One of the annual sporting highlights is upon us with The Open Championship set to begin at 6.30am tomorrow.
The 144th edition of golf's oldest major will take place at the so-called home of golf, St Andrews and it promises to be another fascinating battle to see who will be lifting the claret Jug early on Sunday evening.
St Andrews always delivers magical moments, from Tiger Woods dominance in 2000, to Costantino Rocca's monster putt in 1995 and Seve's magical win in 1984, it brings out the best in the world's best golfers. The winners at St Andrews include Woods, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Faldo, Jones and Snead showing it is the cream of the crop who rise to the challenge of the Old Course.
Jordan Spieth is the overwhelming favourite for this years event having won the first two majors of this year and the fact that defending champion and World Number One Rory McIlroy is missing The Open due to injury. However, if you are looking for a flutter this weekend, Spieth is offering no value.
With that in mind here are five men who I feel could be challenging come Sunday night.
Rickie Fowler: Best Odds (19/1 BWIN): The odds are shortening all the time on Fowler, who arrives at St Andrews in terrific form, having captured his first European Tour title at Gullane last week in the Scottish Open. For many, that is seen as the perfect preparation and Fowler is fully confident he can repeat the back to back double of winning the Scottish Open and The Open, like his countryman Phil Mickelson did in 2013.
He also won the Players Championship in wonderful fashion in May, playing the final six holes in six under at Sawgrass before he fought hard to defeat Sergio Garcia then Kevin Kisner in a sudden death play-off.
Fowler is also a lover of links golf and finished tied for second in last years Open behind McIlroy and also finished in the top five in 2011. He played in the last Open at St Andrews in 2010 and despite a 79 on the opening day, he recovered to finish inside the top 15.
He looks primed for a major despite his disaster at the US Open last month.
Louis Oosthuizen: Best Odds (25/1 Various): The popular South African was the winner at St Andrews in 2010 and looks in the right sort of form to win again at the Old Course. Oosthuizen has one of the best swings in golf and seems to finally be over the chronic back problems which have hampered his progress.
He comes into the event in great form off the back of a tied second at the links style US Open course of Chambers Bay and is bound to be perked up by returning to the scene of his only Major win to date.
Although he did enjoy some luck with the weather on the Friday in 2010, Oosthuizen showed terrific composure on the final day to ensure nobody else was ever in the hunt for the Claret Jug. If he discovers that sort of focus again, he'll take some stopping.
Paul Casey: Best Odds (40/1 Various): The Englishman started the final day in 2010 at St Andrews alongside Oosthuizen hoping to push for his first Major title, but that was put paid to after a horror show on the 12th.
Nevertheless Casey still finished tied third that week having shot three rounds in the 60s and is a big fan of St Andrews, having shot rounds of 66 and 62 over the Old Course in the last two years at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Casey was expected to kick on from that result in 2010, but fitness worries meant that he was winless for two years until he won the Irish Open in 2013. Since then, he has gradually got back to form and heads to St Andrews in a great frame of mind.
Only play-off losses to Bubba Watson and James Hahn stopped him from picking up titles on the PGA Tour this season and he also enjoyed a top six finish at the Masters. Great odds for a man I remain convinced will lift a Major.
Branden Grace: Best Odds (50/1 Various): Oosthuizen's countryman Branden Grace is another player who is well worth an each way bet this week. A former winner of the Dunhill Links in 2012, he shot rounds of 67 and 70 that year as well as two 69's in the same tournament last year around St Andrews.
A wayward drive on the 16th at Chambers Bay cost him his chance of winning the US Open last month but throughout that tournament, Grace looked liked he believed he could win a Major for the first time. Now he's heading to a course he loves and he'll be keen to follow in the foot steps of Oosthuizen.
He's already won this season in Qatar and South Africa and has six wins to his name on the European Tour since 2012. That winning habit is hard to get out of.
Tommy Fleetwood: Best Odds (90/1 BWIN): My final pick for the week goes to the Englishman Fleetwood who absolutely loves this course. He is a remarkable 26 under for his last four rounds at St Andrews and has finished in the top five in the Dunhill Links three times in the last four years so clearly loves the links golf courses of Scotland.
He backed that up with a top ten at Gullane last week and has enjoyed a consistent season on the European Tour. He also won at Gleneagles in 2013 and will be quietly confident of challenging this week.
The Open is a bit of a lottery, but I hope these men can add some cash to your wallet come Sunday night. The next four days promise to deliver superb sporting drama. Sit back on the sofa and put your feet up or if you are heading to St Andrews, have a great time!
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
The Ashes 2015: Who are the key players going to be for England?
The Ashes are all set to begin tomorrow when the first ball is bowled at 11am in Cardiff. That ball could set the tone for the entire series, whoever it is bowled by just like Steve Harmison's shocking first ball set the tone in the 2006/07 Ashes series, when England were humiliated 5-0.
Australia seem to have the momentum coming into the 2015 edition and a drawn series over the five matches will see them retain the Ashes. They are blessed with the world's best batsman right now in Steve Smith and also have a fearsome pace attack spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, though they were dealt a blow recently when Ryan Harris retired last week. Add in the experience of captain Michael Clarke, wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Shane Watson and the Aussies have a pretty formidable team.
However, after a shocking World Cup, England have certainly re grouped and are playing a much more positive brand of cricket than they were at the beginning of 2015. If they are to win the Ashes, then they will have to continue to be aggressive and not let the Australians see that they are scared, which too many players did in the last series down under. That's where young talents like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes could come into their own.
With a new coach Trevor Bayliss at the helm eager to prove his Australian countrymen wrong and players in good form with the bat and bowl, then the Aussies will be in for a tough test and their sledging could quieten down quickly against an England team keen to keep a proud record of having not lost a home Ashes series since 2001.
Here are five men who will be vital if England are to win the little urn back.
Joe Root: Still just 24, the Yorkshireman has made himself the key batsman in the England team over the last 18 months and goes into the Ashes in a rich vein of form. After a disappointing series down under where he scored only 192 runs, Root has re-grouped and has scored four test centuries since then and also performed well in the recent series against New Zealand where he had scores of 98 and 84 in the first Test. In the One Day series he scored two centuries and also helped himself to 68 in the 20/20 international between England and New Zealand.
His technique is a joy to watch unless you are the bowler trying to get him out. He will be key in either pushing England on from great starts by the opening batsmen or rescuing the situation in the middle order.
Alastair Cook: Talking of opening batsmen, Cook will need to be at his best to ensure England get off to the best possible start in each innings of the series, particularly when his opening partner is the inexperienced Adam Lyth. After a miserable couple of years with the bat, Cook finally regained his form on the tour of West Indies in April when he scored a century and two fifties and he continued that form against New Zealand with another century and two further 50 plus scores.
He also led England to victory in the Ashes in the last home series in 2013, before 'leading' his side to a 5-0 whitewash down under six months later. That saw the calls for him to resign hugely intensify but Cook has stuck it out and his decision making on the field at key moments will be hugely vital for England if they are to win the Ashes. And as Nasser Hussain knows after infamously bowling in Brisbane after winning a coin toss, he'll need to get those decisions spot on too.
Jos Buttler: The wicket-keeper batsman is arguably the most exciting cricketer who will be lining up for either side. Buttler was seen initially as a one-day specialist due to his aggressive hitting, but the new found England have seen no reason why he can't translate that to the test arena.
He scored two wonderful fifties in the test series against New Zealand recently and he'll be keen to grab his first test century as soon as possible after getting his debut last July against India. He won't be feared of the likes of Johnson and Starc and if England are in a good position batting wise when he comes to the crease, he has the ability to bat the Australians out of the game quickly.
I might have focused on his batting here, but he is improving all the time as a wicket keeper and I have a funny feeling he won't be shy in engaging in a bit of sledging with the Aussie batsmen, which could work to England's advantage.
Jimmy Anderson: With over 400 test wickets, Anderson will be leading England's attack. Still more than capable of delivering near perfect spells, the Lancashire lad will be looking to find as much swing as possible in the English conditions which he has used to great effect before, especially in 2013 when he took five wickets in each Australian innings at Trent Bridge.
If the groundsmen have prepared the pitch to suit Anderson's pace and bounce then his deliveries could prove very effective against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Adam Voges in the Australian top order. His experience and help to captain Alastair Cook on the pitch and in the dressing room with younger players will be invaluable to new England coach Trevor Bayliss as well.
Ben Stokes: Like Buttler, a player who can be absolutely devastating when on top form with the bat and the Australians will be wary of a player who made his test debut against them in the last Ashes series.
Despite England's humiliation, Stokes showed no fear and in only his second test scored a magnificent 120 in a losing cause in Perth. He also picked up six wickets in the final test in Sydney and many felt a new star had been born.
However, Stokes was still a work in progress and it wasn't until the recent series against New Zealand where he showcased his talent to all of its ability for the first time. After a 92 in the first innings of the first test, he scored the fastest ever test century by an Englishman in the second innings in just 85 balls. He has the potential to be England's all-rounder hero this summer just like Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was in 2005 if he shows no fear and can find the proper line and length with the ball.
If this series is half as good as the 2005 series was or even 2009's edition then I'll be glued to the Sky Sports Ashes Channel over the next couple of months. The Ashes can make or break players. They can either stand up and be counted and become national sporting legends or crumble like England have done down under in recent years. It will be fascinating to watch whatever happens.
For cricketing fans, this is like Christmas and birthday's rolled into one. Here's to a great summer of cricket!
Australia seem to have the momentum coming into the 2015 edition and a drawn series over the five matches will see them retain the Ashes. They are blessed with the world's best batsman right now in Steve Smith and also have a fearsome pace attack spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, though they were dealt a blow recently when Ryan Harris retired last week. Add in the experience of captain Michael Clarke, wicket keeper Brad Haddin and Shane Watson and the Aussies have a pretty formidable team.
However, after a shocking World Cup, England have certainly re grouped and are playing a much more positive brand of cricket than they were at the beginning of 2015. If they are to win the Ashes, then they will have to continue to be aggressive and not let the Australians see that they are scared, which too many players did in the last series down under. That's where young talents like Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes could come into their own.
With a new coach Trevor Bayliss at the helm eager to prove his Australian countrymen wrong and players in good form with the bat and bowl, then the Aussies will be in for a tough test and their sledging could quieten down quickly against an England team keen to keep a proud record of having not lost a home Ashes series since 2001.
Here are five men who will be vital if England are to win the little urn back.
Joe Root: Still just 24, the Yorkshireman has made himself the key batsman in the England team over the last 18 months and goes into the Ashes in a rich vein of form. After a disappointing series down under where he scored only 192 runs, Root has re-grouped and has scored four test centuries since then and also performed well in the recent series against New Zealand where he had scores of 98 and 84 in the first Test. In the One Day series he scored two centuries and also helped himself to 68 in the 20/20 international between England and New Zealand.
His technique is a joy to watch unless you are the bowler trying to get him out. He will be key in either pushing England on from great starts by the opening batsmen or rescuing the situation in the middle order.
Alastair Cook: Talking of opening batsmen, Cook will need to be at his best to ensure England get off to the best possible start in each innings of the series, particularly when his opening partner is the inexperienced Adam Lyth. After a miserable couple of years with the bat, Cook finally regained his form on the tour of West Indies in April when he scored a century and two fifties and he continued that form against New Zealand with another century and two further 50 plus scores.
He also led England to victory in the Ashes in the last home series in 2013, before 'leading' his side to a 5-0 whitewash down under six months later. That saw the calls for him to resign hugely intensify but Cook has stuck it out and his decision making on the field at key moments will be hugely vital for England if they are to win the Ashes. And as Nasser Hussain knows after infamously bowling in Brisbane after winning a coin toss, he'll need to get those decisions spot on too.
Jos Buttler: The wicket-keeper batsman is arguably the most exciting cricketer who will be lining up for either side. Buttler was seen initially as a one-day specialist due to his aggressive hitting, but the new found England have seen no reason why he can't translate that to the test arena.
He scored two wonderful fifties in the test series against New Zealand recently and he'll be keen to grab his first test century as soon as possible after getting his debut last July against India. He won't be feared of the likes of Johnson and Starc and if England are in a good position batting wise when he comes to the crease, he has the ability to bat the Australians out of the game quickly.
I might have focused on his batting here, but he is improving all the time as a wicket keeper and I have a funny feeling he won't be shy in engaging in a bit of sledging with the Aussie batsmen, which could work to England's advantage.
Jimmy Anderson: With over 400 test wickets, Anderson will be leading England's attack. Still more than capable of delivering near perfect spells, the Lancashire lad will be looking to find as much swing as possible in the English conditions which he has used to great effect before, especially in 2013 when he took five wickets in each Australian innings at Trent Bridge.
If the groundsmen have prepared the pitch to suit Anderson's pace and bounce then his deliveries could prove very effective against the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Adam Voges in the Australian top order. His experience and help to captain Alastair Cook on the pitch and in the dressing room with younger players will be invaluable to new England coach Trevor Bayliss as well.
Ben Stokes: Like Buttler, a player who can be absolutely devastating when on top form with the bat and the Australians will be wary of a player who made his test debut against them in the last Ashes series.
Despite England's humiliation, Stokes showed no fear and in only his second test scored a magnificent 120 in a losing cause in Perth. He also picked up six wickets in the final test in Sydney and many felt a new star had been born.
However, Stokes was still a work in progress and it wasn't until the recent series against New Zealand where he showcased his talent to all of its ability for the first time. After a 92 in the first innings of the first test, he scored the fastest ever test century by an Englishman in the second innings in just 85 balls. He has the potential to be England's all-rounder hero this summer just like Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was in 2005 if he shows no fear and can find the proper line and length with the ball.
If this series is half as good as the 2005 series was or even 2009's edition then I'll be glued to the Sky Sports Ashes Channel over the next couple of months. The Ashes can make or break players. They can either stand up and be counted and become national sporting legends or crumble like England have done down under in recent years. It will be fascinating to watch whatever happens.
For cricketing fans, this is like Christmas and birthday's rolled into one. Here's to a great summer of cricket!
Saturday, 27 June 2015
Andy Murray's (potential) route to (potential) Wimbledon glory
With the Wimbledon championships now only two days away from starting, excitement is at fever pitch among tennis fans, in what is seen as the highlight of their sporting calendar.
Excitement is particularly prevalent among Andy Murray supporters as they hope the man from Dunblane can go on and lift a second men's singles title on Sunday July 12th. After the draw was made yesterday, many have said that Murray faces a tough route if he is to secure another Grand Slam title. It is true that he might have to potentially face Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in the final three rounds if he is to succeed but with his form and a huge crowd backing him, there's no reason to doubt Murray. He can complete a fantastic second triumph as I wrote earlier this week : http://ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/andy-murray-is-primed-for-second.html
With that in mind, here is Murray's potential route to another Wimbledon triumph in just over two weeks time.
Round One: Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan)
Murray's first opponent on Tuesday will be the World Number 58 from Kazakhstan. It's not an absolutely perfect start for Murray, but he shouldn't have too many problems against someone who does share something in common with Murray in that he is coached by a woman.
Murray has defeated Kukushkin on the two previous occasions the pair have met, both wins coming in a spell in Australia in 2012, where Murray won in three sets in the Brisbane Open, before comfortably beating Kukushkin in the Australian Open fourth round 6-1, 6-1 before Kukushkin retired after the first game of the third set. Murray isn't taking his opponent lightly and rightly so, considering he took a set off Nadal in the third round last year at Wimbledon and also beat Gael Monfils and Viktor Troicki in that run at the Australian Open.
Murray is too clever for this level of opponent though and I'm expecting a straight sets victory with the form he's in.
Round Two: Robin Haase (Netherlands)
Assuming a safe passage is negotiated by Murray through round one, he would most likely face Dutchman Robin Haase in round two. The pair know each other well having met on numerous occasions over the years, with the most famous seeing Murray fight back from two sets down to win in the second round of the 2011 US Open.
Murray has also beaten Haase more recently at the 2014 US Open, though he again was pushed in four sets. He also beat the man from Holland in straight sets in the 2013 Australian Open, with Haase's solitary victory in the match up coming at Rotterdam in 2008.
Haase is a tricky customer on his day but Murray shouldn't have much problems against an opponent who has only reached the third round once in six attempts at Wimbledon and that was four years ago.
Another potential opponent in Round Two for Murray is Colombian Alejandro Falla who almost stunned Centre Court and the sporting world in 2010, when he took a two sets lead against Roger Federer in the first round, only for the Swiss legend to fightback and end his heroic performance. That was five years ago though and Falla is more of a clay court specialist, so Murray wouldn't be overly troubled by him.
Round Three: Andreas Seppi (Italy)
A potential first 'proper' test for Murray would come in the last 32 against experienced Italian Andreas Seppi, who reached the final of the Halle Open on grass last week before losing to Roger Federer. That was revenge for Federer, over an opponent who defeated him in the third round of the Australian Open this year.
That highlights Seppi's skill and he definitely shouldn't be underestimated by Murray. The Italian also reached the last 16 at Wimbledon in 2013, defeating Kei Nishikori en route. He also won the pre Wimbledon grass court tournament at Eastbourne in 2011 and also reached the final of the same tournament in 2012, so Murray will have to play near to his best here.
Rising star Borna Coric from Croatia is also a potential opponent for Murray here and Murray will be wary if he does come up against him as he has already lost to the 18 year old in Dubai this year. You have to feel though Murray would have too much for him, in what is Coric's Wimbledon debut.
Round Four: Jo Wilfried Tsonga (France)
This would be a huge test for Murray as he entered the second week of the championships, particularly if the Frenchman played at his blistering and aggressive best on the day.
Murray does have an excellent record against Tsonga though, winning ten out of their 13 encounters including a semi final victory in 2012, to put him through to his first Wimbledon final. He also won their most recent encounter at the 2014 US Open, at a time when Murray wasn't playing anywhere near his best.
With Murray now in top form, you have to fancy him against a player who whilst he can be brilliant is also prone to a lot of unforced errors; exactly the sort of player Murray likes to play against. Tsonga is dangerous though and defeated Roger Federer from two sets down at Wimbledon in 2011 and loves the grass courts of Wimbledon.
I predict a four sets victory for Murray against an opponent who would face some potentially tough tests to get to the last 16, including a challenge against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in Round One. Muller produced an incredible serving display at Queens recently against Murray, with Murray having to be a his defensive best to get through the quarter final. Big serving Ivo Karlovic could also be a very tough test for the Frenchman in Round 3. Karlovic might now be 36 but his serve is still a lethal weapon and he recently won a grass court doubles title in the Netherlands.
Quarter Final: Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Who would ever have thought that we would see a day that Rafael Nadal would be seeded 10th in the draw for Wimbledon? That is the reality though for the Spaniard, who is clearly suffering from a lack of confidence in his game, despite winning a grass court tournament in Stuttgart earlier this month.
He was soundly beaten by Novak Djokovic in their quarter final meeting at the French Open and was also beaten by Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters in May. He couldn't continue his recent grass court form at Queens last week when he lost to Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round.
Nadal might have won this Championship twice in 2008 and 2010 and reached the final on three other occasions, but there can be no doubting the man from Mallorca is not the player he was. Injuries have started to take their toll on him and players are no longer as intimidated by him, even on clay.
Murray has been beaten by Nadal everytime they have faced each other at Wimbledon but he would go into this quarter final meeting as favourite, due to clearly being in the better form. He would also take heart from the fact he beat Nadal on his favoured clay surface recently and know he would be playing a man who in the last three years at SW19 has lost to Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrigos.
Right now, I don't think Nadal will make this stage as he faces tough tests right from the word go with Round One pairing him against wily Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci. It is Round Three I see Nadal falling in to the Serbian Viktor Troicki, who is enjoying a renaissance and got to the semi finals of Queens last week.
Murray's likely opponent if Nadal didn't make it to the last eight would be Nadal's countryman David Ferrer. Ferrer might be 33 now, but he is as spirited as ever and never knows when he is beaten and would likely pose a tougher challenge than Nadal right now to Murray. Having said that Murray beat Ferrer in the quarter finals of the French Open this year, his third win in succession against the veteran and he did win their only grass court encounter, winning in four sets in the last eight of the 2012 Wimbledon championships.
Semi-Final: Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Federer is someone who barely needs an introduction. He has lifted the Wimbledon trophy on seven occasions and has won 17 Grand Slams in all. It's fair to say then, this is hardly the easiest potential semi final for Murray, against a man who defeated him in the 2012 final.
That 2012 final though remains the last Grand Slam Federer has won and as he approaches 34, issues surrounding his energy against younger opponents are coming to the fore more often as seen with his straight sets defeat by countryman Stan Wawrinka in the French Open this year. Federer can never be ruled out on grass though, having reached the final at Wimbledon 12 months ago and he collected another Halle Open title last weekend as a perfect preparation.
Murray would be keen for revenge against Federer for that final and of course did gain a degree of revenge shortly after that final, when he produced a stunning display to defeat him in straight sets and win Olympic gold on the same centre court.
Federer might be desperate for a record breaking eighth Wimbledon title, but Murray at a semi final stage would be equally motivated to win through to the final and over a five set match, potentially in hot temperatures, Murray at almost six years younger than his opponent has to be fancied to win through.
Final: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
You would be forgiven for being exhausted even just reading up to this stage about what Murray has to do to reach the final, but he would require one more huge effort to win a second Wimbledon crown against the man he defeated to win the trophy in 2013.
The World Number One has beaten Murray on the eight occasions they have met since that final two years ago, including in the Australian Open final and French Open semi finals this year. However, backed by a huge crowd I think Murray would have the edge over his opponent who does seem to have a weakness when it comes to Grand Slam finals, despite his often flawless performances leading up to finals day. He has lost six of his last nine finals, including to Wawrinka in France when he seemed set to complete the career Grand Slam.
Murray knows he has the beating of Djokovic on centre court and would be motivated to do it again, especially by winning a grand slam title under the guidance of coach Amelie Mauresmo, who Murray feels has come in for some unfair criticism. Murray also produced incredible tennis against Djokovic recently in France to fightback from two sets down in their French Open semi final. Although he lost the match, Murray showed that he is truly at the level again where he has the match and beating of Djokovic and if conditions are perfect like they were in 2013, then we could be in for a case of deja vu.
It all begins on Tuesday for Murray, as he embarks on his 10th appearance at Wimbledon. Come on Andy!
Excitement is particularly prevalent among Andy Murray supporters as they hope the man from Dunblane can go on and lift a second men's singles title on Sunday July 12th. After the draw was made yesterday, many have said that Murray faces a tough route if he is to secure another Grand Slam title. It is true that he might have to potentially face Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in the final three rounds if he is to succeed but with his form and a huge crowd backing him, there's no reason to doubt Murray. He can complete a fantastic second triumph as I wrote earlier this week : http://ewansworldofsport.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/andy-murray-is-primed-for-second.html
With that in mind, here is Murray's potential route to another Wimbledon triumph in just over two weeks time.
Round One: Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan)
Murray's first opponent on Tuesday will be the World Number 58 from Kazakhstan. It's not an absolutely perfect start for Murray, but he shouldn't have too many problems against someone who does share something in common with Murray in that he is coached by a woman.
Murray has defeated Kukushkin on the two previous occasions the pair have met, both wins coming in a spell in Australia in 2012, where Murray won in three sets in the Brisbane Open, before comfortably beating Kukushkin in the Australian Open fourth round 6-1, 6-1 before Kukushkin retired after the first game of the third set. Murray isn't taking his opponent lightly and rightly so, considering he took a set off Nadal in the third round last year at Wimbledon and also beat Gael Monfils and Viktor Troicki in that run at the Australian Open.
Murray is too clever for this level of opponent though and I'm expecting a straight sets victory with the form he's in.
Round Two: Robin Haase (Netherlands)
Assuming a safe passage is negotiated by Murray through round one, he would most likely face Dutchman Robin Haase in round two. The pair know each other well having met on numerous occasions over the years, with the most famous seeing Murray fight back from two sets down to win in the second round of the 2011 US Open.
Murray has also beaten Haase more recently at the 2014 US Open, though he again was pushed in four sets. He also beat the man from Holland in straight sets in the 2013 Australian Open, with Haase's solitary victory in the match up coming at Rotterdam in 2008.
Haase is a tricky customer on his day but Murray shouldn't have much problems against an opponent who has only reached the third round once in six attempts at Wimbledon and that was four years ago.
Another potential opponent in Round Two for Murray is Colombian Alejandro Falla who almost stunned Centre Court and the sporting world in 2010, when he took a two sets lead against Roger Federer in the first round, only for the Swiss legend to fightback and end his heroic performance. That was five years ago though and Falla is more of a clay court specialist, so Murray wouldn't be overly troubled by him.
Round Three: Andreas Seppi (Italy)
A potential first 'proper' test for Murray would come in the last 32 against experienced Italian Andreas Seppi, who reached the final of the Halle Open on grass last week before losing to Roger Federer. That was revenge for Federer, over an opponent who defeated him in the third round of the Australian Open this year.
That highlights Seppi's skill and he definitely shouldn't be underestimated by Murray. The Italian also reached the last 16 at Wimbledon in 2013, defeating Kei Nishikori en route. He also won the pre Wimbledon grass court tournament at Eastbourne in 2011 and also reached the final of the same tournament in 2012, so Murray will have to play near to his best here.
Rising star Borna Coric from Croatia is also a potential opponent for Murray here and Murray will be wary if he does come up against him as he has already lost to the 18 year old in Dubai this year. You have to feel though Murray would have too much for him, in what is Coric's Wimbledon debut.
Round Four: Jo Wilfried Tsonga (France)
This would be a huge test for Murray as he entered the second week of the championships, particularly if the Frenchman played at his blistering and aggressive best on the day.
Murray does have an excellent record against Tsonga though, winning ten out of their 13 encounters including a semi final victory in 2012, to put him through to his first Wimbledon final. He also won their most recent encounter at the 2014 US Open, at a time when Murray wasn't playing anywhere near his best.
With Murray now in top form, you have to fancy him against a player who whilst he can be brilliant is also prone to a lot of unforced errors; exactly the sort of player Murray likes to play against. Tsonga is dangerous though and defeated Roger Federer from two sets down at Wimbledon in 2011 and loves the grass courts of Wimbledon.
I predict a four sets victory for Murray against an opponent who would face some potentially tough tests to get to the last 16, including a challenge against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in Round One. Muller produced an incredible serving display at Queens recently against Murray, with Murray having to be a his defensive best to get through the quarter final. Big serving Ivo Karlovic could also be a very tough test for the Frenchman in Round 3. Karlovic might now be 36 but his serve is still a lethal weapon and he recently won a grass court doubles title in the Netherlands.
Quarter Final: Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Who would ever have thought that we would see a day that Rafael Nadal would be seeded 10th in the draw for Wimbledon? That is the reality though for the Spaniard, who is clearly suffering from a lack of confidence in his game, despite winning a grass court tournament in Stuttgart earlier this month.
He was soundly beaten by Novak Djokovic in their quarter final meeting at the French Open and was also beaten by Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters in May. He couldn't continue his recent grass court form at Queens last week when he lost to Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round.
Nadal might have won this Championship twice in 2008 and 2010 and reached the final on three other occasions, but there can be no doubting the man from Mallorca is not the player he was. Injuries have started to take their toll on him and players are no longer as intimidated by him, even on clay.
Murray has been beaten by Nadal everytime they have faced each other at Wimbledon but he would go into this quarter final meeting as favourite, due to clearly being in the better form. He would also take heart from the fact he beat Nadal on his favoured clay surface recently and know he would be playing a man who in the last three years at SW19 has lost to Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrigos.
Right now, I don't think Nadal will make this stage as he faces tough tests right from the word go with Round One pairing him against wily Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci. It is Round Three I see Nadal falling in to the Serbian Viktor Troicki, who is enjoying a renaissance and got to the semi finals of Queens last week.
Murray's likely opponent if Nadal didn't make it to the last eight would be Nadal's countryman David Ferrer. Ferrer might be 33 now, but he is as spirited as ever and never knows when he is beaten and would likely pose a tougher challenge than Nadal right now to Murray. Having said that Murray beat Ferrer in the quarter finals of the French Open this year, his third win in succession against the veteran and he did win their only grass court encounter, winning in four sets in the last eight of the 2012 Wimbledon championships.
Semi-Final: Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Federer is someone who barely needs an introduction. He has lifted the Wimbledon trophy on seven occasions and has won 17 Grand Slams in all. It's fair to say then, this is hardly the easiest potential semi final for Murray, against a man who defeated him in the 2012 final.
That 2012 final though remains the last Grand Slam Federer has won and as he approaches 34, issues surrounding his energy against younger opponents are coming to the fore more often as seen with his straight sets defeat by countryman Stan Wawrinka in the French Open this year. Federer can never be ruled out on grass though, having reached the final at Wimbledon 12 months ago and he collected another Halle Open title last weekend as a perfect preparation.
Murray would be keen for revenge against Federer for that final and of course did gain a degree of revenge shortly after that final, when he produced a stunning display to defeat him in straight sets and win Olympic gold on the same centre court.
Federer might be desperate for a record breaking eighth Wimbledon title, but Murray at a semi final stage would be equally motivated to win through to the final and over a five set match, potentially in hot temperatures, Murray at almost six years younger than his opponent has to be fancied to win through.
Final: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
You would be forgiven for being exhausted even just reading up to this stage about what Murray has to do to reach the final, but he would require one more huge effort to win a second Wimbledon crown against the man he defeated to win the trophy in 2013.
The World Number One has beaten Murray on the eight occasions they have met since that final two years ago, including in the Australian Open final and French Open semi finals this year. However, backed by a huge crowd I think Murray would have the edge over his opponent who does seem to have a weakness when it comes to Grand Slam finals, despite his often flawless performances leading up to finals day. He has lost six of his last nine finals, including to Wawrinka in France when he seemed set to complete the career Grand Slam.
Murray knows he has the beating of Djokovic on centre court and would be motivated to do it again, especially by winning a grand slam title under the guidance of coach Amelie Mauresmo, who Murray feels has come in for some unfair criticism. Murray also produced incredible tennis against Djokovic recently in France to fightback from two sets down in their French Open semi final. Although he lost the match, Murray showed that he is truly at the level again where he has the match and beating of Djokovic and if conditions are perfect like they were in 2013, then we could be in for a case of deja vu.
It all begins on Tuesday for Murray, as he embarks on his 10th appearance at Wimbledon. Come on Andy!
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Andy Murray is primed for a second Wimbledon title
Come Monday, the nation will hold it's collective breath for two weeks as Andy Murray sets out on his annual quest to emerge as the men's singles champion at Wimbledon. Of course, in 2013 Murray delivered a truly great British sporting afternoon when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to become the first British male to win Wimbledon for 77 years.
Now the man from Dunblane looks primed and ready to win a second Wimbledon title which would place him alongside current greats like Djokovic and Nadal and legends like Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg. So why am I feeling so confident about Murray's chances ahead of the 2015 tournament? A number of factors are in play.
The main one was his stunning week at Queens, which culminated in a victory over the big serving South African Kevin Anderson on Sunday to lift the trophy for a record equalling fourth time. Throughout the match, Murray always looked in total command of the situation, punishing Anderson with a series of aggressive groundstrokes, with his cross-court backhand skidding through the fast courts of Queens at its ferocious best. Add in the fact that he had to come out early on Sunday morning to complete a semi-final win against the wily Viktor Troicki and his win against Anderson becomes all the more impressive.
Not for one moment did Murray look tired on Sunday afternoon; it was quite the opposite in fact. He looked so relaxed and positive on court. Married life with Kim is treating him well as he's only lost one match since their wedding in April. Winning at Queens doesn't mean Murray's automatically going to win at Wimbledon of course as he won the title in 2009 and 2011 and didn't win at Wimbledon, though he did manage the back to back grass court titles in 2013.
Murray's form this year has also been a cause for huge celebration. He has reached the final of the Australian Open and the semi finals of the French Open in the first two slam events of 2015 whilst he also brilliantly dismantled Nadal to win the Madrid Masters on clay. He also picked up a clay court title in Munich and reached the final of the Miami Masters and helped Great Britain to a Davis Cup win over the USA in March. He really couldn't have asked for a better first half of the year, though regular defeats to Novak Djokovic, particularly in the Australian Open final will be rankling with him heading in to Wimbledon.
However, he certainly hasn't seemed to have let those defeats linger on his mind for as long as he has done previously which again is a positive sign coming into Wimbledon where he knows he can beat Djokovic and other top players. He has just got on with developing his game under the guidance of Amelie Mauresmo and new coaching addition Jonas Bjorkman to the point where it needs to be a Novak Djokovic at his best that is able to stop him.
The draw to be made on Friday may yet throw up some tricky surprises for Murray but when he's playing this good on grass, he takes a lot of stopping. From winning Olympic Gold in 2012 to that Wimbledon triumph, he won 17 matches on grass in a row. For him to say he's playing better now than he was then is sure to worry the other players, but also delight Murray fans.
He also looks hungry for a slam and I get the impression he'd be very, very disappointed if he didn't lift a Grand Slam trophy in 2015 after a 2014 in which he almost felt his way back into top level tennis after significant back surgery. Now he is free of any problems with the back, he's more confident in his own ability again and is producing a wonderful array of shots. Dare I say, his notoriously weak second serve even looks good right now?
Djokovic remains the danger but as Greg Rusedski pointed out recently in an interview with the Daily Mail, he has lost six of his last nine Grand Slam Finals, which shows there is a mental weakness there. The Serb also doesn't react well to a partisan crowd, which it clearly would be against him at Wimbledon for any encounter against Murray, just like it was in 2013. Djokovic didn't play badly that day but to an extent he was always fighting against a rowdy crowd desperate for a Murray win, which did affect his game at big moments.
Murray can ensure that happens again with an aggressive style which I'd like to see him come out with in Round One in order to send a message to everyone else in the locker room that he's in peak form.
It feels rather strange feeling so confident about Murray going into a Grand Slam but his relaxed nature and positive results this year have ensured that I do feel good about his chances. No doubt I'll get more nervous as the rounds progress, but for now it could be time for more Murray mania come Sunday July 12th on men's finals day.
Now the man from Dunblane looks primed and ready to win a second Wimbledon title which would place him alongside current greats like Djokovic and Nadal and legends like Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg. So why am I feeling so confident about Murray's chances ahead of the 2015 tournament? A number of factors are in play.
The main one was his stunning week at Queens, which culminated in a victory over the big serving South African Kevin Anderson on Sunday to lift the trophy for a record equalling fourth time. Throughout the match, Murray always looked in total command of the situation, punishing Anderson with a series of aggressive groundstrokes, with his cross-court backhand skidding through the fast courts of Queens at its ferocious best. Add in the fact that he had to come out early on Sunday morning to complete a semi-final win against the wily Viktor Troicki and his win against Anderson becomes all the more impressive.
Not for one moment did Murray look tired on Sunday afternoon; it was quite the opposite in fact. He looked so relaxed and positive on court. Married life with Kim is treating him well as he's only lost one match since their wedding in April. Winning at Queens doesn't mean Murray's automatically going to win at Wimbledon of course as he won the title in 2009 and 2011 and didn't win at Wimbledon, though he did manage the back to back grass court titles in 2013.
Murray's form this year has also been a cause for huge celebration. He has reached the final of the Australian Open and the semi finals of the French Open in the first two slam events of 2015 whilst he also brilliantly dismantled Nadal to win the Madrid Masters on clay. He also picked up a clay court title in Munich and reached the final of the Miami Masters and helped Great Britain to a Davis Cup win over the USA in March. He really couldn't have asked for a better first half of the year, though regular defeats to Novak Djokovic, particularly in the Australian Open final will be rankling with him heading in to Wimbledon.
However, he certainly hasn't seemed to have let those defeats linger on his mind for as long as he has done previously which again is a positive sign coming into Wimbledon where he knows he can beat Djokovic and other top players. He has just got on with developing his game under the guidance of Amelie Mauresmo and new coaching addition Jonas Bjorkman to the point where it needs to be a Novak Djokovic at his best that is able to stop him.
The draw to be made on Friday may yet throw up some tricky surprises for Murray but when he's playing this good on grass, he takes a lot of stopping. From winning Olympic Gold in 2012 to that Wimbledon triumph, he won 17 matches on grass in a row. For him to say he's playing better now than he was then is sure to worry the other players, but also delight Murray fans.
He also looks hungry for a slam and I get the impression he'd be very, very disappointed if he didn't lift a Grand Slam trophy in 2015 after a 2014 in which he almost felt his way back into top level tennis after significant back surgery. Now he is free of any problems with the back, he's more confident in his own ability again and is producing a wonderful array of shots. Dare I say, his notoriously weak second serve even looks good right now?
Djokovic remains the danger but as Greg Rusedski pointed out recently in an interview with the Daily Mail, he has lost six of his last nine Grand Slam Finals, which shows there is a mental weakness there. The Serb also doesn't react well to a partisan crowd, which it clearly would be against him at Wimbledon for any encounter against Murray, just like it was in 2013. Djokovic didn't play badly that day but to an extent he was always fighting against a rowdy crowd desperate for a Murray win, which did affect his game at big moments.
Murray can ensure that happens again with an aggressive style which I'd like to see him come out with in Round One in order to send a message to everyone else in the locker room that he's in peak form.
It feels rather strange feeling so confident about Murray going into a Grand Slam but his relaxed nature and positive results this year have ensured that I do feel good about his chances. No doubt I'll get more nervous as the rounds progress, but for now it could be time for more Murray mania come Sunday July 12th on men's finals day.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Mark Warburton is a risk- but it's one Rangers had to take
Life is full of risks and hiring someone for a new job in your company is one of the biggest. When making the decision, you've got to be entirely sure you have the right person for the role.
Sometimes the right person might not be the most qualified or tick every box but they are a gamble worth taking at that time because it will pay off long-term. That's exactly how I feel about the appointment of Mark Warburton at Rangers. He might not have managed or played in Scottish football before, but the time is right for the club to have a fresh start with someone who's going to bring a new way of thinking and a lot of ideas to all aspects at Ibrox.
To put it frankly, 'the journey' over the last three years as Rangers have made their way back up the divisions of Scottish football has been a disaster. The first two league titles might have been won with relative ease, but the football was uninspiring as Rangers suffered embarrassing defeats and draws on a semi-regular basis against part-timers. The squad was also full of players who didn't seem interested for the most part and were only there for a big pay day, leaving fans frustrated when they didn't come anywhere near to earning those wages.
Ally McCoist as a manager simply wasn't good enough either and had no concept of wanting to implement his own style on the team and showed too much respect to teams that Rangers should have been winning comfortably against. In season 2014/15 in the Championship everything came to a head at Rangers as on the park McCoist was completely found out in the games against Hearts and Hibs, as Rangers fell further and further behind in the league. His assistant Kenny McDowall who took over for a spell clearly didn't want to be there before Stuart McCall came to the rescue in March and at least got the club to the play-off final.
McCall must be thanked for his efforts with a squad with severe limitations and desire and his comments upon wishing Warburton and his assistant Davie Weir all the best in their roles showed the class of the man, who will always be welcome at Ibrox.
However, the feeling among the fans was that Rangers heading into the 2015/16 season needed to start completely fresh. A new board was in place and with so many players out of contract, the chance was there for a management team to implement a squad of their own. That's why despite the credentials of Derek McInnes and Stuart McCall, they still didn't strike me as managers capable of completely overhauling the club's philosophy.
Arguably, either of them would have won promotion and whilst that is clearly Rangers main priority, for me they need more than right now. They need someone who is going to start buying players with an aim that they will significantly improve the squad and be a potential asset to sell on for profit in the future. They need someone who will implement an attacking style so that fans can enjoy coming to watch 90 minutes at Ibrox. They need someone who understands youth players do deserve a chance. And they need someone who isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers.
Mark Warburton ticks all those boxes for me. The main reason why he's seen by some as a risk is clearly his lack of experience at the top level, even though he is 52. He didn't have much of a playing career, with his highlight coming at Enfield in 1982 when he won the FA Trophy, although he did experience running up the sand dunes under Rangers legend Jock Wallace, whilst the fearsome Scot was managing Leicester.
Add in his only managerial job to date so far has been at Brentford and you can understand why some people are telling me he is the wrong option for Rangers. Dismissing him as only having managed Brentford is looking at Warburton way too simplistically.
His first coaching role came with Watford's academy way back in 2006 where he was given the responsibility for managing the academy teams from the Under 9s to the Under 16s. In his coaching role he brought the skills and mindset he had learnt travelling round Europe and visiting clubs such as Barcelona, Ajax and Valencia, after leaving his job as a city trader.
A reshuffle at Watford saw Warburton moved to the role of assistant academy manager helping with the U17s to U19s teams enabling players to be ready for first team football. A reported fallout in 2010 saw him leave the club and it was around that time he was instrumental in setting up Uefa's Next Gen series, a U19 club competition in conjunction with the Champions League.
Warburton's commitment to developing youth players and giving them every opportunity to make it is one of his most impressive qualities and at his press conference on Monday, it was refreshing to her him say the academy should be the heartbeat of the club. Rangers can ill afford to keep paying big wages to players over 30 and who aren't good enough anymore. Auchenhowie needs to be utilised much more as well as bringing in youngsters who can be sold on in the future which makes perfect sense for where Rangers are currently and this clearly seems to be Warburton's ideology.
It is record at Brentford that most impresses me though, especially when you add in the fact he also spent a spell as sporting director at the club. Now I wouldn't have Warburton in charge of every footballing aspect at Rangers but it's heartening to know the club has a manager in charge who knows about scouting, finances, contracts and agents.
When he made the move to the dugout at Brentford in late 2013 he took to it like a duck to water. Having stamped his authority by hiring Weir as his assistant he promptly became the first manager in the club's history to win his first six games in charge. That form continued throughout the second half of the 2013/14 season with Warburton receiving three Manager of the Month nominations. Promotion was secured with three games to spare with Warburton's side finishing with an impressive 94 points.
If people thought Brentford were going to come straight back down then they were mistaken as Warburton set about challenging for the Championship, playing a brand of attacking football. He doesn't bring everyone back at corners and he's only interested in his team scoring more than the opposition. What a change that will be in the Ibrox dugout.
To lead a club like Brentford, who's highest attendance last season was 12,225 into the play-offs was a terrific achievement finishing ahead of big teams like Leeds, Wolves and Derby. Some say this is nothing compared to the task he has at Rangers.
They are correct up to a point. Rangers are clearly a much bigger club than Brentford and he'll need to deliver results every week. But his success down south tells me he is a winner and that is exactly the sort of character that rubs off in dressing rooms.
I'm glad a club legend like Weir is alongside to guide him but Warburton will be his own man. He's ambitious and very driven to succeed, which comes from his city background. He won't be clowning around on the training ground or taking part in karaoke sessions like McCoist.
Warburton is going to bring back proper standards to the club whilst sending out a team to play attacking football. That alone sums up why I believe like many other fans that the new Rangers board have pulled off a very clever move.
Sometimes the right person might not be the most qualified or tick every box but they are a gamble worth taking at that time because it will pay off long-term. That's exactly how I feel about the appointment of Mark Warburton at Rangers. He might not have managed or played in Scottish football before, but the time is right for the club to have a fresh start with someone who's going to bring a new way of thinking and a lot of ideas to all aspects at Ibrox.
To put it frankly, 'the journey' over the last three years as Rangers have made their way back up the divisions of Scottish football has been a disaster. The first two league titles might have been won with relative ease, but the football was uninspiring as Rangers suffered embarrassing defeats and draws on a semi-regular basis against part-timers. The squad was also full of players who didn't seem interested for the most part and were only there for a big pay day, leaving fans frustrated when they didn't come anywhere near to earning those wages.
Ally McCoist as a manager simply wasn't good enough either and had no concept of wanting to implement his own style on the team and showed too much respect to teams that Rangers should have been winning comfortably against. In season 2014/15 in the Championship everything came to a head at Rangers as on the park McCoist was completely found out in the games against Hearts and Hibs, as Rangers fell further and further behind in the league. His assistant Kenny McDowall who took over for a spell clearly didn't want to be there before Stuart McCall came to the rescue in March and at least got the club to the play-off final.
McCall must be thanked for his efforts with a squad with severe limitations and desire and his comments upon wishing Warburton and his assistant Davie Weir all the best in their roles showed the class of the man, who will always be welcome at Ibrox.
However, the feeling among the fans was that Rangers heading into the 2015/16 season needed to start completely fresh. A new board was in place and with so many players out of contract, the chance was there for a management team to implement a squad of their own. That's why despite the credentials of Derek McInnes and Stuart McCall, they still didn't strike me as managers capable of completely overhauling the club's philosophy.
Arguably, either of them would have won promotion and whilst that is clearly Rangers main priority, for me they need more than right now. They need someone who is going to start buying players with an aim that they will significantly improve the squad and be a potential asset to sell on for profit in the future. They need someone who will implement an attacking style so that fans can enjoy coming to watch 90 minutes at Ibrox. They need someone who understands youth players do deserve a chance. And they need someone who isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers.
Mark Warburton ticks all those boxes for me. The main reason why he's seen by some as a risk is clearly his lack of experience at the top level, even though he is 52. He didn't have much of a playing career, with his highlight coming at Enfield in 1982 when he won the FA Trophy, although he did experience running up the sand dunes under Rangers legend Jock Wallace, whilst the fearsome Scot was managing Leicester.
Add in his only managerial job to date so far has been at Brentford and you can understand why some people are telling me he is the wrong option for Rangers. Dismissing him as only having managed Brentford is looking at Warburton way too simplistically.
His first coaching role came with Watford's academy way back in 2006 where he was given the responsibility for managing the academy teams from the Under 9s to the Under 16s. In his coaching role he brought the skills and mindset he had learnt travelling round Europe and visiting clubs such as Barcelona, Ajax and Valencia, after leaving his job as a city trader.
A reshuffle at Watford saw Warburton moved to the role of assistant academy manager helping with the U17s to U19s teams enabling players to be ready for first team football. A reported fallout in 2010 saw him leave the club and it was around that time he was instrumental in setting up Uefa's Next Gen series, a U19 club competition in conjunction with the Champions League.
Warburton's commitment to developing youth players and giving them every opportunity to make it is one of his most impressive qualities and at his press conference on Monday, it was refreshing to her him say the academy should be the heartbeat of the club. Rangers can ill afford to keep paying big wages to players over 30 and who aren't good enough anymore. Auchenhowie needs to be utilised much more as well as bringing in youngsters who can be sold on in the future which makes perfect sense for where Rangers are currently and this clearly seems to be Warburton's ideology.
It is record at Brentford that most impresses me though, especially when you add in the fact he also spent a spell as sporting director at the club. Now I wouldn't have Warburton in charge of every footballing aspect at Rangers but it's heartening to know the club has a manager in charge who knows about scouting, finances, contracts and agents.
When he made the move to the dugout at Brentford in late 2013 he took to it like a duck to water. Having stamped his authority by hiring Weir as his assistant he promptly became the first manager in the club's history to win his first six games in charge. That form continued throughout the second half of the 2013/14 season with Warburton receiving three Manager of the Month nominations. Promotion was secured with three games to spare with Warburton's side finishing with an impressive 94 points.
If people thought Brentford were going to come straight back down then they were mistaken as Warburton set about challenging for the Championship, playing a brand of attacking football. He doesn't bring everyone back at corners and he's only interested in his team scoring more than the opposition. What a change that will be in the Ibrox dugout.
To lead a club like Brentford, who's highest attendance last season was 12,225 into the play-offs was a terrific achievement finishing ahead of big teams like Leeds, Wolves and Derby. Some say this is nothing compared to the task he has at Rangers.
They are correct up to a point. Rangers are clearly a much bigger club than Brentford and he'll need to deliver results every week. But his success down south tells me he is a winner and that is exactly the sort of character that rubs off in dressing rooms.
I'm glad a club legend like Weir is alongside to guide him but Warburton will be his own man. He's ambitious and very driven to succeed, which comes from his city background. He won't be clowning around on the training ground or taking part in karaoke sessions like McCoist.
Warburton is going to bring back proper standards to the club whilst sending out a team to play attacking football. That alone sums up why I believe like many other fans that the new Rangers board have pulled off a very clever move.
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Stan's the Man: Wawrinka's now part of the tennis elite
After the shock of seeing Rafa Nadal dismantled in straight sets in the quarter finals, those watching the French Open men's final on Sunday witnessed another stunning upset.
Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka beat World Number One Novak Djokovic (the man who dismantled Nadal in the quarters) in an incredible display in four sets of tennis to win his second grand slam title, following his win at the Australian Open last year.
Due to Nadal suffering from injury in that final, particularly during the second set when he looked set to retire, Wawrinka never got proper credit for his first slam win. That was harsh on the Swiss star, who had to cope with Nadal's situation and regroup after losing the third set.
Sunday's win though truly showed Wawrinka at his blistering best as he beat a man who had only lost twice this year and seemed finally destined to win the French Open and complete the career grand slam.
An even first set between the pair was lost when Wawrinka served a poor game at 3-3 but he soon hit Djokovic with a barrage of winners that even the greatest returner of all time couldn't find an answer to. His one handed backhand is arguably the most aggressive and potent shot in tennis and it was lethal on Sunday. Although it took him until his fifth break point to seal the second set, he was on top throughout as he electrified the crowd with winners on the forehand side as well as his trusted backhand.
Some utterly outrageous winners followed during the third set, including one which saw him hit a winner round the net post which delighted the Parisian crowd. Djokovic isn't one of the finest players ever to pick up a racquet for nothing and he fought back terrifically well at the start of the fourth set going into a 3-0 lead, as Wawrinka started to make some regular errors for the first time.
Anyone thinking Wawrinka was going to crack were then put in their place. A tremendous mix of defence and attack ensured he levelled up at 3-3. It was Djokovic's turn though for some brilliance as an incredible diving volley put him ahead before he suddenly got three break points on his opponents serve. Wawrinka's game came roaring back though and following some more terrific blows between the pair, it was Wawrinka who seized the opportunity and somewhat appropriately win the match with a blistering backhand.
His win propels him into the top four in the world rankings and he should now be considered as a huge threat in every grand slam. In an era where Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won 39 slams between them since 2003, Wawrinka is the only multiple slam champion other than Andy Murray in that period.
He dominated Federer and Djokovic in the French Open and he's also beaten Nadal and Murray in grand slams too. What he now needs to find in the slams to stay in the elite is consistency. Last year he lost in the first round of the French, then this year he wins it. A phenomenal turnaround, but also something that would be very unlikely to happen in Djokovic's, Nadal's or even Murray's world.
There is no doubting though that Wawrinka has massively improved since hiring former world number two Magnus Norman as his coach in 2013. He has made him believe he can beat the best and has led him to two slams as well as a semi final in Melbourne this year and at the US Open in 2013. He has turned him into an even more aggressive player, as the 59 winners on Sunday prove.
He might already be 30, but Wawrinka is playing like someone ten years younger right now. That fearless attitude poses a huge threat to everyone else in the men's game and whilst grass isn't Wawrinka's best surface, he can still be a major threat at Wimbledon.
Wawrinka has now moved out of Federer's shadow and is now his country's current tennis superstar. For that alone, he deserves massive credit.
Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka beat World Number One Novak Djokovic (the man who dismantled Nadal in the quarters) in an incredible display in four sets of tennis to win his second grand slam title, following his win at the Australian Open last year.
Due to Nadal suffering from injury in that final, particularly during the second set when he looked set to retire, Wawrinka never got proper credit for his first slam win. That was harsh on the Swiss star, who had to cope with Nadal's situation and regroup after losing the third set.
Sunday's win though truly showed Wawrinka at his blistering best as he beat a man who had only lost twice this year and seemed finally destined to win the French Open and complete the career grand slam.
An even first set between the pair was lost when Wawrinka served a poor game at 3-3 but he soon hit Djokovic with a barrage of winners that even the greatest returner of all time couldn't find an answer to. His one handed backhand is arguably the most aggressive and potent shot in tennis and it was lethal on Sunday. Although it took him until his fifth break point to seal the second set, he was on top throughout as he electrified the crowd with winners on the forehand side as well as his trusted backhand.
Some utterly outrageous winners followed during the third set, including one which saw him hit a winner round the net post which delighted the Parisian crowd. Djokovic isn't one of the finest players ever to pick up a racquet for nothing and he fought back terrifically well at the start of the fourth set going into a 3-0 lead, as Wawrinka started to make some regular errors for the first time.
Anyone thinking Wawrinka was going to crack were then put in their place. A tremendous mix of defence and attack ensured he levelled up at 3-3. It was Djokovic's turn though for some brilliance as an incredible diving volley put him ahead before he suddenly got three break points on his opponents serve. Wawrinka's game came roaring back though and following some more terrific blows between the pair, it was Wawrinka who seized the opportunity and somewhat appropriately win the match with a blistering backhand.
His win propels him into the top four in the world rankings and he should now be considered as a huge threat in every grand slam. In an era where Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won 39 slams between them since 2003, Wawrinka is the only multiple slam champion other than Andy Murray in that period.
He dominated Federer and Djokovic in the French Open and he's also beaten Nadal and Murray in grand slams too. What he now needs to find in the slams to stay in the elite is consistency. Last year he lost in the first round of the French, then this year he wins it. A phenomenal turnaround, but also something that would be very unlikely to happen in Djokovic's, Nadal's or even Murray's world.
There is no doubting though that Wawrinka has massively improved since hiring former world number two Magnus Norman as his coach in 2013. He has made him believe he can beat the best and has led him to two slams as well as a semi final in Melbourne this year and at the US Open in 2013. He has turned him into an even more aggressive player, as the 59 winners on Sunday prove.
He might already be 30, but Wawrinka is playing like someone ten years younger right now. That fearless attitude poses a huge threat to everyone else in the men's game and whilst grass isn't Wawrinka's best surface, he can still be a major threat at Wimbledon.
Wawrinka has now moved out of Federer's shadow and is now his country's current tennis superstar. For that alone, he deserves massive credit.
Thursday, 14 May 2015
England got it wrong with Kevin Pietersen- now they're afraid to go back
People make mistakes. That's just a fact of life. The world of cricket is no different.
Those running English cricket felt they were taking the right course of action in February 2014, when they decided to sack Kevin Pietersen after being whitewashed 5-0 by the Australians in a truly dismal Ashes series. Management including Paul Downton, Ashley Giles ( a man who shared a crease with Pietersen as he led England to the Ashes in 2005) and James Whitaker talked then about not only re-building the team for the future but also the team ethic.
It was clear that many felt that Pietersen was still a divisive figure in the dressing room and were unwilling to put this aside for a man who is England's all-time top scorer in all formats of the game and the man who had been England's top run scorer in the aforementioned Ashes series.
It looked then as if Pietersen's England career was over. That was until incoming English and Welsh cricket board chairman Colin Graves hinted at a softening stance towards Pietersen in March this year. Pietersen was naturally buoyed by Graves's interview and decided to leave his lucrative £250,000 contract in the Indian Premier League to return to English cricket with Surrey. He believed from Graves's words that if he showed form in county cricket, he could make his way back into the England set-up.
Then the madness of this week struck. New director of English cricket Andrew Strauss told Pietersen on Monday night that he would never be selected for England again as long as he was in charge. This came hours after Pietersen had scored an incredible 326 runs in one day for Surrey (he want on to finish on an unbeaten 355 on Tuesday). England cricket fans were furious and confused at the same time.
Strauss's press conference on Tuesday didn't clear up matters at all. In one sentence, the former England captain said that there were trust issues between him and Pietersen, then in another sentence, he revealed he had offered him an advisory role with the England one-day team. How on earth can you offer a role in a team set-up to someone you have trust issues with? It left Strauss open to ridicule and criticism which he rightfully got, only days into his new role.
Some said Pietersen should have accepted Strauss's offer; that he should be looking for any route back into the set-up. With all due respect, this isn't some average player we are talking about here. This is a man who's scored 23 centuries for England and over 8,000 runs in test cricket. He's helped his side win three Ashes in the last decade as well as a Twenty 20 World Cup. He's every right to turn down an offer like that.
He's also right to feel deceived by ECB chiefs. He's gone out and scored the runs they wanted him to. Some scoff and say it was only Leicestershire. The next top scorer for Surrey in that innings was Kumar Sangakkara with 36. Pietersen's 355 was the highest score in the County Championship in the 21st century. Yet England don't feel it's right to pick him.
And that's because they don't want to admit they were wrong. Deep down they must know they have weakened the team by ditching Pietersen. If they don't then English cricket is heading in a very worrying direction. Look at the names slamming Strauss's decision this week- Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Ian Botham, Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Geoff Boycott and Sangakkara. All legends of the game who can't understand why such a talented player isn't being picked.
You might have guessed by now I'm a fan of Pietersen. As he burst onto the scene in 2005 with three centuries in a one day series against South Africa I was gripped. His 158 in the final Ashes test in 2005 which secured England's victory in the series remains one of the finest innings I've ever watched.
However, I'm not so naive that I don't accept Pietersen's made mistakes. The insulting text messages to members of the South African team in 2012 when Strauss was England captain were stupid and plain wrong. And he knows that and it's perhaps why there are still issues of trust between the pair. His book last year certainly didn't hold back either, but plenty sports stars have written controversial books and come out the other side. It's called having an opinion.
He's also thrown away his wicket on too many occasions but he's hardly the only player guilty of doing that in the world of cricket. The fact remains is that Kevin Pietersen is one of, if not the most exciting batsman in the history of English cricket and a prize wicket for every opposition bowling attack. The Aussies must be laughing that their Ashes rivals aren't going to pick a man who's just hit a triple century just because there are 'trust issues'.
The best captains and managers deal with players who are perhaps a bit unique and upset the apple cart a bit. Why were Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher able to get the best out of Pietersen in the 2005 Ashes and Peter Moores and Andy Flower unable to work with him in other Ashes series? It's undoubtedly because the former gave Pietersen the freedom to express himself on and off the field whilst the others didn't create a happy working environment, not just for Pietersen but for the whole team.
Look at Paul Gascoigne; he was a maverick and genius in the way Pietersen is to an even greater extent. Managers like Walter Smith and Terry Venables got the best out of him because they understood that he was different, whilst also understanding the huge benefits he gave to club and country. Fall-outs are also part and parcel of team sports. Do you think Sir Alex Ferguson cared that Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole didn't speak to each other at Man Utd? Of course he didn't as they put that aside on the park and helped Fergie's club win the Treble.
If Pietersen wasn't liked by the England dressing room yet he went out and dominated the Australian bowling attack and helped England regain the Ashes this summer , would any lover of the England cricket team care? Of course they wouldn't.
People like Strauss and Cook don't want to admit they have got the Pietersen situation wrong so they are farcically sticking to their guns. Pietersen is one of those players that comes along every so often, that transcends beyond just cricketing lovers. He's like Freddie Flintoff or Ian Botham in that they are larger than life personalities, who need the right sort of management.
If there are trust issues between Strauss and Pietersen, then they should be worked out for the good of English cricket. Right now Strauss is coming across very childish; by not picking Pietersen he may even miss out on his number one target as the new England coach, Jason Gillespie, who has hinted he'd want to have Pietersen in his side.
The Pietersen situation has been allowed to develop into a fiasco but people who clearly don't have strong enough leadership skills to deal with a maverick in the dressing room, despite Pietersen still showing he has the talent to play for England.
For that and the way they've misled Pietersen, England cricket chiefs should hang their heads in shame.
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