Revolutionary electronic tennis racquet likened to 'going from silent movies to sound tracks'

Paris, May 25(ANI): World number two player Rafael Nadal along with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tested a tennis racquet with electronic sensors capable of tracking a player's every slice, spin and smash at a launch event on a sun-baked clay court.

The electronic racquets are produced by French manufacturer Babolat, and made its public debut at the French Open on Thursday.

As Nadal and Tsonga traded shots before an audience of Babolat employees and journalists, their prototype racquets wirelessly communicated data to two display screens.

Stroke type, category of ball spin, shot power and the positioning of the ball impact were all tracked live by the racquets, which are due to go on sale in 2013.

Eric Babolat, the owner of the company that produced these racquets, believes they represented a great leap forward for the game.

"It's like going from silent cinema to movies with sound," Sports24 quoted Eric, as saying.

Star tennis player Kim Clijsters, who also tested the racquet opposite China's Li Na, described the technology as 'amazing.'

Babolat's aim is to also appeal to non-professional players, who will be able to upload data to an online application and track their performance to improve their game.

The company said the cost of the electronic racquet would be in the same price range as a high-end racquet, about 250 euros. (ANI)