I have a record of nine wins and only one loss Rusedski said

I have a record of nine wins and only one loss,” Rusedski said. “But it’s one of the most spectacular draws there’s been here in a long time with Sampras, Agassi and Rafter.”
Rusedski needed only 52 minutes to beat Pretzsch, and in one game produced three consecutive aces. “I was really pleased with the way I played,” said Rusedski.”Everything is coming together nicely.”Henman, the sixth seed, beat Australian Jason Stoltenberg in three sets in his opening match on Tuesday and now faces the Moroccan Hicham Arazi.David Lloyd, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, is astounded that his team are not among the eight seeded nations in the World Group next year.The draw for the first round is to be made in London today, and though Britain have Henman and Rusedski in the world’s top 14, they have been ignored for a seeding place.”Not to seed us is the most incredible decision I have ever heard,” Lloyd said. “I cannot see how it is possible because it does not make sense. It puts us in a very serious position because it means we have to be drawn against one of the seeds.

We could play Spain away and we could be the two best nations in the competition.”The seeded countries are Italy, Sweden, Spain, United States, Australia, France, the Czech Republic and Germany – Britain would only have home advantage if they played the United States, France or Germany. GREG RUSEDSKI breezed past the German Axel Pretzsch yesterday to join Tim Henman in the second round of the Swiss Indoor Championships in Basle. Faxes to 0171-293-2894 or e-mail to sport independent.co.uk Contributions may be edited for length and clarity.. So why not reduce football to nine per side? The ball players would suddenly find more room in which to make their talent tell, forwards would find space in which to run at defenders and those teams which have built their success on stifling the opposition would at last be found out.The Professional Footballers’ Association wouldn’t enjoy it, but I bet the rest of us would.Mark PiersonAll iconoclastic contributions to this column – on any sport – should be sent to Sports Desk, The Independent, 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5DL. Today, creatine-fuelled defenders plough upfield in support of attack and muscular strikers charge back to try to stop them. “We defend as a team and attack as a team,” is the modern coach’s mantra.

The end result is fewer goals, less entertainment and skill increasingly squeezed out of the game.Changing the size of pitches isn’t practical, of course. Turner, often at odds with administrators during his career, was sacked as national coach at the end of the 1995-96 season. Following the statutory two-year silence clause, Turner pulls no punches in his book Lifting the Covers.
“A number of people have remarked that only a fool or a brave person would take on the job of coaching or managing the New Zealand men’s cricket team in the 90’s,” he said. “I know what they mean.” Turner, now a part- time technical coach with a provincial side, relates at length his troubled relationship with senior players.Crowe, the finest batsman in New Zealand history, is described as moody and petulant. “He’s about as temperamental as a cricketer can be, and those who know cricketers will realise that I’m talking about heights Himalayan.”Cairns, who took his 100th Test wicket this year, is depicted as spoilt. “Cairns always left one with the impression that he felt he’d been wronged, perpetually,” Turner said.The New Zealand players and management have been advised not to comment.England are to employ the respected Australian coach, Peter Philpott, on their Ashes tour to teach their batsmen how to deal with the leg-spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.

“It puts us in a very serious position because it means we have to be drawn against one of the seeds. We could play Spain away and we could be the two best nat-ions in the competition.”Steffi Graf, who underwent surgery on a hand three weeks ago, is to return at next month’s WTA Philadelphia tournament.. GLENN TURNER, the former New Zealand coach, has launched a savage attack on some of the country’s most prominent players, including Chris Cairns and Martin Crowe. all I can do now is go home and try and regroup,” said Sampras, who has won more indoor titles than any other player with the exception of Boris Becker.Henman, the sixth seed, beat Australian Jason Stoltenberg in three sets in his opening match on Tuesday and now faces the Moroccan Hicham Arazi.David Lloyd, Britain’s Davis Cup captain, is astounded that his team are not among the eight seeded nations in the World Group of the Davis Cup next year.The draw for the first round is to be made in London today, and though Britain have Henman and Rusedski in the world’s top 14, they have been ignored for a seeding place.”Not to seed us is the most incredible decision I have ever heard,” Lloyd said. Rusedski needed only 52 minutes to beat Pretzsch, and in one game produced three consecutive aces “I was really pleased with the way I played,” said Rusedski “Everything is coming together nicely.
“I like it here I have a record of nine wins and only one loss.