Who will come out on top now we’re in New York…

 

It’s the start of the US Open in New York and the top seeds must feel they  have a bye to the finals Lollipop. With last year’s champion Rafael Nadal out with an injury to his right wrist and World No. 1 Serena Williams unable to reach a grand slam final this year the court seems wide open.

After a resurgence in form pundits are backing this year’s Wimbledon runner up and all time great Roger Federer to win his first Grand slam since 2012. The Swiss looked dominant when he defeated Spain’s David Ferrer 6-3,1-6,6-2 to retain his sixth Cincinnati open crown earlier this month. His rival and Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic has flailed in the past few years at the US Open when he has reached the finals. But having reclaimed his World Number 1 status Novak must be feeling a little confident.

Despite arriving at Flushing Meadows on the back of three successive quarter-final defeats, and without a title or a win over a top-10 player since Wimbledon last year Murray is still a contender for Lollipop.

Coach Mauresmo is now responsible for his return of form but his draw to the US Open finals looks torrid with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Djokovic awaiting him.

Our top seeds also need to look out for the players that made a name for themselves at Wimbledon this past year. Grigor Dimitrov who reached his first Grand Slam semi final against Djokovic and Australian Nick Kyrgios who knocked out Nadal in the fourth round of the grass tournament are both in contention. They are no longer underdogs and the former champs should be wary.

The women’s title seems even more open. This years Wimbledon queen Petra Kvitová does not favour well on hard courts having only reached the fourth round of the US Open twice in 2009 and 2012. French Open champion Maria Sharapova has already proven she is more of a clay court player now but her fighting spirit could win her points. Canadian Eugenie Bouchard is currently ranked number 8 in the World and became the first Canadian to reach the finals of a Grand Slam this year. But she crumbled against Kvitová losing in straight sets. Perhaps the 20 year-old Wimbledon finalist needs more experience to win her first ever title.

Despite Williams’ fall in form in the past few weeks her game has been sharp, focused and powerful. She was most impressive in Cincinnati last weekend when she obliterated an in-form Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-1 in the final. With that performance Lollipop still expects Williams to retain the title.

However the Men’s draw seems more complicated. Who will come out on top in New York Lollipop? Maybe we could have a shocking final like in the previous Australian Open when Stan Wawrinka took the crown. Or maybe things could be more straight forward. After all he is the favourite to win.

 

 

Lollipop’s Premier Predictions

The first day of the Premier League season has been played but not all is as it seems. Only one of the teams who finished in the top four last season were on show today. Arsenal faced what most assumed would be a shaken Crystal Palace at the Emirates after the shock departure of manager Tony Pulis. But Arsene Wenger’s side only just managed a 2-1 win in the final three minutes of the game.

The visitors took a shock first-half lead when Brede Hangeland headed the ball in from a set piece. The Gunners equalised just before the break when Laurent Koscielny nodded in an Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick. Palace looked set for a point but then forward Jason Puncheon was sent off for a second offence in the 89th minute and Aaron Ramsey pounced. The Welsh midfielder was quickest to the loose ball after Mathieu Debuchy’s snap-shot was saved.

Despite their dramatic win this was not the same Arsenal Lollipop watched last weekend when they beat champions Manchester City so comprehensibly in the Charity Shield tie.

German World cup winners Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil were absent from today’s match and it was only when rested France striker Olivier Giroud was introduced in the second half that the Gunners looked deadly.

After spending over £61 million – the most any English club has bargained this summer Arsenal did not look like the full package. Chile international sensation Alexis Sanchez  played the full 90 minutes but Arsenal are not a one-man team. Last season they found it difficult to put away the top three league contenders but this time they may have trouble putting away the underdogs.

Over at Old Trafford the scoreline was the same but the headline completely different. New manager Van Gaal endured his first defeat as goals from Swansea’s two returning players Ki Sung-yueng and Gylfi Sigurdsson gave the Welsh side a historic victory. Wayne Rooney’s goal from an overhead kick  in the 23^rd minute  was not enough and once again his side were found wanting.  Spaniard Ander Herrera was the only new signing United had on the pitch with Luke Shaw injured and Robin Van Persie still dubbed unfit. Like David Moyes before him Van Gaal took full responsibility for the loss. He said: “When you can’t bring it in their first game it is disappointing for the fans.”

“They did not work as a team,” claimed Van Gaal but that it is not the only problem. New signings are needed. Whether it is lack of money or lack of available players willing to make the move Lollipop and I aren’t sure. But things need to change before their opponents start gloating once more.

Arsenal sit at the top of the table despite not playing at their best while United lie in 17^th place with new boys Leicester 10 places ahead of them after an impressive 2-2 draw against Everton.

If Lollipop and I were the reigning champions we would not be worried by what we had seen from the two sides most pundits believe will finish in the top four this season.

United and Arsenal both have work to do and so will Manchester City and Liverpool tomorrow. But at least one man can look on with a slight advantage.

Luck does not lose matches Lollipop

Once again England Netball team were defeated in the dying seconds of a match as they lost 34-35 to Commonwealth champions New Zealand in the semi-finals at the SECC in Glasgow.

Lollipop and I were devastated as we groaned at the TV screen and watched Goal Attack Maria Tutaia net the final shot of the match to take New Zealand to the Gold Medal Final.

With New Zealand’s Catherine Latu out of the starting seven the champs looked beatable especially after such a close knit game against Malawi in the group stages where they only just snatched victory 47-50.

Lollipop fancied England’s chances and so did the screaming Glasgow crowd. England led 16-12 in the 2^nd quarter but by half time the Silver Ferns had clawed their way back and led 20-19.

Manchester Thunder Captain Sara Bayman came on at Centre and made some excellent passes to Wing attack Jade Clarke to keep possession in the centre third.

But it was not enough to keep New Zealand at bay as Tutaia found her shooting range and ensured the score was still level at 29-29 at the end of the 3^rd quarter.

The final 15 minutes was where England unravelled. With six minutes left it was 34- 31 to England. Lollipop was confident we could do the unthinkable but New Zealand came back. England failed to score in the last five minutes as a missed shot from Goal attack Kadeen Corbin then a panicked passed from the player gave New Zealand the ball. Throughout the game Corbin let her emotions take over and her poor shooting (14 from 21) let her down. The Kiwis made no mistakes with the winner on the final whistle and that was the difference between the two sides.

The Commonwealth champions used their experience and remained calm despite trailing in the final quarter. They had not played their best Netball but New Zealand were unbeatable when it mattered most. Plaudits said England were unlucky but Manchester Thunder coach Tracey Neville said the opposite.

During BBC 5 live commentary Neville said: “There is a lot of words being used like should have and we didn’t.”

“We didn’t learn from our game against Australia and we didn’t have that closing out the game strategy on the court today.”

Lollipop agrees with Neville. England allowed the same mistakes that cost them a famous win over Australia in the group stages to happen again. England led for 39 minutes of their game against the World number one team but in the dying seconds Goal Shooter Jo Harten missed an easy shot and Australia countered to win in the dying seconds.

If England had won our team would have played Jamaica and Australia would have played New Zealand in the semis. The scores would have been very different and Lollipop may have been watching England in the final tomorrow.

Neville asked: “Kadeen is obviously very upset but do you put blame on one player?”

No you cannot when your side should not have been in this predicament in the first place.

England Coach Anna Mayes could not make the decision to take Corbin off despite the player unravelling in front of Lollipops very eyes. But that is not what cost England the tournament. The damage was done when they lost to Australia 49-48.

Somehow in less than 24 hours England must pick themselves up for the Bronze medal match against Jamaica who lost 57-42 to Australia.

With Jamaica suffering a heavier defeat in the semi-finals and England ranking one place higher than them in third it seems like an easy clash.

But with Corbin not playing her best Netball and her side’s dreams in tatters Jamaica’s Sunshine girls may come out on top.

Plus someone could show up to spoil England’s medal party.

Has Wiggins still got this Lollipop?

It is the second day of the Commonwealth Games and with 10 gold medals for England and Scotland in just the first day Lollipop and I are reflecting on an excellent start.

For athletes like Swimmer Ross Murdoch and Renicks sisters Kimberley and Louise yesterday was a dream come true but for Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins it was a day to forget and reflect. Wiggins competed in just one event at the Glasgow Commonwealth games but his team had to settle for a silver medal in the men’s 4,000m team pursuit as Australia beat England in the final.

Wiggins said: “We were all on different levels,” as the team of him, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant finished more than five seconds adrift of their opponents.

He added: “We’ve had limited preparations for this and hopefully we will look back in two years’ time with gold medals around our necks thinking ‘this was the starting point in Glasgow.”

But Lollipop was not just surprised by the result. We expected Wiggins to take part in more events at the games like the individual pursuit and the time trial where he won Olympic gold in London 2012. However the 34-year-old chose to ride in just one competition and has now ruled out doing any grand tours. The 2012 Tour de France champ was not chosen for this year’s road event. Team Sky went for last year’s winner Chris Froome to lead who coincidently crashed out in the first week.

Although he has not ruled out all road events Wiggins said: “The road is quite cut-throat. The track feels more like a family and a closer-knit group of people.”

Our champ will now make track racing his priority as he targets gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

But has the senior gold medallist got what it takes to win in 2016?

Currently Wiggin’s only win of 2014 has been At the Tour of California, where he won the time trial on stage two by a margin of 40 seconds.

In the Tour de France Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali has all but wrapped up his overall victory after winning the summit finish at Hautacam.

In an event where Lollipop is used to seeing Brits triumph it’s disheartening to see Team Sky not in the running.

After being shunned by Team Sky Wiggin’s perception of road events have changed. In the past he has also admitted how he struggled with his rise to household-name status, and said there are times he wishes he had never won.

However after training in the velodrome our Champ has his eyes firmly set on 2016.

Wiggins said: “The last six or seven weeks since I’ve been back on the track have just been really refreshing and a good distraction from all of that Tour de France nonsense.”

His bitterness towards the event has been clearly noted by Lollipop but unfortunately so has his drop in performance. At 34 and after losing the Commonwealth Games final his game has taken a dip.

But there is still time. With Wiggins taking part in fewer events his concentration will not falter. But will his ageing legs?

Only Rio will tell Lollipop.

Germany are Lollipop’s World Cup champions

After a gripping 113 minutes Germany found a way through Argentina’s solid defence to end the tournament with a 1 nil win. Substitute 22-year-old Mario Gotze reached a curling pass  from Andre Schurrle and took the ball on the chest then flashed a volley past goalkeeper Sergio Romero into the net.

The stunning 7-1 victory over Brazil should have been the hunch everyone needed that Germany would win the 2014 World Cup but Argentina were not deterred.

The runners up had some clear chances at goal. In the opening half Gonzalo Higuaín missed a chance that was gifted to him from a mis-hit by Toni Kroos. Then talisman Lionel Messi curled a low shot just wide which even had goal keeper Manuel Neuer beaten. But the Argentines just could not get a goal on target.

Despite winning the Golden Ball award of the tournament Messi clearly was not at his best tonight. The Barcelona champ threw up during the first half on the pitch and could not convert any of his chances including a free kick in the dying seconds of extra time which he skied over the net.

Argentina’s captain just could not make his shot count like he did against Iran in the group stages. But of course you can’t just blame one player. Despite their solid defence Argentine forwards like Higuaín, and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero just had not made an impact in the most important game of their lives.

Argentina may have had the better chances but it was Germany that walked away with the coveted trophy after a  24 year wait for their country. Plaudits are calling their side the best team to win the tournament and with young talent like Mario Gotze who can argue with that.

Their stunning 4 nil win against Portugal opened up their campaign and was comparable to the start in 1990, when Beckenbauer’s side hammered Yugoslavia 4-1.  Algeria were the only side to give Joachim Low’s side any trouble as the tie went into extra time. Goals from Andre Schurrle and Mesut Ozil secured a quarter final with France. But it was the merciless win against hosts Brazil that really showed the world what a talented side the Germans were. Germany were 5 nil up after just 29 minutes – faster than any team in World Cup history. Brazilian captain David Luiz was in tears as were many Brazil supporters after such a devastating exit from their own tournament. At least the Brazilians can say they went out to the now four time World Cup champions- just one behind their country.

But Lollipop has no doubt this is a German team that could surpass Brazil in World Cup success. Most players like Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Christoph Kramer, Mesut Ozil and of course Mario Gotze are all under 30 and have another European and World Cup in them.

Even without their record breaking goal scorer Mirolav Klose Germany will not be a one hit wonder like previous Cup winners Spain proved to be. The team who have become the first European team to win the cup in America will return to Germany as heroes and by 2018 they could be even better.

But then again so could this guy Lollipop.

It Doesn’t Matter

Having lost the previous three major finals it seemed that our champ Novak Djokovic and coach Boris Becker just could not get past that last opponent. But somehow against the sport’s greatest grass court player Roger Federer he found a way through and is now a 2 time Wimbledon Champion.

The Serb fought his way through 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 to win his seventh Grand slam title.

After a stunning fourth set where there were four breaks of serve Djokovic let a championship point slip and a vigorous Federer came back to win five games in a row. The 2012 champ then held his serve to force a decisive fifth set.

But Djokovic recovered his nerve to fend off break points in the decider and clinch a dramatic win after three hours and 56 minutes.

The gripping win means the Serb will reclaim the number one ranking from Rafael Nadal. Federer is third but he wanted so much more than that today.

Having reached the final nine times and won 17 Grand slam titles Federer was back on Centre Court at a final of Wimbledon. At 32 years of age the Champ has still got it.

Last year he could not even make the second round of the tournament and suffered his worst Grand Slam defeat since 2004 in the second round against Sergiy Stakhovsky.  The loss ended Federer’s record streak of 36 consecutive quarterfinals at major tournaments and meant he would drop out of the top 4 for first time since July 2003, exactly 10 years after he won his first Wimbledon title. There was a new grass court champ and finally Federer’s chances of winning another grand slam had been written off.

But that is the mistake of most sports. Lollipop knows you can’t write off a champ.

Despite his loss today Djokovic was forced to play the match of his career.

After the celebrations he said: “Winning in 2011 was the highlight of my career but this win over Roger is probably the best grand slam final I have ever played in my life.”

Having missed the chance to close out the match in four sets – and having missed set points in the first Djokovic looked out of this match. The crowd screamed: “Roger, Roger,” as the Serb left centre court to cool down and gather his thoughts.

After calling on the trainer and just holding serve Djokovic recovered his poise to edge Federer in the fifth thanks to one break, in the 10th and final game.

The 27-year-old now joins John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and John Newcombe on seven grand slams the only difference is that Lollipop knows he can win more.

Despite playing in the era of clay court master Rafael Nadal and eight time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer, Djokovic has found a way to win and retain the number one ranking.

The Serb was seen as the underdog today but he showed it doesn’t matter how many more grand slams your opponent has won. It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed to clinch a major title.

All that stands out is your final game and your name on the winner’s board.

By Monday Novak Djokovic will be ranked number one. Last year’s Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will be ranked tenth. But that doesn’t matter, does it Lollipop?

Surprise Surprise Holland

So the second round of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil is well under way. After watching a gripping match even for neutrals like Lollipop where the Netherlands came back from a goal down to win 2-1 over Mexico the thrilling shots are clearly not drying up.

I should be ecstatic as Holland are in my sweepstake but the great raw passion of the American teams is enough to sway any neutral.

Could it be this fearless passion that decides the World Cup and thwart Holland? Ready to face the Dutch is Costa Rica who have never reached the quarter finals in their history and have an average ranking of 28 by FIFA in the tournament.

After another  unmissable second half which saw Bryan Ruiz side foot Costa Rica into the lead and Greece score in the 90^th minute extra time ticked by then penalties. Both sides could not miss from the spot until Costa Rica’s saviour Keylor Navas blocked a Theofanis Gekas penalty and Michael Umana put his side through to the last eight with the last spot kick of the match.

Holland must already be looking forward to the semi-finals knowing they face such lowly underdogs. Or is Lollipop making the same assumptions most England supporters did when Costa Rica were part of Group D. The Central American side have conceded just one goal – a penalty against Uruguay and finished top of a group which hosted three world cup winners but they are still not seen as a real threat for Holland.

Each time Holland have met an American side in this World Cup they have snatched late wins. The second goal that defeated Chile was scored in the 92^nd minute and the penalty from Klaas Jan Huntelaar was scored in the 93^rd against a distraught Mexico earlier tonight. Each time Holland have needed stoppage time to see off their opponents but what if their time is up against Costa Rica?

Yes the Dutch have class and experience on their side with captain and Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie and Juventus forward Arjen Robben but Costa Rica has 22-year-old Arsenal forward Joel Campbell. Having signed for the Gunners in 2011 but not made a single appearance it is no surprise Lollipop was not aware of his prowess until his stand out performance against Uruguay in a 3-1 victory. The youngster also put away a flawlessly cool penalty against Greece tonight after a tiring game. On the strength of his performances he has now been granted the right to work in the UK so it could only be a matter of time before we see him playing at the Emirates. Costa Rica’s Assistant coach, Paulo Wanchope said: “He has done well, but he can perform even better. Arsene Wenger is watching him.” The Arsenal manager has already said he wants Campbell at pre-season training and who knows what he could do against the Dutch defence?

The Central American side are the surprise package of the World Cup. No team knows what to expect against such a well organised wild card. Campbell said: “This is unforgettable. We are part of history. Nobody would have put a dollar on this team qualifying but there you go. It can change football in Costa Rica.”

They could change the tournament yet again if they do the unthinkable against Holland. But of course the Netherlands have a wild card of their own in the form of coach Louis Van Gaal. His counter attacking football annihilated reigning champions Spain as his team proved they are not the same team who crumbled at the final hurdle to Spaniard Andres Iniesta’s winner in the 2010 World Cup Final.

Van Gaal’s team have scored more goals and conceded more fouls than any other team in the group stages of the World Cup. But unlike their opponents they have never faced a penalty shoot out in this competition. Jorge Luis Pinto’s Costa Rica clearly have nerves of steel and it could be this that finally out foxes the Old Trafford bound Van Gaal.

 

 

The Future’s Bright but not for Gerrard

After weeks of gripping World Cup games Lollipop needs to settle down and turn to the future of Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard.

Just four days ago Lollipop and I were devastated by England’s second group defeat at Brazil thanks to the skill of PFA Player of the year Luis Suarez. But a couple of World class goals from Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan has made an early exit easier to bear.

Now however we must face the fact that our 34-year-old captain could be weeks away from ending his international career. Earlier today In Gerrard’s first press conference after the defeat with manager Roy Hodgson He said: “There is no truth I’ll be making any announcement on my England future in the next week. I need more time than that.

“I’m still hurting and I’m still broken from the last couple of weeks.”

But has his decision already been made for him by the press and supporters? On his Daily Star on Sunday column Former England footballer Peter Shilton said “the major worry for me is the form of our captain, Gerrard. I always thought he wasn’t a natural defensive midfielder and that has been proven to be the case on the biggest stage.”

Daily Mail Sports reporter, Roy Shepherd also said Gerrard “was far from a commanding figure against Italy and he certainly didn’t pull any strings in his new quarter back role in comparison to Andrea Pirlo for Italy.”

Gerrard was at fault for both Uruguay goals that caused a 2-1 defeat for England and effectively placed them out of the competition. For a start he was in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time for Uruguay’s opening goal, allowing Edinson Cavani to gallop past a Gerrard-shaped hole in front of the central defence. Then for the second Stevie mistimed his header and Suarez of course saw it coming.

Towards the end of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign Gerrard also cost his team a vital point against rivals Chelsea when he slipped with the ball and allowed striker Demba Ba to score in a must-win game for the Merseyside team. The fatal mistake was made by Gerrard when he was playing in this new defensive position just as he was for England vs Uruguay.

No one is questioning the captain’s desire and commitment but his ageing ability has now come into question. Surely England’s earliest elimination from the tournament since 1958 cannot be blamed on just one man but in each analysis of their World Cup defeats Gerrard’s name just keeps popping up.

The captain made his England debut in May 2000 and has 113 caps. He is just two appearances short of David Beckham’s outfield caps record of 115 which could maybe play a part in his decision to continue and then go out on a high as England’s most capped midfielder.

The Liverpool skipper has played at Euro 2000, 2004, 2012 and the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. He has also scored 21 goals for his country so why shouldn’t he continue such an incredible career asks Lollipop.

Waiting on the England bench are far younger players ready to take his place. 20-year old Ross Barkley and team mate Jordan Henderson will more than likely play a part in the side’s last group game against an already qualified Costa Rica team.

Who would have thought the only team in Group D to never have won the World Cup would be the first to qualify. But here England’s youngsters are – about to play what can only be classed as a friendly for a team already out of the competition.

It is only fair that the young stars should get a run out at Brazil. And it is only fair that after a glistening career we should say goodbye to our captain and make way for an interesting future in English football.

 

 

Service Matters

So what has Lollipop learnt from  Rafael Nadal’s ninth French Open title Maria Sharapova’s  second?

Despite losing the first set the King of Clay beat Novak Djokovic  3-6 7-5 6-2 6-4 in three hours and 31 minutes. In the fourth Djokovic looked set to make a comeback as he broke Nadal to level 4-4 but he could not hold his serve when it mattered. A terrific backhand pass helped Nadal to match point and Djokovic, disrupted by a call from the crowd, fired his second serve long.

Victory for the nine-time French Open champ means he will remain world number one ahead of Djokovic. He extended his incredible run at Roland Garros to 66 wins and just one defeat in the last 10 years.

French Open champion Maria Sharapova also won a ferocious battle on clay. The Russian beat the Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep in three show-stopping sets 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.

There were so many twists and turns in this fierce hitting contest. Even in the final set when Sharapova broke Halep’s serve the Romanian fought back to level 4-4. Sharapova immediately broke back and won the Championship on her serve after a wide mishit from Halep.

This of course marks another spectacular win for Sharapova on clay. In 2012 she completed a career grand slam when she beat Sara Errani at Roland Garros.

Then in 2013 she reached the Semi-finals but was beaten by World no. 1 Serena Williams in three sets. So after her shoulder injuries it seem Sharapova is now a clay specialist and could go on to reach the same heights as Nadal.

It is crazy that we can say that but after being pushed to the limit by Halep, Sharapova found a way to slide through to her second French Open championship.

In the build up to Wimbledon it is easy to say she could win that title once again this year. But the transition could be too great for our champ.

In 2013 Sharapova was beaten in the second round of the British tournament by qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito. She then retired from the US Open after a shoulder injury ended her tennis season. Our champ may have not been in her best form but it still proves how testing it can be to win both titles in succession.

Nadal went through the same downfall. He lost his first-round match at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in straight sets to unseeded Belgian Steve Darcis (ranked No. 135), making it the second time in a row he failed to reach the third round at Wimbledon and the first ever time Nadal had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam.

Both French Open champions have won Wimbledon before but since overcoming serious injuries they have found it tough to return to their usual winning ways on grass.

Suddenly opponents like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka who were easily defeated on clay have a chance against these champions.

Despite Djokovic’s agonising wait for a French Open title and Halep’s crushing defeat after reaching her first ever Grand Slam they still have a chance at Wimbledon.

Having reached the finals at Wimbledon last year Djokovic will feel more confident on grass if he meets Nadal and so will others Lollipop.

Out of the Open and out of pocket Lollipop

Day 2 of the French Open and our British debutant James Ward has shown signs of brilliance despite losing to 17^th seed Tommy Robredo in the first round.

Yes. Ok Lollipop Robredo won the rain-interrupted contest 4-6 6-4 6-2 6-4 in two hours and 53 minutes to reach round two but Ward progressed further than ever before through three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw in Paris.

Before his quick exit Ward became the first Brit in 40 years to make it through qualifying and reach the French Open.

The 27-year-old beat Blaz Rola of Slovenia 4-6 6-4 12-10 to match the achievement of John Lloyd in 1973.

After his incredible win against a player who ranked 75 places above him at 94 in the world Ward said: “It’s massive because it’s a Grand Slam. It’s the reason you play tennis. It’s special.”

The Brit also went on to discuss issues off the court. The gap between poor and rich was put in the spotlight as Ward said “It’s very difficult because you’re paying your expenses and your coach’s.”

He also added “You’re paying for your food, hotel and travel for two people and if you lose in  the first round you’re  getting $300 minus tax. It’s embarrassing.”

French open singles champion will earn €1.65m (£1.33m) in comparison to Ward’s First-round losers sum of €24,000 (about £19,400).

Ward argued: “There shouldn’t be such a massive gap to the guy who can’t even get [free] transport leaving here, because he’s lost in the first round of qualifying.”

His words are definitely something the top seeds of the game should take note of. Low ranked players have so much more to prove and they’re not here to be the underdog or make up the numbers. No player is.

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic even observed this on Friday and said: “All of the 128 players are extra motivated to perform the best they can in the grand slams, because all the sport’s attention is directed to this tournament. This is where they want to shine. That’s why for us top players it’s always tricky to face opponents who have nothing to lose in the opening rounds.”

Wimbledon champ Murray welcomed Ward’s success at the French Open and said: “What he can achieve is really up to him and how much he wants to achieve.” The world No 8 added: “If you look at his results, he’s beaten very good players. He has the form in big matches to suggest that he could be ranked 50, 60 or 70 in the world.”

So the British world number three definitely has potential. With Murray not at his best just yet Ward could be Lollipop’s one to watch as long as he keeps his focus on court. The damp weather and rain delay clearly did not help his game. The Londoner dropped serve late in the second set and Robredo then broke his serve at the beginning of the third and fourth sets to ramp up the pressure.

But Ward is optimistic and so is Lollipop. “It’s a positive and I’m looking forward to taking the momentum into the next few weeks on grass, where I’ll have a few good chances.

“I’ll give it my all and I’m sure win a few more matches.”

We also hope it does not take some strong words from our rising Brit to make tournament organisers realise the financial gulf in the sport. Yes the winnings may have gone up in the French Open this year but things need to improve all round to increase rivalry between the Grand slam winners and the first time qualifiers.

Better winnings next time Ward.

Next up of the Brit bread line players. 22-year-old Heather Watson against Czech Barbara Zahlavova Strycova in round one.

Get ready Lollipop.