Serena inaugurates second Kenyan school

Always a trailblazer. Always doing good things.  Always going the extra miles.

Just over a year after visiting Kenya to open the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya, Serena Williams returned to the country to follow up on her humanitarian efforts. Williams arrived on February 22 for a three day charity mission where she will inaugurate the Wee Secondary School in Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya.

The new school lies roughly 50 kilometers from the first one. While in the country, Williams will follow up on the progress of the Matooni school and will hold a tennis teaching session with the students at both schools.

Williams has partnered with technology giant Hewlett Packard and the Build African Schools initiative. She is a global ambassador for the firm and has also worked with the Starfishgreatheart Charity for orphans in South Africa.

Check out pics from Serena’s visit to Kenya in the photo gallery.

Hewlett Packard will equip the school with computers, printers and internet connectivity, while facilitating the training of the local teachers and students.

Ken Mbwaya, Hewlett Packard’s managing director for East Africa, said: “As our ambassador, Serena was touched by the plight of children from these areas. This has made many keen to learn, even with daily challenges and limitations. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

“Sixty-two percent of Kenyans live in absolute poverty, which means that some very bright children are hindered from achieving their potential. This is an actual impediment to the realization of Vision 2030 and we need to tackle this before we seek IT penetration into rural Kenya. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

(via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Maria Sharapova signs record-breaking contract with Nike

If you’re an up and coming sports superstar, you may be interested to know a bit about the business of sports.

This week it was announced that Russian tennis champ Maria Sharapova has renewed her sponsorship agreement with Nike for $70 million (yikes) over the next eight years, the largest endorsement deal for a female athlete in history. The contract tops Venus Williams’ five-year, $45-million deal signed with Reebok in 2000, and includes the launch of a clothing line designed by Sharapova, for which she will get a share of the profits.

Nike, the world’s largest athletic-shoe maker, has worked with the Russian tennis player for 11 years. Since winning Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17, Sharapova has become one of the biggest draws on the WTA Tour and the world’s best-paid female athlete.

The deal extension comes less than a year after Sharapova returned from a right-shoulder injury that sidelined her for nine months and forced her to undergo surgery. The best part of the new eight-year deal with the 22-year-old athlete is that Nike is looking beyond her retirement. And Masha’s agent has said that she’s becoming more and more interested in having a hands-on creative role in companies she’s works with as well as an ownership stake.

Sharapova currently makes close to $22 million a year in prize money and from endorsing companies including Tiffany & Co., Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ltd. and Canon Inc., according to Sports Illustrated. She was the only woman in the magazine’s July list of the top 20 highest-earning non-U.S. athletes.

Sharapova has won 20 Women’s Tennis Association titles including three majors. In August 2005 she became the first Russian female tennis player to be ranked number one in the world. She took a 10-month break from the court after undergoing shoulder surgery in July 2008, but has proven herself a force to be reckoned since her comeback, advancing to the semi-finals of the French Open last year and pulling her world ranking up to 14th.

Sharapova partners with TAG Heuer on sunglass collection

Tennis star Maria Sharapova is internationally known for her flawless tennis swing and impeccable sense of style, on and off the tennis court.  Now TAG Heuer Eyewear and Sharapova have collaborated to design a new collection of sunglasses that deliver both function and fashion. With the Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear, women will enjoy chic sunglass designs that are also comfortable, durable and crafted from the highest quality materials – all key features signature to the TAG Heuer name.

Avant-garde, ultra-feminine and incredibly comfortable – the Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear includes two distinctive styles. The iconic aviator style includes a sleek line at top and bold thick frame that combine for a cutting-edge look. The oversized round style is elegantly sculpted, offering 3D curvy coverage worthy of the red carpet. Both styles feature Sharapova’s signature discreetly laser-etched into the shatter-resistant, ultra-light lenses, which offer 100% UV-A and UV-B protection.

Material highlights such as superbly smooth black acetate hand-polished to a mirror finish and racecar-grade stainless steel stand out from the crowd. The Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear is available in black with gray or gradated lenses, or in three other trendy color combinations: an ivory frame with blue lenses, tortoiseshell with brown lenses and dark plum with pink lenses.

The Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear will be available in stores March 2010 at a pricey $250.00.

2009 Salute to Women in Sports

Other WomenTalkSports posts of “Best of ‘09″:

• From Because I Played Sports, Best of ‘09: Forming a community, WomenTalkSports.com

• From One Sport Voice, The “Best” of 2009 and the State of Girls & Women in Sports

• From WakeGirls.com, Best of ‘09 – A Year for Women in Wake

Show me the money: Serena Williams breaks WTA season prize mark

Serena Williams, finishing off her most lucrative year in women’s tennis with a win at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, is again ranked No. 1 in the world.

And with her latest win, Serena has set the record for single-season prize money in women’s tennis by topping $6.5 million in 2009.

Williams broke the WTA mark of slightly under $5.5 million, earned by Justine Henin in 2007.

The American won the season-ending tour championships Sunday, beating older sister Venus in the final, to regain the No. 1 ranking. The younger Williams also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2009.

The Doha tournament, which featured the top eight women in the world, saw top-ranked Dinara Safina retire in her first match with a serious back injury, and No. 4 Caroline Wozniacki forced to quit in her semifinal against Serena Williams.

Earlier this year, $erena became the top earning female athlete ever,  and with these latest wins her  career prize money is now at a record $28.5 million.

Serena remembers earning her first check of $240 at Québec City in 1995 so that’s quite a pay raise!

Two teens transform the tennis world

Teenagers Melanie Oudin and Yanina Wickmayer were a hit at the U.S. Open in New York last month, arriving as unseeded talents and emerging as legitimate competitors. Wickmayer went deepest in the Open draw but Oudin, sporting the word “Believe” on her shoes, generated huge shock waves.

In a recent profile of the two players, the New York Times headline read:  2 teenagers on the way up and aiming to stay there.

Unbelievably, Oudin, who hails from Georgia,  upset three Russian establishment figures at the Open  — Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova — before falling to another teen, the 9th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.  Wickmayer meanwhile reached the semifinals of the Grand Slam and went home a hero.

After her run at the Open,  the LA Times riffed off of Sinatra lyrics and said about Oudin:

“… She (came) to New York City to see whether she could make it there. Little did she know, thanks to television and the Internet, she would make it everywhere.”

Both Oudin and Wickmayer took time off after the Open to decompress and allow lingering leg injuries to heal. They’re both in Asia now trying to leverage their newfound success.

Earlier this week, Oudin suffered a loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to the 35-year-old American veteran Jill Craybas  in the second round of qualifying.

Oudin, who turned 18 last week, admitted it’s hard going from playing really, really well in a major tournament to going back and having to qualify for a tournament. She realizes needs to get more experience  and better adjust to different atmospheres and different places.

Oudin now plays the qualifying tournament in Beijing while Wickmayer has made the main draw thanks to a wild card.

For both players, the tricky question is where do they go from here? The women’s game is suddenly much richer in talent with the comeback of Belgian powerhouses Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.

For Wickmayer, she’s suddenly sharing the world stage with her heroes and compatriots. In fact last May, when Henin retired suddenly still ranked No. 1 in the world, Wickmayer — then a little known and outside the top 100 — suddenly became Belgium’s top women’s player.

Exceptional achievement for young players, however, is no guarantee of future success in tennis. In fact, many unseeded youngsters who make a Grand Slam breakthrough do not continue to kick down doors.

The NYT article cites Alexandra Stevenson, a Californian who reached the Wimbledon semifinals as an 18-year-old qualifier in 1999. She never made it past the second round in another major tournament as she struggled with mobility, consistency and injuries. Or Clarisa Fernández, an Argentine left-hander who beat Clijsters at age 20 on her way to the French Open semifinals in 2002 and never managed to beat another top 10 player.

Oudin is currently ranked 42nd with a convincing forehand and fine footwork (her backhand and serve however are both in need of improvement.) Wickmayer is 23rd with an impressive, aggressive power game that some say lacks variety and adaptability.

Wickmayer says she feels a lot stronger on the court than one or two years ago;  and that’s more important than being No. 1 in Belgium. She’s thinks it’s good Clijsters and Henin are back and they’ll be able to have a bit of competition among themselves.

Oudin is also excited about the playing field. Henin, who is of similar  height and build (5′6″), has long been her inspiration. The young Oudin has seen her play just once in person but now might get the opportunity to play against her in competition.  If the American player adapts and continues her upward trajectory, the Australian Open – where Henin plans to make her comeback – might be the stage for that match.

Serena’s apology via Twitter

@serenajwilliams: I want to sincerely apologize FIRST to the lines woman, Kim Clijsters, USTA & mostly tennis fans everywhere. Thank you all for your support

Oudini – American teen serves up magic at U.S. Open

Gritting her way through a shaky third set, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin from Marietta, Ga., pulled off her second upset of the Open on Saturday, defeating a more-seasoned and far more-famous opponent — former No. 1 Maria Sharapova. This victory coming just days after stunning No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva.

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” Oudin said, choking back tears in her postmatch interview with Mary Jo Fernandez in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Thank you so much for cheering for me.” she said to the appreciative crowd of over 37,000 that included her boyfriend and her mom.

Sharapova, who has won the U.S. Open once, usually gets those cheers. But on this day in Queens, the fans were rooting for a new potential queen — the one who stamped the word “Believe” on her shoes and did just that.

Big day on the court for teen Melanie Oudin

In the first couple days of the U.S. Open we’ve seen a number of top seeds and former champions struggle.  Ranked No. 1 a year ago, Ana Ivanovic,  currently ranked No. 11, went down in defeat her first round and has since announced she’s going to temporarily take time off from the game.

It’s always fun to watch upsets and underdogs. Especially fun when the underdog doing the upsetting is a girl still in high school. That’s what happened when American teenager Melanie Oudin shocked fourth seed Elena Dementieva at the U.S. Open  in the second round.

The Russian, one of the favorites for the title after an impressive summer, was out-hit and outplayed by the 17-year-old world number 70, who handed Dementieva her joint-earliest ever exit at Flushing Meadows.

Dementieva looked to have weathered an early storm when she took the first set but Oudin, who reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, stormed back to level the match.

Oudin had the trainer on after three games of the final set to treat a thigh strain but she held her nerve to set up a meeting with either 29th seed Maria Sharapova or another American, wildcard entry Christina McHale.

Oudin is one Pretty Tough player. Next up? Sharapova.

Tennis anyone?

If you find yourself all fired up to play tennis watching the U.S. Open, remember that watching elite athletes can be really deceptive.  It may appear as if they hit,  jump and lunge with ease, but tennis is one tough game.

So while Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova are showing us how it’s done during this week’s  tournament,  here’s  a primer for those who want to learn the basics of the game.

Scoring

• Each women’s tennis match is made up of two to three sets (guys play five sets). To win a set, you must win at least six games.
• The games are scored starting at “love” (or zero). From love, the first point is 15, then 30, then 40, which wins the game.

Scoring the Game

• Before serving the score is announced, with server’s score first. So if you’re serving and you have zero and your opponent has 30, say “love-30.”
• The server gets two tries. The serve must go over the net, land in the opposite service box, and bounce once before the opponent returns it.
• If it doesn’t land in the service box,  a second serve is taken. If the second serve also misses, the point is lost.
• If the serve grazes the net but still lands in the service box, the serve doesn’t count, and the server gets a do- over. This is called a “let.”
• If the serve goes in and the opponent returns it, players continue hitting back and forth until someone hits the ball into the net, hits it out of bounds, or misses a shot. The other person gets the point.
• Whoever is serving continues serving until the score reaches 40.
• If the score is tied at 40 (”40-all”), that is “deuce,” which is  another word for tie. To break the tie, someone must win two points in a row.  If  a server at deuce wins the next point, then it’s  ” ad-in” which means “server’s advantage.” If the opponent wins, it goes back to deuce, and someone again must win by two points in a row. Yes, this could go on forever.
• Once the game is over, the serve switches to the opposing player. After even numbered games  players switch sides of the court.

Scoring a Set

• Before the first serve in each new game,  the score in sets is announced with the server’s score first.
• To complete a set, someone must win six games; the first person to win six games wins the set.
• However, as with “deuce,” players must win a set by at least two games. So, if the score is 6-5, the person with 5 must win by two games. If the score ties at 6-6, a tiebreaker is played.

Scoring the Match

• The match is determined by the best two out of three sets. So whoever wins two sets, wins the match. If each player wins a set,  a third set is played to determine the winner.

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Lingo

Want to know the difference between a drop shot and a foot fault?  You can learn all you need to know to speak tennis here.

And if you’re ready to jump onto the court and play, here are a few tips to help your game.

What to wear

The right kind of shoes are important.  Though running shoes offer a cushioned sole, they don’t offer enough support for the side-to-side movement demanded in tennis.

You may not want to immediately  splurge on a new pair of tennies, but check the regulations at the court where you’ll be playing, since many don’t allow dark-soled shoes that could scuff the court.  If you own a pair of cross trainers, wear those instead of running shoes, as they offer better support.

Warming-up

• Warm up before playing.  Jog for five to ten minutes to get your blood flowing. Your body should feel warm.  Do a few grapevines the length of the court to wake up your coordination.
• Walking lunges are a great way to prepare your legs for tennis. This simultaneously lengthens and activates muscles in your legs, priming them for the court.
• Twisting is the major action of the torso when hitting the ball. A standing twist stretch is easy to do against the fence of the court. Follow with some basic twisting from side to side to lubricate the joints in the back. You can try this with your racquet tucked under your arms, behind your back.
• Warming up your shoulders is also essential. Move your arms as if you’re doing the backstroke, circling your arms overhead slowly at first and building up speed for 20 repetitions. Follow this by clapping your hands in front and in back of your body.

How do you get to centre court?

It’s sometimes hard to hear but there is no substitute for practice.  The more you practice, the easier it is to play well when it counts. Remember to get to the court early so you can prepare your body before you start to play and don’t get discouraged.

Etiquette

Remember that tennis has a reputation for being a very polite sport.  While it’s less stuffy than it used to be, there are many niceties you need to know so be sure to learn the proper etiquette before you start batting the balls over the night.  Here are a couple must-know rules:

• If you arrive while other people are playing, wait until the point is over before passing behind to get to your court.
• If your ball rolls into the adjacent court, don’t run after it. Wait for your neighbor to return the ball when it’s convenient. If a ball rolls onto your court, toss it back to the player it belongs to.
• If you have any doubt about whether a ball is out, make the call in favor of your opponent.
• At the end of the game, shake hands with your opponents.

Game on!

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