Alix’s Top 10 of 2010

Written by: Staff on 26th December 2010

Alix's Top 10 of 2010 |

10sBalls.com was started with a global vision: bring the sport of tennis fresh news and commentary from around the globe. To accomplish this we sought out to find the best writing talent the world could offer.

And where does this talent reside? England no less.

With tact for verbiage and wit that cuts like a knife, our “Brits” marveled and humbled the American 10sBalls.com team. We are born and bred to believe in the eternal greatness of the good ole USA, but while our founding fathers brought freedom to our shores, a skilled tongue didn’t come with it.

The queen of this eloquence was none other than Alix Ramsay. She has been covering the sport of tennis for a number of years, providing the deeper insight and editorials our readers deserve, but with a delivery that deserves a second look.

So here it is, our Top 10 Alix quotes of 2010.

We are in awe.

10. Exit for X

This first quote comes from Alix’s story on, “Xavier Malisse – or, as we know him, 10sballs.com’s very own X.”

“At the relatively advanced age of 30, X knows that his time at the top level on the main tour is limited and yet, this year, he has gone from strength to strength. A long battle with serious injuries seems to be behind him and, given a free run at the top men at the big tournaments, he has pushed his ranking up from 94 at the start of the year to its current position of 50.”

9. Roger and Wozzy storm through

“As the storm clouds gather, the natives of the press bunker are getting twitchy. Those who can actually get on-line via the US Open’s bizarre internet system or, indeed, have fathomed the workings of the new, all singing, all dancing, stats and information system, are all glued to the weather forecasts.”

8. Coaches on the merry-go-round

“Once the bad boy of tennis, [Jeff] Tarango now lives quietly in Manhattan Beach, California (or as quietly as it possible to live in a house packed with five kids)…

Anyway – Jeff, he of the tantrums and racquet smashing (perhaps he might like to enter our Facebook competition and try to win one of 12 pro racquets that we have up for grabs) revealed this startling news on the bus back to town the other night. He also chortled greatly as he reminisced about tantrums past. A particular favourite of his was the time he finished a rant at an erring umpire by yelling: “You only do this job for the free shoes!” My, how we laughed.”

7. Alix’s World: Bloody Roof

“It had to happen – the minute Wimbledon got itself a roof, the weather perked up.”
6. Award Winner Sven reveals all

“Sven Groeneveld, one of the world’s finest coaches, is 10sballs.com’s first award winner and he will be presented with his Top Coach Trophy at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in March. 10sballs will honour Sven with a presentation party where he will receive an engraved silver tennis balls can in front of his friends, the players and possibly even a photographer or two to mark the occasion. We are currently negotiating with the 10sballs.com big boss to lay on some tea and buns to make the day extra special.”

5. London Calling

“There has always been something of a cultural divide between the English and the French – both nations standing on either side of the Channel and glaring warily at the other – so it will do little for international relations this week when all the players in Paris talk longingly of going to London.”

4. Put A Lid On It

“We could go into the whole roof debate but we would end up sounding smug. In my damp little country, rain is not just a weather condition, it is a way of life.”

3. Coaches on the merry-go-round

“They are rum coves, coaches. As with goalkeepers and undertakers (two professions that share a similar sense of humour), it takes a special kind of mentality to do the job properly. And even if the financial rewards are not bad for your average tennis coach, the risks are huge: when your player wins, your player is a genius; when your player loses, you are an idiot. No wonder they are an odd bunch.”

2. Put A Lid On It

“But at the US Open, one of the biggest money-spinners for the city of New York, they could not buy commonsense if it was on sale at Walmart.”

1. Coaches on the merry-go-round

“Still, Mr T [Jeff Tarango] got his comeuppance a couple of days ago. Getting off yet another bus, he bumped into a lady line judge of a certain age. “You’re Jeff Tarango,” she gasped, thus proving that, contrary to popular player opinion, not all officials are as blind as a bat. “I’ve been calling lines for you since you were 12,” she went on, “and I always enjoyed giving you bad calls.” For once Jeff was speechless. And who said karma was just a load of old tosh?”

Topics: Alix, Bad Boy, Best Writing, Brits, Current Position, Cuts Like A Knife, Eloquence, Eternal Greatness, Founding Fathers, Fresh News, Global Vision, Internet System, Jeff Tarango, Manhattan Beach California, Natives, Storm Clouds, Strength To Strength, Tantrums, Verbiage, Xavier Malisse