Murray's 'strike' talk.

http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/112342.html

Have to agree with the 1977 AO finalist on this; the disrespect shown by Murray towards the sport just further enhances his bad attitude. It's totally selfish to even consider such action when there are players in futures tournaments barely making enough money to survive; if anything it should be those such players considering a strike rather than the wealthy number 4 in the world. Murray has absolutely zero reasons to even think about rebelling against the sport, to put this into context, it would be like Somali pirates striking against unsecured, gold infested, cruise liners. It doesn't make sense.

Murray should apologise to the ATP!

I have to say that I wonder how repulsive the Spanish media might find Nadal's warnings when 40 + percent of people his age in Spain are unable to find work.

Negotiate with the ITF and ATP by all means boys, but let's keep a sense of proportion here!

Just typed this on the "changes to calander..." thread

Its not yet clear what the players want. Murray has been talking to the media but he isn't even on the players council. The ATP players council should meet and figure out what improvements they would like before involving the press and making threats. Judging by how even the top players couldn't agree on the decision to move the US Open final to Monday getting an agreement might not be easy.

Murray talking like this about "strikes" has so far met with the public response it deserves. Poor little rich kids... I agree it puts tennis players in a bad light. Hasn't Murray got PR people to keep him under control...

Hasn't Murray got PR people to keep him under control...

I heard Judy slaps him with her slippers now and again....

Actually lost a lot of respect for Murray over the years, used to like the guy. He needs a shorter tour to accommodate his gruelling and inefficient style of play. Andy Roddick also complained some years ago, yet was also a power player with limited skill - some coincidence.

Can't understand his reasoning it's not like he's ever going to be forced to play on one leg and if he's feeling tired he get get the doctor to write him a sick note.

Rubbish excuse for a sportsman.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/20/andy-murray-tennis-strike-threat

The guardian's take on it all - I like the idea of Sandy Murray!

The whole thing for me is a joke; here we have players who are earning millions a year doing something they enjoy doing, and they are threatening to go on strike because they have had to push themselves a little bit to get through the tournaments. What about the rest of the population who work 40 hour weeks and will probably earn in a year what these top players earn for reaching the fourth round of one tournament? If the tennis players go on strike then so should practically every other person on the globe.

I think we should do a 606 strike.. like NOW



emancipator - 606 strike leader

Hmm a Lloyd having no sympathy for Murray I wonder why that could be?

And by the way folks Martina Navratilova is backing Andy Murray on this one and she says that she was complaining that the tour was too long 25 years ago. Hmm I'd say she is more qualified to judge than a bitter ex-pro with an axe to grind. And by the way - don't you just love it how the media are portraying it as solely a Murray grievance making him to be the ring-leader. Also do we hear any of todays pros such as Saint Roger and Rafael Nadal etc coming out saying Murray is wrong? No.

Saying it and doing it are two very different things. If they strike then by all means criticise them, but to lambast people for talking about doing something is a bit over the top. Yes, to us, they have little or nothing to complain about but who always thinks of the wider world and its problems when they're annoyed about something? Sure, people in the public eye should be more careful but it's not always that easy.

Who says they have nothing to complain about? Martina certainly thinks they do.

Tennis is the only sport I know of that has a season that runs for all of eleven months and involves travelling from the UK to Australia and the USA to China with the vast majority of tournaments compulsory and those that aren't the players are pressured in to playing in in a bid to protect their ranking. People on this forum or any other who feel the players have no right to complain then I suggest they try competing at the top level of a physical sport for a large majority of the year before they knock them.

Craig, I was defending the players! I think it's fair to say, though, that the lay person won't have much sympathy for multi-millionaire sportsman.

My point is that many sportsmen are multi-millionairres such as footballers and even they get at least around two and a half months off at the end of each season but we here so much complaints that their season is too long but it is short compared to tennis players who have more travelling to do as well.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Who says they have nothing to complain about? Martina certainly thinks they do.

Tennis is the only sport I know of that has a season that runs for all of eleven months and involves travelling from the UK to Australia and the USA to China with the vast majority of tournaments compulsory and those that aren't the players are pressured in to playing in in a bid to protect their ranking. People on this forum or any other who feel the players have no right to complain then I suggest they try competing at the top level of a physical sport for a large majority of the year before they knock them.

Here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/15008898.stm if anyone interested.

Matthew Syed also backs players in the Times today and says it is basically a disgrace that the players' prize money amounts to about 13 percent of the revenue. He cites footballers as taking home a much greater percentage of the gate takings, somehow ignoring in the process that football clubs are bust by and large apart from the ones with abnormally wealthy owners!

Of course Martina's view is very interesting and as she is a former top player what she has to say is very relevant and it is not surprising I guess to see her sympathise with the marquee players. I think players like Stich and Lloyd (it was actually David by the way) are also worth listening to because they may (or may not) represent where the larger body of players stand on this issue (you know - all the guys outside the top 20!)

I don't think the schedule should be cut, putting many peoples' jobs at risk - just make a few less tournaments mandatory and leave it to the players' discretion about how much they should play.

BTW Craig - do you know why Murray chose to play a dead rubber on Sunday - wasn't there a less experienced player that could have benefitted from the experience? I don't understand why he is complaining this week and actively sort to play a totally pointless (for him) best of 5 on Sunday? It baffles me - can you enlighten?

You'd better ask the team captain that question time please as it is he who makes the decision is it not?

You seem to be getting wrapped up in the media portraying Andy Murray as the only one unhappy at the schedule. Like I said earlier wait until Saint Fed comes out and says things are fine as they are and other top pros before shooting down the players in flames.

Besides the point you make about less tournaments being mandatory I agree with and I am sure that was what Andy tapped on as well. All fine and well doing that but then you run the risk of sliding down the rankings by opting out of tournaments so would that option be viable?

CaledonianCraig wrote:You'd better ask the team captain that question time please as it is he who makes the decision is it not?

You seem to be getting wrapped up in the media portraying Andy Murray as the only one unhappy at the schedule. Like I said earlier wait until Saint Fed comes out and says things are fine as they are and other top pros before shooting down the players in flames.

Besides the point you make about less tournaments being mandatory I agree with and I am sure that was what Andy tapped on as well. All fine and well doing that but then you run the risk of sliding down the rankings by opting out of tournaments so would that option be viable?

Actually Saint Fed has said in the past that the schedule doesn't allow a lot of time for training and I think he has with Nadal represented the players in talks with ATP before. He was also one of those, along with Nadal, who lobbied for ITF to bring DC after US Open in 2009. It has been discussed widely on here that it was Nadal at first who hinted at possible strikes, and I actually said that I was waiting with baited breath for Murray to leap on board obsequiously as he always does when Rafa speaks - yes he is taking some of the flak, bullets loaded very nicely for Murray to shoot as
predicted!

It was actually Murray who wanted to play the dead rubber according to his presser, then felt tired half way through. I can't remember where the link is but will post when I find tomorrow.

The point about not everything being mandatory is that you don't disadvantage the other players and tournaments who provide employment for many hundreds of people - it can't all be about the top four, and as they haven't actually lived outside their tennis bubble maybe they don't always appreciate that there are other considerations rather than the interests of the few.

Until we get a mass protest from those lesser players asking for the tournaments stay the way they are then we cannot juist presume they are happy with the way things are either. As for employment for these hundreds of people I'd say that would not be the case as any tournament employees obviously have other jobs security and don't just live off their one single week tournament of pay per year to live on. I think the link you speak of is on BBC site where he decided to play that rubber but what were the circumstances? I do believe Ward was ill and subs aren't allowed so did he have any real choice barring using the other doubles player. Besides I suppose he saw it as that he would have been prepared for the match on the Sunday before the tie begun anyway so why not?

Craig,

The top pros don't play all year round.

They take around a month off after AUS, W and USO (bar a few DC matches)

They then have a month off after the WTF.

So if they manage their schedules properly they can squeeze out nearly four mths, and that includes playing all the mandatory tournies.

I wish I could take 4 mths of each year from my job, and yes I undesrtand that they use a lot of that time as preparation for the next round - well, guess what, I too have to use the majority of my free time preparing for work.

emancipator wrote:Craig,

The top pros don't play all year round.

They take around a month off after AUS, W and USO (bar a few DC matches)

They then have a month off after the WTF.

So if they manage their schedules properly they can squeeze out nearly four mths, and that includes playing all the mandatory tournies.

I wish I could take 4 mths of each year from my job, and yes I undesrtand that they use a lot of that time as preparation for the next round - well, guess what, I too have to use the majority of my free time preparing for work.

Quite right. There is a lull after 3 of the slams when rest can be taken so it's slightly misleading to think that the season is 11 months non-stop. I would think several breaks are better than one lengthier one in many ways.

Murray's made a fool of himself over this. A lot of good PR work over the last few years dumped.

Andy should lobby for a faster game then he'd not be tired out. Oh, hang on.....

The only ones making a fool of themselves are those using this as another opportunity to criticise him. And we wonder why this country rarely produces world class tennis player? Who'd want to with the lack of support they get from the nation. Frankly, don't blame them if they choose to stick to Playstations and PC's.

If Murray has a grievance he should talk to the ATP player council. Presumably thats what they're there for. Having individual players moan to the press as we can see just makes them and other players look bad. Murray is expressing his own opinion about what is wrong with the schedule and player requirements. His opinion as we saw with his views on playing the US Open final on the Monday rather than Sunday is not always shared by other players.

If Murray or any other player wants to be involved with the politics of the game they should put themselves forward for election onto the player council. Likewise if the press want to know what the players think they should ask a player who has been elected to represent the views of all the players. From the public response his thoughtless comments have not only damaged his own image but that of the other top players. Its not only Lloyd that has no sympathy for Murrays strike talk neither do the public who pay him his very generous wages.

Representatives of the player council are

Yves Allegro
Eric Butorac
Roger Federer (President)
Ashley Fisher
Fernando Gonzalez
Peter Luczak
Rafael Nadal (Vice-President)
Jarkko Nieminen
Sam Querrey
Nenad Zimonjic
Claudio Pistolesi (Coach)
Ignacio Hirigoyen (Alumni)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/08/Other/Federer-Reelected-Player-Council-President.aspx

hawkeye wrote:If Murray has a grievance he should talk to the ATP player council. Presumably thats what they're there for. Having individual players moan to the press as we can see just makes them and other players look bad. Murray is expressing his own opinion about what is wrong with the schedule and player requirements. His opinion as we saw with his views on playing the US Open final on the Monday rather than Sunday is not always shared by other players.

If Murray or any other player wants to be involved with the politics of the game they should put themselves forward for election onto the player council. Likewise if the press want to know what the players think they should ask a player who has been elected to represent the views of all the players. From the public response his thoughtless comments have not only damaged his own image but that of the other top players. Its not only Lloyd that has no sympathy for Murrays strike talk neither do the public who pay him his very generous wages.

Representatives of the player council are

Yves Allegro
Eric Butorac
Roger Federer (President)
Ashley Fisher
Fernando Gonzalez
Peter Luczak
Rafael Nadal (Vice-President)
Jarkko Nieminen
Sam Querrey
Nenad Zimonjic
Claudio Pistolesi (Coach)
Ignacio Hirigoyen (Alumni)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/08/Other/Federer-Reelected-Player-Council-President.aspx

There speaks the words of a Murray hater. Forgive me if I choose to totally disregard that post as it is full of discrepancies.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Until we get a mass protest from those lesser players asking for the tournaments stay the way they are then we cannot juist presume they are happy with the way things are either.

If we focus on some of the 'lesser' players in Top 100, here is an interesting factoid (the numbers in () are YtD rankings(??) )...

Player - YtD Rank - Tournaments Played - YtD Prize Money

Daniel Gimeno-Traver (#93)- 29 - ($386,296)
Fillipo Volandri (#71), Benoit Paire(#93) - 28 ($277,961; $190,059)
Pere Riba (#73) - 27 ($336,176)
Michael Russell (#83), Fabio Fognini (#35) - 26 ($274,333; $630,274)
Pablo Andujar (#50), Victor Hanescu (#69), Carlos Berlocq (#76) - 25 ($422,640; $371,675)

These players may not get far in Masters/Slams (except Fognini perhaps - ), but are they happy?

In contrast,

Djokovic (#1) - 14 - $10,609,318
Nadal (#2) - 15 - $6,251,514
Murray (#3) - 14 - $3,462,141
Federer (#4) - 14 - $3,047,362

... and the Top 4 are where they are due to their dedication and hard work.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/YTD-Singles.aspx

CaledonianCraig wrote:As for employment for these hundreds of people I'd say that would not be the case as any tournament employees obviously have other jobs security and don't just live off their one single week tournament of pay per year to live on.

You are forgetting officials who have 'full-time' jobs and make a living off of Tennis, for example umpires. They attend training when not umpiring to stay qualified.

CaledonianCraig wrote:I think the link you speak of is on BBC site where he decided to play that rubber but what were the circumstances? I do believe Ward was ill and subs aren't allowed so did he have any real choice barring using the other doubles player. Besides I suppose he saw it as that he would have been prepared for the match on the Sunday before the tie begun anyway so why not?

This is not singling out the Top 4 in any way or Murray specifically.

The calendar has not seen any major changes since 2005 till last year with some tourneys being brought together to provide an 'extra' two weeks.

2011-2013 Calendar - http://www.atpworldtour.com/~/media/F79B2FD437894655A4E9886B80EFE27D.ashx (Clicking this link will download the PDF on your computer.)

2008 Calendar - http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/Archive-Event-Calendar.aspx?t=2&y=2008

This money the lower rank players make is very small compared to same ranking in Golf. They should be the one striking. Once you have paid, coach, accomodation, travel, it doesn't leave them with much money.

Put it this way - if Andy Murray has been way out of line and so far away from what the other tennis pros are thinking then I am sure people would have had a quiet word in his ear after the US Open fracas. But since Murray has brought up the points again a couple of weeks later then I'd say he is speaking again as he has backing of the players. Seems a logical assumption does it not?

As for calendars I haven't heard Murray or any of the other pros calling for drastic changes at all and however you look at it it is an eleven month long season from start to finish - unparalleled in sport. Footballers complain their season is too long at nine and a half months and they are involved in a team sport AND often miss matches/are rested etc but tennis players don't get that luxury. Sure they get paid for it but that isn't the point here. After all less tournaments for them means less pay so money isn't an issue here just the players health which judging by the massive amount of injured players and withdrawals at the US Open alone has to be a concern.

CaledonianCraig wrote:The only ones making a fool of themselves are those using this as another opportunity to criticise him. And we wonder why this country rarely produces world class tennis player? Who'd want to with the lack of support they get from the nation. Frankly, don't blame them if they choose to stick to Playstations and PC's.

Y'see, this is just fanboy support. I couldn't give a flying fig whether Britain produces a World Class player, and I do know it's got nothing to do with whether anyone criticises him. Actually, one of the reasons for failure is weak thinking, externalising blame and whingeing - you know, like moaning about the workload or thinking that unless others agree or support it puts people off.

Winners don't care less what others think, they are driven from within not without. And they don't cry when it gets tough.

CaledonianCraig wrote:As for employment for these hundreds of people I'd say that would not be the case as any tournament employees obviously have other jobs security and don't just live off their one single week tournament of pay per year to live on

Craig - one week does not a tournament make - there will be permanent ground staff, plus an administration office that will organise entries, employment, catering, sales, etc, etc - all of which will take several months. A financial department and goodness knows what else.

There is of course the impact on local businesses to consider if you are looking at how many people might be hit financially - taxis, hotels, restaurants and shops - but that is short term and not in the ATP or ITF remit.

Murray did not threaten a strike, as I read it he was asked if it could get to a strike and he said that having spoken to some players he got the impression that it might happen. This is the guardian:

Murray told BBC Sport: "It's a possibility. I know from speaking to some players they're not afraid of doing that. Let's hope it doesn't come to that but I'm sure the players will consider it."

Asked whether the subject of a strike or boycott will be mentioned during the meeting in China, he said: "Yes I think so. If we come up with a list of things we want changed – and everyone is in agreement but they don't happen – then we need to have some say in what goes on in our sport. At the moment we don't.

"We'll sit down, talk about it with the Association of Tennis Professionals [ATP] and International Tennis Federation [ITF], see if they will come to a compromise and, if not, we'll go from there.

"We just want things to change, really small things. Two or three weeks during the year, a few less tournaments each year, which I don't think is unreasonable."

If the report is accurate think Murray is being done a disservice by being slated as a pampered militant because he has answered questions in a pretty measured fashion and stressed that any action would require consensus.

And time please is jobs more important than the health and fitness of tennis players. Permanent ground staff don't get a year's employment for one tournament and obviously are employed the whole year around for other tournaments as well. Now you can argue for the other facilities and jobs but whose to say what would happen with re-looking at the tennis calendar. Nothing to say these tournaments wouldn't continue and jobs safe-guarded if they were say downgraded and I'll say again should jobs come before health/fitness of human beings?

bogbrush - nope not fanboy support just a bit of old fashion patriotism. Shame it doesn't seem to exist in this country any longer eh?

I really am not sure about your ramblings of trying to paint Andy Murray as a failure either. I don't need to quote his records as a tennis player and for a number of years has been amongst the top four players in the world, has set records other tennis players can only dream of and won Masters titles to such a degree that only a handful of other players in history have won more than him. Gee whizz that is some failure isn't it and all from a player from a country not renowned for tennis and came through the disaster of the Dunblane massacre to thrive. Fine criticise me if it makes you feel better but quit the pretence that the world No.4 in tennis is any sort of a failure as you know that is a lie.

CaledonianCraig wrote:And time please is jobs more important than the health and fitness of tennis players.

Yes.
It's not like they're risking life and limb for a noble cause. If the fitness aspect becomes too much for the top players, they can either retire wealthy, or have a less successful, but still financially very rewarding career, playing a sport that they love.

I see Andy's started to get the respect he deserves!!

"Winners don't care less what others think, they are driven from within not without. And they don't cry when it gets tough"

I've missed locking horns with you, 'bogbrush' and it's good to see that the great game of Tennis continues to make hypocrites of us all

For instance, I seem to recall a certain GOAT, spending an entire press conference at Miami 2009 more or less despairing at how poorly he was playing (relative so mere mortals of course). "thank god the hard court season is over" he said during the five minutes, memorable mainly because of how much in utter despair Federer seemed (see the 'You Tube' video as I'm not allowed to post links for 7 days as a new member)

I point this out, to show you that all intelligent sports personalities have a 'cry' every now and then - not just Mr Murray

Good to see, that some people actually realise that Murray is speaking up on behalf or others in a calm measured and constructive manner. In fairness to him, it's not as though he's complaining merely from his own view point. He tweeted during the US Open that the number of injuries (18) was ridiculous and something needed doing about it

i.e. the event was made easier for him, but he felt it damaged the tour - so he's now dared to put his head above the precipice and for that he gets name called

However, I do agree that his complaints should be more at the courts as they appear to cause the matches to take around 20% longer (50% if it's a Nole / Rafa match given their time between points!!) than they did 15 years ago

CC Andy is quite entltled to his opinion as our Lloyd and anyone else who has a different viewpoint.

Striking though doesn't seem a particularly good option but something needs to be done especially looking at the number of withdrawals during the US Open.

If it really is the case that the sheer physicality of the sport is causing such problems with such a short "off-season" then it would be in the best interests of players, tournament officials and the organising bodies themselves that a more workable timetable for the season be established.

Chazfazzer wrote:The whole thing for me is a joke; here we have players who are earning millions a year doing something they enjoy doing, and they are threatening to go on strike because they have had to push themselves a little bit to get through the tournaments. What about the rest of the population who work 40 hour weeks and will probably earn in a year what these top players earn for reaching the fourth round of one tournament? If the tennis players go on strike then so should practically every other person on the globe.

Comparing elite sportsman, to the local bin man is always a very lazy argument.

Oh dear...Banbro is back to save Andy. Andy haters....you are in trouble!

Tenez wrote:Oh dear...Banbro is back to save Andy. Andy haters....you are in trouble!

well come back, btw!

JuliusHMarx wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:And time please is jobs more important than the health and fitness of tennis players.

Yes.
It's not like they're risking life and limb for a noble cause. If the fitness aspect becomes too much for the top players, they can either retire wealthy, or have a less successful, but still financially very rewarding career, playing a sport that they love.

Call me selfish, but my interest is solely in having say the Top 4, Ferrer, Tsonga, Berdy and Monfils at the O2 physically and mentally at the top of their game

Not knackered, because the US Open now resembles the RG or that there's 2 Masters and a Slam in the space of 5 weeks

BANBO!!!!!
You're here!!!!!

Where have you been all this time?

noleisthebest wrote:BANBO!!!!!
You're here!!!!!

Where have you been all this time?

I got kidnapped by another Forum and then fell in love with the captors (I do like these new icons!!)

I'm now in a dilemma, having come back to 'home' but with having a loyalty to my captors - what do I do??!!

They really should consider making less than 18 tournaments compulsory, but they shouldn't cut down the schedule at all. Cutting the schedule down is not fair to the middle tiered pros who can't make millions in endorsements. Maybe let the players play 7 of the 8 masters, and only have to play in 3 as opposed to 4 500 events. Don't shorten the schedule just let the players have the right to skip one or two more events. I think this is a good compromise. If anything we need a 12 month schedule in my opinion, but players should be a little more free to rotate in and out of the schedule. Still a lot of them do enter Davis cup, and play in big paying exhibitions and overschedule themselves. That is on them I don't feel sorry for them.

banbrotam wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:BANBO!!!!!
You're here!!!!!

Where have you been all this time?

I got kidnapped by another Forum and then fell in love with the captors (I do like these new icons!!)

I'm now in a dilemma, having come back to 'home' but with having a loyalty to my captors - what do I do??!!

Very tough decision, Banbo....I know what I'd do

CaledonianCraig wrote:bogbrush - nope not fanboy support just a bit of old fashion patriotism. Shame it doesn't seem to exist in this country any longer eh?

I really am not sure about your ramblings of trying to paint Andy Murray as a failure either. I don't need to quote his records as a tennis player and for a number of years has been amongst the top four players in the world, has set records other tennis players can only dream of and won Masters titles to such a degree that only a handful of other players in history have won more than him. Gee whizz that is some failure isn't it and all from a player from a country not renowned for tennis and came through the disaster of the Dunblane massacre to thrive. Fine criticise me if it makes you feel better but quit the pretence that the world No.4 in tennis is any sort of a failure as you know that is a lie.

Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel.

I wasn't calling Andy a failure, I was saying that suggesting someone may not become successful because they get criticised (your theory) was nonsense because only a weak person would be so affected, and they'd fail anyway.
I think Murray has a healthy disinterest in the opinions of others, which is why he's successful.

Gee whizz that is some failure isn't it and all from a player from a country not renowned for tennis and came through the disaster of the Dunblane massacre to thrive.

Why have you mentioned Dunblane? If anything Murray should be grateful the man ran out of ammo, you seem to feel more sorry for him than those who died...

CaledonianCraig wrote: nope not fanboy support just a bit of old fashion patriotism. Shame it doesn't seem to exist in this country any longer eh?

Question for CC: Were you a fan of Tim Henman? Only honest answers, please.

I don't like nationalism in tennis! Tennis is individual sport, otherwise how can you justify a guy like Djokovic who escapes his country, a miserable one, to keep his paychecks in the wallet?

Kudos to Murray though: one of the few to pay taxes!

Kudos to Murray though: one of the few to pay taxes!

Hmm, I imagine his agency are the ones who deal with his taxes; probably would have been a Monaco resident by now if he knew the costs.

Oh, Craig is one of those who likes to bring up Henman's ballgirl incident; it would've been fine had Henman been brought up North of the Border.

banbrotam wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:BANBO!!!!!
You're here!!!!!

Where have you been all this time?

I got kidnapped by another Forum and then fell in love with the captors (I do like these new icons!!)

I'm now in a dilemma, having come back to 'home' but with having a loyalty to my captors - what do I do??!!

The Stockholm Syndrome - Patricia Hearst anyone?

Seriously, you can manage both, if you so choose and have the time and inclination.

Good grief - why do people want to take potshots at each other instead of fairly assessing what Murray said and in what context. Namely if the report I have is right he did not mention strikes, but answered a question about whether they would be possible by referring to what he understood to be the strength of feeling of players he had talked with.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

Kudos to Murray though: one of the few to pay taxes!

Hmm, I imagine his agency are the ones who deal with his taxes; probably would have been a Monaco resident by now if he knew the costs.

Oh, Craig is one of those who likes to bring up Henman's ballgirl incident; it would've been fine had Henman been brought up North of the Border.

What was the Henman's ballgirl incident all about my friend Josh? Never heard any of it but quite curious to hear some more......

polished

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/ballgirl-gives-henman-some-sensible-advice-1339368.html