Aussies Max Purcell & Jordan Thompson put aside their cruel Wimbledon near miss to take the US Open Tennis doubles title… top performance in a high pressure match where they did it the hard way… congrats

Ok..showtime NYC..women’s singles final at the US Open. Sabalenka deservedly favourite, but I find myself rooting for Jess Pegula. If anyone would perhaps be spoilt and lacking humility, it would be Jess. Yet she is not. Centred, balanced and humble, and some player. Play well.

In sync with my previous tweet, did you notice Sabalenka did not take her earphones off as she entered the court. Whereas Pegula did the right thing, removing them & showing respect to the crowd. Only a little thing, but for me it says a lot

Terrific women’s singles final… congrats Aryna Sabalenka, and plaudits to a highly worthy finalist Jess Pegula… kept us on our toes & well played ladies

Not impressed by ESPN showing Sabalenka smashing her racquet in the gym after last year’s loss in the final… unnecessary, insensitive and as for timing? … yikes

Showtime for the Men’s singles, two hours earlier than is tradition. Fortunately it’s a cool dry New York Autumn Sunday afternoon. Sinner the clear favourite, which should release Fritz to swing unimpeded, which is the best (only) chance he has… play well guys

Sinner breaks three times to take the 1st set… that’s a very bad sign if you’re for Taylor Fritz

First serve of Taylor Fritz was the only thing keeping him in the match, but eventually you need to rely on 2nd serves, or break… his inconsistency at the back relative to Sinner is very one sided …now 2 sets to love… Fritz must shorten points as he’s rarely winning a rally

Congrats to Jannik Sinner in what was an underwhelming Men’s final… Taylor Fritz didn’t bring it today under the Sinner pressure, as he does so well on hardcourt

Great years for Alcaraz & Sinner… two Slams each. Yet, interestingly, the most significant result in terms of tennis history was Djokovic winning the gold medal. So in 2024 the new ‘Big Three’ emerged as we predicted, and went and locked everyone out. Comprehensively

My take on Nicholas Kyrgios media roles..his occasional dark humour can certainly offend, but he’s there for one reason…his high level insights. The guy has an underrated tennis brain, if anything too astute for his own good because, as a player, I wonder if he over relies on it?

Can’t believe rumours of post season Champions League format for NPL clubs & A League franchises. After all, NPL clubs are already playing & often beating A League teams in the Australia Cup. Only a Home & Away competition with clubs in a national pyramid will reignite football

Good first up win by Australia, without De Minaur, in the @Davis Cup tie v France, as Ebden & Purcell take out the deciding doubles. You’ve got to hand it to Lleyton Hewitt who invariably delivers to the max as much as a captain as he did as a player 👏

Fact. Slam matches are lengthening. I’ve always supported 5 sets & I’ll NEVER support 3 sets, but is it time for change? I pose.. if after 4 sets there’s still no result, let the guys fight out a 10 point breaker, replacing a 5th set. Dramatic climax. Can it work for women too?

Do we make it difficult, or easy? Twin pillars needed in football in Oz (1) national pyramid based on Pro/Rel (which home & away NST will fix given A League has no interest) (2) full transfer system which incentivises & rewards clubs for developing players. Rest falls into place

Summer Theatre Plovdiv… just another pearl in this ancient city (the oldest in Europe)… Davis Cup tie Bulgaria v El Salvador on cusp of a 5th rubber…nothing like a home tie Davis Cup

Milev & Arevalo, the 2024 French Open doubles winner, bound to the baseline after the coin toss for this decisive Davis Cup 5th rubber Bulgaria v El Salvador … my loyalties here with Yanaki Milev…

This is home & away Davis Cup … Yanaki Milev holds from 0 40 at 56 down in third, & 41 down in the breaker in his home town Plovdiv to take Bulgaria through 32 over El Salvador … great effort by the young fella

Jacob🟠⚫️🇦🇺 I like to think that Mark Jackson acknowledges that when you've got someone so recently battle-tested in the centre of the universe, you've simply got to start him.

Djokovic: "I think that Bulgaria and Serbia are countries that do not have a great tennis tradition, but we are in a position to change that. We need to increase the interest of young people in the sport." ❤️