Wall Street Journal
The King of String: U.S. Open Racket Tech Works for Amateurs Too; Mr. Mann's $100 Fix
You'd have a tough time getting Lance Armstrong's mechanic to tune up your Trek, or skier Bode Miller's wax man to sharpen your Rossignols. But tennis is different.
As the U.S. Open kicks off Monday, racket technician Roman Prokes will be spending 18 hours a day at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y., tuning frames and stretching strings for star clients like Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick.
Mr. Prokes is part of a small clique of top-end racket technicians who also do business outside the professional ranks. For $50 to $200, they will consult with recreational players and make specific modifications to their rackets to help them improve. (Most amateurs, of course, choose a racket by swinging it for five minutes at The Sports Authority.)
