Murray lights up centre court

I woke up this morning with a bit of sadness but also a lot of excitement. Today would be my last day at Wimbledon. I am off to the States tomorrow morning for the start of the World Team Tennis season starting on Thursday night. But my 1st priority was to get Wesley and Dick ready for their 2 nd round doubles match. It felt like a week ago when they played their 1 st round. The 2 nd round opponent Igor Andreev's 3 rd round singles matches was delayed on Friday night due to bad light and he had to finish on Saturday. It is bizarre that Wesley played on Wednesday and then only the next Monday.

Wesley and Dick played a good match and won in 4 sets. 76 36 76 64. They are really starting to become a great doubles team. They are definitely the tallest team in the draw. Wesley is 6’6 and Dick 6’8. They are now into the 3rd rnd.

The over 35 and 45 event starts tomorrow and it was great to see all the old faces. I had a long chat to Billie Jean King, she was very excited about what we where doing with my Foundation in Diepsloot. She came to visit in December. We feed 850 kids everyday and also provide them with education and life skills. She is very keen to get involved with the program. South Africa has 3 players playing in the over 45 event. Kevin Curren and Johan Kriek are playing together and Danie Visser is playing with Robert Seguso.
Gary Muller who use to be a player and coached Jonas Bjorkman also popped in to say hi. The SA Boys had a great chat in the Springbok corner about the rugby on Saturday and who had to be in the team for the 3rd test. Kevin Curren and I really got into it. We share the same passion when it comes to rugby.

Today was the 1 st time they got to use the new roof on centre court. At around 4:30 play got suspended for about 30 min because of rain, and when play resumed they never opened it again. Andy Murray and Wawrinka who was playing a 3 rd round match produced some brilliant tennis and only finished at 10:45 last night. Murray the winner ( 7-5 in the 5th) and keeping his and a Nations hopes alive of winning the title. A match has never finished so late on the centre court of Wimbledon.

The next time you hear from me will be from America.

Going Nuts at Wimbledon

Saturday the 27th was for most South Africans a big day. It was the 2nd test between the Boks and the Lions. 12 Years ago it was horrible to be here at Wimbledon after we lost to the lions but I was confident that it will not happen again this year. After the win in the 1st test we got all fired up in the locker room about the 2nd test. From early on today there was a lot of trash talking between the South African players and the British players and staff at Wimbledon. With kick-off at 2pm local time I was shocked to find out that Wesley had booked practice from 1-3 for us. What was he thinking???? I made it clear to him that I was only available for an hour and then he was on his own. How could I miss this big game.

With the oldies event starting on Monday some of our stars from the past was also with us to support the Boks. In the north locker room we have our own corner called SPRINGBOK CORNER. 5-10 years ago we had between 12 and 18 South Africans playing but this year there was only 4 men in the doubles draw and 1 lady in the women's doubles. In 1997 there was 32 South African men and women competing at Wimbledon. We where all shocked when Schalk got the yellow card after only 30 seconds and thought this was it. Poor Kevin Ulleytt had to go and play mixed doubles and it was my job to text him the score during his match( You are not aloud to have your phone on during a match, but who cared this was the Lions against the Boks) I was so fired up that I forgot to text him. It is a pity that it took our coach 140 min to realize that Morne Steyn is the answer. I felt very sorry for Ruan because he is an awesome rugby player but not in the same class as Morne when it comes to goal kicking. It was so loud in the locker room during those last 10 min I wonder what the people on the outside was thinking. Johan Kriek, Danie Visser, David Nainkin, Jeff Coetzee, Kevin Ullyett, Roger Anderson , myself some Americans and Aussie totally went bananas when Morne made the final kick. Now that was BMT for you. Today proved again that you pick inform players and not players on there reputation. Heinrich Brussouw was brilliant.

I was mentally so drained after the rugby, but had to rush of to court 9 where Nicola Scholtz our top SA junior was playing against the no 4 seed. It was great to see his Mom and Dad there. His mom hate flying but made Nicola a promise when he was very young that if he played at Wimbledon she will be there, she kept her promise. He really played well but only experience cost him the match 67 64 75. Next it was Chanel Simmonds and she played great to win 64 62.

My JL's Mixed kids went back to SA tonight so it is very quite in the flat. Tomorrow is a rest day at Wimbledon and I can't wait to sleep it.

Heart breaker on court 4

Friday was another glorious day at Sw19. Since they have put up the roof for this years Championship the rain has stayed away. How ironical. You spend millions on a roof and then you can't use it. With the beautiful weather it gives all the thousands of tennis lovers the opportunity to watch their favorite players until 9:30 at night. I found myself sitting next to court 4 at 9:15 watching Jeff Coetzee and his partner from the States Jill Craybus battling it out for some extra pounds. It was a match where Jeff and his partner was always fighting from behind. Their opponents served for the match 3 times, but in the end Jeff lost another long match at this years Championship 15-13 in the final set. At Wimbledon there are no tie-breakers in the 3rd or 5th set. I thought Jeff played a good match, and I was very surprised how he moved because on Wednesday after his doubles that they lost 9-7 in the 5th, he could hardly walk. He still has problems with his hip after the car accident he was in a few years ago. My foundations kids had their last day in London and they took the town by a storm. The girls went shopping (no surprise) and the boys did all the tours. I must say it was a very impressive performance by the boys. They hopped on a bus and visited all the soccer stadiums in London, London Eye, The Palace and Big Ben. This was the 1 st time that the winning team stayed with me in my apartment and it was so much fun. After a long day it was so refreshing to hear all their stories off matches they watched, pictures they took, players they met and also players that disappointed them by their attitude or unwillingness to pose for a photo. It was really nice to hear that Wimbledon inspired two of them that I know can become pro players and play at Wimbledon in a few years time. After experiencing their joy and excitement every night I know that this trip was successful!!!!!

Wimbledon as very few get to experience it...

One of the biggest perks of being the JL's Mixed Winners, is the opportunity to see games on Centre Court and Court 1 as well as visit the Players' Lounge and the Players Area at Aorangi Park. Seeing one of the big games on these courts is certainly something one will never forget. Seeing local hero Murray play today only emphasized this.

Experiencing players in their lounge, recouping after games or waiting the time out before they play, certainly gives you another take on your favourite player. Seeing them eating and socializing with other players or their families contributes to this.

Another benefit is seeing players warm up. Some joke around, other gets highly frustrated with their hitting partners and most let rip with some particular shots, produced by the freedom that practise-sessions brings.

Getting hold of tickets is sometimes one of the challenging aspects of one's week. Players get a certain amount of tickets each day to give to family and friends. But some days they don't use them and then they give them to other players who in turn give them to people they know. Today I broke my all-time record, getting 8 tickets for today's Murray-game on Centre Court.

But we all know its all about the photographs. Whether cornering them at Aorangi or stopping them on the steps near the lounge, this is the pictures one will return to in years to come. All in all, Wimbledon behind the scenes is certainly a rich and fun experience.

In terms of South Africans playing today, Jeff and his partner lost in five sets in the Men's Doubles. Jeff had a heartbraker today, again losing after dominating the match early on. The exact thing happened with them at the French Open. Wesley lost in the Mixed Doubles, losing the third set 9-11. Rik also lost in the Mixed, going down 1-6 in the third set. Channel Simmonds today went out in the Semi-Finals of the Bank of England Tournament.

Wesley still has to play his Second Round Match in the Men's Doubles (where they are seeded 9the) and Jeff his First Round Match in the Mixed Doubles.

Wimbledon is quickly picking up pace, everybody is settling in nicely and it will be interesting to see how the draw pans out. I am here till Tuesday before leaving for World Team Tennis in the US, where I will be coaching the Springfield Lasers. The JL's Mixed Kids are leaving on Saturday - one of them back to the US where he plays college tennis and the other three back to South Africa. Seeing the way they enjoyed this week and drew inspiration from it for their own careers only energizes me!

What a day!

Some of my friends think being at Wimbledon is pure fun, and for the biggest part they are right, but then there are days where I have to be at three places all at once, juggling my time between coaching, supporting and moving through the masses of supporters. Today was such a day.

Let me give you a glimpse:

9:15 Quickly checking in at Elys to see if my blinds have arrived. Unsuccessful.

10:00 Jeff picks me up at the flat.

11:00 Starts practising with Jeff and his Doubles Partner, Jordan Kerr, at Aorangi.

12:00 Kevin Anderson starts his First Round Match at Court 17. Watches all four sets.

15:30 Interview with Hendrien Grove for Supersport.

15:45 Watch Natalie Grandin in her First Round Match. Only two sets. Enjoyed this with the South African Fed Cup Captain, Greer Leo-Smith.

17:15 Wesley Moodie starts his First Round Match. Watches four sets.

19:45 I move on to Rik de Voest's Match, with one set already completed.

21:45 Leave the grounds at the completion of the match. Lovely 20 minute walk home, starting with the 'small' hill in Church Street.

But this doesn't even cover half of what I experienced today.

Jeff practised at Court 22. It forms part of the six practise courts that is outside the Wimbledon Grounds. It is normally used by doubles players. But this is also the perfect venue for Murray to get away from the media frenzy that surrounds him this year. He arrived at the courts with his two fitness trainers and coach for his fitness session. He did all of the various exercises wearing a 7kg weight jacket. On the other side we noticed the paparazzi in and behind the trees, trying to capture tomorrow's front page. It all made me realise again that being in the public eye robs you of all of your privacy and freedom to move around freely.

All of this will only intensify for Murray if he succeeds to reach this year's final. And speaking to some old players and coaches, all of them are of the opinion that it's a two-man race this year: Federer and Murray!

I watched the Anderson match with particular interest. We are playing against India in September to gain entrance to next year's Davis Cup World Group. In this match I got to see both India's Nr 1 Singles and Nr 1 Doubles players. I certainly made some mental notes.

At the end of Day 3 only Wesley and Jeff is still involved in die Doubles Competition. Wesley, Jeff and Rick must all still play their First Round Matches in this year's Mixed Doubles Competition.

At this point I can share with you how players get together for the Mixed Doubles. Firstly, they don't play Qualifiers. The crucial criteria is that your combined ranking must be inside the top 48 teams to be accepted into the draw. Players do form partnerships over the years, but some of the lower ranked players sometimes have to make last-minute changes to improve their combined ranking.

In the past this competition had more room for some fun and informality. Some partners only met each other on court just before their first match. These days however, with more prize money at stake, things are more organized. In 1997, the year I played in the Semi-Finals of the Mixed, I approached my partner, the teen prodigy Martina Hingis, at the French Open. Having no relationship whatsoever, I asked her after my good friend Michael de Jongh enquired me about my choice of partner for the upcoming Wimbledon. Walking down the stairs, seeing Martina at the bottom, I replied "her" to him. He thought I joked and adamant to show my intention, I proceeded asking her there and then. She said yes and we went on to play together. That year she went on to win her first Wimbledon Singles Title at the age of 15. More about our time together later...

I must mention that Channel Simmonds, our Junior Girls, is through to the Semi-Finals at the Bank of England event. This, coming on the back of her Quarter Final appearance at the French Open, only bodes well for next week's Junior Wimbledon. Good luck Channel!

Tomorrow Jeff plays Doubles in the first match of the day and will want to take revenge, having lost against Zelenay at the French Open. Wesley will make his first appearance in the Mixed Doubles in the second match of the day and Rik is also on, but won't be playing before 16:30.

All of this means another full day for me. But listening to my JL's Mixed Winners at night, telling stories and sharing their highlights of the day, I just realize how privileged I am to be part of something this special. May this never change for me.

Schedule is out!

It is 12:15 and the schedule is out for tomorrow. All the South Africans except Jeff is playing tomorrow. Kevin is up 1st at 12. Then it is Natalie 3rd on after 12 and Rik and Wesley are on 4th match after 12. It will be a very busy day for me running around between warm-ups, Practice and watching the matches.
Channel Simmonds our top junior girl is in the quarter-finals of the Bank of England junior tournament. This is a warm up tournament for Junior Wimbledon. She has been in great form and hopefully she can go 1 better than her quater-finals result at the French Open.

Andy Murray made a solid start to his Wimbledon campaign. He has lots of pressure on him to perform, and with Rafa out he is the man who will have to try and take the title from Federer. He is in great shape and playing great tennis. Roger was very relaxed on the practice court today. He made jokes with his supporting team( 5 of them) and even tried a few cricket shots.

Tomorrow like Monday will be very nice to face all the English players and staff working at Wimbledon. They all know I am a true Bok supporter and I will have the right to say a few things after the Emerging Boks played to a 13-all draw at Newlands. Now that is what I call BMT Willem de Waal. Well done boy!!!!
It is time to go to bed because at 4:40 am the suns comes up in this place.

JL's Mixed Winners 2008 arrive at Wimbledon!

This past Saturday I saw something I will not forget soon: five South Africans, climbing the hill towards my flat, dragging their baggage with them, speaking in what could only be described as a long-haul flight infused volume. Eight Months after winning my annual JL's Mixed Tournament, the team of Waterkloof High School arrived to attend the first week of this years Wimbledon Championships at SW-19. They are the 9th winners to attend.

To win my tournament, they had to outscore the other teams in the following categories: tennis (based on the World Team Tennis Format, Challenges (singing, dancing, putt-putt, cycling, netball, tenpin bowling and ball kicking) and Team Spirit. And judging their current enthusiasm, their spirit only grew since winning.

On Monday this years Championship started with near perfect weather. South Africans who are competing this year is Jeff Coetzee, Rik de Voest, Wesley Moodie, Kevin Anderson and Natalie Grandin. Jeff was the only one to play on Monday, playing his First Round Match with his Doubles Partner, Jordan Kerr of Australia. They went on to win 6-1 6-2 6-4 against Spaniards David Ferrer and Marco Lopez in what could only be described as a perfect display of grass-court tennis, with only four unforced errors from the Coetzee-Kerr team. They are certainly on the right track. The other South Africans must still play and I wish them all of the best.

Wimbledon - The Place where dreams come true!

Wow, now I am also a citizen of this crazy, wonderful world that is Blogging!

I've just realised this is my 20th Wimbledon in a row. And still I get goosebumps everytime I walk through the gates. It all started in 1989 when I showed up as a 16 year old from Ermelo, South Africa, chasing my dream of becoming a professional tennis player. And suddenly I am at the point in my career where I am looking back whilst still contributing to South African tennis as the current Davis Cup Captain. My single most cherished memory is qualifying for the Men's Singles Event in 1992 as a 19 year old. It even surpasses playing in the Final of the Boys Doubles in 1989 and 1991 as well as the Semi-Finals of the Mixed Doubles in 1997 and the Men's Doubles in 2000. In the next two weeks I will be sharing more of my memories of this wonderful place as well as my thoughts on this year's event. After that a whirlwind three months lies ahead, including World Team Tennis, the US Open and then our crucial World Group Qualifying Davis Cup Tie against India. But for now another day ends in LaffiesWorld!