New Zagat guide features women tennis stars’ favorite international restaurants, shops

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Zagat guide lists tennis stars’ favorite shops

MELBOURNE, Australia — Venus Williams shops at Harrods. Maria Sharapova prefers the boutiques of Paris and New York. And when it comes to dining, many of the world’s top women tennis players suggest trying Nobu restaurants and their delectable black cod with miso.

Life as a tennis player involves considerable travel — and eating and shopping — around the world. So Zagat, the global dining guide, teamed up with the organizers of the women’s tennis tour to make a guide that taps into the players’ preferences.

“Zagat — Best of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour,” has sections on 24 of the cities where tournaments are played. The 2010 guide is the third annual edition and includes three new cities: Montreal, San Diego and Warsaw.

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams recommends the curries at upscale Thai restaurant Blue Elephant in Paris. In New York she goes for brunch at Soho hotspot Mercer Kitchen.

Thanks to Nobu’s branches around the world, the players can get their fill of spicy tuna rolls and the signature cod dish in London, New York, Tokyo, Miami and Melbourne. Among the regulars are Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova and 2008 French Open winner Ana Ivanovic.

“Nobu. What else needs to be said?” Williams notes in the London category, adding that Wimbledon’s timing allows her to shop at Harrods during the summer sales.

Most of the players don’t seem too preoccupied with bargain shopping.

In Paris, France’s Tatiana Golovin shops for bags at Fendi, jeans at Diesel and “loves the styles” at pricey lingerie shop La Perla.

“If you’re looking for an evening dress, you can always find something gorgeous here,” Elena Dementieva, the Beijing Olympic gold medalist, says of Versace in Paris.