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BNP Paribas Open Day 4 Live Blog Sponsored by Tecnifibre
Roger Federer, the Williams Sisters, Victoria Azarenka and more. Keep up with all the action from Day 4 of the BNP Paribas Open with the Tecnifibre Live Blog. 
BNP Paribas Open Day 3 Live Blog Sponsored by Tecnifibre
Keep up with all the action from Day 3 of the BNP Paribas Open with the Tecnifibre Live Blog.
BNP Paribas Open Day 2 Live Blog Sponsored by Tecnifibre
Keep up with all the action from Day 2 of the BNP Paribas Open, from first ball to last on the Tecnifibre live blog. 
BNP Paribas Open Day 1 Live Blog Sponsored by Tecnifibre
Welcome to the BNP Paribas Open Live Blog sponsored by Tecnifibre. 
Sharapova’s Chic Kicks
Sharapova aims to channel "LA’s high style" in Nike shoe.
Maria Sharapova laces up her love for LA in a new Nike shoe.
Sharapova said she set out to create "LA’s high style" in a classic Nike shoe.
Bartoli: Comeback Key For Psychological Recovery
The result is the Nike LA Cortez, Sharapova's revision of the iconic 1972 swoosh shoe.
The Sharapova-designed shoe hit retailers on March 1st.
The pale pink shoe, which layers suede and leather, sprung from Sharapova's strides to practice.
Photo credit: Nike
Photo credit: Nike
"I love how it’s minimal and understated in certain ways, yet there’s so much attention to detail with the finishes, materials and even color," Sharapova said. "I was inspired by my morning walks along the coast on my way to practice, and I think we captured that peaceful essence in this shoe."
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Del Potro: Backhand Coming Back
World No. 9 explains why his backhand is stronger these days.
Even champions can use a helping hand every once in a while.
Renewed confidence in his two-handed backhand has helped Juan Martin del Potro crack the Top 10 again.
Del Potro, who opened the season advancing to the Auckland final, re-entered the Top 10 last month—his first Top 10 appearance since the week of August 4th, 2014.
These days, del Potro is thumping his two-hander with more pace providing a stiffer contrast to his one-hand slice backhand.
During del Potro's loss to eventual-champion Frances Tiafoe in Delray Beach last week, Tennis Channel analyst and former Top 10 player Jimmy Arias said del Potro was hitting his two-hander the best he has since his comeback from wrist surgery.
While Del Potro says it's an improved shot, he knows must sharpen it to beat the elite: he was 0-7 vs. the world's Top 2 last season.
"I improve it a lot my two handed backhand so I now I have the chance to choose between the slice and the two-handed backhand it's good thing for my game," del Potro told Tennis TV. "But I know I need to keep improving a lot if I want to win good tournaments and beat the best players in the world."
Multiple wrist surgeries, including two surgeries to his left wrist in 2015, sapped the sting and conviction from del Potro's once dangerous two-handed backhand.
Returning to the tour two years ago, del Potro primarily played the one-handed slice backhand in his initial comeback.
Photo credit: Guillermo Sanchez
The 2017 Stockholm champion hit his backhand harder during his 20-5 run over the final weeks of the 2017 season while showing superb control over his one-handed slice.
The sixth-seeded Argentine will put his two-hander to the test against veteran war horse David Ferrer in tonight's Abierto Mexicano Telcel second-round clash.
The 35-year-old Spaniard has won six of their 11 encounters, but the 2009 US Open champion has beaten Ferrer three times in a row—all in straight sets. Ferrer will be feeding a steady stream of inside-out forehands to del Potro's weaker wing.
Photo credit: Guillermo Sanchez
Nadal Launches Tennis Centre in Mexico
Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre scheduled to open in November 2018 in Costa Mujeres, Mexico.
The King of Clay is bringing his expertise to Mexico.
Rafael Nadal is launching the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, a new line of sports complexes in Mexico.
The new centres will complement the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, located near his Mallorca home.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion has partnered with Palladium Hotel Group for the first Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, currently under construction, that's scheduled to open its doors in November 2018 in Costa Mujeres, located north of Cancun.
The centre will be part of the facilities of both hotels TRS Coral Hotel and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa that the chain is building.
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Academy
The centers are located near high-class resorts and vacation complexes and will offer tennis programs for guests and area residents so they can play and take tennis lessons with the highest of standards.
Nadal, who is in Mexico to play this week's Acapulco tournament, visited the construction site last week and said he's excited to see the finished complex.
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Academy
"I am happy to present this new project in Mexico," Nadal said. "This country is a nearby country in every respect and to open here the first project this year is great news. With the experience we have with tennis and following in the same line from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, located in Spain, we feel it will be an important attraction right now for the places where the projects are going to be located.
"In this case, with my friends at Palladium in Costa Mujeres, where I had the opportunity to visit the construction last week. I am eager to see the project finished and come to see it in person”.
The 31-year-old Spaniard has spoke for years about the importance of training and playing on natural surfaces.
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Academy
With that in mind, the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre Costa Mujeres with feature eight red clay courts, a soccer field 7, one paddle court, a gym for warm-ups, stretches and basic training, an exhibition of objects and clothes from Rafa Nadal, a store with exclusive premium sports products, and a bar/cafeteria with TV screens so guests can watch tennis and other sports.
The Rafa Nadal Academy opened its doors in May 2016 in Mallorca and more than 2,000 players have already attended the academy.
Kyrgios: Inspired By Better Half
Reconciling with girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic has been revitalizing for Nick Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios credits his better half for bringing out the best in him.
The Aussie No. 1 launched his Australian Open cranking 16 aces in a commanding 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Rogerio Dutra Silva.
More: Murray Misses Melbourne Badly
The 17th-seeded Kyrgios opened the season winning the Brisbane International—his first career title on home soil—and attributes his strong start to the support of his girlfriend, Ajla Tomljanovic.
"I had my girlfriend’s company in the room so it’s been all right," Kyrgios told Roger Rasheed after his opening-round win. "It’s just good to have her back on tour. Obviously, she’s been out with injury so it’s good to have her back.
"I’m just excited to be back in Melbourne. A couple of years ago on this court I made the quarterfinals so I’m just hoping to emulate that and hopefully go a little bit further."
Reconciliation has been revitalizing.
Kyrgios and Tomljanovic split after Wimbledon last summer. After images of Kyrgios partying with women in a London night club emerged online, Tomljanovic deleted him from her social media.
The pair reconciled late last year.
Tomljanovic, who fell to Lucie Safarova, 7-5, 6-3, in her first major playing officially under the Australian flag, has been a calming influence on Kyrgios in the past.
"Obviously it's been good to have her back just on tour," Kyrgios said. "She was away from the game for a while, with injury. That's never easy. She's come back now. She's playing some pretty good tennis again.
"But just to have her around at these events, feels normal again. Yeah, it's good to see her back."
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Halep: I Buy Match Clothes Online
Without an a clothing sponsor, world No. 1 shops on web.
Simona Halep started the season without a clothing sponsor.
The world No. 1 didn't scour her closet for tennis apparel.
King: Rename Margaret Court Arena
Instead, she hit the Internet.
Halep, whose clothing contract with adidas ended at the end of 2017, bought her current competitive apparel online from a Chinese seamstress.
"I sent a picture," Halep said at her Australian Open press conference. "Was a site, in China actually, and one of my managers helped me, and in 24 hours I had the outfit, and were perfect. I was lucky."
In China, red is often used as a bridal color and can symbolize joy, luck and happiness.
In her first tournament wearing her all-red Chinese-made apparel, Halep enjoyed a double dose of good fortune sweeping both Shenzhen singles and doubles titles wearing this outfit she calls "plain."
Photo credit: Shenzhen Open/IMG
"I chose the model. But it's plain, come on," Halep said. "Nothing special there. It looks good, in my opinion. I like it."
The two-time French Open finalist is reportedly close to signing a deal with Nike, which inked US Open champion and former Under Armour endorser Sloane Stephens earlier this month, though Halep told the media discussions are ongoing.
"My people are working for me on this stuff. They are talking," Halep said. "But the conversation has just begun. I have no contract now. I'm still with no brand clothes. I just want to make sure that I will choose what I like, and also the brand to like me. It's really important to have a nice outfit and to feel good in the clothes. So I'm not rushing. I will wait what future gives me."
Former world No. 1 Pete Sampras once played the Australian Open wearing shirts bearing an American flag logo instead of the Nike swoosh when his deal with Nike had expired. Sampras wound up re-signing with Nike.
Halep is a unique position set to start her first Grand Slam as world No. 1 without a big-name brand sponsor on her apparel though she was wearing her old black adidas baseball cap and a generic black tank top while practicing at Melbourne Park last week.
"Yeah, it's an interesting period, to be honest," Halep said. "For the moment, are many brands, so I don't know which one is going to be. For sure is going to be one. But we will see in the future.
"I really want to have something nice, to have nice feeling with the future brand that I will wear."
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Photo Gallery: Pumping Up For Australian Open
Focus, fire and fun of Melbourne practice through the lens of Mark Peterson.
The Australian Open celebrates its 30th anniversary at Melbourne Park this month.
The stars have been busy tuning up on the practice court this week.
Watch: Djokovic Serves Up Shorter Motion
Our man in Melbourne, Tennis Now photographer and Corleve creator Mark Peterson, has been busy shooting champions, contenders and challengers on the practice court and at Tie Break Tens.
Here's the fire, focus and fun of training times through Mark Peterson's lens.
All Photos By Mark Peterson/Corleve
