US OPEN DAY 2

Not to much drama on Day 1 of the US Open Tennis,Lleyton Hewitt was beaten in 5 sets and must be thinking of retirement, Safina is also out of the Ladies event but no real surprise there. My selections for Day 2 are below.(Red)


Nadal (ESP) v Gabashvili (RUS)
Gonzalez (ARG) v Istomin (UZB)
Simon (FRA) v Young (USA)
Kamke (GER) v Kohlschreiber (GER)




F Lopez (ESP) v Giraldo (COL)
Schuettler (GER) v Paire (FRA)
Stakhovsky (UKR) v Luczak (AUS)
Harrison (USA) v Ljubicic (CRO)

Ferrer (ESP) v Dolgopolov (UKR)
Becker (GER) v Brands (GER)
Nieminen (FIN) v Gimeno (ESP)
Chardy (FRA) v Gulbis (LAT)

Nalbandian (ARG) v de Voest (RSA)
Serra (FRA) v Mayer (GER)
Riba (ESP) v Mannarino (FRA)
Fognini (ITA) v Verdasco (ESP)

Murray (GBR) v Lacko (SVK)
Hidalgo (ESP) v Brown (JAM)
Chela (ARG) v Lu (TPE)
Kukushkin (KAZ) v Wawrinka (SUI)

Querrey (USA) v Klahn (USA)
Granollers (ESP) v Seppi (ITA)
Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v Kubot (POL)
Starace (ITA) v Almagro (ESP)

Youzhny (RUS) v Golubev (KAZ)
Sela (ISR) v Malisse (BEL)
Sock (USA) v Chiudinelli (SUI)
Gil (POR) v Isner (USA)

Stepanek (CZE) v Benneteau (FRA)
Robredo (ESP) v Rosol (CZE)
Hanescu (ROU) v Berlocq (ARG)
Llodra (FRA) v Berdych (CZE)

Wozniacki (DEN) v Gullickson (USA)
Chang (TPE) v Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Keothavong (GBR) v Chan (TPE)
Paszek (AUT) v Safarova (CZE)

Rezai (FRA) v Rybarikova (SVK)

Capra (USA) v Sprem (CRO)
Vives (ESP) v Benesova (CZE)
Groth (AUS) v Sharapova (RUS)

Kuznetsova (RUS) v Date Krumm (JPN)

Kulikova (RUS) v Sevastova (LAT)
Meusburger (AUT) v Craybas (USA)
Zahlavova Stryc (CZE) v Kirilenko (RUS)

Shvedova (KAZ) v Lino (ESP)

Chakvetadze (RUS) v U Radwanska (POL)
Cibulkova (SVK) v Voegele (SUI)
K Bondarenko (UKR) v Li (CHN)

Jankovic (SRB) v Halep (ROU)

Molik (AUS) v Lucic (CRO)
Scheepers (RSA) v Amanmuradova (UZB)
Cornet (FRA) v Kanepi (EST)

Martinez Sanche (ESP) v Hampton (USA)

Flipkens (BEL) v Schnyder (SUI)
Oprandi (ITA) v Goerges (GER)
Kudryavtseva (RUS) v Wickmayer (BEL)

A Radwanska (POL) v Parra Santonja (ESP)

Peng (CHN) v Rogers (USA)

Mattek-Sands (USA) v Garrigues (ESP)
Petkovic (GER) v Petrova (RUS)

Dulgheru (ROU) v Coin (FRA)
Arvidsson (SWE) v Cirstea (ROU)
Vandeweghe (USA) v Lisicki (GER)
Kucova (SVK) v Zvonareva (RUS)

US OPEN TENNIS - GRANDSLAM 4

I will be again posting news, pictures and opinions and of course my Daily selection . This post will be Day 1.Looking at the qualifying rounds , Australian Men where disappointing starting with 8 in the men's draw with John Millman the best performed Aussie bowing out in the final round.New Zealand had Dan King Turner who was beaten round 1 of qualifying.Only 3 Aussie girls headed by Jelena Dokic started in the women's field , with Dokic the second seed going out in straight sets 1 st round to young Laura Robson.Sally Peers the lone Australian through in the qualifying . . I'm tipping the poorest US OPEN for Aussie's for a while.


Monday's Selections!- My Selections in Red




Nikolay Davydenko RUS (6) v Michael Russell USA 
Simon Greul GER v Richard Gasquet FRA 
Kevin Anderson RSA v Somdev Devvarman IND 
Tim Smyczek USA v Thomaz Bellucci BRA (26) 

Gael Monfils FRA (17) v Robert Kendrick USA
Igor Andreev RUS v Horacio Zeballos ARG 
Janko Tipsarevic SRB v Olivier Rochus BEL 
Stephane Robert FRA v Andy Roddick USA (9) 


Robin Soderling SWE (5) v Andreas Haider-Maurer
Taylor Dent USA v Alejandro Falla COL 
Thiemo de Bakker NED v Marc Gicquel
Ivan Dodig v Fernando Gonzalez CHI (27) 


Albert Montanes ESP (21) v Michal Przysiezny POL 
Carsten Ball AUS v Milis Raonic
Kei Nishikori v Evgeny Korolev KAZ 
Illya Marchenko UKR v Marin Cilic CRO (11) 


Lleyton Hewitt AUS (32) v Paul-Henri Mathieu FRA 
Leonardo Mayer ARG v Guillaume Rufin FRA 
Michael Berrer GER v Andreas Beck GER 
Brian Dabul ARG v Roger Federer SUI (2)


Jurgen Melzer AUT (13) v Dmitry Tursunov RUS 
Ricardo Berankis v Ryan Sweeting USA 
Bjorn Phau GER v Ricardo Mello BRA 
Martin Klizan  v Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (22) 


Francesca Schiavone ITA (6) v Ayumi Morita JPN
Maria Elena Camerin v Sophie Ferguson AUS
Melanie Oudin USA v Olga Savchuk
Vera Dushevina RUS v Alona Bondarenko UKR (29)


Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (20) v Kristina Barrois GER
Michelle Larcher De Brito v Sania Mirza
Gisela Dulko ARG v Angelique Kerber GER
Monica Niculescu  v Victoria Azarenka BLR (10)


Shahar Peer ISR (16) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO
Pauline Parmentier FRA v Alberta Brianti ITA
Agnes Szavay HUN v Sandra Zahlavova CZE
Irena Falconi v Flavia Pennetta ITA (19)
Tsvetana Pironkova BUL (32) v Renata Voracova CZE
Polona Hercog SLO v Mandy Minella
Rebecca Marino v Ksenia Pervak RUS
Roberta Vinci ITA v Venus Williams USA (3)


Samantha Stosur AUS (5) v Elena Vesnina RUS
Bojana Jovanovski SRB v Anastasia Rodionova AUS
Sara Errani ITA v Tathiana Garbin ITA
Johanna Larsson SWE v Alisa Kleybanova RUS (28)


Daniela Hantuchova SVK (24) v Dinara Safina RUS
Vania King USA v Christina McHale USA
Zuzana Oraskova v Sybille Bammer AUT
Olga Govortsova BLR v Elena Dementieva RUS (12)


Marion Bartoli FRA (13) v Edina Gallovits ROU
Virginie Razzano FRA v Klara Zakopalova CZE
Ana Ivanovic SRB v Ekaterina Makarova RUS
Timea Bacsinszky SUI v Jie Zheng CHN (21)

Petra Kvitova CZE (27) v Lucie Hradecka CZE

Elena Baltacha GBR v Petra Martic CRO
Sally Peers v Aleksandra Wozniak CAN
Greta Arn HUN v Kim Clijsters BEL (2)

Below is a picture from Kids Day .....Maybe the two winners here.

US OPEN COMPETITION
Again I will be running a competition similar to Wimbledon.To enter you must pick in either the Ladies Draw or the Men's Draw. You cannot select in both. You must pick the winner to advance from the the round .The catch is you can not pick the same winner twice.If your selection loses you are eliminated from the competition. For example if you pick Federer in the first round you may not pick Federer again.......so if he wins the tournament  you are stumped. You must post your selection for Round 1 on this post in the comments section.

Federer Photo Shopped

I drop in from time to time to a message board that has the above thread, there are some very clever people that create funny pictures.Thought I would post a few for you to enjoy and get a laugh at.

And a couple more! Some people have gone to a lot of effort to make these.!

And the last one , lots of players in this picture can you guess? ATP University.!

Sneak Preview Of Summer Tennis Program In South Canterbury

Local Visitors to the Blog will find this post relevant.Its going to be an exciting summer offering Top Class Coaching second to none in South Canterbury.We will be again welcoming more international coaches and that will no doubt be announced by T.S.C. at a later date. For locals wanting to find out more and how to get involved in a program, give the TSC development officer a call on 03 6886045. Or visit the Tennis South Canterbury web site HERE

A level playing field - New Rule changes for 10 and under tennis.

The International Tennis Federation today approved an amendment to the Rules of Tennis for 10-and-under competition. The change, approved overwhelmingly by the ITF Annual General Meeting, is designed to make tennis easier and more fun for children and to ensure that competition is appropriate for those 10 and under.

The rule will go into effect in January 2012 and will mandate modified courts that are smaller in size than the 78-foot courts currently used for tournament play. It will also mandate low compression tennis balls that move slower through the air and bounce lower and are thus better suited to the size and abilities of younger children. 

"This is a great step forward for tennis, and I thank the ITF AGM for their support of this important initiative," says ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. "Tennis 10s will improve the way we introduce tennis to young players."



I believe we have a place for the above concept, however if this is brought into sanctioned 10 and under events at tournaments I believe this is a step backward not forward in making world class tennis players.Can you imagine a young Rafa or a young Andy Murray at 10 playing with a low compression ball on a shorter court......not on your life. I have had a lot of success with 10s and produced players that are very competent on a full size tennis court playing with real tennis balls, what happens now? tell them they must take a step back ....or what most will do leave their age group to an older age group playing real tennis. What effects does that have socially mixing and competing against older age groups? As I said this is a great concept for juniors just starting competition ...and it has a place for those juniors that are not adept to a full court, however those that can play "real" tennis should not be categorized nor expected to play on a shorter court with low compression balls.So coaches you will have to have another basket of low compression balls and change your way of teaching to a certain extent, have you ever used a low compression ball on a windy day?


Whilst on the topic of a level playing field I pose this question How many coaches ask their students after a match how did you go win or lose? or do most coaches just ask how did you play and not really care on the outcome? For those that ask the later you have to question what is that telling you really from the student .An experienced coach will ask both questions because they will be taking into account variables such as  DID YOU PLAY UP AN AGE GROUP, YOU BEAT THAT SAME OPPONENT LAST WEEK BUT LOST THIS WEEK,STARTED USING A NEW RACQUET ,I CHANGED YOUR SERVICE GRIP BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT......and so on,so many variables you have to factor in when considering a win or a loss.To just ask how did you play tells me that coach has never ever played a decent level of tennis and does not want to deal with losses.Its great to keep kids positive but as we know losing matches is the best way to learn, and if the coach does not know if you have won or lost then its time to change coaches.

Twitter News with the EYE

More posts from now on as I have found it hard to get back into the routine of writing on the Blog.The US Open is approaching and this years will no doubt be as exciting as ever.Can Nadal win the only Grandslam event he has not won and will Kim Clijsters defend her amazing win here last year.Below are some links which I have found interesting from Twitter news.


Number 1 is the link to the US OPEN a must have for all that are following the US OPEN http://www.usopen.org/en_US/index.html

Aussie's contesting the qualifying at the US OPEN http://bit.ly/dCCf1Z  Looking at who they have drawn their could be a mass exit from the Aussies 1st round.


And finally still on the US OPEN a pod cast from Tennis.com  reviewing who can win the US OPEN along other recent tennis news. http://dlvr.it/48w39

I will be tweeting again throughout the US OPEN and you can follow me here.