Star Stringing
Interview

BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, CA
TRANSCRIPT

"Hi, this Lisa Hasslehas here at the BNP Paribas Open with David Mindell in the Star Stringing room. David can you give some background on Star Stringing and what it is that you do?

David Mindell: Yes, Star Stringing is a company that my partner Casey and I formed back in the early 90s and it's been operating this tournament since it was at the Hyatt Grand Champions and right forward into the present time right here in the Indian Wells Tennis Club.

We're based out of Palm Springs itself as a home, so prior to that Casey was running the event as an independent stringer back at the Mission Hills complex and even then at La Quinta after that. So there's quite a history to it all.

LH: What kind of staff you have here in this tournament?

DM: We have a staff of four permanent stringers - myself, George, Casey and Doug - and then we bring as many as five additional stringers to help complement the heavy influx of rackets during the first week of the tournament. Then we narrow it down to a group four afterwards.

LH: Who are the players that come in and what are their string setups?

LM: What is the most popular string being used out there today?

DM: It's still Luxilon. They own the market as far as the players' choice of use. They're a string company out of Belgium and they've really hit it big developing what was already there, which was the polyester world. It just never had any takers back in the 90s because at that point the world was controlled by the Forgets, the Beckers and the Changs, the Sanchez boys and even Mistovichs - all those guys all chose to use gut.

LM: What is it about this string that you think the players like so much?

DM: I think that the athlete today has just grown; big boys are playing the game. Eastner and Karlovic are two examples of that as well as Compatro, who is just a giant of a man.

And they can wail - they just wail and hit the ball hard. The poly just doesn't let it track too far, so they can just open up and put a thunder shot on it.

LH: I know you're really busy. What is the typical day like here in the stringing room?

DM: They're long, that's the first thing to say. They're long and then they become intense. It depends on how many rackets come through the door. Some of the boys in here at 4:30 or 5 in the morning and then don't get out till midnight.

LH: Well thank you so much for your time.

DM: You're very welcome and thank you."