D Squad Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1

Premier Issue Vol 1 Issue 1 FEATURED PICTURE

FEATURED PRODUCT

Dunlop wants you to turn in your favorite Dunlop Snap Shot! Take a picture with any Dunlop product, racquets, balls, bags, accessories, new or old, you name it and send it in to us! If it’s Dunlop product we want to see how you personalize it! Email pictures to [email protected]

Dunlop Sports Group Americas is expanding its line of groundbreaking Aerogel racquets with the introduction of two new models: the Aerogel 7HUNDRED and 9HUNDRED. The new racquets feature Vibrocore comfort technology which significantly reduces frame vibration. The racquets are constructed using a sleeve made from thermal plastic resin and a silicon core that greatly diminishes shock waves at ball impact. The result: An exceptionally comfortable racquet that reduces the risk of tennis elbow.

This issues’s picture was sent in from Grant and Heidi Dunlop capturing their dog, Sting, playing with “his favorite thing, a new Dunlop tennis ball.” Grant and Heidi claim that Dunlop balls are “the only tennis balls that (their) dogs couldn’t pop!”

Dunlop Aerogel 7HUNDRED. Power, Control, and Comfort all together in a lightweight oversize frame. This racquet is ideal for players seeking a nice blend of both power and control. Dunlop Aerogel 9HUNDRED. The most powerful racquet in the Aerogel line, this racquet has some serious punch. With the addition of Vibrocore technology this racquet is ideal for players seeking extreme power without sacrificing comfort.

TOUR TEAM HIGHLIGHT JAMES BLAKE RETURNS TO DUNLOP

James Blake has rejoined the Dunlop Tour Team, the most accomplished in tennis. Presently ranked # 8 in the world, Blake is the highest ranked American player to sign with Dunlop since John McEnroe in 1981. Adding to the excitement, Blake will be playing with a Dunlop frame at the French Open, his first tournament since re-signing and where Dunlop is the official ball supplier. Dunlop plans to unveil which one of its cutting-edge Aerogel racquets James Blake will play at the Wimbledon championships. “I began my professional career at Dunlop, have played the best tennis of my career with a Dunlop frame and I am looking forward to calling Dunlop home again,” said Blake. “The new Aerogel racquet technology provides several frame specifications that will suit my game well and give me the confidence to know that I can take my career to new heights.” Known for his speed and powerful forehand, Blake was first signed by Dunlop when he turned pro in 1999. He has won a total of 9 professional singles titles and finished 2006 at a career-high World #4. His unwillingness to accept defeat in the face of adversity and his charisma both on and off the court have made him a fan favorite. “James has enormous talent, presence and respect on tour,” said Neil Morton, CEO of Dunlop Sports Group Americas. “He epitomizes what Dunlop tennis is all about. We’re excited to have him back, and we know he’ll have continued success playing with Aerogel.” With Blake, Dunlop continues the strong momentum built behind its line of Aerogel racquets which has received a number of ‘best in class’ awards around the world. Aerogel is being played by an increasing number of top tour professionals and top junior players – its success made clear through record sales. Dunlop Sports now boasts 4 players in the ATP top 12 -- James Blake (8th), Tommy Robredo (9th), Tommy Haas (10th), and Tomas Berdych (12th) -- all of them playing with the extraordinary technology of the new Dunlop Aerogel racquet.

D-SQUAD HIGHLIGHT I would like to introduce you to our youngest Junior D-Squad members, 11 year olds Yannik Mahlangu and Pascal Nilsson. Yannik is from Henderson, Nevada where he trains primarily with his Father, Richie Mahlangu and coach Saad Ashraf, alongside his brother Nicholas, who is also an outstanding Junior D-Squad member. Pascal is from Las Vegas, Nevada and also trains with his coach, Saad Ashraf. All three of these D-Squad members chose the Aerogel 300 as their weapon on the court! Yannik and Pascal, both competed in singles and doubles, at the Summer Sectional Championships in Colorado the second week of July. Yannik went into the singles draw seeded #2 and Pascal seeded #6. The boys found themselves face to face in the final round! Pascal ended up winning the match against Yannik 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Saad Ashraf relayed to Dunlop the match “was a high level match for a boy’s 12 and under final which saw full court tennis being played from both finalists. Rarely do you see serve and volley, hit and charge on returns, and winners from the baseline from both participants. They made us all very proud.” After the singles final, the D-Squader’s were not done yet. They had a Doubles final to conquer, in which they paired up to win it all! They upset the #1 seeded team of Kevin Colopy and Matt Pierce 6-4, 6-3 in the finals. This doubles championship was Yannik and Pascal’s second sectional championship together! Dunlop is so proud to have Yannik and Pascal apart of the Junior D-Squad! Keep up the great work boys!

Premier Issue Vol 1 Issue 1 FEATURED CLUB Bridge View Racquet Club in Brooklyn, NY The Bridge View Racquet Club, in Brooklyn, NY is known for its dedicated and established Junior and Adult league players. The owner, Craig Barnaby, is very knowledgeable on the game of tennis and is also a master stringer and instructor. Craig, his employees, and The Bridge View Racquet Club are being honored due to their dedication to Dunlop and our products. They take the time to explain our latest Aerogel and Vibrocore technology as well as pointing out the distinct advantages our products have over other brands. The Bridge View Racquet Club has taken in all Aerogel models and have informed us that they are selling through their 300’s and 500’s with their advanced players and are very excited to begin pushing the 700 and 900 for their game improvement players. Thank you Bridge View Racquet Club from all of us here at Dunlop!

FEATURED PRO - JUAN CORONEL With more than 30 years as a successful tennis professional, Juan Coronel has been a world ranked player, coached amateurs and professionals, and worked with club players of all ages and abilities. A U.S. citizen since the 1980s, Juan was born and raised in Panama, where he first learned to play tennis in the Canal Zone. Good enough to earn a college scholarship, he captained his NCAA Division II championship team. Juan then became an international circuit player traveling throughout Europe, South America and the U.S. Next came coaching for world ranked male and female players on the ATP and WTA tours. Juan coached the Davis Cup team for the Republic of Panama in 2003 and 2006. Tired of traveling, Juan settled in the New York area where he served as tennis director at several country clubs. In the 1990s, Juan was ranked 4th nationally in men’s 35 doubles, and won a number of titles in local NY tournaments. Most recently, Juan has been spending winters in the Tampa, Florida area as a private coach for a family there. This allows him time to visit friends and family back in Panama. Summers have been spent at clubs in the NY metro area, until now, 2007 in Martha’s Vineyard. Juan has a very engaging personality and can teach tennis in four languages. Juan has been a sponsored Dunlop Advisory Staff member for over 20 years and shows great passion and dedication to our brand. We thank you Juan for your years of hard work and feel privileged to have you on the Dunlop Team!

FEATURED D-SQUAD ACADEMY The Next Generation Tennis Academy, located at the Longwood Athletic Club in Sarasota, Florida, is a high performance academy tailored to the tournament player who needs that little extra attention to raise their game to that next level. NGTA was one of the first D-Squad Academies ever signed! They offer tournament coaching, private housing, 18 courts (12 har-tru, 2 red clay, 4 hard), a full gym, pool, and more. The wonderful staff is made up of 6 coaches representing countries from around the globe; Travis Eckert, Lesley Eckert, Bojan Vuckovic (Serbia), Poalo Lotti (Italy), Gerard Azcurra (Argentina), and Cary Grawe (USA). Dunlop Sports is proud to sponsor Next Generation Tennis Academy for their racquets, bags, and balls! Thank you Travis Eckert and the rest of the Team for your support for the Dunlop brand and your continued efforts to help grow the Junior D-Squad!

DUNLOP TOUR TEAM

JAMES BLAKE

TOMMY HAAS

TOMMY ROBREDO

TOMAS BERDYCH