' THE 'KOKK' STILL VERY LIMP'

Since Australia's very own 'Kokk' ( Thanassi Kokkinakis ) beat the great man himself, Roger Federer in Miami in March, he has done very little.

I have counted that since Miami, he has won around 4 matches in singles, mainly in qualifying rounds due to his rather low ranking.

It's a big fall from 'grace' for the 'Kokk' as he made the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard from a player outside of the top 100 when he upset the Fed.

"but when I am playing on my terms I don't feel there are too many people who can go with me ".

Yes that's what the Kokk said.

So one more time, here is the article I posted regarding the Kokk and his statement that had even the most hardened tennis critics cringing at the content of it.

Don't forget, tennis is a sport where you can be a hero one day, a real 'Kokk' the next. 

Never get a head of yourself...…

'THE KOKK BACK DOWN TO EARTH'
Written 24/5/2018

Jurgen Zopp is no household name yet he just beat the 'Kokk' in the second round of the French Open Qualifying Event in three sets, pretty comfortably in the decider.

For those of you unfamiliar with who the 'Kokk' is, well he is an Aussie tennis player who had the audacity after beating a tired Roger Federer in Miami earlier this year to say the following.

"but when I am playing on my terms I don't feel there are too many people who can go with me ".

Thanassi Kokkinakis ( Miami Press Conference ).

Hmmmmm.

That was possibly the silliest thing I have ever heard from a Tennis Professional.

You only play on your terms when you are playing a 'bunny', someone who doesn't offer much resistance, Roger Federer usually offers a bit more than most as far as resistance is concerned.

But rather than be humble about the win, the 'Kokk' came out with all guns blazing stating that his best was basically 'untouchable'. Sounds as though the Kokk went to the same school of tennis intelligence as Lleyton Hewitt.

Back to Jurgen Zopp.

The 'Jurg' is ranked World number 138 currently in singles, has won around 33 grand before Tax, this year, and has won NO titles, ever. Maybe in juniors he has but not in senior tennis. In fact the last match the Jurg played, well he lost to a bloke by the name of Mats Moraing who is ranked 155.

Never heard of him.

Back to the 'Kokk'.

Dumbest statement I have ever heard in tennis, did I mention that ?

World Tennis is an art form, a sport that tradition loves, a sport where guys like Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Vilas, of days gone by can still hold their heads up and be mentioned in the same breath as today's champions such as Fed, Rafa, Novak and Murray.

The way the ball is hit now days is a little quicker though the aforementioned players lacked nothing as far as talent is concerned on a tennis court, particularly when you consider wooden rackets were used back in the 'old days'.

The 'Kokk' should take some time out and get over himself, he is just another player on the World Tennis Tour, just another player who hits a good ball who will probably retire in the next 5 to 10 years with a big bank balance after winning very little.

Tennis now days in fact rewards 'mediocrity'.

You don't have to win titles to become rich at tennis now days, fact.

The 'Kokk' lost to Zopp, a player with no titles, outside the top 100, a player who scratches around on tour to make a living.

Zopp's best was way to good for 'Kokk' in Paris.

In fact in the first round of qualifying the 'Kokk' needed 3 sets to get over a guy ranked 791. 

'Kokk' should gain some perspective out of this.

Tough sport tennis...........

'FROM THE ATP SITE'

You gotta love the passion of Betty Scott who vented her spleen over certain 'issues 'at Wimbledon this year. She is very correct, the scheduling was beyond a mess, Why would you put Isner and Anderson on first ???
Well said.....

Add the clusterf*uck of the semi-final scheduling. Only braindead over-the-hill AELTC people would put the Isner/Anderson match on first. Because the possibility of a marathon match was very real and should have been factored in. Rafa and Novak should have played first. And more discussion is needed about the no tiebreak fifth set. Perhaps that is just for the final, when there's not another match to play in 2 days' time. This was unfair not only to ALL the players, but to the fans, who paid a ton of money for 2 semi-final matches and only got to see 1 1/2. (And who wants to see a 6 1/2 hr match anyway??) I have read that there is no rule that a match started with the roof closed needs to continue with the roof closed. Obviously closed/open favors certain types of play. The roof was closed so the match could be played until 11pm. There was simply no need for the roof the following day, and the idea that both players would have to agree is absurd. The roof should have been open on Saturday, end of discussion. So many things wrong with the way this was all handled. Wimbledon is not prestigious; it's so mired in stubborn tradition, that it's archaic.

Clusterf… indeed !!!!!!

'AND THE PROBLEM IS WHAT MARION' ?

The following is part of what former Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli had to say about Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios.

In a stinging blast, the Frenchwoman said Kyrgios’s work ethic was “just not good enough to win a grand slam”, and said it was “pathetic” to see the 23-year-old and Monfils failing to apply themselves in the right way.

“It seems like they can’t grow up, they can’t become men and they can’t take charge of their own lives,” Bartoli said.

“I truly hope Nick will be able to get it together at some point. I don’t know what he needs. He’s going to waste his life if he keeps on acting like that.”

Marion Bartoli

For the record Monfils has won ONE EVENT this year and without adding in an extra $200, 000 ( give or take a few Euros ) that he took home from his Last 16 showing at Wimbledon this week he has won around $700,000.
Not bad for someone who is not 'applying themselves'.

Nick Kyrgios has won ONE EVENT this year without adding in $150,000, ( give or take a few Euros ) from Wimbledon and he has won around $600,000 this year.
Once again, not bad for someone who is not 'applying themselves'.

Anyone who knows anything about tennis will tell you the same thing, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WIN MUCH TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY PLAYING TENNIS NOW DAYS.

Tennis indeed rewards mediocrity, unlike the 'good old days' where you actually had to make it deep into a tournament to make a living.

Marion Bartoli is on the wrong track here, these guys are not 'wasting their lives', they are in fact living the dream, the one that rewards early exits at tournaments mixed in with the occasional last 8 or last 4 showing.

Get with the program Marion, the hunger is not there now days, it doesn't have to be, few will win a major, many will become a millionaire regardless.

Correct me if I am wrong Marion...….

' THE HEWITT/ DE MINAUR MISMATCH'

During the Nadal / De Minaur match at Wimbledon last night I received a text from my buddy " Mate it's a disgrace, a f...… disgrace', ( MH is a traditionalist on the finer points of tennis and doesn't like players showing disrespect ).
'MH' was referring to the way young Alex De Minaur of Australia, ( as apparently he is now a fully fledged Aussie ) was giving Rafa the 'C'MON' after several mistakes from the Spanish legend's racket.
Almost on cue, the great Boris Becker who is commentating at Wimbledon this year shaded my text from MH by saying the same thing, though in his own words. Boris found the whole thing rather bizarre as most tennis players go by an unwritten rule of never applauding an opponent's mistake.
Any one who owns a hint of intelligence is aware that in sport you must remain humble and if you are going to spend time around the greats of the game it would be wise to show respect, unless of course you are not interested in anyone except yourself.
Lleyton Hewitt springs to mind.
It's all very well to become World number 1 however I doubt very much that anyone will ever mention Hewitt in the same breath as Rafa or Roger because their attitudes were and still are Worlds apart. 
The Australian Open of 2005 was a tournament where Hewitt forgot about the rest of the career in front of him on the World tour and went about getting himself offside with the whole of Argentina. 
Remember there will come a day in your life as a Tennis Professional where you may in fact have to travel to South America to play Davis Cup.
Now that would be intimidating for anyone let alone a player who is disliked in that Country.
Here's the evidence.
At the Australian Open in 2005 Juan Ignecia Chela was so incensed at Hewitt's antics that he spat in his direction at a change of ends. 
The following is part of a transcript of the match that was written in 'The Age' Newspaper on January 23, 2005.

"Down two sets to one, broken to love and facing a 0-3 deficit in what became the deciding fourth set, Chela appeared to get upset when Hewitt yelled "c'mon" after his opponent hit an unforced error to go down 0-40, and appeared to serve the next ball directly at the No. 3 seed.
He spat towards Hewitt after the Australian muttered something in his opponent's direction as they moved to change ends. The Argentine's aggravation came after Hewitt's second-round opponent, James Blake, was moved to mock Hewitt's celebratory gestures."

Sound familiar ?
Fast forward to the Quarter Final, Aussie Open 2005 where Hewitt took on David Nalbandian, and once again he took on Argentina.
At a change of ends the two players rubbed shoulders though if you take a look at the replay of it you will clearly see that Nalbandian walks off court first, around the net post. It is Hewitt who does not give way, instead he decides to nudge past the Argentinian who took exception to the Aussie's lack of etiquette.
Did I say 'lack of etiquette' ?
Last night Rafa stood at three set points up in the second set when De Minaur broke a string. The following effort from the young Aussie had lack of etiquette written all over it.
A rather casual walk to his bag to grab another racket followed by another leisurely stroll back to the baseline without so much as a hand in the air or a 'sorry' had shades of Hewitt written all over it.
Did I mention Lleyton Hewitt is now days regarded as Alex De Minaur's mentor ?
Wouldn't have picked it.
Rewind.
Davis Cup Australia versus Argentina July 2005 . As if the Hewitt vs Argentina circus wasn't enough at Melbourne Park in January it was rather ironic that Argentina travelled to Australia to take on Hewitt and his attitude in July of the same year in Davis Cup.
The opening match between Hewitt and Guillermo Coria was rather farcical to say the least though here is what Coria had to say about Hewitt after the match " You really feel like killing him".
This was in regards to Coria's accusations that Hewitt was openly cheering his mistakes.
Is 'C'mon' really the thing to say out loud when an opponent misses a ball ?
Personally I find it inspiring.
I played a local competition two seasons ago when I was a rather unfit 48 year old up against a 15 year old who hit so many winners against me that I lost count, yet I won. 
How ?
Well it was like this, one of the kid's 'fan club' members, an even younger kid than him had a rather annoying habit of applauding my mistakes, though he hid it rather cleverly by saying 'great shot' to his mate even when I hit an unforced error ( I hit plenty ). 
I thought to myself that there is only one way to shut the fan club up, win the match, which I did. 
Sorry I get distracted when I write.
Some players such as Juan Ignecia Chela and Guillermo Coria quite possibly beat themselves as they did in 2005 against a player who simply got under their skin with his histrionics that were quite possibly contrived rather than being spontaneous. 
Here's another for you, Davis Cup 2006, Argentina vs Australia in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
( Did I mention earlier in this post that you need to be careful in a sport such as tennis as you never know when you may have to play Argentina in Argentina ?? )

"Hewitt seems to think that he's come to Iraq; that they are going to plant a bomb," Argentinian Davis Cup player Jose Acasuso said this week of Hewitt employing two personal bodyguards for the tie. As the most hated sports personality in Argentina, Hewitt is naturally a little bit nervous about the Davis Cup semi-final. David Nalbandian put it succinctly: "Nobody is a friend of him."

( Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald )

In that particular Davis Cup Tie the South Americans pummelled Australia 5-0 with Jose Acasuso downing Hewitt 6-1 in the fifth set in the second match. 

I have seen some Rock Concerts in my time and this match reminded me of Jon Bon Jovi versus a street busker with the latter no match for the Rock Star who lapped up the crowd adulation, particularly in the final set where emotion took over.

So back to the De Minaur/ Hewitt 'mentorship'.

Adolfo Gutierrez by all reports coached Alex in Spain for around ten years, give or take a year. Lleyton Hewitt is now regarded as Alex De Minaur's 'mentor'.

Alex should not forget who taught him to play tennis and it is NOT Lleyton Hewitt. 

It's all very well to get caught up in the hype of being associated with former World Number ones etc but a player should never forget who took the time to show them how a ball is hit.

Rafa I am sure was not thrilled with certain aspects of Alex's demeanor ( pardon the pun ) and I am quite certain that not many players have yelled C'MON at the Spaniard's errors over a career that has netted him 17 Grand Slams.

However, just like a 48 year old 'tennis nobody' from Albany ,Western Australia did in a local comp' two seasons ago, there's one way to shut the player and the peanut gallery up.

Win the match, that usually does the trick...…...

'JOHANNA KONTA ( GET OVER IT PRINCESS )'

     

( Simon Briggs, THE TELEGRAPH )British No 1 Johanna Konta followed Serena Williams ’ lead as she expressed her dislike of the anti-doping requirements in elite tennis.

After Williams was recently revealed to have complained to USADA about “invasive and targeted treatment,” Konta said that she felt “hard done by” after a mix-up with UK Anti-doping left her with a missed test on her record.

“It's important to have integrity in this sport,” Konta told reporters at Wimbledon, “but I do feel there's definitely room for improvement in the way athletes are sometimes treated.

“It's quite a violating process: People come to your home. You're in your pyjamas. You get woken out of bed, told to take down your pants, give your arm, pee in a cup. It's an invasive process. It's something that comes with the territory, but I don't think it's something I will miss when I retire.”

COMMENT

That was British No 1 Johanna Konta's take on anti- doping requirements.

I get up around 5 am, go to work  in a 'real job' for around $25 per hour. I don't complain too much.

For Johanna's wage, I would be happy to 'pee in a cup' bright and early.....

Get over it Princess...…..