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[Ruthie]

Or someone could write a really good review of 2012, the highs, the lows, the good, the bad, the indifferent, and the ruddy marvellous when Andy won the Olympics and the USO.

This year gas been quite a story. It would be nice if someone told it.

Yes excellent idea tj.  It would have been a good idea even if we hadn't wanted to bury a bad news story!

[Aileen]

Ruthie & TJ - I'm going to ask Mark if he would consider putting a picture of Andy either holding his gold medal or the USO trophy (or both!) on the front page of the website instead of leaving it the way it is.  I think that in any case it would be a huge mark of our respect and admiration for him and would also make MW seem more attractive to visitors than looking at stale match reports.  After all, season 2012 is now over.

If you apply the theory of "six degrees of separation" it shrinks the world.

Thank you, FCR, for introducing me to this theory which, until now, I had never heard of despite the fact that it's been around for decades and the subject of a play and then a film (I haven't been to the cinema for years).  It's certainly an interesting concept and one which I shall look into, especially as I have, on a minor level, had experiences of just how small this world can be.

[Aileen]

Zarfeen - Keep on hanging around MW and you'll learn about a few interesting things other than tennis.  I know that I have in the three years I've been a member.

[blueberryhill]

Am sure "Six Degrees etc" was a film some years ago.

[Aileen]

Am sure "Six Degrees etc" was a film some years ago.

It was BBH.  It came out in 1993, and was an adaptation of a play with the same name.  Unfortunately I haven't been to the cinema for years, so missed out on it.

[teejay1]

Ruthie - the mind boggles at the thought of this 80% and I must admit my concern is that Lendl will push Andy too hard, or try to change things too much, because if that happens I'm sure Andy will be off like a shot and so the whole object of the exercise could be defeated.

Aileen, the thing is though, it strikes me that Andy is ready to be pushed, and wants to be. Soon after winning the USO he was talking about the future, the possibilities opening up for him, and he knows the hard work he will need to do to get there.

I took what Lendl was saying as its all about making improvements and refinements to the game Andy already has. I think it was purely the headline that mentioned 'change' because Lendl didn't.

Apart from becoming more aggressive, more attack minded, I'm not sure Andy's game has changed a huge amount since Lendl came on board. However, I can see improvements, Andy's forehand, his second serve, the way he is stepping in and taking the ball on, his ball striking being so much harder. I think it is developments like that that Lendl is looking for with Andy.

If Andy does improve over time in the way Lendl suggests he can, he will be one scary prospect for opponents. Can anyone else hear Tsonga tearing his hair out?

[Emma Jean]

I was sure Nadal had once been booed by a French crowd and a Google search came up with this interesting article -
http://www.thetennisspace.com/top-10-occasions-that-french-crowds-turned-nasty/
and on two of these occasions Andy has been the one who has incurred their wrath, in particular at the 2011 Monte Carlo Masters when he took full advantage of an injured Gilles Simon.

No matter how many Fans Federer has, Nadal won't be booed against Federer in his own country Spain. Spanish are very good at supporting their own players, teams etc. and perhaps that's the reason why they are doing so well in sports.