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A Platinum Monarch, a new PM, painful Post-Mortems in America and Parisian tennis matches
Few probably realise that the French Open has provided Central America with its first ever Grand Slam champion. Marcelo Arevalo from El...
lydiajulian1
Jun 7, 20228 min read


So, what do we now know?
When, in a fortnight’s time, the finals of the French Open are played the respective champions will be awarded their trophies because...
lydiajulian1
May 22, 20228 min read


Forty eight hours to go!
Some days you remember more than others. 21st August 1983 is one of those days. In peaceful, democratic Australia, the newly elected...
lydiajulian1
May 19, 20226 min read


Less than a fortnight to go and it's not a game- this is our future!
With less than two weeks until polling day in Australia, we can be more certain about events after the election than its outcome. We know...
lydiajulian1
May 8, 20227 min read


Nous tous! Australia and France go to the polls and then we focus on Roland Garros
The political terms left and right wing were coined when what became known as the Tennis Court oath was taken during the French...
lydiajulian1
Apr 13, 202211 min read


Guess who's coming to the tennis?
The question is, would the character played by the much loved and recently departed Sidney Poitier in his 1963 movie be more welcome to...
lydiajulian1
Jan 12, 20226 min read


Djokovic v the World: no vaccination, a contested exemption, a denied visa and a court appeal!
It just keep’s happening! A new year and the overlap of politics, world affairs and Grand Slam tennis continues. One of my holiday reads...
lydiajulian1
Jan 6, 20225 min read


Tremors!
It says something about the potent ubiquity of Covid-19 that it continues for most to be the only topic in town as we begin the third...
lydiajulian1
Jan 1, 20226 min read


Two end of year playoffs, a summit in Glasgow and a ‘sext’ for afters…
So, the tennis year is officially over, well apart from the Davis Cup which has become such a desiccated version of its one great self,...
lydiajulian1
Nov 29, 20216 min read


Is there honour amongst our governors anymore? Is there any hope of buying a home?
It is just over a fortnight since the end of the US Open. Former English Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously quipped that “a week is a...
lydiajulian1
Oct 1, 20219 min read


When will all of US be OPEN?
Sometimes, you just cannot believe the timeliness of events and poignancy of words. Tonight, (Australian time) the US Open commences. All...
lydiajulian1
Aug 30, 20216 min read


New York, here we come!
Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a part of it New York, New York And If I can make it there I'll make it...
lydiajulian1
Aug 9, 20219 min read


Farewell Roland Garros 2021: Thank you for more of the old and more of the new!
Even the most ardent Republican tennis fan living in the southern hemisphere must acknowledge the fortuitous nature of the Queen’s...
lydiajulian1
Jun 15, 202110 min read


Paris awaits!
So, is some of the world is returning to normal? Qualifying rounds at Roland Garros start tomorrow, with the tournament proper starting...
lydiajulian1
May 23, 20216 min read
Have we won the war against Covid-19, but are now fighting post-pandemic skirmishes?
Countries are never entirely at peace with themselves. There are always social, economic and political fault lines that are shifting and...
lydiajulian1
Apr 18, 202111 min read


News travels quickly from the West!
Yesterday was the 28th anniversary of Paul Keating winning the “unwinnable Federal election” against John Hewson. It was the Federal...
lydiajulian1
Mar 14, 20219 min read
And the winner is?
Yesterday was especially bittersweet. It was the 38th anniversary of my first vote in a Federal election in 1983, which saw the election...
lydiajulian1
Mar 6, 20217 min read


Melbourne's Grand Slam closes , but controversies remain open
Perhaps more than ever this year’s Australian Open confirmed how Grand Slam tennis is often an unwitting barometer of the political and...
lydiajulian1
Feb 28, 202111 min read


Australian Open champions set to be unmasked, like the rest of us!
In 1988 when the Australian Open was played for the first time at its new venue, then called Flinders Park, history was made when mid-way...
lydiajulian1
Feb 15, 20217 min read


An Open and shut case?
Tomorrow, competition at the Australian Open is set to commence. The gates will be open, but even after the first ball is struck there...
lydiajulian1
Feb 7, 20218 min read

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