Seeded 14th tennis player Marin Cilic, nicknamed ‘Chila’ defeated Roger Federer in the semi finals and Kei Nishikori in the final to win the US Open this year.
Currently ranked number 9 in the world, Marin has just completed his debut at the year end ATP World Tour finals at the O2 in London where he signed my sketch.
World number 4 Stan Wawrinka narrowly lost a tense semi final against compatriot Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Saturday evening.
Given the latter’s withdrawal from the final, due to a back injury sustained in the long match, many Swiss supporters may have wish a different result in hindsight.
Stan made his first Grand Slam breakthrough in January this year, beating Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. He also won a gold medal with Roger at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Both men now head to Lille to contest the Davis Cup Final against France this weekend.
In a breakout season, Japan’s Kei Nishikori became the first Asian-born man to reach a Grand Slam final, losing to Marin Cilic of Croatia in the US Open this year.
He has won a career high four titles and 54 matches (54-12) and will end the season no lower than number 5. Described as an “offensive baseline player” Kei is known for his speed and footwork and has developed a style of taking the ball early and gaining control of the point immediately on both serve and return.
Yesterday he advanced to the knockout semi final phase of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 in London in his debut year. He takes on Novak Djokovic today for a place in the final, and will be happy to repeat his US Open semi final win over the world number one.
Kei signed my sketch at the O2 pier as the players left for the ATP World Tour Finals Launch gala last Friday evening.
There is little to prove for Mike and Bob Bryan. The 36 year old identical twins from California are the most dominant ‘doubles act’ in the history of tennis, winning every significant doubles record. They showed up at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 in London this week with the number one ranking already in the bag. In 13 visits to the elite year end event they have won three titles. They won their 100th career title at this year’s US Open, which extended their record haul of majors to 16 and enabled them to achieve the top ranking for a record 10th year. The Bryans have also won numerous Olympic medals, including the gold at the 2012 London Games.
The two are equally known for their post victory flying chest bump – a tradition they started back in their college days at Stanford in 1996. I drew this quick pencil sketch of the famous act.
The trick was working out who was who, because for the past few days they have not arrived at or left the O2 together. “Bob?…… Or is it Mike?”
I got Bob (the younger by two minutes) first. The next day a friend said, “there’s a Bryan,” …. but which one?
“Mike?” I said in hope. He looked at me and said nothing.
“Bob?”
“No, I’m Mike.” Oh, a twin tease. He happily signed.
Men’s tennis star Andy Murray did something almost unheard in in the sport: he hired a female coach. Amélie Mauresmo, the former world number one, replaced Ivan Lendl who had led Andy to two Grand Slam titles and an Olympic Gold Medal. Despite all the female talent in tennis – the most successful women’s sport in the world – female coaches are few.
Amélie herself has won two grand slam singles titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and she also won the singles silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004. After retiring in 2009, she started coaching, acting as a grass court adviser to the Wimbledon doubles champion Michael Llodra. She has also been on the coaching team for former world number one Victoria Azarenka and was influential in Marion Bartoli’s 2013 triumph at Wimbledon.
Amelie signed my sketch as she was leaving the O2 arena in London yesterday, after a practice session with Andy who takes on Roger Federer today at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Described as the best counter puncher in men’s tennis today, Andy Murray returned to London’s O2 this week for the ATP World Tour Finals after an arduous six weeks and three titles to gain the necessary ranking points to make up the top eight at the end-of-season finale.
The 27 year old Scot has a current world ranking of six and is fifth all time leader in earnings. He has won 31 titles, including two slams. In 2012 he won the US Open and the following year he claimed the WImbledon Championship, defeating current world number one, Novak Djokovic on both occasions. Andy also wn the singles gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a silver with Laura Robson in the mixed doubles.
Assked if he was Scottish or British, Andy replied, in jest, “depends if I’m winning.”
Andy signed this sketch at the O2 pier before boarding the clipper to attend the WTF launch gala.
Regarded by most as ‘the greatest tennis player of all time’, Swiss maestro Roger Federer entered the ATP World Tour Finals this week ranked 2nd, chasing Novak Djokovic for the year the year end top position.
After his first round win against Canadian giant Milos Raonic he was presented with the ATP World Tour Fans’ Favourite Award, which he’s won for a record 12 times straight since 2003 and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award (voted by the players) for a record tenth time.
His achievements are to numerous to mention here, but he will get to add a missing one when he represents Switzerland against France in the Davis Cup Final after WTF extravaganza.
Roger was leaving the O2 on Friday evening with the other seven men making up the field. Security did warn us they were in a hurry to board the Thames Clipper boat to go to the WTF launch gala, but when I asked Roger, he said, “walk with me,” and kindly signed and dedicated my sketch.
Current world number one Novak Djokovic is planning to hold on to that title at the ATP World Tour Tennis Finals at London’s O2 this week. He needs to win all his round robin matches to head off Roger Federer, who has won more tour matches than any other player this year, be it not a Grand Slam title.
Novak has won seven slams, including this year’s Wimbledon and he’s held the No 1 spot in the ATP ranks for a total of 119 weeks. His current doubles ranking is 554 – obviously not a priority for him!
He does however have an Olympic medal, winning bronze for Serbia in the singles at Beijing.
Novak is excellent with his supporters and always takes time to stop, sign, smile for snaps. He has always been very complimentary about my sketches and really liked this one, showing it to his support staff before signing it on the opening Sunday at the O2. “You have a rare talent, Sir,” he said.
Jennifer DiNoia has been playing the role of Elphaba the misunderstood, green, Wicked Witch of the West in the hit musical Wicked for the past eight years around the world.
She made her West End and UK debut late last month, starting a 14 week run at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre.
Jenny has now performed Elphaba in four countries and six companies, including New York on Broadway, Chicago, Seoul and Sydney.
Wicked is now the tenth longest running show in the West End, with booking recently extended to 7 November 2015, its ninth year. In July this year the musical welcomed its 6 millionth patron.
The old adage, ‘if you want something done, give it to a busy person,’ certainly applies to pioneering English theatre director Rupert Goold. The artistic director of London’s Almeida Theatre and associate director at the Royal Shakespeare Company had two hit shows open weeks apart on the West End. After premiering at the Almeida, Mike Bartlett’s controversial play King Charles III transferred to the Wyndham’s Theatre on Charring Cross Road. It confronts the difficult question of what will happen when the Queen dies and a possible constitutional crisis ensues.
Rupert also directs the new musical Made in Dagenham with Gemma Arterton leading a feisty feminist strike force at the Ford auto factory in the east London suburbs. It’s the stage version of the popular feel good 2010 movie and opened on Guy Fawkes night this week.
As is custom, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a slice of theatre. The precedent is a Shakespeare play, but this year for a slight deviation we went and saw King Charles III, which pays homage to the Bard, written in a blank verse style. I did this sketch of Rupert winning his Olivier a while back. He won the 2008 award for Best Director for the acclaimed Minerva Studio staging of Macbeth with Patrick Stewart in the title role.
It just so happened I had it in my bag that night – the same evening Made in Dagenham had its press night. Another deviation as we strolled to the train station, past the Adelphi Theatre stage door, where only minutes later the said director appeared with a large grin, indicating a successful opening (the show, not his mouth). A good time to get my sketch signed, which he was more than happy to do.
I immediately congratulated him on Charles III, which in hindsight seemed an odd thing to say at the premiere of his other show. That’s what happens when you’re the busiest director in town!
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