Can't Keep Up With Wimbledon 2012? Get The App Now!

So the first week of Wimbledon 2012 is drawing to a close and I'm barely keeping up with what's happening. Isner's out. Venus is out. Stosur - out. Nadal - out!

My M.O. is to turn Wimbledon on first thing in the morning, watch as much as I can, spend my day following it with the Wimbledon 2012 app on my iPhone, and then try to catch up with what ultimately happened by checking out websites and blogs in the evening. And yes, somewhere in there I try to play some tennis (I won my Open level match yesterday - hooray!) and make dinner for my family.

I really can't say enough good things about the iPhone Wimbledon app (they're not paying me to say anything at all, I wish they were). I tried hard to like the 2012 version of the French Open app but I had constant problems with it. I kept ending up on the on-line shop page for some reason and then couldn't get back to the scores. But the Wimbledon app people have put together something that is both visually pleasing and easy to use. And there is more information on this app then you could ever need.

Here's a bunch of screen shots of several pages from the app to give you an idea of just how nice it looks and how informative it is:

The news page is particularly helpful - a good way to keep up with what is happening currently and previewing what will happen tomorrow.

I highly recommend the Wimbledon 2012 app for staying on top of this Slam. Its free (!) on iTunes. There is also an Android version that I haven't seen but I'm guessing is just as good.

Happy Wimbledon watching!






© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

We Have A "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Winner!

We have a winner for the "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Giveaway! The prize is a tennis goodie bag but together by Slam Glam, a fabulous place to do your on-line shopping for unique tennis and golf accessories (and the site where I just bought my latest and greatest tennis tote bag!).

And the winner is . . .

Lisa! Lisa left this comment on the What's In My Summer Tennis Bag? post: "I really like the purple shirt. Great color!"

So, Lisa, to get your Slam Glam tennis goodie bag, just an e-mail to me at thetennisfixation@gmail.com with your shipping address. And be sure to contact me within the next three days or I will have to draw a new winning name from the entries.

Thanks to everyone who commented and entered this giveaway. I know I will have a few more coming very, very soon so stay tuned!



© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" - Protect Your Lips

All this week, Tennis Fixation is hosting a series of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" posts and a great giveaway.

When its time to protect your skin from the summer sun, you may think that applying sun screen to your face and body means you're covered. But what about the delicate skin on your lips? Are you protecting them? Did you know that your lips can not only get dry, cracked and flaky from over exposure to damaging UVA and UVB rays, they can actually get sunburned? And did you know that sun damage to the lips has even been linked to skin cancer?

I myself have experienced chapped lips enough to care about putting on something that not only keeps them soft and moist, but also protects them from exposure to the sun. The product I'm using right now that I really love is Hawaiian Tropic Lip Balm Stick Sunscreen with SPF 45 in Tropical flavor. This lip balm is not too sticky, stays in place for a pretty good amount of time and has a sweet, fruity, flowery flavor. Since I'm outside a lot, I use it all the time, not just on the tennis court.

My recommendation? Find a lip balm with sun screen that you like and use it often.

What's your favorite product for summer sun protection? Let me know in a comment below and you'll be entered in the "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Giveaway. For all of the details and for ways to get more entries, just click on this link: A Week of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Fun" And A Giveaway!




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" - Your Olympic Tennis Fix

All this week, Tennis Fixation is hosting a series of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" posts, designed to help you play your best summer tennis. In today's post, we help you prepare for tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics with another of our Olympic Tennis Fix posts.


Are you ready for Olympic tennis? If not, no worries. Here are answers to all of your most basic questions about tennis at the 2012 London Olympic Games. And to start - check out this cute photo of the Bryan Brothers from Vogue magazine's Team USA issue. Apparently, as the model in this photo demonstrates, someone has designed a romper that looks vaguely like a tennis ball. And now, on to the Olympic tennis facts:

Where will the Olympic tennis matches take place?

The matches will take place on the beautiful grass courts of Wimbledon.  These matches will be held right after the Wimbledon Slam wraps up so it will be interesting to see what condition the courts are in (impeccable is my best guess).

How many medal events are there?

There are five tennis events - Men's Singles and Doubles, Women's Singles and Doubles, and Mixed Doubles (which was last played in the Olympics in 1924).

How many tennis players will participate in the Olympics?

172 - 86 men and 86 women

What is the schedule of play?

Men's Singles and Doubles and Women's Singles and Doubles all begin on Saturday, July 28. Mixed Doubles starts on Wednesday, August 1. Medals for Men's Doubles and Women's Singles will be awarded on Saturday, August 4. Medals for Men's Singles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles will be given on Sunday, August 5.

How many tennis balls will be used during the Olympics?

Approximately 26,400 tennis balls will be used! I wonder what they do with those when they're done playing with them.


Who are your Olympic tennis medal favorites? Let me know in a comment below and you'll be entered in the "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Giveaway. For all of the details and for ways to get more entries, just click on this link: A Week of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Fun" And A Giveaway!


© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" - Protect Your Skin With Sunscreen

All this week, Tennis Fixation is hosting a series of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" posts, designed to help you play your best summer tennis. In today's post, we make sure your skin stays pretty and healthy out on the court.

More time on the tennis courts in the summer means more sun exposure. Be sure you protect your skin by choosing and using the right sunscreen.

Filter Out The Rays

 The sun puts out two kinds of rays - UVA rays, which primarily cause wrinkling, sagging and premature aging of the skin, and UVB rays, which lead to reddening of the skin and sunburn. When you're on court (or outside anytime), you need a sunscreen that protects you from both.

So how do you get that? Look carefully at the label of any sunscreen you buy to make sure it is a "broad spectrum" sunscreen, filtering out both UVA and UVB rays.

Choose The Right SPF
Your next step is to choose the right "Sun Protection Factor" or "SPF." While SPFs seems to have a huge range, the folks at The Skin Cancer Foundation recommend you use nothing less than SPF 15. And higher SPFs are better as they protect you longer. How much longer?

If it takes 20 minutes for your skin to beginning reddening in the sun, an SPF of 15 will allow you to stay out 15 times longer, or about 5 hours, before reddening starts. An SPF of 30 will allow you to stay out 30 times longer, an SPF of 50 allows you to be out 50 times longer, etc. Be aware, however, that no sunscreen will last longer than two hours. So be prepared to reapply at least that often.

Here's another way to look at SPF:  SPF 15 filters out about 93 percent of incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 keeps out 97 percent and SPF 50 keeps out 98 percent. While the differences seem small, those extra percentages will make a difference. And, as you can see, no sunscreen blocks all UV rays.

And Make Sure Its Water Resistant
When you're playing tennis, you sweat. And in the summer, you sweat a lot. So the best sunscreen for the tennis court is one that's "water resistant" and/or made for outdoor sports as these can withstand drippy perspiration. While these sunscreens don't break down as easily as others, they tend to be stickier and may not be your favorite choice for non-sweaty activities.

Apply Plenty Of Sunscreen
How much sunscreen should you use? Probably more than you're using right now. At least one ounce to your body (about a shot glass full) and about 1/4 ounce to your face (about a teaspoon). Applying any less means you're not getting the full SPF from your sunscreen. And don't forget easy to miss spots like your ears (exposed if you're wearing a ponytail, visor or cap) and the backs of your hands.

Also, apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before taking the court, to ensure you're protected right from the start.

And Reapply Often
Reapply your sunscreen every two hours to be sure it maintains its effectiveness. And if you notice any reddening of your skin at all, that means your sunscreen's not working and you need to add more.

What are your favorite sunscreen products? I'm always looking for new ones to try out. Let me know in a comment below and you'll be entered in the "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Giveaway. For all of the details and for ways to get more entries, just click on this link: A Week of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Fun" And A Giveaway!





© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

"Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" - What's In My Summer Tennis Bag?

All this week, Tennis Fixation is hosting a series of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" posts and a great giveaway.

I am so excited about my brand new tennis bag! I finally wore my old one out. Really. It was literally falling apart. But it lasted a good long time so I didn't feel bad retiring it and looking for something snazzy and new. I shopped and shopped and finally found my  dream tennis bag.

Here's a photo of my new Cinda B "Bella Fiore Rasberry Tennis Tote" (and yes, I had much fun editing this pic  with my Camera Plus iPhone app).  I got my new bag from Slam Glam Unique Golf & Tennis Accessories where they carry a huge selection of fun tennis items (and they also happen to be sponsoring this week's Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun Giveaway). Not only do I love this tote's raspberry pink color and orange trim, but there is a double racquet pocket on the front that gives off a cute retro, preppy vibe. It has a shoulder strap as well as regular handles and the tote itself is extra roomy - plenty of space to carry all of my summer tennis essentials. 

So what exactly are my summer tennis essentials? Besides the usual stuff, here's what I'm carrying right now in my new tennis tote to play my best summer tennis:

• Spray Sunscreen - I like my sunscreen in spray form as it makes it so much easier to get my back, my shoulders and my legs.
• Face Sunscreen - The sunscreen I carry for my face is high SPF, non-greasy and easy to rub in without leaving me with the dreaded "ghost face" appearance.
• Lip Balm/Sunscreen - I've found one I love that has an SPF of 45 and tastes good enough to eat - more on that later this week
• 2 Water Bottles - I carry at least 2 water bottles during the summer, and maybe 3 depending on how long I think I'll be out.
• 2 Hats - I carry 2 because I don't like wearing a hat that's damp with sweat and this makes it easy to change during a match if necessary.
• 2 Towels - Besides carrying a hand towel in my bag, I also carry a beach towel (in my car, not in my bag) to dry off with and to sit on when I'm driving home after matches.

Do you have other summer tennis necessities? Let me know in a comment below and you'll be entered in the "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" Giveaway. For all of the details and for ways to get more entries, just click on this link: A Week of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Fun" And A Giveaway!




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

A Week Of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun" And A Giveaway!

Summer is officially here (in another day or two) and it is already blazing hot here in Houston. So not only is it time for a week of "Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun!", its also time for a Tennis Fixation Giveaway! Yay!

All week I'll have posts about how to play your best and safest tennis out in the blistering sun when the courts are sweltering and the tennis balls are melting. AND all this week you'll have multiple chances to enter to win a goodie bag full of fun tennis surprises from Slam Glam, a fabulous place to do your on-line shopping for unique tennis and golf accessories and the site where I just bought my latest and greatest tennis tote bag.

Now, let's get this party started by giving you your first opportunity to enter the Tennis Fun In The Summer Sun Tennis Fixation Giveaway! There are lots of ways to get entries into this giveaway so do one, a few or all of these.

• For your first entry, visit the Slam Glam website (www.slamglam.com), look around at some of their fun items and then come back here and tell me what item you think would give you the best sun protection during your summer tennis matches. (I happen to like the BloqUV Pink Long Sleeve Top with an SPF of 50).

 For BONUS entries, you can -

• Like Tennis Fixation on Facebook - www.facebook.com/TennisFixation - then come back and leave me a comment telling me that you did (or leave me a comment telling me that you already Facebook-liked TF).
• Follow Tennis Fixation on Twitter - @TennisFixation - then come back and leave me a comment telling me that you did (or leave me a comment telling me that you're already a TF Twitter follower).

So you can easily get 3 entries for this giveaway today just by doing those few things! And you'll have additional chances to enter all week long.

For best giveaway results, please note:

• All entries must be made before midnight on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The winning entry will be selected on Sunday, June 24, 2012.
• Leave your comments using the comment form found at the bottom of this post. Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry (each comment is one entry).
• Winners will be announced on this site. Winners must respond to me with their e-mail address within 3 days of being named. If I don't hear from the first winner within the 3 days, another winner will be selected. 
• This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents age 18 and older.

And, as always, let me know if you have any questions by e-mailing me at thetennisfixation@gmail.com.

Now, let's get ready for some Summer Tennis Fun!



© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Happy Father's Day Tennis Fans!

Happy Father's Day! In honor of Father's Day and all of those great tennis dads out there, I wanted to post photos of a few of my favorites. So, in no particular order, here are some great tennis dads.

Because I met him in person (when I drove him during the US Men's Clay Court tournament) and because I LOVE the Bryan Brothers, Wayne Bryan is of course one of my favorite tennis dads:

But as much as I like Wayne Bryan, he cannot top his son, Bob Bryan, father of baby Micaela. If you are not already following Micaela on Twitter (@micaelabryan), you MUST. NOW. While her tweets are cute, she absolutely has the funniest, most adorable pics, many with incredible tennis pros. Here's my current favorite:

Note - Micaela has 3,000 Twitter followers already. (@TennisFixation - not quite that many)

I always like to see pics of Andre Agassi with his precious kids:

His little girl looks just like him (and the boy - like mom Steffi).


And, a player who became even more of a favorite once he became a tennis dad, the fabulous Roger Federer with Mirka and the twins:

How cute are they? The twins are older now but I just love this photo.

Take your dad out for a game of tennis and have a Happy Father's Day from Tennis Fixation!




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Olympic Tennis Fix: Tennis Team USA

The 2012 London Olympic Games are a little more than one month away so here is Post No. 4 in the Tennis Fixation Olympic Tennis Fix series.

Check out the Team USA edition of Vogue magazine. Yes, that's Serena Williams alongside fabulous soccer goalie Hope Solo and extremely buff swimmer Ryan Lochte. Which makes me wonder - who else will be playing tennis for Team USA in the 2012 Olympics? (It also makes me wonder what Ryan Lochte does in his spare time and if he's ever in Houston but let's focus on the tennis.)

Once the French Open was completed, the names of Tennis Team USA were pretty much known. To qualify for tennis play at the Olympics, you have to be one of the top 56 ranked players, with a maximum of 4 players per country. As of the conclusion of the French Open, it looked like this for Team USA:

• Men - John Isner (current ATP ranking of No. 10), Andy Roddick (No. 32), Donald Young (No. 48) and Ryan Harrison (No. 52)
• Men's Doubles - Bob and Mike Bryan (current ATP doubles ranking of No. 3)
• Women - Serena Williams (current WTA ranking of No. 5), Venus Williams (No. 47), Christina McHale (No. 29) and Varvara Lepchenko (No. 52)
• Women's Doubles - Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond (current WTA doubles ranking of No. 1)

Team USA will also field two mixed doubles teams but those players won't be determined until after the tennis matches have started.

You probably notice that top-ranked Mardy Fish is not on this list. His recent medical issues will keep him out of the Olympics.

To sum it up - it looks like Team USA will pick up multiple medals in doubles. And I'm hoping that includes mixed doubles. As for singles, I would love to see any of these players win (of course) but I'm especially hoping for breakout play by Ryan Harrison, Donald Young and Varvara Lepchencko.

Stay tuned for more Olympic tennis news as the games get closer!


If you missed out on the previous Olympic Tennis Fix posts, click on these links to catch-up:

Olympic Tennis Fix: Getting Ready For London
Olympic Tennis Fix: Who Gets To Play Olympic Tennis?
Olympic Tennis Fix: Our Defending Champs Are . . .






© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Rafael Nadal Wins His 7th French Open Championship!

How much did you love the conclusion of the 2012 French Open? Rafa crying. Uncle Tony crying. The rest of his box crying. And if there was ever a time for tears of joy, this was it - Rafael Nadal was awarded his record-breaking 7th Coupe de Mousquetaires (the French Open trophy).

Congratulations to Rafael Nadal for making tennis history!

And thank goodness I got to witness it. I spent at least 15 minutes trying to find the NBC Sports Network channel to watch the conclusion of the match and I was listening to it on Roland Garros radio as I was searching so that made it seem even crazier!





© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Vamos Rafa!

The 2012 French Open men's singles final is tomorrow. Rafael Nadal will be going for his seventh French Open title while Novak Djokovic is seeking to become the first man to hold a non-calendar year Grand Slam since 1969.

My pick? Rafa of course! And I'm not the only one who loves him. Tennis Fixation follower Kristin Oliver prepared the infographic below, making it very easy to see just what Nadal has accomplished in his tennis career so far. Check it out and be sure to focus on those six French Open trophies. And tune in tomorrow for the French Open finals!







© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Maria Completes Her Career Grand Slam!

Maria Sharapova won the 2012 French Open today, beating challenger Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2. With the win, Maria becomes the 10th woman in the Open era to complete a career Grand Slam, having won Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008. Congratulations Maria!

By the way, Sara won the French Open women's doubles final yesterday with her partner Roberta Vinci. While she may not be ecstatic over today's singles result, I'm sure Sara has had a fabulous experience at Roland Garros this year and won't be leaving Paris in too bad of a mood.










© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Sara Errani To Take On Maria Sharapova In 2012 French Open Finals

Once again, a new girl makes it into the finals of a Slam. This time, its Italy's Sara Errani who will face Maria Sharapova.

"Saretta," as she is affectionately known, will have her work cut out for her as Maria just took back the WTA's No. 1 ranking when she beat Petra Kvitova in yesterday's semi-final match. Very impressive considering that Maria last held this ranking seven years ago.  And while I think this may be the year Maria completes her career Grand Slam by winning the French Open, I'm super supportive of Sara as she is just 5'4" (or 5'5" depending on what web site you look at). Guess who else is 5'4" (or 5'3" depending on what I admit to)? Me! So I always love to see someone under 6 feet play tennis so well.

Anyway, because she's in the French Open finals, let's do Sara the honor of taking a Tennis Fixation look at what she's wearing:

Sara is a Nike-sponsored athlete (just like Maria!) and is wearing the Summer Baseline Tank and Summer Baseline Skort in Magenta with "Violet Pop" trim on the tank. Both the tank and skort have the bandage effect that looked so great on Serena's Soar Statement Rally Dress (see this post for a look: Tennis Fashion Fix: French Open 2012 - Serena Williams). I love the contrast of this magenta color against the red clay and there is also a salmon version of this outfit (the color is called "Fruit Punch") that is also super cute.

The women's French Open finals are tomorrow so tune in for what is sure to be an exciting match!




© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved