Rafa’s failure is to Roger’s fortune

The script is already being processed and it is now up to Roger Federer to make the final amendments.

After Rafael Nadal’s shock exit the Swiss now recognizes that this is his chance to immortalise himself within the tennis hall of fame as the all time great.

Sunday’s ‘earthquake’ has not just opened up the draw but signalled to Federer that this might well be the best and possibly only opportunity to complete an historic Grand Slam while also equalling Sampras’s 14.

Since 2005 Roger has failed to come to terms with the mesmeric Spaniard on the Parisian clay. From their first meeting onwards Nadal has been the thorn in Federer’s successful career and it is likely that without this pain Roger would have collected many French Open titles without a problem having lost the last three successive finals to him.

In many ways Soderling’s unforgettable victory makes the challenge a lot easier for Federer however the way he has being playing so far has been nothing but convincing. His performances in the earlier rounds have seen him struggle to find form it has been just pure champions grit which has pulled him through.

Nerve could also play a key factor in the former world number one converting this golden opportunity. His match against Haas demonstrated that when under pressure his forehand can seriously tighten up, as he continually made unforced errors on that wing. However it proved that when the back was against the wall at 7-6, 7-5 4-3 with a break he can still produced a high risk shot to turn the match in his favour.

Challengers

The opponents left in the quarter finals may also feel they have a great opportunity to collect a first grand slam. In fact anyone left in has a great chance, even Soderling who currently is in the form of his life and could yet spring even more surprises.

Federer still has tough opposition in his half of the draw with both Gail Monfils and Juan Martin Del Potro in fine form. However with the experience of 13 grand slam titles behind him this will for sure pay dividends when the tournament nears its end.

By Geoff Berkeley
Pic: vickihuang2001

Can Anyone Ruffle Rafa in Paris?

As the French Open looms so does the presence of Rafael Nadal as he searches out his fifth successive title in Paris.

Nadal’s relationship with Roland Garros has failed to break down as the Spaniard goes in unbeaten on the French dirt. But the question remains is there anyone who can stop the world number one from adding to his tally?

The simple answer to this is no. Who could possibly get past a player who is at the top of his game as he continually tares up the rest of the field with his ferocious shot making.

On clay Nadal is dominant and it is hard to see anyone from stopping him especially in five sets. He looked simply unbeatable in last year’s campaign making easy work of the world’s best, including a straight sets demolition of Roger Federer in the final.

In fact the only person who can stop him is himself. At the moment he is working his body to the ground and as demonstrated in his loss to Federer in Madrid last Sunday cracks are beginning to appear.

Madrid was a bitter pill for Rafa in front of a partisan crowd however it was Djokovic not Federer that took the wind out of Nadal’s sails. His near four hour clash with the world number four exhausted the Spaniard and it was pure grit in the end that pulled him through.

Djokovic is in great form at the moment and is possibly the only potential threat to Rafa’s crown and if the draw goes to plan they could meet each other in the final.

However there is no doubt that Rafael Nadal work tirelessly to regain the title once more moving him one step closer to Bjorn Borg’s record of six straight.

The king of clay begins his march against world number 96 Marcos Daniel on Monday.

By Geoff Berkeley

Pic by aldinegirl12

A Suar-ez born

Carla Suarez Navarro, is a name to be noted. The shot making ability of Justine Henin and the charisma and look of Sanchez Vicario of old, no wonder the Spanish Tennis Federation are excited by this prospect.

The 20 year old Spaniard caused the greatest upset of the tournament so far after defeating favourite Venus Williams in three thrilling sets 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

It first looked to be a routine victory for the American who took the first set in no time. However it was the second set where Suarez Navarro began finding her range in the match and soon became the aggressor forcing Venus into many unforced areas.

The Aussie crowd were simply in ore of her repertoire of shots, especially her singlehanded backhand which caused Venus many problems culminating in her losing the second set. Then in the decider Williams looked to have rapped up the tie after breaking early on. However Suarez Navarro never gave in, pulling her way back from a 5-2 deficit to take the match 7-5.

This was a remarkable performance by the world number 46, who has already had success in grand slams after unexpectedly reaching the quarter finals of Roland Garros in her first appearance. This landmark win over Venus could now give her the confidence to fulfil her potential and begin to make an impression on the world’s top 20.

'great hope'

Having watched her progress in Roland Garros last year I was in instantly impressed by her skill around the court and huge range of shots. Especially having witnessed the greatest singlehanded backhand in the women’s game leave when Justine Henin retired last March I was immediately struck by the young Spaniard, whom before the French Open I was completely unaware of.

Born in Gran Canaria, Spain in 1988 she developed her game on the small island before she was snapped up by Barcelona Tennis Academy when she was in her late teens. Since moving to the Spanish city she has received top class coaching and is now beginning to fulfil her promise shown when turning pro in 2003.

Her biggest frailty though is her serve; standing at only 5’ 4’’ she is unable to generate much pace however as Henin demonstrated in her career that height is irrelevant. Also like her fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal her game is best suited to the red clay however as demonstrated by her performance today she has the talent like Rafa to develop into an all court player, such is the high level of her ground strokes.

In my mind Suarez Navarro is exactly what the women’s game needs after the shock retirement of Henin. The women’s game has undoubtedly dropped in standard since the little Belgian left the game as they have been unable to find a dominant number one. Let’s just hope this Spanish rising star can carry on her form and perhaps make it to the heights that her talent deserves.

Suarez Navarro now takes on fellow compatriot Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Saturday.

Carla Suarez Navarro image by azzurri_nr1

By Geoff Berkeley

Murray under the microscope in Melbourne

Andy Murray kicks off against the wily Andrei Pavel tomorrow in what could be a marvellous next couple of weeks for the Scot.

After an impressive start of the season, with wins in Abu Dhabi and Doha many have been speculating that this is Murray’s year and this is his Slam to lose, with some British bookies tipping him as favourite. Even the Australian media have jumped on the band wagon with lots of media coverage of the 21 year old Scot, demonstrating their belief that he could be the man to win in Melbourne.

With all this expectation going into the Aussie Open, Murray begins his long trail against a less dangerous opponent than what Tsonga turned out to be last year, facing 34 year old Andrei Pavel. A few years ago this match up could have been considered as a tricky tie, as he was once ranked as high as 13th in 2004. Although after an injury prone 2008 have seen the Romanian plummet down the rankings to 1141. The pair last met in 2005 at the US Open first round where a lot younger and not as well conditioned Murray defeated him in five battling sets, which even saw Britain number one physically sick from exhaustion. However this time round it should be more of a breeze for the now world number four, who’s off season training has given him the muscle and the stamina to add to his ability, giving him an excellent chance in collecting one of Tennis’s top prizes.

WATCH LIVE
Murray v Pavel tonight BBC 2 at 11.50pm GMT

‘British Women fall’

From four to one, today was not the greatest day for the British women contingence. The fact four British girls managed to qualify for a slam is quite remarkable considering recent history. However qualifying for a slam is one thing winning in a slam is another. British No.1 Anne Keothavong faced the toughest of the draws against world number 18 Anna Chakvetadze. Anne did fancy her chances going in to the match after good early season form lifting her to a career high 53 in the world. This good form though only appeared in spells, especially in the second set where she competed well to win 7-4 in the tie break. However two poor sets in the first and last saw her crash out losing both of them 6-1. This British disappointment was also compounded by loses of the other Brits in today’s draw. Katie O’Brian, who did very well to qualify, lost against Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-4, 6-4. While the other automatic qualifier Melanie South was displaced in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 by the former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli.

The last Brit left in the draw is Elena Baltacha, who has had previous success in this tournament after reaching the third round back in 2006, plays Anna-Lena Groenefeld tomorrow.

Today's Men's Results (Click Here)
Today's Women's Results (Click Here)

Andy Murray image by saturnshire

By Geoff Berkeley

Meet 'Team Askew'

Within tennis we have become accustomed to the sporting siblings, the William sisters, the Bryan brothers and the Murray brothers, and there now could be another edition. However there are three of them; Emily, Amy and Beth help make up ‘team Askew’ and more importantly they are young British and extremely talented.

It is not sure that they will all make it in the senior game at this stage however they are making an impression on the county scene already, helping the Lancashire Ladies Team secure the Winter County Cup for only the second time in their history. That side was nicknamed ‘Team Askew’, as they tore apart the rest of the competition last weekend, with the help of the three sisters.

The team of sisters look destined to power on through the amateur game and into professional tennis. At the ages of 16, 15 and 13 and having already made appearances for their County and even Great Britain, it promises great things.

The girls were made in Liverpool but their tennis trade was bred in Lancashire at the highly regarded South Ribble Tennis and Fitness Centre in Preston (Click for Map). They have played at many clubs across the North West but this seems to be establishing itself as their home. Head Coach at the club Brendan McGuire believes they are at the right club, saying: “it is one of the best tennis clubs in the country. It’s been consistent in its performance. Top coaches, good friendly environment, so as far as centre’s go I would put it up there with the best.”

Support has come from the LTA to fund their programs. Demonstrating the LTA’s confidence and belief in the three girls, who are coached by different coaches within the club. Emily Askew is coached by Jane O’Donoghue, who featured at Wimbledon as a player, while Amy is coached by Danielle Hock, who is an experienced member of Lancashire Ladies team. The only player directly coached by head coach Brendan McGuire is the youngest Beth Askew, and is possibly the likeliest out of the three to make a big impression within the game.

However without tremendous support from their loving parent they may not even have a future within the game. It takes thousands of pounds to develop a winning player from age 5 to age 18 and a majority of the cash comes out of the parents pockets. But both Joanne and Cliff Askew have work tirelessly to get them were they are now and don’t look to be holding back. Coach Brendan McGuire said that especially the father, Cliff, has had the magic formula from the word go, as he takes a lot of time out to help find out what is best for his girls to be the best they can be.

I spoke to Brendan McGuire to find out what his view is on each of the girls.



Through this interview it has become clear that Beth Askew looks to on her way to the very top, perhaps following the footsteps of fellow Brit Laura Robson, who has made rapid rise in the professional game. Beth is ahead of her years, “exceptional for her age. I haven’t met a 13 year old talent who can hit a ball like Beth. She reads the game particularly well, she’s a special talent”: said the proud Coach.

Even though Beth has been singled out as the great hope of Lancashire and British Tennis, it is still possible to have all three together at the top. Emily like Brendan said needs to compete more and gain confidence from winning, as she no doubt has the ability. While Amy has already had success with the Great British Junior Fed Cup team and individually, winning National Championships, so if she can stay away from the injuries that are hindering her at the moment, then it is possible that the Tennis world will be hearing a lot more about ‘team Askew’.

By Geoff Berkeley

Askew sisters inspire Lancashire Ladies to victory

Lancashire Ladies County Tennis side captured their first Winter County Cup in over 15 years.

Nicknamed ‘Team Askew’ due to the inclusion of the three Askew sisters; Emily, Amy and Beth, all helped contribute to what was a phenomenal performance by the North West County.

The Winter County Cup is widely regarded within the amateur county game as the pinnacle. However the Lancashire Ladies swept aside all competition in the Group 1 Premier Division including Buckinghamshire, Nottinghamshire and their fiercest rivals Warwickshire, to lift their second major trophy in the last two years. This victory followed up their Summer County Cup win last year, which was their first ever summer event win in their 112 year history.

Captain Rachael Hyland was delighted with the sides display, she said: “I am ecstatic about the win. Considering until the end of 2006 we had only won one major event in 100 years, so in two years we have trebled our trophy cabinet. It’s fantastic”.

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The indoor courts of The University of Bath Tennis Club took stage to what was a tremendous competition set over last weekend. The first match began with a titanic battle between Lancashire and Warwickshire, who were considered the team to beat in this group, having previous won the last two Winter County Cup’s. However Lancashire stepped up to the challenge with vaguer and destroyed them. Beth Askew and Anjoli Fraser kicked off the tournament with a tight match. Beth began nervously in her first appearance, losing the first set 6-0, which is then where an experienced word of confidence from the captain helped lift her performance. Beth eventually rolled over her opponent in three sets, 0-6, 6-0, 6-4. From that moment on Lancashire took apart what was a strong side, winning all three doubles to secure a 7-2 victory. Rachael Hyland exclaimed: “This was an outstanding result against what are a tough side, especially in the doubles.”

Lancashire Ladies then turned on the style in their next match crushing their weakest competition Nottingham 9-0. Then on the final day they secured the title with a 7-2 triumph over Buckinghamshire to cap off a brilliant weekend.

Lancashire Ladies Results
Beat Warwickshire 7-2
Beat Nottinghamshire 9-0
Beat Buckinghamshire 7-2

Final Table
Group 1 - BATH
1.Lancashire 21pts
2.Warwickshire 15pts
3.Buckinghamshire 11pts
4.Nottinghamshire 3pts

The team has caused great hope within the Lancashire Tennis, especially due to the inclusion of three exciting young sisters. The Askew sisters are made up of Emily the eldest at 16, Amy at 14 and the youngest Beth at 13. And it was Beth that in some ways was a surprised selection considering her lower rating. However the Captain dismissed that the inclusion of Beth was down to sentimental reasons, saying: “As a captain I have to look at who is potentially the better player regardless of the ratings. I didn’t pick her for sentimental reasons because she is young and a prospect. I picked her because I want to win, and she did win.”

Skipper Rachael Hyland, aged 32 of Abbley Bridge, Lancashire has been a key part of the team’s success since taking over the captaincy post at the beginning of 2007. She has brought success to a county, who had previously been known for their near misses. While she has been part of those teams, during her 20 years with the county, she has also been part of a successful one. As she happened to be part of the Lancashire County side that last won the Winter County Cup in 1992, in what was her first appearance. This experience seemed to help inspire the side to a masterful display.

The victory in this weekend’s Winter County Cup in the style and manner they did it in (only losing just four rubbers) demonstrated the fact that Lancashire are the top side in the country. “We do not have as good a record as say a Surrey or a Warwickshire, who have won these events plenty of times. But after winning the way we did, I would say we are definitely in the top three, maybe even No.1”: beckoned a very proud captain.

By Geoff Berkeley

South Ribble tennis and fitness centre

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This club is well regarded within Lancashire.