Deeley takes treble with Mixed Title

The mixed doubles final for South Canterbury closed champs ended in an anti-climax with Tom Deeley and Geraldine Prisk defeating Sam Lane and Annabel Ellis 7/6 1/1 after Lane had to withdraw from the rescheduled final with an injury.This gave Tom his third title after winning the Mens Singles and Doubles Title .....a rare treble.Geraldine started her tennis with me at a very early age and some of her achievements have been reaching the 12s National Hard courts final and being selected on Tennis New Zealand's team for training in Spain.I am pictured above with Geraldine and Tom. Another success from the coaching program which some people fail to notice , I have often thought why is this and I guess its common trait in New Zealand tennis culture.... with all the National champions I have produced not one call from Tennis New Zealand saying well done,how are you getting this success in such a small region? In fact all of this has hardly been noticed at a local area. Thank goodness for juniors like Tom and Geraldine , too many "prima donna" tennis players exist in this country and maybe thats why New Zealand in its current environment will never reach great heights.

Above are visitors to my blog over the last week.Thanks for dropping by!!

Mission Accomplished- The "eye" gets South Canterbury Doubles Titles

Yesterday I partnered 15 year old Tom Deeley to win the South Canterbury closed Men's Doubles Title 6-0 6-2 against Top Seeds Les Jones and Kevin Lind.I coach Tom and playing with me is no easy task , I hate to lose and I hate to lose points so my intensity in Match play is always high.I can remember myself playing as a junior with the better Men players and it was here I learned the craft of doubles and also the intensity required to win at Top level, I learned a lot even though some of the older players at times were quite hard.I enjoyed playing with Tom and the event gives me an incentive to pass on some knowledge that I have learned throughout the years of playing many matches.Tom really handled the match like a veteran ,except for the drop volley :) ,I had made a similar error with a break point ,I tried a silly drop shot .....lapses of intensity made me remember one of my old partners saying you get a sitter ...bury it! Tom also won the men's singles title yesterday with a 6-0 6-0 against the Top Seed Kevin Lind.Tom was ruthless in his demolish-ion ,determined not to drop a game.The event was seeded on Top Dog and certainly made a mockery of the system, Top Dog works if you are put on your correct level of entry , Tom was way to low and needs an adjustment. 
So another success with a pupil taking out the Men's Championship and Tom deserves this with his enthusiasm and ability to put in at lesson's , no dramatics , no racket throwing and banging on the ground, no swearing and tantrums, no putting down the opposition and no excuses.......shame this was not a trait in all juniors , I have to say in all honest opinion its a credit to the parents because its their influences that help create the persona ,Well done Dad and Mum you deserve the victory also.

Djokovic Fly's High

Above the finished shoot and below just after the actual footage was shot and Djoker back on the ground

.NO WONDER HIS TENNIS IS ON A HIGH!

Meltdown Mania - Alive and well in Junior Tennis

The mental game as we know is one if not the most important part of winning a competitive tennis match.We see it at the pro level but more so at junior tennis level. Its always an interesting battle watching juniors compete at tennis from the sideline.Usually a Junior match starts timidly both players feeling each other out but its not long before one player starts looking to the sideline for their parent as they have just lost a series of points and games.Usually the typical trait off the court for these juniors are they usually get what they want and usually Mum or Dad accommodates their needs and wants.Back to the match suddenly the child is not getting what they want , they want to win! this is not happening panic sets in ! They know if they start crying off the court they usually can get what they want, suddenly the tears start on the court ....yes this will work!!! Just one small thing its not Mom or Dad you are playing !!!! Suddenly they realize the tears dont work ...whats next? Well when they dont get their way a tantrum always works at home! They start tapping and banging their racquet (if they break it Mom and Dad will buy them a new one), still the tears are flowing , they start yelling and screaming ....Still they are losing! WHAT NEXT? Constantly the child is looking at the parents for help!,they start blaming them for the current state of the match!HELP ME! Hold it a second have you seen Mom or Dad play? do you really want them to come out and play your match?! Then the realization hits  for the player they cannot win! The head drops- even further - no eye contact with anyone except the ground!-hardly any body movement and then the end is near Game Set and Match!


It came as a surprise that someone had generously arranged travel arrangements for me.Unfortunately they failed to check if I was available for travel on the dates they arranged.I am sorry to inform the buffoons that made these bookings I will not be travelling on those dates.

Not everyone agree's with what I have to say on this blog and after all many articles are just my opinion.Its interesting that over the years I have many readers that drop by to look at the blog and what is on it.Many enjoy whats here , what I can't work out is why the "haters" keep coming back?

Indian Wells - Whats to come in 2011!

The first real major event after the Australian Open is being played in Indian Wells California and beautiful desert location.Some major shocks and upsets have rocked the tennis world.Andy Murray always suffers Australian Open Blue's was sent packing.....(well not really he is still in the doubles with Brother Jamie) by Donald Young ,an American always touted as the next big thing.He Beat Murray in straight sets......This was the coming of Donald Young ....NOT!  ,unfortunately a "flash in the pan" veteran Tommy Robredo beat him 6-0 6-4 in the next round.In the women's side Aussie Sam Stosur lost to Dinara Safina,Safina served 16 double faults for the match and still won!!.....I have always thought Stosur was overrated and her runner-up in the French Open may be her big time crowning glory.


Among other big names Robert Soderling, Fernando Verdasco ,Li Na, have fallen in the desert! And in the mens doubles the Singles players are cleaning up the doubles specialists. This is a fantastic event also marking the return of Rafa to the tournament scene after the injury at the Australian Open.


You can follow the tournament HERE

Rumor has it "the eye" may make a comeback to tournament play , he tested his skills yesterday with a 6-0 victory over local Junior George Tarbotton!

Brothers Clean up Age Group Titles at South Canterbury Closed Champs!

I attended the local South Canterbury Closed Junior champs today ,what better way to spend a Sunday watching the battles unfold in each age group!The Deeley Bro's Tom,Jack and Ben pictured above took out their respective age groups this is a unique feat for tennis with three age group winners coming from the one family.What I like about all three boy's is the no nonsense approach no antics, no racket throwing and no head dropping just compete to win but fairly.Tom is a pleasure to coach and I always know Tom's going to give his best win or lose he will be there till the end, hes the type of guy if you were in war , you want this guy in the trenches next to you! Tom beat Henry Craib not allowing his opponent a game in the final. Jack is a little quieter he just goes about his way with out too much fuss. He has a good head on his shoulder and his variety of play proved the difference in his win over Oscar Acland today in the final.Ben's win was over Harrison Darling one of the best if not the best match for the day.Both boy's court coverage and retrieving was a feature of the play. Ben kept his play consistent and mentally had the edge when it mattered most.Anna Cochrane also took out the 12 girls singles in a strong display.Watch out for the full report in the media of this tournament.


Not going unnoticed was the typical circus of displays one player throwing a muesli bar at their parent after a loss, another telling their parents on the sideline to shut up and the usual parent coaching from the grandstand.Just another usual day at a tennis tournament.! I know I would not of lasted the day at a tournament  had I performed like this. Oh bring back the days where we had discipline and players had respect.


Well back to the main Topic well done bro's I am sure your parents are proud of you and its great as a coach to have some great ambassadors of the sport under my wing!


Yesterday I mentioned re the top ATP singles players partnering each other in the doubles at Indian Wells , Not a great result for the doubles specialists with Wawrinka and Federer defeating No 2 seeds Mirnyi and Nestor 6-1 6-2

Whats News On Twitter

Twitter is a great place to keep up with the tennis worlds latest news. Heres some of the latest tweets and links I have found interesting.

tennisviewmag TennisView Magazine 

Verdasco practicing earlier, wearing his "All Fernando" shirthttp://twitpic.com/48nut0 http://twitpic.com/48numv

TennisConnected Tennis Connected 

New blog post: IW: Rafael Nadal Pre-Tournament Press Conference http://bit.ly/dIAAVd

tennis TENNIS.com 

Djokovic says Nadal, Federer still the best http://dlvr.it/Jz0sx

juumptennis Juump 

Andy Murray Learning from his Mistakes http://ow.ly/4cAj1 #tennis

BillieJKing Billie Jean King 

Check out MSN's list of the "Most Outstanding Women in Sports," which includes Billie Jean King! http://fb.me/Vfxo0pkW

Clijsterskim Kim Clijsters 

Jada made a drawing for Serena ... :-) to wish her a fast recoveryhttp://yfrog.com/gyg89taj

darren_cahill Darren Cahill 

 by WilsonTennis

Best doubles event of the year!.. 9 of top 10 singles players competing.. Federer/Wawrinka v Mirnyi/Nestor tomorrow 4th on Center Court

Speaking of the above it is indeed that many of the top singles players are playing doubles in the first Masters points series in Indian Wells CA. Here are some of the combinations.

BERDYCH, Tomas (CZE)/TIPSAREVIC, Janko (SRB)

MURRAY, Andy (GBR)/MURRAY, Jamie (GBR

ISNER, John (USA)/QUERREY, Sam (USA

DJOKOVIC, Novak (SRB)/TROICKI, Viktor (SRB

FEDERER, Roger (SUI)/WAWRINKA, Stanislas (SUI)

LOPEZ, Marc (ESP)/NADAL, Rafael (ESP)

No doubt will make for some interesting results. You can follow the tournament here.LINK

Back from the Wilderness

Sorry guys for lack of post's but with the past couple of weeks local events in New Zealand ( earthquake) its hard to get the motivation to blog again when other things seem trivial to hardships the people of Christchurch experienced.

New Zealand was defeated by Uzbekistan 3-2 although the match was done in 2 days with Uzbekistan leading three nil before submitting a couple of guys they dragged of the street to play the dead rubbers.Not really but New Zealand defeated them comfortably to make it a 3-2 result.

April Nationals for juniors will soon be here 14s and 16s results will be significant in selection for youth World cup teams for zonal playoffs.Let me say it's very bleak amongst the junior ranks with players to be selected , I am tipping New Zealand teams especially the 14s to struggle big time.The depth will just not be there , Nz may be able to field a competitive player in each age group but looking at depth its not there sadly.

Will be posting some blogs again in the next couple of days, but for oversea's readers , yes I am ok and back posting! 

Earthquake New Zealand- Emotional pictures with anthem

Above a little more of the earthquake in New Zealand.Tennis is far from my mind at this stage hopefully I will get back in the mood soon for some tennis posts for now God Bless all those effected by the earthquake.

Turmoil and Disaster Hits New Zealand

What a day yesterday turned out to be. At home in Timaru around lunchtime 1pm the shake started with force swaying the house and shaking windows and of course the noise that one has to witness first hand that is associated with earthquakes.Not knowing what is was when one hit last September I knew straight away what this was!.Here in Timaru we could feel its fury from afar but its Christchurch that once again suffered the worst.An event such as this rocks you back to real life and winning and losing a tennis match is so insignificant to an event such as this.


The world teams seniors events 40m 35 and 40 ladies are being held in Timaru this week , next week the singles champs start in Christchurch.I hate to say this event looks doubtful for Christchurch due to the quake.Yesterday saw the event hampered by rain in Timaru with very few matches being completed.


Below a picture from the Timaru Center with the international flags flying high.

Player Watch -Milos Raonic

Recently I wrote on my blog about a player to watch out for Canadian Milos Raonic.He broke through at the weekend to win his first major Title defeating Vernando Verdasco 7-6 7-6 in the final of the SAP Open in California at the weekend. I managed to take in a few of Raonic's matches at the Aussie Open and knew this 20 year old had a game that could take him to the top 10.His serve is one of the best on tour already with first serves into the 240kms regularly ,his second serve is very good also at 6'5 he gets good depth and height over the net making it difficult for the player to combat.Of course at 6'5 his movement will be a weakness , however he is prepared to go forward to net position and volley!There are lots of Tall players like Karlovic and Isner that have not the ground strokes to back up their serve ...this guy has and if the groundies  continue to improve watch out Top 10 players.Read about his break through win HERE.


Another 20 year old to watch out for on the Men's side is Lithuanian Richard Berankis.In fact Raonic and Berankis met in the SAP open with Raonic winning in two tight sets.Here is an interesting article on Berankis. LINK Below is a picture of Berankis in training.

The Monday Spin- South Canterbury Closed Hard Court Champs.

Spent Saturday watching the Local Junior Closed Champs, above are pictures from Saturday, Bottom right Gabrielle Grady pictured with Temuka juniors, Gabby coaches at Temuka and Geraldine and dropped in to watch her charges in action. Lots of evenly contested matches and all the titles went to squad members in the championship events.The best local program for aspiring tennis players,for locals why don't you visit the South Canterbury Tennis Web Site to find out more and how to join a program to suit you. LINK

The Monday Spin

I thought I was back in Australia yesterday as Timaru broke the record for its hottest day ever, with the temperature hitting a scorching 40.3 degrees shortly before 4pm yesterday.We spent the morning with 14 young tennis players in the 10s and 12s age group for a very productive 3 hr session when the temperature was only 36! The one thing about weather in New Zealand it changes very quickly this morning woke to heavy rain which cancelled our early morning training.


Not much to report on the Breaking news front ,Italy defeated Australia in the quarter final Fed Cup match in Tasmania, Read the report HERE. Watched a little on the net with live streaming , was nice to see the Italians using court craft in their matches as well as controlled aggression, compared to the Aussies who used aggression most of it uncontrolled on the points that mattered.Stosur looked like she was sucking Lemons on the change of ends and played some amateurish points in key games of which you would see at a local Junior tournament.


Over sea's players dominated the Auckland ITF and results are found HERE 
Jayden Grinter  was the best performed New Zealander reaching the semi's of the boys singles and winning the boys doubles.Grinter is a big powerful lad and now needs to double his work rate and seek tougher tournaments.Maybe he has a chance if he can get over the mental culture ie one thinks they are working hard but not as hard in retrospect to the other side of the world.

HAPPY 103 NANA!

My Grandmother turned 103 today ! Amazing .This time I could not get back for the event, for each year now after 100 is truly a milestone.Speaking to her tonight she was feeling pretty tired after spending a day in her home town with a special Birthday party put on at the Local Club.The above picture was taken on her 100th birthday.A truly amazing lady is my grandmother!Happy Birthday Nana....