Ed Alexander casts his eyes over some of the more obscure sporting stories of the last fortnight
Tennis
Nadal: King of Clay
When Rafael Nadal overcame Dominic Thiem in straight sets, it saw him clinch an unprecedented 11th French Open title and served to confirm a well-known tennis truth. Rafa is the King of Clay. The French Open is a unique event in that it is the only Grand Slam tournament to use a clay court, and this […]
Roger Federer continues to defy logic – is he the greatest sportsman of all time?
It’s July 2016. Andy Murray has just won Wimbledon – he goes onto finish the year at the top of the rankings. Novak Djokovic has just completed the career Grand Slam at the French Open, and the once-gladiatorial Federer-Nadal rivalry that, in many ways, represented what men’s tennis was for the past 10 years, was […]
3 questions heading into the clay court season on the ATP Tour
1. Can the GOAT really win the French Open having not played a tournament on clay beforehand? Roger Federer is certainly the man in form right now. And no, you aren’t reading a piece from 2007. The Swiss’ miraculous turnaround following injury which halted his campaign after Wimbledon last season, has included victories at the […]
The remarkable rise of Johanna Konta
In June 2015, Jo Konta was the world number 147, the British number two, and one of many female players grinding it out in the lower echelons of professional tennis. Fast forward 22 months, her stock has risen considerably. Following her fantastic tournament victory at the Miami Open last week, the 25-year old stands at […]
Roger Federer: The Return of the King
2017 was supposed to be the year Roger Federer slowly made his exit from the upper echelons of world tennis. A year which showed flashes of his past ability, but in which he succumbed to the testing physicality of the tour. A chance to bid goodbye to the venues in which he has made so […]
Review of the Australia Open
The Australian Open tournament 2017 symbolised the comeback of the over-30’s, who took centre stage and dominated proceedings. Roger Federer, at the age of 35, won his 18th Grand Slam title against 30-year old Rafael Nadal in a scintillating 5-set thriller. Venus Williams, at the age of 36, became the oldest woman to reach the […]
Ones to watch: 2017 ATP World Tour
Juan Martin Del Potro – Argentinian; 28 years old; 38th ATP Having been kept out of tennis courts due to repetitive wrist injuries, Juan Martin Del Potro came back in 2016 as the 1042nd tennis player in the ATP rankings. A silver medal in an Olympic tournament where he eliminated Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal […]
He’s Scot Skills: How Andy Murray Became Number 1
In early October, and on his way to victory in Shanghai, Andy Murray dismissed the possibility of replacing Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings before the year was out. “I’d have to win pretty much every match between now and the end of the year, and Novak would have to win hardly any. […]
Jamie White’s French Open Preview
This Sunday sees Roland Garros open its doors once more as the 2016 French Open gets underway. Will Djokovic be able to complete the career grand-slam, or will he fall at the final hurdle once more? And who can stop Serena Williams adding another title to her every expanding list. Let’s take a look at […]