This week, the ladies of the Sony Ericsson WTA tour who aren’t injured, playing Pattaya, or too busy having fun at the Superbowl, head to Paris for the Open Gaz de France Tier II event.
Not only is Justine Henin returning after missing the Australian summer circuit because she was dealing with the breakup of her marriage, Amelie Mauresmo is hoping to rebound from a disappointing Australian Open campaign by winning in front of her home crowds in Paris. Mauresmo may reside in Switzerland, but she’s still the local favorite and will have her work cut out for her as she tends to succumb to nerves when playing in her native France.
But she will have the support of the spectators, as well a new partner on court. Mauresmo has ditched her Dunlop racquet and signed with HEAD. She will be debuting her new HEAD Flexpoint Radical MP this week in Paris, which she feels will complement her approach to the game.
“HEAD has a huge presence on tour so I am extremely excited to join the HEAD family. The fresh, modern new branding appeals to what I think of as my style of tennis play,” said Mauresmo. “I can’t wait to get on the court with my new weapon of choice!”
Past HEAD converts include Ivan Ljubicic and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ljubicic, who switched over from Babolat at the beginning of this year, hasn’t exactly been struggling but Ferrero has not fared as well. In fact, he switched back to using his previous Prince racquet at one point, using an unbranded one until he officially switched back for good.
Mauresmo’s backers, however, remain optimistic about their team’s new acquisition.
“Mauresmo is the embodiment of the new HEAD brand. She is strong, determined and true professional and we are proud to have her onboard,” said Robert Marte, Division Manager of HEAD Racquet Sports. “We want to support her with our high quality products as she makes her way to becoming the WTA No. 1 again.”
Mauresmo is currently in third place in the world rankings, but as an injured Sharapova remains sidelined this week, a good showing in Paris can greatly increase Mauresmo’s – or Henin’s – chances of reclaiming the top spot.
So the ladies want to do well this week in Paris, they must keep their HEAD or heads in the game.