Isner and Jankovic Wielding New O3 Speedport White
January 9, 2008
Bordentown, NJ — One is 6’9”, routinely fires off serves in the 140’s and is one of the most promising up-and-comers on the men’s tour. The other is a slender, consistent baseliner ranked #3 in the world who has her sights set on reaching #1. Two very different body types with very different styles of play, yet next week, at the first Grand Slam of 2008, American John Isner and Serbian Jelena Jankovic will both be carrying the same racquet in their bags – the O3 Speedport White.
As with many other ATP and WTA touring pros, the benefits of the O3 Speedport White were undeniable for Isner and Jankovic. Both knew immediately after playtesting it that it was the frame they needed to take their games to the next level.
“The fact that both John and Jelena – players with completely different playing styles and physical attributes – responded immediately to the benefits of this racquet, is remarkable, and very unique,” said Linda Glassel, Vice President of Marketing for Prince. “The response that the O3 Speedport White is generating from elite level, knowledgeable players is further testament to the universal appeal O3 technology has among a broad range of players.”
With the introduction of the O3 Speedport White, Prince expands its increasingly popular Speedport series, continuing its approach of providing players with frames that are proven to succeed on Tour. The racquet incorporates features that serious players are looking for in their racquets and is available in two string patterns, the O3 Speedport White (16 × 19) and the O3 Speedport Pro White (18 × 19) for players wanting a racquet with a denser string pattern.
Isner, will go with the 16 × 19 open string pattern of the O3 Speedport White. He had used the O3 White – the continued racquet choice of Maria Sharapova and many others – to capture the 2007 NCAA championship for the University of Georgia and reach the third round of his first-ever US Open last summer,.
“Making the switch was an easy choice for me,” said Isner. “I love the O3 White, but I wanted, and got, a little extra racquet speed with the Speedport White. It has a very comfortable, solid hitting feel allowing me to really hit out, but also put great touch and spin on shots when I need to. I am very impressed with its composition and overall feel and am pumped up to head into my first full year on tour with this racquet.”
Jankovic, who wanted a little more pop on her serve and groundstrokes, and who previously played the O3 Red and playtested the Ozone Seven, wanted the denser string pattern of the O3 Speedport Pro White.
“It is funny to think that I am using the same racquet as a guy who is 6’9”, and hits serves and groundstrokes as hard as John does, but I am not surprised,” said Jankovic. “It is such a great frame with exceptional weight and balance and provides incredible control and racquet speed, that I am sure the decision for John was as easy as it was for me. It is rare that a racquet can appeal to so many types of players, but I think this is one of those instances and I know there are already a number of players with this in their bag.”