'GAEL MONFILS'

I was never a fan of Social Media in the beginning, in fact I despised it, I only bought a computer because my kids required the net for certain school subjects, now I am hooked.
Such is life.
I don't go out of my way to argue with people on Social Media, though I know some that do.
Locally here in 'Sleepy Hollow' we actually have a Facebook page titled 'Have a Whinge' and it's all about saying something about our town and what we don't like about it. 
It's hilarious.
Some people have full on arguments, back and forth, almost like a game of tennis on a page, it's entertaining at times however sometimes I look at it like life in general now days, much of it happens on Social Media pages as opposed to real life.
Maybe that's why the local tennis courts are empty a lot of the time, many prefer 'hitting a ball' at each other on line as opposed to the tennis club. 
Sorry, stating the obvious.
Two days ago I offered an opinion on the ATP Facebook page on Gael Monfils, the French Entertainer first, the French Tennis Professional second. I love watching this guy, in fact if he was playing Kyrgios and Roger was playing Novak at the same time I would let the latter play out their mind games against one another and read the result the next day.
Monfils vs Kyrgios, now that would be worth a look.
The thing is with these two guys is simple, don't over cook it, best of three would be suffice, no sense either of these two getting tired as that would take away from the entertainment of what they can both dish up.
You can have your best of 5, I usually do something else for the first 2 or 3 sets then tune in to see the conclusion, it's all pretty ho hum now days as the 'real' stuff gets going in set 4 or 5.
So to the ATP Tour Facebook page;
'IS THERE ANYTHING GAEL MONFILS TENNIS CAN'T DO' ?
The first reply was from someone who suggested he hasn't won a Slam and therefore should basically not be looked upon as taking the game seriously. Someone else actually suggested that because Gael doesn't win Slams and doesn't really bother the scoreboard too much at the Big 4 events he is actually 'taking the piss' !
This was my answer;
Glenn Thompson "Why would he want to try to win a Slam ? Only a few can do. Makes over a million each year in prizemoney, probably double at least in endorsements. Marion Bartoli thinks he and Kyrgios are 'wasting their time'. For what ? Great lifestyle, weekly wage most would give their right arm for. Will never beat the big guns over 5 sets, yet is a three set highlight package. All tennis players have their strengths, their weaknesses, Gael is not a Slam contender, he knows it, don't see him getting too upset over it, we shouldn't either".

Now I told you already that I am not big on Social Media but that hasn't stopped me from counting the 'likes' on that comment of mine, 20 to be exact. So 20 others agree with me, some actually offered a comment back; 
" Well said Glenn! Each player bring different, entertaining skills to the court, there's more to life than slams"(Y

So are tennis players ONLY measured on their Grand Slam results ? Well it seems the answer is 'YES' if you talk to the traditionalists of the sport however 'NOT NECESSARILY' if you speak to the public who want to see some entertainment and not just a result for the history books that seem to define a tennis player.
Gael Monfils has won just over 15 million bucks in his time on a tennis court which I have traced back to 2003 when he was ranked 1058. So in 15 complete years he has amassed around a mil each year and the figures don't lie.
2018 - Monfils won 29 matches and $1,245,000.
2017 - Monfils won 20 matches and $1,003,000.
The enigmatic Frenchman it seems is very content to do what he does best and that is entertain without actually winning too much as his trophy cabinet suggests just that with a rather modest SEVEN titles to his name.
If you look at most work places now days and let's face it, probably since the beginning of time most employees are happy to earn a wage without actually running the office because when you are 'head honcho' a lot more responsibility is expected of you.
Is a 'common employee' wasting his or her time just because he or she is simply happy to help the office run smoothly without actually trying to run it themselves ? 
Easy to answer isn't it ?
Gael Monfils is an 'employee', someone who makes the 'office' run smoothly, even reminds me a bit of myself when I was a Postman for 20 something years. I did things a bit differently, fed many a dog a biscuit on my Postie run to keep them on side and left 90 year old Mrs Smith's letters and packages on the door step on a rainy day.

Gael Monfils delivers packages his way, not necessarily by the book but he does it with a bit of flair. He will never 'run the office', he is simply a Postman of sorts who will always deliver the goods.
He is courteous to fellow employees and customers alike, a prerequisite for a Postman.

Now there's a new vocation for you Gael once your time is up on a tennis court......

TENNIS AUSTRALIA BACK FLIP ( WEAK AS PISS )

Funny isn't it, you put pen to paper, write a few things down, post them, makes you feel a bit better that you got it all of ya chest, because that's what a Blog is all about. Three people may read your Blog however it is the personal satisfaction that writing gives you as opposed to the views that it may receive.
So to the latest.
I couldn't believe my luck today as my least favorite organization in the entire World, Tennis Australia gave me yet another 'weak as piss' moment that I looked upon like a kid in a candy store would look at an all day sucker.
I had just finished posting my three favorite 'weak as piss' articles from my Blog due to a conversation I had with one of my two friends when a news feed came through regarding the latest on the Tomic/ Hewitt/ Davis Cup/ Tennis Australia comedy routine which came to light thanks to Bernie at the Oz Open in January.
So here it is, personally I think it typifies tennis in the Land of Oz, no one knows anything about anything, no one really has a plan, they simply make it up as they go along.
The following is from Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia Chief Executive in regards to Lleyton Hewitt's claims that he was 'threatened' by Bernard Tomic.

Tiley said he believed Hewitt's comments were made "in a time of the highest level of emotion".

He said Tomic would never be barred from representing Australia in Davis Cup but talks would have to take place with Hewitt if he wanted to be selected.

"As far as I'm concerned the doors are always open for players to compete," Tiley told Grandstand.

"Bernard is back a long way, he's got to sit down and have a conversation with Lleyton to get an opportunity to do that.

( COURTESY OF ABC NEWS , 27/01/2019  )

OK SO TO TODAY'S HEADLINES AND A 'SLIGHT' BACK FLIP FROM MR TILEY

Bernard Tomic is deliberately sabotaging Australia’s tennis culture, according to Lletyon Hewitt and Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley. Hewitt has backed an attack by Tiley on Tomic in another escalation of a bitter feud between the outcast player and tennis hierarchy.

“We expect players to be respectful of the sport and each other,” Tiley said in a statement on Saturday. “Bernard does not meet the standards of behaviour and commitment to himself, the team or the sport. Now he is deliberately trying to damage that culture, and not for the first time.”

Hewitt, asked if he subscribed to the same view as Tiley, replied: “Yep.” Australia’s Davis Cup captain Hewitt has pledged never to select Tomic again after a recent blow-up during the Australian Open.

And Tiley, a week after expressing hope Tomic and Hewitt could mend their fractured relationship, freshly criticised the controversial player. “Our organisation remains deeply disappointed with the ongoing disrespect from Bernard and his father,” Tiley said. “We have given more than a decade of support. Ultimately, we have to draw a line when the behaviour does not warrant the support.”

( Craig Tiley, Courtesy of Australian Associated Press, 2/02/2019 )

So that only took about a week for the TA main man to change his views on the whole circus. Must have been a few beers sunk at another Tennis Australia BBQ with the usual suspects just recently ey Craig ?

Fair dinkum it's brilliant isn't it ? 

One day we are looking at a resolution, the next we are looking at total banishment of a player from an organization that are happy to line the pockets of an egotist over the course of the Australian Tennis Summer with Wildcards at ALL THREE EVENTS, Brisbane, Sydney and the grandaddy of em all, the Oz Open.

I recently posted an article that received some airplay in which I put through a rather 'modest' estimate of around $20,000 that Tennis Australia may as well have slipped to Hewitt in brown paper bags rather than let him embarrass the sport and himself in this Country ONCE AGAIN with his appearances during his 'retirement'.

Boy oh boy what a young up and coming player could have done with 20 gees as far as kick starting his career this summer but hey, it's ok TA, Lleyton is still sporting that shit eating grin while he tops up Bec's shopping account.

Bernie as far as I am concerned is brilliant, he had the balls to stand up to TA and the crap that goes on in that Mickey Mouse organization as they support an ego trip that seems to now even surpass Jonny 'comeback kid' Farnham in 'one more time' appearances.

If I was to rate my 'WEAK AS PISS' moments on this Blog of mine, well, I believe Craig Tiley's back flip may just top the list. It's a severe case of 'lack of balls syndrome' and Mr Tiley should take a bow, he really stuck to his guns and showed em big time that he has the intestinal fortitude to run the sport of tennis in this Country.

Craig, we salute you, go hard buddy.......

Kind Regards 

Glenn

'BEYOND BELIEF NOVAK'

Only Novak Djokovic can describe what mental zone he was in tonight as he dismantled Rafael Nadal's game that over the past fortnight actually looked like it was heading for an 18th Slam.
I recall several years ago a Press Conference in Paris where Novak spoke about 'variation' in tennis where he talked of 'loop balls', flat balls, slice balls, ways to keep the opponent guessing, and that was on the dirt.
Playing on clay it seems is an art form where only a tactical mind will prevail or an awful lot of spin, ala Spanish style.
Rafa, despite winning the US Open three times and the Australian Open once hasn't really enjoyed the hard surfaces that have seen him retired early particularly in recent years due to the physicality of it. 
Let's face it, hard courts are not only brutal on the body but also on the mind, no advantage on a hard court in any aspect. 

Novak it seems is a tactical genius, more so than the man who he calls his 'greatest rival'.
Just quietly I find that comment rather interesting as he doesn't mention the 'GOAT' Federer in the same breath. 
Bit going on there ?
So to the Australian Open Mens Singles Final of 2019.
Nothing short of ridiculous that the World's best player can dismantle the second best by a cricket score. A bathroom break, a three course meal, a taxi ride, two beers at a local pub, it was daylight between these two. 
Novak could have done all of the above and still won comfortably.
What I find so 'distressing' is the way in which Rafa's topspin game was completely shot to pieces by a style which cannot possibly be taught by any tennis coach in the World as a 'safe' way of playing.
Flat hitting from on the baseline.
Now in saying that, a fellow by the name of Juan Martin Del Potro commenced a run in New York in 2009 that made the public plus the tennis coaches of the World sit up and take notice of the style which he adopted, particularly against the 'dirt ballers'.
The Argentinian's 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 demolition of 2003 French Open Champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the fourth round was not only impressive but offered a blue print of sorts to the rest of the tennis World who struggled with the high bounce of the fancy names who were outrageously tough to beat on European clay.
In the quarter finals of the US Open of 2009 Del Potro won the last three sets against Cilic 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Degree of difficulty there on a hard court ??
Outrageous.
Semi Finals, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 over the greatest topspinner of our time, Rafa.

At 1.98 metres tall is that the height that can in fact stand on the baseline and thank a 'moon baller' for the generous and hittable height of ball that has most players almost in the front row of seating looking for a reprieve ?
So did Novak in 2019 perhaps go through the intricacies of that match in New York where Del Potro belittled Rafa ? Well the style and score similarities says exactly that, how else do you explain the one sided nature of a final that offered so much and yet delivered barely a whimper of combat ?
I have coached tennis for around 30 years, I know enough to help most players out but I am far from a 'guru', I will leave that to the 'Zen Masters' of the tennis coaching World who can come up with ideas on how to beat a ball that unless taken early will bounce over your head.
Novak did that to Rafa in Melbourne and unless I am a poor judge of ability if I was the Fed I wouldn't be too concerned about Rafa surpassing his 20 Slam haul, I would be more concerned about Novak. 
In fact Fed's record on tonight's performance at the Oz Open is looking decidedly 'modest' with the current mood the Serbian is in.
Wherever Novak was in that 18 months that saw his ranking and form look like a local club player is now a thing of the past not dissimilar to the great Tiger Woods who's brilliant game went missing for years for one reason or another.

Many styles in tennis, many tactics, many ideas, many 'idiot proof' ways of playing however I am now a believer in the mind being the biggest factor in the sport without a doubt.
What Novak dished up to Rafa tonight was a mental belting from one mind to another that defied logic and now puts the sport into even more perspective with the so called 'Next Gen' players apparently knocking on the door of the big guns.
No where near it, not in the same post code.
Never liked Novak.
After tonight I believe he is a genius...…..

'TENNIS SCORING SYSTEM, STILL ROOTED'

TRYING TO TEACH A KID HOW THE TENNIS SCORING SYSTEM WORKS, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, NOTHING HAS CHANGED....

The following is a detailed conversation between my son and myself regarding tennis, Wimbledon 2014 and how the scoring system works.....

"Dad what are the numbers on the top of the screen "?

"That tells us the score between these two players buddy "

" So what do they need to win "?

"Three sets, and a set is made up of games where you have to win 4 points a game"

"What's 40-30"?

"That's when one player has won 3 points and the other has won 2, the guy on 40 just needs one more point".

(a point later)

"What's deuce Dad"?

"That's when both players have won 3 points each and now they need to get 2 points clear to win the game"

"So what does each set go up to "?

" 6 games buddy"

( a few minutes later)

"Hey Dad that guy is 6 and they are still playing "

"Yeah mate it's confusing, if it gets to 5 games all they have to then get to 7, but if it gets to 6 games all they have to play a tie breaker to 7 points "

( a few minutes later)

Hey Dad the score is 7-6 (in the breaker) why are they still playing"?

" I know mate it's confusing, if they get to 6 points all they have to play to 2 points in front "

( A couple of hours later)

"Hey Dad did you see that ? The total points that have been won , it's close, 112 to 109"

"Yeah mate and the guy that is trailing 3-4 in the last set has won more points"

(big mistake Dad)

"So the player that is losing Dad, he's winning "?

" Not really mate, it's on serve, so it should even out in the end"

(a short time later)

"Hey Dad it's 7-6, why are they still playing"?

"Well buddy when they get to 6 games all if it's two sets all they then play to 2 games in front to decide the winner of the match, so it may end up say 16-14"

(The final stats are shown)

"Hey Dad the total points won , didn't the guy that lost win more points "?

"Yeah mate , that's right"

"So how did he lose "?

"Tennis scoring buddy, doesn't make a lot of sense"

"Footy isn't that hard"

"No mate you stick to footy, it's a bit easier to understand, if you win more points you win the match, pretty simple hey"?

Funny game this tennis........

* Footnote- in 2010 at Wimbledon Mahut won 24 more points than Isner but lost the match....

'THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN EXPERTS AND EGOS'

With the Australian Open currently in full swing it is interesting to note the amount of people who are offering opinions who perhaps don't know quite as much about the sport as they claim.
Now Nick Kyrgios is no saint however I fully agree with his frustration overflowing due to a couple of 'experts' taking aim at his footwork recently on Melbourne radio.
Nick actually tweeted the words 'Zero credibility' as far as what he thought of these two.
Now one of these 'experts' is not in fact an expert at all in regards to the intricacies of World Tennis as his expertise lays in AFL, Gerard Healy. Yet Gerard offered his advice anyhow. 
Nice try Gerard, bit out of your league though Champ.
Now for Roger Rasheed.
Where do we start with this guy ?
Well if you ask John Tomic, he will tell you that he once congratulated Roger R on his coaching performance with Lleyton Hewitt by taking him from World number 1 to number 19 in a short space of time. 
Roger R has spent time with a couple of Frenchmen, Monfils and Tsonga plus a stint with Dimitrov so I suppose in fairness he has what we commonly call 'runs on the board' here in the Land of Oz.
Personally though I am not a fan of RR at all, particularly as a commentator due to an obvious lack of tennis intelligence that he regularly displays.
Last year at the Brisbane International RR took aim at a Canadian player's dress sense which showed a remarkable lack of knowledge to what in fact was the truth behind Peter Polansky's attire.
'Lululemon' is a clothing company who sponsor Polansky, easy to look this information up, yet RR didn't. He did in fact apologise on air after someone apparently from Canada sent him the information he required regarding Peter's beach style tennis gear.
Tennis players who don't own a Bank balance like the Fed may just have to dress a little more conservatively, hence the 'plain' look of the Canadian.
RR really doesn't think before he talks.
Take the French Open of 2016 for another example. After Australia's very own headline grabber Bernard Tomic made it through to the second round RR offered his thoughts on Tomic's opponent Brian Baker.

( COURTESY OF YAHOO NEWS )

Tomic had beaten the returning Brian Baker in the opening round, to go beyond the first hurdle at the year's second grand slam for just the third time.

Rasheed said he "would beat" Baker, who has battled injuries throughout his career and dropped to 635th in the world rankings.Tomic was unimpressed by Rasheed's comments and said it indicated a lack of knowledge.

"That just shows you how much he knows," he said."You don't say that about someone. The guy [Baker] has been to a third or fourth round here, fourth round at Wimbledon [2012], finals of Nice [2012].

"You can't say that about that sort of player. He's beaten Gael [Monfils] on clay and a lot of good players.

"For him to say that comment, just shows you how much education he has."

( Bernard Tomic )

It appears that RR is renowned for saying things before he actually researches them or even thinks about it for that matter.

Enough of RR, let's look at Jim Courier.

Now here is a former World number 1 who simply just loves the sound of his own voice. I have already written in detail my thoughts on Courier after he publicly lashed David Goffin during his match against the Fed at the Oz Open in 2016.

For those who missed it, Jim stated that Goffin's ranking was 'INFLATED' due to points received from playing Davis Cup matches against lower ranked players.

True story.

Personally I don't believe a player ranked in the top 15 ( which Goffin was at the time ) can own an 'inflated' ranking. How is that possible ? Well, Jim thought so.

Now this year I was prepared to give Jim another chance as I tuned in to the Deminaur / Laaksonen match, however it took me less than 5 minutes to in fact turn the sound off completely and watch the match in silence, beautiful silence.

" And there is Alex Deminaur's Coach Lleyton Hewitt " ( Jim Courier ).

So how does this happen ? How do these guys who are 'experts' in their knowledge of tennis get things so wrong ? 

I will offer a theory.

It's called a big ego.

These guys get paid to turn up, offer an opinion, talk about themselves a fair bit , " Well back when I was on the Tour", you know the line, yet their knowledge on the finer points of the sport is lacking big time.

As the public, well we get 'educated' by these ego freaks who make it up as they go along without so much as spending 5 minutes on reading up a player's profile which may just tell them that a guy like Peter Polansky nearly died through a sleep walking incident or Adolfo Gutierrez is in fact the Spanish Coach of Alex Deminaur.

And so to the spat between Tomic and Hewitt.

Hilarious.

It's tennis in a nutshell isn't it ? Whether it's on or off court, a current or former player, it's on in earnest as these guys try to get the upper hand.

I have always stated on my own Blog site that tennis is in fact an 'argument' between two players where only the best answer or answers will win.

In the case of Tomic vs Hewitt ( AND TENNIS AUSTRALIA ) well it's like this.

Bernie is very correct in what he has stated in regards to the Wildcard allocation at Melbourne Park. There is no transparency, no one has a clue who will receive one because as Kokkinakis found out, a higher ranking does not necessarily assure you a spot in the Main Draw.

Whether the players that Tomic has mentioned are in fact part of Hewitt's Management Team is yet to be proven however let's face it, will Tennis Australia really do what Pat Cash suggested and investigate Tomic's claims ?

C'mon ( pardon the pun ) however that's like saying that the Banks should do their own Royal Commission into how much they rip the public off in fees. 

Nope, it will never happen.

Now on Hewitt, it's fair to say I don't like him one little bit due to his over the top arrogance that had me once place $200 on Marat Safin to beat him in 4 sets at the Oz Open in 2005 so I could say that my rent for the fortnight was thanks to Lleyton Hewitt losing ( true story ).

So why does Mr Hewitt take up spots at his home tournaments, namely Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne with Wildcards that should in fact go to the youth of the sport instead ? Well only Hewitt can answer that but I believe the 'ego' word may just come into play once again.

I calculated that the 'retired' Australian Davis Cup Captain pocketed around $20,000 over the past few weeks in Wildcard 'bonus money' allocated by Tennis Australia.

Interesting this Wildcard thing isn't it ? Maybe Bernie onto something as obvious as the sun coming up tomorrow morning.

So I will leave you with a comment from a recently posted Social Media article that even the great Andre Agassi weighed in on which sort of says it all I believe.

“Tomic is hardly the most sympathetic witness, but it is odd for a Davis Cup captain to be hanging onto the dregs of his playing career instead of prioritising his young players,” Giri Nathan wrote. ( COURTESY OF YAHOO SPORT )

Yep some egos just can't let go...…..

'MERRY XMAS' ( A TENNIS XMAS CAROL BY GT )

Usually around this time of year I deliver a Xmas post on this site, in fact in 2015 I did and it received 436 hits, to be precise. 
Not sure why, it wasn't controversial, I simply stated some facts.
In 2018 , December 25 I will state some facts about the sport of tennis that I have accumulated in my silly mind over 35 years of playing and coaching the sport.
Firstly;
Tennis is still grossly over priced, $80 per hour now seems the 'norm' to learn a sport that will take hours, weeks, months, years to learn and that's just the hitting side of tennis.
Learning how to play the game, well that's a whole different story, how much money do you have ?
Tennis is a 'caged' sport, you have to pay to play it, nothing in tennis is free, good luck finding an unlocked, free tennis court to have a hit on, 9 times outs ten, well, you will have to pay to play.
When's the last time you saw an unlocked tennis club ?
Throw a basketball at the local park, it's cheaper.
Most do.
Decision making at the top end of the scale leaves a lot to be desired whether it be with funding issues of players who apparently are too 'poor' to pay for their own court hire or the Davis Cup selection Committee who couldn't pick a winning team if their lives depended on it.
The Governing Body of Tennis in this Country require a good dose of common sense and a cap on what they dish out to players who don't need the contents of the dish, so to speak.
Comedy routine.
Acknowledgement from certain people who own certain jobs in tennis in the Land of Oz that their job is made easy through the hard work of others, but hey, that's tennis in a nutshell isn't it ?
Yep, it'll never happen.
A cap on a Tennis Coach's Club Court hire so that 'reasonable' cost may be handed down to people who in fact wish to not only take up the game but continue to learn it at an affordable price.
Hahaha.
An hourly rate to learn the sport which is in relation to the 'Coach's' credentials.
In other words, if a 'Coach' of 5 minutes is new to the sport then how are they allowed to charge the same as a real Coach of say 25 years ?
Well, that's tennis in the Land of Oz, a free for all, yet no one asks any questions, they just pay a lot of money and hope it works.
Hard work learning tennis in the Land of Oz.
Did I mention it's expensive ?
No more 'Mickey Mouse' decisions as far as appointing Club Coaches who are not in fact doing the lessons on a regular basis.
In other words, if a Club Coach signs a piece of paper to say that they are in fact the Club Coach and do not deliver the lessons ( you know the story, a young kid turns up in place of the guy who said he would do the job yet the public still pay the same amount to 'LEARN" the game ) well I believe that Club should send the Coach a letter explaining the facts;
'Hey Coach, weren't you supposed to be doing the lessons.............'?? Explain yourself please.......
It'll never happen, trust me.
Look, we could go on but it's almost the Australian Summer of Tennis so let's finish this post with the obvious, as there will be plenty of things to write about over the next 6 weeks, no doubt about it.
Open the Coaching Circus to ALL COACHING PROVIDERS and NOT just Tennis Australia.
In other words allow the AATC ( Australasian Academy of Tennis Coaches ) plus the ATPCA ( Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association ) to EXIST, as for those of you who are not up with it all in the Land of Oz, it's like this ;
Tennis Australia will not RECOGNIZE any accreditation of a Tennis Coach in this Country unless it is a TA accreditation.  
Interesting.
With tennis 'success' in this Country which is as rare as rocking horse shit, it should be open to anyone who can teach the sport with half an ounce of tennis intelligence as far as 'credentials' are concerned to actually find this Country a winner or two.
Kyrgios is our best chance currently as we all know however as we also all know, he's a nutter, we need someone other than a nutter to rely on to win the big ones on the World stage.
You never know, the ATPCA or the AATC may just own a program or two that may own some merit yet you will have to be a part of TA if you want a few bucks to fund your travel plans plus be a part of one of their programs if you want any help whatsoever, cos they know best.
Just ask em.
Funny sport tennis, run by funny people, particularly in the Land of Oz.
Deck the halls......
Merry Xmas.
Regards GT

'LLEYTON HEWITT, NO ONE TO ANSWER TO'

Some people ask me why I don't like Lleyton Hewitt and I pause for about 3 seconds then tell them the following; I never liked the way he said 'C'mon ' when his opponent made an error.
( Sorry I am from the old school of tennis where when an opponent made an error, well you simply smiled inside and looked to the scoreboard ).
I especially despised the way Hewitt took the Swedish sign  (which was 'invented' by Niclas Kroon called the 'vicht' or 'for sure' ) and turned it into something called 'C'mon' and even put a patent on it for Business purposes .
I would go as far as to call that 'parasitic behaviour'.
Mats Wilander won seven Grand Slams, I first saw Mats use the 'vicht' against Ivan Lendl in the 1987 US Open Mens Singles Final. I thought it was unusual for a guy as cool as Mats to show any emotion whatsoever let alone a hand signal that the Tennis World had rarely seen before.
Did I mention that Mats was a good buddy of Niclas Kroon and used the hand signal with Kroon's blessing ?
Sorry if I didn't.
By the way , Hewitt was around 6 years of age when Wilander started using that hand signal.
Back to Lleyton.
I found Hewitt's on court behaviour nothing short of disrespectful to the sport of tennis yet he is still up to his old tricks even now days as Australian Davis Cup Captain.
It was one thing to not acknowledge part of World Tennis history in the Kroon/ Wilander 'vicht', it is another to not acknowledge coaches who make life easy for 'Coaches' who step into a job without so much as anything to do with a player's development.
Take the Davis Cup Captaincy for example.
I read just recently on the ATP site an article and video in relation to Alex De Minaur's rise to stardom over the past 12 months, yet no word of his actual Coach, Adolfo Guiterrez who has actually done the work with young Alex over the past ten or so years.
The video was all about Aussie Davis Cup Captain Hewitt talking about Alex and how he could improve a few things.
Sure Lleyton, we all could improve a few things in all of our own lives but how about you improve how you should acknowledge the fact that you have been 'given' World class tennis players to play for Australia, all you have to do is slot them into 'some sort' of order.
You have ONE job.
Haven't heard one word from Lleyton that his job has been made easy by the hard work of the coaches who have developed the players, not sure why not, it may show 'humbleness', that'd be a first Lleyton.
The Davis Cup semi final of 2017 against Belgium was possibly the worst display of team management by a Davis Cup Captain yet Lleyton answers to no one.
It is still a mystery as to why John Millman did not play again that Tie after his epic opening match against perennial World Top Tenner David Goffin in which Millman stretched his more fancied rival to the absolute limit in a 4 set epic match.
For reasons not known to anyone but himself Hewitt threw in a last minute change with Jordan Thompson to play the final deciding match against Steven Darcis, a disaster. Millman would have won with a leg in the air, no risk, tired or otherwise. 
Jonny M would have been way too steady.
For the record, Thompson didn't win a set.
For the record Lleyton played doubles with Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International a few months later.
Interesting.
 “Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less,” Hewitt said after the tie.
How about the obvious Lleyton ?
Sorry guys I f..... up.
Lleyton Hewitt cost Australia the 2017 Davis Cup Semi Final, no doubt about it yet no apologies, no taking the blame, no nothing from a guy who will forever be involved with Tennis in the land of Oz due to a larger than life profile due to his arrogance and a hand signal who he 'borrowed ' from someone else.
Did I mention Hewitt answers to no one ?
In fact Lleyton Hewitt has an 'open cheque book' in the Land of Oz as far as anything is concerned in the sport of tennis.
Just wondering why Lleyton Hewitt is still allowed to turn up at tennis tournaments and take the spot of a player who could do with the points and the prize money while his own Bank Account surely wouldn't notice the extra figures.
Or is it simply the ego craving the spotlight once again ?
Jonny Farnham and Lleyton Hewitt are on a personal quest to make the most comebacks in a single life time that the great Bjorn Borg did just once after ten years of retirement.
The difference between Borg, Farnham and Hewitt is rather obvious, Borg waited a 'little ' longer to get itchy feet, the other two waited 5 minutes...…..
Aussie Summer of Tennis on it's way folks, it's Lleyton time, personally I can't f..... wait...…..