Aussie Open Day 6

So another day of heat and the above picture says it all.I am sure a lot of players felt like a fried egg!,especially those on the losing end.

Sam Stosur went down to Anna Ivanovic, I did not think Stosur played bad she was beaten by a player with a better game .

Serve -Anna varied her serve throughout the match although Stosur had the higher percentage of first serves in at 68% she only won 61% compared with Anna who served at 58% but won 81% of points on first serve.The tour players have worked out Stosur she does not serve wide to the forehand side effectively and the Kicker down on the backhand side sits up to be crunched. Stosur does not fare well at Wimbledon because she cannot hit a slice serve.Anna serving wide to Stosur on the forehand side won many points.

Cannot understand why her coaches have not worked on variety with the serve and developed a slice serve as well has her stock kick serve.

Movement - this is a key for all players and for Sam its the weakest area of her game, pushed into the corners really shows this deficiency , really to much muscle and just is way to slow .This effects her forehand which she often shanks but is her main weapon ..not being in position causes shanks.Her backhand slice is ok but again put into the corners and weight of shot is just not strong enough.Same with the two hander , perfect example was when Anna was at the net Stosur had a chance to drill it through or past Anna , did not hit it hard enough and Anna plucked off the volley.

Stosur has had these deficiency's for a long time and to me no one has addressed these areas.Really the word is out how to play Sammy and those that can exploit these weaknesses will do well. 

Had an email from Willy the photo extraordinaire ( hope security did not search you this year and your lens was the correct size!)Willy is at the Australian Open and sent me this short email and picture."Thought you might like to see these photos that I took to put on your
website, its been that hot here in the day that this has been happening each
night around us. Seen some great games of tennis when we haven't melted like butter 44 degrees lots of ball kids passing out I think that's why the heat
wave came in because they didn't have enough ball kids left."

Keep  the sunscreen on Willy don't want you passing out with the heat!

Great pictures of the storms that come after the heat of the day in Melbourne!

Matches on Day 6 that I will be looking at.

Nadal Vs Monfils - I think Rafa's best test so far.

Raonic vs Dimitrov -I think one of the best matchups two of the younger players that have the potential to do well up against each other!!!

The Junior singles start today,Good luck to the Kiwis who have qualified for the main draw a great experience coming...all will find the going tough!

Aussie Open Day 5

Play was suspended yesterday as the Heat Wave hit extreme temperatures in Melbourne.Yep the players certainly earned their money yesterday.So how much money is up for grabs? Below is the Men's and Ladies earnings per round.

You can click on the image to make it bigger.I have to comment whilst the top players do very well in earnings with prize money,endorsements and appearance money the Nadal's, Federer's,Djokovic's need to do more in helping the tour battlers earn more.Its true that players outside the top 100 of the sport are struggling.I have a few articles on this blog about this.I am going to provide two links the first an article headed MONEY not rankings,expose tennis players divide.It poses the question for what I have been asking on my blog is it now obligatory now to be the son or daughter of wealthy parents?LINK

The second link is by a British Pro quitting the grind as he is just not making it. Headed Jamie Bakers breaking point: A tennis nomad exists on the planet's cruelest sport. Well worth the read LINK

The two young Australians going down last night certainly caught the eye of fans all over the world Kokkinakis went down to Nadal , taught an invaluable lesson by the Worlds Number 1 Big future for the 17 year old and Nick Krygios
the 19 year old showed how gutsy going down in 5 after leading two sets to love.On this performance he will be going places and one place is up the rankings.If you have not seen him play below are the highlights of his match



Matches today I will be taking an Interest in.

Chardy vs Ferrer -record number of french players progressing in the draw and Chardy could cause an upset.Have not been impressed with Ferrer to date.

Dellacqua Vs Zheng- the Aussie is really hitting form, will she have the consistency to win this one?

Stosur Vs  Ivanovic-Will be a test for both ...cant pick a winner here!

Fognini Vs Querrey -can Fabio combat the big serve!

After Delpotro going out yesterday ...what will day five bring?

Aussie Open Tennis Day 4

Can it get any hotter in Melbourne today?I think it can and lots of great match ups today. If you are not at the tennis venue the internet can be very helpful to view matches not televised by your local provider.SKY GO gives you and extra channel in New Zealand showing matches on Margret Court arena and you can get live streaming of the other show courts via the net. Send me an email if you want that link.

Listed below are the matches of interest to me today and will try to look in on all of them.

Nadal Vs Kokkinakis What a thrill for this young 17 year old to play World number 1.This will give the world wide audience a glimpse of maybe a new generation trying to do what Nadal and Co have achieved.

Paire Vs Krygios  Another young gun and an Aussie 19 Year Old Nick Krygios takes on the 27th seed.It will be a test as Paire is a good player lets hope he brings his best and if he does will be hard to stop in front of Home Crowd on Margaret Court Arena.

Dimitrov Vs Lu- Will see how Baby Fed is going , he is also the love interest of Maria the screamer , who looks like winning her match as I write.

Raonic Vs Hanescu- the big serving Canadian has a big game and really should win this one.

Foginini the Italian is great value to watch and he has been climbing up the rankings list. Here is a video of him enjoying the water fountains at the tennis after winning his match yesterday



As I write Marina Erakovic looks like bowing out to a qualifier lost the first 6-4 and down 5-0 second set.Bad news for the Kiwi's!

Aussie Open Tennis Day 3

Heat was a focus yesterday at the Open with temps 43 C experienced by players and spectators.Looking at the vacant seats in many of the venues fans were looking for the shade and left the players on court to deal with it.Canadian player Frank Dancevic fainted on court yesterday during his match.He finished on the losing end but did complete his match.He was critical of the organizers and the officials allowing players to risk their health. Ok my take on this is Frank your a pro tennis player , you are coming to Australia in January ...its going to be hot.When I see Rodger and Rafa and Lleyton collapsing because of the heat I may change my mind.Rodger Federer said the mind makes you feel hotter especially if you are on the losing end.Frank what you should of been saying is..I'm tough , I am pro its the same for the other guy come on the other side... sun give me more heat I'm going to take this guy down!As Fed said if you train hard enough there is no reason to quit!And that is why Fed is ranked in the top 10 and Frank your not.In typical whinging Pom style Andy Murray weighed in and said it was dangerous...your a grandslam champion ...your tougher than that.

Poor old Bernard Tomic cannot take a trick and was Boo'd by the crowd when he had to default.I have no question that he was injured and the right thing to do ....but the question I ask... is he working hard enough off the court?.I think if he has ambition to break the top 10 then he must really up his off court training and give quality in every session.I am sure he works hard but he can go another level for sure!

I had the pleasure of watching both Nick Kyrgios and Thansai Kokkinakis win both their first round matches.Nick has a huge serve and big forehand weapons that will take him far in the Men's game he is 19 as does Thansai who battled cramping to win his match.More impressive Kokkinakis is only 17.
Nick has had shoulder trouble and this did seem to flare at the end of the match so lets hope its not major and Thansai will be even more match hardened physically .He will have to be as a dream match Rod Laver Arena awaits him against Rafa Nadal! What can I say about Hewitt Love him or hate him he gives it all!

Matches of Interest for me Today

Pat Rafter & Lleyton Hewit vs Klaasen &Butorac-yep you read it correct 41 year old Pat Rafter...this match will fill Hisense Arena!

Gulbis vs Querrey-Really just interested how many rackets Gulbis breaks today.

Anderson Vs Thiem-Anderson had trouble in the first round with a rising young player , he gets no rest his opponent today is also in the rising star category.

Aussie Ebden and Dellacqua are in action also so may watch a little of them.

Fabio Fognini is also a favorite of mine so will watch this exciting Italian also.

Oh Kiwis will be happy Marina won!

Aussie Open Day 2

Here is the best tip for parents and child seeking a tennis career. This will be the best advice you ever get and will save you a lot of money in the scheme of things and I'm going to give it to you free , no charge.!

"If the parents want the tennis career for their child more than the child wants a tennis career then STOP! Just enjoy the game without the pressure.With The NZ nationals winding up this is a great tip for a few parents and players.

Well today matches plenty on show in very hot conditions! Being a spectator at the Aussie Open can be as tough as playing....well nearly!Thank goodness this year I am home being in NZ has made me weak! and cant stand any temperatures over 25 c : ) 

My Match interests Today are
James Duckworth AUS vs Roger Federer -* James and Gabrielle my niece played in the same winning Bruce Cup team for NSW when about the age of 11.Of course always great to watch the old guy Fed.

Rafa Nadal Vs Bernard Tomic- * The best thing Bernie can hope for is that Rafa today is having a few Lap Dances! Sadly Bernie he wont be!I am afraid Tomic for me is overrated, For a big guy does not serve as well as he could and for him to be top 10 this is a must the other factor Tomic's forehand does not have enough shape and is just too flat at times..watch today and notice how low he finishes at times on the drive through with elbow...often tries to hit down the line and hits net!His Backhand is steady but no weapon. VAMOS RAFA my tip to win the tournament. 

Ryan Harrison Vs Gail Monfils-Played on Margaret Court arena at around 7pm this will be an entertaining match.Harrison has dissapointed me of late but he will give it all that's for sure.

Nick Kyrgois AUS Vs Benjamin Becker - great match up and if Nick is going to have a future in the top 20 although 19 I'm expecting him to take this match.He has been injured and lets hope a full recovery.

Thansai Kokkinakis AUS vs I Sijsling - This is a winnable match for the 17 year old Australian and looking fwd to watching some of his match today.

Lleyton Hewitt Vs Seppi (24 seed)- tough match for the Aussie Battler good form and he will need to be on song again to get through this but you will get your moneys worth with Hewitt. C'MON!

Have not listed any female matches today slam bang and thank you maam! just gets a little boring until the quarters!

However for all the New Zealanders reading then Marina plays the 22 seed today. If Erakovic plays like Auckland form then I do not think she will be getting to the second round!

Day 1 Australian Open Tennis

As we start the first day's play today here is some interesting facts on the Men's and Women's Main Draw. Women-there are 15 thirty -somethings and 17 teenagers. Average age is 24 years and 292 days.Men - there are 33 thirty somethings and 4 teenagers.Average men's age is 27 years, 126 days.

This is great information and as you see the comparison is quite different, certainly I think Men's tennis is at a higher level than the women's especially in depth.

Matches of interest to me Day 1 

Sam Stosur Vs Klara Zakopalova 

* Stosur has been on the downhill since winning the US OPEN she is seeded 17th for this event.Last week she lost to the CZE , I don't watch slamming Sammy as I cannot stand unforced errors.

As I write the first retirement just occurred Goulubev against Warinka..nice of you to step out and collect you paycheck Andrey! 

Serena Williams Vs Ash Barty

A young Aussie in action , just seeing how she goes against the great Serena
best female prospect for Australia ...only 18 but just wish she was taller!

Na Li VS Ana Konjuh : Konjuh has had an outstanding Junior Career and still only 17 this is one player that will for sure make the transition and will give the 4th seed a run for the money.

Jordan Thompson vs Jerzy Janowicz : Young Aussie Thompson had Gasquet beat last week only to lose in three, Jerzy is a ticking time bomb and this could be a great encounter.

Dominic Thiem Vs J Sousa : Thiem is another younger guy with a solid junior career rising up the rankings.

Belinda Benic VS Kimoko Date :One of the youngest against the oldest,Benic also a very good junior and they are playing as i write and locked in a battle at 1 set all.

Ricardos Berankis Vs Alexandr Dolgopolov :Berankis a former USopen Junior winner plays the "dog" will be a great match!.

Well these are my picks today I would much rather spend the day on outside courts than watching one sided matches in the main stadiums.

Jiri Vesely vs Kevin Anderson : Vesley another young gun up against the 19th seed , Vesely will go close to winning this one..

SO WHICH 20 AND UNDER MALE TENNIS PLAYER HAS THE GOODS TO MAKE IT?!

I found this very interesting analysis about the 20 and under male tennis players and who to watch as they progress on tour.I need to say that I read a lot of crap how the male player is developing later but the top four Nadal,Djokovic,Federer and Murray all made their mark at a young age.Maybe just maybe the Male tennis player is getting weaker and weaker?Do we have a top ten player in our next generation?Or will the old guard continue to dominate. TNZ should take the time in reading this article and reassess "pie in the sky" ideas of sending baby's to the Netherlands to pick tulips!

LINK  * at present no New Zealand players feature out of 50 countries, 6 years to turn this around?

Please take the time to read its very informative I hope this guy does a girls comparison!

Just to add 2 of the elite targeted New Zealand Juniors are playing the National Junior championships being conducted this month , so I ask this where are the other two? Whats good for the geese is good for the gander!

LATE BREAKING NEWS

All the above players have made the main-draw , watch out for another player to watch Aussie Thansai Kokkinakis still 17 also in main draws and recently has had some very impressive wins over much higher ranked ATP players.His ATP ranking is around #570.

The Targeted Elite Junior Tennis Player in New Zealand

Its about time I commented on the New Elite Targeted Junior Tennis Player pathway implementing in New Zealand. The new strategy has been developed by Tennis New Zealand over the past year and has received wide acceptance from the tennis community that the targeted approach will ensure a more effective use of its limited resources."WIDER TENNIS COMMUNITY?"

The Targeted Athlete Programme is designed to identify and target a small number of exceptionally talented New Zealand junior tennis players who Tennis New Zealand believe have the potential to achieve its High performance objective of having more players ranked inside the top 150 players in the world in years to come.

This is their (TNZ) vision To inspire New Zealanders by having players ranked inside the top 150 on the WTA/ATP Tours and performing with distinction on the international stage by 2020.That is in 6 years time? First off all get your blinkers off if you think this vision will happen by 2020.Maybe you should of worded it dream and not vision!

I need to say straight away that TNZ in the past 20 years have failed dismally on many projects and if you were a parent with an outstanding talent would you really let TNZ guide the career of you child.Answer NO!

Finn Reynolds (13), Macsen Sisam (13), Rosie Cheng (15) and Valentina Ivanov (12) have been selected as the first four Elite Junior Targeted Athletes. These athletes will now come under the close monitoring and guidance of Tennis New Zealand who will invest in and work collaboratively with the players private coach and families on developing and implementing a world class high performance programme for these players.

Tennis New Zealand CEO Steve Johns says that “the selection of these four outstanding young players is an exciting first step in the journey for tennis in New Zealand back to glory days when several players were playing for New Zealand with distinction on the international stage”.

So I have to ask with all that experience Mr Johns has as a tennis talent scout outstanding is a big word to use for juniors so young.Certainly these players have targets on their backs as I am sure many local juniors not considered to be among the 4 elite targeted tennis players will be out to prove a point.In Fact some have done this already with Rosie Cheng being defeated in the 18 and under champs by Ella Hassel and Top seeded Sissam beaten in the quarter finals of the 14's nationals just this week. Sissam has been training in Spain and one would expect a targeted outstanding elite tennis player to win their local National age group title.This is not having a go at these players selected its about TNZ throwing all their eggs in one basket to what I would class as baby's in the scheme of a pro tennis player.

The four selected players are already working very closely with Tennis New Zealand on the development of their 2014 programmes which will see the group spend a large portion of the year overseas competing and training from the Tennis New Zealand base in the Netherlands. Yes the Netherlands players have been based there for a few years , Not the answer guys especially for this age!Just because Andy Murray spent his junior days at Spanish Academy's I am sure parents get excited when they have the chance and finances to do this with their child thinking this will make their child a Murray!.Murray went to Spain not the Netherlands! AND THE OTHER THING MURRAY HAD GOING WAS EXCEPTIONAL TALENT!

Usually a good gauge of talent is if a junior is beating and winning against the next age group especially in girls tennis.Rosie Cheng is ranked about 300 ITF points played mostly Grade 4 , I am sorry but I have to query these selections.Winning a 12's National Australian singles title is not an indication if the player is earmarked for top 150 pro's.

John's goes on to say The need for a different approach to its High performance programme was essential says Johns if New Zealand players are to have any chance of completing successfully on the international stage.  “With very limited resources, we had to focus our investment and energy into a smaller group of players to ensure that we are able to provide them with a realistic chance of competing against the best in the world in the future” says Johns.

So I ask this question what of the Paige Hourigans ,Kyle Butters ,Alex Klintcherov's, the message I get is TNZ do not think you will reach 150 what is this spelling out to parents and players?Do you have to be privileged and in favor of the powers that be? Hourigan by far NZ best 16 and under girl did not go to Mexico to represent her country in Junior Fed cup and I believe much to do was for financial reasons.

We have had already two defections one by Sasha Jones to Australia and the other to Cameron Norrie to UK. One gets the impression College Tennis is the flavor of the month but really is this the bar you want tennis players to follow if you are going to be top 150.Its not the answer! and I can real off a large list of NZ players in college and finished college that wont make top 300.

Seriously Tennis in this country is regarded as a Summer sport and until TNZ try to tackle a cultural issue and address local issues give more incentive to juniors to keep playing tennis year round then New Zealand will never be to the fore of tennis.

Just look at the wonderful questions NZ commentators ask the players at ASB and Heineken Tennis tournaments the most asked question was " what do you think of New Zealand" as if it was a tourism event.Then another commentator describes the events a wonderful social event for players and they have the chance of getting their pictures in the social section of the Newspapers" YEH RIGHT! After a doubles match last night one of the questions was"so you like coming to the net?" well hello! its doubles and men's doubles where it is won from the net! RIVETING!Most players that play here cannot make the draws of the bigger prize-money tournaments and the named players certainly get a great appearance money fee to make up for it.

There are many good coaches that are not being utiliized because their ideas and methods are different than TNZ they sadly are very much disenchanted with tennis in this country.You can read the plan here LINK Just look at the swot analysis if you want a good laugh!

New Zealand have used programs from other countries and tried to apply here in their pathway ..big mistake! You must have a program that will suit New Zealand Tennis and local culture and geographical problems. The perception is that Auckland is New Zealand Tennis.The other thing Junior Tennis players here are mostly not tough enough , their parents want it more than the child and the crying!!!!

In early February, Tennis New Zealand will announce the selection of a slightly larger group of players who will form the Development Targeted Athlete Squad and which will consist of players that it believes have the potential to be in the Elite Targeted Athlete programme in the future. - will be interesting to see who will be named and what traits are different from the 4 elite targeted tennis players.

For a start a clean sweep of administration and the board who is not held accountable enough for the direction of tennis in this country.

So I open this link for comments 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all and may the 2014 tennis season be a great one.And if you are in New Zealand may half of 2014 be a great tennis season.

Posted with Blogsy

A Sad Reflection on Tennis in NZ by Clem Apted Piako Tennis Coach

It was only by chance that I discovered what remains of the once flourishing Hinuera Tennis Club. Hinuera is a small Town between Matamata and Tirau, slightly off the beaten track but boasting an excellent Primary School, well maintained Rugby grounds and a nice Bowling Club.There in the middle of all this is the Tennis Club, four Courts that once saw hundreds of  matches are now covered in moss and grime. I looked through a grubby window into the Club house, and saw a box of Trophies and an Honours Board acknowledging the Ladies' and Men's Club Champions from years past, on the floor were a couple of old nets in pretty good condition, not so the moss covered nets on the Courts. I asked the Receptionist at the Primary School what happened to the old Club, her reply, ‘don’t know’.  There are a lot of questions to ask about the demise of a once active Tennis Club that once  competed in the local competitions, held there Club Champs and had loads of Juniors, it was like a scene from the Twilight Zone!, fortunately vandals haven’t wrecked the place, only time and a complete lack of interest. The question what went wrong?, who is to blame?, Tennis Clubs used to be the centre of activity in Country Towns,what happened to the members?, do you blame the Local Council for not keeping it going?, why didn’t the Schools next door take over the Club and use the facilities, were NZ Tennis aware of what was happening?. My purpose of visiting the School was to promote my Tennis Programme with the obvious aim of getting kids playing the sport, some how I doubt they will be venturing next door to the Hinuera Tennis Club.     Clem Apted coaches at 5 Tennis Clubs, including Award Winning Te Aroha and Tatuanui Clubs, the smallest Club he Coaches at is Tirau that has nine Juniors, he is a Registered NZ Tennis Coach.

I told you Tennis is just for the rich----Wake Up Tennis Australia

I am infuriated at the cost to succeed in tennis, Please take the time to read what is happening across the ditch, as Tennis New Zealand copy's most things it wont be long before this happens here.

Former Davis Cup player Richard Fromberg, now a private coach, agrees that the result of a flawed system is that the rich go further, while the poor stay home. ''I just think that the points-based system has to be strongly reviewed,'' says Fromberg. ''Not enough kids are getting the opportunity for this coming tournament, and the rankings are completely false, because the points-based system is encouraging kids to travel to remote places, and it's favouring the kids that are financially well-off that can afford to do so.''

Tennis Australia has changed its eligibility to National Junior Events. Read the article and uproar here , LINK

Is this growing the game?Distance is a huge problem in Australia and as you read the article juniors are cheating the system by entering Australian Money Tournaments to increase their ranking points to qualify for Nationals.

I will be adding my views to the release of TNZ High Performance program and the Elite Targeted Athlete , just need to think it through and weigh up CEO John's comments "But don’t expect immediate results says Johns who stresses that the new Targeted Athlete strategy is a long term plan saying “we are not expecting the four selected players to win every match they play from now on-wards as its about potential and how we can collectively harness that potential to ensure that they are the very best prepared to take on the rigors of a touring tennis professional" says Johns .Forgive me readers I am a little skeptical with these comments from the former Surf Life Saver.

The Eye is back!

As regular readers and followers would of noticed that it has been sometime between posts.Thank you for all those that have emailed to check if all was ok.I was hoping that a miracle may sweep the country and have tennis heading in the right direction.Alas it has not.Whilst not posting I have kept an "eye" on developments or lack there of.Yesterday reading the Marina Erakovic farce I again thought tennis in the news for the wrong reason. Erakovic is the only tennis player in New Zealand with any world profile of note.Reading some of her statements really hit home to many of the problems often brought to light on this blog. Marina gave strong advice to any junior contemplating  a tennis career. Erakovic said the only hope for young players from New Zealand is if they have a different passport, pointing to the recent defection of 18-year-old Cameron Norrie, New Zealand's leading junior, to the UK earlier this year. It follows Sacha Jones' switch to Australia in 2012."[Cameron] actually asked me should he do it or not, and I told him 'yes' without even a second thought. He's going to get a coach paid for, he's going to get access to facilities to train at - there's just no comparison," she said.
       I bet this sent crazy tennis parents in a spin and running to the birth certificates just to double check.I am amazed still how many parents gauge the success of their child by results achieved locally.Yes Crazy tennis parents are alive and well in New Zealand.Knowing a few (way too many) the real tennis equation is does the child really want to put in the sacrifices, dedication and hard work.Mostly these factors are parental driven and that is why many fail.Oh the other thing is the parents bank balance, sadly in this sport the money factor is important and for me ..too many spoilt kids are kept in the sport for the wrong reasons and too many "gutsy" juniors are lost to the sport because of the money factor.
     Marina cannot get any help from the governing bodies so how is the "average Joe blow" going to survive...they are not and end up lost to other sports. I did keep an eye on the Junior Fed and Davis Cup results and New Zealand fielded a team in the Fed Cup team At Worlds.I have to ask this question why on earth did the New Zealand Number 1 not go to this event electing to play low grade ITF'S, ...instead part time players with little match play were included.And if you want to check their playing records go to Configure rankings and see how many recent matches they had under the belt before being selected for this event.There has to be a good reason!Tennis New Zealand has publicly remained silent but there are rumours , one would expect any funding allocated to elite players would warrant availability to these events.I know there are always two sides to the story so lets hear it.
     Rubin Statham made a return to Davis Cup play,good to see him back in the fold and hopefully it was on his terms not TNZ that he played.I am always amazed at the continual overlooking of strong coaches and administrators for position of note and "yes" guys and girls getting positions that they are truly not worthy of. I have said it time and time again tennis in this country is being run by an elitist body with many of them having way too much time on their hands. We do not cater for the masses ...the time comes when juniors and parents say the cost and the elitism is way too much to continue in the sport.
   I was related a story from a coach why a junior was playing tennis.The father said they played golf and tennis because of the status of people playing and to enhance his future,whoops little did this parent know some people in the tennis circle you need to stay real clear of.Here is the link to the Marina story LINK

I could not finish this post without a Bernard Tomic story. This clown and his over sized head ceases to amaze me with his antics.Yes schoolies week on the Gold Coast and look who turned up to celebrate his fantastic 2013 season.NOT! Yes he is really preparing for the summer of tennis and no doubt a second round loss at the Aussie Open.The report said well he is just a 21 year old but I cant remember seeing Nadal, Federer etc at schoolies week or similar. Yes Bernie until you deflate that ego of yours then 2014 will be much the same as 2013 or worse!

Tony Osborne Reports- Johns and Patterson fiddle while Tennis in NZ continues to burn

For 6 days and 7 nights it was said Nero played the fiddle as Ancient Rome burned, technically this was not true as the violin wasn’t invented. Historians may have got it a little wrong!. Getting it wrong seems to be the habit of Steve Johns CEO of Tennis NZ  and his side kick David Patterson who is the departing Chairman . Can anyone tell me why these two people were seen sipping champagne while attending the ITF Annual Dinner in Paris? The formal function was held at The Palace of Versailles, Dinner suited dignities and their wives  in evening dress were entertained with Chamber music and caviar, the big question who paid for these two failures to attend?. I’m not suggesting they are not entitled to a night out but lets consider the cost of Air Fares ,Accommodation, meals, dinner suit hire, cab fares... the list goes on. What sort of picture does this represent to the average Club member, the hard working committee member and the Club Coach who mows lawns and cleans the dunnies at the club to subsidise his paltry income from coaching. The same coach has never seen Johns, never talked to him and who has never received a reply to his endless emails with suggestion how Tennis in this country could be improved. Recently my wife and I holidayed at a Coastal Town  in the North Island  we fancied a hit so we visited the local Tennis Club where we met the Local Club Pro, we paid our 10 bucks, and after a hit we chatted with the Pro about the state of Tennis in NZ, we asked if he was a Registered Coach with NZ Tennis, the reply was’ no way mate ‘I keep away from that organisation’. I got on the phone when we returned from our holiday and asked the same question of several Coaches throughout NZ, and sadly received similar comments. Coaches in this Country, want nothing to do with the National Body!, not all Coaches that is, but I’m guessing 90%. How many Coaches are actually registered?. NZ Tennis would have a better idea of the exact numbers, just go to Find a Coach, and see how many coaches there are for your area, very few if any!. Coaches see no benefit in being registered,’what’s in it for me’, scenario. So Mr Johns and Mr Patterson, wouldn't it be better to put some time and effort into finding solutions to the sorry state of Tennis in this Country,rather then sipping Champagne in Paris?.

Tony Osborne

Murray comes of Age

Just a few comments re Andy Murray's Wimbledon win. I have to say that Murray was prepared to do what ever to win and he was like a human backboard as he dismantled Djokovic's game and broke him mentally.Murray ran down and retrieved Novak's best shots , causing Novak to go for more winners as he became impatient 42 unforced errors will not win you a Wimbledon Final.Murray diffused Djokovic's serve returning a high percentage of first serves.  Djokovic failed to attack Murray's second serve and Murray knew he could just put it in the box without Djoker taking any attack to it.Murray outserved Djoker and won the Ace battle 9-4.Murray's two hander was outstanding as was his deft slice backhands.Novak tried to come to the net and drop shots in the last set to try to break up Murray , this really played into Murray's hand as there was no way these tactics would win the final.Some critisize Andy for being to passive but he also won the winners hit 36-31.Murray is a tough player, he has worked hard and he has learned a lot from losing previous finals.On this form it will be hard to to stop him gaining more grand slam titles in the future.I have to mention mother Judy as much as she irritates me sometimes in the players box.She has been the driving force and no doubt sacrificed a lot to get her son to where he is. I have found a very good article re Judy on line Click HERE

A good tip for juniors , keep your eye on the ball like Andy Murray below!