My Sports Personality of 2016

It is always difficult to make a case for the illustrious Sports Personality of the Year or SPOTY as it is now reduced to a hashtag in this day and age. It is even harder to nominate or make the case for someone during an Olympic year when the shortlist of 10 nominees is harder and harder to sustain.

The problem with it being only 10 nominations, they probably should extend it to a full dozen in this special year of British sporting achievement, is that the 10 nominations will be strictly limited to Olympian medallists and them alone.

While I am all for the rightful adulation of our British sportspeople, considering that 20 years ago we returned from an Olympic Games with only two rowers worthy of first class seats on the flight back. Now we have a flight full of first class seats it still remains the regular people sitting at the top table. This year you are guaranteed to see nominations for Andy Murray, Mo Farah, Bradley Wiggins and the double Tour de France winner Chris Froome, who also got a bronze medal in the Individual Mens Time Trial.

My hope is that the nominees will draw up a shortlist and the fact that we did so well in minority sports will help the exposure for those same sports. Yet you add to those first four people the names Laura Trott (two Olympic Golds this year, four in total) and her fiancee, Jason Kenny (three Gold medals, making it six in total). That makes 6 people already.

Add double Olympic Gymnastic gold medallist Max Whitlock and Britain's first swimming Olympic Gold medallist Adam Peaty and you now have 8.  So based on the BBC criteria of 10 on the shortlist that leaves just two space. Luckily it has been a bad year for football with England doing so poorly in the European championships although the unlikely tale of Leicester City may generate a nomination for Jamie Vardy, yet when was the last footballer to genuinely have a personality?

Lewis Hamilton could garner a nomination if he retains his Formula 1 crown, although his poor media relations and childish behaviour in press conferences may put a dent in that.

Perhaps a nomination to cover the successful British sports teams, Kate Richardson-Walsh was captain of the Women's Hockey Team who won Gold on a Friday night and had the nation rapt with attention, it would be a nice nomination to commemorate her service to the sport also. Joe Root has again been England's best cricketer in all three formats of the game. A nomination for the England rugby union team perhaps in the form of Maro Itoje who was dominant throughout the Six Nations and the triumphant tour of Australia.

All valid claims I am sure you will agree and yet my nomination goes towards someone whose early calendar success was a surprise, as pleasant a surprise as Leicester City; who kept on climbing her rankings ladder with a drive and ambition rarely seen in her sport by British people and whilst she did not perform well in the Olympic games nevertheless she has maintained her form all year and is now ranked in the Top 10 of the world.  An achievement unheard of certainly for nearly 30 years in the world of British tennis.

My nomination goes to Johanna Konta, a young woman who plays with a determination and belief in her ability that stemmed from her unlikely run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January.  A succession of five victories that started with her defeating Venus Williams in straight sets and ultimately succumbed to the eventual winner and now World No.1 Angelique Kerber.  This success maintained and despite poor showings at the Grand Slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon by her now high standards, she returned again and won her first WTA title at Stanford beating Venus Williams on her home turf at the end of July.  

This led to her fourth round exit at Flushing Meadows, which again was a second week exit. Gone are the days now when British players apart from Andy Murray, turn up and leave a Grand Slam within 48 hours. Konta has eyes on making the end of season Tour Finals in Singapore, she did herself a massive favour by reaching the final of the China Open last weekend losing to Agnieszkwa Radwanska in the final. Konta sits in the 8th and final position to reach the payday week another good week in Hong Kong will do her a great help again.

It is her ambition to keep improving, her desire to be a good role model to younger players and the achievement of getting as far as she does despite her limitations as a smaller frame in comparison to the taller bigger players on tour such as the Williams' sisters, Kerber, Kvitova and Radwanska. These players may be stronger, but the heart Konta has shown to come this far whilst keeping her private life out of the papers and doing it always with a smile on her face speaks volumes.

The award is Sports Personality of 2016, voters should remember that 2016 is not restricted to a two week festival in Rio.  It happens all year and all year Johanna Konta has played at a level beyond our expectation of her, for that she should be rightly lauded and acclaimed.

Break Point: The inside Story of Modern Tennis

Kevin Mitchell is a writer this reader has long admired, from his work on The Guardian and The Observer to his appearances on Cricket Writers on TV.  A born Australian who has slowly become more English in his years, due to the demand and pains of watching English cricket every summer.  Mitchell writes but also specialises in the trifecta of boxing, cricket and finally tennis.

Mitchell makes no pains about being given the role of Tennis correspondent as a means of cutbacks, he admits tennis is not his forte, nevertheless he remains a journalist who sits merely three rows from the court at Flushing Meadow whilst the four gladiators of this golden era; Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and our own Andy Murray.

Following a similar template to his contemporary, Neil Harman (The Times), in his Court Confidential, it is Mitchell's point of view of the tennis treadmill tour full of off the beaten track destinations as well as the glitz of Paris, Monaco and New York.  Whilst Harman's position allowed him to garner juicy pieces of gossip focusing at times in he women's game thanks to his friendship with Victoria Azarenka; Mitchell seeks out the male side of the ATP indulging the chance to encounter Mats Wilander who offers great interview material.

Whilst the male side of the game is eclipsed by the big four, Mitchell is intrigued to consider the past asking if legends like Boris Becker and Pat Cash could compete in this modern game.  Whilst those guys were purveyors of touch and feel, today's players are all about power, strength and muscle.  The chapter where Mitchell par takes in a mere smidgen of Andy Murray's brutal winter workouts in Miami puts in sharp context the lengths these players go to for the extra dimension to achieve victory.  Whereas when Mitchell asks Becker how fit he was, the German replies in the inquisitive, 'Do you think we weren't fit?'

The interviews with Cash and Wilander are intriguing as they long for a time in tennis where it was less predictable to name the winner of a tournament.  Mitchell is at pains to make clear how shocking it was to see both Nadal and Federer lose at Wimbledon to Steve Darcis and Sergei Stakhovsky respectively.  Yet the author is more surprised by Federer's departure, especially as he greatest tennis player of all time could not adapt to a serve and volley onslaught.

Similarly to Simon Barnes of The Times, reserves his greatest admiration for the Swiss superstar who is as close to a Pele or Muhammed Ali as the sport has had - universally admired and the personification of the sport full of grace and balletic quality coupled with a dignity and gentlemanly charm.

Yet by the end, Mitchell becomes much like Ernest Gulbis who called out the top four for being boring; the author yearns for a time of surprises.  Whilst this is undoubtedly a golden era for the sport, Mitchell makes you more aware that without the excellence of Federer the sport would not have the exposure and money at its core.  As he makes the point for certain players, Federer has earned over $60m in prize money and an extra $75m in endorsements.  The conclusion remains that without Federer and his intoxicating rivalry with Nadal, there would be no coat tails for Djokovic and Murray to hang to.

Not that Mitchell does Murray a disservice in the book, although his acknowledgement towards Murray is genuinely touching.

Written with clarity and expertise as expected it also includes the most concise explanation of Marin Cilic's suspension I can recall.

Out now on hardback and eBook, seek it out

Court Confidential

Neil Harman, is a renowned and highly respected Tennis correspondent for The Times having previously held the same post with the Sunday Telegraph and Daily Mail.  Mr. Harman releases his new book Court Confidential: Inside the World of Tennis, published by The Robson Press.

Court Confidential is a year in the life of a tennis correspondent, as our man travels from continent to continent, country to country, surface to surface following the great names of the modern era - Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Britain's own elite sportsman, Andy Murray as these men chase titles on grass, clay and hard courts for the prestige of the number one World ranking.

Starting in December 2011, with the announcement of Andy Murray's newly appointed coach, Ivan Lendl, up to the end of the momentous year in 2012 which saw Murray lay to rest the ghost of Fred Perry with both his first Grand Slam title and Olympic Gold on home turf during London 2012.

However, this is not just a book about the rise and ascension of Murray to the summit of tennis, but Harman uses the book to show us details of behind-the-scene information of which is not normally divulged in daily tennis columns and feature pieces and gives good scope for both the men's and women's game - his coverage of the women's game comes across as respectful and admiring especially his close relationship with Victoria Azarenka.

Journalists used to write books like this all the time, an expose about the 'real' tennis as a means of getting a message across.  Unfortunately, those books (mostly in football and ghost written) would descend into gossip material, however, Harman uses his unique access to paint a picture of a sport still evolving with the demands its success has breed - having to deal with the gruelling year-long schedule, his conversations with Justin Gimelstob show a player's reprsentative on the ATP board desperate to save the players from this treadmill - especially the top four - before they succumb to injury and burn-out, as is apparent with the disappearance of Nadal from the last 100 pages of the book owing to his continual knee problems.

One telling contribution amongst the many interviews conducted by such big name contacts (a fact that never becomes sheer name dropping), is the email sent to him by Amer Delic, a Bosnian by birth now of American citizenship, which highlighted all the monetary downfall of playing Grand Slam tennis such as the Australian Open in Melbourne in January.

Delic reacts to those who criticise as to why players who lose a first round Grand Slam match are guaranteed just under $20,000.  In two paragraphs he explains how a player loses 30% to tax leaving him $14,000. The minimum $3,000 round trip from Los Angeles to Melbourne in economy, which is costly but also physically arduous for a 6' 5" tennis player with a surgically repaired knee. You add on a ticket for his coach, three weeks of hotels at $100 per night plus food per day means the average player is down $1,120 by the time he returns to American soil.  He jokes that it would be easier to declare himself a charity or a non-profit organisation.  Sadly, Delic retired from the professional tour in August 2012 and is now assistant coach at the University of Florida.

Harman takes you back to those amazing two months in Andy Murray's career when he became the first British man since Bunny Austin to reach the Wimbledon final only to lose to a resilient Roger Federer, then to return to Centre Court three weeks later to oust the Swiss for the Olympic Gold medal in straight sets no less with incredible poise and strength.  Then the piece de resistance in Flushing Meadow, New York when Murray beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Grand Slam title.

Reading Harman's prose is very different to that of his Times reports.  Whilst the Times writing comes across as a voice of authority and distinction; in the book in general there is a real joie de vivre about the whole proceedings and you get a real sense of Harman personal sense of pride and satisfaction in witnessing Murray's victories on this scale having had to suffer so many near misses with Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman, followed by the lack of funding for a sport that is so beloved in this country.

Harman is not just a reporter, most importantly his voice as a fan reads loudest - his passionate voice and belief that the Lawn Tennis Association should not waste this obvious opportunity to cement Murray's legacy and influence to make sure he is writing about other future British champions for years to come.

The book is a wonderful gift to not only Tennis fans but sport fans in general and those who want to see behind the enigmatic characters that intrigue us for weeks throughout the year -

The best complimetn for the book and a metaphor that Mr. Harman would approve of is - Court Confidential as crisp and neat as a Stanislas Warwinka one-handed backhand, and just like that shot it is a winner.

Harman's book is ultimately timely and in future years will become a veritable time capsule book for future generations of this memorable golden era of tennis.

Court Confidential is out on Monday 27th May from The Robson Press fror £20 RRP in hardback and also available in e-book format from all the providers.

Follow Neil Harman on twitter @NeilHarmanTimes
Follow The Robson Press @TheRobsonPress

Serena's Mission

Serena Williams beat defending Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Centre Court today under the closed roof as persistent showers threatened to derail the schedule of the Ladies Quarter-final day.  That coupled with the requirement of Mens's 4th Round matches needed to be completed, meant that the LTA were right to build a roof for days like this and seasons of weather like we have been experiencing in England this year.

For Williams it was a leap back from the unknown.  Still smarting from her defeat to Virginia Razzano in the first round of the French Open a month ago; Serena needed this sort of match and this sort of victory.

Kvitova has had a torrid year, her first at the head table of the women's game.  She has admitted struggles with expectations, and her first round match her was a self-expressed disaster.  Yet she seemed to have turned the corner, as she came from a set down against the feisty Francesca Schivaone yesterday to meet the sixth seed, Serena.

Yet today, the more graceful Kvitova had no answer for the sheer brute force of Williams who won 6-3, 7-5; breaking Kvitova when serving at 5-5 in the 2nd set.  Serena rounded off a fine display by dispatching her trusted weapon of her first serve to easily serve out for the match.

Yet there has to be a case that if Williams was to win her 5th Wimbledon title this year it could be considered a formidable comeback and feel good story.

Williams has always had confidence, inbred in her by her father/coach Richard from an early age; hence her indominatable spirit and tenacity to always succeed and to rarely give up without a fight.  Yet the cut she sustained on her foot in Munich last year, also led to a blood clot on her lung being found and led to her almost giving up on the game that she has given so much to and given so much to her.

Add that to the Razzano defeat, she has not won a major since her last Wimbledon title of 2010, and with the resurrection of Maria Sharapova, and continued growing of Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska; there were murmurs if the Williams' still had a presence in the game.

Because of Venus' debilitating auto-immune disorder which renders her unable to compete at the highest level anymore; would it be inconceivable for us to consider that Serena wants to win Wimbledon this year as a mark of respect and honour to her sister.  They still are both in the doubles and will aim to compete in that together.

Yet for two women who changed the game so much, making it both enticing and athletic it would be a shame if Venus was lost to a muscle disorder and a shame if Serena could not finish off the job this week.  She has two more matches left, two more matches to Number 14.  A legend just adding to the fact.

Please be Murray, not Monty

It was heartening to see Andy Murray reach the Australian Open final this past weekend; his six matches providing a glimpse of his career - talent, class, grit, detemination. His run coupled with eventual winner Djokovic provided a showcase for the elite of the tennis world of which the aforementioned pair are a part of along with Nadal and Federer. 

As heartening as it was to see his run to the final yesterday in Melbourne, it was equally as disheartening to see the run come to an abrupt end with a straight sets defeat, but please do not focus on Murray's shortcomings but instead look at the impressive performance of Djokovic who cantered to his second Grand slam title (twice at the same event) with a display of panache and command.  Murray, like Federer in the semi-final, joins the other six as just another hurdle easily vaulted by a player on top of his game. I suggested to myself as such after seeing him dismiss of Tomas Berdych in his quarter-final, again in straight sets.  Djokovic was unplayable at times the past two weeks - releasing forehands that were pinpoint in their accuracy and yet both graceful and brutal at the same time.

However, lets focus on our poor defeated Brit on this occasion.  I am of the belief that Andy Murray has the game to win a Grand slam, and the next year is possibly the best time to do so; Federer is looking beatable, Nadal is having niggling injuries and will worry about consistency, and whilst Djokovic is the best player of the moment, like Nadal he will find it hard to maintain that level of form all season.

And yet I am conflicted and most probably worried by the career path that Andy Murray is following, because Djokovic has won two Murray is easily the best player on tour never to have won a major title. He has won Masters Titles and beaten all of the top three on numerous occasions now, and yet when he is in the main event he seems to freeze or find a player better than him.  It is fair to say he was not the favourite in any of his three finals - 2009 US was his first, and he had to play a final less than 24 hours after a gruelling semi against Nadal; last year in Melbourne he found Federer in imperious form and yesterday, a player at the peak of his powers in his resurgent career.

I worry because I hope Murray does not become much like his fellow British and Scottish sportsman, Colin Montgomerie; who remains the best player of his era to never win a major. Monty had five genuine opportunities to win a major, and either due to play-offs or a better final round by a certain player cost him; only once can we say he threw it away, and that was Winged Foot in 2008, when the wrong club on approach forced him to bogey the hole instead of the par which would have won or got a play off with evenual winner Geoff Ogilvy (who, yes exactly).

The reason I say he has one year, is because the average age of first time major winners in tennis is 25, Murray hits that age this year. He will not win the French due to his naivety on the clay, though he is improving. It would be great to win at Wimbledon, though he always admits his game is better suited to the hard courts of Flushing Meadow or Melbourne, so will we have to wait again until a late Sunday night in September for Murray's eventual triumph.

I hope Murray does get his one major, one will do, only one otherwise he is just another Tim Henman; and unlike Monty who despite no major victories, did win the Order of Merit eight times and always had the fall back or plan B of performing when it mattered for Europe at the Ryder Cup, undefeated in singles play and a victorious captain in 2010 means Monty did not have a wasted career.  Unlike Murray, who does not have the Davis Cup to inspire him (many pundits link Djokovic's role in Serbia's first Davis Cup triumph last month as reason for his new love for the game), as he remains the shining light of British men tennis and until he gets a proper supporting cast, he will not be able to make a crack at that other title.

So hopefully Murray can conquer his final ills and one day wrap up a Sports Personality of the Year, although knowing his luck, he will win Wimbledon the same year Wayne Rooney scores the winner for England in a major tournament or Ian Poulter wins the British Open.