The racquet has two handles positioned at a right-angle to the head, allowing players to play two-handed open-stance forehand shots from both sides.

Its use is being permitted but it has raised eyebrows in the traditional sport.

Two American brothers, Dann and Brian Battistone, play with the innovative creations in competition.

One of them uses a volleyball-style jump serve, switching the racket from hand to hand mid-leap.

However, the racquet brothers take an International Tennis Federation (ITF) certificate to every game they play, proving that the racket, named ‘The Natural,’ is match-legal.

"We knew some people would be against the racket," said Brian, 29, from Las Vegas. "There’s a lot of tradition in tennis so this is quite radical."

The designer of the racket, Lionel Burt, said that it had been easy to convince the ITF to approve the racket: "Their basic position is, ‘If you can beat Roger Federer with a snow shovel of that dimension, go ahead and do it."

The double-hitter has already brought the brothers success. They had previously languished in the 800s in the world rankings and Brian had left tennis in 2000 to serve a mission for his Mormon faith. They have now risen to 206th and 207th in the doubles rankings using the racket, even beating world doubles number 11 pair Lukas Dlouhy and partner Tomas Zib.

Burt says that the racket took him 18 years to develop, and was inspired by his permanent back problems caused by always playing on one side. However, it is not the first time a racket of this type has been used and there are rumours linking ‘The Natural’ to a racket designed by a Florida-based mechanical engineer and over-50s player called Elie Boukheir.

Around five years ago, the ‘Logix’ racket was also developed, a two-handled racket where the second handle was used as a counterweight. The head was tilted at a 20 degree angle to the handle, supposedly allowing the player to hit a topspin shot by moving the racket parallel to the ground.

The most famous tilted-head rackets were designed by tennis company Snauwaert in the 1980s and were endorsed by former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, a byword for tennis controversy. The Snauwaert rackets never caught on, but Burt says that now they have the financial backing and the players to make it happen.

SALES PITCH:
A women’s shoe for serious players who want to combine performance with a sense of style.

OUR TAKE:
If you’re looking for a soft ride, you won’t find it here. The CC Divine II is about performance. Adidas wants to put your foot low to the ground for responsiveness. As a result, cushioning is moderate in the forefoot, which makes the shoe feel hard underfoot. The plastic reinforcement (dubbed the 3-D Torsion System) wraps around the heel and extends to the arch, providing support. The perforated synthetic upper is well-ventilated, but it’s also soft, which limits lateral stability. Overall, these kicks are best suited for players who are light on their feet and want a breathable shoe.

Sales Pitch: A powerful racquet with a manageable balance that will appeal to a large range of players.

Compare To: Head Metallix 6

How It Tested: The name of the racquet comes from Head’s new power technology in the bridge of the frame. The bridge, or CrossBow, is suspended and moves independently from the rest of the racquet (don’t worry, it won’t come out). When a ball hits the strings, the bridge stores energy and then releases it into the shot as the ball leaves the stringbed. Sort of like slingshot. Playtesters did find a good level of power, but you need proper timing to tame it. If you’re late on the ball it can take off on you. Otherwise control is not a problem and the racquet has a solid feel at impact, especially on volleys, thanks to the re-designed Head Stabilizer in the shaft (those metal wings). The Stabilizer moves in the opposite direction to the flex of the frame, serving as a counterbalance for more backbone. While the frame is stable, some playtesters did find it a bit rigid and challenging when hitting with touch or sharp angles. But the ones who prefer a stiffer frame and like driving the ball were highly impressed.

Bottom Line: Intermediate club players with a hankering for power will find this racquet to their liking.

Sales Pitch: For women with longer, faster swings looking for controllable power in a lightweight frame.

Compare To: Head Airflow 3

How It Tested: With input from Steffi Graf, Head introduced Airflow two years ago. The line of racquets, designed specifi cally for women, had three basic elements: lightweight power, easy handling, and an ergonomic grip tailored to fit a woman’s hand. Those features, and Graf’s participation, continue in the updates. They also feature CrossBow, a suspended bridge at the bottom of the head that moves independently from the rest of the frame. When the ball hits the strings, energy is stored in the bridge and then transferred into the shot (picture a diving board) for added power. The Airfl ow 3 is heftier than its predecessor (and more head heavy), which gives the racquet improved pop and stability. Playtesters enjoyed the racquet’s manageable power on the baseline and responsiveness at net. Even though it’s meant for women, some of the highest compliments came from men. One male 5.0 all-courter summed it up: “It feels like a player’s racquet with the comfort of a recreational racquet.”

Bottom Line: Accomplished junior girls and all-court competitive women who liked the first Airflow 3 will enjoy this latest version.

Williams will face Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Olympic champion Elena Dementieva 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3 in the other semifinal at the WTA Tour’s season-ending event.

Williams saved five break points before winning a grueling service game in the third set to go up 4-2. That game also featured a 26-stroke rally, the longest of match. She went on to clinch the victory with a backhand crosscourt winner on her first match point.

The American dominated in the first set, but made more errors in the second as Jankovic dictated play with her aggression. She broke Williams to lead 4-2, and closed out the set with relative ease.

The eighth-ranked Williams improved her record against Jankovic to 4-5.

The ninth-ranked Zvonareva, the lowest-ranked player in the eight-woman field, improved to 2-4 against Dementieva and avenged her semifinal loss at the Beijing Olympics.

“I knew I had to start to play good every single game,” Zvonareva said.

Zvonareva frustrated Dementieva with solid groundstrokes in the final set and capitalized on a string of errors by her opponent to win the last game at love.

Zvonareva recovered from a 1-4 deficit in the first set. In the tiebreaker, Dementieva rallied from 5-1 down and lost a set point before hitting a backhand wide on Zvonareva’s second set point. The Russians broke each other four times in the first set.

Dementieva also had a 4-1 lead in the second set, and this time held it to even the match. She called Zvonareva a strong competitor.

“You have to put pressure all the time,” Dementieva said.

Think of the ProKennex Kinetic 5g PSE as a litmus test to determine how good you are. If you can handle the heft–it weighs 13 ounces, about 2 1/2 ounces more than the typical frame these days–and swing hard enough to generate power with it, you’re ready for the big time. The 5g PSE, or Pro Special Edition, is the high-performance version of ProKennex’s best-selling racquet, the 11-ounce Pro 5g. The 5g PSE, which is suited for NTRP 5.0-and-above players, will put you in total control of your game. It’s got a flexible feel and is very stable. "This is the heaviest racquet I’ve ever used right off the shelf," a 5.5 NTRP player said. "I won’t need to add lead tape." The 5g PSE has about 100 chambers inside the top of the head that contain thousands of tiny lead particles (5 grams worth) to reduce vibration. And the old-school all-leather grip is a nice touch.

BOTTOM LINE
Only for the most proficient players.

Like its namesake, the Pro Kennex Rod Laver Heritage is a winner. The 11 1/2-ounce frame is best for heavy hitters who want complete control over their strokes. "You can go for broke and have no trouble keeping the ball in play," a 5.5 player said. The Rod Laver is available in a standard 27-inch model (Type S) and a half-inch longer version (Type SX). Both sticks feature a drastically tapered beam—-thicker and stiffer in the head, thinner, rounded, and more flexible at the throat—- that produces a solid feel, according to testers. They also noted that when they blocked hard-hit shots, the racquet’s stiff head gave them a little more help than a typical advanced-player racquet. At 11 1/2 ounces, the Rod Laver is hefty and plenty stable, but with an almost one-inch head-light balance it’s very maneuverable at net, where testers’ volleys were crisp.

Bottom Line
A perfect choice for a pro-tour wannabe.

WOMEN
Price: $115
Weight: 12.1 oz.
Sizes: 5–11, 12 (B, D widths); 6–11, 12 (2A width)
Ideal Foot Types: Neutral and supinated

SALES PITCH:
This shoe introduces New Balance’s S-Curve technology for enhanced stability.

OUR TAKE:
As usual, New Balance does a great service for players by making this shoe available in different widths. Overall, the men’s and women’s 1003s are solid entries in the lightweight, high-performance category. It feels like there’s hardly anything on your feet, yet you have plenty of support to stand up to rigorous play. What’s new? S-Curve, a piece of hard plastic, runs the length of the shoe along the outside to provide stability when you make sharp cuts. Women weartesters were the biggest fans of this model, especially its cushioning and quick break-in time.

SALES PITCH:
If you like a low-to-the-ground, ventilated ride, you’ll be a fan of this Wilson, which is for men only.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
Wilson shoes are known for their unibody construction, whereby the upper part is wrapped around the midsole, creating a stable feel. It works well in this case, as the fully ventilated upper also has a support strap for midfoot and heel stability. The only gripe that weartesters had was that the forefoot lacks a little bit of cushioning. Otherwise our testers were wild about the Wildcard II.

SALES PITCH:
A racquet for intermediate-to-advanced players who want their frames to be a touch lighter and more forgiving.

COMPARE TO:
Tecni? bre TFeel 305 original

HOW IT TESTED:
Even good players need a little help sometimes. They might not want to lug around a 12-ounce racquet and have to generate practically all the power on their shots. If that’s you, the TFeel 305 is something to consider. The weight and balance give it mobility, and it has a bit more giddyup than a traditional player frame. Still, there’s plenty of control on all strokes, making it an effective all-court frame. While it’s stable, the 305 will give you feedback, so be prepared for some vibration on off-center hits. If that bothers you, a string dampener might help. Like many Tecnifibre racquets, the TFeel 305 is offered with a dense (18×20) or an open (16×19) string pattern (other than a cosmetic change, that option is the only difference between this and the original TFeel 305). Playtesters who hit flat, penetrating shots liked the control of the more dense string pattern, while those who wanted more spin and pop on their shots favored the more open pattern.

BOTTOM LINE:
If you’re not up to the rigors of a heavyweight frame, this is a worthy substitute.