 4-6 7-6(6) [11-9] 3

The Laver Cup is a joint initiative between TEAM8, Tennis Australia, the USTA and Jorge Paulo
Lemann and is supported by Founding Partner Rolex and Global Sponsors JPMorgan Chase and
Mercedes-Benz.
 21

Industry News
PTR opens an Orlando office
Hilton Head Island, SC — Professional Tennis Reg-
istry (PTR) is pleased to announce the opening of a
satellite office in Orlando, Florida. PTR opened the
office to continue to work closely with the USTA at
their new National Campus in Lake Nona.
PTR will maintain its International Headquarters on
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. PTR Director of
Education, Brian Parkkonen, and Director of Devel-
opment, Isaac McBroom are headquartered at the
new locale.
6900 Tavistock Lakes Blvd Suite 400
Orlando, FL 32827
PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 16,000
members in 125 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of
any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying, and serving tennis teachers and
coaches around the world in order to grow the game.

New York Open chooses Dunlop

Greenville, S.C. — Dunlop announced today it has reached a multi-year agreement with GF
Sports, LLC and its New York Open to be the official ball, racquet and string for the new ATP Tour
event. Dunlop Fort All Court balls will be used for play, Dunlop stringing machines will be used to
string player racquets, and Dunlop will have a retail presence at the tournament, which runs from
February 11-18, 2018. The tournament will be hosted at the NYCB LIVE Nassau Veterans Memo-
rial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

“Dunlop sponsors some of the biggest ATP tournaments across the globe, including Rome, Madrid,
Monte Carlo and Shanghai,” said Kai Nitsche, V.P. and General Manager for Dunlop Sports. “So
when the opportunity presented itself to sponsor this new event in New York, we were fully pre-
pared to commit. This is going to be a great opportunity to introduce our legendary Fort ball and
new Dunlop Srixon racquets to the largest media market in the U.S.”
“Our goal is to align our New York Open with the world’s top Tour events, and the partnership with
Dunlop supports the mission,” said Tournament Director and GF Sports EVP Josh Ripple. “The
Dunlop brand is legendary in the game of tennis, and current Tour players recognize the quality of
the Fort ball in particular. Several of the biggest ATP Masters 1000 events use the ball, and that
association along with the confidence we have in the Dunlop brand raises the stature of our tourna-
ment with the players and the public.”
22

Industry News
Amazon Prime to cover
Next Gen ATP Finals
ATP and ATP Media today announced that Amazon Prime Video is now an official streaming partner of the
ATP World Tour. The new deal covers the worldwide distribution of the Next Gen ATP Finals through
Amazon Prime Video.
Starting in 2017, Amazon will have worldwide OTT rights (excluding China), and the full exclusive rights in
the U.S., to distribute the Next Gen ATP Finals, outside of ATP’s OTT channel, Tennis TV. This new event,
held in partnership with the Italian Tennis Federation and the Italian National Olympic Committee, takes
place from 7-11 November in Milan and will showcase the very best men’s tennis players aged
21-and-Under, as well as introducing many new innovations to the game.
The deal, which expires at the end of 2018, includes a commitment from Amazon to show all Next Gen
ATP Finals matches produced by ATP Media. ATP has also produced three documentaries that will air on
Amazon Prime Video. The documentaries take fans behind the scenes, tracking many of the #NextGenATP
players as they battle to make the cut for the inaugural event later this year. As well as giving fans unique
access, the documentaries also feature exclusive interviews with some of today’s top players, who offer
their insights into the future stars of the sport.
This deal will provide an international reach for this new and innovative tournament providing a global
audience for the tennis stars of the future.
Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “Innovation is at the heart of everything we’re
doing with the Next Gen ATP Finals, and the way in which we present and broadcast the event is central to
that. Our agreement with Amazon will give this year’s inaugural tournament in Milan an international reach
in a digital space that is only becoming increasingly important in the world of sport & entertainment.”
“We know live sports attracts a passionate fan base, many of whom are Prime members,” said Greg Hart,
Vice President of Amazon Video. “We are thrilled ATP has awarded distribution rights to Amazon, showing
their commitment to streaming live sports.”
Stuart Watts, COO ATP Media, added: “The synergies between a global brand such as Amazon and the
future of our sport being showcased at the Next Gen ATP Finals are clear for all to see. This is an exciting
deal that will not only bring great coverage for the Next Gen ATP Finals but will also offer a huge boost to
the global reach of tennis.”
About the Next Gen ATP Finals
The Next Gen ATP Finals is the season-ending tournament for the world’s best 21-and-Under players. The
tournament features the best seven qualified players of the season (as determined by the Emirates ATP
Rankings on Monday 30 October, 2017), plus one wild card, battling for US$ 1.275 million in prize money
over five days of competition. As well as providing a platform to promote the stars of tomorrow, the
tournament will also provide an opportunity to trial new rules and innovation in the sport. The event, run
in partnership with the Italian Tennis Federation and the Italian Olympic Committee, is set to take place in
Milan through 2021.
About ATP Media
As the broadcast arm of the ATP World Tour, ATP Media was formed in 2001 as Tennis Properties Limited;
providing the centralised exploitation across the ATP World Tour, host broadcast production for the Nitto
ATP Finals, Next Gen ATP Finals, ATP World Tour Masters 1000s and world feed production for the ATP
World Tour 500s. ATP Media has unrivalled access and expertise in the full-service broadcast production
of men’s professional tennis with an end to end solution for global broadcasters incorporating: rights sales,
multi-platform production, a global fibre distribution network and a market leading digital archive.
For more information, please visit atpmedia.tv.

visit ATPWorldTour.com.
 23

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24

ERSA Squash
Sq h
Following on from the World Squash Doubles Cham-
pionships, Nick Down went to Nottingham at the end
of August to provide the official Stringing service for
the European Individual Squash Championships.
The venue was at the brand new Sports Centre at
Nottingham University, only opened 10 months ago.
Boasting 6 glass backed courts and a permanent
all glass show court with theatre seating around the
court. A great new venue. Although a few top ranked
players were absent, world number one Gregory
Gaultier of France and England's James Willstrop,
currently Five in the world, by also a former world
number one, were the top seeds. World number
three Camille Serme (France) and England's Millie
Tomlinson were the top seeds in the Women's event.
Like the Doubles a few weeks ago, there was no
knock out phase and all players played every day
to eventually be placed top to bottom. So plenty of
stringing but also opportunity to watch some match-
es. Good to see players from Italy, Spain, Holland,
France, England, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Po-
land, Portugal, Switzerland, Latvia, Czech Republic
and Belgium. Top seeds reached both Finals, Will-
strop defeated Gaultier in Five sets to become Euro-
pean Champion and Serme took the Women's title.
 Is String
your
Business?

We are there for you, driving tennis business in

support of growing the game throughout the
Benefits
country. * Your business profile online
in the searchable TRS
The TIA UK is the trade body for all tennis
directory on www.tiauk.org
businesses, including yours - independent
stringers and coaches dependent on the well- * Access to workshops,
credits and certification
being of our sport - and, collectively, we are the courses at preferential
authorative voice of tennis commerce. rates
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via Member Forums and
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* Industry contacts and news
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Phone 01737 831 707 Phone 020 8398 3232
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Phone 020 8979 4666 / Fax 020 8979 5934 / Email office@newbycrouch.co.uk
26

Tips
p
Custom Services - Many shops are complainng they are loosing
business to online shops. You have to look at ways to bring new customers to your shop
and keep the ones you have. What can you do that the big online stores cannot do? We
offer many services like racket matching and racket tuning, that we have discussed
before. On top of this we have test rackets from every company. It is a large investment but
we have more than covered it with the increase in racket sales. What can you do on top
of this? We offer consulting on rackets, strings, hybrids. We work with players up to Davis
Cup and ATP players on and off court. The players get to try different set ups of weight,
balance and swingweight with different strings and tensions. If you want to get really
hi-tech, offer this with radar and hi-speed camera.
Another way to get more customers in your area is to offer free talks at their clubs on
rackets, strings, technologies, etc. You have to present your expertise to them.

Which strings on mains and crosses.

With more and more pros using hybrids, we are getting a lot of interest from club players to locally
ranked players. A big question is if using two different strings, which one goes on the mains and
which on the crosses. I will start out with the standard on the pro circuit, natural gut and Luxilon Alu
Power. What happens if I put the natural gut on the mains or the crosses. If I string the racket the
same tension at 25 kilos on both strings, the racket with the natural gut on the crosses will have
a much higher Dynamic Tension and feel much stiffer. Many of the top pros use gut mains as it is
more comfortable and the durability is about the same. Some players found for them, the gut or
multifilament lasted longer on the mains than the crosses. The main move more and will shread the
crosses quickly on multifilaments and natural gut.

Varying String Tensions

We have customers coming all the time and asking for different tensions on the mains and
crosses, mostly with 1-2 kilos less on the crosses. We are now talking about using the same
string on the mains and crosses. When I ask them why they have no idea or a friend or coach
told them that is the correct tension. Occasionally, they tell me the crosses are shorter so they
need lower tension. This would be correct if the stringer is using an inversor which lifts every
second main and pushing the others down. Then there would not be any friction.
Lets look at what happens when you string the crosses. 1. Due to the friction of the mains de-
pending on the string pattern, string gauge and if the string is smooth or rough, a lot of tension is
lost. 2. When you tension the crosses it stretches the mains more increasing the tension on the
mains. 3. The radial stiffness of the racket will determine what tensions can be put on the mains
and crosses without deforming the racket head.
We recommend stringing a normal shaped racket with 16x19, 16x20 and 18x20 with the same
tension and checking the racket deformation when taking it out of the machine. Many of the spin
rackets have the same or less crosses than mains. Usually, you have to go up in tension on the
crosses to keep the shape of the hoop. The higher the tension and the larger an incorrect
difference in the mains and crosses will increase the deformation in the hoop.
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