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Feb 2005:

“GOOD morning ladies and gentlemen,” the pilot on our connecting flight from Munich to Zagreb, host to two $15,000 (about £7,850) Futures events over the next two weeks, says. “We have approximately 20 minutes before we begin our descent into Zagreb, where the temperature is minus 18.”

Not surprisingly I turned to my coach, Keith, to confirm that I had heard the pilot correctly. As it turned out, I was probably the only one on the plane taken by surprise. Oh well, I would just have to wear a lot of T-shirts to keep warm.

The venue for the tournaments was an old exhibition hall for the Zagreb Fair. It is nothing more than a vast converted indoor space that is now regarded as the Croatian national tennis venue. On the day I arrived, I had an evening practice session arranged. By this time it was minus 20 outside but I was soon to find out that it was not much warmer inside, especially as I looked down this large hall to see a junior training with a glove on his left hand.

Just as well I am Scottish, I thought. If I had to describe the operation of this facility in one word, it would be “efficient”. There are so many potential distractions or excuses for things possibly not working, yet every person involved in the set-up seems to be squeezing as much out of it as they possibly can.

It is no surprise to hear the younger players talking about Karlovic, Ljubicic and Ancic — all players in the world’s top 70 — dropping in for practice sessions when they are in town. There is no doubt that the court surface has been a huge factor in the playing styles of all three of these players. On a court that is not much different to playing on a sheet of glass, there is definitely an incentive to develop a powerful serve and an aggressive attitude.

Unfortunately, I was not able to adjust to the new environment quickly enough for my first-round qualifying match and I was comprehensively beaten 6-0, 6-2 by a 17-year-old Croatian junior whom I had beaten on a clay court in South America last year.

This is a realistic example of how a court surface on familiar territory can change the complexion of a contest. The outcome of a tennis match is far more complex than me saying: “I am a better player than you.” On this particular day I was caught out both by the speed of the court and the matchplay environment.

To read the full article go to: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,175-1500938,00.html[/b]