Query: Makers of lawn tennis rackets

Relevant passages:
1877 Wimbledon Championship <=SEP=> The 1877 Wimbledon Championship was a men's tennis tournament held at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (AEC & LTC) in Wimbledon, London. It was the world's first official lawn tennis tournament, and was later recognised as the first Grand Slam tournament or "Major". The AEC & LTC had been founded in July 1868, as the All England Croquet Club; lawn tennis was introduced in February 1875 to compensate for the waning interest in croquet.

1906 International Lawn Tennis Challenge <=SEP=> The 1906 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the sixth edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup.  As defending champions, the British Isles team played host to the competition. For the first time, the ties were not all played at the same location.  The "World Group" ties were played at the Newport Athletic Club in Newport, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom from 7–9 June, and the final was played at Worple Road in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom on 15–18 June.

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club <=SEP=> The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All-England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days each summer, the championships have become far more prominent than the club itself.

Amer Sports <=SEP=> Amer Sports Corporation (formerly Amer-Yhtymä Oyj) is a Finnish headquartered sporting goods company with brands including Salomon, Wilson, Atomic, Arc’teryx, Mavic, Suunto and Precor.Established in 1950 as an industrial conglomerate with interests as diverse as shipowning, tobacco products and publishing, Amer has gradually evolved into a multinational firm devoted to the production and marketing of sporting goods. Today, the company employs approximately 7,330 people.

Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association <=SEP=> The Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1934 that is devoted to the development of tennis for recreation and physical fitness and is pledged to maintain the rules of play and high standard of sportsmanship based in Atlanta, Georgia. The primary function of ALTA is scheduling league play for adult and junior teams in the five-county Atlanta metro area.

Augurio Perera <=SEP=> Juan Bautista Luis Augurio Perera (c.1822 – after 1889), known as Augurio Perera, was a Spanish-born merchant and sportsman based in England, credited alongside his friend Major Harry Gem as the earliest inventor of the game of lawn tennis.

Babolat <=SEP=> Babolat /ˈbɑːboʊlɑː/ is a French tennis, badminton, and squash equipment company, best known for its strings and tennis racquets which are used by several top players.  The company has made strings since 1875, when Pierre Babolat created the first strings made of natural gut. Babolat continued to focus on strings until 1994, when it became a "total tennis" company. That is, Babolat began producing racquet frames and selling them in Europe.

Badminton Library <=SEP=> The Badminton Library, called in full The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes, was a sporting and publishing project conceived and founded by Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899). Between 1885 and 1902 it developed into a series of sporting books which aimed to cover comprehensively all major sports and pastimes. The books were published in London by Longmans, Green & Co.

Bill Tilden <=SEP=> William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 – June 5, 1953), nicknamed "Big Bill," was an American male tennis player. He is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Tilden was the World No. 1 player for six years from 1920 through 1925. He won 14 Major singles titles including ten Grand Slams, one World Hard Court Championships and three Pro Slams.

Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club <=SEP=> The Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The club is the host of the ATP Buenos Aires, an ATP Tour tournament played on clay. The main stadium court, Horacio Billoch Caride Stadium, has a capacity of 5,500 spectators and is named after former club president Horacio Billoch Caride.

Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club <=SEP=> Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club (CULTC) in England is one of the oldest lawn tennis clubs in the world.

Charles P. Dixon <=SEP=> Charles Percy Dixon (7 February 1873 – 29 April 1939) was a male tennis player from Great Britain. He was a four-time Olympic medallist and led a successful British team to victory in the Davis Cup.

Dan Maskell <=SEP=> Daniel "Dan" Maskell (11 April 1908 – 10 December 1992) was an English tennis professional who later became even better known as a radio and television commentator on the game. He was recognised as the BBC's "voice of tennis", and the "voice of Wimbledon".

Davis Cup <=SEP=> The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States. By 2015, 125 nations entered teams into the competition.

Dunlop Sport <=SEP=> Dunlop Sport is a British sporting goods company that specialises in tennis and golf equipment. Dunlop have manufactured sporting equipment since 1910.In most parts of the world, Dunlop Sports is owned by Sports Direct International. DNA (Housemarks) Limited, a company jointly owned by Sports Direct and SRI Sports, is the owner of the Dunlop brand in the United States.

Dunlop Sport (Australia) <=SEP=> Dunlop Sport is a division of Pacific Brands of Australia.  The company is not connected to Sports Direct, which owns rights to the Dunlop brand outside Australia and New Zealand.Dunlop Australia first manufactured sandshoes in 1924.  In 1939 the company introduced the Dunlop Volley shoe, which is still manufactured.Dunlop Australia acquired many other shoe businesses, including some in the US.

Evan Noel <=SEP=> Evan Baillie Noel (23 January 1879 – 22 December 1928) was an English rackets player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics for Great Britain.He won the gold medal in the men's singles event. In the men's doubles competition he won the bronze medal together with Henry Leaf.He also competed in the Olympic jeu de paume tournament but was eliminated in the quarter-finals.Evan Noel was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Fred Perry <=SEP=> Frederick John "Fred" Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player and former World No. 1 who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams single titles, as well as six Major doubles titles. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships from 1934 to 1936 and was World Amateur number one tennis player during those three years.

George Caridia <=SEP=> George Aristides Caridia (20 February 1869 – 21 April 1937) was a male tennis player from Great Britain and a two-time Olympic silver medalist. At the 1908 London Olympics he won those medals in the men's singles and doubles (with George Simond) event (both were contested indoor). In both finals he lost to fellow British player Arthur Gore.

Grand Slam (real tennis) <=SEP=> A Grand Slam in the sport of real tennis is earned by a player who holds the following titles in the same calendar year: Australian Open U.S. Open French Open British OpenThe concept was borrowed from lawn tennis's Grand Slam. In 1984 Chris Ronaldson, then in 2000 and 2001 Robert Fahey earned back-to-back Grand Slams, and Fahey earned his third Grand Slam again in 2008.  For ladies, Charlotte Cornwallis made it twice.

Gwen Buck <=SEP=> Gwen Buck BEM (1929–13 February 2005) was a British Paralympic athlete who competed in several sporting disciplines. She won gold medals in table tennis, lawn bowls, and swimming, and entered several athletics events across four Paralympic Games.

Harry Gem <=SEP=> Major Thomas Henry Gem (21 May 1819 – 4 November 1881), known as Harry Gem, was an English lawyer, soldier, writer and sportsman.Alongside his friend Augurio Perera, he is credited as the earliest inventor of the game of lawn tennis.

Head (company) <=SEP=> HEAD NV is a sports equipment and clothing company, mainly for their alpine skis and tennis rackets. The company includes parts of several previously independent companies, including Head Ski Company, founded in Delaware in 1950; Tyrolia, an Austria ski-equipment manufacturer; and Mares, an Italian manufacturer of diving equipment. Head Ski Company produced one of the first successful metal-wood composite downhill ski, the Head Standard, and one of the first over-sized metal tennis rackets.

Herbert Chipp <=SEP=> Herbert Chipp (4 January 1850 – 25 August 1903) was an English tennis player.Chipp participated in the Wimbledon Championships in between 1882 and 1900. In 1884 he reached the semifinals of the all-comers competition, which he lost to Herbert Lawford 5-7, 4-6, 4-6.In 1898 he published the book Lawn Tennis Recollections, and he contributed parts to  J. M. Heathcotes book Tennis; Lawn Tennis, Rackets; Fives.

History of tennis <=SEP=> Most historians believe that tennis originated in the monastic cloisters in northern France in the 12th century, but the ball was then struck with the palm of the hand hence the name jeu de paume "\game of the palm"). It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use, and the game began to be called "tennis." It was popular in England and France, although the game was only played indoors where the ball could be hit off the wall.

J. F. Foulkes <=SEP=> James 'J.F.' Foulkes (born 1872, date of death unknown) was an early star of Canadian tennis.  Foulkes may have been a three-time winner of the Canadian national championship, today known as the Rogers Cup.  He was also a member of the only Canadian team to reach the finals of the Davis Cup.A member of the Victoria Lawn Tennis Club, Foulkes may have captured the Canadian national championship in singles 1907, 1909, and 1910 - at least one source says otherwise however.

James Stout (rackets) <=SEP=> James Stout, born August 16, 1984, is a world-ranked professional squash, rackets and real tennis player from Bermuda.

Jane Blackburn <=SEP=> Jane Blackburn is a retired athlete who competed in a number of sports at five Paralympic Games.

John Moyer Heathcote <=SEP=> John Moyer Heathcote (12 July 1834 – 3 August 1912) was an English barrister and real tennis player. He was one of the committee members at the Marylebone Cricket Club responsible for drafting the original rules of lawn tennis and is credited with devising the cloth covering for the tennis ball.Heathcote was born in London, the eldest son of John Heathcote of Conington Castle, Huntingdonshire, and his third wife Emily Colbourne. He was a descendant of Lord Ancaster of Conington Castle.

Kenneth Powell (tennis) <=SEP=> Kenneth Powell (8 April 1885 – 18 February 1915) was a British athlete and tennis player who competed in the 1908 and the 1912 Summer Olympics as well as at the Wimbledon Championships.

Kneissl <=SEP=> Kneissl is a manufacturer of handmade skis, biking and tennis equipment and apparel, based in Kufstein, Tyrol, Austria.

Lawn Tennis Association <=SEP=> The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The organisation was founded in 1888 and seven-time Wimbledon champion William Renshaw was elected as its first president.

List Authorised Racket Coverings <=SEP=> Table tennis rackets normally have both sides covered with rubber on the striking surface. The international rules for the sport sets limitations to how this covering may be composed, and the ITTF has a system of approval for rubber products allowed in official competition. The List of Authorised Racket Coverings - abbreviated LARC - is a document maintained by the ITTF, listing all makes of coverings currently allowed.

List of Davis Cup champions <=SEP=> The Davis Cup (known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge until 1945) is an annual tennis tournament for male players that has been held since 1900. The tournament sees players competing for their country in a series of singles and doubles matches over the course of three days. The countries are divided into groups based upon their location or performance in previous years.

Mizuno Corporation <=SEP=> Mizuno Corporation (ミズノ株式会社, Mizuno Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 8022) is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, for golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, football, running,  rugby, skiing, cycling, judo, table tennis, badminton, boxing and athletics.

Norman Brookes <=SEP=> Sir Norman Everard Brookes (14 November 1877 – 28 September 1968) was an Australian World No. 1 tennis champion and later president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia.

North American Racquets Association <=SEP=> The North American Racquets Association is the governing body for the sport of racquets in the United States and Canada.

Northern Lawn Tennis Club <=SEP=> The Northern Lawn Tennis Club or The Northern  was established in 1880 in Old Trafford and is a members-owned rackets and fitness club currently located in the Didsbury suburb of Manchester. It is a member of the British Lawn Tennis Association. It has tennis facilities offering 24 tennis courts: three indoor courts, nine grass courts, three clay courts, three hard courts and six junior courts.

Prince's Club <=SEP=> The Prince's Club was a socially exclusive gentlemen's multisports club in London, England. The original 'Old Prince's Club' was founded in 1853 in Chelsea and its main sports of the club were rackets and real tennis. In addition  cricket, croquet and lawn tennis were played. After most of its ground was lost to building developments it closed in 1886.

Prince Sports <=SEP=> Prince Global Sports, LLC, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a manufacturer and distributor of racket sports equipment, footwear and apparel for tennis, squash and badminton.

Queen's Club <=SEP=> The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. The club hosts the prestigious annual Queen's Club Championships grass court men's lawn tennis tournament (currently known as the AEGON Championships for sponsorship reasons). It has 28 outdoor courts and eight indoor. With two courts, it is also the national headquarters of real tennis, hosting the British Open every year.

Racket (sports equipment) <=SEP=> A racket or racquet is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of strings or catgut is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in games such as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Collectively, these games are known as racquet sports.This predecessor to the modern game of squash, rackets, is played with 30 1⁄2 inches (770 mm) wooden rackets.

Rackets (sport) <=SEP=> Rackets (American English) or racquets  (British English) is an indoor racquet sport played in the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, and Canada. The sport is infrequently called "hard rackets," possibly to distinguish it from the related sport of squash (formerly called "squash rackets").

Rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics <=SEP=> At the 1908 Summer Olympics, two rackets events were contested. Only British players participated in the competitions.

Rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's doubles <=SEP=> The men's doubles competition was one of two rackets events held as part of the Rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme.

Rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's singles <=SEP=> The men's singles competition was one of two rackets events held as part of the Rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme.

Real tennis <=SEP=> Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis (usually simply called tennis) is derived.

Slazenger <=SEP=> Slazenger /ˈslæzɨndʒər/ is a British sporting goods manufacturer which concentrates on racket sports including tennis, golf, cricket and hockey. Founded in 1881, it is today one of the oldest surviving sporting brand names.

Squash (sport) <=SEP=> Squash is a racquet sport played by two (singles) or four players (doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball.

Squash tennis <=SEP=> Squash tennis is an American variant of squash, but played with a ball and racquets that are closer to the equipment used for lawn tennis, and with somewhat different rules.  For younger players the game offers the complexity of squash and the speed of racquetball.  It also has exercise and recreational potential for older players.

Stické <=SEP=> Stické (also stické tennis) is an indoor racquet sport invented in the late 19th century merging aspects of real tennis, racquets, and lawn tennis.  It derives from sphairistikè (Ancient Greek meaning "the art of playing ball"), the term originally given to lawn tennis by Walter Clopton Wingfield.

Tennis <=SEP=> Tennis is a racquet sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racquet that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a good return.

Tennis New Zealand <=SEP=> Tennis New Zealand (commonly known by the acronym Tennis NZ or TNZ) (formally the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association) is the governing body of tennis in New Zealand. Founded in 1886, it is one of the world's oldest tennis associations. It is affiliated to both International Tennis Federation and Oceania Tennis Federation. Tennis NZ has six geographically divided regional centres.

Tennis and Rackets Association <=SEP=> The Tennis and Rackets Association is the governing body for the sports of real tennis and rackets in the United Kingdom.  Its first meeting was held in 1907.

Tony Wilding <=SEP=> Anthony "Tony" Frederick Wilding (31 October 1883 – 9 May 1915) was a former World number 1 tennis player from Christchurch, New Zealand and a soldier killed in action during World War I.Wilding was the son of wealthy English immigrants to New Zealand and enjoyed the use of private tennis courts at their home. He obtained a legal education at Trinity College, Cambridge and briefly joined his father's law firm. Wilding was a first-class cricketer and a keen motorcycle enthusiast.

Tuxedo Club <=SEP=> The Tuxedo Club is a private member-owned country club located on West Lake Road in the town of Tuxedo, just southwest of  the village of Tuxedo Park, New York in the Ramapo Mountains.  Founded in 1886 by Pierre Lorillard IV, its facilities now include an 18-hole golf course, lawn tennis, court tennis, racquets, squash, platform tennis, swimming, and boating.

United States Davis Cup team <=SEP=> The United States of America's Davis Cup Team represents the United States in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the United States Tennis Association.The U.S. competed in the very first Davis Cup in 1900, when a group of Harvard University students challenged the British. They are the most successful Davis Cup team ever to compete in the Davis Cup, winning the coveted Davis Cup title on 32 separate occasions closely followed by Australia on 28.

Vane Pennell <=SEP=> Vane Hungerford Pennell (August 16, 1876 – June 17, 1938) was an English rackets and real tennis player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics for Great Britain.

Völkl <=SEP=> Völkl (German pronunciation: [fœlkl]) is a sports equipment manufacturer based in Germany. It is a subsidiary of the Jarden Corporation. Initially it manufactured skis, but has extended its line to snowboards, outerwear, and tennis gear. The American branch is located in Lebanon, New Hampshire along with its wholly owned binding manufacturer, Marker.

Walter Clopton Wingfield <=SEP=> Major Walter Clopton Wingfield MVO (16 October 1833 – 18 April 1912) was a Welsh inventor and a British Army officer who was one of the pioneers of lawn tennis. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997, as the founder of Modern Lawn Tennis, an example of the original equipment for the sport and a bust of Wingfield himself can be seen at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

Wilson Sporting Goods <=SEP=> The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1989, it has been a foreign subsidiary of the Finnish group Amer Sports.Wilson makes equipment for many sports, among them badminton, baseball, basketball, softball, Canadian football, American football, golf, racquetball, soccer, squash, tennis, and volleyball.

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum <=SEP=> Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is the largest tennis museum in the world. The museum was inaugurated at The Championships centenary event in 1977. On the 12 April 2006, HRH The Duke of Kent declared the brand new Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum open to the public inside the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. This museum has exhibits and artefacts dating back to 1555 as well as touch screen computer consoles for visitors to interact with.

Yonex <=SEP=> Yonex Co., Ltd. (ヨネックス株式会社, Yonekkusu Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 7906) is a Japanese manufacturer of  sporting equipment for badminton, golf, and tennis, producing rackets, clubs, shoes, shuttlecocks, tennis balls, and other equipment for those sports.