Rosco blog: the '09 review and the '10 preview
Ross Hutchins and Andy Murray put in a hard stretch in Miami
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Hey guys, Rosco here, back from my training camp in Miami with Team Murray – hope you’re all well and geared up – or gearing down – for Christmas!
I arrived back in London today for a few days, which means a rare treat – Christmas at home. Normally our family heads out to Miami, but with it being my new nephew’s first Christmas and with my Granddad here this year there will be a big group of us at home this year. We’ll all go out on Christmas Eve and then mum will cook on Christmas Day – looking forward to a home-cooked Christmas dinner!
I won’t be putting my feet up completely though – I always do something on Christmas Day. In my mind, it’s something that not every player does, so it makes me feel good to have done a little more than other people, even if it’s just a bike ride or a run. Last year I had a hit. Unfortunately I picked up a hamstring injury while I was in Miami. It’s been pretty sore for about four days now, and I won’t be hitting again until Boxing Day at the earliest, so I’ll have to think of something else to do.
Despite that, I definitely got a lot out of my time in the States. I couldn’t move about much, so I concentrated on the doubles-specific shots I headed out there to work on. I hit thousands of volleys and put a lot of time into improving my second shot, which is pretty make or break in doubles. I also tweaked my serve a bit, but nothing major – I’m pretty happy with it as it is!
A rare treat, Christmas at home – looking forward to a home-cooked dinner!
It’s not just the sun, sea and basketball games that make Miami a good off-season training base for Andy, me and the team. The weather is a factor – after all, we’re heading down to Australia for the first Slam of the year in under a month away now, so all the humidity training and acclimatisation we can do in that sort of environment is a huge plus. My first four events of the year will be on outdoor hard courts – you just can’t recreate those conditions back in the UK.
I’ve had some time to look back on my 2009 season now, and if I’m honest it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be. I hit my career-high ranking of No.30 in the world during the summer and I ended the year a top 50 player – as I started it – but my goals are higher than that.
In tennis you need consistency – that’s a good measure of how your season has gone, and I don’t think I was consistent enough this year. There were too many good weeks followed by three or four bad weeks – not necessarily because I was playing badly, but I came out on the wrong side of a string of close matches.
I lost 17 of 25 match tie-breaks this season, and five of those I lost 10-8, including in the Ratuken Open final in Tokyo. Even if I’d gone 50-50 in those scenarios, the extra matches and points would probably have seen me up around the top 25.
I ended the year a top 50 player – as I started it – but my goals are higher than that…
Instead I’m currently the world No.50 in the doubles ranks. In my eyes it’s a good ranking, but not great – and I’m aiming a lot higher. It was pleasing to hit that top-30 ranking, and without blowing my own trumpet too loud I think I deserved it.
One positive I take from 2009 is that I feel really good about my game and my fitness is good. I’m more confident, and I feel that I improved as a tennis player – and a doubles player specifically – over the past twelve months. After a torrid summer I really dug deep to maintain my ranking, and I give myself a lot of credit for that, but next year I’m going to be smarter with my schedule.
This year it got ridiculous. Because I did so well at the end of 2008 and had so many points to defend, and because Hussy and I didn’t do so well in the middle of the year at all, it put a lot of pressure on me to make up a lot of points to maintain my ranking.
I ended up chasing points – you think, ‘I know I’m tired, but I could get a result here, then I might sneak a win there…’ and of course, it didn’t work out that way. I know now that I should consider taking the week off and gearing up to go big on next week.
It kept me in the top 50 and in line to push past my career-high ranking again next year. No.30 gets you into a lot of tournaments, but not the ATP World Tour Finals – and that’s where I’m aiming in 2010.
I’m really looking forward to playing with Jordan – our games really compliment each other…
With that in mind, I’m really pleased to tell you that I’m going to be playing the next twelve months with Jordan Kerr. Jordan’s the world No.30, and win or lose, however we do, we’ll be together all season. We played Miami, Metz, Valencia and and made the final in Tokyo together this year, and even got to the quarter-finals of the Miami Masters.
I don’t know why exactly, but our games compliment each other, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve got on well with guys in other partnerships, but this is definitely something different, and twelve months is a great arrangement for both of us, and with Jordan being based in London as well we can train together more often.
Our combined ranking will get us into plenty of Masters 1000 events. Often if you stick together, you’re in the mix at the end of the year to get to the ATP World Tour Finals, so hopefully next year that will be us.
So that’s my big news – I’ll have more details about my tour schedule very soon, and you’ll be able to pick up all the details over at www.RossHutchins.net. With any luck I’ll be able to get out to Stephen Huss’ wedding in Melbourne on December 29 to round off a really good off-season, before things kick off for 2010!
That’s all for now – happy Christmas guys! Rosco
