SportingSpeak Review of the Week

17.11.14

Top Four: 

• Rohit Sharma – 264. Need we say more? http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/13/india-rohit-sharma-264-first-player-odi-250-sri-lanka
• Substitutes: the saving grace at the ATP World Tour Finals this week, as David Ferrer stepped in for Milos Raonic in the round robin stage, and Andy Murray made a last minute journey to Greenwich after Roger Federer withdrew from the finalhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/30074747
• Women’s cricket: we’ll be able to follow all the action from the Women’s Ashes live on Sky Sports and BBC TMS next year. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a609291/sky-to-broadcast-womens-test-match-cricket-for-the-first-time.html#~oVSlyNohnLO8Sg
• Crowd-funding, which is taking Caterham to the Abu Dhabi GP. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/30055510 

In the relegation zone:

•  FIFA – the farce of Qatar’s allegedly corrupt World Cup bid continues as the chief investigator says the report did not reflect his findings: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/368229.html
• Doors – Josh Hodgson is not a fan. And now Rugby League England are not a fan of him. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/rugby-league/video-england-player-josh-hodgson-smashes-through-door-at-student-flat-during-endoftour-party-following-four-nations-exit-9849703.html
• Twitter trolls – rape threats to Jess Ennis-Hill after she stated that she would want her name removed from a stand should Ched Evans be offered a contract at Sheffield United? Disgusting. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/14/jessica-ennis-hill-ched-evans_n_6159034.html

Tennis must invest in the prospects that will replace its greatest generation

Tennis is currently graced by the greatest generation of players ever. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray have made performing miraculous feats under enormous pressure seem routine. The decline of Federer is a painful reminder that they will not be here forever, and the thought of filling the enormous void that they will leave is a scary one. It is possible that we will never see their like again, but the sport must do all it can to ensure that the potential superstars of the future are given the opportunity to succeed. Murray has this week drawn attention to the fact that tennis is under-funding the tiers of the game beyond the elite-level ATP Tour. It is here that young players gather the experience that is essential to challenge those at the top of the game, and the lack of financial support is prematurely halting their development. With the riches flowing into the modern game, this cannot be allowed to continue.