european racquet stringers association

New Products
Prince 7000
Head Extreme
Yonex Vcore Si
Mantis Pro
Ashaway Black
Industry News
Tips
ERSA ATW

ISSUE 5 1- -2015
ISSUE 2014

RACQUETTECH
 THIS IS REAL TENNIS TECHNOLOGY
YOU CAN SEE AND FEEL.
Introducing Prince® Racquets.

TeXtreme®
Warrior 107 + 107T
KEY FEATURES:
• Built with TeXtreme, an advanced,
super thin carbon fiber fabric that
maximizes the strength-to-weight ratio

• This proven technology is engineered

into the shaft of the racquet to
maximize racquet stability

• 45-degree box weave, carbon fiber

pattern allows for increased stability
and enhanced hitting feeling

princetennis.com
Contents
04 My Serve
05 New CS, MRT,
PTS, MRS
06 New Products
19 Industry News
24 Tips
26 ERSA ATW

Industry News
- Prince Stringing Service
- TennisCoachEd.com
- 2015 TE Report
- Rolex Davis Cup Sponsor
- Highest Paid Atheletes
4

My Serve
RACQUETTECH EUROPE
European Racquet Stringers Association

ERSA Australia
Anthony Aley

ERSA Benelux
Timo van Driel, Rob Maessen

ERSA Czech Republic & Slovakia

Vaclav Smat
My Serve
ERSA Germany, Austria, Switzerland On the cover is one of the new machines coming out this
Mike Emenako, Mark Maslowski
year. This will be a record 12 months with many companies
ERSA Greece Manager coming out with new models and a couple of racquet compa-
George Pahiakos nies entering the stringing machine market.
ERSA Italy Manager
Marco Rossani Since 2010 only Yonex has come out with the Protech 8 in
the top of the line machines. It is thought of as probably the
ERSA Korea
Taikki Lee
best machine on the market today. We will see what their
competitors come out with in the coming months.
ERSA Latin America
Andrea Amaral, Ricardo Dipold
We hope to get samples of all the new machines to test and
ERSA Spain write reviews on. Mike Emenako, our new ERSA Germany
Richard Parnell Manager, got to string on the Prince 7000 in Halle and wrote
ERSA Taiwan
up a review for this issue.
Bernie Chen
Below are other companies coming out with machines but not
ERSA UK
Paul Skipp, Huw Phillips, Jamie Pethick
officially announced dates yet:

ERSA UKAINE Also new entering the market with machines are Head and
Sergey Konovolenko
Dunlop. Head used a prototype at Indian Wells earlier this
FOUNDING MEMBERS year and are coming out with the machine later this year.
Ashaway Babolat Dunlop is also entering the stringing machine market this
Head Isospeed
Kirschbaum Luxilon
year.
Pacific Wilson
Babolat is coming out with three machines in the next year.
CORPORATE MEMBERS
Ashaway Head Babolat
The top model for shops has WiFi and software for stringing
Prince Isospeed Yonex customers. There will also
GOSEN Tecnifibre be a tournament model and
STRING SUPPLIER MEMBERS
a less expensive model.
Apollo Leisure Bow Brand
Kirschbaum Signum Pro Tecnifibre is coming out with
ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
a new machine in 2016 ac-
PTR Europe TIA UK cording to some members.
TENNIS EUROPE

TECHNICAL CONSULTANT
Yonex is also planning a new
Rod Cross machine in the next year,
which will bring the total to 8
European Racquet Stringers Association
Lenaustr. 38 40470 Düsseldorf
new machines coming out in
DE Germany about 1 year.
Phone / Fax +49(0)211-68814151
www.ersa-stringers.com
New Certified Stringers, MRT, 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. Certified Stringer is for stringing services, such as coaches,
club stringers, shop stringers, after passing a day of practical and written tests.
Master Racquet Technician is for shop stringers and owners who can tune rac-
quets, string at a high level and have a broad knowledge of products for their
customers. Pro Tour Stringer certification is for MRTs who are stringing at ATP
and WTA tournaments. There are 3 levels for this certification, Level 1, Level 2
and Master Pro Tour Stringer.
***ALL TAIWAN - CS, CS Badminton and MRT
Certified Stringer - Joe Chiu, Wang Hao-Che, Tsai Ming-Han,
Wang Chang-Xiang, Yang Han-Lin, Tsai Cheng-Hsun, Steven Liao
Certified Stringer Badminton - Joe Chiu, Wang Chang-Xiang,
Hsueh Chou-Nan, Yuichi Ichikawa, Chu Yin-Nine, Tsai Cheng-Hsun,
Michael Dan, Steven Liao
Master Racquet Technician - Joe Chiu, Wang Chang-Xiang, Steven Liao

Pro Tour Stringer Level 1 - Karen Goodman - England

STRINGS
MADE IN GERMANY
SINCE 1985
6

New Products
SPIN NEVER FELT SO GOOD.
HEAD PRESENTS THE NEW GRAPHENE XT EXTREME RACQUET
SERIES

From now on, the modern, aggressive way of playing conquers the courts
armed with the perfect weapon. HEAD introduces the GRAPHENE XT
EXTREME racquet series, which combines spin and power into a rock solid
package. Recommended by Richard Gasquet, the series also features the
innovative Graphene XT technology, which optimizes the racquet’s weight
distribution for a faster, more powerful game.

Available in four different models, the GRAPHENE XT EXTREME racquet series provides a special
combination of weight and balance, which allows the racquets to be extremely quick in the air while
still providing a solid feel. Of the four available models, the REV PRO and MP A models come with
the innovative adaptive string pattern (ASP). It allows the player to change the grommet set and
choose between a 16/16 or a 16/19 string pattern for ultimate spin adaptability.

The GRAPHENE EXTREME racquet series with its eye-catching look of flashy yellow pop colors is
available online and at selected retailers as of July 2015.

For more information please visit:

head.com/tennis
facebook.com/headtennis
twitter.com/head_tennis
instagram.com/
headtennis_official

New Products
Extreme Pro
Weight (unstrung) 315 g /
11.1 oz
Beam 24 / 26 / 23 mm
Head size 645 cm² / 100 in²
Balance 310 mm / 1 1/3 in
HL
Length Standard, 685 mm /
27 in
Grip size 1 - 5
String pattern 16 / 19
Extreme Lite
Weight (unstrung) 265 g /
9.3 oz
Beam 24 / 26 / 23 mm
Head size 645 cm² / 100 in²
Balance 340 mm / even
Length Standard, 685 mm /
27 in
Grip size 0 - 5
String pattern 16 / 19
7
Extreme MPA
Weight (unstrung) 300 g /
10.6 oz
Beam 24 / 26 / 23 mm
Head size 645 cm² / 100 in²
Balance 320 mm / 1 in HL
Length Standard, 685 mm /
27 in
Grip size 1 - 5
String pattern 16 / 16, 16 /
19
Extreme Rev Pro
Weight (unstrung) 270 g /
9.5 oz
Beam 24 / 26 / 23 mm
Head size 645 cm² / 100 in²
Balance 340 mm / even
Length Standard, 685 mm /
27 in
Grip size 1 - 5
String pattern 16 / 16,
16 / 19
8

New Products

YONEX has announced that their VCORE Si line of rackets

are now compatable with the SONY SMART TENNIS SENSOR.
The VCORE Si rackets are used by Juan Monaco and Angelique
Kerber. The rackets are available in four models, VCORE Si 98,
VCORE Si 100, VCORE Si Team and VCORE Si 105.
The new BT Hybrid Stringing System (Shown Below) offers more
string movement which increases spin and longer ball contact
(Dwell Time)
.
www.yonex.com

SONY SMART TENNIS

NEW GROMMET SYSTEM

10

New Products
MANTIS has re-engineered 2 of their racquets along with a totally new Pro 275. Here are the
changes and stats:

All of the rackets have new tie-off holes to make it easier to string ATW, Top Down or Bottom Up.The Pro
310 and Pro 295 have a small increase in swingweight. All three rackets have a “Custom Pallet Handle
System”. This means that custom stringers can change the pallets to suit different players requirements. All
our rackets are carefully designed to allow for good players & stringers to easily customise our frames. This
is achieved by having a relatively low swing weight compared to other brands.

Pro 310
Headsize = 98 sq. inch
Weight (Unstrung) = 310g
Balance (Unstrung) = 315mm
Beam width = 21mm
String Pattern = 16 x 19
RA (Unstrung) = 67

The Pro 295 is slightly head heavier as it has a new

balance point of 325mm (unstrung). These are improve-
ments on a racket that was already Award Winning (Win-
ner of “Testers’ Choice – Best Value for Money” in the
Advanced rackets section of the UK’s Tennishead maga-
zine (April 2013) AND Voted “Racquet of the Year 2013” by
Tennisthis.com (USA)

Headsize = 98 sq. inch

Weight (Unstrung) = 295g
Balance (Unstrung) = 325mm
Beam width = 21mm
String Pattern = 16 x 19
RA (Unstrung) = 66
PRO 295

The Pro 275 is a total-

ly new racket and it is designed for
good juniors and adults who have powerful swings but still
need a light weight racket.

Headsize = 98 sq. inch

Weight (Unstrung) = 275g
Balance (Unstrung) = 325mm
Beam width = 21mm
String Pattern = 16 x 19
RA (Unstrung) = 66
 11

New Products
The new Prince 7000 stringing machine
Prince introduced their new Prince 7000 at this year’s
ATP 500 in Halle, Germany.

The new all black Prince 7000 comes in quite

a different look compared to 6000 model.
Introducing the machine at an ATP 500 was a
risky but good choice, allowing for fast evalu-
ation of it’s performance for stringing pro-
fessionals. And this certainly is a very good
machine for stringing professionals.

The tensioning was checked every morning

before stringing started, yet showed no signs
of changes whatsoever, so there was no need
for adjustment throughout the tournament.

Probably the most extensive change is, that

the machine now comes with an automatic
brake on the turn table. Unlike most machines
the brake mechanism is made of steel, not
rubber. Thereby you have the machine really
keeping the racquet in place, when the brake
is on. Using a switch on the tension head, the brake can be operated manually or switched to au-
tomatic, which keeps the table in place, as soon as the tension head moves.

Really tall stringers will appreciate the machine, because it can be set about 15 cm higher than
Prince’s previous premium model.

Besides that the machine comes with the

usual features, which stringing professionals
would expect: switching between kilos and
pounds, pre-stretch with 5 and 10%, 3 dif-
ferent speeds, a large drawer for tools and
so on. New to the Prince 7000 is the pos-
sibility to turn off the sound. This might be a
nice feature, when working in pro shops. All
these features are easily accessible on the
display, which is something stringers will very
much like. Another
new feature is the
ability to set the
stringing tension in
half-pounds steps,
12

Sign-up 2015

Sign up Now for 2015 and receive 3 sets of Test String.

Become a member today and receive:
- STRINGERS DIGEST
- RACQUETTECH MAGAZINE - 10 ISSUES
- WEB ACCESS
- DISCOUNTS ON ADVERTISERS PRODUCTS
- FREE SAMPLES
- REDUCED PRICES ON WORKSHOPS AND CERTIFICATION
- ANNUAL MEETING / SYMPOSIUM - Value 350€ for 99€ -
Minimum 100€ in Free Samples so it is at no cost to you.

2015
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
 13

New Products
starting from 11 lbs up to 88lbs (5kg to 40kg).

What we appreciated most using the Prince 7000

were the well designed and intelligent details. The-

machine now has large buttons to

release the clamp base, making this
much more comfortable.

On right hand side of the tension

head the machine features 2 pockets
for awls. Though being quite scepti-
cal about these to start off with, these
turned out to be really helpful for
keeping the tools tray nice and tidy. It
is just one of those things you would
not seem to want at the beginning,
but will miss if you turn to another
machine … just a very nice feature to
have.

The machine now also comes with the so-called “Wim-

bledon-Clamps” which were specially made for the old
Prince 6000, back when Prince supplied the Wimble-
don Stringing Service, Apollo Leisure with machines
some years back. These clamps are wider and heavier
than the old clamps, making them much better espe-
cially when stringing gut.

The adjustment screws for fixing the racquet on the

table are now made of metal rather than using plastics,
giving the machine a heavier and more solid look and
feel.

The machine stand features green LED-lights at both

sides, which is a design feature that fits nicely to the
LED lit brand name on the machine front.

Another major change, which most stringers might not

notice, is that the new machine cannot be used as a ta-
ble top machine, since some
of the electronics is integrat-
ed in the stand. On the other
hand, this adds some more
weight to the stand, making
14

New Products
the whole machine
very stable.

A change that
needs some get-
ting used to is the
new tightening
of the racquet on
the table. On the
other hand we
found that rac-
quets come off
the machine well,
without any distor-
tion whatsoever.
Prince delivers the
machine with a
number of extra
fixation blocks for
the tension head,
as well as an extra
set of clamps for
badminton and
squash. Above
that the Prince
7000 comes with a
set of stringing tools, which really is quite good quality, especially considering, this is an extra.

All in all, the new Prince 7000 is a very sound machine for professional stringers, highly accurate
and with lots of on board features for quick and comfortable stringing. The price will range some-
where around 4.500 € excl. VAT, which appears to be a pretty good deal for a machine of such
high quality.

By Mike Emenako
(ERSA Germany Manager)
15

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
16

New Products
Ashaway MonoGut® ZX Black Tennis
Strings Offer Versatility and Playability

-- Two Zyex-based strings offer comfortable

arm-friendly performance ideal for full string bed
use or as part of a hybrid combination.
-- 100% Zyex® monofilament construction increases elongation, decreases stiffness for easy
playing, generates soft power.

Ashaway's popular MonoGut® ZX and MonoGut ZX Pro offer players versatility and a range of
playing characteristics. Used alone or as part of a hybrid combination, both strings are of 100%
Zyex® monofilament construction, which provides exceptional dynamic stiffness and arm-friendly
gut-like playability. At 17 gauge (1.22 mm), MonoGut ZX Pro is a thinner lighter string, designed
to provide better elongation, snap-back and playability, while the heavier 16L (1.27 mm) gauge
MonoGut ZX string offers added durability while still providing excellent elongation and gut-like
playability.

"The MonoGut ZX Black family provides an excellent choice for both full string bed and hybrid stringing,"
said Ashaway Vice President Steve Crandall. "Rated #1 for arm-friendly performance on Tennis Ware-
house, MonoGut ZX strings remain soft at higher tensions, reducing impact shock. This 'soft power' elastic-
ity also allows MonoGut ZX series strings to provide better energy return than any other synthetic material.
This provides excellent full string bed power without strain, and can also soften a hybrid string bed."

MonoGut ZX Black strings also generate spin like the so-called high-tech polyesters. Because of the
string's high elasticity and low coefficient of friction, players claim better snap-back for improved spin,
better results from more compact strokes, reduced impact shock and overall enhanced comfort. Crandall
noted that few breakage problems have been reported, and quoted several players as saying: "Playing
with this string is just easier;" "Great power and spin;" and "Totally different feel than when playing with
other monofilaments."

MonoGut ZX and MonoGut ZX Pro are

designed for players seeking both gut-like
playability and superior durability in a solid
monofilament string, as well as for players
using monofilament strings in hybrid stringing
patterns. Both MonoGut ZX and MonoGut
ZX Pro Black are available in 40-ft (12 m)
sets, and now in both 360-ft (110 m) and
720-ft (220 m) reels. Recommended string-
ing tension is up to 60 lbs. (27 kgs).

Visit www.ashawayusa.com. Zyex is a regis-

tered trademark of Zyex Ltd.
 17

1 TOUR
45 HOST NATIONS
110 NATIONALITIES
350 TOURNAMENTS
8‘500 VOLUNTEERS
12‘000 PLAYERS
50‘100 MATCHES
228‘000 BALLS
412‘000 SPECTATORS
ROGER FEDERER MARIA SHARAPOVA TOMAS BERDYCH
1997: Category 1 ‘Hauts de France Cadets’ 2001: Category 1 ‘Torneo Avvenire’ 16&U finalist 2002: European 18&U Doubles champion &
16&U champion Singles runner-up

RAFAEL NADAL ANDY MURRAY PETRA KVITOVA

2000: Tennis Europe Masters champion 14&U 2001: Tennis Europe Winter Cups winner 14&U 2006: European 16&U Doubles champion

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI NOVAK DJOKOVIC VICTORIA AZARENKA

2004: Highest 14&U ranking #3 2001: Ranked Year-End #1 14&U 2003: European 14&U Doubles champion

31 WORLD
#1 PLAYERS

WHO’S NEXT?

GRIGOR DIMITROV RICHARD GASQUET AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA

2005: Awarded 14&U Tennis Europe Player 1999: Category 1 ‘Les Petits As’ champion 14&U 2005: European Summer Cups winner 16&U
of the Year
 2016 ERSA
Symposium and Annual General Meeting
Sign-up Sheet www.ersa-symposium.eu
Friday, March 11, 2016
20:00 – Welcome Cocktail – Atalaya Park Hotel
Samstag, March 12, 2016
9:00 – 15:00 Presentations
15:00 - 17:00 String and Racquet Testing - Private Lessons
Sunday, March 13, 2016
9:00 – 15:00 Presentations
15:00 - 17:00 String and Racquet Testing - Private Lessons
Monday, March 14, 2016
9:00 – 15:00 Presentations
15:00 - 17:00 String and Racquet Testing - Private Lessons
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
9:00 - 14:00 Certificaton Testing & Private Lessons - Racquet & String Testing

ERSA Member 99€_________

ERSA e-Member 150€______
Non-Member 250€________

CS, MRT, PTS, Badminton, MRS ______119€ Members______200€ Non-Members

ATALAYA PARK Golf Hotel & Resort

Avda. de las Golondrinas s/n 29688 Estepona - Málaga, Spain
Tel: +34 952 889 000, Fax: +34 952 889 019
Golf Course from 32€ and buggy rental 35€
http://www.atalaya-park.es/en/

Single Room 55€ per Night _____________________ Check-In ______________Check-Out

Double Room 80€ per Night ____________________ Check-In ______________ Check-Out
All rooms including breakfast buffet.

COMPANY______________________________________________________
NAME_________________________________________________________
ADDRESS______________________________________________________
POSTCODE______________CITY__________________________________
COUNTRY______________________________________________________
PHONE__________________________E-MAIL________________________
DATE______________SIGNATURE__________________________________
CREDIT CARD_____AMEX_______VISA________MASTERCARD
CC NUMBER____________________________________________________
EXPIRATION DATE_______________________________________________
e-mail or Fax to mmaslo3330@aol.com +49-211-68814151
 19

Industry News
Prince Stringing Team
ATP 500 Halle 2015
For the 2nd year running Prince ran the stringing service
at this year’s ATP 500 in Halle. The stringing service ran
smoothly both years with many compliments. The stringing
service was also featured on Eurosport TV and the german Channel 2 Television.

Prince introduced their new stringing machine, the Prince 7000, during this event. Certainly this
was somewhat of a risk, since the machine had never been used in an official tournament prior to
Halle, but the new machine performed excellently.

From a stringers point of view the most important job was done by the front desk manager
(Prince’s Tour Manager Dennis Fabian), who not only knew every player, manager and coach,
that came into the stringing room, but also wisely allocated players to the stringers. Throughout
the course of the tournament the undefined rule: “same player, same stringer, same machine” was
kept upright. As a result all players were more than happy with the string jobs.

In total Prince’s stringing service started out with 4

stringers. After the first round the number of stringers
was reduced, ending up with 2 stringers on the final
Sunday including Mike Emenako (ERSA’s Germany
Manager).

Since the stringing service was accessible for the pub-

lic, there were numerous spectators watching and ask-
ing questions. This proved a great opportunity for the
ERSA to present itself, since Mike Emenako was the
front row stringer, having to answer all sorts of ques-
tions.

Besides the stringing there was also some racquet

tuning and fitting done, using Prince’s Precision Tuning Center (PTC). All outgoing racquets were
checked by Prince’s front desk manager using the ERT 300, to ensure constant stringing perfor-
mance for all players.

Stringing room stats:

Total number of strung racquets: 373
Highest tension: 32 kg (Dustin Brown)
Lowest tension: 10.5 kg (Mikael Kukushkin)
Most racquets strung: Roger Federer (33), Kei Nishikori (32)

The most popular string was Luxilon Alu Power, followed by Gut (mainly
Babolat and Wilson Gut, which of course is the same) and Luxilon 4G.
20

Industry News
Very unusual these days: Sergei Stakhovski asked for a
full gut string job, whilst playing doubles. Requested was
full gut string job on a Head Prestige, with a tension of 25
kg (mains) and 24 kg (crosses) and no pre-stretch.

The most on court stringing was done for Kei Nishikori,

who went into each match, with 2 different tension set-
ups, then deciding on his preferred tension after the
warm up. Nishikori sent as many as 5 racquets for re-
stringing during his quarterfinal match.

As temperatures dropped by about 10° C during the

course of the tournament, the stringing service saw some
players dropping their tensions as much as 3 DT.

Tommy Robredo came in specifying the dynamic tension

he wanted done (DT 31), rather than stating a specific
pulling tension.

As from the quarter finals in the singles event, there

were only morning stringing (players who preferred to
have their racquets strung in the morning) left in the
draw, having the stringers starting around 6:15 am, in
order to get the job done.
By Mike Emenako
(ERSA Germany Manager)

Conchita Martinez has been appointed as

C 3.7 million people tuned into France Télévi-
Spain’s new Davis Cup captain.
Wimbledon has extended its partnership with
one of its longest-running sponsors, British soft
drinks manufacturer Robinson’s, until at least
2020. The brand first supplied the Champion-
ships in 1935.
The International Tennis Federation
has announced that Rolex will continue as a
sponsor of the Davis Cup until at least 2018.
sions to watch Stan Wawrinka’s Roland Garros
final win over Novak Djokovic, a 32.1% audi-
ence share. Domestic TV audiences were said
to be greatly increased this year as a result of
the hosts having six players in the last 16 of the
men’s singles.
The ATP World Tourr has awarded a
$15,000 grant to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Center in Newport, R.I., to support
its hunger relief programs. The grant is one of
nine awarded by the ATP ACES For Charity
program, a global initiative aimed at giving back
to communities where ATP World Tour events
areplayed.

Rafael Nadal has re-signed with sponsor Kia

Motors
21
Industry News
New Balance has extended its sponsorship
deal with Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic for
the remainder of his playing career, and be-
yond.
Gamma Adds Two Co-Poly Strings
Gamma Sports recently released Moto Soft and
iO Soft poly strings. The company says Moto
Soft’s heptagonal shape provides bite on the
ball and spin, while iO Soft’s classic shape al-
lows for deeper ball pocketing and more control..
The softer material found in both strings adds
power and greater feel without the harsh
vibration found in most stiffer co-polyester
strings, says Gamma.
Both co-poly monofilaments come in
16 and 17 gauges in charcoal.
The ITF announced that the 2016 BNP Paribas
World Team Cup, the ITF’s flagship wheelchair
tennis team event, will be held in Tokyo on May
23-26. The event will be hosted by the Japan
Tennis Association at the Ariake Coliseum.
Maui Jim has added WTA pro Flavia Pennetta
to its roster of players who will wear the com-
pany’s PolarizedPlus2 sunglasses. Other pros
include Martina Hingis, David Ferrer, Philipp
Kohlschreiber and Benoît Paire.
Pierce, Garvin Named PTR Presidential Ap-
pointees PTR President Roy Barth has named
Mary Pierce and Lucy Garvin, two prominent
women in international tennis, as Presidential
Appointees to the PTR Board of Directors. With
the appointments, PTR gains the expertise and
experience needed to continue growing interna-
tionally, plus adds to the gender
diversity on the PTR Board.
Serena Williams Offers
Online MasterClass
Serena Williams was one of the first experts
to offer an online class at MasterClass
(masterclass.com), a new online instruction
site that launched in May and features
experts in their fields. Others offering online
classes at the site include Academy Awardwin-
ner Dustin Hoffman teaching acting
and best-selling author James Patterson on
writing. Future online classes will include
sessions from performer Usher and photogra-
pher Annie Leibovitz.
Williams provides more than two hours of
video lessons that cover core technique to
pro-style fitness drills and the mental game.
“I wanted to make my class feel as though
you're right there on the court with me. It's
like getting a private lesson," Williams says.
The cost for her lessons is $90. The video
classes were directed by Jay Roach ("Austin
Powers" and "Meet the Parents") and Bill
Guttentag, a two-time Academy Awardwinning
documentarian.
Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest paid
athletes shows Roger Federer at fifth overall
and top amongst tennis players, with $67m in
2014. Novak Djokovic was ranked 12th overall
with $48.2m.
Maria Sharapova is the top ranked woman and
the highest ranked female tennis player at #29
with $29.7m, just ahead of world #1 Serena Wil-
liams, who earned $24.6m.
Respected chair umpire Gerry Armstrong
has called his last match after a 41-year career.
The Brit will now take on an ATP Supervisor
role and will also serve as Assistant Referee at
Wimbledon.
585 players of 69 nationalities were in action at
Wimbledon this year.
55% of all players were European.
SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC.
2015 Wimbledon Equipment Census
22
Industry News
Tennis Europe launches
Tennis CoachEd.com
Taking the employment theme a step further,
Tennis Europe has teamed up with leading
tennis recruitment platform OrangeCoach to
present the ‘Jobs & Recruitment Zone’, offer-
ing access to the career platform which con-
nects coaches and tennis employers such as
managers, tennis parents, resorts, academies
and clubs from all around the world.
The ‘Conference Zone’ provides details of all
further education and training opportunities
for coaches held across Tennis Europe’s 49
member nations, whilst the final ‘Academy
Zone’ (still under construction) comes in re-
sponse to popular demand and will eventually
be a complete one-stop directory for informa-
tion on all European tennis academies and
schools; an essential tool for players, parents
and federations alike.
Tennis Europe’s Chief Executive Officer Olli
Mäenpää commented; “Tennis CoachEd was
born of a desire to provide greater services
to our coaches, who are key to the continued
success of our sport. As the project has devel-
oped, we have incorporated many interesting
new features for the tennis industry. I am sure
that it will not only serve to further unite Eu-
rope’s coaching community, but will become a
vibrant hub for anyone searching for opportu-
nities, information and advice.”
CoachEd.com will be a companion site to
the organisation’s existing TennisEurope.org,
which had traffic of 7 million individual visitors
and more than 60 million page impressions in
2014.
2015 European Tennis report to be
published
The third edition of the ‘European Tennis Report’ will
be published by Tennis Europe later this month.
The new-look report builds on the work of the previ-
ous editions to provide comprehensive statistical
analysis from Tennis Europe’s 49 member nations.
Features include an expanded reference section,
federation contacts, participation and facility facts,
three-year trends and comparisons of key catego-
ries including players (total, club members and
licensed), clubs, courts and coaches. The report
also tracks the progress of all international events
held in Europe over the last eight years, from junior
to professional,
senior to wheelchair and beach tennis.
Key findings of the report include:
- Overall European tennis participation rates steady
- Slight declines in the numbers of tennis clubs and
courts across 49 nations
- Stable participation in the five markets that each
claim over 10% of European players (France, Ger-
many, Great Britain, Italy, Spain)
- Fastest growing nations in terms of tennis partici-
pation are Armenia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia
and Ukraine
- Significant growth in the numbers of international
tournaments and professionally-ranked European
players
The report is available for pre-order now with special
offers and tailor-made packages available. Please
refer to the next page or contact Keith Jenkins
(keithj@tenniseurope.org) for further information.
Tennis Europe Chief Executive Officer Olli Mäenpää
said; "We are very proud of this new edition of the
Report, which offers a complete snapshot of the
state of European tennis. The Report is essentially
an encyclopaedia
for tennis in Europe and is an indispensable
tool for anyone involved in the industry, being the
only available source of much of the data contained
within.
“I would like to thank the many staff of our member
nations that have helped us with the challenging task of
collecting the data in recent months."
The European Tennis Report is the result of a biennial
survey of Tennis Europe’s constituent national tennis
federations conducted between December 2014 andMay
2015 in association with sports industry research leaders
SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC.
24

Tips
Tubing the first bottom hole
on the outside.
We ran into a problem at Wimbledon with an
English doubles player’s racquets. He was string-
ing a Hybrid with very old, dry gut on the mains
and they continured to break down at the bottom.
He requested tubing at the bottom three holes
outside of the throat. As the first hole is very long
and is a main string where the grommet bends
up, it is difficult to get a long piece of tubing in Stretch the tubing thin enough to fit in the
the hole. We had the job of stringing his racquets grommet.
quickly for his match.

The first problem is you need a very long thin awl

to get into the grommet with wax and to stretch
it out for tubing. After this was done we had to
stretch the tubing to get it thinner, trim it to a long
point and to push it all the way into the whole to
the other side. Petros Biris had a long Kimony
Bent Awl which fit perfectly into the grommet and
also suggested putting the awl into one end of
the tubing to get more leverage pushing it in.
I would also use some lip balm as a lubricant in
the grommet and on the outside of the tubing
before pushing in. Then hold the tubing in the
hole and slide the awl out and trim the end of
the tubing. One of the team stringers asked how Push the awl with the tubing through the
this was done so we are putting in as a tip this grommet.
month.

Slide the tubing over the awl and rub a small

amount of lip balm on the outside.

Pull out the awl and trim the end to the cor-
rect length.
 25

Symposium Schedule
The 2016 ERSA Symposium Schedule will be updated as we get more presentations con-
firmed. As of now the schedule includes:

Hands-On - Beginner/Intermediate Stringing Course

Hands-On – How to become a Master Pro Tour Stringer. Master Pro Tour Stringers will work with
you on your weaknesses to become a great stringer.

Hands-On – Racket Grip Moulding

Hands-On – Racquet Tuning

Social Media – How to use it to build up your shop and / or stringing business

Managing Your Shop Presentation

Free Private Lessons with the Top Stringers in the World

CS, MRT and PTS Tennis, Badminton and Squash Certification Testing

On Court Racket Testing – Prince, Head Yonex, etc.

On Court Smart Tennis Devices 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
26

ERSA ATW
2015 Apollo Leisure Wimbledon Stringing Team

This year’s Wimbledon Stringing Team was the best ever. With almost 4,000 racquets strung this
year, all the racquets were finished on time and the quality of stringing was the best I have ever
seen at a Grand Slam.The Official Report from Apollo Leisure will be featured in next month’s
issue of RacquetTech. The Team included 9 ERSA Managers, 5 ERSA Master Pro Tour Stringers
and 13 ERSA Pro Tour Stringers.

The new logo design was chosen though a contest with dozens of
graphic designers over the last 2 months trying to get the top prize.
The idea came through some of our managers to make the organiza-
tion symbol more worldwide and less stressing Europe.
After choosing the best 10 logos, we turned it over to our managers
to choose their top 2 or 3 logos. The new logo was in the top 2 or 3
with everyone and more number 1 choices than any other logo.

With our new cooperation with the Yonex Stringing Team, Mark Maslowski, ERSA President and
Master Pro Tour Stringer, Richard Parnell, ERSA Spain Manager and Master Pro Tour Stringer
and Timo van Driel, ERSA Benelux Manager and Pro Tour Stringer Level 1, have been chosen
to string with the Team in Japan at the 2015 Toray Pan Pacific WTA Premier Tournament and the
2015 Rakuten Open ATP 500. The teams will include half international
stringers and half Japanese
stringers.
 BUYER’S GROUP FOR
RACQUET SPECIALISTS

The Racquet Tech Sports Group

offers many advantages to
independent retailers in the
racket sports industry.

offers Group Product Ordering,

Marketing Concepts, Marketing
Services, Management Con-
sulting, Technical Educational
Programs through the European
Racquet Stringers Association,
and Membership in the ERSA,
the leader in racketsports in-
formation technology.

Group Buying Marketing Concepts Management Consulting

offers the independent racket-
sports dealer the possibility to
compete with the large chains,
mail-order businesses
and internetshops.
promoting group members
as experts in the retail racket
sports industry, and the advan-
tages of professional advice to
the end consumer.
to help set up and run your
business professionally and
PROFITABLY.

Advertising and Design

services are available for the members at great savings.

Educational Programs
including topics such as Marketing, Management, Technologies,
Stringing; racket repair and tuning are offered to the members.
Training Seminars set up and run by Master Racquet Technicians
and ProTour Stringers throughout Europe.

Membership in the
European Racquet Stringers Association
Yearly membership is included as part of your Racquet Tech Sports The Racquet Tech Sports
Group membership, giving you all the technical information and Group
new product information to run your shop successfully.