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[teejay1]

Ross Hutchins is in the studio this evening with Marcus and co for the semi finals coverage. He looks like he has lost some weight, but given the treatment he is having he doesn't look too bad. I don't know if they asked how he is because I switched on during Nadal/Berdych.

On another note, after Nadal's semi it was interesting to hear Marcus put the point about the courts suiting Nadal and his staying with Larry Ellison to Peter Fleming. It was funny to see Fleming looking dismayed by the question and trying to dismiss it. Call me unkind and cynical if you like, but for once I think Marcus might have a tiny point, just a tiny one.

[blueberryhill]

What a gr8 pic.Thanx

[Grabcopy]

Isn't that what he was supposed to do !

Also, it's nothing that HE's achieved. Murray (Spain) and Watson (Bolletieri) were produced outside of the LTA, while Robson was merely on the fringes of it, and spent her key years at the Mouratoglou Academy.

[Aileen]

^^ thanks teejay. Ross has tweeted he'll be on Sky sports again tonight. He was at a Royal Marsden fund raising event today

And they’re off! @RoscoHutchins cuts the ribbons and the first group of Marsden March walkers leaves Chelsea.

That's great to see, and at least he still seems to have kept his hair, so far anyway.  I have heard though that chemo isn't quite as radical as it used to be beause there are now drugs to counteract some of the less pleasant side-effects.

[Elena]

From an article yesterday:

Court ace Ross determined to raise funds as he battles against cancer

.......Meanwhile, away from the public gaze, Hutchins has been keeping himself busy with this event during his recovery.

He said: “It’s very important to keep busy and I also wanted to give back to Royal Marsden. That’s what I’m doing this for. “I needed something to replace tennis in my life that involved people in the tennis world.”

Having completed two out of six chemotherapy cycles, side effects have included headaches, fatigue and aching muscles, but Hutchins thinks he got off lightly.

He said: “I am very fortunate that it hasn’t been as bad as I’ve heard it can be. It maybe helps that I was in decent shape beforehand so I can maybe handle the drugs a bit better.”

To donate to Rally Against Cancer, go to justgiving.com/ralleighagainstcancer2013.

more at http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/10293477.Wimbledon_ace_Hutchins_serves_up_tennis_extravaganza_for_charity/

[teejay1]

  Donation sent.  Just a wee correction though - the website is http://www.justgiving.com/rallyagainstcancer2013 (not ralleigh)

Thanks for the info TJ.  I'm not much up on this matter so that's useful to know.  Perhaps though, as Ross says in the article, being very fit to begin with might also have contributed to the fact that he's had relatively few problems with his chemo.

My pleasure. I don't know a great deal about it, I just know a few things from finding out about it when my niece was going through treatment.

I'm sure being fit to start with does help. I'm sure people who are otherwise fit cope with how tough the treatment can be because they, in a sense, have a stronger foundation to begin with. I'm sure, especially in Ross's case, being fit to begin with must help him to remain so positive. That's what impresses me so much about him to be honest. Never once, when he has talked about it, has he come across as feeling sorry for himself or anything like that. I'm sure he has his bad days, but he always seems so positive and upbeat.

[Aileen]

My pleasure. I don't know a great deal about it, I just know a few things from finding out about it when my niece was going through treatment.

I'm sure being fit to start with does help. I'm sure people who are otherwise fit cope with how tough the treatment can be because they, in a sense, have a stronger foundation to begin with. I'm sure, especially in Ross's case, being fit to begin with must help him to remain so positive. That's what impresses me so much about him to be honest. Never once, when he has talked about it, has he come across as feeling sorry for himself or anything like that. I'm sure he has his bad days, but he always seems so positive and upbeat.

I'm a strong believer in mind over matter, TJ - if only I could always practise it!  But research has proven time and again that people who have a positive attitude towards illness, and life in general, are more likely to make good recoveries than the moaning minnies.  Also Ross has a definite objective in his sights, and that must help him too.

[scotnadian]

Report: Men's final going to Sunday

After a year of closed-door meetings with tennis players seeking a greater say in the sport and a larger slice of Grand Slam revenues, the U.S. Open is ready to make big changes.

New York's Grand Slam tournament will increase its annual prize money to $50 million by 2017 -- roughly double what it was last year -- and permanently schedule the men's semifinals on Friday and men's final on Sunday as of 2015, The Associated Press has learned.

Full story here: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/9073145/report-us-open-move-men-final-sunday-prize-money-future