Federer, Nadal to play exhibition match

"Organizers needed 19 days and $1.63 million to create the court, which divides the surfaces by halves for a unique match in which a player can receive on clay and hit a winner on grass — or vice versa."

Tennis Serves 2005

Dug these clips taken 2yrs ago. I think it has changed drastically over the years. 'Hope I can take and post our latest service strokes for comparison. Stay tuned! And here are the rest:

Paul: Correct bending of the knees but tummy is hindering the bending of the back and shoulder's follow-through

Pat: Good high toss but ball need not be too far away coz there's a tendency to lean forward forcing a net ball (fault serve).

Jun: A very relaxed serve. The receiving end can relax too coz the ball is coming too slow with a predictable trajectory and bounce.

Goryo: This serve relies on shoulder power. No bending of the back, no bending of knees and only minimal follow through of the shoulder.

A New Paint Job?

The most sought after tennis racket in Singapore has been revamped with a paintjob. It even looks head-bigger than the previous "nCode six one tour" model. While Robert and Pat whine about it, we'll see tonight if this revamped look is still Fed-Ex's magic wand on his road to defend his crown at the Australian Open. The challenger--Andy Roddick.

Prior to AusOpen Andy's beaten Roger at the Kooyong Classic Invitation. Must be luck? Yes 'coz grandslam is just another story, and Fed-ex just won't loose on this. So in my opinion, this semi-final will be the end of the road for Andy. My prediction: Federer to meet Gonzales (who just beaten Nadal) in the finals.

Here's something for the tennis buff:

The Very Particular Art of the Racket Stringer

“Ivan Lendl was the first player to change rackets at every ball change; he brought a new level of professionalism,’’ says Prokes. “Now, the most professional player? Agassi. He is the new benchmark.’’