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Vikingshill, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates


Tennis great Bjorn Borg was once the owner of this Swedish paradise, Vikingshill. In the early 1990s this home and his Stockholm apartment were sold off to satisfy debts before Borg made another run at a tennis career. The island estate includes a main home and guest house. I don't speak Swedish and I wasn't able to dig up too much information on this one but it's a charming retreat with an enviable view. Although the exterior is traditional, the interior embraces a more contemporary style. The estate includes a sandy beach, golf practice area, dock and a pool.

Gallery: Vikingshill



[Thanks, Fredrik!]

Sports OPTYX by Gruen Launched at U.S. Open

Filed under: Events, Sports


Sports OPTYX by gruen, a stylish new high-tech, high-performance eyewear line born from a collaborative effort between PrescripSun™ by Carl Zeiss and Nike Vision Lens Technology, was just launched at the U.S. Open. The new line will be vailable exclusively at OPTYX by gruen, the high-end eyewear boutique founded by industry legend John Gruen with branches in New York City, the Hamptons and Greenwich, CT, whose celeb clientele includes Martin Scorsese, Kate Moss, Lauren Hutton, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg and Elton John.

Nike Max Optics delivers precise vision at all angles regardless of the curvature of the lens, while Nike Max Tints enhance critical visual details, providing the ideal amount of light and the optimal range of color for all sports. In order to guarantee maximum performance, athletes must have a clear view in all directions; the Nike Max Optics' patented performance designs have been crafted to allow the clearest view over the widest angle, granting precise peripheral vision, customized for major types of sporting activities, including golf, cycling, running, skiing and rowing.

Fred Perry 100th Anniversary Polos

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style


This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of dashing British tennis champ Fred Perry, and to celebrate the classic clothing brand that bears his name is coming out with an exclusive new collection of limited edition polo shirts. The polos feature an enlarged version of Fred Perry's iconic 16-leaf laurel symbol with centenary embroidery underneath, in vintage-inspired colors.

Launched at Wimbledon in 1952, the Fred Perry polo shirt was an immediate success. The new collection debuts on May 15th and will be available at the Fred Perry Soho store in New York, Neiman Marcus in Dallas, and Citizen Clothing in San Francisco among others for $95. Perry was the World No. 1 player for five years and was the last Englishman to win the Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Australian Open Men's Singles titles.

Monte Carlo Hopes For Good Attendance At Tennis Tournament

Filed under: Journeys, Sports


U.S. players don't fill up the roster but for the rest of the the tennis world, the Rolex Masters Monte Carlo is a prime sports event and the start of the season on the French Riviera. It is the first big clay court tournament of the season and heralds the beginning of warm weather activities much the way the Masters does for golf.

Wealth Bulletin reports that after this grim and withering winter, Monte Carlo tennis fans are ready to indulge. A 20-seat prestige box at the Masters tournament costs 48,000 euros. The Monte Carlo Country Club has invested on expanding their facilities, adding 10,000 to the center court. The club is expecting an additional 3,000 spectators on what is one of the most gorgeous viewing courts in the game.

Monaco has been looking for increased tourism in a more aggressive way lately. Events like the Masters tennis tournament and the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix should provide an indicator of just how willing the wealthy are to continue to flock to the seaside town.

Tiffany & Co. 1837 Tennis Ball Can

Filed under: Sports


Think Tiffany's & Co. and you probably think fine jewelry, diamonds, and little blue boxes. But they have other offerings as well, some of them not what you'd expect, like this 1837 Tennis Ball Can. Designed to hold 4 tennis balls and keep them at optimal playing temperature, the can couldn't be simpler in design. Made of sterling silver shined to perfection, one of the tennis ball can's few adornments is a Tiffany's logo stamped on the lid along with the numbers 925 and 1837. $1,500

Fred Perry & Raf Simons Collaboration for Spring

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Fred Perry, the iconic British clothing brand with a laurel leaf symbol named for the dashing tennis champion, has just released its second collaboration with Belgian designer Raf Simons, for Spring / Summer 2009.

Drawing inspiration from both punk rock and West African culture - neither traditionally known for tennis togs - the collection features natural fabrics and a vibrant color palette of copper brown, earth orange, regal blue and honey hues.

Comprised of 25 pieces, key items include a re-working of the classic Fred Perry polo shirt, originally launched at Wimbledon in 1952, in a striped open knit style (right, $397.50), slip-on tassel loafers ($202), an open knit cardigan ($503), and a slim fit Harrington jacket in regal blue ($292).

There's also the classic Fred/Raf hybrid polo shirt featuring a shirt stand collar and body 'darting' that creates a slimmer, cleaner silhouette, and orange double layer mesh sleeveless tennis shirts and short sleeve turtlenecks styled with slim fit trousers both in regal blue. See the gallery for more.

Serena Williams Wears Million-Dollar Diamond Necklace To A Press Conference

Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping, Sports


We've documented Serena Williams's love of diamonds before but the tennis champ topped herself this time, showing up at a post-match press conference in a diamond necklace worth $2.5 million.

Williams wore the 427-diamond necklace after her first round win over Australian Samantha Stosur at the Sydney International tournament. Williams had met with a jewelry designer in Sydney over the weekend who offered her the pricey piece to wear during a match.

She decided not to play with the necklace because she was too concerned about what would happen to it but decided to wear it to the press conference instead.

Boris Becker's Ambitious Plans for Tennis Resort

Filed under: Journeys, Services

Tennis star Boris Becker has been busy making big plans over on the luxurious Al Marjan Island: he's building a mega-resort that's being touted as one of the area's most ambitious ever. The Boris Becker Beach Resort and Tennis Academy will offer two ocean front exposures and 2.5 million square feet of luxury holiday homes, high end resort and spa facilities, a five star hotel, and of course a world-class tennis academy 50% owned by Becker himself.

A couple of interesting facts: the academy and resort will be partially solar powered, the design is meant to represent a sea turtle when viewed from the air, and it's all scheduled to be finished by 2010.

Asia Muhammad Plays with Diamond Tennis Racket at the U.S. Open

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Sports


Tennis player Asia Muhammad made her professional debut at the 2008 U.S. Open and she did it with a bit of personalized flair: she played her matches with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket.

The sparkling racket, created by jeweler Michael E. Minden, featured her first name initial in 0.50 carats of diamonds on the handle. How much to get one of your own? Well you have to supply your own racket (or other sports equipment) and then it's just $1,750 for one initial or $3,400 for both.

Bally Women's Arkel Tennis Tote

Filed under: Handbags, Sports

Tennis season's not over yet! Why not help the economy and get yourself a fresh, new bag for the fall? Bally's bright pearl orange Arkel bag is made of patent calf with a patent leather-trimmed twill lining. It measures 15.5" H x 18" W x 4.5" D and has a 6.75" shoulder drop. The top is open for ease of putting in and taking out your tennis wear and accessories, and the zippered exterior pocket holds your tennis racket. Made in Italy, dust bag included: $1,095. (But you can get it at Endless for just $492.75, with free overnight shipping.)

Maria Sharapova And Canon To Give Away Diamond Cameras

Filed under: Gadgets

Tennis star Maria Sharapova and her cute white dog Dolce are starring in another campaign for the Canon Powershot cameras. As part of the promotion and in anticipation of the U.S. Open, Canon will be giving away five diamond-encrusted cameras in each color that the camera is offered in. Sharapova will debut the five diamond-covered Canon PowerShot Elph cameras during an invitation-only event at "Canon Center Court" on Aug. 20 at South Street Seaport. The cameras are worth around $12,000 each and the contest will run from August 20 to October 20 on the Powershot website.

Point Breeze, Nantucket's New Private Club and Residences

Filed under: Journeys, Services, Real Estate Developments


The Matthews Hospitality Group has announced via press release that two model residences in its Point Breeze development are open for viewing. Half of the 29 private residences within walking distance of Nantucket's cobbled downtown are already under agreement. (Because Nantucket real estate, like the island's timeless preppy togs, simply defies market trends.) Each owner will receive complimentary membership to Point Breeze's "ultra-elite" club, which features world-class spa, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, five-star dining and concierge service. Nantucket property owners and frequent visitors can join in the fun by becoming members of the Club at Point Breeze.

A one-bedroom condo in the historically-inspired development starts at $1.5 million. The company has also broken ground on a similar project on Palm Beach Island, meaning your summers and winters are now covered.

The Terracotta Warriors of Tennis

Filed under: Sports


I hadn't heard of this project until the PR people showed me pictures but apparently it made news last month, the ATP has commissioned French sculptor Laury Dizengremel to create terracotta models of eight top tennis players in the style of the ancient Chinese Terracotta Army which is on display at the British Museum in London. The sculptures are being made for the Masters Cup in Shanghai which will take place in late November. Warrior statues of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have been commissioned and five spots are still still up for grabs in the field, The original Terracotta Army was created to be buried with the Emperor of Qin in 210-209 BC and 8,099 figures have been unearthed around the Emperor's tomb.

Toss Designs Tennis Racket Covers

Filed under: Sports

Tennis racket covers, much like golf bags, can be overly bulky for the purpose, especially if you are just a casual player. Toss Design's Tennis Racket Covers, pictured here in their signature dot pattern, are lightweight and easy to carry. They are made out of quilted nylon, with solid colored exteriors and polka-dot linings, and adjustable shoulder straps. The covers come in green, pink, black and orange (and giraffe, for those who like animal prints!) and measure 30"L x 13"W. The covers, no matter which color you decide on, are just $40 each.

Where to Watch the Big Game in Luxury

Filed under: Sports

The World Series is over and most of the Bowl games are barely on the horizon, but one thing that is just as important as who is playing is where you are going to be when you watch the game. Forbes Traveler has picked out the best skyboxes in North America. Their slideshow even gives you a sneak peek inside each and every location. Here is the list of the top spots, the price (per season unless otherwise indicated) and their home teams and, if you end up having to change team allegiances to get in to the top boxes, remember that your friends will forgive you as long as you invite them up, too.

  • Luxury boxes at The Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays ($32,000 a game)
  • The Pool Zone at Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,900 per game, pictured)
  • Suites at FedEx Field, Washington Redskins ($75,000 to $200,000)
  • Platinum executive suites at Air Canada Centre, Toronto Maple Leafs ($287,000 to $465,000 )
  • The Lofts at Cardinals Stadium, Arizona Cardinals ($65,000 to $125,000)
  • President's box at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, host of the U.S. Open ($12,000 to $25,000 per session)
  • Luxury boxes at Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots ($325,000)
  • Suites at Bank of America Stadium, Carolina Panthers ($59,000 to $100,000+)
  • Luxury box suites at Busch Stadium, Saint Louis Cardinals ($105,000 to $185,000)



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