US Open, Del Potro defeats Federer
Del Posto Wins US OPEN
Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina did what seemed to be the unthinkable on Monday night, beating Roger Federer in a dramatic five-set match to win the United States Open for his first major championship, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
The big-serving, 6-foot-6 del Potro ended Federer’s remarkable string of five consecutive Open singles championships and, at 20 years old, signaled that he is ready to challenge Federer and Rafael Nadal, whom del Potro beat in the semifinal on Sunday to reach the final, as the game’s top player.
Title: Slazenger Tennis Balls
Artist: Unknown
Size: 29 x 19 1/4 inches (73 1/2 x 49 cm)
Reference Number: 923
Description: The British firm Slazenger was founded in 1881 when brothers Ralph and Albert Slazenger moved their rainwear business from Manchester to London in an effort to find new products to maintain their business in the summer months. They decided to manufacture rackets and balls for the new game “Sphairistike” invented a few years earlier by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield. Major Wingfield’s new game has become tennis, one of the world’s most international sports, and Slazenger’s has grown from a family business to an international organization selling sporting goods in almost every country in the world. The company’s first major breakthrough in the tennis market was the adoption of their tennis balls and equipment for the Wimbledon Championship in 1902, an honor that they have guarded zealously ever since. Slazenger is now moving into its second century as Wimbledon’s official supplier, one of the longest sponsorship associations in sporting history. This year, 52,000 tennis balls will be supplied to the tournament. Each ball will be tested for weight, bounce and compression.