Posts tagged court
Hawko lobs home on a tennis court
Mar 13th
Jennifer Hawkins takes to the catwalk for Myer’s Spring/Summer fashion parade at Carriageworks, Eveleigh. Produced by Toby Zerna
ONE day it will be their love nest but at the moment, Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall are the proud owners of a $1.3 million tennis court.
It will take nearly $1 million more to turn it into a modern, clifftop home, bounded by balconies and surrounded by palm trees and gardens.
Documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph reveal that the couple bought a recreational centre in one of Sydney’s most exclusive gated communities.
They plan to demolish the tennis court and cabana, which is just moments from exposed natural sandstone rock cliffs of North Curl Curl, and build a private new abode.
Plans reveal a contemporary Asian-inspired two-storey home with three bedrooms, in stark contrast to their mega mansion neighbours that are three-storeys high.
They plan to splash $880,000 on the grand house, including a $60,000 swimming pool and a $10,000 internal lift.
They have engaged architects Koichi Takada, an award-winning firm, famous for designing interiors in natural stone and timber finishes for luxury apartments and posh restaurants.
The firm, renowned for using light, and bringing nature inside, designed swanky eateries Cave, Tree and the Ocean Room in Sydney and were accepted to present their designs to Louis Vuitton in Paris.
While authorities are tight-lipped about details, a source said: “It will be a fabulous home and one that both Jen and Jake will be proud of.”
Valuing privacy, they have chosen an estate which has its own private entry road, sharing the Windy Dropdowns sanctuary with only eight other homes.
Their tennis court was one of the cheapest lots in the estate, which have sold for as much as $5.5 million since created five years ago.
While Hawkins and Wall plan a modest design, their neighbours each boast up to five bedrooms, four bathrooms, private gymnasiums, infinity pools, four car spaces and scenic ocean views.
One home within the gated community can be rented for $20,000 per week, advertising a “palace indulges state-of-art architecture, a generosity of space rarely seen and a sense of style and detailing that property connoisseurs will truly appreciate. Comprising five bedrooms, the palatial master suite graces the top floor and is an oasis of relaxation with a rooftop terrace and ocean panorama”.
This is the second time investors have tried turning the tennis court into a home. The previous applicant incurred the wrath of neighbours with plans they said would have blocked views and a first floor swimming pool invading their privacy.
From www.adelaidenow.com.au
Indian Wells event puts it all on line: Hawk-eye on every court
Mar 10th
Indian Wells event puts it all on line: Hawk-eye on every court 
The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. will feature the Hawk-Eye replay system that is used to confirm or overrule line judges’ calls.
Illustration by Michael Snyder, The Desert Sun
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The BNP Paribas Open continually tries to raise the bar in the tennis world, and adding Hawk-Eye to all eight of its match courts might put it out of reach with every other tournament this year.
By Marilyn Chung, The Desert Sun
System operator Pete Stainforth adjusts one of the Hawk-Eye cameras at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The BNP Paribas Open features the replay system on all of its courts.
From www.usatoday.com
Myrtle Beach woman invents world’s first hybrid tennis court
Mar 7th
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. —
Tennis players on the Grand Strand now have a new type of court to play on that could help them improve their game.
At first glance it looks like a typical court, but there’s something a little different about it.
“It’s the first in the world permanent dual-surfaced court, hybrid court,” said Renata Martinowska, founder of Hybrid International.
The hybrid court is half hard, half clay.
Martinowska is the inventor and patent owner of the hybrid court.
“To play on this court, you actually need to be able to strategize a little better. And it helps players, especially players that do have problems with variety and mental toughness,” she said.
By combining the two different types of surfaces it allows players to grow and learn more about the game.
Joe Oyco, a tennis pro at Litchfield Raquet Club, says it will come in handy, especially when teaching younger kids.
“If you have fast kids, put them on the slower court, their footwork gets better. If their footing is not too sure, put them on the hard court side,” said Oyco.
Martinowska says she got the idea from professional tennis matches played on hybrid courts. But this one, she says, is the first permanent hybrid court in the world.
If it grows in popularity, she says she’d like to expand to other cities.
For now though, she’s focused on teaching aspiring tennis stars on the Grand Strand.
“We’ve decided this is a beautiful place, and we would love to bring great tennis to Myrtle Beach and perhaps in the future, tournaments and special events,” said Martinowska.
The court is located off of Highway 707 in the Socastee Community.
For more information about the court and lessons, visit her website at www.hybridtennis.com.
From www2.scnow.com
/Tennis Court Construction Project*
Mar 1st
- ■ Pewaukee
- /Tennis Court Construction Project*
- Project: Tennis Court Construction Project, Pewaukee, Waukesha County, Contract No. 09-3647
- Bids due: March 10, 2011 at 2:00 PM
- Owner: Pewaukee School District, 404 Lake St., Pewaukee, WI 53072; 262-691-2100
- Consultant: JSD Professional Services, Inc., 161 Horizon Drive, Suite 101, Verona, WI 53593; 608-848-5060, Fax 608-848-2255
- Bids to: Owner
- Plans from: QuestCDN or Consultant
- Plans and specs: Electronic copies (including construction plan) may be obtained from the website: www.QuestCDN.com. A nonrefundable fee of $20 will be required. Under the website’s Project Search Page, one will need to input Quest’s project number: 1471071. Contact QuestCDN.com at 920-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in membership, registration, downloading, and working with this digital project information. An optional paper set of project documents is also available for a nonrefundable price of $50 per set which includes applicable sales tax and shipping. Please make checks payable to JSD Professional Services, and send it to 161 Horizon Drive, Verona, WI. 53593. Call JSD with questions (608-848-5060)
- Prevailing wages: Required
- Bid bond: 5% bid bond or certified check made payable to Pewaukee School District is required with each bid
- Performance bond: 100%
- Payment bond: 100%
- Insurance: Required
- Prevailing wages: Required
- Notes: No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of 60 days after bid opening date without the consent of the owner
- Scope: The work shall consist of grading, fencing, concrete sidewalk, acrylic tennis court surfacing, line marking, seeding and necessary appurtenances for the Pewaukee School District’s proposed tennis courts
From jobtrac.dailyreporter.com
Deconstructing No. 1: The Top 16 Women Who Dominated on the Tennis Court
Feb 26th
Points given in a WTA sponsored tennis tournament are used to calculate a players ranking and who ultimately is the No. 1 player on the women’s tour.
Points gained are totaled for one year. Then as the event rolls around again on the calendar, the points earned last year fall off and new points won replace them.
Various tournaments have different point values with the slams offering the most points. For example, the winner of a major receives 2000 ranking points.
The further a player advances in the tournament, the more points she will earn.
Ultimately for the women on tour, only the player’s best 17 tournaments count toward total ranking points. That means a player cannot simply add to her ranking total by entering every tournament.
Historically, for the women’s tour, ranking did not even appear as a statistic until 1921.
Back then rankings were subjective, based on human observation, often a professional panel. Certainly there was no universal system. Calculation of rankings were not point-based until 1975.
Despite the inadequacies of past record-keeping, evidence exists that indicate a number of very talented female players held the No. 1 ranking and dominated the women’s game prior to 1975.
We will use prior subjective rankings and convert those records to an appropriate number of weeks in order to rank the dominance of the top 16 female tennis players since 1921.
From bleacherreport.com
Love-match made on tennis court
Feb 26th
Love-match made on tennis court
8:40am Saturday 26th February 2011
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IT will be love-all for a diamond couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary next week.
Muriel and Arthur Clough will reach the marital milestone on Thursday with a relationship bonded to last over a love of tennis.
The couple, of Holford Avenue, Bewsey, met at a dance at Eagle Sports Club, where Arthur used to play tennis. And love soon blossomed as Muriel joined him on the court.
She said: “It was tennis that started it. He played tennis before me and then I started with him at Eagle Sports Club. I carried on playing until I was 78.”
The couple married at Bold Street Methodist Church eight years after meeting and went on to have children, Susan and Terry.
There are extra celebrations in the Clough household this week too with birthdays for them both as Muriel turned 91 on Tuesday and Arthur reaches 89 on Monday.
“He does as he’s told because I’m older than him,” added Muriel.
Arthur worked at Electrohydrolics before retiring and Muriel spent 10 years on Warrington Market’s carpet stall. The couple will celebrate with friends and family, including three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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From www.thisischeshire.co.uk
Keep your backhand in the tennis court
Feb 12th
Dear Glen,
I would like to know how to keep my two-handed backhand in the court. My opponent shared with me he knows to attack my backhand because I tend to hit long after a couple of shots. My pro and I have been working on topspin, but it still needs a lot of work. Any suggestions on speeding up the process?
I think your pro is on the right track. But beyond practicing more backhands, there are a couple of things you may want to try. First, to maintain a consistent follow-through, create a touch of your racket over your shoulder. This will give you feedback whether you are finishing the stroke consistently. Second, under pressure there is a tendency not to breathe and choking occurs on the shot due of tightness. Try exhaling as your racket is striking the ball. Not only will this help with getting tight during points, breathing tends to help with the follow-through.
Dear Glen,
Lately, I have been tinkering with a one-handed backhand and having a lot of fun hitting the ball with friends. My problem is that I am losing confidence in my ability to hit the two-hander. During match play, I seem to be confused which shot to hit. What do you think?
The best of both worlds would be to hit a one-handed chip for control and reach issues. Second, hit a two-hander when hitting top-spin drives, passing shots or return of serves. Your internal muscle memory is confused as to which top-spin backhand that should be hit. The other issue is the contact point of the one-handed backhand is further in front of the body then the double-hander. This will lead to lack of confidence if shots are missed and feel of the ball will be lost. My recommendation is to focus on either hitting the backhand consistently one way if you are going to compete.
Dear Glen,
I am new to the area moving from Texas and was wondering what tennis lesson and leagues are available in Tallahassee. Do you have City classes for kids?
Tallahassee is full of opportunity as far as tennis activities. Many of these clinics and tennis courts can be seen at our Talgov.com website. You are in luck as far as knowing all that Tallahassee has to offer in tennis. On Feb. 26 at 10 a.m., USTA, TTA and City of Tallahassee will be hosting its first Tennis Extravaganza at Tom Brown Park. We will be showcasing our many tennis opportunities as well as offering lots of prizes at the event. There will be a 12-court carnival in which you and your children will get a chance to try out some of our tennis activities. This is free of charge and a great chance to meeting our City tennis professionals and tennis organizers.
From www.tallahassee.com
Tennis court streaker hits the wall
Jan 27th
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The sight of a naked man running full-pelt into a glass door seems to be exactly what YouTube was created for.
When a hapless British builder did just that in his attempt to streak across a tennis match, he gained digital infamy overnight.
Tom Annandale, of Manchester, stripped while on holiday in Spain and planned to run around a tennis court.
But he had not realised that the court was enclosed by a glass partition and he ran straight into the glass wall.
The footage of him falling down and running off in shame has been viewed more than a million times since it was uploaded on to YouTube a fortnight ago.
As well as a hilarious misadventure, he has also joined a long line of sporting naturists, the pioneer being Australian Michael O’Brien.
The Jesus lookalike’s dignity was partially saved by a policeman’s helmet at an England-France rugby match in 1974.
O’Brien’s pioneering work was referenced by Erica Roe, at the same ground – Twickenham – in 1982 before a crowd including the Queen.
Ms Roe was subsequently offered modelling jobs and became a minor celebrity, but she always struggled for an explanation for her actions other than that she “had had a few beers”.
And who could forget Australia’s most famous streaker Helen D’Amico, and her attempted on-field embrace of Blues star Bruce Doull at the 1982 VFL Grand Final.
The ovals of the cricketing world provide another fine stage for sporting naturism, always made more amusing by the upper-class English commentator struggling for the right balance between gentlemanly decorum and wry humour.
But it can be a dangerous place to be naked, especially with the likes of Greg Chappell on the prowl. He famously grabbed a nude invader in New Zealand beat him on the rear with his bat during a game in 1977.
A spanking from the willow is one thing, but who could forget the head-on collision that Andrew Symonds engineered to subdue a fleshy invader at the Gabba in 2008. Symonds – who once considered playing rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos – flattened the man with a shoulder charge when he invaded the pitch, with a policeman in pursuit, in the tenth over.
Too many beery hours in the sun seem to be the root cause of many of these shenanigans, but that’s the amateur side of the sport. For people like Englishman Mark Roberts, getting naked in public is a full-time job. He and colleagues such as Jimmy Jump and Brittney Skye have completed hundreds of disrobed dashes in their careers, often sporting sponsored flesh along the way.
Streaking can also be a truly beautiful thing – fellow flesh flashers Scott Russell and Emma Schroeder were united on a football field thanks to the efforts of matchmaking website believeindestiny.com.
The couple, who, incidentally, both also shared a love for sausage dogs, are now married. We have not been able to confirm what the dress code for the ceremony was.
So if one day the urge takes you, remember that one, you’ll most likely be arrested and two, you are following in a time-honoured tradition of natural naughtiness.
From www.smh.com.au
True to form, the drama queens have been holding court again
Jan 26th
Women’s tennis is boring on court but the exact opposite off it, writes Robert Grant.
There is an odd dichotomy in women’s tennis. It can be fascinating and boring at the same time. There is little doubt the women have provided most of the dramatic storylines at the Australian Open in recent years – and this year has been no different.
On court, it’s a different matter.
Modern women’s tennis is limited to an endless baseline slugging, devoid of any great variety of shots. Service breaks are the norm rather than something to be celebrated, as in the men’s game.
And when a female player strays from the format, the results are usually disastrous.
While they can produce baseline boredom until the sun sets, any attempt at variety is fraught with danger. Inevitably, the smash balloons out over the baseline, the volley is either dumped into the net or hit straight back to the opponent.
And don’t even try looking when an overhead backhand return is about to be performed – the degree of difficulty is at least 9.8.
But the women fully deserve their place in the game because they provide off-court entertainment that the men seem intent on avoiding. And they have proved that, while the matches might be a dreary string of error-ridden statistics, women have given us wonderful tales.
Think of 2001, when Jennifer Capriati, a Wimbledon semi-finalist at the age of 15 in 1991, climbed out of the gutter, rising from two years in a drug- and depression-clouded wilderness, to win the Australian Open. She went on the win the French title the same year and became world No 1 before returning to Melbourne to defend her crown with that memorable heatwave victory over Martina Hingis.
Remember also when Hingis called the well-toned Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo ”half a man” before beating her in the 1999 final.
There were other controversies. The outcry against women receiving equal prizemoney after Steffi Graf crushed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-0, 6-2 in the 1994 final. And a similar situation when Belgian Justine Henin defaulted the 2006 final against Mauresmo while trailing 6-1, 2-0, claiming illness. This year, while the men have progressed stoically, providing nailbiting tennis followed by forgettable media conferences, the women have been in great form.
Kim Clijsters embarrassed on-court interviewer Todd Woodbridge by telling the crowd of the text message he had sent saying she looked pregnant and that her ”boobs are bigger”.
Caroline Wozniacki led the media on a wild goose chase, claiming she had been attacked by a kangaroo as the real reason for the scratch on her knee – she walked into a treadmill – seemed too prosaic. That led to a lot of confusion and compelled her to return and explain herself.
There might be more commentary about the girls’ outfits than their sizzling strokes, but they are rarely boring.
AAP
From www.smh.com.au
Top Spin 4 hits the court March 15
Jan 19th
Top Spin 4 hits the court March 15
2K Sports’ latest tennis sim arrives in two months for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii from Mafia II studio 2K Czech; Andre Agassi, Rafael Nada, and Serena Williams to grace NA cove.
The first of the year’s four major tennis tournaments–the 2011 Australian Open–kicked off yesterday in Melbourne. While the stars volley back and forth on the real court, gamers looking forward to the latest Top Spin title now have a release date to circle on their calendars.
Top Spin 4 will be available in North America on March 15 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, with the European release following on March 18. Mafia II studio 2K Czech is handling development of the title.
Top Spin 4 will be a licensed title and feature the likenesses of 25 tennis stars, including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Ana Ivanovic, Pete Sampras, James Black, Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Caroline Wozniacki.
Additionally, players’ real-world on-court clothing, as well as their unique movements–which include celebration maneuvers–will be reflected via animations. Further, the game will sport many of the most popular venues in tennis, including Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Arthur Ashe Stadium, and others.
2K Sports did not say if Top Spin 4 will be compatible with Microsoft’s Kinect or Sony’s PlayStation Move. However, the box art for the PS3 version of the game (pictured) clearly indicates that the title will work with Sony’s motion-control peripheral. Additionally, the box shows that Top Spin 4 for the PS3 will be a 3D-compatible title. Unfortunately, the box art for the Xbox 360 version does not offer the same revelation for Microsoft’s tech.
2K Sports also today announced the Top Spin 4 cover athletes for both North America and Europe. The North American SKU will be fronted by the iconic and retired Andre Agassi, as well as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. As for the European box, Scottish 23-year-old Andy Murray, former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic (who lost an early round thriller today), and French Open wizard Rafael Nadal will front this year’s game. The cover athletes for Top Spin 3 were Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, and Roger Federer.
The Top Spin series started out as a Microsoft-published Xbox exclusive in 2003, before the original title in the series was ported to the PC and PlayStation 2 in 2004 and 2005. This was followed by Top Spin 2 in 2006–for the Xbox 360, PC, and portable platforms–and Top Spin 3 in 2008, which was released on the Xbox 360, PC, and Nintendo DS, as well as being the first outing for the series on the PS3.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286434.html
From gamrconnect.vgchartz.com
