Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s ‘constructive’ information, the ‘sunshine double’ and pleasure for Queen’s – Laura Robson column | Tennis Information

In her newest Sky Sports activities column, Laura Robson reacts to Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic extending their teaching partnership, seems forward to the ‘sunshine double’ of Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and offers an perception right into a busy few weeks in her position as match director for the return of ladies’s tennis to Queen’s…

Andy Murray persevering with with Novak Djokovic is de facto constructive information. Andy has 4 younger children and doubtless does not need to do all of those weeks on the street now that he is simply stopped enjoying, so I am certain that after the Australian Open, it simply took them a minute to determine their schedules.

I feel it was a case of choosing and selecting which tournaments they associate up at, and it appears like he will be at Indian Wells and Miami arising in March.

It needs to be actually attention-grabbing to see how their partnership evolves, as a result of it appeared like they had been simply attending to know one another and belief one another with the sport plan and techniques. I feel you might want to construct that communication with any coach that you simply begin with, and it takes a little bit of time, so the truth that they’ve given themselves one other few months makes a whole lot of sense.

The ‘sunshine double’ of Indian Wells and Miami may be very, very powerful for any participant to tug off, as a result of it’s very reverse situations – although it is two hard-court tournaments. It is a actually lengthy stint – each occasions are 12 days – and it is only a large change conditions-wise, to go from one to the opposite as Miami is so sizzling and humid, in comparison with being within the desert of Palm Springs.

Indian Wells, specifically, I at all times struggled at, as a result of it is a lot slower than you suppose. It does not at all times favour the Brits, who normally, want barely quicker situations and a pacier laborious court docket that performs extra energetic, since you get a bit extra out of your pictures.

Katie Boulter is coming off a foot damage, so she’s hoping to be match match once more for it, whereas Emma Raducanu has been out within the Center East attempting to construct on the shape we noticed from her in Australia. She is competing rather well and ensuring she’s attempting to do the precise issues on the court docket.

I do not suppose she’s in any rush, actually, to make use of somebody new, only for the sake of it. It has to make sense for her and it needs to be the precise particular person. There’s not too many wonderful coaches round who can journey full-time, so choices are fairly restricted. You would not need to go into a brand new partnership with out 100 per cent confidence.

One other ATP closing for Jack Draper, he had a number of weeks of coaching again in London after the Australian Open to attempt to get again to at least one hundred per cent bodily, and it exhibits with the shape we have seen this week in Qatar. Some high quality wins and a troublesome closing towards Rublev [losing 7-5 5-7 6-1} but a week he can be really chuffed with.

The young guns are firing!

I’ve also been very happy to see Joao Fonseca and Mirra Andreeva doing so well on tour recently. They were my two picks at the start of the year to have breakout seasons, so it’s going well for me so far – although we’re only in February.

Andreeva is still only 17, but I feel like we have known her for a long time already. We’re just waiting for that super special Grand Slam result from her, and it feels like this is the year for it. I think clay is an incredible surface for her, it allows her to show off her movement and what a great athlete she is. Let’s see what happens in Paris!

Fonseca, meanwhile, got everyone excited in Australia, because he plays such a big brand of tennis for an 18-year-old – his forehand is absolutely huge – and the shot-making is what gets people fired up. It was just an amazing week for him to get his first ATP title in Argentina this month, and hopefully he can build on that momentum going forward.

I first saw him play in person [when tournament director] at Nottingham final 12 months. He ended up dropping to Billy Harris in a match that began on grass and completed indoors… We ended up having to maneuver them because it was the one second spherical that hadn’t completed but as a consequence of horrific British climate. After what was a troublesome day for him he nonetheless got here and stated thanks to everybody that labored for the match.

He is received a very good head on his shoulders, and also you need to see somebody like that do effectively. So since final summer time, I have been a giant fan, and have been hoping to see that breakthrough.

Taking on as Queen’s membership ladies’s match director…

I have been busy lately with my new position as match director for the primary ladies’s match again at Queen’s since 1973, which can be a part of the lead as much as Wimbledon this 12 months. It is laborious to know what to anticipate. Clearly, I’ve received Nottingham to match it to, however as a brand-new match, it simply looks like there’s that rather more work to be put in.

The boys’s occasion has been working for thus lengthy, and we need to deliver one thing particular person to the ladies’s occasion, ensuring that it is received its personal id in some methods, its personal character and vibe. We have finalised a whole lot of issues: the match schedule plan and some participant names had been launched this week, which had an excellent constructive response.

We have Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, Daria Kasatkina, Boulter and Raducanu introduced thus far, with a number of extra to return within the pipeline. It is thrilling for the ladies, who’ve seen the lads’s occasion on TV or have heard concerning the historical past of the membership and the custom.

That makes my job very straightforward in a means. You needn’t persuade individuals a lot to return and play… and I feel the entry listing is de facto going to replicate that.

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