'A SUGGESTION FOR LLEYTON'

OK here it is, a totally unbiased update for you on just how well the latest Lleyton Hewitt comeback is going.
In the last 24 hours, a bloke by the name of David Vega Hernandez of Spain who is currently ranked 105 in the World (in Doubles) teamed with Alex De Minaur of Australia to defeat Hewitt and Jordan Thompson in the first round of the Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Vega Hernandez has amassed a grand total of $14,500 this year in Mens Doubles and since commencing on the World Tour in 2012 he has won a total of just over $127,000. So in my calculations, David has earned around $18,000 for each year he has spent playing Mens Professional tennis.
I would say that Roger and Rafa would carry that amount of money around with them in the ashtray of their Porsche or Ferarri.
As far as the matchup in the Netherlands was concerned, well I believe that was a reasonably kind draw for Hewitt and Thompson as De Minaur doesn't really own too many credentials in the art of two on two tennis. 
In fact up until the win yesterday, Alex hadn't actually won a Mens Doubles match this year.
Now since January, Lleyton has played five events with three different partners including John-Patrick Smith, Alexei Popyrin and his good mate Thompson for a grand total of ZERO wins.
So I will put this suggestion out there to the ATP.
If a retired player wishes to still play tennis should the obvious suggestion be this;
There are a series of tournaments played regularly over the course of a season for 'retired' Tennis Professionals and the tour is commonly known as 'The Champions Tour'. 
It gives players who are not up to the challenge of the main tour anymore a chance to still play the game. It can still provide a lifeline of sorts for players who are struggling with the fact that they simply are no longer competitive against the 'big boys'.
Veterans AFL is a big hit here in Australia for guys who still like to have a kick and a bit of a run around with their mates. The Champions Tour of tennis is basically the equivalent of Veterans AFL and by all reports, it really is a wonderfully run organization for guys who still own a bit of skill but simply are no longer capable of playing the highest league anymore.
So here it is, my suggestion to the Association of Tennis Professionals, commonly known as the ATP;
Please, for the goodness of tennis, can you guys consider having a quiet word with Lleyton, for the credibility of not only the ATP but for the sport itself?
I will offer some dialogue as a small suggestion;
'Look Lleyton, it's like this, you haven't won a match since January and this latest event just proved what we have been thinking for quite some time now, you are no longer competitive on the ATP Tour.
I know, it's tough but a fact of life, sometimes you just have to accept that you had your time and now it's no longer your time. We feel that your spot in the main draw of an event should be taken by a younger player who requires not only the chance to prove themselves but also the prize money and ranking points that are essential in the growth of a future Tennis Professional.
We have for you a list of events that are available for you on the Champions Tour and we wish you well in your future days against guys who are a little bit like you, past their prime technically and physically yet still an asset to the sport as far as nostalgia is concerned.
We will no longer be allocating you a Wild Card into any future ATP Tour events'.
Kind Regards
The ATP

So there you go, I have been accused in the past of perhaps being a little too harsh on Lleyton however on this occasion I believe that what I have written is simply a suggestion for a guy who is struggling with his own mortality.

Maybe I am mellowing in my old age...

'THE TAXI DRIVER'

When someone has a win at anything in life, every man and his dog wants to have a piece of the victory.
But maybe that's just human nature as everyone who has ever rubbed shoulders with a winner believes that their 'influence' may just have been the touch of gold that made all the difference on game day.
Take for example the recently played French Open Tennis Championships where a Social Media organization liked to believe that their time with the runner up made all the difference to their rapidly improving career.
Let me explain;
Two years ago, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic played a tournament in the Land Down Under, not a big event, just a stepping stone event for budding professionals, an event that the World has a seemingly never-ending amount of.
They are called Challenger Events and just about every Country in the World has them but it's all about the timing as far as some are concerned as they look to claim their part of tennis success. 
So it seems that one tournament, in particular, believes that their little event paved the way for Marketa to become a Grand Slam semifinalist, simply because that was one of the events she participated in on her road to tennis success.

Let's just say that it is part of the same organization who lay claim to being part of Roger Federer's success at the Australian Open a couple of years ago. Just quietly, they couldn't wait to get their mugshot in the newspapers as they did their best to explain that Roger graced their courts in the lead up to the Oz Open so therefore they are taking some of the credit.
I live in a small town that owns several organizations who love to take credit for a win by anyone in any field and over the years there have been some absolute classics. In some articles, the player who has had some success on the big stage is still referred to as 'a product of'....
So do these 'accolade claimers' in fact have a point or are they simply full of their own self-importance?
In my most humble of opinions this is my point of view;
If you were the one who first taught a player to hold a racket, kick a ball, bend it like Beckham or run like the Bolt then sure, I believe that you can lay claim to an accolade. If you took a player from another coach and that player's success level was rather modest until he or she started to excel then you can look at it in two ways;
The initial coach did the hard work and you simply came along after that hard technique work had been done and helped with the tactical side.
OR;
You took that player from a wasted talent and turned them into a champion through your own way of teaching.
Which way do you want to look at it?
I wrote a post some time ago regarding Stan Wawrinka's win in the French Open and Magnus Norman's rather humble view on the part he played in it all. Sure Magnus was Stan's coach at the time however even Magnus admitted that he did not teach Stan how to hit a ball so therefor Stan's initial tennis coaches should take much of the credit.
Nicely said Magnus.
So to the 'accolade claimer';
We all yearn for success, to be known as a link in the chain of success, to have been part of an event that was lucky enough to have had a champion grace your courts in the years prior to that player's success.
But please be honest with yourself;
Only certain organizations or coaches can really lay claim to have had any real impact on a player's success. The rest are simply part of the chain, sort of like a Taxi Driver who offers a hint of their 'expertise' as an armchair expert on a trip from the airport to an event.
Be honest with yourself, did you really help and were you a fair dinkum part of it all or were you simply a Taxi Driver?

'TOTALLY PREMEDITATED'

Personally I don't mind Nick Kyrgios however what just transpired in Rome at the Italian Open was quite possibly one of the most premeditated blow ups that I have ever witnessed on a tennis court. 
As you are probably well aware, Nick doesn't think much of Novak and who would Nick have played if he had won his match against Casper Ruud?
Yep, Novak.
Now you do the sums on Nick vs Novak on clay.
Chances of Nick winning?
Zero.
So you have to understand with the sport of tennis that's it's an ego trip for most, a battle one on one where the victor then struts around as though he has just won a heavyweight boxing bout. 
That's basically tennis in a nutshell.
The thought of losing to Novak?
Pretty hard to digest ey Nick?
So let's do something other than a tanking episode which Nick has been accused of in the past and why not take it to a whole new level and get disqualified instead??
No way in the World was Nick ever going to take on Novak on a surface that he is not real comfortable on and especially just 48 hours or so after he publicly stated that he has no time for the current World number 1.
Nick's take on the whole Novak gesture thing to the crowd has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life. In case you missed it, Nick stated in an interview just this week with Ben Rothenberg that if he plays and beats Novak he will do the Novak gesture thing to the crowd as a way of taking the piss out of the Serb.
Personally, once again, I found that comment to be nothing short of absolutely hilarious.
Have you seen the gesture by Novak?
Nick used the correct terminology, it's CRINGEWORTHY.
Well said Nick.
So there you go, that's my take on the whole Italian affair, it was premeditation at it's absolute best.
Remember, play was washed out the day before, all players had to play two matches in one day to make up for the washout and if Nick won he would be on his second match in the space of a few hours.
Now that may not bother some, however, playing Novak on clay as your second match of the day?
Would go down as well as a fish milkshake......
Well played Nick, love ya work.......

'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....