hey hurl,Many a true word spoken in jest!!!(Shakespeare's...

hey hurl,

Many a true word spoken in jest!!!
(Shakespeare's version of the expression, in King Lear, 1605:
"Jesters do oft prove prophets")

Also...you are very "close to home" when you mention Bernard (Tomic).

I am a huge tennis fan and also live on the Gold Coast. So I have watched his career with interest since he was 11 years old!!!

He won the 12 years and under world tennis championship, "The Orange Bowl", in Miami, Florida, USA, that year. Bernard then won the 14 years and under Orange Bowl as a 13 year old and the 16 years and under Orange Bowl as a 15 year old. Two months later he became the youngest ever Australian Junior Open tennis champion in January 2008, at just 15 years and 3 months!! (He had to came back from a set and a break down...against an 18 year old serving bombs at 218 to 222 kms per hour. Bernard's best in those days was 187 kms per hour!!!) He never contested the 18 year and under Orange Bowl...because he moved up to the professional ranks the same year. Although towards the end of 2009...he just failed to qualify for the US Open...so he asked if he could have a "wild card" into the US Junior Open and then went on to win that too.

So his followers on the Gold Coast were not surprised with his fantastic "run" in this year's Wimbledon!!! It almost seemed his destiny after his Dad bought him a 50c racket at a garage sale when he was 3 years old. It seems he drove the neighbours crazy hitting balls against the neighbouring wall.

The Orange Bowl list of champions could comprise its own Hall of Fame and includes Bjorn Borg, Jim Courier, Elena Dementieva, Chris Evert, Roger Federer, Mary Joe Fernandez, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Gabriela Sabatini. Other participants include Arthur Ashe, Boris Becker, Jennifer Capriati, Jimmy Connors and Yannick Noah.

Cheers
MONACO HERE WE COME!!!
(after that party?!?)