New Year

What have you been up to ya lazy lot, we're already a week into the tennis new year (and erm the regular new year, in the West) but it's all going on at the moment.

Andy Murray winning his matches in the Hopman Cup (some kind of Davis and Fed combined, with one lady singles match, one manly singles, and one mixed doubles, against other countries.  Only this is Dav-Fed lite as it all happens within a week not the whole year) but his partner Laura Robson (the young one that won junior Wimbledon when she was 6 or something, and she's pretty and unnervingly at ease with herself in the public eye so she's held up as the future of British tennis despite the rather quieter and better progress of compatriot Heather Watson, more on her later) lost all hers, and they lost most of their mixed doubles, and then Laura hurt herself so they're not gonna win.  It would have been US vs Serbia, with Djokovic (magnificant hair grown back in super fast time, since post Davis Cup win head shave in December) and Ivanovic but she hurt herself too, so they had to pull out and Belgium took their spot. 

Heather Watson (who won junior US Open just after LaRo won Wimby but no one seemed to care that much) won 5 matches at the WTA Tournament in Auckland, 3 qualifying and two real rounds getting into the quarter finals beating the 9th seed along the way.  She broke top 200 last year, is around 170 now, and will be top 150 by Monday as a result. Deserves a good pat on the back imo.  Top seed Maria Sharapova got a couple of wins in before been beated by Greta Arn, who's about 30 but said beating Shazza was like a little girls dream.  She sounds slightly annoying.  Poor Ole Dinara Safina, former number one, now ranked around 60 after terrible back injury last year, lost in the first round to the second seed Yania Wickmayer.


On the Mens tour, Andy Roddick has cruised through to the semis in Brisbane, and will play South African Kevin Anderson  While Soderling plays Stepanek in the other semi.  But in Doha Rafa Nadal, suffering from a fever poor lamby, lost in the semis today to Davydenko (who has been playing well all week), but Federer beat Tsonga in the other semi.  Hope Davy can bring it tomorrow. 
And how was your week?

Went, Saw, Got the Mug

I got back from London at 1am on Tuesday morning, got to bed at 2:30am, and spent several hours on Tuesday involved in a job centre farce.  Yesterday I relaxed myself with making christmas decorations (it's so close to being nearly December I think its not wholly inappropriate), and these are my excuses for not telling my rapt fans about my trip to the ATP End Of Tour Finals!!!

Unfortunately 5hrs on the coach to get down there and an 8hr gap between breakfast and lunch left me too tired and headachey to enjoy the tennis to its fullest.  But certainly watching live is an experience, even though we had the cheap seats our view was very good- the court looks small and far away on tv and camera but actually we got a great view.  Although we were too high up for the lights or cameras to spot us (or were we??), so no one got to see my glorious banner, apart from the lady next to us who asked to see it after I waved it around numerous times.   Both the doubles and singles went in straight sets Bhupati and Myrni beating Kubot and Marach, and Djokovic winning against Berdych.  Bhupati and Myrni provided some entertainment by coming from a break down to win the first set in the tie break.  Oh I felt every point, I was in it from the very begginning- hmm when Bhupati hit a double fault, aw when Myrni knocked one in the net, and oooh when Bhupati left it for a Myrni who was miles away.

And it was lovely when Djokovic and Berdych came out, holding hands with little children provided by the ATP (I assume they keep them in a really nice warehouse somewhere), by this time the crowd had super filled out and the EXTREMELY ANNOYING people (particularly one laughing man) in the 'hospitality' suites between the two tiers of seating had finally stopped talking.  There wasnt any volleys in the doubles and the singles boys definately enjoyed there baselines rallies- two similar players but Djokovic just slightly better at everything, and Berdych couldnt get his serve working giving two double faults in his opening game to hand Djoko the break.  After that it was clear who would win but Djoko still provided entertainment in his movement and athleticism. 

 

Oh, remember when I said we didn't get on tv, and then cryptically added (or were we??) Well check this iPlayer still out:

End of Tour Finals

Its the boys turn for their end of tour final- and the 8 are:

 

Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Soderling, Murray, Berdych, Ferrer, and Roddick- no I dont know who Ferrer is either, he seems short in the pre tournament pics.  He's the little one on the right, the guys behind are the doubles players.  Who noone seems to care about- its not on tv, not mentioned, and probably much more exciting, I'd be an angry doubles player.  Currently on TV is Murray against Soderling- cue a lot of Murray love from commentators Andy Castle and Tim-why on earth am I still being hired as a commentator- Henman, as well as a 30 minute opening set to Murray.
More importantly tomorrow Djokovic takes on Berdych, and I shall be in attentdence.  Hoping for a good match, ie more than 30mins a set as we are spending 4 and a half hours on the national express coach to get there.  Also hoping that my awesome banner- totally hand made- gets a showing on TV.  Although we are sitting in seats so high up they tell you not to take them if your scared of heights...Also they dont seem to have the lights on much...

Go Djoko Go (Best Hair in Tennis)

Go Doubles Go (Best Hands in Tennis)

Dont they deserve to be seen on TV?

Jamie News

Well my boy, big J, did it.  Oh with Andy as well.  Andy and Jamie won their first doubles title together last week at the Valencia Open.  Andy had lost the singles (of which he was the defending champ) in the second round, but the win was especially good for Jamie who doubled this years prize money, and moved his ranking up from 91 to 65.  A nice way to end the year.

End of the Year

The womens tour winds to an end, with just a Fed Cup match  to finish it off for 2010.  Dementiava, Clijsters, Zvonarava, Schivone, Stosur, Wozniaki, Jankovic, and Azarenka all played the End of Tour Finals last week which would would determine the winner of tournament (duh), the winner of $1.5million, and the year ending number one spot.   Jankovic suffered from nasal problems which the crazy heat of Doha didn't help, and Dementiava had an ankle injury that made her first match somewhat one sided.  The injury got better and she won her second match though- first three matches are round robin (think world cup group stages), which no one likes.  Although a win is an extra $100,000, but you do get that much just for turning up as well.  Dementiava lost her third match, and it would proove to be her last ever as she retired from professional tennis.

Wozniaki won too of her round robin matches, and in doing secured the end of year number one ranking spot- shes won about 6 titles this year, so its hard to argue with that, although everyone seems to be (I think purely to give them something to talk about).  She made her way to the final (the end of tour finals final). She had beaten Zvonarava in the semi, the only player to win all her round robin matches- it was a close first set with Wozniaki taking an early lead, before Zvon came back to serve for the set only to get broken and let Woz take it.  Zvon disappeared after that and lost the second set 0-6.  The other semi between Stosur and Clijsters went a similar way; with Clijserts underperforming during the first set but Stosur still unable to take it.  And the final?  Well I went out to York, so I didnt watch it.  But Clijsters won.

The Men still have a few weeks to go until their finals (Im going, watch out for me chaps!!!!!), but Andy Roddick won his last match to try to qualify, Federer (already has qualified) also has, same for Djoko.  But Andy Murray just lost his last match, although he and Jamie (now a married man :(, not mych honeymoon either) are still alive in the doubles.
Ciao for now.