Win a pair of Adidas shoes signed by Daniela Hantuchova!

Calling all Dani fans!!!  We have teamed up with Adidas and are in possession of a piar of autographed Adidas shoes by Daniela Hantuchova!  So what do you have to do to win, you ask?  It's easy!  In the comment section below, tell us why you love Dani in 100 words or less, and the person who writes the most creative and sincere comment will win the shoes.  The contest closes on Friday May 25th at 5:00 pm EST, and the winner will be announced here and on our Facebook Page after we have had the chance to closely review all the comments.

Now for the fine print...

1. The competition ends Friday, May 25th at 5 pm EST.
2. To enter you must leave a comment on this blog post sharing why you love Daniela Hantuchova in 100 words or less.
3. Entry is limited to one comment per person. 
5. Please enter an frequently used email address when prompted in the comment section.
6. The winner will be notified via email.
7. Should the winner fail to make contact via return email within 24 hours of notification a new winner may be selected.

So what are you waiting for?  Start typing!  And make sure to follow Adidas on Twitter and on Facebook!

Photo courtesy of Adidas

Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us.

But we’re not just about poking fun at others.  So for our final three posts, we the writers at On The Go Tennis, will open up about our own fandom.

For my last fan post, I interviewed OTGT editor, Rachel.  However, one particular story was just so crazy I decided to dedicate the whole piece to it.  This is Rachel’s fairy tale with Rafael Nadal, and it could be the craziest of them all.

The Short

Name:  Rachel Vinson 
Age:  35
Country:  USA
Occupation:  Pediatrician
Twitter handle:  @onthegotennis
Blog: THIS ONE! :)
Other blogs/tennis-related achievements:  Just this one, baby.
Her Prince Charming:  Rafael Nadal

Click to read more ...

10 things you should know about Fabio Fognini

Few players without a career title draw as much of a reaction out of tennis fans as Fabio Fognini.  Known for his dramatic ups-and-downs, animated facial expressions, on-court theatrics, and eyebrows, this Italian tennis player, currently ranked 45, certainly knows how to make an impact. With career wins over Andy Murray and Gael Monfils, a career high ranking of 32, and a (controversial) French Open Quarterfinal to his name, he certainly seems to have the talent to be a force in the game.  Earlier this year he reached his first ever career final in Bucharest (who could forget this), and concerned tennis fans are hopeful that he will go one step further - he has vowed not to shave his beard away until he wins a title. But rankings and victories are only a small part of the Fabio Fognini experience. Here’s what else you need to know.

1. He’s temperamental on the court, but very friendly off-court.

Fabio is most famous for his two epic French Open victories over Gael Monfils and Albert Montanes.  In both matches his argumentative nature and flair for drama were on full display.  In 2010, after his match against Monfils was called for darkness, Fabio went on a rampage.  Monfils said, "At the cloak rooms he insulted everybody for 30 minutes…. It was not very friendly, but … you know, he's a nice guy."

Gael was right.  He is a nice guy when a match isn’t on the line.  He loves the Italians (more on that later), gets along well with all of the Spanish guys since he trains in Barcelona, and has recently taken to twitter (@Fabio_Fogna) to prove that he’s chummy with nearly everyone on tour.

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Video: Will Smith Gives Roger Federer His MIB3 Suit After Madrid Win

Will Smith attended the Mutua Madrid Open final between Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych while in town promoting his new movie, Men In Black III.  After Roger captured the title, Will Smith gave him a better prize than the phallic looking Madrid trophy......his MIB3 suit!  To watch Will present Fed the suit in Spanish, press PLAY!

Serena Williams Covers Vogue's Olympic Themed Issue

Olympian Serena Williams graces the cover of the June issue of Vogue with fellow Olympians - swimmer Ryan Lochte and soccer player Hope Solo.  The cover of this issue is very atypical for the magazine - Ryan is only the 4th man to ever be on the cover of Vogue (and the first man to be on the cover without a model), and Serena joins the small list of African Americans who have landed on the cover, although she has been featured in the magazine several times.

Vogue recently has committed itself to providing images of healthier women, and I think Serena and Hope, who are curvy, fit, and beautiful, are a wonderful departure from the often starving models that we generally see in fashion magazines.  (Ryan isn't looking to shabby either.)

What do you think of the photo?