FASHION FIX: The men of Spain dress it up for ISport magazine

Some of Spain's biggest ballers (excluding the biggest ball of them all - Rafa) took part in a photo shoot for ISport magazine, looking sharply dressed for any off-court occasion.

Check out Juan Carlos Ferrero, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco, Nicolas Almagro, + Guillermo-Garcia Lopez getting all gussied up for fashion.



(images via atptennis.com)

Juan Carlos Ferrero talks hotels and interior design

The new digital version of Deuce magazine just launched it's first run of editorials. One of the features from this premiere issue is a profile of Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero and his lastest investment, a high-end boutique hotel aptly named Hotel Ferrero. Located in the Valencia municipal of Bocairente, the former French Open champion bought the land four years ago after visiting his coach Antonio Martinez in the summer. Here's some of what J.C. had to say:

On the inspiration behind opening the hotel:

“My coach and I were thinking of doing something important after tennis so we started to think about hotels [...] We wanted something close to the [Juan Carlos Ferrero] academy. We looked for a long time and finally found an old house about 15 minutes away from the academy. It was perfect."

On the interior design for the hotel:

“It was impossible to use my experiences of staying in a lot of hotels during my tennis career,” [...] “It is a small hotel, but there were thousands of things to decorate. I decided on some things of course… little things!”

On his life after tennnis:

“I think the career of a tennis player is very short and of course we have to think in the future,” he wisely commented. “I don’t know what is next. My tournament in Valencia is very important to me – that is where I was born – and is also one of the important businesses I want to develop in the future. [...] We are thinking of new projects, new business. Just thinking. Maybe we’ll plan for a big gym in Valencia, but we’ll see.”

(images via Deuce)

+ Netcords

- Starting in 2008 the season-ending WTAChampionships will be held in October, giving the players 2 extra weeks of vacation. Next locale: Qatar.

- Controversy is brewing again for the doubles pairing of Israel's Shahar Peer and India's Sania Mirza, a Muslim.

- On a personal note: my darkhorse, James Blake, went down to J.C. Ferrero in another disappointing showing at The All England Club. Oh well, Nikki Vaidisova, my darkhorse from the women's draw is alive and hitting.