Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Queens Club up for grabs: Magdalen next?
Queen's tennis club 'may be sold for £40m. We wonder how much the illustrious Oxford college would take for prime Wandsworth real estate?
Queen's tennis club 'may be sold for £40m. We wonder how much the illustrious Oxford college would take for prime Wandsworth real estate?
Monday, November 15, 2004
Magdalen players draw on BBC ball skill coaching
As Magdalen teams prepare for the tough winter season, many have turned to this BBC tutorial on racket & ball control. I have already seen a lot of players doing this in private.
As Magdalen teams prepare for the tough winter season, many have turned to this BBC tutorial on racket & ball control. I have already seen a lot of players doing this in private.
Magdalen aces might follow Kafelnikov example
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, famous for being an early major league Tim Henman victim, has quit tennis for poker.
A) Perhaps some of the notorious Magdalen gamblers should - as a matter of honour - give up tennis for the game that lights their fire (if any still remain at the club);
B) The way some folk play tennis, one feels they would be better employed shuffling packs.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, famous for being an early major league Tim Henman victim, has quit tennis for poker.
A) Perhaps some of the notorious Magdalen gamblers should - as a matter of honour - give up tennis for the game that lights their fire (if any still remain at the club);
B) The way some folk play tennis, one feels they would be better employed shuffling packs.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
An end to Magdalen's line-call problems?
Perhaps the committe could consider employing this kind of line-call tecbnology (needs video player) to avoid bitter and divisive rows in club tournaments? Please humiliate any usual suspects you wish to see pilloried by adding their names as a comment.
Obviously, we would switch line-call robots off for Surrey matches.
Perhaps the committe could consider employing this kind of line-call tecbnology (needs video player) to avoid bitter and divisive rows in club tournaments? Please humiliate any usual suspects you wish to see pilloried by adding their names as a comment.
Obviously, we would switch line-call robots off for Surrey matches.
Mario Tennis apes life at Magdalen?
Magdalen players will wonder at which club members have been simulated in Nintendo's new Mario Tennis. The Committee was consulted and candidates (with photos) were submitted to the game's graphic designers.
Perhaps Magdalen will reveal the club's secrets at its Christmas Party?
Magdalen players will wonder at which club members have been simulated in Nintendo's new Mario Tennis. The Committee was consulted and candidates (with photos) were submitted to the game's graphic designers.
Perhaps Magdalen will reveal the club's secrets at its Christmas Party?
"We want same kind of deals as Sharapova," say Magdalen tennis folk
If Sharapova can get attractive sponsorship deals with leading technology companies, why can't we? There are several players at Magdalen who could say, as Sharapova did; “I really enjoy being ahead of the latest trends in fashion and technology, and I’m excited to be working with Canon" (or whomever). Including me (employed by Screen Pages, Paulo Schmetzer and Marcus Clay (both rising stars at BT).
Magdalen skippers tussle in Winter league
It was a battle between the old and new last Saturday, in classic Magdalen Vth team conditions: grey with light drizzle and a thin, oily film on Magdalen's tired hard courts, as Marcus Clay took on Roger Willcocks in hand-to-hand combat, mano a mano.
Clay forged ahead 3-0, that whippy forehand baffling Willcocks' defensive rigour. Willcocks, warmed up and spurred on by pique, found a winning touch and fought back to 5-3 before sealing victory 6-4.
Just to rub it in, Willcocks won the so-called revenge match 6-1, although, to be fair, that was just for fun. Commented Clay: "I've being playing too much doubles."
It was a battle between the old and new last Saturday, in classic Magdalen Vth team conditions: grey with light drizzle and a thin, oily film on Magdalen's tired hard courts, as Marcus Clay took on Roger Willcocks in hand-to-hand combat, mano a mano.
Clay forged ahead 3-0, that whippy forehand baffling Willcocks' defensive rigour. Willcocks, warmed up and spurred on by pique, found a winning touch and fought back to 5-3 before sealing victory 6-4.
Just to rub it in, Willcocks won the so-called revenge match 6-1, although, to be fair, that was just for fun. Commented Clay: "I've being playing too much doubles."
Monday, November 08, 2004
Magdalen titans battle out tough duel
There was no love lost between Roger Willcocks and Paulo Schmetzer, erstwhile comrades on Magdalen's Vth team, when they clashed in Magdalen's winter league. First, Willcocks scrambled to a first set lead after a nail-biting tiebreak. Then, Schmetzer, girding his loins and prodded by texts of encourage from his latest squeeze, nicked the second 6-2. Willcocks, at pains not to lose out the younger semi-Italian, charged to a 5-2 lead. Serving at 30-love, two points for victory, Willcocks sunk, sunk some more, then plummeted to 5-7 as Schmetzer nicked triumph from the jaws of defeat, indulging in repeated acts of racquet abuse along the way.
"I was gutted," said Roger Willcocks. "Simulated racquet smashing can be very distracting."
"I sodding well deserved it," commented Schmetzer.
There was no love lost between Roger Willcocks and Paulo Schmetzer, erstwhile comrades on Magdalen's Vth team, when they clashed in Magdalen's winter league. First, Willcocks scrambled to a first set lead after a nail-biting tiebreak. Then, Schmetzer, girding his loins and prodded by texts of encourage from his latest squeeze, nicked the second 6-2. Willcocks, at pains not to lose out the younger semi-Italian, charged to a 5-2 lead. Serving at 30-love, two points for victory, Willcocks sunk, sunk some more, then plummeted to 5-7 as Schmetzer nicked triumph from the jaws of defeat, indulging in repeated acts of racquet abuse along the way.
"I was gutted," said Roger Willcocks. "Simulated racquet smashing can be very distracting."
"I sodding well deserved it," commented Schmetzer.
