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Wimbledon Finals

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:28:25 -0700

Always exciting, the Wimbledon championship matches seemed liked history repeating itself, but with the opposite outcomes. The Williams sisters battled it in the finals again this year, but with Serena coming out on top beating her older sister. This was Serena's third time winning Wimbledon, and by beating her sister she stopped Venus from winning the title for three years in a row. The sisters put any sibling rivalry behind them and ripped it up in the women's doubles finals, winning the title for the fourth time.

Check out some pics from the finals and read about the men's final.

Tennis Anyone? Warm Up Before You Hit the Court

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:38:15 -0700

If you find yourself all fired up to play tennis after watching Wimbledon, let me remind you to warm up before you rally. Watching elite athletes can be really deceptive. They lunge, jump, and volley with such ease, but this is one game that can be hard on your body. One way to prevent injuries is to warm up properly. Here are a few things I think you should do before jumping onto the court with your racquet.

First you want to prime your heart and lungs for all the running, bouncing, and sprinting you will be doing on the court. Jog for five to ten minutes to get your blood flowing. Your body should feel warm. I follow this with a minute or two of small jumps, like I'm working out with a fake jump rope. Then do a few grapevines the length of the court to prime your fancy footwork and wake up your coordination.

What else should you do? Find out when you read more.

Walking lunges are a great way to prepare your legs for tennis. This move simultaneously lengthens and activates muscles in your legs, priming them for the court. Follow these with some side lunges too, to warm up your reach.
Twisting is the major action of the torso when hitting the ball. This 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 essential. To do this, 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. Then pick up your racquet and hit some forehands and backhands with the cover still on the racquet to create some resistance. I do about 10 to 15 of each stroke.

You should be primed and ready to play after completing this warm-up. Remember to get to the court early so you can prepare your body before you start to play. Don't forget to stretch afterward either. Game on!

Goodbye Olympics, Hello US Open!

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Whether you're relieved or disappointed that the Olympics are over, you can now channel your sports watching elsewhere. The US Open kicks off today in New York!

I always love watching the Open: It's the only Grand Slam tournament held in the US, which makes it feel more familiar even if I can't sit courtside. This year, the Open is celebrating its 40th anniversary, so there'll be some extra nostalgia, including an opening ceremony (tonight at 7 p.m. EDT) highlighting the tournament's singles champs over the past four decades.

The Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal rivalry will be in full force. Though Federer ceded his number one ranking to Nadal, he has won the past four US Opens, so a potential final against Nadal would be a must-see. Other big names to watch will be Lindsay Davenport, who is back after battling injuries, and Elena Dementieva, who just won the gold medal in women's singles Beijing. The way the matches shake out, there's no way that the Williams sisters, who scored Olympic gold in doubles, could face each other in the final match, but here's hoping they come back strong after Beijing.

Check out the schedule here to find out when all the good matches air. Will you be watching the US Open? Who are you most excited to see?

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Show Me the US Open Money!

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

The US Open drew to a close yesterday afternoon, as Roger Federer beat Andy Murray in three sets. Federer claimed his 13th grand slam victory and vowed to try to win another one, because staying at 13 would be so unlucky. On the women's side of things, Serena Williams rallied through two sets to beat Jelena Jankovic.

Along with gaining another grand slam title and the silver chalice, how much did these folks win in prize money? Take this quiz and see if you can show me the US Open Money.

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