Touche Glen. Hence why my article said the proof will be in the coming weeks and year, especially when he faces hostile crowds in the US if he is player an American like in New York. Personally I think Tomic, more than many others, has the game to bother Djokovich as he does not try to out hit him with power. Tomc will struggle against Federer as the games are similar with a lot of variety it is just that Federer just does it better and more consistant. Djkovich/Tomic will always be a good match up of styles.

He is the Pat Rafter of cricket and the perfect role model for all Australian sports people not just cricket. Humble, grateful for his career and opportunities, first to blame himself for faillures not others, not loud or drunk on his celebratory status, rediculous love of the game and genuine interest in others cricket, a technical gutsy war horse. Should have been the captain long ago and is going to be sadly missed by me as a shining light in the game and an act that must be followed if Australian cricket is to gain back a decent reputation internationally from being a bunch of ego driven, arrogant, prima donna’s.

So it must have the doorknob in the hotel room in Beijing…that called John the racial name then not the official…Naughty doorknob…must be punished..and Steve Hooker was a ghost at the time….if you want to get the balance for this story…get Stever Hookers side of it..

Yes I can but I just have…I cannot say much more without revealing sources and names and thus getting myself into a law suit….Johdn belongings were turfed out of the room he and Steve Hooker shared and dumped into the corridor the name calling took place…..NO one has ever given John credit for never bringing this up until he felt AGAIN he was being discriminated against in London…..AA are now saying the incident and name calling in Beijing never took place….so there for both Stave Hooker and John must be lying…I cannot believe NO_ONE has taken AA to task on this…..all the blame in now on Steff and looks like he may suffer another 6 month ban because of it…just for telling the truth…..If AA had any brains they would not pursue John any further ….lves in some legal trouble as well…

Johnno…I agree McEnroe is brilliant speaker and intelligent man I was always his biggest fat of his tennis….but even her attributes a lot of his early behaviour to the lack of recognition and stand offish military based childhood he had….remember Mac was born in Wiesbarden Germany while his father was stationed there at the US base…..yes Patrick McEnroe is also a super intelligent well balanced guy who was quite happy for his older bro to take the limelight….if you read any of McEnroes biographies he attributes a lot of his young attitude to making his way to school everyday in Manhattan from Long Island on public transport….

I have refrained from saying too much about the upbringing of Hewitt as I think most people can read between the lines…

Like John McEnroe, it is a shame that a player will be remembered more for their behaviour than their tennis. If Lleyton Hewitt had the demeanour and manners of a Pat Rafter or Roger Federer he would be a national hero…but alas….too much success too young thinking the world revolves around him doesn’t help….insert the names of many an AFL footballer here for example……also family upbringing has a lot to do with it…Pat Rafter once said that growing up in a big family if he ever got a big head it was “beaten” out of him pretty quick…he remains a humble pleasant well mannered man…John McEnroe was just the product of the dog eat dog society of New York city…where many have such a defensive attitude that the world is out to rip them off ( and in New York they quite often do)…..also some sportspeople are not always the sharpest tools in the shed and engage their mouth before their brain…I am sure in his twilight days Hewitt severely regrets his immature comments and behaviour of yesteryear.

our crickers who now do a lot of gym work may becoming too muscular and stronig for their own good. Muscles can get too big and strong for the connective tissue to handle….the tesnion of the muscle contraction places too much strain on the joint, tendon and connective tissue….ala Pat Cash, Mark Philipousiis and many footballers….the strenth of a tow rope is only as good as the strenght of where it is connected too….Hilfenhaus is a strong man….maybe too strong for his own good and his own connective tissues, tendons ligaments

If you are good enough ( still) you are young enough. Just ask Merlene Ottey. Warne maybe slim but how fit? How match fit?…okay to bowl 3-5 overs in a T-20 but does he still have the mental fitness to zero in on a batsmen for a 80 over innings?. I doubt it. He appears far too distracted by the pursuit of the commerical product that is Shane Warne rather than the original pursuit of his craft that got him there.

Junior development squads train premdoninatly on clay or pleixcushion hard courts throughout Aust…. as Tennis Australia indentified quite some time ago the need for the “European” style of play ( all court not just baseline) to be adopted by up and comers to be competitive world wide. Grass is now a minority in most states due to its cost of upkeep and it certianly NOT the surface of choice installed at a new club. You would not find many with a serve and volley game in Aust now under the age of 35(40)…Perth still plays 60% predominanatly its cometitive summer team tennis on grass and it necessary because of the climate….Clay is a predominant surface in Melbourne for their more European type climate ( able to play in light rain and drizzle)

David in the 50’s and 60’s junior sport players basically had three sports to chose from..Football ( league on the east coast) tennis and cricket and maybe swimming if they were lucky to live near the cities. Have you got an idea how many different sports they have to chose from now? The limited pool of up and comers is now dispersed across a wider spectrum and that does not take into account those who chose do NOTHING!…..I just wish video games and shopping were Olympic sports as Australian teenagers would reap in the gold…..In the 50’60’ 70’s especially in country towns, sport was the main link to social life ..now the chardonnay set, cafe lifestyle and travel seem to be the main social pursuits and the widening girth on all Australians is proof of that of how inactive everyone is. Those who are body conscious will join a gym or the like to exercise in their own time without committing to a team or club…a phenomen known in the industry as ” fast sport” akin to the drive through of the fast food outlet…..without the population competing as the grass roots level…we will not produce champions in any sport…..even phys ed has dropped off the cirriculum at a lot of schools…how can any kid EVER be any good at sport if they are never taught to run or throw properly!!!…

Nothing is wrong with either sport or Olympic sports either. The rest of the world have learned to play these sports at a very high level and now we are competing in a truly global competition. Our results reflect our population percentage. We cannot realistically ever compare previous world domination of sports like golf and tennis from the 50’s and 60’s for example as for the Europeans countries for example were still trying to get back on their economic feet after the devestation of WWII. Heaven help us if the Ethiopeans, Jamaicans and Kenyans ever start playing tennis or golf on a mass scale we wont win a cracker!

Just a good marketing ploy to get butts on seat for the Big Bash League and keep his name in the media and current to keep his asking price high…

Glenn I expect the WACA wicket to swing like a barn door for the at least the first two sessions tomorrow after this unseasonal wet weather and plenty of moisture in the air tomorrow on a westerly wind. I would think the captain who wins the toss might invite the opposition to bat because of that and the outfield will be slow to boot. Mitchell Johnson could be a hand ful for the SA batsmen if they do indeed bat first. Terry Aldermen would be very at home on that wicket tomorrow. Bring it on. Cannot wait

yes but I am holding out hope to see this new and improved version of Johnson everyone is talking about.

Gary opinion and debate is what makes the world go around and keeps places like Roar alive!…god love it!….outsiders
( women) can often have the best view….when you are the centre of attention you have your back to half of the room!

Campo it seems your original comment was taken out of context….but while women may never play the sport of Rugby Union or AFL at a high level they can develop a great analytical ability if they have been surrouned by the game in their family from birth as in my case. Sometimes BECAUSE the female reporter/journo has NOT played the game at the highest heights their opinion can be less biased, less cavalier and less defensive than those who are ex-players. Women can often report and analyse a little more fairly from the spectators point of view and ask the questions in a presser that the punter on the street wants to hear the answer to rather than the backslapping boys club bravado that does occur at times.

After this wet weather in Perth and the westerly that will still be blowing tomorrow in Perth, the WACA pitch will swing like a barn door for the first two
sessions at least. Johnson could reap a bag full if he concentrates on his accuracy, keeps them on the pitch should Australia win the toss and send SA in to bat going against the traditional call. I think the elements will play havoc with whoever is batting tomorrow morning. Conditions Terry Alderman would have relished.

totally agree Ryan…it is all about performance regardless of age and if it means he is not likely to get selected ever again then retirement is the best thing for his pride…..although Merlene Ottey prolonged her international career by changing nationalities after the Jamaican federation would no longer support her….thing is she was and is still posting the times ..unlike Ponting not making runs…..you cannot have sentimental passengers in a team regardless if they were once captain or not.

Age is not and never is the question…If you are good enough you are young enough. It is all a question of form and putting the best team on the pitch for every match. Attitude and relevance and blending with a team also plays a huges part. If Ponting had been a previous captain I believe he would have been dropped by now and if he survives to Perth then it is that sentiment that has given him that swansong performance.

He will be a force on clay as always…but the fittness
needed to keep up for a full tournament schedule is what has hammered his knees in the first place and only will reoccur if he trains at the same pace he has in the past….we will be around in 2013 dont worry and adding more clay courst title to his name…but one more GS at Roland Garros is about all we can expect from him

Sorry but I think Nadal is gone.. his knees are going to be an ongoing drama and the physical input to his game has taken its toll…he play play and still commant the clay…but he will not dominate the other three on any other surface….If Federer had ended the year at number it may have inspired to continue to work had and keep the spot…..by going back to number one Federer has only made Djovich hungrier and my determined….2013 is tantalising to say the least but it will be the big three minus Nadal…unless he can find 2 brand new knees.

” You cannot put in what god left out” Sam Musambini to Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire.

I suffer Rhueumatoid Arthritis…the auto immune twin sister of Sjorgens….it has a chronic stage in its first year and with management and medication you can get on top of it.. BUT you cannot train at the intensity you once did to keep your fitness to compete at a high level….but you can still play….but you push the envelope too much and bingo you ar eback to sqaure one…Venus maybe over the first chronic stage….but it is management from now on….she will have some good wins and good matches but is very unlikely she has the energy, fitness and lack of sore joints to win more that 2-3 mathes in a tournament at best……she may have a great tournament but then will be spent after it….my point is that the Hopman Cup were taking a risk signing her knowing that she can have a relapes at any time and this is coming from a tournament that has a history of late withdrawels of supposdely fit players not those with a pre-condition.

No-one is denying her past record and some of the matches in 2012. The question is whether she can sustain it over the week and the risk is signing someone with a condition that can flare up and any time. maybe everyone should do some research on auto-immune diseases first before jumping to Venus defence and my demise.

It is clear that Rafa’ knees are not what they used to be and it is clear hiw claycourt season takes a lasting toll on his knees. It is the price he pays for such long ardous and physically taxing claycourt dominance. I am not predicting Nadals decline as a player but it is clear he may have to scale back on his schedule to keep his knees indury free and in that if he plays less the other three his rankig may decline…

Federer admitted himself that the trip to Australia last yar did him no favours and it was almost a month till he got his freshness back and he made the most of a jaded Djokovic who was feeling the effects of his unbelievable 2011 3 slam season. The next 2 months will be
good to watch, especially the effect the US Open will have on Murray. Will he now step up or just take it easy for the rest of the year ready for a major assualt in 2013 with renewed confidence and the monkey off his back.