Ljubicic Signs with HEAD
HEAD signs 5th ranked player; sees success in first tournament with new racquet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Westerfield
Centennial Tower
Atlanta,
404-262-3000
lisa.westerfield@edelman.com
01/01/07 - Kennelbach, Austria– HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports announced today the signing of world ranked tennis player, Ivan Ljubicic. Ljubicic signed an agreement with HEAD that will continue through 2009. In addition to this exciting new partnership, Ljubicic, of Croatia, claimed his first title of the season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha last week.
This was Ljubicic’s first tournament playing with HEAD’s new Extreme Pro racquet. The Extreme Pro features HEAD’s new MircroGEL technology which maximizes the responsive qualities of the racquet to create a rock solid feel and explosive spin.
“Ljubicic is quite an accomplished athlete and we are proud to have him onboard,” said Robert Marte, division manager, HEAD Racquet Sports. “The fact that Ivan is making an equipment change at the height of his career speaks volumes about our racquets. And he had outstanding, immediate success on the court.”
Ljubicic, two-time runner-up in Doha, reached the final with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, by saving two match points against fellow HEAD player Robin Söderling of Sweden. Söderling plays with a HEAD Flexpoint Radical MP racquet.
“I am very happy with my performance,” said Ljubicic, after recovering from an illness last season. “The new Extreme Pro handles very well for my style of play – it’s perfect for my game.”
Ljubicic joins an established roster of professionals who play with HEAD. More than 30 of the top 100 players on tour are HEAD athletes including Andy Murray, Marat Safin, Richard Gasquet, Sabastien Grosjean, Anastasia Myskina and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Coached by Riccardo Piatti of Italy, Ljubicic was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world this past season when he won three ATP titles and reached the semi finals of the French Open. He is a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, holds six singles titles and a set match record of 61-20 in 2006. Ljubicic was born in Banja Luka (Bosnia Herzegovina) in 1979, and currently resides and trains in Monte Carlo. The right-handed player turned pro in 1998 and currently serves as president of the ATP Player Council.
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HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports is a division of HEAD NV which owns such premier sporting goods brands as HEAD (tennis, racquetball, and squash racquets; alpine skis and boots; snowboards, bindings and boots; athletic and outdoor footwear; accessories and apparel), Penn (tennis balls and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings), Mares and Dacor (both scuba diving equipment).
ABOUT HEAD: Head NV is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of premium sports equipment. Head NV’s ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“HED”) and the Vienna Stock Exchange (“HEAD”). The company’s business is organized into four divisions: Winter Sports, Racquet Sports, Diving and Licensing. Products are sold under the Head (tennis, tennis balls, squash, racquetball and badminton equipment, alpine skis and ski boots, snowboards, bindings and boots), Penn (tennis and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings), and Mares/Dacor (diving equipment) brands. The company holds leading positions in all product markets and the equipment is endorsed by some of the world’s top athletes including Andre Agassi, Marat Safin, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Bode Miller, Johann Grugger and Maria Riesch.
www.head.com
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Lisa Westerfield and Kristen Stone
Lisa.westerfield@edelman.com and Kristen.stone@edelman.com
404-262-3000
