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Summer is always an exciting time for any British tennis fan, however this year was particularly special, with the prospect of an exciting two weeks of Wimbledon action, followed by Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final in Serbia and the Olympics in Rio. Could Andy Murray enjoy another golden summer and rekindle those fabulous memories of 2012 and 2013? Would Johanna Konta continue her breakthrough season and earn a special prize? How would Jamie Murray get on after achieving the top spot in the doubles rankings? Could Great Britain reach the Davis Cup semi-finals once again?

Things certainly looked promising for Andy Murray, who arrived at Queen’s on the back of his best ever showing at the French Open. There was also the intriguing matter of Ivan Lendl being back in his players’ box – and we all know what happened last time the two linked up!

Andy certainly didn’t disappoint at the West London event, which traditionally signals the start of the British grass court season. He successfully defended his title and with it took home the trophy for a record fifth time, which is a truly remarkable achievement by any standards.

There were other notable performances at Queen’s, Eastbourne and Nottingham, with Kyle Edmund reaching the Queen’s quarterfinals and Tara Moore enjoying a dream run to reach the same stage in Nottingham. Johanna Konta played some divine tennis at Devonshire Park, beating two-time Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova on her way to a semi-final showing. Jo’s rise to the top of the game over the last year has truly been a joy to watch.

At Wimbledon, the success for the Brits only grew in strength. The final Sunday will certainly be remembered as one of the greatest ever days in British tennis history, with British players winning an almost unbelievable four titles in a single day…

Gordon Reid was the first to taste victory in the inaugural men’s wheelchair singles. It was certainly a memorable few days for the Scot, who also won the doubles event just a day earlier alongside partner Alfie Hewett. The triumph was quickly being followed by success for Jordanne Whiley, who won the women’s wheelchair doubles with partner Yui Kamiji of Japan.

Of course, all eyes focused in on Andy Murray, who faced Milos Raonic in the men’s singles final. Could the man from Dunblane take home a second Wimbledon crown?

It was never going to be an easy match against the big serving Canadian, however we all know that Andy is one of the greatest returners ever to play the game, and ultimately it was this that proved to be the crucial factor. It is hard to comprehend what Andy has done for the sport in this country, and I for one certainly don’t mind admitting that I shed a tear or two as he lifted the trophy for a second time. Straight sets victories don’t get more memorable than this!

The day wasn’t done yet though, with the final icing on the cake being provided by Heather Watson and partner Henri Kontinen, who laughed and giggled their way to victory in the mixed doubles. What a day. What a Wimbledon.

The gruelling tennis season means that there is virtually no time for players to sit back and enjoy their successes, and only a few days passed before it was time to turn our attention to the Davis Cup and Great Britain’s quarterfinal against Serbia.

Andy Murray wisely chose to sit out the tie but made the trip to Belgrade to offer his support. It was Kyle Edmund who proved to be the star of the show, with the man from Beverley winning both of his singles matches against Janko Tipsarevic and Dusan Lajovic in straight sets. On the Saturday, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot teamed up to win a crucial hard fought doubles rubber and help GB to victory. We had reached the semi-finals once again!

By the following week, it was Johanna Konta who was making all the headlines, with her stunning victory over seven-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams in the Stanford final earning her a first title on the WTA tour.

It had already been quite a summer for Britain – and there were still the Olympics to come.

In Rio, all eyes were back on Andy Murray, who also had the huge honour of being the Team GB flag bearer. His golden triumph in London four years earlier had kick-started an unforgettable period for the Scot, so it was certainly going to be interesting to see whether he could claim victory again.

It is clear how much the Olympics means to both Andy and Jamie, and before the event began the brothers would have had high hopes of winning Gold in the doubles event. Whilst that particular achievement wasn’t quite to be, Andy once again produced his very best tennis in the singles and came through some extremely tough matches to win an historic second Gold medal. The Gold medal match itself was an incredible spectacle, and you’d do well to witness a better match, or indeed a better atmosphere, in the whole year.

Andy’s triumph in Rio was an incredible finale to a golden summer for British tennis – and one that will certainly live long in the memory. Never before can I remember such consistent success, and it was truly wonderful to witness the many moments of brilliance we have enjoyed over the last few months.

As I say, the relentless tennis season means that the next big event is never far away, and attentions will now turn to the US Open and forthcoming Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina. Whatever happens, it is going to be exciting!

Louise was our guest last weekend at the BATS AGM and tournament in Basingstoke. She presented the trophies on court at the end of the afternoon and she says “I really enjoyed meeting you all… I would like to thank you all again so much for your kind donation to support me on my road to Rio”

BATS was very pleased to be able to present Louise with £500 to help her on her “Road to Rio” and we all look

forward to hearing about her experience at the 2016 Paralympics later this year.

Next week, Louise is off to Romania to compete in the ITF (Grade 3) tournament, before heading to Tokyo for the World Team Cup. Then she travels to Korea for 2 weeks of ITF (Grade 1) tournaments.

Good evening Tennis fans. The LTA have today confirmed that the Final WILL go ahead as planned this weekend in Ghent.
Eurostar trains as of this afternoon (MONDAY) are running normally and their advice is to check in as normal for your train.
Obviously Brussels is on a high alert following the terrible events of last weekend, and this has had a knock-on effect over the rest of Belgium and into France.
For those who prefer, it is possible to travel from Lille Europe direct to Ghent without needing to go into the centre of Brussels, however the trains from Ghent back to Lille on Sunday are all fully booked.
Also, if you have a Eurostar ticket which allows onward travel to any other Belgian city, this would speed up your journey through Brussels as trains to Ghent leave from Brussels Midi.
We look forward to seeing many of you on Friday. It is certainly an event which we will remember for many years to come but hopefully for sporting reasons over and above anything else.

It’s fair to say that Great Britain and Australia have enjoyed wildly differing levels of success in the Davis Cup over the last few decades. The recent tie at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena was GB’s first appearance in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup since 1981. By comparison, Australia had reached this stage of the competition fifteen times over the same time-span.

But things have certainly changed a great deal over the last few years, thanks largely to Andy Murray’s thrilling heroics and wonderful performances by Jamie Murray, James Ward, Dan Evans and Dom Inglot. Great credit should also go to the superb captaincy of Leon Smith, who has established a wonderful spirit and belief in the team.

So it was with great optimism and excitement that I headed to Glasgow for the tie against the Aussies. We were within touching distance of the final and I knew that the atmosphere was going to be electric, with thousands of British fans cheering on each and every point. The noise in the arena was incredible and undoubtedly helped the team a great deal.

The first match on the Friday saw Andy Murray taking on Thanasi Kokkinakis, a match in which Andy ultimately triumphed with ease, coming through 6-3 6-0 6-3. It was the perfect start for Great Britain.

The second match of the tie saw a reversal of fortunes, with Bernard Tomic triumphing over Britain’s Dan Evans 6-3 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 6-4. Despite ultimately losing, Dan played some great tennis in this match and at several stages looked set to make a dramatic comeback.

As is so often the case in Davis Cup ties, Saturday’s doubles proved to be crucial in determining the outcome of the tie. The reality staring at us before the match was simple: Win the doubles and we would most likely be through to the final. Lose it and the Aussies would be the clear favourites.

I think it’s fair to say that this match did not disappoint! Andy and Jamie Murray once again produced some absolutely stunning tennis to take a nail biting match against Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-7(6) 6-4. We were just one win away from the final!

When we arrived in the arena on the Sunday it was once again down to Andy to finish the job. We all knew that his opponent Bernard Tomic is a world-class player, however the odds definitely looked stacked in our favour and there was a real sense of excitement and optimism amongst the crowd. Andy passed the test with flying colours, comfortably dispatching Tomic 7-5 6-3 6-2. We were through to the final!

So… It’s now just over a month until the tie in Belgium and I honestly still can’t quite believe that we have come this far. The possibility of GB winning the Davis Cup was almost unthinkable just a few short years ago, however we now find ourselves heading into the final as the bookies favourites to come out as champions. Whilst it certainly won’t be easy, I really believe that we can do it.

To all the players and everyone involved with the team… Thank you and good luck in the final. Let’s do this!

If you are anything like me, many of you will have spent the days since that fantastic weekend in Glasgow in a dream-like state, re-watching television highlights that, although good, do not come close to the spine-tingling atmosphere of the Emirates Arena. Have we really reached the final? Was it only 5 years ago that we were staring at the bottom rung of the competition? Are we really only 3 rubbers from ending 79 years of hurt?

Much has been made of the importance of Andy Murray to the team. To have a player ranked in the top 3 is undeniably a huge advantage. Andy’s commitment to the competition, particularly over recent years, has been inspiring. Rarely does a tennis player have an opportunity to compete in a team, let alone alongside a sibling, and his gold medal at London 2012 must have further fuelled Andy’s clear desire to reach the pinnacle of team tennis. Andy was clearly in discomfort with his back during the semifinal but his determination was evident from the first serve to the last.

Let us not forget, however, that Davis Cup ties are not won in two rubbers. Dan Evans and James Ward have played important roles over the years and the development of Kyle Edmund makes the battle for the second singles place an interesting one. Doubles matches are often crucial and may indeed decide the final. We have been fortunate to have many doubles players make important contributions. The doubles rubber of the semifinal was outstanding and will live long in the memory. Andy and Jamie will surely be favourites to start in the final. Dom Inglot will be waiting in the wings though.

A successful team also needs an excellent leader and support staff to succeed and, whilst Andy may be the poster boy for this leadership, Leon Smith has quietly gone about his work as captain in an unassuming yet motivational fashion since being appointed in 2010. Smith’s record speaks for itself- 11-2 win/loss. He clearly has fostered a healthy team spirit that may not always have been present with other captains. Surely a bigger position in British tennis awaits him?

Great Britain will head to Belgium as favourites, on paper at least, but the Belgians will have something to say on the matter. They will be out to avenge their loss to Britain in their last final 111 years ago. Home advantage, too, cannot be overstated.

To Leon, Andy, Jamie Murray, James, Dan, Dom, Colin, Ross, Jonny, Jamie Baker and all those involved in the team over the past few years we say thank you and good luck. Bring on the Belgians!

“On Friday August 14th, I took part in the inaugural Ipswich ‘twilight’ run. I chose this event because Ipswich is the home of the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis (EBAT).  So far in 2015 I have raised over £300 for the Academy.

The response which I get when I run in my EBAT colours is, quite simply, overwhelming. I cannot begin to describe the amount of respect and affection displayed by fellow runners and spectators, for Bally. She certainly made an impact on many people.

August 14th is also Bally’s birthday and the other reason I chose to do this run. She would be 32. Even though Bally is no longer with us, to see the progress made at her Academy, she can rest in the knowledge that her Spirit lives on through the efforts of Nino, Jamie and all the staff of EBAT.

I have already informed Nino of my intention to continue my fund-raising efforts in 2016, but before that there is a (small) matter of finishing the 2015 schedule in style:

THE ROYAL PARKS HALF MARATHON

Sunday 11th October 2015

Can you believe that another Wimbledon has been and gone? It doesn’t seem like five minutes since Novak Djokovic stepped out onto Centre Court on the first Monday of the Championships, and yet here we are reflecting on yet another year, with all the highs and lows that have happened over the last two weeks.

From a British perspective, it has been a Wimbledon to remember. Whilst you could argue that in some ways it has been a tournament of almosts, to take such a viewpoint would be being overly negative. Despite a few disappointments, there has been much to celebrate, and there are plenty of signs that there is a lot to look forward to over the rest of the season.

Let’s begin with my personal highlight of the tournament: Heather Watson’s stunning third-round performance against Serena Williams, a match in which she was just two points away from defeating arguably the greatest female player of all time. Whilst Heather will have been devastated to have ultimately lost the match, she should take great pride in the performance she gave in front of a patriotic Centre Court crowd. No other player pushed the eventual champion so hard during the fortnight, and it is certainly a mark of the improvements she has made to her game that she was able to really challenge the world number one. All the signs are there that Heather could soon be knocking on the door of the very top of the game.

The other star British player of the first week was undoubtedly James Ward. I was lucky enough to watch James play in his third round match against Vasek Pospisil and thought that he played some great tennis during what turned into a five-set thriller. Although it was disappointing to see him lose, Ward’s run to the middle Saturday of the tournament means that he has achieved a crucial milestone in his career: He is now ranked in the world’s top 100 for the very first time.

There were other British successes, too. Let’s not forget Liam Broady’s fantastic first-round victory against Australian Marinko Matosevic, a match in which he came from two sets to love down. Aljaz Bedene also gave a great performance to beat the experienced Czech Radek Stepanek in round one, whilst it was wonderful to see Laura Robson back on the court at Wimbledon following such a serious injury. The comeback trail will be a long one for Laura, however she is a great player that is more than capable of getting back to where she once was.

Moving on to the second week of the Championships and British hopes once again lay firmly on the shoulders of Andy Murray. Victories over big serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic and surprise package Vasek Pospisil put Murray back into the Wimbledon semi-finals and a date with Roger Federer. It was not to be for Andy, with the Swiss maestro playing some unbelievable tennis to come through in straight sets.

Whilst Andy will be hugely disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to make another Wimbledon final, he should certainly take heart from the fact that he went down playing some sublime tennis.

Let’s also not forget what a fantastic achievement it actually is to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon. We’ve almost come to take Andy’s Grand Slam performances for granted over the years, and yet we should never lose sight of the fact that consistently going so deep into these tournaments is a truly remarkable achievement. Andy has reached 18 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals, and his showing at Wimbledon was the 17^th time he has reached at least the semi-finals of a Grand Slam during his career. It is a fantastic record, and we are truly lucky to have him around.

Another British player we were always lucky to have was Tim Henman. I have great memories of watching Tim down the years, so it was great to catch a glimpse of him during my visit this year, alongside former ladies champion Lindsay Davenport.

The final Saturday of the Championships saw more British interest, with Andy’s brother Jamie appearing in his first Grand Slam men’s doubles final. Together with Australian partner John Peers, the pair lost in straight sets to the experienced Rojer and Tecau, however it was a great performance from Jamie and means that he moves up to 20^th in the rankings.

Away from the British action, there were plenty of other great moments to enjoy during this year’s Championships. It was special to see Serena Williams achieve the much talked about ‘Serena Slam’, whilst the final between Djokovic and Federer provided a truly wonderful spectacle. During my trip to Wimbledon, I will always remember sitting just in front of the main TV cameras on Centre Court to watch the conclusion of the Simon v. Monfils match under the roof. Although this was my 13^th time on Centre Court, this was by far the best seat I’ve ever had. The view was amazing and will live long in my memory.

Whilst Wimbledon might be over for another year, we’re now just a few days away from Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final clash with France. I can’t wait to get out there and support the British team next weekend. Come on Great Britain!

Emptiness. That is the general feeling that any British tennis fan feels on the Monday after Wimbledon ends. We spend those first few days desperately trying to fill the void that the end of the British grass court season leaves. Shelves are mended, houses are cleaned and dogs get walked more often. This year, however, will be different. This year, the British grass court season has one more punch to pack and it’s a big one: Great Britain v France in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

It has been 79 years since Great Britain lifted the trophy. In that time Britain has had 17 Prime Ministers and its population has grown by almost 20 million. It has been 34 years since Great Britain even reached a semi-final. Surely the time is right for the years of hurt to end?

GB Davis Cup Captain Leon Smith has transformed the British team into just that- a team. Andy Murray may be the star player but you won’t find him taking all the credit. Indeed, Britain would not have reached the quarter-finals without the hard work of other members. Who can forget James Ward’s heroics against John Isner in Glasgow or the consistent performances from the doubles players?

Smith will be heartened by the fact that he has more players vying for selection. Kyle Edmund’s admirable performance at Roland Garros will not have gone unnoticed but abdominal and shoulder strains seem to currently be holding him back. Liam Broady has also been knocking on the door and his superb comeback from two sets down to win against Marinko Matosevic in the first round of Wimbledon demonstrates his strength of character and ability on grass. James Ward, however, is the tried and tested player; the one that we can depend on to perform on the big stage. Ward seems to relish the Davis Cup atmosphere and it is a shame that he has not been able to convert his heroics to his own singles career. His performance at Wimbledon, however, will hopefully boost his confidence and breaking into the top 100 will open up opportunities in tournaments that have hitherto been unavailable to him.

Doubles often gets overlooked in the media but a Davis Cup team is nothing without its doubles players. They can be the making or breaking of a team. Britain have been blessed with an array of players to choose from over the past few years. Jonny Marray, Dominic Inglot, Jamie Murray, Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins, amongst others, have all played their part. One does wonder, however, whether the long term effects of the LTA’s cuts to doubles funding will mean so many doubles specialists will be available for selection in future. Selection for the quarter-final was far from certain. Jamie Murray’s excellent results with John Peers were enough to secure his spot.  Given Dom Inglot has only recently returned from injury Smith may have been tempted to select Colin Fleming but he will have been fully aware of the fact that Jamie Murray and Inglot came close to defeating the Bryan brothers in the previous round.

As for the French, well we may have a champion in Andy Murray but they have ten players in the top 100. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet and that ultimate showman, Gail Monfils, were all options available to captain Arnaud Clement. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were recently crowned champions of Queen’s in the doubles but Clement decided to go for three possible singles players in Tsonga, Simon and Gasket together with Mahut.

Belief is key and this Great Britain team is one which believes they can win. Bring on the French!

When Bally died, I think it is fair to say that I was absolutely devastated. I couldn’t believe the cruel twist that had taken the life of one of the most gentle, warm hearted and funny people I could ever wish to know. Bally was just so grounded and “down to earth” – a quality which helped to make her one of Great Britain’s most successful female tennis players of the Open era.

Not once did Bally complain about anything, the hard grind of a tennis professional, the life on tour or even her chronic liver condition (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis). She simply got on with Life and took the rough with the smooth in her stride. She was a credit to tennis and to Great Britain.

How could I help to continue her legacy? Well, before she died, she created her own Academy. The Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis (EBAT) in Ipswich provides the opportunity for youngsters from less privileged backgrounds, to learn to play tennis. I have now had the opportunity to visit the academy and Bally has created something quite extraordinary. Bally’s love of her sport is reflected in the girls and boys who attend the academy. Actually, I cannot find the right words for this, which may surprise some of you because I can usually be relied upon to say what I think.

After Bally’s funeral – I am not afraid to admit that I drove home to Essex with tears streaming down my face (my Spanish friends, one of whom had been a coach to Bally, were in the car with me and they too were in a similar state.) – I knew that I had to do something to help the academy. But what could I do? I mean, I can’t run or anything daft like that, and that seems to be what most people do when they want to raise some money for a good cause…

I joined a running club. A WHAT? I hear you cry – Are you crazy? Well, yes, apparently I am crazy. (With a Twitter name of Crazyduck, that about settles it. No?!) Anyway, to cut to the chase (oops, sorry, Real Tennis terms here, yes I play that game too.) I started going to Parkrun every Saturday morning and then I joined my local running club – Billericay Striders.

On January 3^rd, 2015 in the pouring rain I took part in the first 10K run of my 2015 Challenge. This event (I won’t call it a race, because it wasn’t) took place in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and where better to launch a campaign like this, than in the shadows of the Olympic Stadium, in memory of a 2012 Team GB Olympian and the runner just happens to have been a 2012 Games Maker. I splashed and puddle-jumped (and muttered under my breath about why on earth I had thought of anything so crazy) my way around the park for 10K and collected a nice shiny medal (I do like bright shiny objects), a t-shirt and a time of 1:29:30 for the record book.

OK so maybe I can run a bit. I was so proud of myself. I actually managed a 10K run. I didn’t run all the way round, but hey, I had to start somewhere, right? More importantly I was doing something constructive to help future tennis players to learn and enjoy our wonderful game.

Since then, I have done at least 5 more 10K events as well as a handful of 5K. My 10K times have been similar to this one – pretty consistent! I have now completed 3 5K runs in Hyde Park, and this is a venue which holds very special memories for me because some years ago, Bally and I actually ran part of the Hyde Park course together. Of course, she was far too fast for me, and disappeared in a cloud of dust. (I kept up with her for about 500m.) She waited for me at the end of the run and Olga (her Mum) invited me to share some sandwiches with them.

My EBAT colours attract a lot of interest at these race events – I often get complete strangers coming up to me and saying what a worthy cause it is. That in itself is a good reason to run. My latest 10K was actually today (Sunday 7^th June) in Finsbury Park. It was organised by “Women’s running” magazine and I am very proud to announce that not only did they ask for my fund-raising story, for publication in their on-line magazine, but I also returned a 10K PB of 1:25:11.

There was a point today when I thought I was not going to complete 10K and for one nanosecond, I thought about stopping after 5K. Of course, I didn’t and that is partly because a little voice in my head which sounded suspiciously like Bally’s, told me that under no circumstances was I going to give in because giving in does not register in the dictionary.

The lure of a nice shiny medal at the end of a run is quite an incentive – now I have a little collection of them and I dedicate them all to Bally. There is no doubt that the running has improved my tennis fitness too, so long may it continue. We are only half way through 2015 and already, because of Bally, I have done things that I never ever thought were possible.

So far I have raised nearly £250 for EBAT through my justgiving page. 2015 is only at half-way stage. The next few months are like this:

June 2015 – South Woodham Ferrers 10K

July 2015 – British 10K (London) and Brentwood 10K

August 2015 – Ipswich 10K (on Bally’s birthday) and hopefully 25K of the London to Cambridge Challenge – this is a WALK!!- over August bank holiday.

October 2015 Royal Parks Half Marathon.

That’s all for now. Watch THIS space!