Hi Everyone!

Will Federer win more than 90 matches in a year? The Roger Federer train rolls on breaking records and surely moving to the title of “greatest ever”. Only on clay does he have a rival who can consistently get to the final and challenge his superiority and I think it will be two years before the young hounds will mentally have the capability of mounting a true challenge for number 1.

The likes of Murray, Berdych and Djokovic are not physically or mentally ready for consistent challenge and it is not as though Roger is not improving. I’m happy that Henman has found some form recently because it is important for Andy Murray to have a colleague who understands the unique pressure that being British brings on to a player for another year, possibly two.

So the Tour moves on to Basel and then the Paris Masters before the season’s finale in Shanghai, both of which I believe Federer will add to this year’s haul. I hope Safin can continue his comeback because I still feel he is the only player who in the short term can stop Federer on a surface other than clay.

WTA tour

Maria Sharapova is slowly moving towards the number 1 spot with victory in Zurich and I am sure she will achieve it some time in 2007. Her consistent desire seems stronger than Mauresmo and I’m not sure Henin-Hardenne physically can play enough tournaments in a year to sustain the number 1 position.

Certainly the face of women’s tennis is moving east and the top of the game is becoming Russian-heavy with Petrova, Kuznetsova, Safina and to a lesser extent Myskina all there. Add in Jankovic, Kirilenko, Vaidisova and Hantuchova with an increasing presence from China and the Eastern influence is moving towards dominating the sport in a way the USA used to dominate.

However the great advantage tennis has over most sports is its truly global appeal for both sexes and is easily the number one sport for women. This means that no matter that the USA or Russian can gain dominant positions, champions will always emerge from unique situations that can occur anywhere in the world and this will not change.

Monte Carlo Tennis Academy

I’m writing this piece from Dallas, taking a well-earned rest with a weekend in my old stomping ground catching up with friends, arriving from a successful week in El Paso.

This was the first tournament since our launch in Monte Carlo and the beginning of a long trip leading into the Orange Bowl in December. Anna Fitzpatrick and Ilija Vucic both made the semi-final and you can read all about the MCTA through our blogs and reports in our sister site www.mctacademy.com.

All the best,

David