June 17, 2011
The worlds of tennis, fashion and celebrity have come together to celebrate the start of this year's Wimbledon Championships.
Tennis A-listers including Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were joined by the likes of Eliza Doolittle, Naomie Harris, Kevin Spacey, Sir Alan Sugar and Emily Blunt for the WTA annual event in London.
The event, sponsored by Range Rover, in conjunction with the launch of the all new Evoque, saw fashion take centre stage with a historical collaboration between the British Fashion Council and the Women's Tennis Association.
It's an honour to be part of the Wimbledon history. It's always so much fun and I enjoy every single part of it: Maria Sharapova
To celebrate the rise of fashion within tennis, top British designers including Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney created unique dresses for the female players.
The outfits will be auctioned off during the Wimbledon tournament with proceeds going to WTA charities and the British Fashion Council's Princess of Wales Charitable Trust
Maria Sharapova, who was dressed in Alexander McQueen, told Sky News: "We are all very competitive athletes and we love all the work that we commit ourselves to on the court.
"But we love to have a bit of fun and this is a great opportunity to put on a really beautiful, pretty dress and walk the red carpet.
"It's an honour to be part of the Wimbledon history. It's always so much fun and I enjoy every single part of it," she added.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is currently ranked number 31 in the world, describes herself as the Lady Gaga of tennis due to her flamboyant fashion taste.
The 26-year-old made an attention-seeking entrance in a tennis-inspired dress.
The startling dress included a neon green corset made of parts of tennis balls, with matching shoulder pads.
With just a few days to go until the start of Wimbledon, rising tennis star Laura Robson said she is starting to feel the pressure.
"The nerves are kicking in a bit but I'm just looking forward playing my home tournament," she said.
"My whole family is going to be watching and my brother is working at Wimbledon this year, so it's great to have everyone around."
Wimbledon Championships run from Monday, June 20, until Sunday, July 3.
Resources : http://news.sky.com/
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