An evening with Andre Agassi

When I saw tickets for ‘An Evening with Andre Agassi’ advertised in my Sunday Times a few weeks ago, the opportunity seemed like too good a one to miss given the furore surrounding his recent autobiography, Open.

Andre with his wife Steffi Graf (C) Sarah Gerke http://www.flickr.com/people/sublimelyhappy/

Despite the title of the event, which sounds more like some sort of talent showcase than a literary talk, I was expecting a small intimate venue, where I would be surrounded by fellow journalists and be almost close enough to touch the great man himself.

However as I arrived at London’s Institute of Education on Wednesday evening, I saw that what I had imagined could not have been further from the truth.

Despite me arriving around half an hour before the 7.00pm kick off time, the lecture theatre-esque Logan Hall was already filling up to its 900 seat capacity. However being alone I was lucky enough to squeeze into one of the few remaining seats near to where Andre would be sitting.

I had also expected the audience to be a certain type of people, most likely those like myself with something to gain from paying the £15 entry fee.

But I soon realised that the clientele was much more varied than that, from sports fans, to bookworms and to those much more fascinated by the man himself.

And as Andre made his way onto the stage that was set for him, (about ten minutes later than scheduled), he was greeted with a rapturous applause and a standing ovation from some of the audience. I was half expecting him to start blowing kisses and bowing to the four corners of the room.

The talk

Introduced by The Sunday Times Sports Editor Alex Butler and interviewed by Chief Sportswriter David Walsh, the discussion about the book soon got under way.

At times Walsh’s carefully crafted questions were lost as Andre went off at tangents about his colourful life, recounting anecdote after anecdote, most of which those who have already read the book, like myself, would have known.

However Walsh’s presence did provide the star with some direction in the proceedings, guiding him to talk predominately about his personal life, beginning with his parents, following on to his marriages to Brooke Shields and Steffi Graf and his rivalry with fellow American Pete Sampras.

His tales of the great champion proved to be some of the most entertaining of the night, as he went as far as impersonating Sampras’ service action, much to the amusement of the packed crowd.

The drug scandal, which has been well documented by the press, was of course also mentioned. Although as Agassi himself pointed out “drugs only make up about one and a half pages of the book and the book is 400 pages”, and so consequently the topic was not given much weight.

The only thing he did say was that he was happy that not all players had come out in support of him, but he criticised those such as Federer and Nadal who had commented on the situation without having actually read the book. Which is something I confess as I did as the news broke, having only have read the book earlier this week.

Another well documented part of the book was that as successful player as he was, Agassi did not actually like tennis, in fact he hated it, something which is enforced throughout the manuscript. And this is the thing that a lot of people, me included, found the most difficult revelation to grasp than the drugs.

Elaborating on this, he said “I did not choose tennis my father chose it for me” he added, “However at the age of 27 I realised that I didn’t hate it any more. I could have quit but I chose to keep going for myself. I took back ownership of my life.”

As advertised the session ended with a question and answer section, where the enthusiastic audience were given the free reign to pose questions to the legend. However as everything had overrun, mainly due to Agassi’s inability to stick to the story in hand, there was not a lot of time for this.

Despite sticking my arm up as far as I could reach, my solitary position in the corner of the room did not catch the eye of the two men on stage and I was not able to ask my question.

Although this is probably a good thing as I’m not sure what my question would have been. Only to say that I’m sure it would have been a great deal more insightful than some of the banal questions that were put forward by some overexcited and starstruck fans.

Review

But anyway…I’m glad I made it to the event as the chance to hear the unedited thoughts of such a big personality is surely a rare one. And not for a moment did I feel that Agassi had been told what to say by his management, he came across as natural and sincere, and very funny, something which I was not expecting.

However if I must make one criticism, which I must I want to be a journalist after all, then I do not feel like I have actually learnt anything from being there that I didn’t know already. Occasionally it felt more like a promotional tool for the book, which was strange seeing as it was released weeks ago and I Imagine most people there had read it.

And I did find it cheesy though when he kept saying “It’s so good to be back in London. You guys have taught me a lot and I cherish the memories.” He certainly knew how to get woops and cheers out of his adoring audience. Things haven’t changed that much then.

One thing is now clear to me, like I assumed when the revelations came out, Agassi’s adoring public have unconditionally forgiven him for his sins.

Finally, for anyone who hasn’t read it, I would actually recommend it. I wouldn’t go as far to say it is extremely well written but it is certainly an entertaining read.

Agassi said himself that he didn’t like people, players such as Federer and Nadal included, that had formed an opinion his because of the extracts of the book that were publicised by the media. And I must confess that it what I did having only read the book earlier this week.

But he is right. The shocking confessions only make up a minority of the book and they do need to be read in context, whatever your opinion may or may not be of them.

Personally I found the passages which put you inside the head of a professional tennis player are far more revealing and interesting to read. But I guess this isn’t what makes a good headline,and I suppose elements of his personal life are more universally interesting.

As Alex Butler summed up, “This isn’t a book just for tennis fans or just for sports fans either.” I suppose he is right. After all Agassi himself is neither.

The Tiger Woods saga

I wrote recently that sports stars should probably only be discussed in terms of their sporting ability rather than their antics “off the pitch”.

Sport has been rife with scandal recently from Andre Agassi’s drug confessions, to Thierry Henry’s handball. And it seems that the higher a star is held in the public esteem the bigger their fall from grace.

Tiger Woods (c) Keith Allison http://www.flickr.com/people/keithallison/

But in our tabloid age of celebrity and gossip, can the oh-so public figure of Tiger Woods, sports’ first billionaire, really expect to shut the door on his private life?

Even though theories have been circulating all week about the reasons behind Woods’ car crash, he  hasn’t actually admitted anything yet, talking only of “transgressions” and “private sins”, though he has already been condemned by the global media.

In a statement published on his website this week he said “I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means”, adding “Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions”.

Is he really right to think this? Surely he is intelligent to understand the consequences that his actions, whether private or not, have in the public sphere.

Not any old golfer

Most golfers enjoy relative anonymity and if this was any other man on the tour then we, and the press, would most likely not bat an eyelid.

However Tiger Woods is no longer just any golfer, as one of the world’s most successful sports people and richest men he is no longer protected by such obscurity.

If he did just make his career and his money hitting golf balls then it would be a different story, but one like I said that we probably wouldn’t be interested in.

The fact is that the majority of Tiger’s life is lived out in the public glare. Most of his reported $1 billion dollar fortune has been amassed through endorsements of products and sponsorship deals that have enforced his squeaky clean, perfect image.

Some commentators have said that in making a career playing golf, Woods did not invite any of the attention in.

His success did though, and the multi-million pound deals that followed have certainly not meant that he can go through his daily life without media focus being on him.

His alleged affairs, with not one but at least three women, and his suspicious car accident, have undoubtedly been the centre of press interest in the golfer over the last few days. Whether it is in our public interest to know or not, he has invited the cameras into his life and cannot switch them off now.

It seems to me that the decisions that he has made in his life outside of the golf world, both good and bad, have been entirely his own, and he cannot expect his bad ones to not have ramifications on his public persona.

What’s next?

So what now for Tiger? As I said he has not exactly admitted that he has done anything wrong but we have all assumed that the rumours are true, because let’s face it, they normally are.

Rumours circulating that he has paid off one of his so-called mistresses, Rachel Ulichtel a reported some of $1 million, before she was about to give a press conference have  not helped the sports star in his request for privacy.

Personally I think he should probably admit to what, if anything, he has done instead of all his vague revelations on his website.

At least that way a line can be drawn under this whole ordeal and then he can attempt to move forward and repair the damage to his image.

Which I think will probably be relatively easy for him to do. After all he is one of the world’s most loved sporting icons and a true great of the golfing game and no amount of “transgressions” can ever take this away from him.

They certainly don’t seem to have for Andre Agassi.

Veteran’s Tennis

The AEGON Masters tennis tournament is being held all this week at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The season ending event on the Champions Tour has become a popular tradition amongst fans of the game, or more specifically fans of past legends of the game.

This years’ competition will see 16 former players, amongst them Wimbledon Champions Goran Ivanisevic, Pat Rafter and Stefan Edberg and doubles specialists such as Mark Woodforde and Mansour Bahrami, battle it out to be the best retired player on the court.

There will be British interests too in the shape of Jeremy Bates and Greg Rusedski, who will keep home fans entertained and cheering just like at Wimbledon.

But if you think that these players will just being having a light knock up then think again. This is a serious contest, just as serious for those involved for any that they participated in on the tour.

Rafter told BBC News on Tuesday morning that everyone still had a strong desire to win, despite in some cases having retired from the professional game years ago.

Height of popularity

The event comes only a week after the 02 was the stage for the end of year championships on the main tour, which was held in London for the first time.

The ATP World Tour Finals saw the Russian Nikolay Davydenko lifting the trophy after having defeated Nadal, Federer and US Open Champion Juan Martin Del Potro on the way.

London’s first attempt at being the host of the event, which had previously been in Shanghai, has been declared a resounding success by all involved, with most sessions in the 17,000 seat arena having sold out.

Tennis in this country is more popular than ever before. We have always had Wimbledon but the addition of this new tournament to the UK’s sporting calendar is a welcome event.

And thanks to the likes of Andy Murray, Anne Keothavong and Laura Robson, the game continues to grow in popularity.

Attraction of former players

But why are we so fascinated by watching past masters of the game, especially seeing as there is so many exciting developments happening on the main tour at the moment?

It is a mystery to me. Correct me if I am wrong, but I can’t really think of any other sport in which there is such an attraction to watching “old” players compete, instead of those who are in their peak.

Maybe it’s a British thing. Veteran’s matches at Wimbledon always attract huge crowds, big stars such as John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova being the main draw, and undoubtedly the Albert Hall will prove to be a sell out tennis event once again.

We are undoubtedly witnessing one of the best era’s in the men’s game at the moment but we still pine for what once was. John McEnroe and Boris Becker have regularly been involved in the masters tour with Goran Ivanisevic  and Pat Rafter providing exciting new additions to the tournament this year.

I guess if you remember the players from when they were at their best then the sense of nostalgia is all the greater. I personally don’t remember the days of Becker and McEnroe but that doens’t mean i can’t appreciate watching them play as they are part of the history of the game.

However more and more of the players at this years’ event are names that I recognise and can remember cheering on from the sofa in my youth. Either the players are getting younger or I’m getting older…it’s most likely the latter which means it’s probably time get myself down to the Albert Hall and watch.

Unknown Davydenko steals show from Roger at the 02

Roger Federer has lost his air of invincibility this week. Maybe it’s his adorable twins Charlene and Myla keeping him awake at night, maybe he is suffering from the overlong tennis season that has been much debated, or perhaps his opponents have just stepped up their game.

Roger Federer was not himself at the ATP World Tour Finals (c) Adam Bowie http://www.flickr.com/people/adambowie/

It’s probably a combination of all three that resulted in Roger losing not once but twice at this week’s ATP World Tour Finals, firstly in Thursday night’s encounter with Juan Martin Del Potro (which I was lucky enough to watch live) and then again in Saturday’s semi final against Nikolay Davydenko.

But it’s true that in spite of the amazing year he has had, reclaiming his Wimbledon title and world number one spot and adding the French Open crown to his CV, that the Federer magic has diminished slightly.

There were flashes of his usual brilliance against Del Potro on Thursday, and as he made an earlier than planned exit against Davydenko, but mostly he was making uncharacteristic errors, his negative body language telling tales of an extremely frustrated man.

Federer is still unarguably the greatest player of all time and the greatest player around at the moment, as his ranking testifies. But there are now a whole series of guys lining up behind him, who now really believe they can beat him.

Not Roger’s day

Tim Henman said in his commentary of the match that it would have taken a brave person to predict the final line up today, and he is right. Who would have thought that the last tennis match of the season on the tour would be contested between the 21 year old Del Potro and the little known Russian, Davydenko?

If the crowd at the O2 had had their way it would have been Federer all the way, perhaps the international London crowed would even favour him over our very own Murray, such is the admiration he receives everywhere he goes in the world.

Normally us Brits cheer for the underdog, but Thursday night’s audience may as well have been Swiss for all the impartiality, or rather partiality they showed. Or maybe they just saw that Federer had turned into the underdog.

Anyway Federer was not the star of this week’s show, the two surprise finalists were. US Open winner Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro was perhaps not such a shock and is certainly one to watch out for in the future.

The Unknown

But what about the victorious Nikolay Davydenko? Are the great British public are going to take this week’s champion, the unknown Russian into their hearts and minds?

Probably not – because we don’t know anything about him and his performances in the tennis world, consistent as they are, have gone virtually unnoticed outside the sphere.

As Andrew Castle shrewdly pointed out on the BBC today the final was not exactly “box office”, meaning that the average tennis spectator, the casual fan, would have perhaps been turned off by the tie.

That’s because, aside from the tennis, the public want the big names, the glamour of Federer, Nadal and Roddick and the home interest of Murray. They want to watch those with big personalities who they can relate to both on and off the court.

Despite his achievements at the O2 this week, Davydenko will probably never be a big star of the tennis world, especially in this country unless he makes an impact at the slams, which he has never threatened to do.

He made an appeal to the crowd for fans in London and they politely clapped but realistically most will probably forget his name by tomorrow, if they have even managed to retain it for this long.

And in reality this is probably the way Davydenko wants it to be. He hasn’t invited the media into his life, and will most likely want it to stay this way. In the little he has been interviewed he has said that he likes being under the radar and getting the job done. Which is exactly what he does.

So life will probably not change for Nikolay Davydenko after yesterday’s win but what about Federer? Questions will undoubtedly be raised about his performance, whether he is past his best and if his heart is still in the game.

The Christmas break will allow Federer to regroup and enjoy spending time with his new family, before being back in action at the Australian Open in January. My guess is that this isn’t the last or the best we have seen from Roger. I’m pretty sure he’ll be back on top before we know it.

ATP World Tour Finals at the O2

When the line-up for Thursday night’s action in the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 was released yesterday my first reaction was slight disappointment.

Del Potro's win meant Andy Murray is knocked out of World Tour Finals (c) Adam Bowie http://www.flickr.com/people/adambowie/

I probably shouldn’t admit this, especially seeing as the evening singles match featured a certain Mr Federer and Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro, a repeat of the summers US Open final.

The problem here was that I had convinced myself, seeing as Thursday was the final round of matches in Group A that I was going be lucky enough to watch the Federer – Andy Murray showdown, sure that the tournament organisers and TV producers would leave this one till the end.

Then, as I was watched this anti-climactic match on Tuesday evening (which was continually interrupted by the BBC going off air at highly inappropriate moments) I wasn’t that bothered, reassuring myself that I would still be lucky enough to see Andy play, again confident that TV schedulers would want his match to be played at night for optimum viewing figures.

But no it was Federer v Del Potro that I was destined to watch, after a doubles match between four men that I am ashamed to say, despite having what I thought was a pretty good tennis knowledge, have never heard of.

I don’t know what it is about Federer. He is unarguably the greatest player ever to pick up a racket and deserves every superlative used alongside his name, but I think I will appreciate his greatness more once he has stopped playing.

Right now though I am bored of his dominance and am dying for someone to be able to challenge him the way Nadal threatened to do, before injury transformed him into a shadow of his former self.

Pleasantly surprised

Last night I may have found a new challenger in the form of Argentinean giant Juan Martin Del Potro, who ousted Federer in 3 impressive sets playing the kind of quality tennis, from what I have heard, has really been lacking from this tournament so far.

I eat my words, or more accurately pre match thoughts. I feel quite smug now that I seem to have by chance, picked the best match of the tournament so far for which to be in attendance.

Federer was not his usual self, but flashes of brilliance from the 15 time Grand Slam winner reminded me why he is the best of all time. Del Potro too won me over, just when you thought Fed had reclaimed the momentum the US Open Champion kept his resolve, breaking at a crucial point in the final set in order to take the match.

I was also impressed by the staging and ambience of the event, but deep down I knew I would be – I could watch tennis anytime anywhere and still be impressed by it, such is the extent of my obsession with the game.

But putting myself in the shoes of the less committed spectator though, I can see several problems with the event that need to be addressed if, like I think the ATP wants to do, it is to attract a new audience to the sport.

Teething problems

Firstly, the post match confusion, over which of 2 players out of Federer, Murray and Del Potro had qualified from their group, was farcical.Del Potro could not really celebrate his victory as no-one on court was able to tell him whether or not he was through to the semi-final.

All he could do was make the most of the lull in proceedings and invite his friend, Manchester City footballer Carlos Tevez onto the court for a knock up, whilst Mark Petchey hovered around on court waiting for someone to tell him the result so he could get on and conduct his post match interview.

Andy Murray was clearly as clueless as the crowd, the dedicated of us who had waited around for the result to be announced, as he posted on his twitter page “Anyone know what’s going on?? I think I’m out but the rules aren’t worded too well”.

Surely someone could have worked out all the possible permutations beforehand. And when they did announce the result they could have pointed out that it meant Murray was out because the cheering from the crowd hinted that perhaps they didn’t realise this.

The rules need to be set out better in advance; apparently the organisers kept changing their minds all day about how to calculate it in the case of a tie, so if they don’t know then how are we meant to?

Secondly, my biggest problem with the event is the scheduling of it. Why on earth is it on so late at night?! The singles match last night didn’t start until 9pm! After a hard day of doing very little yesterday I was feeling tired so I can only imagine what the players must feel like!

Although I was enjoying the match I spent the whole of calculating what time it would finish, panicking I would have to leave early to get the train. If the second set lasts as long as the third then it will finish at this time and then if they have to play a third…it ruined things slightly.

Quite a lot of people seemed to leave at the end of the second set, I imagine either to catch connecting trains or because they had children who would obviously have to be at school this morning.

I know they have to have gaps between all the matches but if they started the day’s proceedings a bit earlier instead of at 2.30pm then more people would be able to stay for the conclusion of the matches, and get their money’s worth out of the event.

Which brings me onto my final issue– cost. If the aim of the event is to bring tennis to a wider audience and not just the classic Wimbledon crowd then surely the tickets need to be slightly cheaper.

Ok so it was sold out but I wonder how many people were initially put off by the £50 or £60 entrance fee? It’s hardly bringing tennis to the masses is it?

Don’t get me wrong as I said I had a great evening as I’m sure the rest of the audience did too, but with a few tweaks from the organisers, we could have an event better one next year.

Jade Johnson’s Strictly Come Dancing Injury

My predictions about Jade Johnson’s Strictly Come Dancing destiny came crashing to the ground this weekend as Jade she had to withdraw from the competition following a serious injury sustained in a rehearsal for the show.

It seems that dancing, just like sport, is unpredictable and you can never know when illness or injury will throw a competitor of the course they seemed so likely to follow.

Long Jumper Jade was visibly upset when she was interviewed on the show on Saturday night. This is understandable, she is a professional athlete and her desire to win and succeed in the competition was probably greater than any of the other participants.

The Strictly audience at Television Centre seemed equally disappointed by Jade and her partner Ian Waite’s departure. As did the fans who write into its daily sister show, It Takes Two, presented by Claudia Winkleman.

So I was surprised to read in an ongoing debate on the BBC’s 606 website, a discussion forum for sports fans, that so many were disgruntled by Johnson’s performance on the reality TV show.

Displeased Athletics fans

In fact it wasn’t so much her performance, or her pulling out that has irritated sports fans, but her very decision to appear on the show.

Some have called it irresponsible and foolish. Whilst others have called for her Lottery Funding to be withdrawn considering the fact that she has been training for dancing, and not her athletic event the Long Jump.

There is a small chance that the ligament injury that Jade has sustained will hamper her future career, as she prepares to make a return to Athletics in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

If it did then I’m positive that there would be none more angry and upset than Jade herself, she does not need a load of uninformed members of the public putting her down for the choices she has made.

Besides, Jade knows, and so do the majority of the British public that the kind of problem she is suffering from could have been picked up just as easily in everyday life or in any sort of recreational activity that all athletes participate in during the off season, than in practicing for a samba or a waltz.

But it is more than likely that she will make a full recovery and be able to return to training in time to fulfil her goal of a place on the podium in 2012.

Positives

In my opinion, which is contrary to that of most of the 606 commenter’s, I think Jade’s participation in the show has been a positive thing, both for her and the sport she represents.

Ok so she wasn’t exactly preparing for her chosen sport but the training of a professional dancer is not that far removed from than of an athlete and I’m sure that the overall body conditioning would have been good for her, especially since she hasn’t been doing full time training in the pit for so long.

Secondly, and I’m not saying this is why she chose to participate, but the money she has been paid for her part in the show can’t have failed to have helped her financially.

The only comment on 606 that talked any sense was one which said something like receiving Lottery funding is not the same as winning the Lottery. I don’t know how much Jade is to receive but I don’t imagine it is an extravagant sum, athletics is not the most lucrative of sports,  so the money she has earned from Strictly will undoubtedly help her as she trains over the winter.

Finally Jade Johnson’s appearance on the show will have done wonders to boost the profile of athletics and athletes in this country, which is always a much needed thing.

She said herself in an interview on It Takes Two earlier this week that she thought that in the early rounds of the competition no-one would vote for her because no-one knew who she was, no matter how good her dancing was.

One thing is certain come 2012 (fingers crossed), there will be many Strictly fan tuning into the Olympics to watch Jade in action in the pit, to see if her Long Jumping is up to the standard her athleticism and leaps across the dance floor have indicated.

That can only be a good thing. I for one wish Jade a speedy recovery. A personality who can crossover from her profession to the entertainment industry is exactly what athletics and sport in this country needs.

Thierry Henry and la main de Dieu

Thierry Henry alienated Arsenal supporters years ago. Women too were upset by his move to Barcelona as the seemingly perfect man reportedly abandoned his wife and child for the lures of money and a sunny climate.

Thierry Henry playing for Barcelona (c) Stéphane Rossignol http://www.flickr.com/people/boldorak/

But his current antics have damaged his image further afield, disappointing football and sport fanatics the world over.

Thierry Henry’s handball in the World Cup play-off match against the Republic of Ireland last week has been the most talked about thing in recent days.

La main of the match and the hand of Gaul – both terms thought up by the media to describe the incident which has been compared to Maradona’s infamous Hand of God in the 1986 World Cup quarter final. But whatever else you want to call it, it has provided endless column inches and hours of debate amongst fans of the game and those from outside it.

He could have been the hero of the French if he had legitimately scored the goal to take them to South Africa but instead he has brought himself, the team and the sport into disrepute.

Consequences

So is he a cheat or was he merely taking advantage of a situation for the benefit of his countries team who, after reaching the finals of the last World Cup, were in danger of missing out all together?

He has said himself that handling the ball was an instinctive reaction to a situation where he was under pressure and everything was happening so quickly.

I know that professional athletes are programmed to anything to win, call me naive but surely flaunting the rules, consciously or not, shouldn’t be one of them.

In an ideal world Henry should have owned up to the handball whilst still on the pitch, he may not have been popular with his coach Raymond Domenech, who incidentally is now receiving a rather large bonus for having got his team into the World Cup finals, but he would have lost a lot less fans around the globe.

In my opinion two things should be done now. Firstly, replay the match to be fair to the Irish and to give the chance for France to qualify rightly for the World Cup without their qualification being tainted by this whole debacle.

Henry himself after admitting he did touch the ball, called for a replay but in reality this will probably not happen (and I’m sure he knew this), as it would cause too much upheaval in the players schedules and the world of football. It seems that this time the referee’s decision is going to be final.

Video technology

But what about the future of the game? It’s 2009 and there is certainly technology that could be put in place to ensure this never happens again.

If tennis, the most traditional of sport, can adopt playback technology to verify line calls, then the second thing that should be done is to introduce a similar system in football. Surely that is more than possible?

With this system in place last week’s controversy could have been avoided. France may still have beaten Ireland but at least they would have done so fairly, and no-one could really complain about that.

Unfortunately it looks like this time Ireland will have to accept their fate. But let’s hope that someone with some power does something to ensure this kind of injustice can never happen again.

A lesson learnt thanks to Jenson Button

Whilst strolling aimlessly around one of Oxford Street’s famous department stores on Thursday evening. trying to beat the rush and get my Christmas shopping done early, I learnt a valuable journalistic lesson thanks to the appearance of an unexpected famous face.

Jenson Button at his book signing in Selfridges, Oxford Street

I was casually browsing the range of technical goods that Selfridges has to offer, before stumbling upon the aisles of literature and history in the bookshop.

It was the burly security guards that I noticed first. Then the hordes of people crowded into a small area at the bottom of one of the escalators, camera phones at the ready, that alerted me to the fact that something was going on.

I then spotted the stacks and stacks of bright yellow books, each one adorned with the smiling face of Jenson Button, newly crowned Formula One World Champion. Directly above was a sign advertising that he would be signing copies of his new book, My Championship Year, from 6pm. It all became clear.

Good Timing

What a coincidence I thought to myself, that his book launch comes the day after he made am extremely controversial and highly publicised move from Brawn GP, to join Lewis Hamilton at the McLaren team.

Oblivious to the system that was in place around me I approached the pile of books, intending to have a quick flick through to see what all the fuss was about. But before I even touched a copy I was abruptly informed by one of the suited bodyguards that these were copies ready for Jenson to sign, and could I please now move back behind the barrier ready for his arrival.

At this point it was around 5.30pm and since I had about an hour to kill, and am a bit of a fan of Mr Button, I decided to join the growing crowds which were made up of a few die hard fans decked out in Brawn GP gear, and groups of over excited girls who, let’s face it, were probably more interested in the man than the cars.

Thinking I was standing in a great place, right in front of where I presumed he would be sitting, I got out my phone ready to get a much desired picture of the very attractive driver.

It turned out it wasn’t such a good position as just in the nick of time, the world’s media descended on the Selfridges book department, setting themselves up, tripods and all right in my eye line. All I could really see when the guest star arrived on the scene was the top of his head.

It was at this moment that I thought about getting my recently acquired press card out, to see if there was some way of getting nearer to the front.

Just so you don’t get too excited about this story, I didn’t do that and this isn’t the story of my first celebrity interview of big scoop.I did in fact stayed firmly rooted to my original position, unable to move in any direction because of the mass of people that has assembled behind me, which was to the right of a rather unstable looking Christmas tree.

Though I’m not sure it would even have worked, I did for a second wonder whether I could have blagged my way for a quick word with Jenson, without having to actually buy his book of course which seemed to be the only official way to do this. I think I would have probably been to nervous to speak to him in a coherent manner even if I had got near so it was probably just as well that I didn’t.

But the fundamental reason that I couldn’t have even tried to attempt to get a quick story out of the racing driver even I had wanted to, was that despite of the large bag of personal possessions I lug around with me on a daily basis, amongst these I could not find a pen or a bit of paper on me.

If I had had to, I’m sure I could have summoned up the inner confidence to speak to Jenson Button, he’s only a human after all, but any interview would not have got very far without these most basic of recording devices.

Perhaps an opportunity missed. Pen and paper will never leave my side again.

Looking ahead to Tennis Tour Finals at the O2

Tennis in this country is usually confined to two weeks of strawberries and Pimms, when players descend on the green lawns of SW19 and the whole nation becomes gripped with tennis fever.

Roger Federer (c) Franz Dejon http://www.flickr.com/people/franz88/

For the other 50 weeks things are normally very quiet, but not this year as in a slightly less traditional way, tennis is coming home for the end of season tour finals which starts on Sunday.

The O2 arena is to play host to the ATP World Tour Finals, formerly held in Shanghai, which will see the top 8 ranked men battling it out in a round robin competition for a £1m prize.

It will be by far the biggest tennis tournament staged in the UK after Wimbledon, but the set up of the event may come as a shock to the typical British tennis crowd as the loud music and lights which will be part of the show are more reminiscent of the US Open than Queen’s or the All England Club.

Nevertheless the prospect of watching live tennis in the middle of winter, in London, was something that I saw as far too good an opportunity to miss and I snapped up a pair of tickets as soon as they went on sale.

Worried by Injuries

However in recent weeks I have been worried, following many tournaments being plagued with injuries and players having to drop out, that I would not be getting to see any of the stars of the tennis world after all.

Everyone knows about Nadal, my personal favourite, and the problems he has had this year and our very own Andy Murray too has been out for many weeks. I imagine the tournament organisers would have been even more disappointed than me if Murray, undoubtedly the main draw for many a fan had to drop out.

Andy Roddick has also had his injury problems recently, calling for the ATP to shorten the calendar to combat the amount of injuries and illness that the players have been experiencing over the last couple of years.

And this morning Andy announced that he would be pulling out of the O2 because of an ongoing knee injury. As a fan I am upset by this news, because when I go I will not be watching the 8 best players, but I am sure that none will be more frustrated than Roddick.

Having to also pull out of the Shangai Masters earlier in the year Andy could not have done anymore to prove his point that the players are suffering because an overlong schedule which goes on a month longer than the female equivalent.

He is being replaced by French Open hero, Robin Soderling and I hope that the Swede along with the other 7 competitors are feeling fit and healthy because any further changes in the line up will be a big blow for the event.

I hope too that these who are playing can play to the same high standard that they do the rest of the year in order for the event to be viewed as a success in the eyes of the British public.

I guess I will find out for myself in a weeks’ time…

Most memorable sporting moments 2009

As the year winds to a close, most sports are preparing for the Christmas break and so it seems like a good time to reflect on the sporting performances that we have witnessed in 2009. It has been a fairly big year for sport with World Cup qualifying, the Ashes and the usual World and European Championships, meaning that there have been so many great moments for us to consider. In no particular order here is my top 10 most memorable sporting moments of 2009.

1. Jenson Button, World Champion formula one – Jenson Button’s dominance in this years’ Formula One title race is not only one of the biggest events in British sport but one of the greatest reversals of fortunes in world sport. The way he changed from being an also ran to the one to beat was remarkable, and undoubtedly had a lot to do with the fantastic Brawn GP team behind him. If the rumours are to believed it is likely that Button, driving for McClaren in 2010, will provide a lot more memorable moments alongside team mate, compatriot and former World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
2. Usain Bolt, World Champion and World Record holder 100m and 200m – The World Athletics Championships 2009 were all about Usain Bolt. The event was more popular than ever and this was all down to the amazing performances of Jamaica and the world’s greatest sprinter. Bolt has never really been contested however you really felt this year he was pushing himself to the max, rather than finishing his races with his customary jog over the line he was sprinting flat out to the line fighting his biggest competition, himself. The result was incredible performances in both events and in the relay which no doubt brought a whole load of new fans to the sport. His joking around with games mascot Berlino was quite entertaining too (see below).
3. David Haye, Heavyweight World Champion – No one really thought that David Haye could defeat the 7ft 2 giant from Russia Nikolai Valuev but his victory has provided a great finale to a great year for British sport. Let’s hope David’s broken hand recovers for his next encounter.
4. Kim Clijsters’ comeback at US Open – Now considered by many as the greatest sporting comeback of all time, and I would have to agree. Partnering Tim Henman at the opening of the new Wimbledon roof, Kim announced her return to professional tennis, after an early retirement in which she had had a baby. She was looking pretty good as her and Henman beat the Agassi/Graf pairing, but no-one expected her to return with such force. After winning the US Open, she is currently ranked 18 in the world and has even inspired fellow Belgian Justine Henin to come out of retirement and rejoin the ranks of the women’s game. The pair will be much welcomed considering the void that has been left at the top of the game since their departure.
5. The England Cricket team winning back the Ashes – Less high profile and less exciting than the last time (or maybe that’s just because I couldn’t watch it because it was only on Sky) but nevertheless England’s unexpected victory over Australia raised spirits across the country in an otherwise damp summer.
6. British Gymnastics at the O2 – Britain has never been a country with much of a gymnastic tradition, but as the sport made its debut at the O2 Arena in London, Britain for the first time produced a host of medal contenders. Daniel Keatings and Beth Tweddle took their places on the podium and had a whole host of other British athletes coming up behind them eager to emulate their success. Was a great event, and a great taster for the Olympics.
7. Roger Federer beating Andy Roddick in a Wimbledon final…again – Nothing unusual about Roger Federer getting the best of someone in a grand slam final except this time he struggled a bit, and his opponent was not rival Rafael Nadal but Andy Roddick. Andy had the better of Federer for at least half the match, and looked sure to topple the great champion on the third time of asking in a Wimbledon final only to lose an epic final set 14-16. Couldn’t help feeling sorry for the American who is arguably the best player now never to win the title, but also in awe of the amazing Federer undoubtedly the greatest to ever play the game.
8. Tom Watson almost winning the Open – Wouldn’t be much of an event if it had been anyone else, but the fact that a 59 year old man and legend of the game came so close to victory at this year’s Open Championship was pretty special. Tom was enthusiastically supported was the crowds on the green but could not maintain his challenge till the end of the competition. A great sporting story nonetheless.
9. England’s near flawless World Cup qualifying – The England side were rejuvenated under Fabio Capello as they got their World Cup qualifying underway. Apart from a tiny blip on their record in the Ukraine, the team won all of their matches making the whole country believe that they have a realistic shot at finally winning the World Cup.
10. Berlino the bear – Maybe it’s just me but Berlino, the huge bear who was the mascot of the World Athletics Championships, certainly provided some of the more humorous moments in Berlin in the summer. Berlino seemed to manage to get into shot every time Usain Bolt smashed a world record, mirroring his famous bow and arrow pose. Berlino almost caused a major disaster when he picked up Jamaicain sprinter and 400m hurdles World Champion Melaine Walker and then dropped her on the floor – thankfully Melaine was unhurt and laughed off the event. Perhaps Berlino’s most memorable appearance was when he appeared live on the BBC in the studio with Colin Jackson and an unimpressed looking Michael Johnson, who perhaps couldn’t believe that his career had come to interviewing a mute and oversized teddy bear.