2008 U.S Open Sets the Stage for Introductions of Prince Bag Collections
July 29, 2008
Bordentown, NJ, U.S.A – July 29, 2008 -– At the end of August, the world’s greatest tennis players and most passionate fans will descend on New York City for two weeks of feverish, world-class tennis action. With all eyes on The Big Apple, the U.S Open brings out the very best tennis has to offer, and player equipment is no exception. To that end, Prince, maker of the sport’s leading O3 racquets, will use the Grand Slam event to lift the cover off its new line of advanced performance racquet bags.
Fans lucky enough to see matches live, as well as those following on television and online, will see Prince’s new bags carried over the shoulders of all Team Prince athletes – with the introduction of the Prince Pro Team 100 line and the new Sharapova Collection inspired by superstar and three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.
For Prince’s team of ATP and WTA touring pros, the racquet each player uses will dictate which version of the bag he or she carries. Those playing the O3 Speedport Black, O3 Speedport White, O3 Speedport Pro White or O3 White will carry the black/white version, while those playing the Ozone Tour, Ozone Pro Tour, O3 Hybrid Tour, and all other O3 models will carry the green/black version. To catch a sneak peek of the new Pro Team 100 line, fans should keep their eyes peeled for Nikolay Davydenko, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Sam Querrey, Mike and Bob Bryan and Jelena Jankovic – all of whom will carry their Pro Team 100 bags in events prior to New York. In fact, Jankovic, who plays with the O3 Speedport Pro White, and currently sits at the doorstep of the world’s #1 ranking, will be the first woman on tour to sport the black/white bag.
“My life is pretty much packed into my racquet bag – it is my most valuable piece of luggage,” said Jankovic. “Whether in my hotel room, heading to an early morning workout or in the middle of a night match at the U.S Open, wherever I am, my racquet bag is usually with me so it has to be able to withstand what tennis players put it through, but also look great on court. I love the look and design of this bag line – and am proud and excited to be one of the first to carry the black/white version on tour.”
According to Bob Bryan,”Mike and I have had a bunch of racquet bags over the years, and this new Pro Team bag ranks up there as one of our favorite, not only in terms of overall look, but also because of the extra attention Prince spent on durability and overall comfort.”
“The U.S Open is tennis’ biggest stage. The City comes even more alive for those two weeks, with all eyes fixated on Flushing Meadows so it is the perfect place for us to introduce the world to the new collection,” said Maria. “It is always fun to sit with the expert team at Prince and put our heads together to plan, develop and execute new products. Of course my new racquet bag is coordinated with what I will wear on court at the Open, but because of its classic color scheme and clean, simple lines, it looks amazing with nearly every tennis outfit – giving female players a chic looking bag with incredible function. The fans in New York expect to see the very best in terms of performance and that is exactly what I intend to show them both in play and equipment.”
Both the Pro Team 100* line and the new Sharapova Collection bags will be in stores in the United States starting September 15, 2008 – making them available to all players shortly after the conclusion of the 2008 U.S Open.
*Green version only; the black/white version will available starting November 15, 2008