The Clay Court Season Has Begun -In New Zealand winter sports full on

Who will stop Rafeal Nadal as he marches on with a crushing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open.The 22-year-old Nadal improved his phenomenal clay-court record to 31 matches unbeaten, including 17 match wins this season. To beat Nadal now on any surface let alone clay is becoming an achievement in itself.Nadal would have to be the fittest and the strongest player on the tour and it will take a superhuman effort to defeat him at Roland Garros commencing soon.You could count on one hand the players that could cause him problems and alas Federer will not be one of them this year.

Meanwhile winter has set in here in New Zealand and summer sports which tennis falls in this category take second "fiddle" to rugby, hockey and netball.This is a huge factor in trying to lift the standard of tennis players locally as many with potential and talent to be top tennis players diversify over the winter months with other sports.This is culture and as long as one cares to remember this has been going on.What we need as coaches are reasons why to keep tennis a year round sport and incentives must be given by the national body so we can encourage more participation over winter. Tennis needs to compete with other sports. The rugby season and the soccer season are starting earlier each year and when sports overlap especially in a smaller area like South Canterbury rep players must choose ,as often the juniors that are great at tennis are more than competent with other sports.

For juniors really wanting to go far in tennis one must start to solely devote more time , if you have a high national ranking then you really can't switch off over the winter period.Most top 5 juniors that are ranked in their age groups have probably done this however I have seen juniors win national titles and think with out a strong winter plan can stay ahead of the pack.Someone, somwhere is devoting more time than you for sure.!

Over winter months competition is stagnated and if the powers that be want New Zealand to produce world ranked players of note more incentives and reason's why to play have to be actioned. Pictured above are Jack Deeley(left) and Jono Ellis(right) enjoying their winter program here in South Canterbury.