FitSugar

Maria Sharapova is in Shape

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:15:00 -0700

I'm following Maria Sharapova religiously right now for the US Open, so I was thrilled to see her on the cover of Shape.

The debate's still up on whether or not we're loving Maria's bright red tennis dress, but here's what she had to say on dieting and working out:

Banish the word “diet” from your vocabulary: To say Maria enjoys eating is like saying she’s a pretty good tennis player. “Nothing makes me happier than having an amazing meal,” she says. “But I never diet because I need to be strong.” Maria eats three big meals a day, always making sure to have a balance of both carbs and proteins, and she snacks on fresh fruit along with a slice of ham or some other protein. And she never denies herself a sweet if she wants it. “The moment someone says I can’t have something, forget it. I want it even more,” she says. “If I crave a cookie, I eat it.”
Shake up your exercise routine: Playing tennis nearly every day can get boring, so Maria makes it a point to switch up her activities whenever she can. “I bike and do yoga. But my new favorite thing is a salsa dance class called Video-sync,” she says. The program, developed by J. Marcos at Sports Club/LA in Miami, combines dance and fitness with a focus on core work to build strong abs. The classes aren’t highly choreographed, so Maria can let loose without stressing about getting the steps right. “I love it,” she says. “It’s so energetic and fun!”

And does Maria ever give her body an exercise break? To find out, just read more

Know when to give your body a break: “I’m usually go-go-go, but when I hit the wall, that’s it - I’m done,” says Maria. Earlier this year, she injured her shoulder, which forced her to take 10 weeks off from competing. “I try to be smart about it,” she says.

“If my body is tired or injured, I’ll let it rest.” Her favorite ways to de-stress include going to spas (she loves massages) and relaxing on the beach. Shopping also helps her unwind: “I love to shop for clothes and jewelry, especially vintage stuff,” she says.

There is a lot more in the interview, so check out the September 2007 issue of Shape on newsstands now.

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Sharapova's Red Nike Tennis Dress: Cool or NOT?

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Maria Sharapova, defending U.S. Open champion, is one sharp dresser. Her red tennis dress for nighttime play (she has a different outfit dedicated for daytime play) seems more evening gown than tennis dress, to me.

OK, so the tennis dress, designed by Nike, is a celebration of New York in functional fashion form. The bright red-flame color represents the Big Apple and the 600 Swarovski crystals are reminiscent of the Manhattan skyline. The back has three crystal buttons down the back, creating a keyhole effect - I don't think that has anything to do directly with NYC, it just looks cool. The functional element is the fabric and construction. The material is breathable wicking jersey constructed with a no-sew technique where seams bonded with heat and silicone instead of thread.

Sharapova described the dress as simple and classy, which suits her taste since she doesn't like things that are "tacky." I am not sure I am convinced on the crystals and the color though. I don't know about you, but I think the over all look is a little more ice skating costume then tennis dress. What do you think?

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US Open News: Meet "Little Miss Upset"

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:45 -0700

American Melanie Oudin has been christened with the nickname "Little Miss Upset" and this is not because of whiny antics on the court.

The nickname is inspired by Oudin's unexpected wins. The unseeded 17-year-old beat champion Maria Sharapova earlier last week as well as many seeded players, most recently Nadia Petrova in three sets. Of her Labor Day match, Oudin remarked: "It was tough because she (Petrova) was all over me. I could have easily lost. I just kept fighting."

Melanie hails from Marietta, GA and learned the game, alongside her twin sister, from her grandmother. Sharapova and Serena Williams both gave high compliments to Oudin, who is considered short in stature reaching only five foot six inches. Williams, who won her first major title at the US Open at 17, said, "I love how she’s a real big fighter and she never gives up." I like that she is adding some excitement to the game. Are you watching the Open? Who are you rooting for?

Tennis 101: How to Score

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:00:03 -0700

Welcome back to Tennis 101. While Maria Sharapova is showing us how it's done during this week's riveting US Open tournament, I'm offering a primer for the rest of us.

Now that you know what to expect from your first lesson and how to behave on the court, it's time to tackle the more complicated stuff: scoring a tennis match. I'm not going to deny that learning how to keep score can be confusing at first. But once you learn the basics, it's actually pretty simple. Here's what you need to know to get started scoring in singles.

The Framework

Each tennis match is made up of two to three sets. To win a set, you must win at least six games.
The games are scored starting at "love" (or zero) and going up to 40, but that's actually just four points. From love, the first point is 15, then 30, then 40, then game point, which wins the game.

For the details on games, sets, and matches, read more.

Starting the Game

To determine who serves first, you flip a coin or (more likely) spin a racket. Whoever wins the toss gets to decide one of four things: that she wants to serve first, that she wants to receive first, which side of the court she wants to start on (in which case, the opponent chooses who serves first), or that she wants to leave the choices up to her opponent.
Whoever starts serving continues to serve until that game is over. Then the serve moves to the other player.
You serve from behind the baseline, starting on the right-hand side of the court, anywhere between the singles sideline and the center mark on the court.

Scoring the Game

Before serving, you should announce the score, with your score first, then your opponent's. So if you have zero and your opponent has 30, say "love-30."
Every time you serve, you get two tries. The serve must go over the net, land in the service box opposite you, and bounce once before your opponent returns it.
If it doesn't land in the service box, you take a second serve. If the second serve also misses, then you lose the point.
If your serve grazes the net but still lands in the service box, the serve doesn't count, and you must take that serve over. This is called a "let."
If your serve goes in and the opponent returns it, you continue hitting back and forth until someone hits the ball into the net, hits it out of bounds, or misses a shot. If that person is you, then your opponent gets a point. If it's your opponent who hits it into the net/out of bounds/misses a shot, then you get the point.
Whoever is serving continues serving until the score reaches 40, calling out the score before every serve.
If the score is tied at 40 ("40-all"), that is "deuce," which is essentially another word for tie. To break the tie, someone must win two points in a row. If you are serving at deuce and you win the next point, then you say "my ad," which means "my advantage." If your 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 other person serves. After odd-numbered games (so after game one, game three, game five) you switch sides on the court.

Scoring a Set

Before the first serve in each new game, whoever is serving announces the score in sets. Say your score first, then your opponent's. So if you won the first set, you would say "1-0."
To complete a set, someone must win six games; the first person to win six games wins the set.
However, as with "deuce," you 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, you play a tiebreaker.

Scoring the Match

The whole shebang is called a match. The match is determined by the best two out of three sets. So if you win two sets, you win. If you each win a set, then you play a third set to determine the winner.

Which PowerShot Is Right For You?

Sponsor — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:05:49 -0800

If the photos you take reflect your personality, why shouldn't your camera? With the new Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH, now available in a palette of five brilliant colors, you can find the camera that perfectly matches and accents your own personal style. Tennis champion Maria Sharapova did, and now she has the blue one. She likes it for a couple of great reasons - it looks cool, and it takes awesome photos! But let’s say you’re more of an outdoorsy person - then maybe brown is your camera. Super chic? Well, perhaps silver is your thing. If you're a real winner, take the gold. If you're full of life and just want to have fun, go for the pink. Whatever you’re into, there’s a PowerShot Digital Camera for you.

Watch the PowerShot commercial and then click here to find the perfect PowerShot for you!

US Open Is a Fashion Grand Slam

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:30:00 -0700

As always, I am really enjoying the US Open right now. I love watching all the strong players battle it out on the court, but this year I am noticing an added element to the game: fashion.

Maybe it was because Anna Wintour has been frequenting the stands or because fashion week is just around the corner, but the tennis outfits are awesome this year. The colors are bright and the dresses and skirts are cute. Most of you loved Maria Sharapova's red dress last year, so I am guessing you're digging the fashion, too.

Check out all the cool looks at this year's Open and if you're feeling inspired, do a little shopping for your own cute little tennis dress.

There's a lot more after the break so read more.

View 12 Photos ›

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Get Your Butt in Gear: Trendy Tennis Clothes

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Have you heard? Tennis is trendy. Ticket sales are up for the US Open, and participation in the sport increased 18.7 percent last year. As a result, sales of tennis clothes are also on the rise. In the US, tennis apparel rung up $294.6 million in sales last year; Reebok's US tennis revenue alone is up 62 percent!

I certainly can't blame shoppers for snatching up cute clothes for one of the most fashionable sports. If you play tennis, or even if you don't, you're in luck, because there's more choice now than ever. Of course, I love an excuse to wear cute tennis dresses and skirts. Nike and Adidas are churning out especially stylish styles lately; right now I'm eying this Nike Paris Tennis Dress ($100). Inspired by Maria Sharapova, it's a fashionable blend of feminine and sporty. See the rest of my picks when you read more.

A Week In Review: FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 -0700

In case you missed it, here's what we've been talking about...

The US Open is going strong... My eyes are on Venus Williams and her new clothing line, eleVen.

Not only is Maria Sharapova in Shape, but she's been wearing an unusual tennis dress for the US Open. Do you like Sharapova's red tennis dress? Take the poll.

Speaking of polls, How many servings of dairy do you eat in a day? Also, do you prefer cardio, weights or stretching the most?

Seriously, caffeine is not dehydrating.

Been neglecting your abs? Here are five reasons you should work them.

Like sesame seeds? Then you've got to try Bumble Bars.

Interesting news -- Lip balm is addictive.

Confused about Iron and how much you should be getting? Here's all you need to know about iron and more.

Jessica Alba uses the Wii for exercise while Victoria Beckham talks about how much she hates exercise.

Learn how to do the Camel to Child's Pose for a great yoga combination for you to add to your repertoire.

An 8-year-old girl just completed a really long marathon -- Do you think this is something 8-year-olds should be doing?

Here are five reasons you should run uphill.

Here is a great StairMaster workout that you might want to give a shot next time you're at the gym.

US Open, Opens Today!

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Today is opening day of the US Open, the final event of Grand Slam tennis tournament season. The courts at Flushing Meadows have been busy over the weekend with qualifying rounds. Both of the Williams sisters will play today, which is beyond appropriate since it is the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s first U.S. Open tournament title.

Gibson in considered the Jackie Robinson of tennis since she was the first black athlete - male or female - to win a Grand Slam event. Tonight's tribute to Althea Gibson in Arthur Ashe Stadium is titled "Breaking Barriers" and will salute black women pioneers in sports, entertainment, politics and the arts and will include a performance by Aretha Franklin. Sounds like a rocking good time!

Both Serena and Venus dominated the U.S. Open early in the decade, but returning champion Maria Sharapova will definitely give them a run for the money. Look for cutting edge tennis fashion from all three champions.

I will be watching, will you? Let me know in the comments section below.

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