BRITISH TENNIS ON THE UP AND UP !

The recent successes of our triumvirate of Murray, Watson and Robson seem to herald a new era in British tennis.

 

Murray has finally won his 'Grand Slam' and added this to an Olympic Gold Medal. Watson has become the first British woman for almost 25 years to win an event on the womens' main tour while Robson almost beat her to this honour by being the first Briton to reach a final for nearly as long only a couple of weeks earlier. We now have Murray firmly established amongst the game's elite while both Watson and Robson are hovering around the top-50 mark in the womens rankings, with much more expected of them next year.

 

Andy Murray has made tortuous progress since his arrival on the scene as a gangly though highly talented boy a few years ago. His triumph in the US Open Championship finally laid to rest the ghost of Fred Perry and he is now one of the main contenders every time he competes; with the successes of this year behind him, he may well win another Grand Slam' or 2.

 

Laura Robson, who seems to have been around for years though is still only 18, seems to have the talent and charisma to become a big name in the near future; her Wimbledon exploits clearly gave her the confidence to progress and great things will be expected of her next year. Let's hope that the expectations don't become too weighty for her.

 

Heather Watson, at 20, has made quieter progress than Robson but is every bit as good. She may lack a bit of Robson's 'on-court' sparkle at times and possibly hasn't had the self-belief that top players need, though her recent victory in Osaka may well have cured her of this. Watson is now the top-ranked British player having overtaken Robson though there is little to choose between them. The old stagers like Baltacha and Keothavong have been left far behind by both.

 

What next year will bring is anyone's guess though it may not be too much to hope for another Murray 'Grand Slam' and the continued rise of our 2 women, perhaps into the world's top-20 where we haven't had any serious representation since the almost forgotten days of Ann Jones, Virginia Wade and Sue Barker. Now that would be something !

 

ARMSTRONG : CHEAT PAR-EXCELLENCE.

The Lance Armstrong furore has rumbled on and now we are told that many of his former team mates have come forward to claim that not only was he a regular drug taker but his entire team was also involved.

 

There is still no tangible evidence, although there appears to be much of a circumstantial nature, of this activity beyond the statements of his former colleagues although the US Anti-doping Agency appears to be wholly convinced that Armstrong was complicit. Given the extent of the report now issued, it is very difficult to believe that this was not actually so.

 

As far as we know, Armstrong never failed a drugs test although it has been suggetsed that he may have done but the results were 'covered up'. It is claimed that drug taking was endemic within his cycling team and that he was the leading light in the activity, effectively forcing other members to 'toe the line'. There are also suggestions that Armstong's management team may well have had prior warning about visits from testers, enabling them to manage the teams' activities in such a way as to avoid being caught.

 

Whatever the truth of all of this, the reputations of Armstrong and his colleagues are now ruined beyond repair. The overall weight of evidence and that so many of his former colleagues have come forward to implicate themselves as well as Armstrong is quite compelling. We must now expect that he will be stripped of his raft of prizes, including his record-breaking 7 'Tour de France' victories.

 

The only remaining question is "How many other 'great' cyclists of the past were equally guilty ?" We shall probably never know the answer.

PIETERSEN : ECB SHOWS ITS LACK OF BALLS.

I have read with total disbelief that Kevin Pietersen has been brought back into the England fold. It is clear that the the ECB has no balls and no understanding of how to develop a long term success story.

 

Pietersen has always been something of a loose cannon and his recent behaviour has been inexcusable. That he has been a very good batsman is undeniable but his general attitude and behaviour has obviously been detrimental to good team moral. That the ECB has spent weeks negotiating with him is, itself, ridiculous, and that they have now come to some form of accommodation which will allow him to play for England again is not only absurd but is also an indicator of the depths to which they will sink in order to try to achieve short term success.

 

Pietersen is a disruptive influence, driven more by his own ego than by any other loyalty; in this, he is not dissimilar to Tiger Woods. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that England are better off without him and why those in authority cannot see this is beyond me. The golden rule should always be that the team takes precedence at all times; when did Pietersen ever accede to such an agreement ?

 

However good he is, he is only one out of eleven and he should be treated as such.

SPIRIT OF 'SEVE' LIVES ON IN RYDER CUP !

The astonishing victory achieved by Europe's golfers in the Ryder Cup yesterday came against all the odds and must have caused consternation amongst supporters of the US team which had seemed certain to regain the trophy.

 

For most of the first two days of competition, the Europeans were decidly second best, trailing 4-10 until 2 last ditch efforts on Saturday saw them close the gapslightly to 6-10. Nonetheless, a US victory seemed assured with the home side needing only a further 4½ points from Sunday's 12 singles matches; only once in the history of the competitiuon had a side overturned a 4 point deficit going into the singles and for the Europeans to emulate this feat seemed all but impossible.

 

As the final day's play unfolded, it began to look as though an unlikely draw might be possible. Match after match turned in favour of the European players and suddenly the US team was on the defensive, looking desperately for an odd point, or even half a point, here and there. Europe went ahead 11-10 after winning the first 5 singles matches and then it was nip and tuck as the US levelled, Europe went ahead again and the US levelled again. With just 2 matches left on the course, it was 13 all, with Europe leading in one and the US in the other.

 

The pressure was really on as Martin Kaymer stood over his 5 foot putt on the last green knowing that holing it would retain the cup for the Europeans while missing would probably hand the trophy to the US. That he held his nerve and sank the putt is now history, but what history ! Immense euphoria swept through the European team and their band of supporters while the US players and supporters seemed stunned and disbelieving. Europe's triumph was made complete when Francesco Molinari drew level with Tiger Woods as the dispirited American missed a simple final putt to hand outright victory to the visitors by 14½-13½.

 

This was a victory made in heaven and Jose Maria Olazabal, the European team captain, was quick to dedicate it to his late, great friend, Seve Ballasteros, in highly emotional style. For the team, it was just reward for a remarkable performance, beating one of the strongest US teams of recent years. Although there had been a few doubtful moments, with one or two of the Americans failing to apply the best of etiquette when short putts were involved, and Tiger Woods looking as miserable as sin for most of the 3 days, the competition was generally played in good spirit and the crowds were well behaved. Phil Mickelson, as always, was a perfect gentleman and wins my prize for the most sporting gesture as he applauded his opponent's fine play and shook his hand with genuine warmth at the end, even though he'd lost a vital match. The US captain, Davis Love III, while obviously desperately disappointed, was  generous in his final comments and also saw the hand of 'Seve' in the European fightback.

 

While victory went to a European team several of its members subsequently discovered their own national flags which they paraded, rather than the multi-starred Euro-flag. Whether this says anything about European solidarity I can't say, but it did emphasise that this was a team drawn from many nations and not just from one. Whatever, it was an amazing achievement; roll on 2014 !