The internet is an interesting place and a rebellious place to hang out. Anna Kournikova recently signed an endorsement contract with Kswiss shoe manufacturer. Like most things nowadays the commercial can be viewed on the internet. Kswiss posted their own spot and it got about 500 views. A fan site put up the same exact 30-second spot and it has 5,000 views. But that is not why I am writing this entry.

I have seen the commercial on TV a few times and I was always struck by the ending of the commercial. As you will see Anna comes on at the end is takes ready to serve. They cutaway and you see her from the back as she takes her racquet back to wind up. Look closely and you will see it is not really Anna but an animated version of her serving!

The first thing I thought was. Can't Anna serve? Her serve is terrible but for a TV commercial she can pull it off. Each time I saw this commercial I couldn't figure out why the producers would do this. Could it be cheaper to animate? Did Anna have a "no hitting" contract? Was the production "in the can" and they realized they needed a additional shot?

None of the above, Anna is too skinny. Kswiss wants to promote a bold brand the pushes the limits of expression along with all the other benefits to associated with an active lifestyle and the popular Anna Kournikova. So the answer to the production question is. It is easier to animate Anna than to get her to become "buff" again like in her playing days.

So they must of looked at the footage and saw this emaciated former tennis pro and said you know what this isn’t going to work. Let’s bring in the animator!

Check out the video below and tell me what you think. You can see it more clearly on TV than over the internet but take a look.

KOURNIKOVA TV COMMERCIAL

First things first. The Fed-Rafa final in Monte Carlo will be shown on Tennis Channel at 8:30am EST and 5:30am Pacific. So, set you Tivo and DVRs if you are not an early riser. They will also show an encore at 8pm EST on Sunday night. That may be hard to do since the rest of the tennis world may report the result.

Where to Find Tennis Channel?

NYC- TimeWarner Cable- 455
Dish Network- 400
Miami Comcast-277
LA Area Time Warner- 264

If you don't see your City here go to the top right side of TheSlycer and you will see "Tennis Channe Search". Click on the link then go to the middle left side of the Tennis Channel page and punch in your zip code!

MONTE CARLO FINAL:
This match up is so intriguing on many levels. Here is my perspective from a tactics standpoint.

NADAL GAME PLAN:
It will be important for Nadal to get off to a fast start by serving well and running Federer around to nullify his forehand and his ability to mix it up with net play. As usual, look for Nadal to pressure the backhand of Federer to apply this strategy. Typically, he does this with astronimical first serve percentages. Nadal is a heck of a front runner and is so mentally tough to beat when his game is on. It is safe to say he has been on this week having trounced the field up to this point and now has won 66 straight clay court matches.

FEDERER GAME PLAN:
Serving will be big for Federer as well as it will allow him to control the points and play aggressively on his return game. It will be curious to see if Federer learned anything watching Andy Murray play Nadal as the Australian Open. I that match Murray mixed his pace well and moved Nadal around on a hard court. Murray just didn't have the serve or closing skills of Federer and the match wasn't on red clay. Federer watched that match on TV from his hotel. Did Murray's tactics intrigue the World #1?

Below is a highlight of the Semi-Final between Federer and Ferrero. It is a bit tough to watch since you can't see the ball in the broad shots but you get a feel for Roger's ability to play an all court game on clay which I think he will have to do to win on Sunday.

FEDERER / FERRERO HIGHLIGHTS