Australian Open
Men's Draw
There are just so many potential awesome matchups in the men's draw. The stand out 1st round match is Nadal v Jack Draper which will be the best chance Draper will have to beat a legend in my opinion. Their lead up campaign couldn't be more different with Nadal hardly winning a match and Draper winning lots and improving all the time. I'd be surprised if this isn't a real tough one for Rafa but if we remember last year, just how did he manage to win the entire event?? Never write off a legend! 
Nadal v Draper is on at 330am for those who can't sleep! With Kyle Edmund v Sinner at midnight tonight!

Andy Murray meeting Berrettini 1st round is a bummer for both players, but similar to Nadal, write off Andy at your peril.

The potential 3rd rounds of the men's singles is just outrageous with possibilities like Korda v Medvedev, Musetti v Sinner, Norrie v Coric, Rublev v Evans, Kyrgios v Rune, etc etc. All of these matches could easily be ATP 500 finals!

Apart from Djokovic who is the obvious favourite to win, if he doesn't then I could see any one of 10/12 players who could be the winner, such is the strength in depth of the men's game.

Women's Draw
The main interest for me in this draw would be if Raducanu and Gauff win their 1st round matches, they would then play each other. A pity they meet so early but 2 of the young contenders for the future of the women's game. Gauff, even though she hasn't won a slam is ahead of Emma in terms of matches won and experience, but I feel that the women's game could do with both of them becoming a major force in women's tennis as they would attract a wider audience and bring lots of young girls from different backgrounds to the game (as they already have done). For Raducanu if she can keep a more settled team around her for at least a year I can see no reason why she won't be amongst the top players on a regular basis. Jez Green is a great trainer (ex Andy Murray and currently also with Thiem) who will spend some of the year with Emma and has already put in place a strong training programme.                   

Swiatek is, like Novak, the obvious favourite and then I could see any one of Gauff, Garcia, Sakkari, Sabalenka or Pegula taking the crown.

Break Point - Netflix Series
I'm sure that many of you will have watched some of this new behind the scenes look at the tennis tour from both a male and female perspective during 2022. I've watched a few of them and certainly have enjoyed hearing the thoughts of some of the players and the insights of the great tennis minds like Paul Annacone, Chris Evert and Andy Roddick.

It's no great surprise to hear that the winning and losing comes down to mindset. Many of them look to Nadal as the greatest competitor of the game and it is fascinating to hear how players like Fritz and Berrettini hold Rafa in such high esteem from a mental point of view. Paul Annacone considers him to be the best ever at handling the pressure of the big moments and he has worked with a few of the game's greats. 

In the same theme, Berrettini made a very interesting point saying that his greatest weapon is not his serve or forehand, but his mindset. It was almost as if he had just realised this after beating Alcaraz in a 5 set victory at last year's Oz Open. He was 2nd best until it mattered most when they played a 10 point tie break at 6-6 in the 5th set! Being good when it matters most is how you win the majority of tennis matches.

The 1st episode focused on Kyrgios but didn't leave me feeling any warmer towards his personality. I totally get his appeal to the masses and overall I accept that he makes the average sports fan interested in the game. However, these are also the type of people who would video a car crash. Hearing Kyrgios and Kokkinakis reminisce over their drinking, parties and surviving on 3 hours sleep a night makes me weep for any enthusiastic kids watching and the majority of mere mortals who need to work so hard to even be decent at tennis! 

Looking forward to seeing all the other episodes.

Special Hosted Weeks
Here is an overview of the spaces left or our special hosted weeks which are filling up. We are working hard behind the scenes to make the Sardinia 16-23 September week happen with the difficulty being the speed at which our agency partners in Sardinia release accommodation options. We already have a few apartments confirmed and hope to be able to confirm that this week will go ahead before the end of January.
 
Rome Masters
3 Special Hosted Trips 
​
10th to 14th May 
(2 spaces left)

14th to 18th May 
(4 spaces left)

18th to 22nd May
(11 spaces left)

Lucca, Tuscany
19th to 26th August
(8 spaces left)

Florence, Tuscany
​26th August to 2nd September
​(6 spaces left)

Sardinia
16th to 23rd September - to be confirmed soon
 
(Click on the location for more info)
Should those dates not suit we can tailor a tennis trip to suit your requirements!
https://www.tuscantennis.com/tailor-made-holidays.html
Or just get in touch - laura@tuscantennis.com

​My top tips on how to improve your tennis in 2023? 

Movement and when to hit the ball

1. Improve the timing of your split step - many players either don't split step or get the timing wrong. This is fundamental to help you move better and react to the oncoming ball. It's not just for volleys but every shot. Work specifically on timing your split step just before your opponent hits the ball. Video this from behind to see if you are splitting at the right time. Done correctly you will land on one foot and then the other depending upon which direction you need to move to.

2. The decision on whether to hit the ball on the 1/2 volley, at the top of the bounce, or on the way down depends upon how much time you have, where you are on the court and your level of play. The choice you make here can impact a great deal on your consistency, but it is almost always a personal choice related to your style of play. Do what suits you best!

3. In general letting the ball drop is easier but may require better footwork to get you in position to do so. 1/2 volleys are a great shot to learn not only for advanced players but also for anyone (like me) who can't run a fast as they used to! If playing on a slow court then letting the ball drop can be useful for all levels of player as it also allows you to use your legs more to drive up through the ball. Many top players use this tactic when returning 2nd serves and especially in the modern game where most players don't serve & volley.

Shot selection & tactics

1. Okay so you have now done a good split step, got behind the ball and chosen to hit the ball at a particular time, so where do you then hit the ball? 

2. Lower club level - aim to target your opponents weaker shot most of the time - simple!
Everyone else - do the same assuming that you have worked out their weaker shot!

I always remember looking at the stats of Nadal v Federer at the French Open on 2nd serve % to the ad side. Nadal would hit 100% of his serves to Fed's backhand over the entire match. Even at that very high level it doesn't matter if your opponent knows what you are going to do if it's a shot they prefer less.

When Andy Murray played Djokovic he would generally target his forehand in the big moments as the Novak backhand is an impenetrable wall!

3. If playing someone who is equal on both sides then mix up serves, and in rallies play mainly crosscourt or through the middle. If in doubt hit the ball in through the middle reducing angles for your opponent and giving you a bigger target area.

4. Keep your tactics very simple e.g. if your opponent can't volley or smash very well (like most players), then bring them into the net! Lots of variations on this theme if you can work out what they don't like but only if you have the tools to bring out your opponent's weaker areas. 

Technique

Good technique (whatever that is) is so overrated. You could pick holes in many top players if applying a technical model, but I would say that you need to look at what a player (you) does to the ball and where they can get it to land on the other side of the net. There are so many ways to hit the ball including various types of slice, topspin and flat shots. You will no doubt have your favourite method and I would advise sticking to it. What we can all try to improve is our timing, feel and balance e.g. when attempting to serve better work first on your rhythm and timing of the swing before you even think of any technical changes. When volleying work on the split step and the timing of your move always from the outside leg and then transferring your weight through the shot. When hitting forehands and backhands try to hold your follow through in a balanced position for 2 seconds before recovering for the next shot - this can be done as part of a slow warm up every time you are on the court. Keeping your head steady through contact like a golfer will help enormously with balance and fewer miss-hits.

A lot of coaching tends to focus on technical changes but if we can improve our timing, rhythm and balance on our shots with the inherent style that suits us then I firmly believe that we will make quicker improvements.

Mental Skills

There is a strong argument to say that most people who attempt to play competitive tennis should focus mainly on the development of their mental skills. The scoring system in tennis is genius and was possibly invented by a psychopathic mass murderer with a sadistic streak! This area is just huge but here are a few key tips that might help you deal with the mental challenges that our wonderful sport produces. 

1. Please respect the scoring system and remember that the most important point to win is the last one. This will help you to never give up and accept the ups and downs of any tennis match. The great news is that we can make lots of mistakes but only if we learn to recover our focus for the next point. Positive self talk and routines can help here enormously.

2. Never make excuses for losing after a match. Be prepared and take responsibility for your preparation which is all you can do.  "Control the controllables" is one of the best and most often used quotes for high level sports performance. The winning and losing is not always in your hands as there is an opponent trying to win as well! Roger Federer said that when he learned to "accept the possibility of losing" that only then did he learn to relax , stay in the moment and truly compete.

3. Learn the extremely important skill of breathing out when you make contact with the ball on every shot. At the beginning you may need to grunt just to make sure it's happening and again at the right time (on contact). I can't remember one shot when Federer didn't obviously exhale when you saw a slow motion of his shots and this has now become common for the vast majority of players. Not only does this help with a more relaxed execution of the shot but can help distract you from the huge desire to win in the most important moments of a match. This could be a good tip for the England football team if they need to take penalties against France? I'd put money on Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray converting a penalty under pressure! 

4. Read one of your favourite mindset books and adapt your learning to the game of tennis. The importance of what we say and think about ourselves in everyday life has a serious impact on our confidence. Try to become more aware of what you say to yourself before, during and after any match that you really want to win and where necessary make changes to your thoughts and words. Most club tennis players only practice their physical skills but without a serious effort to improve our mental skills we will always be in difficulty. This is not only for tennis but is a valuable life skill. Who wouldn't like to improve their self belief and confidence?

Finally - use the medium of tennis to help develop your self-confidence and increased level of humility e.g. always give credit to your opponent if they win and even if you've played badly. Just listen to Nadal whenever he loses - he always praises his opponent and generally talks about improving his own level by training hard and not giving up. This is a true competitor and more importantly a decent human being!

To finish .....

Who to look out for in 2023?

Next year could be really exciting with so many new young players already making an impact in the slams and master events. I would also say that we are in a great place with so many good guys as positive role models for young players at the moment. Humility seems to be spreading amongst the younger generation which is great for the sport and we still have one or two "characters" to keep the tabloids happy! Amongst the younger players Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, Musetti, Ruud, Aliassime and hopefully Jack Draper will all be at the forefront of all the main events next year I'm sure. And then we have the more established ones like Berrettini, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Rublev, Tiafoe, Norrie and I think Coric, Kyrgios and Fritz will also be in the frame. I sincerely hope that Nadal will continue to win the French Open if his body survives yet another season or at least part of it and Novak has shown at the ATP tour finals in Turin that he is still the man to beat. The Oz Open will be extremely interesting to say the least especially now that the joker is allowed back! Marmite he may well be to many people but tennis is better with him in the big events.

I will miss Federer terribly but he showed such class in his farewell event at the Laver Cup even if it made for a more tearful ending than any sad movie I have ever seen. Roger and Nadal holding hands trying to cope with the moment was just too much for me to watch. (Yes I'm a softie!)

My big hope for 2023 is that Andy Murray manages to get to the latter stages of the slams as I just love watching him compete even with a metal hip! He brings something to the game with his variety of play that very few modern players are able to do.                                      

In the women's game we really need to see some new characters breaking through and I would love to see Raducanu become more consistent and prove all the doubters wrong. She is a fabulous all court tennis player and with her new, improved physicality helped by Jez Green (great guy and ex trainer of Murray & Zverev) I'm sure that 2023 will be a great year for her. I would expect Swiatek, Jabeur, Garcia, Pegula and Sabalenka to be the main contendors but I also hope that Gauff can go far in the big events as she is a great character. At the recent Billie Jean King event in Glasgow all the ball kids said that she was the nicest by far. The importance of good role models cannot be under estimated.

​TTH special hosted trips in 2023 are filling up!
 
Rome Masters
3 Special Hosted Trips 
​
10th to 14th May 
(5 spaces left)

14th to 18th May 
(4 spaces left)

18th to 22nd May
(13 spaces left)

Lucca, Tuscany
19th to 26th August
(8 spaces left)

Florence, Tuscany
​26th August to 2nd September
​(7 spaces left)

Sardinia
16th to 23rd September - to be confirmed soon
(Click on the location for more info)

As you can see our hosted weeks are filling up so please contact Laura if interested. I hope that you all have a great holiday season and make sure to keep working on your tennis in the off season using some of my tips. Looking forward to helping you with your game in 2023 somewhere in Italy and a glass of wine too!!

Merry Christmas & Best Wishes!

Ian & Laura

Wimbledon is just around the corner which is something I have always looked forward to from a very young age, but how will this year's event fare with no players from Russia or Belarus, plus no ranking points for the players!?

It's not ideal to be missing your world no 1 (Medvedev) and many other top players and I do feel sorry for the vast majority of Russians (not just tennis players), who may not be supportive of their country's actions and feel unable to protest.
Regarding the loss of points, I can't really understand any player saying that it doesn't matter and is really an exhibition. The prize money is huge which will allow many of the lower ranked players the possibility of earning money to allow them to continue with their dream. For the top players it's a great opportunity to go further in the draw with none of the top Russians or Belarusians playing. And for the few in the running to win it, this is Wimbledon! The opportunity to win the most prestigious tournament in the world is not to be sniffed at! The top players will all want another slam and especially the most famous one!
​
The Importance of Slice for Wimbledon

1. The ball really stays low on grass, and if "knifed" the ball will slide through the surface making it difficult for any player with a complicated forehand (like Basilashvili)
2. With serves coming at you so quickly, the slice return of serve becomes even more important. (Djokovic & Murray use this option often with big servers)
3. Drop shots are more effective, especially if you can get the ball to drop just over the net on softer, undisturbed grass
4. Slice approach stays low and flies through the court making the passing shot extremely difficult to make, and keep low over the net
5. Slice volleys stay low in a similar vein
6. Lots of defending low wide balls on grass

Looking at Berrettini winning Queens (Cinch) again reminded me of the importance of slice, especially on a grass court. Matteo's slice has always been good, but it looks like he has taken it to an even higher level.

The Best Slicers in the Modern Game

Murray, Federer, Evans & Berrettini - for the men
Barty was the best by far until recently retired and Ons Jabeur hits the most beautiful slice drop shots - for the women. 

Best Slice of all Time?

For me it has to be Steffi Graf as she almost never came over her backhand and still managed to beat even the best topspin clay courters in her time with a slice (and a great inside out forehand!). I just had a look at her 6th French open win against Hingis in 1999 who struck the ball early and efficiently with great topspin precision, but Graf had a razor like backhand slice which allowed her to both defend and attack well. maneuvering her opponent before pouncing with her great forehand.

Ken Rosewall was rated as the best of his era with the slice but it didn't penetrate like Graf's, nor did he split his hands to any great degree to help generate more speed. Probably blasphemy to any old Rosewall fans, but the game has always evolved and no doubt his slice was the best of that era.

Anyone over the age of 50 will know someone with a great backhand slice at a local level - ask them for a few tips or even better put a video of them on our Facebook page.
Let's find the best slicers out there?

Top Tips To hit A Good Backhand Slice

1. Use a continental grip in general or a slight forehand grip for emergencies - some players would advocate a slight forehand grip which helps to generate more racquet head speed. The great Ian Barclay (Oz coach of Pat Cash) believed in this grip.
2. Using either of these grips make sure that your wrist stays cocked up - you should see wrinkles in your wrist
3. A good shoulder turn when possible is preferable, but if no time and the ball is coming straight at you off a fast 1st serve then raise your elbow to the side and hit slightly across the ball trying to turn slightly off an open stance - similar action to a body ball when at the net playing a defensive backhand volley.
4. Try to find the perfect contact point which isn't quite so far in front as many people think - let the ball come on to you and hit it at the side of you just slightly in front.
5. Splitting the arms whilst hitting helps create more force on the ball both for the slice groundie and the volley
6. Hitting slightly across the ball is only for the games' geniuses like Federer and Murray. Even Novak and Rafa always play a straightforward slice through the ball remaining side on throughout the swing. Practice this by hitting down the line into the tramlines. 
7. Don't worry so much about style as we can't all look like Federer (actually no one can) and it's much more important that you can defend, attack and manoeuvre the ball with various types of slice. Graf, Barty, Federer and Murray have all utilised a great variety of backhand slices for many situations and tactical choices, especially on the grass of Wimbledon!

Final thought on the slice
The defensive forehand slice - but that's for another day....

Hopefully we will get to see Andy Murray slice and dice his way to the 2nd week of Wimbledon and then who knows..... A favourable draw would certainly help.

Would you like me or Laura to teach you the slice? If yes then join us on our special hosted week in Florence .....

27th August to 3rd September 2022
Click HERE for full info or email laura@tuscantennis.com ​

What can I say that hasn't been said already about the amazing Rafael Nadal? Yes he could have lost to Zverev but we will never know and that is part of the game. Nadal has had so many injuries over his career so I think it would be unfair to say that he wouldn't have won.
He lost only 23 games in the first 3 rounds before being severely tested by Auger-Aliassime in 5 sets, but found a way to win. The quarter final against Djokovic was a spectacular battle with many changes of momentum and the beauty of the long deuce games were amongst the key moments of the match. Nadal managed to adapt to the slow conditions with the cooler temperatures and once again found a way to succeed. Novak has been one of the most resilient players in the history of the game but I felt that it was the even greater resilience of Nadal that pulled him through. You can talk tactics all you like but his mental strength to compete point for point no matter what the situation, is quite something to see. As many of the pundits were saying he has to be the greatest ever sporting competitor. It's difficult to measure across the sports but the scoring system in tennis is so brutal that you must have huge reserves of determination and perseverance to pull through in a best of 5 sets match against another mental giant like Novak!
I love Nadal not because he is such a great tennis player and a serial winner but mainly because of the way he handles himself both on and off the court. Never smashing a racket or disrespecting his opponent. Never taking any match for granted. If disagreeing with officials, always in a respectful manner. As a role model it would be hard to think of anyone better.
The last question in his Spanish press conference was "is it worth it, continuing to make so many sacrifices in order to continue his career?"
His answer was along the lines of:
"Sacrifices? Are you joking? I'm so privileged to be able to lead the life I lead, to train every day and to play tennis every day. I love it. No sacrifices!"
Tennis is a game and a great one at that, but we are so fortunate to have the GOAT (in my opinion) as someone with such a great perspective on life.
I love Swiatek too, but there will be plenty more opportunities to speak about her with such a wonderful career still ahead of her.
Clay Court Tennis
I have just finished reading a book by Paul McNamee (famous Oz player and partner of the late Peter McNamara) called "Welcome to the Dance" which is about his love of clay court tennis and why everyone should learn to play on the stuff. It's a great read and Mr McNamee really gets to the heart of the beauty of Italian and other European clubs as sanctuaries where we should pay homage to the beauty of clay and its benefits to our development of our tennis skills.
I quote from Mr McNamee:
" My contention is that the gateway to mastering tennis is mastering clay, because the deep insights you gain by unlocking the mysteries of clay are completely transferable to any other surface, whether hardcourt or grass, indoors or outdoors. The reverse is not true, and I'm talking about hardcourt in particular. Hardcourt is a great leveller, the great equaliser, where both fast and slow court exponents meet in the middle, but its predominant style, based on metronomic hitting, does not replicate the range of skills asked of a player on clay."
Why not join us in Florence on clay?
We might not be able to get you playing like Nadal or Swiatek but we can certainly have a lot of fun trying and help you to explore the joy of playing on a clay court at our lovely club in Florence

Rome 2022 - After 2 years of missing out re Covid we have just finished a great trip to Rome with a lovely group of clients. The weather was amazing, the quality of players on show was of the highest level and there was so much to do at this wonderful event.
So much to tell.....

The Venue
Il Foro Italico is quite a spectacular venue with 7 courts available on a ground pass, including the beautiful Pietrangeli court surrounded by marble statues. This is one of the best show courts in the world.

The other courts in the grounds also have fantastic viewing for lots of people with banked seating. On court 5 every day you will see all the top players like Djokovic and Nadal practicing.

There are 2 show courts, but my favourite is the Grandstand Arena which is smaller than Centrale and has better viewing with all seats being closer to the action.

Practice Courts - In addition to Court 5 there are 5 other practice courts with excellent viewing and the chance to see up close, players interacting with their coaches.

On one of these courts we had the privilege of watching Jamie Murray and his coach Alan MacDonald. Jamie and Alan were both kind enough to have a quick chat after their session, which was certainly one of the highlights of the week. (For them I mean)

Tennis Shops
Most of the world's tennis brands are all on sale in the individual shops, plus a special Italian Open sponsored one by Joma for 2022. If you want to get new tennis gear then this is the best place I know to actually shop for it!
      
Food & Drink in Il Foro Italico
Being in Italy you are spoiled for choice at very reasonable prices e.g. a good cappuccino at only €1.50 and lots of excellent Italian dishes.

Tuscan Tennis Holidays Coaching Venue in Rome
Only a short walk from both the hotel and Il Foro Italico, we have access to tournament quality clay courts set next to the River Tiber.
Coaching is from 9 - 11am each morning with our top Italian coaches Iuri and Andrea, plus of course Ian and Laura. Many of our clients were able to learn from watching the stars in action and then ask questions of the coaches about the various styles and tactics the following day.

WHAT I LEARNED AS A COACH FROM WATCHING/OBSERVING
1. If you are not a good athlete then you have no chance of winning on clay. The physical side of clay court tennis is quite incredible to see close up and live. I will certainly be reinforcing this with all of my juniors who wish to make any efforts to compete in the tennis world.
2. Winning big points is the key to success. This may seem obvious, but especially in the doubles there are so many sudden death points or match tie breaks where the match can be won or lost. I would imagine that Tsitsipas would like another go at his 1st serve when 5 - 6 down in the 2nd set tie break v Djokovic in the final. It almost hit the baseline!
3. Return of serve position. In the men's game, for singles, many stand quite far back for both 1st & 2nd serves but there are also some who stay nearer the baseline, like Brooksby (an interesting player with an unorthodox, but extremely effective style)
In men's doubles the majority return near the baseline on both 1st & 2nd serves and also in the women's singles the majority are closer to the baseline for all serves.
No fixed rule - try and see what works best for you.
4. In the warm up practice sessions most of the coaches appeared to adopt a good humoured, relaxed style and the intensity of players varied depending upon their personality or perhaps work ethic? A good coach will know their player and what works best for them.

Frances "the grinder" Tiafoe as his coach Wayne Ferreira jokingly called him. He is a big hitting shotmaker.

5. A reminder of why the scoring system in tennis is pure genius and the mental/emotional demands that it places on individuals. The car crash of Sakkari playing Jabeur in the quarters when a set, 5 - 2, and 30 - 0 up was a great example. One can never absolutely assume, but it certainly looked like a fear of winning - choking - complaining about everything - Jabeur allowed back into the match and then winning.
Djokovic on the other hand seems to manage his emotional control incredibly well and knows when to get up and when to stay steady which you can see by his careful or more attacking shot selection.
6. There are so many players who hit the ball well, but only a few who really know how to win and they are able to manage their emotions throughout the ups and downs of a match. Swiatek and Alcaraz are another 2 great examples of this i.e. they know how to win! Really looking forward to the French and hope that Alcaraz plays Nadal or Djokovic in the final. (but a fit & healthy Nadal)

What I loved the most?
Watching John Isner and Diego Schwartzman in the doubles was so much fun. Two nice guys having a good time competing and almost taking the title with a match point lost to a very close return by Diego (what a shame!).
The difference in stature and style was lovely to see and it felt like the crowds were more excited by their performances than any of the singles players.
It certainly seems to help the profile and appeal of doubles when the well known singles players take part, as many did in Rome.
If any of our clients who were in Rome with us have any comments I would love to hear them? Or who else has been to this event?

Our next special hosted trip?
Florence - Why not join us? We can work on your clay court game!
27th August to 3rd September
Click HERE for info

Tailor Made Tennis Holidays
If the dates for our Florence week don't suit then don't worry as we can still arrange dates to suit in Lucca, Florence or Sardinia. Why not contact us with your preferred dates and see what we can offer?
laura@tuscantennis.com
Click HERE for Tailor Made info ​

What clay courts can do for your game.
Watching the clay court events so far reminds me of why I love clay court tennis so much. But just what is it that makes this surface so special and what can we learn from playing on it?

1. Clay is a natural, soft surface you can slide on which helps protect your body from injuries
2. All types of spin are more effective on clay, especially topspin and slice for drop shots
3. With a slow high bounce it is much more difficult to win a point than on any other surface
4. As a result, tennis is more physically demanding on clay due to the longer rallies and having to control your balance while sliding around
5. Players who may not possess big serves or massive forehands, but are good defensively and have a variety of shots and spins can still be extremely effective e.g. Diego Schwartzman
6. For any level of player it provides an opportunity to develop your technique with more time to set up, your strategy due to the chess-like nature of the surface, your physical side as the rallies are longer and of course the mental aspect as you must be extremely resilient.

MY CURRENT FAVOURITE CLAY COURT PLAYERS 
 
MEN Nadal & Murray – Nadal is just the King although Alcaraz is the young pretender and may soon dethrone him! Andy Murray on any court surface is always great to watch but on a clay court his variety of spins, drops, topspin lobs and ability to hoist the ball to the sky and land on the baseline when defending defies belief at this stage in his career.

LADIES It was Barty, but now that she has retired I'm really enjoying watching Raducanu on clay as she is such a great athlete who can slide, drop shot, change the rhythm and compete like crazy. When she becomes stronger I think that clay might be her best surface.

​SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN TO PLAY ON CLAY?
 
We still have some spaces on our Special Hosted Week in Florence from the 27th August until 3rd September.
Our Florence tennis venue is considered to be one of the best clubs in Italy with a beautiful setting and world class facilities - 

• A minimum of 20 hours of tennis including coaching, doubles clinic, video analysis, social tennis, a fun tournament with prizes PLUS free court time
• SUNDAY - Video analysis and two hours play (10am - 12 noon) & social tennis (3 - 5pm)
• An individual tennis goal sheet to work on during the week - discussed with you during the video analysis
• MONDAY - Two hours group coaching (10am - 12 noon) & doubles clinic (3 - 5pm) tactically based for all standards & group dinner in the evening (cost of dinner not included)
• TUESDAY - Two hours group coaching (10am - 12 noon) & social tennis with Ian Campbell providing tips (3 - 5pm)
• WEDNESDAY – 2 hours group coaching (10am - 12 noon) plus a guided walking tour of Florence in the afternoon. Group dinner in the evening in one of our favourite Florence restaurants (cost of dinner not included)  
• THURSDAY - Two hours group coaching (10am - 12 noon) Afternoon free or more tennis opportunities
• FRIDAY – Social tournament with Italians (10am – 1pm). Afternoon free for last minute shopping, cultural visits or more tennis! Awards dinner in the evening (cost of dinner not included)
• Extra free court time during the week
• Quality Italian lunch daily Sunday to Friday
• Use of the tennis club facilities which include 16 tennis courts (9 red clay courts, 2 Red Plus artificial clay courts, 3 hard courts, & 2 artificial grass courts), swimming pool (open from 1st of June until middle of September), plus a snack bar, bar/restaurant, fully equipped gym, Turkish bath, & sauna
• Complimentary Tuscan Tennis t-shirt
• Our insider guide to the best restaurants and bars in the area 

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ITALIAN OPEN PREDICTIONS
Men – Alcaraz is the man of the moment but Nadal is always the favourite.
Ladies – Difficult to predict as so many different winners in the women's game at the moment but Swiatek has to be the favourite with Sakkari & Halep close behind.
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CAN MURRAY BEAT DJOKOVIC?
After watching Andy beat Shapovalov last night in Madrid I would say yes, especially that he will have a day's rest. It will be very interesting to see how they match up after such a long time playing each other and all that they have both been through in recent times.

It would seem that Novak is getting back on track, but Andy is now serving even better than he used to and is also able to defend well and get to drop shots. It's interesting to hear him talk about the hard work he's put in recently and in particular how pleased he is with his ability to get the drop shot back. If you didn't see the match last night please have a look at the highlights and one of the most incredible drop shot gets I have ever seen by Andy! The contrast between their match last year at Wimbledon and this one was startling.
I am so looking forward to seeing him play in Rome next week where Laura and I will be hosting 2 groups during the Italian open. The men's game at the moment has so many exciting players who will all be in Rome and I can't wait to see them all competing and hopefully get to see some of their practice sessions which can often be more interesting than a match. The prospect of seeing Alcaraz for the first time live will be amazing and if Raducanu continues to improve her clay court form (and avoids injury) it could be very interesting.

We will post some photos and keep you up to date with what's happening in the tournament plus of course where to eat!

Men's Game

In terms of quality, role models and box office attraction I would include the following players:

Alcaraz/Nadal/Tsitsipas/ Medvedev/Ruud/Berrettini/Rublev/
​Auger-Aliassime/Sinner/Norrie/Schwartzman/Hurkacz/Fritz/Korda

I've left out Djokovic as I don't see him as a role model anymore after the Australia fiasco and obviously Federer would be there if he comes back. There are lots of other players lower ranked on the men's tour who are also very exciting players and too many to mention. The Andy Murray comeback effort will also be extremely interesting and hopefully successful.

For me Alcaraz is a huge stand out in terms of becoming an iconic figure like Nadal or Federer. The game has been so lucky to have had perhaps the 2 greatest role models of all time over the past 20 years or so and at the moment Alcaraz is the most likely player that I can see coming anywhere close to the all round skills of Roger & Rafa. He has just about every shot going, moves like lightning, competes like an animal, stays calm under pressure and most importantly has great humility similar to Rafa. I would imagine that he has a great family but the influence of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero cannot be overstated. Ferrero was another wonderful competitor with great humility.

If Sinner improves physically, then he would be my 2nd choice as a humble warrior with all the skills to develop into a great player. Medvedev has still to persuade me that he is worthy of being considered as a positive role model for kids but all the rest of the players that I've listed would appear to be relatively sane and humble in this hugely competitive environment.

Obviously with crowds coming back the game is getting back to normal with a much improved atmosphere which makes a huge difference when watching on TV.

Women's Game

Here is my list of players who in my opinion provide the best box office attraction:

Swiatek/Krejcikova/Osaka/Badosa/Sabalenka/Halep/Sakkari/Gauff/
Raducanu/Bencic/Fernandez

I must admit to preferring women's doubles to men's as it represents more of what your average club player is trying to achieve in the one up and one back style of play. Men's doubles has some interesting moments but is too often serve, return and one volley unless on a clay court where you see more rallies. And as much as I get the importance of communication it can become rather tedious to watch players covering their mouth and facing away from each other. Just how many players on the tour can lip read from 20 metres away?

Raducanu beating Fernandez in the US Open was one of the greatest ever sporting stories and brought a huge amount of attention to tennis and the women's game. Fortunately, Raducanu is a wonderful role model who I am sure will produce many other great results in her career, but we need to give her time. From the outside it's always easy to criticise and yes I have been a bit surprised at the amount of endorsements she has taken on which one could argue might be having a detrimental effect on her game. Let's wait and see what happens over the next few years as I'm sure she will improve physically and mentally to the rigours of the tour. When that happens she will be extremely competitive on all surfaces.

Ashley Barty leaving the game is a huge loss and a massive blow to women's tennis. All sports need personalities to attract people to the game and I'm looking forward to seeing if Swaitek, Raducanu, Gauff and Badosa can step up and fill the huge gap left by the departure of Barty?

Full polyester vs Full soft vs Hybrid?

The key point is that you (the player ) should decide and not the stringer or coach. By all means, be guided in the right direction but if finances permit try a few variations of string types & tensions to see what you like best.

In a nutshell:

1/ Full polyester for more spin and control but harder on the arm.

2/ Full soft strings for more feel and less loss of tension. Natural gut is the best but very expensive - only if you play in dry conditions and don't use too much spin as the strings won't last!

3/ A hybrid of polyester and a softer string which provides a mix of good spin, power, and feel

What do the top male players in the world use in terms of strings/tensions:

Novak Djokovic | Babolat VS Team Natural Gut / Luxilon ALU Power Rough 59/56lbs
Roger Federer | Wilson Natural Gut/Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 48.5/45lbs
Andy Murray | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power/Babolat VS Touch 62lbs
Nick Kygrios |Yonex Poly Tour Pro 125 51lbs
Rafael Nadal | Babolat RPM Blast 130 55lbs
Gael Monfils | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 57/55lbs
Milos Raonic |Luxilon M2 44/46lb
Alexander Zverev | Babolat VS Touch/Head Hawk Touch 62lb
Roberto Bautista Agut | Luxilon Big Banger Original 57lb
Diego Schwartzman | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power 50lbs
Out of this group of 10 players we have 6 using only polyester and the other 4 with a hybrid of polyester and a softer string. Tensions vary from 44/46lbs - Raonic to 62lbs - Zverev & Murray. Therefore, quite a variation in string types and combinations plus different ideas on tensions.
In general lower tensions provide more power and higher tensions more control. Polyester strings can be strung looser and still have decent control which is probably why all the players using polyester only are no higher than 55lbs - Nadal. (Rafa is one of the few players on tour who never changes his string tension no matter whatever the conditions are)
For young players and lower-level club players, a hybrid restring is generally better to help protect the arm and provide a bit more feel. If a mid-level or slightly older junior likes polyester I would advise no more than 50lbs again to protect the arm and provide easier power for slower racquet head speeds.
If you want a restring that doesn't lose tension quite so much then VS Gut would be the best but as I said previously it's very expensive and breaks easily.
Higher-level club players are probably the ones who will experiment a bit more to find out what suits them best and a huge consideration for aspiring young pros is the cost as they will break strings regularly no matter what the type of string they use! 
To sum up... try not to get too fanatical about strings as a good stringer should be able to guide you towards the most appropriate tension and string type for your level of play. The higher the level of player the more they will feel subtle differences. You will sometimes see pro players complaining to their team about string tensions in practice or during matches which can be genuine but can also be players looking for excuses. 
Find a string and tension that you like and stick to it - just like Rafa!